Tim Atkin reviews some natural wines in the Times
May 13, 2010
Six natural wonders: the top natural wines
From a wine that tastes like freshly fermented grape juice to a palate-bogglingly good dry Loire Chenin Blanc, we choose the best
2009 Vin de Pétanque, Mas de Libian (£7.99, 13 per cent, Les Caves de Pyrène, 01483 554750; http://www.lescaves. co.uk) Even if you don’t play pétanque, you’ll love the wine. It’s like drinking freshly fermented grape juice: frothy and packed with quaffable syrah and grenache fruit. Brambly and soft, this tastes great chilled.
2009 Vin de Table Gamay, Raisins Gaulois Marcel Lapierre (£9.79, 12.5 per cent, Les Caves de Pyrène) Lapierre is one of the superstars of the natural wine movement. This is made from declassified Beaujolais grapes and it’s a total charmer. Light and refreshing with slightly tart red cherry and redcurrant fruit.
2009 Verd Albera, Emporda (£9.90, 13 per cent, http://www.artisanandvine.com) From the area of Emporda in northern Catalonia, this is a very Mediterranean blend of garnacha blanca, garnacha gris and muscat. It’s perfumed and unoaked with citrus and orange peel flavours and crisp acidity.
2008 La Granacha Côtes du Rhône (£13.99, or £11.19 by the mixed case, 14.5 per cent, http://www.oddbins.com) The label might look like a spelling mistake, but this blend of grenache and 10 per cent mourvèdre is beautifully articulated: light, perfumed and refined with notes of violet and red fruits and an earthy undertone.
2008 Clos Ouvert Huasa, Maule (£23, 14 per cent, http://www.artisanandvine.com) It doesn’t happen very often, but once or twice a year, I taste a wine that blows my mind. This old vine, unirrigated Chilean red, made from the local país grape by a Burgundian ex-pat is silky and fine with incredible complexity.
2006 Montlouis Sec, Le Volagré (£29.99, or £23.99 by the mixed case, 13.5 per cent, http://www.oddbins.com) Dry Loire Chenin Blanc is not a punters’ wine, but this partially barrel-fermented example is palate-bogglingly good. Honeyed and complex with bracing acidity, vanilla spice and impressive concentration.