Couple of trips to The Sampler - South Kensington

I happened to be in South Kensington twice last weekend so thought I would pop into The Sampler - once was before a trip to the V and A, but the second time was definitely planned (as I was going with my wine loving dad).

Friday evening is a rather busy affair in the shop, and as I only had 40 mins before the exhibition I thought I would stick to the whites.

First up was Domaine Maurice Schoech (2014). This was a Pinot Blanc from Alsace. I hadn't had a Pinot Blanc before and previous experience from Alsace had only been quite floral Riesling, so this was a lovely surprise. Very citrussy, but full bodied and apparently used to be confused as Chardonnay in the past. RRP £11.90.

Second was the Unico Cocciciola (2013) from Italy. The grape is more usually used as a blend in Trebbiano D'Abruzzo. I am not always a fan of Italian whites (or reds for that matter) but this was lovely. Apples, peaches and grass with a touch of floral tones to it. The tasting notes said it was like Sauvignon Blanc and they weren't wrong. RRP £13.

Mad Szent Tamas Nyulaszo (2012) was from Hungary, and really the region is called Mad! This was really interesting wine. Tangerine and lemon peel with some honey, medium bodied and crisp with good length. RRP £24.50.

A fab Chardonnay from Napa was next - Hoopla (2013). An unoaked Chardonnay with plenty of citrus and green fruits (particularly pear for me) with some tropical flavours and with a little vanilla (which I guess must come from the 10% barrel fermentation) but very crisp. RRP £16.

They were probably the most interesting of the whites for me, although I did of course have a couple of rather expensive white French wines as well...

The next visit with my dad was on a Monday lunchtime, which was a much quieter affair. We obviously started on the whites before quickly moving onto some reds.

The weather this time of year means that I often enjoy a red wine more than a white or a rose. It feels more cosy somehow.

We found a lovely Pinot Noir from California. Not quite as lovely as the one I had over Christmas but pretty good nonetheless. I am loving that I am enjoying Pinot Noir more these days (albeit only a few!) This was Poe from the Manchester Ridge Vinyard,  Anderson Valley RRP £40. On the nose and palette I got blackcurrants and some spice. Less earthy than other PNs I have tried and the tasting notes said potpourri...Not one I have thought of before. It was smooth and silky and went down a treat.

A Garnacha from Australia. That was a first for me. Made in the Spanish style, this grenache from Barossa  'The Matador' 2013 was a lovely blend of spices with red fruits particularly strawberries. RRP £16.50.

Emiliana Coyam 2012 had more grapes in it than I have had in one glass of wine before! From Chile, this had 7 different grapes in it. I was drawn to it because the first grape labelled was Syrah. Lots of lovely flavours in here but they worked together beautifully rather than fighting against each other. Chocolate, spice and hints of oak...Delish! RRP £19.50.

Mother's Ruin from McClaren Vale in Oz was a rich Cab Sav. Tastes of blackcurrant, cassis and a hint of mint. Great label too... RRP £17.50

Probably the nicest drop of the day for me was the 2009 Château Cissac, a red Bordeaux blend from Haut Medoc. We tried it in store, but then dad treated us to a bottle to take home. Woop Woop! Dark black fruits with hints of tobacco and some toast. Probably could do with laying for another year or two, but still a smooth silky drop. Very satisfying!

WSET App

Bored of Solitaire/Candy Crush/Angry Birds when travelling on the tube?

I have been playing the WSET wine app to try and keep me focused on which wines come from which regions. It's a really useful way to keep on top of the various regions (although I am only at level 3 at the moment).

It's a bit clunky in terms of navigating round the world (which is a pain when it's against the clock!) and uses a 'previous map' button rather than using the usual expand and decrease movement you use to zoom in on the iphone,

But hey it's free, so give it a go!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/wset-wine-game/id524998189?mt=8