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Wines in the press - July 22-25

Guardian

According to Victoria Moore, what's pleasing about old wine is that it feels as if it talks to you.

She thinks wine that's has developed and matured a little, is a more thoughtful, settling experience. But it's not always easy to find good aged wines on a budget. Moore recommends Madiran and Cahors as being two good-value options, as their their dense tannins improve dramatically over the years. The Domaine Pichard Madiran 2003 (£8.95, The Wine Society) is an "imperfect" wine, that's uneven and uncertain, says Moore, but that doesn't get in the way of her loving its satisfying character. "It feels like a good conversation."

Telegraph

Jonathon Ray is listening to Sir Ian - "call me Beefy" - Botham holding court at Brighton's Hotel du Vin. It was during a tour that Botham met the famous South Australian winemaker, Geoff Merrill. The trio, including fast bowler Bob Willis got on famously and came up with a selection of wine that they were all happy to put their names to, namely a Chardonnay, a Cabernet and a Shiraz. Botham says: "It's no celebrity gimmick. Bob and I help with the blending and are involved every step of the way. And, let's face it, we certainly don't shirk our tasting responsibilities."
Ray thinks the wines "aren't half bad" and says after 10 years on the market, have been developed and tweaked into something rather elegant and tasty.

Independent

Anthony Rose says he is increasingly attracted in summer to refreshing red wines, that are light to medium in body, have little or no oak and are lightly chilled. "These are wines that don't leave you feeling that you've been dealt a right hook of oak, an uppercut of tannin and then a knock-out blow of high alcohol levels." Today we can look forward to the refreshing Old World qualities of Gamay from Beaujolais, Cabernet Franc from the Loire, the juiciness of local Italian reds and the charm of New World Pinot Noir, he says. Rose recommends Gianni Voerzio's 2007 Dolcetto, (£14.25, Lay & Wheeler) that he says has undertones of black cherry, dark chocolate, is beautifully balanced.

The Times

Talking about Brits abroad, Tim Atkin MW says, the Mediterranean is their first and foremost holiday destination where he suspects drinking quantity is generally more important than quality. It's a shame we don't pay more attention to what we drink abroad, he adds, because the Mediterranean shores are home to some of the most interesting wines in the world and which created the world of wine we know today. Over the centuries, crusaders and pilgrims traded or travelled with cuttings, moving native Vitis vinifera grapes from the Caucasus right across Europe. Atkin says, without them, there would be no Rioja, Chianti, or Aussie Shiraz. If you're traveling abroad Atkin recomemnds savouring a wine made nearby. If you're staying at home this will remind you of the Med - Asda Tempranillo, Bodegas Murviedro, Valencia (£3.29).

Financial Times

Jancis Robinson MW is talking about the future wine books and publishing. She says, life in the online age is tough for most publishers, and wine writers seem increasingly doing it themsleves. Allen Meadows, an American finance executive turned Burgundy guru, has just published his first book himself. It was losing editorial control over the book that put him off the traditional publishing route, but selling a $59.99 book with no middlemen must have its own attractions - provided you can find your market? "No one should go down the self-publishing path thinking that it's easy because it's not. Aspiring self-publishers should think very carefully about this part of the process because even if they have written the best book ever, it can't sell if no one knows about it," he says.