Tasting Notes for the Afternoon's Wines

At this event we showcased four amazing wines that illustrate how fantastic the viticulture of the Southern Hemisphere is, and what a broad and exciting range of styles it has. Here’s a handy reminder of the wines we all enjoyed; you can purchase them by following the links in the headings.

To see what other exciting events we have on the horizon, please visit our Events page.

Undurraga Rosé Royal, Chile

To kick things off, what better way to welcome you to our humble abode than with something pink and fabulous? Putting a little sparkle into your day is this 100% Pinot Noir rosé bubbly from the Valle de Leyda, made by Undurraga, one of Chile's most prestigious wineries. The ideal apéritif, it offers abundant notes of fresh red berries combined with subtle floral hints of rose.

Rockburn Pinot Gris, New Zealand

A wonderful Pinot Gris from grapes hand-picked from Rockburn's two vineyard sites in Parkburn and Gibbston Valley, showcasing everything that's great about Central Otago white wine. Ripe peach, nectarine and Nashi pear aromas are backed by a hint of spice and a streak of minerality. The vibrantly fruity off-dry palate is layered over a rich and creamy texture.

Matias Riccitelli 'This is Not Another Lovely Malbec', Argentina

This young, dynamic winemaker isn't interested in making a run-of-the-mill Malbec. The Mendoza-grown grapes in this wine were fermented in whole clusters with natural yeasts, and the wine was then matured in small concrete vats to retain the purity of fruit, and bottled without fining or filtration. The result is pure, fruit-driven notes of wild raspberry and ripe plum layered with delicate floral tones. It's soft, smooth and silky, with fine tannins.

Groot Constantia 'Lady of Abundance', South Africa

Groot Constantia ('groot' being the Dutch and Afrikaans for 'great', as in large) is South Africa's oldest wine estate. In 1685, Cape Governor Simon van der Stel built a farm and manor house in the foothills of Table Mountain. This blend of Shiraz, Pinotage and Cinsault highlights all that is great about Western Cape wines; it's layered and complex, with aromas of ripe black fruit, mocha, chocolate, vanilla and wood spice. Rich and rounded on the palate, it has fine tannins and great length.