Kick off the festive period with a FREE wine case on us!

The festive season is truly upon us and the good people at Wine52 are getting into the spirit by offering a FREE case of 3 gorgeous wines. All you need to do is cover just £9.95 for postage.

Join them on a journey of discovery to visit the greatest wine regions on the planet. Each month they send a case from a different region, focusing on historic, independent wineries with wine quality and grape variety being paramount.

Located in the heart of Chile, Valle del Maule has a history of viticulture stretching back as far as the time of Spanish colonisation. Its stunning, diverse terroir and abundance of ungrafted vineyards yields exceptional wine full of depth and character.

• Cremaschi Furlotti’s Sereno is a refreshing and invigorating Chardonnay with bright aromas of lemon, notes of green apple and hints of melon. The wine has a medium body with purity and freshness in the bouquet that is reflective of the unoaked style.

• Digna De Riquezas by Viña Balduzzi is a charming and elegant Merlot with a smooth and approachable profile. It unveils a velvety and well-rounded texture with soft tannins and a subtle mouthfeel.

You can choose red, white or a mixture of both and your case will also include a copy of Glug magazine and two tasty snacks.

After your trial case, you'll receive all the above with free delivery for just £36/month. There's no minimum commitment; you can cancel anytime.

Grab this free case now! >

Wine52 Explores the Balaton, Hungary

The latest case from Wine52 takes us to Hungary’s Lake Balaton, a huge lake central to Hungarian holidaymaking and life. The Balaton is a passion for all Hungarians, much loved and renowned for companionship, fun and of course wine. The region is surrounded by vineyards, a mixture of larger producers and family-owned plots which rarely make it outside of Hungary. And after tasting this case, who can blame them for keeping it all?

You will likely know Hungarian wine for one event a year, Christmas. Tokaji is often a treat to go with Christmas pudding or a cheese board for many and has largely overshadowed still wine production in Hungary. However, still wine is the most produced style by far. Admittedly, many families own small vineyards and make it for themselves, but as already said, it is rarely exported even if made by larger producers.

I’d like to focus on all the wines of this case, but there would be far too much to say, so I’ve honed in on my top 2.

Cafrang Rajnai Rizling

Incidentally the first I tried as I was eager to see what Hungary could do with the grape. It was perfumed and aromatic with a deep citrus core providing the fruit. As you might expect from zippy Riesling, lemon, lime and sour apple led the pack, with the lemon almost taking on a sherbet quality. White peach and acacia lent softness to this helping balance it out.

The palate was delightfully rounded, which can be an issue with Riesling. Certainly, the acidity was high, but not quite as high as you might expect from German or Austrian styles. You can tell the Balaton is a much warmer climate due to the riper fruit. It was more reminiscent of an Australian Riesling, cheeky suckingly dry and citrusy. Peach, apricot and juicy pear helped smooth out the zesty lime and lemon rind whilst a gentle hint of peppermint left a particularly fresh feeling on the palate. The finish lingered and left my mouth watering quite emphatically as the acidity teased away.

Thoughtfully sourced wines that express the Balaton as the hotbed of innovative winemaking it has become.

Kanikula, Bordeaux Blend

If you haven’t been to the Balaton, the label gives you a fantastic insight into the atmosphere during the Summer. Bordeaux blends can be hit and miss, often stuck between replicating the wines of Bordeaux and trying something new but losing character along the way. This wine perfectly mimics the Bordeaux style. You’d be hard pressed to identify it as anything else. The aromas were uncannily similar as blackcurrant, plum and blackberry led the fruits whilst menthol and tomato leaf gave a strong indication of a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Judicious use of oak was also very clear with woodsmoke and cassis.

The palate was again an unerring example of a good quality Bordeaux. The fruits were warming with blackberry, blackcurrant, plum and a strong helping of cranberry. I found the old oak influence even better integrated with the palate, giving subtler depth to the profile. The herbaceous element of Cabernet remained as well with a gentle hint of menthol acting as a spicier influence. You’ll also find that tomato leaf in the mix. The wine did show some early signs of development, in particular leather and chocolate had begun to come through and give the wine some good depth. Finally, the finish was soothing and robust as the expertly integrated tannin helped it slip down.

I’d actually suggest hanging onto this wine for a little while, if you can, as there is some room for it to improve but it does drink very well now too. An excellent food wine and a great example of Hungarian winemaking.

Kiralykisasszony

The name, meaning Princess, also deserves a mention. The grape is equally unpronounceable: Kiralyleanyka, or better known as Feteasca Regala which tends to hit the UK market from Moldovan wineries. However, it is worth noting this is a point of debate and some treat it as a separate variety altogether. Nonetheless, it isn’t at all far off if it is different.

It is a very light style of wine, displaying ripe peach and apricot aromas with a heavily perfumed undertone. It has beautiful florality too with honeysuckle and orange blossom. It in fact most reminded me of a cross between Muscadet and Asti due to its distinctive grapey flavour. It is uncommonly rare for a wine to actually smell of the things it is made out of, but this no doubt has Thompsons seedless about it. A slightly sweet flavour of sugar cane persists underneath a bed of zippy acidity, really brining it to life and making it perfect for hot weather drinking.

Overall, another fantastic case from Wine52 with thoughtfully sourced wines that express the Balaton as the hotbed of innovative winemaking it has become.

This blog was written by our wine expert, David Andrews. Read his Instagram blog @oinosattheoikos

Wine52 Explores Tejo in Portugal

Wine52’s latest case stars wines from the Portuguese region of Tejo, named after the river which divides the region. Tejo has had a negative reputation up until recently, mainly with large producers selling mass market wines destined for forgetful styles which serviced the demand for nearby Lisbon. However, it has come onto the wine scene with renewed vigour since a replanting programme began with a focus on quality grapes and newer varieties to take advantage of the varying soils and conditions in the region. There has also been great investment in winery equipment and improved winemaking techniques to boost the wines even more. This, coupled with Tejo’s links harking back to Roman wine production from foot treading to use of amphora to age the wine in, blends traditional and modern techniques, creating a balance between past and present.

Tejo’s links harking back to Roman wine production from foot treading to use of amphora...blends traditional and modern techniques

The Terras de Cartaxo was my particular favourite wine this time. It is a fairly typical blend for the region, comprised of Touriga Nacional (the principle grape in Port), Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Trincadeira and Castelão. It pours a deep ruby red and clings heavily to the glass.

On the nose it has a heady aroma of rich, dark black fruits and liquorice. The longer you leave it, the more it opens up – prune and fig begin to come out along with chocolate and coffee. Some dried herbs also enter the mix and lift the aromatic complexity of the wine.

On the palate it delivers quite the punch, not just from the intense flavours but also partly down to the rather high alcohol at 14.5%! But that is the signature of this style of sun-soaked wine: bold and powerful. The intensity of the dark fruits are penetrating: black plum, blackcurrant and maraschino cherries fight amongst themselves, whilst a tinge of wild strawberry brings some softness to the blend. These slowly subside into toasty oak notes and more developed baked fruits. The tannins are chewy, ripe and very well integrated, making the chocolate flavours feel like a light cocoa dust. This might all be a little too much if it wasn’t for the acidity acting as a balancing force, helping cut through the tannin and weighty flavours. I also find that the herbal element keeps it complex and varied rather than a one-note fruit bomb. Finally, a touch of vanilla and oak spice on the finish cap it off nicely.

This is a perfect food wine for the time of year, BBQ time. It will go fantastically with grilled meats and the ample flavour means it will complement even the most well-seasoned dish. Oh, and don’t forget to decant!