Little James Basket Press

Little James Basket Press: Going by the name, my first thought was that it was a wine either from the Napa Valley or from Australia. A look at the bottle told me that is was Vin de France which basically means that it is a non-vintage wine which allows producers to source grapes and blend wines from vineyards throughout the country. These wines are usually inexpensive and entry level and the earlier term used for them was Vin de Table or Table Wine.

This medium bodied, fruit driven, Southern Rhone Wine with soft tannins came as a pleasant surprise. It is a Grenache based wine with mainly red and some dark fruit character, strawberry, cherry, raspberry and blackberry. On the nose and the palate I got distinct spice, leather and tobacco notes, which made me ask the two WSET 3 qualified professionals present, how a young wine would have these characteristics. I was told the Solera System was used in making this wine which is a technique used for making Sherry, and which blends younger and older vintages. This process gives it a complexity which one would not find in an entry level wine.

This smooth, very drinkable wine was the find of the day for me, at a brunch hosted by a friend, at a city hotel. This non-vintage, bistro style red, is great for an afternoon brunch, though it not suitable for a sit down dinner, where the dishes are red meat based. All in all, for the price that it comes for which is under Rs 2000, it is a good deal.

– Lavina Kharkwal