Tuesday 30 December 2014

Small things in a great way.

"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way."
Napoleon Hill

Not so much a small thing but a huge iceberg in the forefront of my recent wine consciousness. Small Change Wines White blend is done in a great way. Screw cap, no frills packaging hides something very special within. Verdelho. Heard of that? I had, but only really to that extent. Famed for it's Madeiras, this grape rarely finds it's way into table wine. I'm so glad it did in this case.


On the nose it reflects somewhat of an unoaked chardonnay character. Lime notes and a kind of tropicality dominate. I would have spent more time thinking bout the nose, but the first nose full was so inviting I just couldn't hold myself back from drinking the thing.

The palate and mouth-feel are a revelation. Smooth succulent fruit and a rich floral character. Citrus, pineapple and passion fruit all delivered in a weighty and satisfying body that complemented the Sea Bream and Parmesan dish for dinner. Perfectly judged acidity and and a long fatty finish with ginger. There were definitely things here that reminded me of high quality Chardonnay. Then there were times when it reminded me of a warm vintage in Alsace. 
Rhys Howlett and Andrew Schonfeldt at Small Change Wines deserve a hearty pat on the back for this effort. This bottle was imported to Japan as a sample, I wish I could tell you where to get some more. Perhaps it's not too early to write a letter to Santa.

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