Fabulously effusive review written by renowned wine writer, Matthew Jukes.

2018 Blackdown Ridge, Triomphe
£16.66 (sold as 6 bottles for £100) www.blackdownridge.co.uk

Made from Triomphe d’Alsace and seeing 10 months in French oak, this is a dark, spicy, bonfire-tinged red wine with lovely black cherry fruit and masses of gusto. 

Relatively straightforward on the palate and generously juicy, too, this would be a surprisingly good steak wine such is the energy found here! Business Development Manager turned budding winemaker, Lucinda Colucci, told me that the 2020 vintage of this wine was, “made completely by me with remote directions from our consultant winemaker due to Covid-19 issues.” She continued, “I even trod the grapes. It was a big learning curve!” Because the 2018 vintage is getting low on stock I felt compelled to ask for a barrel sample of Lucinda’s 2020 and she kindly obliged. Needless to say, just you wait until this wine goes on sale – it is even finer and plusher than the suave 2018 with spicy, blackberry and plum fruit bursting out of the glass. These wines are genuine triomphes (sic).

https://www.vineyardmagazine.co.uk/not-that-weird-but-very-wonderful/ August edition 2021