Wednesday, December 28, 2011
A Seasonal Supplement
A special seasonal update to the Wine on Wednesday blog (on a Wednesday, fittingly enough), but actually due to getting rather over-enthusiastic at Michael's yesterday.
Michael and I had each bought a bottle of Collioure "Folio" 2009 Coume del Mas, a 14% Grenache Blanc from Languedoc-Roussillon when we tasted it as part of The Bottle Apostle's Natural Wines tasting in September. Tom from Bottle Apostle had chosen the Folio as the production process is not mechanised at all, it is all done by hand, horse-drawn ploughing, and they keep treatments to "a minimum" (though of course that may hide a multitude of sins!).
I remember being impressed with the wine, and drawing a little smiley face next to it on my notes from the evening (part of a complex emoticon-based wine note taking technique I'm developing, of course) and it must have stood out enough to buy a bottle. I even went as far as to stick a little silver star on the bottle when I put it in the wine rack at the flat, which occasionally serves as a reminder to myself that I shouldn't just knock a particular bottle back or use it for cooking.
However, drinking Michael's bottle of Folio with him last night made me realise it was clearly the stand-out white wine I'd tasted this Christmas. Served at only just a bit cooler than room temperature, it had a rich nutty complexity which I won't be able to describe in detail now as I don't have a glass in front of me. But it was a really REALLY good white wine, and I'm kicking myself for not including it in the Wine on Wednesday Christmas Special.
So take this as my evangelism for Collioure "Folio" 2009 Coume del Mas, £24.50 from Bottle Apostle.
And Michael, you're welcome to come round and drink the bottle I have here in return, any time you want!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Wall of Wine Christmas Special
It was Wine on Wednesday's Christmas Special last night, and it was my turn to host. We upped the budget a bit, with a view to finding some good wines for seasonal giving or drinking.
I also decided to up the stakes on the Wine on Wednesday format by introducing the amazing Wall of Wine!!! (C) (Patent pending) (All Rights Reserved) (etc etc!). As you can probably tell, I'm easily impressed by a cheap gimmick.
The objective of the Wall of Wine was to drive a rigorous data-driven analysis of the wines we drank based on empirical evidence and plenty of Blu Tack. Well, we didn't quite get there, but amazingly, nor did it descend into a drunken Pin The Tail On The Donkey. Divided into two teams, we tasted blind and used the Wall (TM) to guess the prices (Y axis) and score the wines in terms of how much we linked them (X axis).
The wine descriptions below are lifted from either the wine merchant or producer's websites, and the cheeses lean heavily on Wikipedia. Verdicts are the panel's own.
Round 1 – Lets Get Fizzy
A. Franciacorta Brut 2007 Fratelli Berlucchi (12.5%, Lombardy, Chardonnay & Pino Bianco 90%, Pinot Noir 10%) £22.00, The Bottle Apostle
Thanks to the ambition and vigour of then young winemaker, Franco Ziliani, the Berlucchi winery has become the primary name associated with Franciacorta DOCG. The region has adapted the Champagne model with invariable ascendancy. Endless foaming mousse, doughy and creamy aromas rounded with creamy almonds.
B. Prosecco La Marca Treviso Extra Dry NV (11%, Treviso, Prosecco) £8.49, Majestic
Made from Prosecco grapes grown by a number of growers on the hills and plains around Treviso, close to Venice in northern Italy. Soft pressing is followed by cool fermentation in stainless steel, for delicate and fresh fruit flavours. Pale and elegant, with a subtly perfumed bouquet, and youthful pear, melon and citrus fruit characters. Retains a little hint of sweetness which balances the crisp acidity and persistent fizz.
Parmigiano Reggiano, 2 year (£35/kg, The Deli Downstairs)
Coloured light straw to yellow straw, Parmigiano Reggiano has a granular, soluble and crumbly structure. The cheese is made from grass-fed Cow’s milk, and is aged for a minimum of 12 months. Produced near Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Bologna – only cheese produced in these provinces may be labelled “Parmigiano-Reggiano” under the European PDO protection.
Our Verdict
I wanted to try a pair of non-Champage sparkling wines to try. Both wines were really great. The Franciacorta was more aromatic and floral than the Prosecco, and everyone guessed correctly that it was going to be the more expensive wine - however, opinion was divided between which was nicer, so the Prosecco La Marca Treviso represents really good value as a very tasty sparkling wine at £8.49. Both went extremely well with the cheese - and I'd go further and say that the combination worked so well because they each brought out different qualities in the other, and I think you get something special by having them together. Our top seasonal tip is definitely to serve a bit of parmigiano reggiano or grand pardano with your fizz this Christmas!
Round 2 – I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas (and a better name for this round!)
C. Sancerre Comte Lafond 2009/2010 Ladoucette (12.5%, Loire Valley, Sauvignon Blanc) £23.00 Majestic
Ladoucette is one of the top Pouilly-Fumé producers and this is his marvellous Sancerre. Pale golden-green. Remarkable and aromatic intensity on the nose. Floral notes of white flowers such as hawthorn, acacia, old rose, and elderflower. This is backed up by blackcurrant buds and wild flowers. It is lively on the palette, with very pleasant acidulous characteristics prolonged by light fruity notes. Full and refreshing, it is dominated by flinty stones and chalk typical of fine Sancerre wines.
D. Kings Fumé 2009 Stanlake Park (12.5%, Thames Valley, roughly 25% each of Ortega, Regner, Scheurebe and Bacchus) £12.00, Stanlake Park
The owners of Stanlake in the second half of the 20th century were the Leighton family, of which Jon Leighton had the vision to create a Vineyard in the late 1970’s, which became established as Thames Valley Vineyards. Under winemaker Vince Gower, the estate continues to add to its reputation as one of the best in England. Kings Fumé is named in honour of King Charles 1st who donated a special window dated 1626 in Stanlake Park. The wine is aged in French Oak casks. Soft vanilla oak and buttery fruit characters are perfectly integrated with hints of fresh garden mint. On the wine list of the Dorchester Hotel in London.
E. Cloudy Bay 'Te Koko' Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (13.5%, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc) £30, Majestic
The 2007 Te Koko is an intriguing and alternative style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of lemon thyme, mandarin blossom and stone fruit combine harmoniously with ginger spice and nutty savoury tones, underlined by exotic tropical notes. The many-layered palate is creamy and textured, balanced by a clean, mineral acidity. The wine has excellent persistence of flavour and intensity.
Manchego La Mancha (£25.50/kg) with Dulche de Membrillo (£26.50/kg, both from The Deli Downstairs)
Manchego is a sheep’s milk cheese made from sheep of the Manchega breed, which is aged between 60 days and 2 years. Manchego has a firm consistency and buttery texture, which varies in colour from white to ivory-yellow and the rind from yellow to brownish beige. The cheese has a distinctive flavour, well developed but not too strong, creamy with a slight piquancy, and leaves and aftertaste characteristic of sheep’s milk. Dulche de Membrillo is a sticky, sweet, reddish hard paste, made from quince fruit, sugar and water and cooked over a slow fire. It is sweet and mildly tart and often served with Manchego cheese. It is sometimes known as a “fruit cheese”.
Our Verdict
The whites included a couple of surprises. Firstly, the Cloudy Bay Te Koko was extremely disappointing. Far and away the least appealing to any of our tastes - which is a shame as it was a pricey bottle and the Cloudy Bay reputation meant I was expecting something really special. Not one for anyone's Christmas Stocking! The Sancerre was fantastic, and though not cheap I would say it was worth it and scored pretty well on the Wall.
The coup of the evening, though, was the Kings Fumé. My friends Ali and Laura introduced me to Kings Fumé and had it as the white at their wedding. It nearly didn't make it onto the list as it was difficult to source, but I visited Ali, Laura and some other friends in Wokingham a few weeks ago, which was only a 10 minute drive from Stanlake Park in Twyford, so I popped in and picked up a couple of bottles. Interestingly, people's mind's changed on the Kings Fumé during the tasting - from initial excitement at the nose and taste, through a phase of 'I'm not so sure'... and then after a little bit, a general consensus of really liking it. After that, when we went through the wines, people were VERY impressed that it was an English wine, and then EVEN more impressed that it was a very good English wine at a sensible price. Its a bit difficult to source without getting a case - but I think we're going to get a case between the Wine on Wednesday crowd and share them out as it is a very good wine with the added kudos and interest factor with it being English!
The manchego and membrillo were a perfectly good accompaniment to the whites - but it certainly wasn't as good a pairing as the sparkling wines with the parmigiano reggiano as the combination of wines and cheese didn't really do anything special.
Round 3 – Seeing Red
F. Domaine les Yeuses 'Les Epices' Syrah 2008 Vin de Pays d'Oc (13.5%, Languedoc, Shiraz) £8.99, Majestic
Not far from the Mediterranean, Domaine Les Yeuses is near Mèze in the Languedoc region. Jean-Paul and Michel Dardé work together with winemaking consultants to ensure the best results from the soil, vines, grapes and climate. It has wonderfully spicy, perfumed Syrah fruit and an elegant softness and roundness which mark it out as a wine of quality. The finish is long, with an intriguing bitter-sweet pepper note.
G. Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz 2009 (16.5%, McLarren Vale, Shiraz) £25.00, Majestic
Matured in American oak, The Boxer Shiraz has a very deep garnet-purple colour and intense blackberry, liquorice, tar, menthol and cocoa bean aromas. Very full-bodied and with medium-firm fine-grained tannins and generous, warm-berry flesh, it is nicely balanced by crisp acid, finishing long (91 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, www.erobertparker.com). Mollydooker use nitrogen to protect their wines from oxygen so that they can reduce the amount of sulphites. When the wines are young, the nitrogen tends to flatten the fruit flavour of the wine (nitrogen effect). Shaking the wine releases the nitrogen (you can hear it hissing if you hold the bottle to your ear after doing the Shake) and the full flavour profile is restored.
Cabrales D.O. (£31.00/kg, The Deli Downstairs)
Artisan cheese from unpasteurized cows milk, sometimes blended with goat and/or sheep milk –though all of the milk comes exclusively from herds raised in a small zone of production in Asturias, in the mountains of the Picos de Europa in Spain. The cheese is aged in limestone mountain caves with a high relative humidity, which favours the development of the penicillium moulds that produce the veins in the cheese. It has an extremely strong flavour which can be very complex when made with mixed milks.
Our Verdict
Firstly, I have to 'fess up and say that I only picked the Cabrales as a bit of a joke. It is not one for pairing with the reds, but it is by far and away the strongest and wierdest-tasting chesses I've had in a long time (at one of the Bottle Apostle/Deli Downstairs wine & cheese evenings). The cheese makes the inside of your mouth crawl and go squeaky - it is a most bizarre sensation, and I thought I should share the experience with the Wine of Wednesday lot. I'm sure they thanked me for it.
The two syrah/shiraz were night and day. Les Epices was certainly not a bad wine, but thin and pale compared to the stonkingly strong The Boxer (I'm assiduously avoiding writing anything along the lines of 'that wine packed a punch', etc etc). I'd wondered whether a well-recommended wine like Les Epices might prove a barginous surprise - but it couldn't touch a beast like the Mollydooker. And The Boxer is a fantastic red wine; rich, chocolatey, warm, and I think worth the price tag as a very special Christmassy red.
Round 4 – Just Deserts
H. Il Passito di Corzano 2000 Vino da Tavola (11%, San Casciano, Trebbiano 80%, Malvasia 20%) 375ml bottle £36.00, Bottle Apostle)
Since the introduction of the DOC “Vin Santo del Chianti” in 1995 this wine is not allowed to be labelled with the denomination “Vin Santo” as the alcohol level must not be inferior to 13% by vol. Manual harvest, followed by the grape clusters being hanged and dried for 5 months. Fermentation in small oak barrels (caratelli), matured in the barrels for 8 years. Tastes of fig, raisin, grape.
I. The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (10.5%, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc) 375ml bottle £12.49, Majestic)
Botrytised grapes have been specially selected from amongst the vines of the Waihopai River vineyard to make this wine. The fermentation process takes a lengthy 6 months and extracts huge flavours from the shrivelled berries. Intensely sweet, yet balanced with a mixture of crisp citrus and fresh melon flavours, and as such, never cloys. Lingers long on the palate.
Taleggio (£25/kg, The Deli Downstairs)
Taleggio is a washed rind and smear-ripened Italian cheese (meaning it is smeared with bacteria or fungi, often from an older cheese). It has a strong aroma, but its flavour is comparatively mild with an unusual fruity tang. Its crust is thin and studded with salt crystals.
Our Verdict
Nish was quick off the block in identifying the Il Passito as Vin Santo - but unfortunately lost out on a technicality (see the description of the wine)! The Il Passito is a lovely dark, sweet grapey wine - a very good desert wine and I liked it a lot. The Ned was far paler than the Il Passito, and far sweeter and more citrus fruity, compared to the complexity and depth of dark fruit, grape and current taste of the Il Passito.
 |
| The Wall of Wine in action |
The objective of the Wall of Wine was to drive a rigorous data-driven analysis of the wines we drank based on empirical evidence and plenty of Blu Tack. Well, we didn't quite get there, but amazingly, nor did it descend into a drunken Pin The Tail On The Donkey. Divided into two teams, we tasted blind and used the Wall (TM) to guess the prices (Y axis) and score the wines in terms of how much we linked them (X axis).
The wine descriptions below are lifted from either the wine merchant or producer's websites, and the cheeses lean heavily on Wikipedia. Verdicts are the panel's own.
 |
| Careful deliberation |
A. Franciacorta Brut 2007 Fratelli Berlucchi (12.5%, Lombardy, Chardonnay & Pino Bianco 90%, Pinot Noir 10%) £22.00, The Bottle Apostle
Thanks to the ambition and vigour of then young winemaker, Franco Ziliani, the Berlucchi winery has become the primary name associated with Franciacorta DOCG. The region has adapted the Champagne model with invariable ascendancy. Endless foaming mousse, doughy and creamy aromas rounded with creamy almonds.
B. Prosecco La Marca Treviso Extra Dry NV (11%, Treviso, Prosecco) £8.49, Majestic
Made from Prosecco grapes grown by a number of growers on the hills and plains around Treviso, close to Venice in northern Italy. Soft pressing is followed by cool fermentation in stainless steel, for delicate and fresh fruit flavours. Pale and elegant, with a subtly perfumed bouquet, and youthful pear, melon and citrus fruit characters. Retains a little hint of sweetness which balances the crisp acidity and persistent fizz.
Parmigiano Reggiano, 2 year (£35/kg, The Deli Downstairs)
Coloured light straw to yellow straw, Parmigiano Reggiano has a granular, soluble and crumbly structure. The cheese is made from grass-fed Cow’s milk, and is aged for a minimum of 12 months. Produced near Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Bologna – only cheese produced in these provinces may be labelled “Parmigiano-Reggiano” under the European PDO protection.
Our Verdict
I wanted to try a pair of non-Champage sparkling wines to try. Both wines were really great. The Franciacorta was more aromatic and floral than the Prosecco, and everyone guessed correctly that it was going to be the more expensive wine - however, opinion was divided between which was nicer, so the Prosecco La Marca Treviso represents really good value as a very tasty sparkling wine at £8.49. Both went extremely well with the cheese - and I'd go further and say that the combination worked so well because they each brought out different qualities in the other, and I think you get something special by having them together. Our top seasonal tip is definitely to serve a bit of parmigiano reggiano or grand pardano with your fizz this Christmas!
Round 2 – I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas (and a better name for this round!)C. Sancerre Comte Lafond 2009/2010 Ladoucette (12.5%, Loire Valley, Sauvignon Blanc) £23.00 Majestic
Ladoucette is one of the top Pouilly-Fumé producers and this is his marvellous Sancerre. Pale golden-green. Remarkable and aromatic intensity on the nose. Floral notes of white flowers such as hawthorn, acacia, old rose, and elderflower. This is backed up by blackcurrant buds and wild flowers. It is lively on the palette, with very pleasant acidulous characteristics prolonged by light fruity notes. Full and refreshing, it is dominated by flinty stones and chalk typical of fine Sancerre wines.
D. Kings Fumé 2009 Stanlake Park (12.5%, Thames Valley, roughly 25% each of Ortega, Regner, Scheurebe and Bacchus) £12.00, Stanlake Park
The owners of Stanlake in the second half of the 20th century were the Leighton family, of which Jon Leighton had the vision to create a Vineyard in the late 1970’s, which became established as Thames Valley Vineyards. Under winemaker Vince Gower, the estate continues to add to its reputation as one of the best in England. Kings Fumé is named in honour of King Charles 1st who donated a special window dated 1626 in Stanlake Park. The wine is aged in French Oak casks. Soft vanilla oak and buttery fruit characters are perfectly integrated with hints of fresh garden mint. On the wine list of the Dorchester Hotel in London.
E. Cloudy Bay 'Te Koko' Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (13.5%, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc) £30, Majestic
The 2007 Te Koko is an intriguing and alternative style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of lemon thyme, mandarin blossom and stone fruit combine harmoniously with ginger spice and nutty savoury tones, underlined by exotic tropical notes. The many-layered palate is creamy and textured, balanced by a clean, mineral acidity. The wine has excellent persistence of flavour and intensity.
Manchego La Mancha (£25.50/kg) with Dulche de Membrillo (£26.50/kg, both from The Deli Downstairs)
Manchego is a sheep’s milk cheese made from sheep of the Manchega breed, which is aged between 60 days and 2 years. Manchego has a firm consistency and buttery texture, which varies in colour from white to ivory-yellow and the rind from yellow to brownish beige. The cheese has a distinctive flavour, well developed but not too strong, creamy with a slight piquancy, and leaves and aftertaste characteristic of sheep’s milk. Dulche de Membrillo is a sticky, sweet, reddish hard paste, made from quince fruit, sugar and water and cooked over a slow fire. It is sweet and mildly tart and often served with Manchego cheese. It is sometimes known as a “fruit cheese”.
Our Verdict
The whites included a couple of surprises. Firstly, the Cloudy Bay Te Koko was extremely disappointing. Far and away the least appealing to any of our tastes - which is a shame as it was a pricey bottle and the Cloudy Bay reputation meant I was expecting something really special. Not one for anyone's Christmas Stocking! The Sancerre was fantastic, and though not cheap I would say it was worth it and scored pretty well on the Wall.
The coup of the evening, though, was the Kings Fumé. My friends Ali and Laura introduced me to Kings Fumé and had it as the white at their wedding. It nearly didn't make it onto the list as it was difficult to source, but I visited Ali, Laura and some other friends in Wokingham a few weeks ago, which was only a 10 minute drive from Stanlake Park in Twyford, so I popped in and picked up a couple of bottles. Interestingly, people's mind's changed on the Kings Fumé during the tasting - from initial excitement at the nose and taste, through a phase of 'I'm not so sure'... and then after a little bit, a general consensus of really liking it. After that, when we went through the wines, people were VERY impressed that it was an English wine, and then EVEN more impressed that it was a very good English wine at a sensible price. Its a bit difficult to source without getting a case - but I think we're going to get a case between the Wine on Wednesday crowd and share them out as it is a very good wine with the added kudos and interest factor with it being English!
The manchego and membrillo were a perfectly good accompaniment to the whites - but it certainly wasn't as good a pairing as the sparkling wines with the parmigiano reggiano as the combination of wines and cheese didn't really do anything special.
Round 3 – Seeing Red
F. Domaine les Yeuses 'Les Epices' Syrah 2008 Vin de Pays d'Oc (13.5%, Languedoc, Shiraz) £8.99, Majestic
Not far from the Mediterranean, Domaine Les Yeuses is near Mèze in the Languedoc region. Jean-Paul and Michel Dardé work together with winemaking consultants to ensure the best results from the soil, vines, grapes and climate. It has wonderfully spicy, perfumed Syrah fruit and an elegant softness and roundness which mark it out as a wine of quality. The finish is long, with an intriguing bitter-sweet pepper note.
G. Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz 2009 (16.5%, McLarren Vale, Shiraz) £25.00, Majestic
Matured in American oak, The Boxer Shiraz has a very deep garnet-purple colour and intense blackberry, liquorice, tar, menthol and cocoa bean aromas. Very full-bodied and with medium-firm fine-grained tannins and generous, warm-berry flesh, it is nicely balanced by crisp acid, finishing long (91 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, www.erobertparker.com). Mollydooker use nitrogen to protect their wines from oxygen so that they can reduce the amount of sulphites. When the wines are young, the nitrogen tends to flatten the fruit flavour of the wine (nitrogen effect). Shaking the wine releases the nitrogen (you can hear it hissing if you hold the bottle to your ear after doing the Shake) and the full flavour profile is restored.
Cabrales D.O. (£31.00/kg, The Deli Downstairs)
Artisan cheese from unpasteurized cows milk, sometimes blended with goat and/or sheep milk –though all of the milk comes exclusively from herds raised in a small zone of production in Asturias, in the mountains of the Picos de Europa in Spain. The cheese is aged in limestone mountain caves with a high relative humidity, which favours the development of the penicillium moulds that produce the veins in the cheese. It has an extremely strong flavour which can be very complex when made with mixed milks.
Our Verdict
Firstly, I have to 'fess up and say that I only picked the Cabrales as a bit of a joke. It is not one for pairing with the reds, but it is by far and away the strongest and wierdest-tasting chesses I've had in a long time (at one of the Bottle Apostle/Deli Downstairs wine & cheese evenings). The cheese makes the inside of your mouth crawl and go squeaky - it is a most bizarre sensation, and I thought I should share the experience with the Wine of Wednesday lot. I'm sure they thanked me for it.
The two syrah/shiraz were night and day. Les Epices was certainly not a bad wine, but thin and pale compared to the stonkingly strong The Boxer (I'm assiduously avoiding writing anything along the lines of 'that wine packed a punch', etc etc). I'd wondered whether a well-recommended wine like Les Epices might prove a barginous surprise - but it couldn't touch a beast like the Mollydooker. And The Boxer is a fantastic red wine; rich, chocolatey, warm, and I think worth the price tag as a very special Christmassy red.
 |
| The final walls |
H. Il Passito di Corzano 2000 Vino da Tavola (11%, San Casciano, Trebbiano 80%, Malvasia 20%) 375ml bottle £36.00, Bottle Apostle)
Since the introduction of the DOC “Vin Santo del Chianti” in 1995 this wine is not allowed to be labelled with the denomination “Vin Santo” as the alcohol level must not be inferior to 13% by vol. Manual harvest, followed by the grape clusters being hanged and dried for 5 months. Fermentation in small oak barrels (caratelli), matured in the barrels for 8 years. Tastes of fig, raisin, grape.
I. The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (10.5%, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc) 375ml bottle £12.49, Majestic)
Botrytised grapes have been specially selected from amongst the vines of the Waihopai River vineyard to make this wine. The fermentation process takes a lengthy 6 months and extracts huge flavours from the shrivelled berries. Intensely sweet, yet balanced with a mixture of crisp citrus and fresh melon flavours, and as such, never cloys. Lingers long on the palate.
Taleggio (£25/kg, The Deli Downstairs)
Taleggio is a washed rind and smear-ripened Italian cheese (meaning it is smeared with bacteria or fungi, often from an older cheese). It has a strong aroma, but its flavour is comparatively mild with an unusual fruity tang. Its crust is thin and studded with salt crystals.
Our Verdict
Nish was quick off the block in identifying the Il Passito as Vin Santo - but unfortunately lost out on a technicality (see the description of the wine)! The Il Passito is a lovely dark, sweet grapey wine - a very good desert wine and I liked it a lot. The Ned was far paler than the Il Passito, and far sweeter and more citrus fruity, compared to the complexity and depth of dark fruit, grape and current taste of the Il Passito.
However, the desert wine round provided far and away the best pairing of the evening: Il Passito with Taleggio. Taleggio is a cracking cheese in its own right - rich and thick and creamy. Put it together with the rich sweet Il Passito, and you have an absolutely fantastic combination. They contrast and build on each other, bringing out flavours and sides of the wine and the cheese that neither can show on its own - and in my opinion shows how a proper cheese and wine combination should work.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Three is the Magic Number
Brought to you by the Number Three and the Letter Milkthistle
Wine on Wednesday Number Three happened last week, and Vicky hosted. This month, Vicky wanted us to put our money where our mouth was - or rather, guess the prices of the various wines and rank them in order of how much they were - as well as guessing the grape(s) and region! No mean feat - but Vicky was very well prepared and gave us all little worksheets to fill in! There was also a column on the worksheet headed "Alcohol". Presumably, intended for us to guess the alcohol content of the wine. Mine merely ended up with a tick in each box - because I was pretty certain (as the night went on) there was definitely alcohol in there!
Whites 1 & 2
The first white tasted like a saivignon - very green, apply and grassy, with a slighly buttery hint in the nose, and just a hint of zestiness to taste. I initially went with the consensus that this was a New Zealand sauvignon - and guessed at about £7.99 a bottle. As soon as I tried the second wine, though, I changed my mind. The second was a classic New World sauvignon blanc; much headier lychee, tropical fruity nose and a sweeter but still crisp taste. More boozy, too. Clearly (I thought) this must be an Aussie wine, about £5.99 a bottle. The first wine was much more refined, and therefore I changed my mind and plumped for it being French. Here's what they actually were:
Whites 3 & 4
The next two whites where fantastic. The first of the pair was honey-smelling, but crisp and bitey minerally - chardonnay for sure (we guessed). The second was oakier, more buttery honey smelling and a huge smooth delicious expensive taste. I put #3 down as a £6.99, but really thought the second was something special, and put it down as £21.99.
Reds 1 & 2
I'm not nearly as confident or experienced on my reds (getting my excuses in early, see!). The first red was really good; a rich, treacly smell, and a sharp, acid, sour, tanniney taste. Actually, on the nose, I did get a hit of the slight stinkiness I've now come to associate with "natural" wines - which I think Michael & Vicky also recognised. But I was all over the place in terms of trying to guess what is was - maybe a beaujolais, a grenache, a pinot noir? Probably French, but maybe Italian. Price? Hmmm, tastes pretty good, easily £10.99. The second red was equally delicious, but totally different; spicey cloves and leather on the nose - but still smelled sweet - and it had a soft taste, leathery again, slightly sour acic after-taste. Grenache? Merlot? Um, French (when in doubt, eh?). And probably an £8.99 kind of wine. OK, so here's what they actually were:
The final pairing of the evening, and the first a big blackcurrant jammy sweet smelling Rioja. Probably. Well, definately something Spanish - and probably expensive, £18.99. Done, filled my form in. Next! Ah, well, still dark fruit and rich and sweet, probably something French and at a guess, Bordeaux. £9.72 (a very precise, if slightly random, guess). Come on Vicky, what are these?!? (I think its fair to say that I'd been enjoying drinking the previous wines as well as tasting them. The final pair:
Well, the Spanish wine was very typically Spanish - but I didn't get the grapes and I would have been over-paying! Good to know that you can get a nice big wine like that at a very reasonable price. And I still struggle to tell the difference between a Bordeaux and a Burgundy (they both begin with a "B", no wonder!) so completely failed to spot either the grape, or that it was not a cheap wine by any means.
So I've learnt that either I'm much better at blind tasting whites, or I'm much better at blind tasting before I've had 4 glasses of white! Either way...... a fun and informative night!
 |
| The first Wine on Wednesday Worksheet! |
Whites 1 & 2
The first white tasted like a saivignon - very green, apply and grassy, with a slighly buttery hint in the nose, and just a hint of zestiness to taste. I initially went with the consensus that this was a New Zealand sauvignon - and guessed at about £7.99 a bottle. As soon as I tried the second wine, though, I changed my mind. The second was a classic New World sauvignon blanc; much headier lychee, tropical fruity nose and a sweeter but still crisp taste. More boozy, too. Clearly (I thought) this must be an Aussie wine, about £5.99 a bottle. The first wine was much more refined, and therefore I changed my mind and plumped for it being French. Here's what they actually were:
- White #1: Arnaud de Lassalle 2009/2010 Puilly-Fumé, Loire, France (Sauvignon Blanc 12.5%) - £12.34
- White #2: Brancot Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Marlborough, New Zealand (Sauvignon Blanc 13%) - £6.15
Whites 3 & 4
The next two whites where fantastic. The first of the pair was honey-smelling, but crisp and bitey minerally - chardonnay for sure (we guessed). The second was oakier, more buttery honey smelling and a huge smooth delicious expensive taste. I put #3 down as a £6.99, but really thought the second was something special, and put it down as £21.99.
- White #3 Pascal Bouchard 2010 Chablis, Burgundy, France (Chardonnay, 12.5%) £9.49
- White #4 Vincent Girardin Le Limozin 2009 Meursault, Burgundy, France (Chardonnay, 13%) £28.49
Reds 1 & 2
I'm not nearly as confident or experienced on my reds (getting my excuses in early, see!). The first red was really good; a rich, treacly smell, and a sharp, acid, sour, tanniney taste. Actually, on the nose, I did get a hit of the slight stinkiness I've now come to associate with "natural" wines - which I think Michael & Vicky also recognised. But I was all over the place in terms of trying to guess what is was - maybe a beaujolais, a grenache, a pinot noir? Probably French, but maybe Italian. Price? Hmmm, tastes pretty good, easily £10.99. The second red was equally delicious, but totally different; spicey cloves and leather on the nose - but still smelled sweet - and it had a soft taste, leathery again, slightly sour acic after-taste. Grenache? Merlot? Um, French (when in doubt, eh?). And probably an £8.99 kind of wine. OK, so here's what they actually were:
- Red #1: Chateau Musar 2003/2004 Bekaa Valley, Lebanon (Cabernet Sauvignon/Cinsault/Carignan, 14%) £18.04
- Red #2: La Rectorie 2009 Côtes du Ventoux, Rhône, France (Grancahe/Syrah, 14%) £4.74
Wow! Lebanese? Not a hope in hell of me guessing that - and I'd not heard of Cinsault or Carignan grapes before. Chateau Musar has a bit of a cult following, apparently - and (cribbing from the notes Vicky provided) "based on Bordeaux grape varieties, with a very ripe fruit character, and complex leather, musk and dried fruit notes. The very 'natural' fermentation techniques make it one of a kind." OK, Über-compeitive mode kicks in when I realise that despite not having a clue about what this actually was - I definately recognised the "natural" wine stink! That's got to count for something, right? Right?
I was really surprised that the second wine was less than a fiver. I'd say this was extremely good value as I enjoyed it and would have spent more. Why oh why is there not a Waitrose in Dalston yet?!?
Reds 3 & 4
The final pairing of the evening, and the first a big blackcurrant jammy sweet smelling Rioja. Probably. Well, definately something Spanish - and probably expensive, £18.99. Done, filled my form in. Next! Ah, well, still dark fruit and rich and sweet, probably something French and at a guess, Bordeaux. £9.72 (a very precise, if slightly random, guess). Come on Vicky, what are these?!? (I think its fair to say that I'd been enjoying drinking the previous wines as well as tasting them. The final pair:
- Viña del Perdon 2000 Gran Reserva, Navarra, Spain (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Graciano, 13.5%) £6.32
- Domaine Heresztyn Vieilles Vignes 2007/08 Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy, France (Pinot Noir, 13%) £24.69
Well, the Spanish wine was very typically Spanish - but I didn't get the grapes and I would have been over-paying! Good to know that you can get a nice big wine like that at a very reasonable price. And I still struggle to tell the difference between a Bordeaux and a Burgundy (they both begin with a "B", no wonder!) so completely failed to spot either the grape, or that it was not a cheap wine by any means.
So I've learnt that either I'm much better at blind tasting whites, or I'm much better at blind tasting before I've had 4 glasses of white! Either way...... a fun and informative night!
Monday, September 19, 2011
A bit of a stink....
Michael, Vicky & I went to the Bottle Apostle Natural Wines evening on the 14th of September. The redoubtable Tom introduced us to the very broad concept of "natural wines" and what that term seems to cover in the industry; aspects of organic, low- or non-interventionist practices, biodynamic and sutainable viticulture.
Organic wine really only refers to the growing of the grapes and what is going on before the grapes get into the winery itself - but organic certification differs so widely across different wine-producing countries, that there are lot of very grey areas and it is difficult to know what is and isn't allowed for a wine to achieve that "organic" status.
Natural wine, then, is a much broader term, which has no legal meaning or certification - but is used to get a handle on what takes place in the winery. A "natural" wine might be made with a minimum chemical or technological intervention; with low irrigation or low water; with a minimal of additives such as sugars, acidity adjusters, foreign yeasts, bacteria, or additives for colour, texture or minerality; minimal fining (use of coagulants such as egg whites or fish scales to remove haze from the wine) or filtering; no forced oxygenation; minimal or no added sulphur. The key here is that so-called "natural" wine production is going to differ vastly from vineyard ot vineyard - so read up on the wine or producer and their statement of beliefs and processes. Another key thing I took away is that caveats abound - "we make minimal use of....."; "with the minimum of..." gives producers a lot of leeway to say that though they aspire towards organic or natural practices, if something goes a bit wrong, they'll probably resort to tried and tested interventionist methods rather than risk costly problems with their wine. That assumes, though, that we're talking a decent-sized producer with ample resources who has made a conscious decision to go down the "natural" route. Some smaller producers, are almost "natural" by default; such as the tiny productions of Luke Lambert in Yarra Valley, Australia, who makes wine in his garden shed, and for whom non-interventionism is a factor of minimal production costs and lack of industrial facilities.
The other areas Tom touched on were "sustainable" practices such green, wild-life friendly approachs - which I think most people are familiar with these days (certainly anyone who listens to The Archers....); and "biodynamic" wines. A biodynamic approach, among other things, uses prescribed calendars (such as phases of the moon) determining when to do certain things in the wine-making process. Some producers are timing tastings with the "fruit day" of a particular grape. There also seems to be a lot of burying things in other things and then digging them up later; bury take an animal's scull/intestine/hoof/bladder/rectal canal [delete as appropriate], and stuff it full of stinging nettles/faeces/barley/low-fat cream-cheese [as above], bury it, leave it a year, and then dig it up and add the contents of the scull to the soil. At lot of this stems from the synthesis between science and mysticism that Daisy Rudoph Steiner devoted a lot of time to studying.
The wines themselves were.... a mixed bag. My biggest takeway from the night is that some of the natural wines are REALLY stinky. I mean, REALLY. One of the wines we tried was Vin de Table Blanc "Valacabrieres" de Fantine NV Carole, Olivier & Corine Andrieu (13%: Terret: Languedoc) which uses no added sulphur in the production process. From the look of it, it may as well have been decanted into a specimen bottle as a caraffe - thick, cloudy and piss-coloured. And it stank of manure. Taste-wise, it was more like a cidre-deux than a wine - but interestingly after we'd been off and tasted some other wines, I was curious to try this one again and after about 30-40 minutes breathing time, the wine smelt more like stewed apples, and the taste was much more winey, still with a strong sweet appley taste but a hint of melons.
My favourite wine of the evening was Collioure "Folio" 2009 Coume del Mas (14%: Grenache Blanc: Roussillon) which was from a a non-mechanized producer where everything is done by hand or horse, which was a fantastic, intense white (though I didn't write down any probably tasting notes for this one, other than a big smiley face and a "Yum" to remind me to buy a bottle!).
Second favourite was Luke Lambert's Syrah 2009 Yarra Valley (13.5%: Australia) - as mentioned above, Lambert produces the wine in his back garden shed - the wine still had the hint of that stinkey manure smell which permeated 4 or 5 of the natural wines we tried, but was much more spicey and rich in its bouquet and was a gorgeous, rich, sweet wine. He produces so little that his wines always sell out - but at £41 a bottle, I'm sure I could find an equally interesting and tasty non-natural wine at a much better price.
The final wine of real note was the Brunello di Montalcino 2004 Il Paradiso di Manfredi (13.5%: Sangiovese: Tuscany). At a whopping £66 a bottle it was by far the most expensive of the "naturals" (they averaged about £20 a bottle), and is a biodynamically produced wine, fermented in concrete vats with no foreign yeast. It had a stinky (again) nose mixed with tobacco, and a dark fruit, dry, earthy, leathery taste which was very pleasant.
My conclusion: a little intervention goes a long way (and is probably no bad thing!).
Organic wine really only refers to the growing of the grapes and what is going on before the grapes get into the winery itself - but organic certification differs so widely across different wine-producing countries, that there are lot of very grey areas and it is difficult to know what is and isn't allowed for a wine to achieve that "organic" status.
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| The Daisy Steiner approach.... |
The wines themselves were.... a mixed bag. My biggest takeway from the night is that some of the natural wines are REALLY stinky. I mean, REALLY. One of the wines we tried was Vin de Table Blanc "Valacabrieres" de Fantine NV Carole, Olivier & Corine Andrieu (13%: Terret: Languedoc) which uses no added sulphur in the production process. From the look of it, it may as well have been decanted into a specimen bottle as a caraffe - thick, cloudy and piss-coloured. And it stank of manure. Taste-wise, it was more like a cidre-deux than a wine - but interestingly after we'd been off and tasted some other wines, I was curious to try this one again and after about 30-40 minutes breathing time, the wine smelt more like stewed apples, and the taste was much more winey, still with a strong sweet appley taste but a hint of melons.
My favourite wine of the evening was Collioure "Folio" 2009 Coume del Mas (14%: Grenache Blanc: Roussillon) which was from a a non-mechanized producer where everything is done by hand or horse, which was a fantastic, intense white (though I didn't write down any probably tasting notes for this one, other than a big smiley face and a "Yum" to remind me to buy a bottle!).
Second favourite was Luke Lambert's Syrah 2009 Yarra Valley (13.5%: Australia) - as mentioned above, Lambert produces the wine in his back garden shed - the wine still had the hint of that stinkey manure smell which permeated 4 or 5 of the natural wines we tried, but was much more spicey and rich in its bouquet and was a gorgeous, rich, sweet wine. He produces so little that his wines always sell out - but at £41 a bottle, I'm sure I could find an equally interesting and tasty non-natural wine at a much better price.
The final wine of real note was the Brunello di Montalcino 2004 Il Paradiso di Manfredi (13.5%: Sangiovese: Tuscany). At a whopping £66 a bottle it was by far the most expensive of the "naturals" (they averaged about £20 a bottle), and is a biodynamically produced wine, fermented in concrete vats with no foreign yeast. It had a stinky (again) nose mixed with tobacco, and a dark fruit, dry, earthy, leathery taste which was very pleasant.
My conclusion: a little intervention goes a long way (and is probably no bad thing!).
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wine on Wednesday #2: Compare & Contrast
For our second Wine on Wednesday, Cath chose wines from The Wine Society's Guide To Tasting case, which gave a selection of pairs of wines to compare and contrast.
1A. Sauvignon Touraine, Domaine de la Renaudie 2010 - Patricia et Bruno Denis (The Wine Society, £7.50)
1B. Three Terraces Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 - Marlborough (The Wine Society, £8.75)
2A. The Society's Unoaked Australian Chardonnay 2010 - McLaren Vale (The Wine Society, £6.50)
2B. Wither Hills Chardonnay 2009 - Marlborough (The Wine Society, £7.95)
3A. The Society's Beaujolais-Villages 2009 (The Wine Society, £6.95)
3B. Gaillac, Domaine de Pialentou, Les Gentilles Pierres 2005 (The Wine Society, £8.75)
4A. The Society's Exhibition Saint-Aubin, Domaine Henri Prudhon, 2008 (The Wine Society, £10.95)
4B. Château Pey La Tour Réserve 2007, Bordeaux Supérieur (The Wine Society (£9.95)
The tasting case came with some well-written tasting notes - but we tasted each pairing blind, with Cath letting us guess (often wildly!) about what the common thread might be between the two wines, and what the contrasting characteristics might be.
1. First Pairing
Sauvignon Touraine, Domaine de la Renaudie 2010 - Patricia et Bruno Denis (The Wine Society, £7.50)
and
Three Terraces Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 - Marlborough (The Wine Society, £8.75)
The first wine of the pair was paler, and had a lychee, grassy smell, compared to the second which was darker, and had a much bigger nose. I thought I was smelling more honey and buttery notes - which lead me down the path of thinking it was probably a chardonnay. The first wine was appley, crisp and clean to taste, and the second was much bigger, fruity, sweeter, with a pineappley taste.
I was surprised when Cath revealed they were both sauvignons - I think most of us were. I preferred the Marlborough wine, but everyone else, Cath included, prefered the French, which was more sohisticated compared to the big brash flavour of the kiwi wine - which I still preferred!
I thought I'd have been able to identify a New Zealand sauvignon as that is what I often drink - but I didn't get the strong lychee or goosberry flavour from the second wine that I generally associate with them.
The Society's Unoaked Australian Chardonnay 2010 - McLaren Vale (The Wine Society, £6.50)
and
Wither Hills Chardonnay 2009 - Marlborough (The Wine Society, £7.95)
Again, we tasted these blind. The first wine was crisper, lighter, and tasted slightly acid and sour. We were eating along with drinking, and it was obvious that it would go really well with food. The second wine was much yellower, and whereas I had thought the New Zealand sauvignon from the previous pair was buttery, this wine was clearly butterscotchy and - based on what I remember from one of the Bottle Apostle tastings I went to last year - I was much more comfortable pinning my colours to the mast and saying this was an oaked chardonnay based on the smell. Nish was equally confident that it was new world, it didn't taste as "classic" or sophisticated as an old world wine.
Cath succesfully led Michael up the garden path when it came to guessing the wines - we was convinced because we had the same grapes in the first pairing, we probably wouldn't have this time and Cath did nothing to disabuse him! But we weren't really surprised they were both chardonnays, and we had all got the second wine spot on (well, in terms of country, grape and oakiness!).
3. Third pair
and
Gaillac, Domaine de Pialentou, Les Gentilles Pierres 2005 (The Wine Society, £8.75)
Michael got the first wine immediately - and I'm still pretty impressed, as he described it as bubblegummy which was exactly the word used in the tasting notes (which I therefore assume is quite characteristic of Beaujolais). It was very chewy and zingy and would be a great wine in a hot climate.
The second wine had a deeper smell, darker than the beaujolais, and tasted heavily leathery, darker, tanniney. Which allowed us to put our finger on the comparisons this pairing was making between the younger Beaujolais, and the heavy tannin-filled Galliac - a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and braucol. The more tanniny wine demanded food -it would have stood up well next to a big roast dinner - and the fantastic Rabot Estate 'Dash of Milk' chocolate Cath bought (Sea Salt and Caramel just edging out the Earl Grey chocolate as my favourite).
The tasting notes mention how a tannin heavy wine will last longer, and mellow as the tannins soften.
4. Last pair
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| Some amazing cheeses from Brindisa |
The Society's Exhibition Saint-Aubin, Domaine Henri Prudhon, 2008 (The Wine Society, £10.95)
and
Château Pey La Tour Réserve 2007, Bordeaux Supérieur (The Wine Society (£9.95)
As ever, my notes and recollections on the last wine or two get a bit vaguer. Perhaps if we were tasting 'properly' and spitting the wine out that might help - but I'd rather drink the wine I'm tasting!
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| Aftermath! |
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Prisoner
I just found a note I scribbled on the back of a business card and shoved into the pocket of these jeans when I was at Public Kitchen & Bar at The Roosevelt Hotel in LA. The note says;
The Prisoner - Zinfandel/Cabernet - Napa Valley
Velvety leather
Chemically oak smell with touch of black fruit
Sharp and acid, long slightly sour afterfaste
I still remember the wine, mainly for the really long aftertaste, but it was obviously worthy of scribbling that down! I've Googled the wine now, and learnt it is from Orin Swift cellars in Napa Valley - and is in fact a fairly complex blend of grapes:
51% Zinfandel
19% Cabernet Sauvignon
18% Syrah
7% Petite Sirah
3% Charbono
1% Grenache
1% Malbec
Considering the fact I get over to California at least three or four times a year, I know woefully little about the wine from there. A Californian friend of mine had been recommending I watch Bottle Shock, a film about the early days of Napa Valley and the blind tasting in Paris which put Californians wines on the map. It was a great film (with Alan Rickman, and a small appearance by Bradley Whitford which is always exciting for a West Wing fan!) and I think needs to be followd up with actually taking some holiday time in the US and going on a Napa trip at some point!
Velvety leather
Chemically oak smell with touch of black fruit
Sharp and acid, long slightly sour afterfaste
I still remember the wine, mainly for the really long aftertaste, but it was obviously worthy of scribbling that down! I've Googled the wine now, and learnt it is from Orin Swift cellars in Napa Valley - and is in fact a fairly complex blend of grapes:
51% Zinfandel
19% Cabernet Sauvignon
18% Syrah
7% Petite Sirah
3% Charbono
1% Grenache
1% Malbec
Considering the fact I get over to California at least three or four times a year, I know woefully little about the wine from there. A Californian friend of mine had been recommending I watch Bottle Shock, a film about the early days of Napa Valley and the blind tasting in Paris which put Californians wines on the map. It was a great film (with Alan Rickman, and a small appearance by Bradley Whitford which is always exciting for a West Wing fan!) and I think needs to be followd up with actually taking some holiday time in the US and going on a Napa trip at some point!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Extra-curricular drinking
Seeing as this blog is intended to serve an 'Amazon Wish List' style function, so I can look back and see what wines I enjoyed in order that I can find them and drink them again in future, the occasional extra-curricular wine drinking needs to be recorded.
I had a fantastic bottle of wine last night at the BOA Steakhouse on Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood in LA - Mollydooker 2008 Two Left Feet.
It was a delicious, thick, sweet, tangy, aromatic red; warm and spicy and complex, and only got better as the caraffe sat on the table.
The Sommelier also explained the "Mollydooker shake" to us. Mollydooker use Nitrogen during the bottling process as a perservative - which means they use much fewer sulphites (which some people are allergic to). According to Mollydooker's website, the Nitrogen gas "tends to flatten the back end of the round ball of fruit flavour in the wine." So by giving the bottle a good "Mollydooker shake" before opening it, you release the nitrogen and the flavour becomes big and round again.
So yet another fantastic McLaren Vale red - I think I really need to get myself over there and tour some vineyards!
It was a delicious, thick, sweet, tangy, aromatic red; warm and spicy and complex, and only got better as the caraffe sat on the table.
The Sommelier also explained the "Mollydooker shake" to us. Mollydooker use Nitrogen during the bottling process as a perservative - which means they use much fewer sulphites (which some people are allergic to). According to Mollydooker's website, the Nitrogen gas "tends to flatten the back end of the round ball of fruit flavour in the wine." So by giving the bottle a good "Mollydooker shake" before opening it, you release the nitrogen and the flavour becomes big and round again.
So yet another fantastic McLaren Vale red - I think I really need to get myself over there and tour some vineyards!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Inaugural
Inaugural
Michael chose a selection of wines from some countries he has visited, for the inaugural Wine on Wednesday meet-up:
Starter wine. Italy. Prosecco San Leo. (Waitrose, £8.99 - on offer £6.75)
1. France. Picqpoul de Pinet 2010 (Majestic, £6.49)
2. New Zealand. Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (Waitrose, £6.49)
3. Greece. Hatzidakis Santorini White 2009 (Vinoteca, £12.99)
4. Australia. The Hedonist Shiraz 2008 (Waitrose, £11.99 was on offer @ £9.00)
5. Argentina. Gestos Malbec Malbec 2010 (Majestic, £6.49)
6. Spain. Imperial Rioja Gran Reserva 1999 (Waitrose, £27.99 was on offer @ £21.00)
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| Decanted reds |
The Piquepol had a fresh, green, lychee taste to it, and was very refreshing. We were trying to guess the countries and grapes as Michael had not showed us the bottles when he poured, and after we'd narrowed it down to France I was very pleased with myself for accurately guessing Languedoc. However, my (extremely limited) wine knowledge (or just lucky guessing skills!) completely deserted me as I completely failed to remember the Languedoc grape is Piquepoul. Fortunately I was in good company as none of us knew! I think the consensus was that this was a good, refreshing summery wine, perfect for a hot climate.
2. New Zealand. Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2010. 13%
The cat was out of the bag in terms of knowing what this wine was when served. Wither Hills is already a favourite of mine, and I think it is a great example of good New Zealand Sauvignon. I preferred the fresh citrus taste of the Wither Hills wine, and it had a much less sour aftertaste than the Picqpoul.
3. Greece. Hatzidakis Santorini White 2009. 13.5%
I'd not had Greek wine before, and so the guessing game of where it was from took a good while. Once we'd settled on Greece, the wine itself gave us some clues as to where it was from - it had mineral, sulphurous notes and Nish took all those clues and guessed the volcanic island of Santorini. I was a bit disappointed by this wine, and suspect the price tag reflects the fact that Greek wine isn't as common rather than the quality. Admittedly, I think I'm getting the beginnings of a cold, so wasn't getting much from the smell of the whites, and perhaps that affected my appreciation, but I would happily have chosen either the Picqpol or the Wither Hills Sauvignon over the Santorini every time.
3. Greece. Hatzidakis Santorini White 2009. 13.5%
I'd not had Greek wine before, and so the guessing game of where it was from took a good while. Once we'd settled on Greece, the wine itself gave us some clues as to where it was from - it had mineral, sulphurous notes and Nish took all those clues and guessed the volcanic island of Santorini. I was a bit disappointed by this wine, and suspect the price tag reflects the fact that Greek wine isn't as common rather than the quality. Admittedly, I think I'm getting the beginnings of a cold, so wasn't getting much from the smell of the whites, and perhaps that affected my appreciation, but I would happily have chosen either the Picqpol or the Wither Hills Sauvignon over the Santorini every time.
Rich, sweet, full-bodied and delicious, The Hedonist Shiraz was easily my wine of the evening - which came as a huge surprise to me. I've been avoiding Shiraz for a while; the last few bottles I have drunk have been huge, thudding great sour tanniny beasts, and I haven't enjoyed them at all. Of course, Michael had treated this one properly and had decanted it four hours earlier - and I'm pretty sure everything I have drunk recently was straight away after opening. So this McLaren Vale Shiraz was a fantastic surprise, and I will definitely go out and buy a few bottles - and probably a decanter!
5. Argentina. Gestos Malbec Malbec 2010. 14%
So good they named it twice; the Gestos Malbec Malbec is so-called because it it blends Malbec grapes from two different altitudes (700m and 1100m) . The wine was heavy on the tobacco and leather; still sweet but not as much as The Hedonist Shiraz, and though it was a very enjoyable wine, I think I was still rather blown away by The Hedonist and just wanted more of that!
So good they named it twice; the Gestos Malbec Malbec is so-called because it it blends Malbec grapes from two different altitudes (700m and 1100m) . The wine was heavy on the tobacco and leather; still sweet but not as much as The Hedonist Shiraz, and though it was a very enjoyable wine, I think I was still rather blown away by The Hedonist and just wanted more of that!
6. Spain. CVNE. Imperial Rioja Gran Reserva 1999. 13%
This was a good example of a well developed Rioja. It is aged in oak casks for 24 months then at least 3 years in the bottle before rebasing. It has an intense ruby red colour but lighter than the thick blackcurrant of the Shiraz. On the nose , blackberries and liquorice predominate the powerful structure. It was a smooth satisfying mouthful, but it too probably suffered by following the powerful Hedonist. The tannins are mature and the wine has developed elegance from its time in barrel. Michael reported he found the Rioja to have a very long finish with the distinctive oaky Rioja Alta flavour lasting even into the middle of the next day!
I can't complete this write-up of our first Wine on Wednesday without making special mention of the amazing contributions from Giles! Even though he wasn't attending (and won't be in future, because he doesn't drink wine!), Giles was amazing and baked us the most fantastic focaccia. It was really amazing - beautifully glazed with rosemary and salt, and went very nicely indeed with Michael's home-made pesto. Giles also made us a couple of part-baked fougasse for Micahel to finish off, which is not a bread I'd eaten before.
It was equally beautiful; crisp and crunchy and delicious. So thank you Giles, that was an amazing thing to have added to the evening for us!!
Michael also had a couple of fantastic cheeses - more once I get the details of what they were from him!
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| Giles' Foccacia |
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| Fougasse from the kitchen of Dr Giles |
Michael also had a couple of fantastic cheeses - more once I get the details of what they were from him!
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