Two vinhos verdes from The Wine Society
Zippy, fresh and uncomplicated, Portugal's Vinho Verde is mostly inexpensive, sometimes petillant and in any event a summery wine to quaff young; the name translates as "green wine" and refers to youthfulness rather than colour.
These two examples, however, are a little more ambitious.
Adega de Monçao, Deu La Deu (£11.50, The Wine Society) pale sandy yellow, honeysuckle on the nose, citrussy and sweet-sour, reminiscent of a Mosel Riesling (and packaged like one, too). Elegant and long with a persistent finish.
Soalheiro Vinho Verde, 2013 (£14.95, The Wine Society and independents) 100% Alvarinho, complex, mineral and herbaceous nose; mouthwateringly lemony and sweet-sour with ripe, peachy stone fruit, length, complexity and a minerally finish.
Refreshing enough to drink alone, will also match with meaty fish, creamy pasta or white meat.
My only slight reservation - and it's common to with both wines actually - is a slight shortness of the acidity - I've tasted both previously and don't recall it, so this may simply be a bit of vintage variation.
Other related articles
Portugal's Vinho Verde
The Cambridge Tasting - Vinho Verde
Saturday 28 June 2014
Thursday 26 June 2014
Unkle at Meltdown 2014 with Côtes du Rhône Wines
Unkle at Meltdown 2104 with Côtes du Rhône
If last year's Iggy Pop concert was an object lesson in substance as a metaphor for Rhône wines, this year's Unkle gig at Meltdown was all about sophisticated complexity.
Many years ago, I had a friend who was, to be honest, rather cooler than me - he had the whole football-supporting, GQ-reading, sports-car thing going on; he knew his music and had an eclectic collection of obscure, indie CDs.
Too cool for school, he owned the first Unkle album - of which I had heard but knew very little.
Nearly 20 years later, I learn that Unkle didn't disappear after their debut, but quietly carried on making British trip-hop albums and it was from this extensive back catalog that they played at Meltdown 2014.
I say "they played", but it's not actually clear who Unkle are or what they do - the stage was variously populated by a a classic rock band of guitars, bass and drums along with - at various times - pianos, organ, string section, choir, percussionists and assorted vocalists.
Instead of the sheer energy - albeit somewhat corporate these days - of last year's Mr Osterberg, Unkle displayed a nuanced variety, complexity and depth that had the audience sitting in quiet appreciation rather than moshing in the aisles.
Before the gig, I tasted my way through a range of Côtes du Rhône wines - the whites went from crisp and precise to more textured and structured.
The basic reds were juicy and straightforward, but the more ambitious examples had a harmonious, substantial warm spiciness, whilst the best added a musky-truffley-feral character with complexity and poise.
The single rosé and sticky were both good enough to demonstrate the versatility of the region.
The Whites
CdR Ogier (FMV) 2013 - ripe fruit, touch of yeastiness, rounded, balanced with some persistence. Good entry-level white.
CdR Villages, Domaine Saint Amant, La Tabardonne, 2011 (Waitrose) richer, spicier and waxier; floral with more texture and complexity.
CdR Villages Laudun, Laudun Chluscan Vignerons, 2013 (Enotria) savoury, creamy brazil-nut, beeswax and lanolin. Fresh and waxy, good texture, persistent finish.
Crozes-Hermitage, Paul Jaboulet Aine, Mule Blanche, 2012 (Bibendum) toasty-musky orchard fruit, fresh with creamy oak, cashew and brazil-nut. All about the texture.
Saint-Joseph, Domaine Guy Farge, Vania 2012 (Enotria) rich, waxy, fresh, complex and precise. Harmonious and fully knitted together.
Saint-Joseph, M Chapoutier, Les Granilites, 2012 (Mentzendorff) rich, waxy, creamy and persistent with ripe orchard fruit.
The Reds
CdR, Ogier 2012 (FMV) sweet ripe dark fruit, well-balanced with good texture.
CdR Villages, Domaine des Chanssaud, 2011 (Mc Pherson Campbell & Vinohrad) warming and spicy, ripe dark fruit and cool mint; harmonious. Good.
CdR Villages Cairenne, Domaine de la Presidente, Galifay, 2011 (MV) feral, farmyardy nose, dense and concentrated with freshness and grip. Firmness on the finish, needs further aging. Very Good.
CdR Villages Plan de Dieu, Paul Jaboulet Aine, De pere en filles, 2009 (Bibendum) some brick redness, aged & slightly feral nose, Pinot-esque, soft texture with spice and firmness. Good.
Vacqueyras, Vidal-Fleury, 2011 (Louis Latour) harmonious and balanced with red fruits and sweet vanilla; good structure and firmness on the finish. Good.
Crozes-Hermitage, Cave de Tain, Haut du Fief, 2011 (Boutinot) ripe, oaky-spicy, velvety; substantial, good finish. Very Good.
Crozes-Hermitage, Delas Freres, Domaine des Grands Chemins, 2010 (Berkmann) cassis, dark fruit, cool mint and undergrowth, supple texture and firmness. Very Good.
Saint-Joseph, Cave de Tain, Esprit de Granit, 2011 (Boutinot) dark fruit, muskiness, minerality; fresh and poised with plumpness
Saint-Joseph, Cave Saint Desirat, Tradition, 2011 (Waitrose) ripe, dark, spicy with cool mint, supple texture, balanced.
Cornas Paul Jaboulet Aine, Les Grands Terrasses 2010 (Bibendum) undergrowth, musk and truffles, dark fruit, pepperiness and a supple texture - very assured. Very Good.
Hermitage, Cave de Tain, Classic, 2010 (Boutinot) complex dark fruit, animal musk and spice; red fruits, cool mint, firmness and spice. Dense with ripe tannins, it is lean, athletic and assertive. Very Good.
Others
CdR, Famille Perrin, Reserve, 2013 rose (FMV) fresh, oatmealy-leesy with redcurrant fruit and lots of creamy texture. Good.
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Vidal-Fleury, 2012 (Louis Latour) orange blossom, sweet spice, musky beeswax with ripe orange marmalade and sweet peaches. Fresh acidity. Good.
Other related articles
Côtes du Rhône London Double Header
Côtes du Rhône Meltdown 2013 - Iggy Pop
Image credits
- James Lavelle: http://www.standard.co.uk/incoming/article9539704.ece/alternates/w620/rexfeatures_3825713m.jpg
- main image: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/series_new_carousel/images/meltdown_carousel_image.jpg
- gig shot: http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/Xph1Z5L4E2M/0.jpg
If last year's Iggy Pop concert was an object lesson in substance as a metaphor for Rhône wines, this year's Unkle gig at Meltdown was all about sophisticated complexity.
Many years ago, I had a friend who was, to be honest, rather cooler than me - he had the whole football-supporting, GQ-reading, sports-car thing going on; he knew his music and had an eclectic collection of obscure, indie CDs.
Too cool for school, he owned the first Unkle album - of which I had heard but knew very little.
Nearly 20 years later, I learn that Unkle didn't disappear after their debut, but quietly carried on making British trip-hop albums and it was from this extensive back catalog that they played at Meltdown 2014.
I say "they played", but it's not actually clear who Unkle are or what they do - the stage was variously populated by a a classic rock band of guitars, bass and drums along with - at various times - pianos, organ, string section, choir, percussionists and assorted vocalists.
Instead of the sheer energy - albeit somewhat corporate these days - of last year's Mr Osterberg, Unkle displayed a nuanced variety, complexity and depth that had the audience sitting in quiet appreciation rather than moshing in the aisles.
Before the gig, I tasted my way through a range of Côtes du Rhône wines - the whites went from crisp and precise to more textured and structured.
The basic reds were juicy and straightforward, but the more ambitious examples had a harmonious, substantial warm spiciness, whilst the best added a musky-truffley-feral character with complexity and poise.
The single rosé and sticky were both good enough to demonstrate the versatility of the region.
The Whites
CdR Ogier (FMV) 2013 - ripe fruit, touch of yeastiness, rounded, balanced with some persistence. Good entry-level white.
CdR Villages, Domaine Saint Amant, La Tabardonne, 2011 (Waitrose) richer, spicier and waxier; floral with more texture and complexity.
CdR Villages Laudun, Laudun Chluscan Vignerons, 2013 (Enotria) savoury, creamy brazil-nut, beeswax and lanolin. Fresh and waxy, good texture, persistent finish.
Crozes-Hermitage, Paul Jaboulet Aine, Mule Blanche, 2012 (Bibendum) toasty-musky orchard fruit, fresh with creamy oak, cashew and brazil-nut. All about the texture.
Saint-Joseph, Domaine Guy Farge, Vania 2012 (Enotria) rich, waxy, fresh, complex and precise. Harmonious and fully knitted together.
Saint-Joseph, M Chapoutier, Les Granilites, 2012 (Mentzendorff) rich, waxy, creamy and persistent with ripe orchard fruit.
The Reds
CdR, Ogier 2012 (FMV) sweet ripe dark fruit, well-balanced with good texture.
CdR Villages, Domaine des Chanssaud, 2011 (Mc Pherson Campbell & Vinohrad) warming and spicy, ripe dark fruit and cool mint; harmonious. Good.
CdR Villages Cairenne, Domaine de la Presidente, Galifay, 2011 (MV) feral, farmyardy nose, dense and concentrated with freshness and grip. Firmness on the finish, needs further aging. Very Good.
CdR Villages Plan de Dieu, Paul Jaboulet Aine, De pere en filles, 2009 (Bibendum) some brick redness, aged & slightly feral nose, Pinot-esque, soft texture with spice and firmness. Good.
Vacqueyras, Vidal-Fleury, 2011 (Louis Latour) harmonious and balanced with red fruits and sweet vanilla; good structure and firmness on the finish. Good.
Crozes-Hermitage, Cave de Tain, Haut du Fief, 2011 (Boutinot) ripe, oaky-spicy, velvety; substantial, good finish. Very Good.
Crozes-Hermitage, Delas Freres, Domaine des Grands Chemins, 2010 (Berkmann) cassis, dark fruit, cool mint and undergrowth, supple texture and firmness. Very Good.
Saint-Joseph, Cave de Tain, Esprit de Granit, 2011 (Boutinot) dark fruit, muskiness, minerality; fresh and poised with plumpness
Saint-Joseph, Cave Saint Desirat, Tradition, 2011 (Waitrose) ripe, dark, spicy with cool mint, supple texture, balanced.
Cornas Paul Jaboulet Aine, Les Grands Terrasses 2010 (Bibendum) undergrowth, musk and truffles, dark fruit, pepperiness and a supple texture - very assured. Very Good.
Hermitage, Cave de Tain, Classic, 2010 (Boutinot) complex dark fruit, animal musk and spice; red fruits, cool mint, firmness and spice. Dense with ripe tannins, it is lean, athletic and assertive. Very Good.
Others
CdR, Famille Perrin, Reserve, 2013 rose (FMV) fresh, oatmealy-leesy with redcurrant fruit and lots of creamy texture. Good.
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Vidal-Fleury, 2012 (Louis Latour) orange blossom, sweet spice, musky beeswax with ripe orange marmalade and sweet peaches. Fresh acidity. Good.
Other related articles
Côtes du Rhône London Double Header
Côtes du Rhône Meltdown 2013 - Iggy Pop
Image credits
- James Lavelle: http://www.standard.co.uk/incoming/article9539704.ece/alternates/w620/rexfeatures_3825713m.jpg
- main image: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/series_new_carousel/images/meltdown_carousel_image.jpg
- gig shot: http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/Xph1Z5L4E2M/0.jpg
Monday 23 June 2014
Ron Prohibido
A distilled sugarcane spirit, rum is traditionally associated with the Caribbean and is supposedly a favourite of sailors.
This Ron Prohibido rum, available in the UK for the first time, is quite unlike any other rum I have tried.
Dark brown in the glass, it smells intensely of dried fruits, raisins and prunes with butterscotch and mocha.
The palate is like a rich Christmas pudding with brandy butter - sweet dried dark fruits and roasted spices with woody notes, bitter coffee and dark chocolate, smothered in caramel and butterscotch.
Rich, complex and indulgent, it is also mellow and harmonious - not least because it is aged in a solera system, like sherry; indeed, it is rather reminiscent of an aged, dark, sweetened sherry.
Very Good.
Drink as a digestif, or with espresso, dark chocolate and a cigar.
£24.95 from www.drinkfinder.co.uk; provided for review.
Other related articles
St Lucia Distillers "1931" Second Edition Rum
Cigar Dinner at Cambridge's Hotel du Vin
This Ron Prohibido rum, available in the UK for the first time, is quite unlike any other rum I have tried.
Dark brown in the glass, it smells intensely of dried fruits, raisins and prunes with butterscotch and mocha.
The palate is like a rich Christmas pudding with brandy butter - sweet dried dark fruits and roasted spices with woody notes, bitter coffee and dark chocolate, smothered in caramel and butterscotch.
Rich, complex and indulgent, it is also mellow and harmonious - not least because it is aged in a solera system, like sherry; indeed, it is rather reminiscent of an aged, dark, sweetened sherry.
Very Good.
Drink as a digestif, or with espresso, dark chocolate and a cigar.
£24.95 from www.drinkfinder.co.uk; provided for review.
Other related articles
St Lucia Distillers "1931" Second Edition Rum
Cigar Dinner at Cambridge's Hotel du Vin
Friday 20 June 2014
Sherry Institute: Cadiz Wine Dinner - Almadraba Tuna and Jerez Wines
A sherry masterclass with Beltran Domecq followed by a tuna and sherry dinner at Hispania for International Sherry Week, organised by the Sherry Institute
The line-up of sherries from lightest to darkest and sweetest - unusually, we also get to try the base wine (far left); a first for me.
It is simple, pleasant and lemony - an inoffensive and instantly forgettable wine. I'm glad they discovered a way to turn it into sherry.
The menu - various combinations of sherry and tuna.
If sherry is the drink that is synonymous with this part of Spain, tuna is the food equivalent; Almadraba is the traditional Mediterranean art of fishing Atlantic bluefin tuna using nets - it dates back over 2,000 years and selects only the largest examples.
The sherries include an en rama fino - an unfiltered bottling intended to be consumed within a few months of purchase.
Between the Masterclass and the dinner, we are served sherry the traditional way - accompanied by roasted almonds, manchego cheese and cured tuna slices.
The food is lovely - if in a somewhat set pattern. The wines are mostly lovely, too. But the matches don't always work brilliantly; a dark sherry with a creamy white sauce feels like a bit of a schoolboy error.
Mmmm, sherry.
Other related articles
Tio Pepe En Rama 2013 - Launch Dinner
The Great Sherry Tasting
Gonzalez Byass Vintage Sherries
Monday 16 June 2014
te Pā
A review of New Zealand's te Pā
Pungent and aromatic with a touch of flintsmoke. Ripe, tropical citrus, zesty, mouthwatering lime and linear acidity; long palate and persistent, minerally finish.
Poised, precise and focused.
On first opening, there is a a piercing, almost underripe, sourness to it - however, by day 2, this has gone completely so I would recommend decanting for at least an hour.
Overall, it is a much more enjoyable wine on day 2; more harmonious, composed and generally settled.
Match with rich, strongly-flavoured foods - goat's cheese and rocket risotto, tuna carpaccio with chili and ginger or smoked salmon and asparagus tart.
Good; provided for review.
- Nanoo nanoo
A salutation used by inhabitants of the planet Ork, birthplace of Mork. It accompanies a salute/handshake with the fingers separated down the middle.
New Zealand Sauvignon is a benchmark style of expressive white - zingy, tropical, aromatic with a touch of minerality, it is a wine full of contrasts and easy to understand.
It is characterful, excitable and makes its presence felt, rather like an over-enthusiastic puppy, or Robin Williams - like Fiona Beckett, you may or may not find that a good thing.
New Zealand Sauvignon is a benchmark style of expressive white - zingy, tropical, aromatic with a touch of minerality, it is a wine full of contrasts and easy to understand.
It is characterful, excitable and makes its presence felt, rather like an over-enthusiastic puppy, or Robin Williams - like Fiona Beckett, you may or may not find that a good thing.
The press release for te Pā, which is launching in the UK, tells me that the vines are grown on the oldest known settlement in New Zealand, situated in the Wairau Bar in Marlborough; te Pā released its first vintage in 2011 to critical-acclaim and most recently received an almost perfect score in the Air New Zealand Wine Awards in November 2013 as well as the much-coveted title as New Zealand’s best Sauvignon Blanc
Pungent and aromatic with a touch of flintsmoke. Ripe, tropical citrus, zesty, mouthwatering lime and linear acidity; long palate and persistent, minerally finish.
Poised, precise and focused.
On first opening, there is a a piercing, almost underripe, sourness to it - however, by day 2, this has gone completely so I would recommend decanting for at least an hour.
Overall, it is a much more enjoyable wine on day 2; more harmonious, composed and generally settled.
Match with rich, strongly-flavoured foods - goat's cheese and rocket risotto, tuna carpaccio with chili and ginger or smoked salmon and asparagus tart.
Good; provided for review.
Friday 13 June 2014
Virginia Wines
The overall standard of the wines at this Virginia tasting was again high - fresh, modern well-made wines with a more European sensibility than one typically expects from the US.
After a series of difficult, cool years in Europe generally and Bordeaux especially, these wines seemed distinctly plump, lush and ripe.
The appearance of varietal Petit Verdot was a new phenomenon; usually a characterful blending grape, it was not always a success- a bit like giving Joey from Friends his own series. Or Tucker's Luck for those on this side of the Atlantic.
Barboursville Vineyards
2012 Cabernet Franc Reserve plum and redcurrant fruit with spice and cedar; supple texture and understated freshness.
2010 Octagon XIII Edition fresh, precise and concentrated; Pomerol-esque
2010 Malvaxia Passito sweet, ripe apricot and pineapple, with rich honey and an almondy texture. Refreshing acidity.
Boxwood Estate
2011 Topiary from a cool year, this was a soft, elegant infusion; red fruits, violets and soft tannins.
Trellis 2012 a good year this time, black cherries, plum and redcurrant fruit, a touch of garrigue. Well-balanced with some firmness on the finish.
2012 Boxwood left-bank blend; light and fresh
Breaux Vineyards
2013 Viognier white flowers, melon and banana. Fresh, clean and mineral with apricots, pears and some sweet spice and blossom.
2006 Nebbiolo aged complexity, cherries and leather, with freshness and good structure
Cave Ridge Vineyards
2010 Cabernet Franc dark fruit, lavender, chocolate and spice. Sweet ripe vanilla, well-structured.
2010 Fossil Hill Reserve mostly CF but includes some Chambourcin; earthy, with leather, chocolate and dark fruit; minerality, spice and a smooth richness.
2011 Petit Verdot dark fruit, olives and lavender with blackberry, plum and cedar. Sweet ripe fruit but something of a one-trick pony.
North Gate Vineyards
2012 Viognier melon, apricot and banana; buttery and rounded.
2011 Meritage dark berries and gentle oaky spice, juicy red fruit with mocha.
2011 Petit Verdot sweet, ripe and spicy - a character actor given a leading role he can't quite carry off.
Veritas Winery
2013 Cab Franc floral; sweet, ripe raspberry and cherry fruit and sweet vanilla, pleasing firmness on the finish
2010 Petit Verdot Paul Shaffer 4th Edition dark fruit, black cherry, spice, florality. Plump and soft with rich fruit, spice mocha and coffee. A convincing varietal PV? Yes!
Williamsburg Winery2011 Acte 12 Chardonnay pineapple and orchard fruits, creamy vanilla with aromatic grass and straw and smooth, rich almondiness. Full and rich, yet precise.
2010 Adagio dense, concentrated and all about the structure; still very young and takes time (and food) to open up in the glass. Still very youthful; "will age" is an understatement.
Other related articles
Image credit: Matt le Blanc as Joey Tribbiani http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/da/Matt_LeBlanc_as_Joey_Tribbiani.jpg
Wednesday 11 June 2014
Les Jamelles Syrah, Pays d'Oc, 2012 - The Co-op
A Languedoc Syrah from Les Jamelles
Languedoc is a great source of well-made, ripe and pleasing yet serious wines. Les Jamelles, available from The Co-op, is the entry-level range from the husband-and-wife team behind Abbots & Delaunay.
Deep purple in the glass, warming, spicy aromas of dark berries, garrigue and violets. More sweet, ripe, juicy dark fruits, some pepperiness and spice with a touch of cool mint. Supple texture and fine, perfectly-ripe tannins; some persistence on the finish. Match with red meats, especially roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary, salamis, roast chicken or game.
Very enjoyable and good value; £6.49 from the Co-op. Provided for review.
Other related articles
Deep purple in the glass, warming, spicy aromas of dark berries, garrigue and violets. More sweet, ripe, juicy dark fruits, some pepperiness and spice with a touch of cool mint. Supple texture and fine, perfectly-ripe tannins; some persistence on the finish. Match with red meats, especially roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary, salamis, roast chicken or game.
Very enjoyable and good value; £6.49 from the Co-op. Provided for review.
Other related articles
Tuesday 10 June 2014
Taylor's 20 Year Old Tawny Port
A tawny port from Taylor's
Aged tawny port is aged in barrel for 10, 20 or more years before being released ready to drink.
Aged tawny port is aged in barrel for 10, 20 or more years before being released ready to drink.
This 20yo tawny was bottled in 2010 and so its origins date back to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, Nelson Mandela's release from prison and Margaret Thatcher's resignation as Prime Minister.
A mahogany-topaz in colour, it has a complex nose of dried red fruits, roasted red bell peppers, eucalyptus and roasted nuts.
Warming, cooked red fruits, roasted hazelnuts and eucalyptus; complex sweetness mixed with poised freshness, alcoholic strength and dense, savoury concentration.
No longer youthful and fleshy, it has the harmonious mellowness of age but with a firm, substantial muscularity beneath it, a hint of purposefulness behind twinkly blue eyes.
Very Good.
Match with mature hard yellow cheeses, a chocolate tart or a cigar.
£38 from Waitrose, Harrods and Selfridges; provided for review.
Other related articles
Sunday 8 June 2014
Two Pinots from The Co-op
Two wines from the Co-op's Truly Irresistible range
Like Kate Middleton, Pinot Noir is the more famous of a group of oenological sisters - Pinot Gris / Grigio is Pippa; the flighty, more obvious, less-classy one that flirts with the best man.
Truly Irresistible Pinot Noir from Casablanca in Chile, this is perhaps the second thing from south America that you would associate with the Co-op. Burgundian nose with ripe red fruits and farmyard; sweet, ripe, slightly stewed red fruits, soft, juicy texture and a pleasant finish with some warmness. A good, ripe entry-level no-tears Pinot.
Rather like a Fiat 500, it's intended to be instantly appealing, thoroughly enjoyable and inexpensive.
It's light enough to sip on its own; match with tuna carpaccio, duck or quail.
Truly Irresistible Pinot Grigio - made by the award-winning Yealands in Marlborough.
A versatile food wine, match with full-flavoured antipasti, such as roasted peppers or asparagus wrapped in pancetta.
Like Kate Middleton, Pinot Noir is the more famous of a group of oenological sisters - Pinot Gris / Grigio is Pippa; the flighty, more obvious, less-classy one that flirts with the best man.
Truly Irresistible Pinot Noir from Casablanca in Chile, this is perhaps the second thing from south America that you would associate with the Co-op. Burgundian nose with ripe red fruits and farmyard; sweet, ripe, slightly stewed red fruits, soft, juicy texture and a pleasant finish with some warmness. A good, ripe entry-level no-tears Pinot.
Rather like a Fiat 500, it's intended to be instantly appealing, thoroughly enjoyable and inexpensive.
It's light enough to sip on its own; match with tuna carpaccio, duck or quail.
Truly Irresistible Pinot Grigio - made by the award-winning Yealands in Marlborough.
Golden sandy yellow, citrus and musky pear skin.
Ripe orchard fruits, sweet pineapple pieces, baked apples and a hint of sweet spice and beeswax. Vibrant, savoury and persistent.
Good.
A versatile food wine, match with full-flavoured antipasti, such as roasted peppers or asparagus wrapped in pancetta.
Other related articles
Saturday 7 June 2014
Greek Drama - The Final Act: Nico Lazaridi
Two final wines from Nico Lazaridi, provided by The Greek Deli
These two Magic Mountain wines from Nico Lazaridi are the most impressive of the six I have tasted and really rather superb.
With international grape varieties and techniques, they have no particular Greek personality - but are just excellent wines in their own right. Tasted blind, I would probably guess at them being from some progressive French chateau in a classic region such as Bordeaux or the Rhone in a good year.
They have an Old World precision, restraint and food friendliness but are also technically very well made indeed. With plenty of stuffing, they feel substantial with significant aging potential.
Magic Mountain White 2012
Golden sandy yellow; pineapple, apricots and some musky sweet spice.
Sweet ripe dried pineapple and apricot pieces, ripe honeydew melon and baked apples-and-pears sprinkled with spice; rich and succulent, concentrated with mouthwatering, zippy lime freshness and the sweet vanilla of some new oak.
Elegant yet substantial; deft and harmonious. A modern classic; will surely improve with age.
Very Good.
Match with rich, Alsatian-type dishes such as roast pork or tarte flambee.
Magic Moutain Red 2008
Dark purple in the glass, complex nose of ripe dark berry fruits, roasted spices, undergrowth and leather; sweet, ripe elderberry and black cherry fruits, vibrant acidity and pepperiness, underpinned by a savoury minerality.
Very fine, ripe and persistent tannins - some firmness on the finish.
At six years, it is drinking nicely now and feels just ready and harmonious - will improve and evolve for more years to come.
Very Good.
Match with plain roast red meat, such as lamb, beef or venison.
The wines are also available in Cambridge at The Olive Grove.
Other related articles
Greek Drama - Nico Lazaridi
More Drama
Links
Nico Lazaridi - website, twitter, Facebook
The Greek Deli - website, twitter
These two Magic Mountain wines from Nico Lazaridi are the most impressive of the six I have tasted and really rather superb.
With international grape varieties and techniques, they have no particular Greek personality - but are just excellent wines in their own right. Tasted blind, I would probably guess at them being from some progressive French chateau in a classic region such as Bordeaux or the Rhone in a good year.
They have an Old World precision, restraint and food friendliness but are also technically very well made indeed. With plenty of stuffing, they feel substantial with significant aging potential.
Magic Mountain White 2012
Golden sandy yellow; pineapple, apricots and some musky sweet spice.
Sweet ripe dried pineapple and apricot pieces, ripe honeydew melon and baked apples-and-pears sprinkled with spice; rich and succulent, concentrated with mouthwatering, zippy lime freshness and the sweet vanilla of some new oak.
Elegant yet substantial; deft and harmonious. A modern classic; will surely improve with age.
Very Good.
Match with rich, Alsatian-type dishes such as roast pork or tarte flambee.
Magic Moutain Red 2008
Dark purple in the glass, complex nose of ripe dark berry fruits, roasted spices, undergrowth and leather; sweet, ripe elderberry and black cherry fruits, vibrant acidity and pepperiness, underpinned by a savoury minerality.
Very fine, ripe and persistent tannins - some firmness on the finish.
At six years, it is drinking nicely now and feels just ready and harmonious - will improve and evolve for more years to come.
Very Good.
Match with plain roast red meat, such as lamb, beef or venison.
The wines are also available in Cambridge at The Olive Grove.
Other related articles
Greek Drama - Nico Lazaridi
More Drama
Links
Nico Lazaridi - website, twitter, Facebook
The Greek Deli - website, twitter
Thursday 5 June 2014
Virginia Wines Dinner
A dinner with Virginia Wine
One of the original colonies and the state in which Thomas Jefferson tried but failed to make wine for over three decades, Virginia is now the fifth largest wine region of the US.
Think of US wine and big, blowsy Californians spring to mind - over in Virginia, however, they do things a little differently.
Maybe it's the old world heritage, but Virginia wines are more nuanced and less in-yer-face. And this applies as much to the grape varieties as to the styles; you will as easily find Viognier, Cab Franc and Nebbiolo as Chardonnay and Merlot.
My first encounter with Virginia wines was a couple of years ago - they still haven't broken into the mainstream, and perhaps may never fully do so, but they continue to raise their profile over here, championed by Chris Parker of New Horizon Wines.
The ideal role model for Virginia Wines is Austria - small-scale, quality-led, cool-climate wines whose recent history is measured only in decades.
These are wines to be hand-sold to enthusiasts, to compete with the world's great wine regions in value-for-money terms, not slugging it out on the supermarket shelf with the BOGOFs from some arid corner of inland Spain, South Africa or Australia.
The stand-out wines for me from the dinner were:
Breaux Vineyards 2006 Nebbiolo from the most northerly of Virginia's vineyards, classical aged complexity with balanced freshness. Good.
Veritas Vineyard 2013 Viognier fermented in stainless steel, aromatic, delicate and fresh. Good.
Barboursville Vineyards 2010 Octagon M/CF blend, fresh, precise, concentrated and mineral - Pomerol-esque, will age. Very Good.
Williamsburg Winery 2010 Adagio CF/M/PV blend: still youthful and rather closed up initially, this is all about texture and structure. Dense and concentrated, but opens up with time in the glass. Very Good.
Other related articles
Links
New Horizon Wines - website
Wednesday 4 June 2014
Two Big Reds From The Co-op
Two big red wines from the Co-op
The Co-op has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons: being "ungovernable", being run by an allegedly drug-taking ex-minister, banking black holes.
However, back in the real world of day-to-day stuff, it remains a venerable and unique British institution and, despite everything, has not lost focus on getting the basics right, such as having a good wine range which has also impressed Victoria Moore.
Yalumba Barossa Old Bush Vine Grenache 2013 (£10.99) from vines planted in 1898, spends nine months in 2-6 year-old American and Hungarian oak; pale translucent ruby, complex aromas of warm roasted spices and red fruits.
Sweet, ripe cooked red fruits, a touch of cool mint and just enough juicy acidity to keep it the right side of jamminess, propped up by some toasty, peppery oak. Dense, concentrated texture and savoury, persistent finish.
Big, blowsy and come-hither, but underneath it all, quite classy - it is a Nigella of a wine.
Match with barbecued meats or roast lamb with garlic and rosemary.
Chateau Capitoul Languedoc 2012 (£7.99) La Clape is a rocky, scrub-covered outcrop in Languedoc between the Mediterranean and Narbonne.
Syrah/Grenache/Carignan blend. Dark purple, intense nose of oaky spice, dark berry fruits, hillside herbs and leathery gaminess.
Supple, custardy texture with perfectly ripe tannins and sweet vanilla spice; dark, elderberry and plum fruits with some pepperiness. Long and savoury with a warming, spicy, persistent finish. Deft - with heft.
Good.
Match with darker game - pheasant or venison.
Both wines provided for review.
Other related articles
Chateau d'Angles - La Clape
Two more Co-op Reds
Two Co-op Reds for Christmas
A Co-op Languedoc
Co-op Mendoza Malbec
Image credit: Nigella http://img.thesun.co.uk/aidemitlum/archive/00369/SNN1003F_369617a.jpg
The Co-op has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons: being "ungovernable", being run by an allegedly drug-taking ex-minister, banking black holes.
However, back in the real world of day-to-day stuff, it remains a venerable and unique British institution and, despite everything, has not lost focus on getting the basics right, such as having a good wine range which has also impressed Victoria Moore.
Yalumba Barossa Old Bush Vine Grenache 2013 (£10.99) from vines planted in 1898, spends nine months in 2-6 year-old American and Hungarian oak; pale translucent ruby, complex aromas of warm roasted spices and red fruits.
Sweet, ripe cooked red fruits, a touch of cool mint and just enough juicy acidity to keep it the right side of jamminess, propped up by some toasty, peppery oak. Dense, concentrated texture and savoury, persistent finish.
Big, blowsy and come-hither, but underneath it all, quite classy - it is a Nigella of a wine.
Match with barbecued meats or roast lamb with garlic and rosemary.
Chateau Capitoul Languedoc 2012 (£7.99) La Clape is a rocky, scrub-covered outcrop in Languedoc between the Mediterranean and Narbonne.
Syrah/Grenache/Carignan blend. Dark purple, intense nose of oaky spice, dark berry fruits, hillside herbs and leathery gaminess.
Supple, custardy texture with perfectly ripe tannins and sweet vanilla spice; dark, elderberry and plum fruits with some pepperiness. Long and savoury with a warming, spicy, persistent finish. Deft - with heft.
Good.
Match with darker game - pheasant or venison.
Both wines provided for review.
Other related articles
Chateau d'Angles - La Clape
Two more Co-op Reds
Two Co-op Reds for Christmas
A Co-op Languedoc
Co-op Mendoza Malbec
Image credit: Nigella http://img.thesun.co.uk/aidemitlum/archive/00369/SNN1003F_369617a.jpg
Tuesday 3 June 2014
Rubis Chocolate Wine
- Do you want a flake in that, love?
- Ta!
Boddington's advert, early 1990s
Growing up in the '70s, a trip out was special if it involved an ice-cream - specifically, not the hard stuff that was wrenched out of a tub by a burly arm, but the white, piped, super-soft stuff that came out of a nozzle from the ice-cream van.
It would be extra-special if the ice-cream was also drizzled with variously coloured syrups - supposedly, strawberry or chocolate, but most likely a mix of pure sugar and food colour to "suggest" a flavour that was never really there.
That, essentially, is what this Rubis chocolate wine is like - syrupy chocolate sauce. With alcohol.
An "indulgent blend of fortified tempranillo wine and premium chocolate flavour", it smells - reeks, actually - of cheap, industrial chocolate extract (that'll be the "premium chocolate flavour" then) and tastes of alcoholic syrupy nothingness.
It has no redeeming features, yet seems to have garnered an IWSC silver.
If you want to have alcohol and chocolate together, the best matches are dark, bitter chocolate with whiskies or brandies and an espresso on the side.
Successful wine matches for chocolate are rare - either a ruby port or the port-like Banyuls.
A sweet Uruguayan Tannat that I tried at Hotel du Vin will also work.
Other related articles
Gallo Summer Red
Monday 2 June 2014
On Classics - Typicity and Quality: Two Wines From Morrison's
Two classic wines from Morrison's
Waitrose Chablis
Marks & Spencer Italian reds
Four Wines From Lidl
Links
A classic wine - like a classic dish - is a traditional standard, as instantly recognisable as steak-frites or crème brûlée.
With no element of surprise or innovation, classics are judged by the quality of execution, by how well they are made. Familiar and reassuring, they impress most by being flawless, utterly fault-free.
These two wines from Morrison's score well for typicity - they taste pretty much like they should; the Chablis has orchard fruit, zippiness and a leesy-savoury depth, the Barolo has good fruit and structure with a mellow, aged gaminess. Both have a decent weight and length.
However, they score less well for quality of execution; they feel as if a little clumsily made even if from mostly decent base materials - the Chablis lacks precision whilst the Barolo is somehow not quite fully knitted together.
Overall, not a bad effort and not without ambition, but somehow not quite there either - an encouraging optimist might call them promising, a stern pessimist disappointing. Of the two, I'd personally be more inclined to go back for a bit more of the Barolo.
Chablis £9.99, Barolo £14.99 - both provided for review.
Other related articles
Co-Op ChablisOverall, not a bad effort and not without ambition, but somehow not quite there either - an encouraging optimist might call them promising, a stern pessimist disappointing. Of the two, I'd personally be more inclined to go back for a bit more of the Barolo.
Chablis £9.99, Barolo £14.99 - both provided for review.
Other related articles
Waitrose Chablis
Marks & Spencer Italian reds
Four Wines From Lidl
Links
Sunday 1 June 2014
More Greek Drama: Nico Lazaridi
Two more wines from Greece's Nico Lazaridi, based in Drama - provided by The Greek Deli
Both these wines from Nico Lazaridi, based in the Drama region of northern Greece are precise, well-balanced and technically faultless; they are impressive, enjoyable and very well made indeed.
Are they distinctively Greek? No, not really. Does that matter? Not especially. In style they are perhaps more modern classic French than anything else - in a pleasing-but-serious sort of way. If you want something typically Greek - i.e. not mainstream in style - look elsewhere and go for a linear Assyrtiko or a surly Xinomavro.
The Black Sheep 2013 a white Bordeaux blend of Semillon and Sauvignon; golden sandy yellow with aromas of melon, tropical citrus and musky peachskins.Ripe, citrussy pineapple with a waxy, lanolin texture and aromatic zestiness - long, savoury and accomplished. Very well-balanced with nothing out of place.
Drinking nicely now, will age. Very Good.
Match with roast white meats, such as chicken or pork, or meaty white fish.
25 Years 2010 a Bordeaux blend of Cab and Merlot, vibrant ruby-garnet; blackcurrant, plum, coffee and tobacco aromas. Sweet, ripe black cherry and plum fruit with fresh acidity and roasted spices with a savoury minerality reminiscent of a good Medoc. Fine, gentle and perfectly-ripe tannins. Very long and well-rounded with a firmness on the finish.
A little closed up on first opening, it improves over the course of a couple of days, so will repay decanting or cellaring. Very Good.
Match with roast red meats or game.
Available in Cambridge at The Olive Grove.
Other related articles
Greek Drama
Greek Wines at Circle of Wine Writers
Links
Nico Lazaridi - website, twitter
The Greek Deli - website, twitter
Both these wines from Nico Lazaridi, based in the Drama region of northern Greece are precise, well-balanced and technically faultless; they are impressive, enjoyable and very well made indeed.
Are they distinctively Greek? No, not really. Does that matter? Not especially. In style they are perhaps more modern classic French than anything else - in a pleasing-but-serious sort of way. If you want something typically Greek - i.e. not mainstream in style - look elsewhere and go for a linear Assyrtiko or a surly Xinomavro.
The Black Sheep 2013 a white Bordeaux blend of Semillon and Sauvignon; golden sandy yellow with aromas of melon, tropical citrus and musky peachskins.Ripe, citrussy pineapple with a waxy, lanolin texture and aromatic zestiness - long, savoury and accomplished. Very well-balanced with nothing out of place.
Drinking nicely now, will age. Very Good.
Match with roast white meats, such as chicken or pork, or meaty white fish.
25 Years 2010 a Bordeaux blend of Cab and Merlot, vibrant ruby-garnet; blackcurrant, plum, coffee and tobacco aromas. Sweet, ripe black cherry and plum fruit with fresh acidity and roasted spices with a savoury minerality reminiscent of a good Medoc. Fine, gentle and perfectly-ripe tannins. Very long and well-rounded with a firmness on the finish.
A little closed up on first opening, it improves over the course of a couple of days, so will repay decanting or cellaring. Very Good.
Match with roast red meats or game.
Available in Cambridge at The Olive Grove.
Other related articles
Greek Drama
Greek Wines at Circle of Wine Writers
Links
Nico Lazaridi - website, twitter
The Greek Deli - website, twitter
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