Very nice tasting Tuesday evening at Movenpick.
Several Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from 'Clos Henri' in Malborough but the star of the evening was Sancerre Antan from 2002. Rather heavy in the mouth, stone fruit aroma and flavours, wood very well integrated, slightly oily, but still the freshness and acidity of a great Sancerre, with an amazing lenght. Perhaps my first experience of an aged Sancerre, and a very good one too!.
Friday 13 February 2015
Sunday 19 May 2013
RAW fair in London
Very nice to taste again the wines of Philippe Gourdon (La Tour Grise) and from domaine "Les Chesnaies" (Beatrice and Pascal Lambert).
Amazed by L'ecart and 'Vieilles vignes' by Catherine et Gilles Verge (Verge Vins Naturels), and quite a few others.
Amazed by L'ecart and 'Vieilles vignes' by Catherine et Gilles Verge (Verge Vins Naturels), and quite a few others.
Saturday 8 December 2012
Basalte from Cave Saint Verny in Auvergne
Friday we tried a few vintages of 'Basalte', a Gamay from the Cave Saint Verny in Auvergne.
When spending a few days in the area last August, we had a tasting of the reds and whites from the Cave Saint Verny. This was a discovery of vines from Allier, and I was impressed by the quality of both the red and the white, time was too short to taste the pink.
"Petites GRappes sur Basalte" (AOC Cotes d'Auvergne) is from old vines from hard basaltic soil with low yield (25hl/ha), aged 12 month in oak.
I had been able to get four different vintages: 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2005:
- the 2009 was very young, not yet really integrated but a lot of berry fruit on the nose and on the palate; surprising tannin for a Gamay.
- the 2008 was softer, rounder, the tannin more; beautiful red fruit, well balanced.
- the 2007 and the 2005 both appeared not yet fully mature, with the 2005 showing more fruit and structure.
When spending a few days in the area last August, we had a tasting of the reds and whites from the Cave Saint Verny. This was a discovery of vines from Allier, and I was impressed by the quality of both the red and the white, time was too short to taste the pink.
"Petites GRappes sur Basalte" (AOC Cotes d'Auvergne) is from old vines from hard basaltic soil with low yield (25hl/ha), aged 12 month in oak.
I had been able to get four different vintages: 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2005:
- the 2009 was very young, not yet really integrated but a lot of berry fruit on the nose and on the palate; surprising tannin for a Gamay.
- the 2008 was softer, rounder, the tannin more; beautiful red fruit, well balanced.
- the 2007 and the 2005 both appeared not yet fully mature, with the 2005 showing more fruit and structure.
Vintage no longer mentioned on French wine lists?
While driving through France last Summer, we stopped twice and in mid-range restaurants I was surprised to see wine lists without any vintage, no it wasn't all 'vin de table', most of the wines were OAC.
The restaurant l'Albatros ( Hotel du Golf de l'Ailette ) has a wine list 'for a sensory journey throughout all French Wine regions (un voyage sensoriel a travers toutes les regions viticoles de France), but this does not include the vintage of any wine. Asking why, I was told because the vintages change too often!
The day after, we stayed at the Hilton in Lyon, and had a late dinner at the Brasserie; this was a much shorter wine list, and again no vintage mentioned on the list. I didn't even ask...
Even more surprising, a month later I was in Paris, meeting a friend in a wine bar: o chateau; the vast majority of the wines on offer (and a very good selection it was) had a vintage, but there were a few 'flights' offered were the vintage was missing from the list. And some of the wines involved were pretty decent, I can remember a Condrieu; true these were not wines to keep for decades but still.
I wonder if it is pure coincidence I came across so many lists with missing vintages in a short time, everything else I can see about the wine trade when I am in France is much more encouraging, so it can't be too serious.
Tasting some Morey Saint Denis, Beaune and Gevrey from barrels in October, the usual discussions about vintages with the wine makers were reassuring.
The restaurant l'Albatros ( Hotel du Golf de l'Ailette ) has a wine list 'for a sensory journey throughout all French Wine regions (un voyage sensoriel a travers toutes les regions viticoles de France), but this does not include the vintage of any wine. Asking why, I was told because the vintages change too often!
The day after, we stayed at the Hilton in Lyon, and had a late dinner at the Brasserie; this was a much shorter wine list, and again no vintage mentioned on the list. I didn't even ask...
Even more surprising, a month later I was in Paris, meeting a friend in a wine bar: o chateau; the vast majority of the wines on offer (and a very good selection it was) had a vintage, but there were a few 'flights' offered were the vintage was missing from the list. And some of the wines involved were pretty decent, I can remember a Condrieu; true these were not wines to keep for decades but still.
I wonder if it is pure coincidence I came across so many lists with missing vintages in a short time, everything else I can see about the wine trade when I am in France is much more encouraging, so it can't be too serious.
Tasting some Morey Saint Denis, Beaune and Gevrey from barrels in October, the usual discussions about vintages with the wine makers were reassuring.
Sunday 2 December 2012
Alsace with Colin Akers
The lastest HFWS (Hertfordshire Fine Wine Society) tasting in Hatfield, Colin talked through the variety of the region.
The favorite was Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardive 2005, sweet but not heavy, beautifully balanced, lychees and ginger.
The favorite was Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardive 2005, sweet but not heavy, beautifully balanced, lychees and ginger.
Saturday 1 December 2012
Sherry and Port to die for
A fabulous tasting at VWTC on Saturday Nov 17th. Martin Skelton, MD of Gonzalez Byass UK, presented Sherries and Ports.
This was my first real taste of Sherries, the freshness and dryness of the Tio Pepe, the Una Palma already more complex; then the Apostoles full of nuts and spices, rich and sweet with a fry finish; and the amazing Matusalem: so rich yet vibrant, full of fruits and complexity, very heavy in the mouth with a lot of texture, huge length with a touch of biterness.
The Ports were the Noval Black (full of cooked fruits), Noval 10 Years Old Twany Port (nutty, well balanced), Quinta Do Noval 2004 Unfiltered LBV Port (dark fruit and spice, very smooth on the palate with a chocolate finish) and Quinta Do Noval 2003 Vintage Port (closed, difficult to grasp for a Port novice but so rich, an amazing length).
Thank you again to Martin for showing these magnificent wines and presenting them so vividly.
This was my first real taste of Sherries, the freshness and dryness of the Tio Pepe, the Una Palma already more complex; then the Apostoles full of nuts and spices, rich and sweet with a fry finish; and the amazing Matusalem: so rich yet vibrant, full of fruits and complexity, very heavy in the mouth with a lot of texture, huge length with a touch of biterness.
The Ports were the Noval Black (full of cooked fruits), Noval 10 Years Old Twany Port (nutty, well balanced), Quinta Do Noval 2004 Unfiltered LBV Port (dark fruit and spice, very smooth on the palate with a chocolate finish) and Quinta Do Noval 2003 Vintage Port (closed, difficult to grasp for a Port novice but so rich, an amazing length).
Thank you again to Martin for showing these magnificent wines and presenting them so vividly.
Thursday 15 November 2012
Rieussec 2003 and Clos Vougeot 74
The same day while in Paris a couple of weeks ago I came across both these wines, in unrelated circumstances.
The Rieussec was very rich, marmalade and apricot; good acidity but perhaps slightly less than other vintages. To open in a couple of years.
The Clos Vougeot, Chateau de la Tour 1974, was a bit of a disappointment. Although the wine was clean and still has a good structure and acidity, very little aroma on the nose or the palate were left.
The Rieussec was very rich, marmalade and apricot; good acidity but perhaps slightly less than other vintages. To open in a couple of years.
The Clos Vougeot, Chateau de la Tour 1974, was a bit of a disappointment. Although the wine was clean and still has a good structure and acidity, very little aroma on the nose or the palate were left.
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