I’ve suddenly realised that it is almost two weeks since I last blogged. And frankly, I’m wondering where the time has gone. The fact is, it has taken me all that time to start feeling human again, following that fiendish cold/virus I picked up in mid-December. Who knows, I might even feel like drinking a glass or two of wine, this evening. Which will be something of a novelty, because all that has passed my lips over the last week has been the odd buck's fizz, a glass or two of de Bortoli Show Muscat (rich, sweet and warming – and Australian!) plus copious amounts of bitter lemon, tea and coffee.
I’m not sure if it was mind over matter, or a genuine (but temporary) break in my illness, but I did manage to feel well enough to attend the Christmas edition of our monthly wine group at Le Mistral in Nottingham last Tuesday. To be honest, I wouldn’t miss one of these for the world, so it was probably the former, rather than the latter. Nevertheless, it was another enjoyable night, with a decent spread of wines from the old world and the new.
Although I couldn’t be bothered to take notes (or even write down a full list of the wines) the highlights included a lovely Domaine de La Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2008, a weird and whacky Dario Princic Pinot Grigio Blush/Rosé 2006 (natural winemaking at its most extreme), a lovely Chateau Simone 1988 Palette (one of the great estates of Provence) and an absolutely spot-on Paul Jaboulet Aine Domaine de Thalabert 1988 Crozes-Hermitages. There were also a couple of decent red Burgundies from Domaine Tollot-Beaut (I can’t remember the appellation or year) and a Grands Échezaux 2000 from René Engel. The former was full of flavour and a certain rustic charm, whilst the latter was elegant and smooth, without setting the world on fire. A fine 1993 Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Aszú 4 Puttonyos was a nice way to finish the evening.
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