Celebrating 25 years of marriage with good friends, good wine and good food

TLD and I celebrated 25 years of marriage whilst on holiday in the Mosel Valley last week. A couple of days after we got back, we gathered with a few close friends at Amarone Restaurant in Nottingham, for an evening of wines primarily from the 1980's, including three from 1985 itself. And a lovely evening it turne out to be. With us were Bernard Caille, David and Lucy Bennett, Andy Leslie and Jo Fitzhenry, and our long-time friends Anton and Diane Lambert. Anton was Best Man at our wedding, whilst Diane was one of TLD's bridesmaids, so it was a real thrill to meet up with them again. Although we still meet up occasionally, it doesn't happen nearly enough.

Anyway, Amarone once again treated us to some nice food (and indeed offered free corkage, which is always welcome). But the food was almost incidental, as the company and the wines were what it was all about.

Clockwise, from the front; Anton, Leon, Diane, TLD, Jo, Andy, Bernard, David and Lucy

Diane Lambert with TLD - two beauties who have stood the test of time!

So what of the wines? Well, since the evening was all about enjoying ourselves, I resisted the urge to make any tasting notes, so any comments are purely from memory (except for a couple, which I took home at the end) - as is the line-up, which included;

The Wine Society Champagne NV
I was part of a team that won a "Call My Bluff" tasting competition held by The Wine Society at the Albert Hall in Nottingham a couple of years ago, and we each received a bottle of this as our prize. A bit of bottle age has seen it mature into a very nice wine, which got the evening off to a nice start.

Hurst Fehres-Willems Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Auslese 1985 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Believe it or not, I picked this up only last week at the Brauneberg Wine Festival. Aromas of wet slate, lime oil and marmalade. Although the palate may have lost its youthful gusto, there is still some fruit left, with nice marmalade flavours and bags of acidity. Not a great Riesling, but a nice one. And, of course, from "our" year. And a complete steal at 9 Euros!

Chateau de La Roche aux Moines 1986 Savennieres Clos de La Coulée de Serrant Madame Joly
One of the great vintages from this famous Loire estate, and still full of steely minerality, with lemon and herb-infused primary and tertiary flavours and a very long finish. Indeed, it is a very fine wine, but absolutely bone dry, so the preceding (off-dry) Riesling probably did it no favours on the night. A wine for contemplation.

Agricola Querciabella Batar 1996 IGT Toscana
This is a wine that always impresses. An Italian take on Burgundy, with lots of secondary, oaky, toffee aromas and flavours and plenty of complexity. Lovely wine.

Torres Gran Coronas 1985 Penedes
Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, which is undoubtedly entering its dotage, but still with plenty to offer in the way of secondary red and black fruit flavours, cedar and tea. Holding up well (like TLD and I) after 25 years!

Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva 1985 Rioja
In terms of sheer quality and vinous enjoyment, this was probably the wine of the night. Still full of forest fruits and hints of spice and wood, it was fresh as a daisy, yet complex and oh-so elegant. It deserves a proper tasting note, but I don't have one. I just know that, at 25 years old, it was absolutely bang on form and a joy to drink.

Chateau Musar 1990 Lebanon
Not a good bottle at all - cheesy and cabbagey, and clearly somewhat oxidised. I'd like to think that it was bottle variation (for which Musar is notorious) rather than vintage. Pity, because I love Musar.

Chateau Musar 1991 Lebanon
This was much more like it. In my opinion (though David seems to disagree) this was on good form. In fact, I took the remnants of the bottle home and enjoyed it several days later! Stewed fruits, beetroot and tobacco aromas, with a vey healthy waft of volatile acidity. Loaded with secondary fruit and citrus flavours, hints of wild herbs and a subtle savouriness. And lots of VA. Trademark Musar, with years of life left in it. Lovely!

Domaine de Trévallon 1988 Les Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Les Baux
Unfortunately, I have little in the way of detailed recollection of this bottle, except to say that it was on good, if not great form. One of my favourite vintages from one of my very favourite growers. perhaps Andy Leslie (who brought this bottle) can elaborate.

Domaine de Trévallon 1990 Les Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Les Baux
I brought this one, which I had been saving for just such a special occasion, and I have to say that it didn't quite live up to my expectations. There certainly wasn't anything particularly wrong with it - it just didn't have that "wow" factor. Again, perhaps Andy (who is as big a fan of this estate as I am) can add something.

Kuentz-Bas Tokay Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive Cuvée Caroline 1990 Alsace
I also took home the remnants of this half-bottle, so actually have a tasting note(!) Not an awful lot on the nose, with perhaps just a touch of orange and honey. The palate is much mor expressive, and nicely rich, with seville orange, caramelised peel and again a touch of honey, with some really good underlying acidity. It coats the tongue with velvety flavours of toffee apple, stewed plums and apricot. It isn't hugely complex, but the balance is superb and the length impressive.

Quinta de Vargellas 1988 Port
Not a "declared" vintage, but a "single quinta" Port from a nonetheless good year. It does exactly what it says on the bottle, and is actually a very good wine, if you are a Port lover - which none of us necessarily are (I think we all agree that Port is just too spiritous, per-se). Having said that, I think that this could be really good in another 20 years, when the fruit has rotted-down and the alcohol will be more subtle and integrated. For the moment, it is all very primary and young(!)

There were a couple of other wines that I didn't note the full details of - a 1999 red Burgundy (David - please fill in the gaps) and a rather intense sticky from the Loire (Bernard - ditto, please).

All-in all, a lovely evening, enjoyed with some lovely people. Let's do it all again in another 25 years! ;-))
      

A rather disappointing Languedoc wine

Having drunk nothing but fine Mosel Riesling over the last few days (how could we not, when it is so abundant and so relatively cheap where we've been?) I thought it was time to open a bottle of red to enjoy with yesterday evening's spaghetti bolognaise. I have half a case each of the 2004 and 2005 vintages of this wine, and this one had been winking at me from the under-stairs cupboard for some time, so I thought it would make a nice (though not cheap, at around £15) weekday treat. Having enjoyed a bottle or two of each wine over the last couple of years, I expected this to be rather good.

Domaine de Montcalmes 2004 Coteaux du Languedoc

60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, aged in one and two year-old barrels for 24 months. The first thing that hits you on the nose is the oak - vanillin and wood, with a noticeable element of beef stock, but not a lot in the way of fruit. Which is surprising, since my previous experience of this wine had left me with a strong impression of red, black and crystallised fruits and an almost northern Rhone - or even Burgundian - elegance. The palate is also dominated by oak. Not toasty and rich, but somewhat austere and even raw, as if the oak has been under-seasoned and under-toasted and is beginning to eat the fruit (rather than the other way around). The style of this wine clearly aims to be relatively light-bodied, rather than hugely extracted and rich, but it currently seems to lack the elegance and depth of fruit that it once showed. It felt raw and harsh to begin with (even to the point where I thought it might be a faulty/corked bottle) but I thought some air would help to open it out a bit. Half an hour later, though, and the fruit is still not really there - subtle hints of raspberry and redcurrant, perhaps, but with a bitterness that suggests that 24 months in relatively new barrels has stripped some of the vitality and fruit from it. Perhaps it is going through a "closed" phase. I hope so, as I have several more to get through. We shall see.

Tonight we are dining out in Nottingham with a few close friends and some (hopefully) fine wines from the 80's and early 90's, by way of celebrating our Silver Wedding. I'll report back soonwith my thoughts on the wines.

After that, I have loads to report on our trip to Germany. Not an awful lot in the way of thoughts on individual wines (it was a holiday, rather than a tasting trip, after all) but lots of photos and plenty of commentary.

     

A few days in the Mosel Valley

Ten kilometres from our destination, the landscape all around consisted mainly of gently rolling hills and fields – all very pretty, but not what I expected. With less than five to go, we were driving along winding roads through densely forested hilly terrain. We’d seen the odd stream here and there along the route, but hadn’t caught a single sight of anything resembling a navigable river. I was beginning to think that we had taken a wrong turn somewhere, but the sat nav usually knows where it is going. Then all of a sudden, with less than two kilometres to go, we emerged from the woods, and there it was.

For some reason, I had expected the final stage of our journey to take us at least a few kilometres along the banks of the Mosel into the town of Piesport. But it had actually taken us straight in, via the top of the Piesporter Goldtropfchen itself. I have seen many photos of this famous crescent-shaped hillside amphitheatre before, taken from both the top and the bottom, but none of them (least of all one of mine) can really do justice to the magical view that greets you when you emerge from the trees and really see it all for the first time. Straight ahead, the view stretches for several kilometres, with vines clinging to every available square metre of the steep hillside. And a full 200 metres (almost 650 feet) below lies the beautiful village of Piesport, which sits snugly between the Goldtropfchen itself and the banks of the majestic, meandering Mosel.

The stunning view from the top of Piesporter Goldtropfchen

I remember driving towards Chamonix for the first time, a few years ago, and catching a disappointingly fleeting glimpse of the summit of Mont Blanc, through the thick cloud cover. Waking up the following morning and opening the curtains to a cloudless sky and an uninterrupted view of the mountain in all its glory was a sight that will stay in my mind’s eye for as long as I live. And it may seem overly romantic to say so – especially to non-wine geeks – but my first sight of the beautiful Mosel Valley, coming as it did from the very top of one of its most famous vineyards, had exactly the same effect. As a lover of wine, coming to one of the most beautiful wine regions on the planet (which also just happens to make some of the finest white wines on the planet) is like a pilgrimage for me. It really is a very special - and very beautiful - place.

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary - TLD and I will have been married for 25 years. And I can't think of many better places in which to celebrate such a milestone. Obviously, we have lots of stuff to see and do, so the last thing I should be doing is sitting here typing into a laptop. But I'll tell you lots more about our trip over the next few days. Hopefully, I'll also add some more photos soon - something that either my laptop or Blogger seems reluctant to do at the moment. :-(

    

Domaine of The Bee - un bon vin

On Wednesday evening in London, I presented a tasting of a selection of my southern French wines made by "outsiders" - Brits, Poles, Swiss, plus a handful from other regions of France. Afterwards, the organiser gave me a glass of red wine made by a friend of his, Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, and asked me what I thought of it. I must admit that I gave it rather short shrift on the night, as it came across as a bit of a fruit bomb with a heavy coating of oak - the sort of wine that tends to impress the critics at trade tastings, but leaves me wanting something a bit more subtle and elegant. That said, it came at the end of a very long, tiring day, so I thought I'd take a glassful home with me, so I could contemplate further and give it a fair hearing. After all, at £20 a bottle, I was hoping it might have hidden depths.

So here I was with a glass of wine that had been poured a full 48 hours ago (albeit sealed under a layer of clingfilm) with no great expectations.

Domaine of The Bee 2008 Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes

A blend of old Grenache and Carignan, dry farmed in the hills of Roussillon near Maury and aged for 14 months in new, one and two year-old oak barrels. The colour is dark purple with a tiny rim. There's still a fair amount of new oak on the nose, but it is quite well integrated and doesn't overpower the fruit - bramble and blackcurrant, with hints of garrigue herbs, mint and orange peel, with a touch of eau de vie.Two evenings ago, when I first tasted it, the palate was very oaky and savoury/meaty, very much to the detriment of the fruit. But now, on day 3 - and from the very same glass - the fruit has come to the fore. The wine seems much more together, with those oaky/savoury notes having faded into the background, to be replaced by some lovely sweet and sour flavours. Although rich and warming, and certainly well-extracted, it is also nicely balanced, with juicy lemon acidity and grippy but fine tannins.

To be honest, I wasn't keen to begin with, but after a couple of days of air it has begun to show some class and even a little bit of elegance. If I had a bottle or two (which I don't) I'd probably stick them away for a few years. Five should soften it up nicely, and it will surely go for ten or more, during which time I can see it losing a little weight, but gaining some complexity. Admittedly, there is a slightly modern feel to it, but it doesn't feel spoofy or formulated. Yes, it starts off as a bit of an oak monster, but there is plenty of wine lurking in there too, which just needs a chance to blossom. Stylistically, it feels like Roussillon meets California, and I bet the Americans like it. Actually, I do too, and I'd love to taste it again in a few years' time. My only beef is with the name. Why Domaine of The Bee? Seems a bit pretentious to me. OK, so the wine is made by Brits, but it is a French wine, so why not be true to its origins and call it simply Domaine d'Abeille? Yes, I know, I'm being picky, but I'm a bit of a traditionalist. And yes, I know Johnny Foreigner comes over here and cocks a snook by giving his restaurant a name that is invariably anything but English. But we don't need to get our own back by giving English-sounding names to little corners of Roussillon. As the saying goes, "When in Rome....... (or Roussillon)". ;-)  Nice wine, though.

See the Domaine of The Bee website for more details.

A glorious Saar Riesling

After a long day on the road yesterday (presenting a tasting in London, plus a few deliveries to customers around London) and back to the day job today, it was nice to relax just a little this evening. Not for long, though, since there is always something that needs doing. Thankfully, although I am still coughing and spluttering, I feel I might just be turning the corner back towards being healthy again. Which is just as well, as TLD and I are off to Germany for a few days at the weekend - a few days of rest and relaxation (and perhaps even a vineyard visit or two) to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. By coincidence, I've just added this beauty to my list, so what better way to get myself into the right groove....

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese 2002 Mosel Saar Ruwer

Bright gold/yellow colour, with an enchanting nose of lime zest, apricot, nettle and wet slate, with a hint of fresh root ginger and only the merest suggestion of petrol. I even detect an enticing note of fresh emulsion paint - in fact, a quite remarkable combination of fruit and secondary aromas. And if the nose hints at something beautiful, the palate does not disappoint. Great swathes of lime and lemon fruit caress the palate, with a core of intense, tingling acidity and slatey minerality that is simply mouth-watering. Yet there is also an underlying richness, courtesy of beautifully ripe fruit, with suggestions of apricot, clementine, sweet apples and subtle spice notes. Although late-harvested (Spätlese means literally that) I would hesitate to use the term 'residual sugar' in describing this wine, because that always suggests to me that something sticks out. And in this wine, nothing at all sticks out - it is a wine of stunning purity and focus, with that laser-like acidity combining beautifully with ripe, only fleetingly sweet fruit. It balances effortlessly on the knife-edge. And whilst it already has complexity by the bucket-load, I feel it is only just beginning to get into its stride. So you can drink it now, with pleasure, but you could also tuck some away for another few years and discover the joys of truly great old Riesling. It doesn't get much better than this. And at just £12.75, for a mature Spätlese from the finest vineyard in the Saar, I almost feel like I'm selling it far too cheaply.

      

Suffering again...... and a lovely pick-me-up red wine

It is not often that I have time off work due to illness. I thought I'd be OK for a while at least, following a couple of days off the other week, due to some sort of virus and throat infection. But I didn't bargain on the cold I picked up over the weekend turning into something really horrible and debilitating. I felt rougher than a really rough thing yesterday morning, but managed to struggle out of bed and off to work. Which turned out to be a big mistake. I don't think I've ever felt so ill at work before and each minute felt like ten. This morning, I wasn't much better, so decided (against my natural instinct) to call in sick. At least I could suffer in the comfort of my own home, though trying to sleep inbetween bouts of coughing, wheezing, spluttering, gurgling and sweating was nigh-on impossible. By this evening, I at least felt well enough to eat something. And in a house full of wine, how could I not open a bottle, if only for a (currently) healthy TLD to enjoy a glass with dinner? So I opened this little beauty, which is so fragrant and flavoursome that it lifts the heart and cuts through my deleted olfactory senses, no problem at all.

Chateau de Bouissel, La Negrette de Bouissel 2009 Fronton

The colour is a deep, but vivid purple, with the tiniest dark ruby rim. It lloks imposing, but appearances can be deceptive. The nose is spectacularly fragrant and expressive and - even with my cold - manages to display an array of different aromas, ranging from bramble, blackcurrant and cherry, through orange zest, apples and tea, to lilies and violets. There are also some attractive hints of new leather, polished wood and cigar box - but not in an oaky way. I think it is just the way this particular grape variety likes to express itself. The palate too offers a glorious array of ripe red and black fruits, with liquorice, black cherry and dark/bitter chocolate notes and a lick of allspice. And what structure! Firm, grippy, but extremely ripe tannins mingle effortlessly with the sweet, spicy, almost creamy fruit, and there is a lovely backbone of juicy acidity, giving it real lift and vitality. It really is very moreish indeed. If you are a lover of Loire Cabernet Franc, or even Cabernet-rich Bordeaux, then you will love this - although you may be disappointed at the complete lack of greenness in such a ripe, generous wine(!) Similarly, if you are a lover of wines with a bit of southern warmth - and flavour to spare - you will also love it. I'd even venture that there is something Italian about it, with that juicy, ripe, sweet-and-sour fruit. Whatever, it really is a lovely wine, which was a delight to drink on its own, but also went well with pork chp and pasta with a tomato, herb, onion and garlic sauce. If this were from some or other well-known or fancy appellation, it would be good value at £15 or more. I've just added it to my list at £10.99.

   

Right - I'm whacked, so off to bed.

   

Two lovely white wines for a lazy Friday evening - Alsace and Burgundy

After suffering with some sort of throat infection last week, it now seems like open season for whatever virus is going around to attack me - and I now have the beginnings of a common or garden cold. I'm sneezing, have a tickly nose and a bit of a thick head. So I'm using that as an excuse to get through some sample bottles whilst I still have the wherewithal, since my olfactory senses are probably going to be somewhat impeded for the next few days. So, following on from last night's white Burgundy, here are my notes on a couple more delicious white wines - one of which I've just added to my list, and another which will be appearing very shortly.

F E Trimbach Riesling Réserve 2005 Alsace

The colour is bright gold/green, and it has delicious aromas of lime oil, orange zest, wet stone, crushed nettles and mixed herbs. Not to mention, of course, a healthy dose of classic aged Riesling petrol - a gloriously inviting nose! The palate is medium-bodied, tightly-structured and bone-dry, with flavours of peaches and fresh limes. It is beautifully pure and focused, with fabulously mouth-watering acidity, which carries the fruit all the way to a long, citrussy, mineral-laden and herb-tinged finish. At 5 years of age, this wine is absolutely singing right now, but it may get even better over the next 5 or more years. Indeed, it should last for at least 10 years before it begins to fade. Although it would be a shame not to pair it with some spicy Asian food (or even a simple roasted chicken with a lemon or two stuffed in the cavity) I have thoroughly enjoyed a glass or two on its own, whilst writing this tasting note. Since my wife isn't feeling too hungry this evening, I am about to pair it with the remains of last night's spicy/coconutty lamb curry, which will be nice. It is a cracking wine - and, for a semi-mature wine from a top grower, in a great Alsace vintage, a bit of a bargain too. It is now on my list at £13.95, but if you want some, you'd better hurry, as I have less than 3 cases to sell.

Chateau Génot-Boulanger Les Bacs 2008 Mercurey

A pale, limpid gold/straw colour. The nose is a riot of citrus fruits, grated zest and tree fruits, with a strong impression of slate/stone. It is so packed with fruit and mineral nuances, it almost makes the nose prickle. The palate is racy and, like the nose, crammed full of lemon and lime flavours, juicy apples and spice. The flavours are ripe and full, but once again, there is a taut, steely streak of minerality and a core of mouth-watering acidity which keeps you coming back for more. To be honest, if I were tasting this wine blind, its structure and sheer elegance might fool me into thinking I was drinking a wine from the Cote d'Or, rather than the Chalonnaise - it really is that good. This will retail for around £13.50 - again, a bit of a bargain.

   

Sickness, Internet problems, the mighty Wilco in the Toon, and a lovely white Burgundy

Once again, it's been a while since I blogged. Actually, it has been a funny old week (or more). I went to meet up with my friends Messrs. Bennett, Leslie and Bamford last Tuesday night, to discuss a boys' trip to Burgundy we are planning for next March (or is it April?) and, of course, enjoy a few nice Burgs with some good food in the process. Unfortunately, for some reason, I wasn't feeling my chipper old self, which became more apparent over the next few days, when I seemed to be suffering from some sort of throat infection and general malaise. In fact, to quote an old work-mate's once (in)famous "nature of illness" on his sick form, I "felt rough". By the weekend, I was beginning to perk-up a little, and was about to get blogging again - and then my Internet connection went down for the best part of Sunday. Very frustrating, and it meant that I had a lot of catching-up to do over the next couple of days.

Which brings me to Wednesday (last night) which saw me driving up to Newcastle with my son Alex and his friend, to watch a gig by the greatest rock band that most people have never heard of. Wilco comprises Jeff Tweedy (guitars, lead vocals and 99% of the songwriting), John Stirratt (bass), Glenn Kotche (the finest drummer I have ever seen, bar none) Nels Cline (guitar player extraordinaire), Pat Sansone (guitars and keyboards) and Mikael Jorgensen (keyboards). I've watched this band develop and grow over the past ten or so years, into what I genuinely believe is one of the finest, tightest bands in the world, with a back catalogue that would be the envy of many more famous bands. And with the incomparable Jeff Tweedy at the helm, they can do little wrong, in my eyes. A bit of me is happy for Wilco to remain a jealously-guarded secret, whilst the other bit of me wishes that they would receive the world-wide acclaim they surely deserve, as heaped on many a lesser band. I won't bore you with the details of the gig (this is a wine blog - and I'm no music reviewer) but suffice to say that the band were on superb form and produced a rip-roaring set. And I managed to snaffle Jeff Tweedy's set list from one of the roadies afterwards - a nice little souvenir! If you want an idea of how good Wilco are live, here's a taster from Youtube.........

Afterwards, we got chatting to a couple of fellow fans from Gateshead and went for a couple of pints in a charming little pub just across from the station. We had a good old chin wag about Wilco, music and life in general. The hazy photo below was taken on my mobile phone at gone 11 in the evening. I'd never been to Newcastle before (never been further north than Durham, in fact) but I was stuck by what a lovely place it is - lots of beautiful old stone buildings, clean, safe streets, nice pubs and charming people. So thanks to my new friends Jamie and Andrew - and of course to Wilco - for making my first trip to the "Toon" a memorable one. 

After the gig - Andrew, Jamie, Alex, Paddy

Tonight, it has been a relaxing night in front of the telly, with our favourite home-made lamb curry, rice and naan, accompanied by a rather delicious young white Burgundy;

Domaine Jean & Gilles Lafouge Auxey-Duresses "Les Hautes" 2007

This was a sample bottle I picked up for a song from a local supplier. I suspected it would be good, because I heard that a fellow local merchant friend had taken a bottle to the Wine Circle last night and it apparently went down rather well. Not surprising, as it turns out, because this is a cracking wine. The back label (praise be - a rarity for Burgundy!) for once describes the wine perfectly; "With a rich, heady nose of hazelnut and lime blossom and an intense, mineral-streaked, lemon-edged palate, this wine delivers on all fronts." Spot on, I'd say. It bears certain similarities to the wines of its near neighbour Meursault, with minerally, lime oil-tinged fruit and an underlying richness. There's a touch of oak, but it is very subtley done and one is struck by its elegance and tight, focused structure, not to mention its fabulous depth (and length) of flavour. For a relatively humble village-level Burgundy, it punches well above its weight. It probably has a few years of development left in it, but it is so lovely to drink now, I'd say why wait? I think I'll snap a few cases up - some for the website and a few for myself. And it certainly won't be expensive. ;-)

   

Weekend wines - a young Amarone and an aged Californian Pinot

Once again, it has been a week since I blogged, as I've been a bit too busy doing various things. I have more posts to add over the next few days but, meanwhile, here are my notes on a couple of really lovely wines we have enjoyed this weekend.

Giuseppe Campagnola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2005

This is a wine which I found at a local bin-end supplier a year or so back. I bought (and sold) a couple of cases, but kept half a dozen by for myself. This is the second one we have opened this year and it really is a lovely drop, considering I paid considerably less than a tenner a bottle. The Amarone style is (in general) peculiar to the Valpolicella region of Italy, and is made from grapes which are harvested fully ripe, then air-dried on straw mats for several months after the harvest, before being fermented in the normal way. The resulting wines tend to be rich and quite alcoholic - and often very powerful. But a good one will also be fruity and retain a healthy level of acidity. And this one really does fit the bill. It is a model of restrained power, with fresh red cherry and black fruit flavours, soft tannins and delicious balancing acidity. In fact, it is almost elegant, with a lightness of touch which belies its 15% abv. It isn't particularly complex (yet - though it will gain plenty of that over the next 5 to 10 years) but it is so lovely to drink now. Indeed, it went brilliantly with a dish of lambs liver, sausage, garlic and onions, braised in a good half-bottle of red wine, accompanied by garlic and mustard mash. A lovely combination!

Lynmar Quail Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 1994 Russian River Valley

I picked up a case of this for a relative song at auction a while back and shared a few bottles with friends. A couple of bottles drank previously have been good, but this was sensational. The cork was worryingly saturated (and yet quite brittle) but the fill was high. The colour is a lovely pale ruby, with amber glints, and the nose is simply sublime. The first thing you smell is old, polished leather shoes, but it quickly opens out to reveal a dazzling array of aromas including wild strawberries, clotted cream, freshly-squeezed oranges and balsamic vinegar. There are also some savoury/beefy notes, forest floor and a touch of oak vanillin (which seems like French, rather than Californian oak).The palate is a riot of sweet Pinot fruit and again a certain savouriness, which is very welcome and adds to the complexity. And over the next hour it just gets more and more alluring, with those glorious red fruit flavours augmented by soft citrus, meat stock, cinnamon and clove, with meltingly soft grape tannins and excellent acidity. It caresses the tongue and keeps you coming back for more. This is Russian River Valley Pinot at its most expressive and sublime, and a great bottle of wine for an early Autumn Saturday evening. I had a feeling that it would go beautifully with a lemon-infused roast chicken, but that was on the menu for Sunday, so it had to match our traditional Saturday home-made pizza - and did so, admirably.

   

Incidentally, I was out on the patio yeaterday morning and just happened to see these beauties soaring overhead...........

Buzzards are by no means uncommon in this part of the world, but more often than not I tend to spot them soaring over the local airfield or the golf course. And in my experience, they tend to hang around in pairs, so it was a treat to see three of them together. Magnificent creatures, and great to see them thriving here in the frozen north.

   

A lovely weekend wine from Provence

Chateau Pradeaux 2004 Bandol

I thought it was time to try another bottle of this wine, which I added to the list in late 2009. As I said on my website, at the time, if you are looking for a modern, oaky fruit bomb, then you are not going to find it in Chateau Pradeaux. For this is traditional Bandol - a wine for the purist. The grapes (95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache) are not de-stemmed and the wine is aged for at least 4 years in large oak foudres before bottling. The colour is a deepish blood red, semi-transluscent, with a quite narrow ruby rim. And the nose is uttely complex and beguiling. The initial impression is of mixed spices, sandalwood, leather and forest floor, whilst a few deep breaths reveal further notes of garrigue herbs, freshly-baked bread and forest fruits steeped in eau de vie. The palate is already surprisingly elegant, structured and fleet of foot - medium-bodied, with black berry and cherry fruit flavours, married to soft spices and herbs and all sorts of secondary/tertiary flavours. There's a touch of savouriness, but it isn't too "meaty". And whilst young Bandol (especially Pradeaux) can be quite tannic - sometimes fiercely so - 18 months or so in bottle (Pradeaux famously age their reds for up to 4 years in old oak foudres) has certainly polished any rough edges on the tannins in this one. The result is a wine that, whilst certainly some years from its apogee, is a model of balance between fruit, tannins and acidity. In fact, a common theme has just occurred to me - or rather, a common letter. For if you are a lover of tradional Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Barolo, then this Bandol should certainly appeal to you - it really is a lovely wine. The retail price is £19.95 - and for a wine of such breeding and ageing ability, it is worth every penny.

As a comparison to what I think of this wine, here's a tasting note by The Wine Gang, from April 2010 - with some remarkable similarities, I'm sure you will agree.......

"The nose is rustic and traditional, the aromas of sweet, damp earth, vegetation and meatiness rather than anything overtly fruity. There's a refined sandalwood note too. On the palate this comes together beautifully: it has a core of svelte black fruit wrapped in those smoky, meaty and vanillin flavours, the tannins surprisingly refined and the balance excellent. Powerful stuff with serious cellaring potential (10 years plus). 93/100"

           

The "joys" of working for a Government department - sorry, no wine content whatsoever!

At the day job yesterday, I received a note requesting that I call a customer, who had not received the result of a search that they were expecting (the search had been completed on our computer system, so would have generated an automatic print-off at our central processing hub, somewhere else in the country). I called the customer, but the person who took my call said he was briefly out of the office, but would get him to call me back when he returned. I mentioned that I would be going home within 15 minutes and don't work on Wednesdays, so one of my colleagues might need to deal with it. To which this person (who didn't know me from Adam) commented "Ah, the joys of working for a Government department", to which I replied that, as a part-timer, I was paid accordingly. Without pausing for breath, he added "and a nice fat pension, to boot".

I guess it would have been futile to explain to this idiot that I worked part-time because I was trying to build a wine business and that - more often than not - I'm probably at home working late into the night, whilst he is sitting with his feet up (or out spending his expense account). Because, believe it or not, this man works for a bank. And we all know how tough the banking industry is having it, these days, after having brought the country (nay, the world) to the brink of financial meltdown through profligacy and greed. Of course, if I had expressed such an opinion to him as a retort, I would probably have been given a right royal rollocking for doing so. And anyway, I like to think that I wouldn't sink to the same level as this person, in making mileage out of such a generalised, blinkered viewpoint.

Nevertheless, this little episode left a pretty sour taste in the mouth, I can tell you. In the department I work for, we bend over backwards to offer a level of customer service which just might be unrivalled, certainly in any other Government department, and quite possibly anywhere else in the service industry. So much so that we have far too many people involved in management, or looking after the customer, or simply auditing what we do. I dare say that we probably even have auditors auditing the auditors. Which leaves far too few people to actually do the day-to-day "work". Under normal circumstances, I probably would have complained to our customer service department, having received such shabby treatment from one of our own customers, but I would have expected short shrift. Which depressed me even more, because it is bad enough working in a job I despise, for a salary which (contrary to poular opinion) is worth less each passing year, and for an organisation which (through its own profligacy and bad management) has engendered a level of demoralisation amongst its staff that I have never before witnessed.

Rant over. Back to wine. Who knows, one day I might be able to make a full-time living out of it!

  

A brilliant white wine from Provence

Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2006 Vin de Pays des Alpilles

This was a bottle that had been hanging around on our (largely redundant) dining table for a good few weeks, now. I sold out of the 2007 vintage of the same wine a few months back, but still have a couple of dozen of this one left. A local customer of mine had previously taken some of the '07, but decided to take a punt on the '06 when the '07 had run out. He tried a bottle and decided that he didn't like it nearly as much as the '07. Naturally, I was happy to take the remaining bottles off his hands and supply him with a substitute. Based on what the customer had said, I was minded to bin-end the last couple of cases, thinking it might need drinking quickly. But then again I was curious to see "what's not to like" about it. So I finally got around to opening a bottle on Saturday.

It is an amazingly deep gold colour for a wine of only 4 years of age, and if I didn't know this wine so well, I might even think it was going over the edge. But not a bit of it. The nose is clean as a whistle, fresh and hugely complex, and simply packed with aromas of ripe fruits - peach, apricot, apple - honeysuckle and exotic spices. Since my last bottle, notes of toffee and orange marmalade have appeared, suggesting richness, which is confirmed by the rich, mouth-filling palate, with complex flavours of candied fruits and flowers, stewed apple, mandarin and spice. And again, though made in a very slightly oxidative style (some of the blend spends 11 months on oak barrels, whilst the rest is aged in large ceramic egg-shaped vessels) it is clean, fresh and full of vitality. At the same time it is also deceptively soft, approachable and voluptuous, long in the mouth, finely balanced - and utterly delicious! In fact, consumed over 2 days, it has just got better and better. So much so that I was pretty devastated to find I had drunk it all. It really did leave me wanting more! Indeed, I think this wine will go on improving for a few years yet, like a good white Chateauneuf - or even a Trévallon white. I'm so glad I didn't bin-end it, and I will certainly be keeping at least half a dozen by for myself to enjoy over the next 5 years or more.

    

A tough day and a glorious red Burgundy

It's been a tough day. Rather than spending some time doing a million-and-one other things that badly need doing, I've spent far too much of my evening hunched over the engine of No.1 son's car, whilst No.2 son's car is also posing problems. Oh, the joys of motoring! And I'm the first to admit that, when it comes to cars, jobs, and life in general, our kids have it so much harder (and much more expensive) these days than we had it 25 or 30 years ago. I feel for them, and want so much to be able to help them in any way I can. Anyway, the upshot is, one car needs a new clutch, whilst the other needs a good service and a little TLC. And I needed to open a nice bottle of wine! 

Domaine Gachot-Monot Cotes de Nuits Villages 2003

To be honest, from previous experience, I had no great expectations of this particular wine. I expected it to be decent, like the previous few bottles we have enjoyed, but they have been a bit variable. Some have been quite enjoyable and correct, whilst others have shown a bit too much of that 2003 richness that tends to stifle the balance which is oh-so important in red Burgundy. Not faulty, just slightly disappointing. But this particular bottle is absolutely spot-on, and just what the doctor ordered. It is slightly savoury, maybe even a touch meaty, but behind the savouriness it also displays all the hallmark Pinot aromas and flavours, with an abundance of raspberries and wild strawberries, rotting leaves, flowers and hint of orange zest. Lots of nice descriptors, I'm sure you will agree, but - much more importantly - everything knits together beautifully in a wine that has real focus, with a citrus-like acidity which lifts it from the good to the sublime. In fact, it is unbelievably fresh and full of vitality. It is rarely an easy thing to convey the true feel of a red Burgundy in the written word, but those who know the region well will know exactly what I am getting at. Which is that - when you get the right wine, on the right night, in the right mood - there is hardly a wine style in the whole world to rival it. After a somewhat trying and hectic day, this is a lovely way to end the evening - and, for a humble village wine (and from a somewhat maligned and iffy vintage), it is a truly glorious expression of Burgundy Pinot Noir. So much so that I may never experience a better bottle of this particular wine, from this particular vintage. It may just turn out to be a classic example of the old adage - there are no great wines..... just great bottles. Then again, it may just be the first of several perfect bottles - and it really is in a great place, at the moment. So I'm glad that I still have a few bottles left, as I can see it getting better and better. A lovely, lovely wine - and it cost me considerably less than a tenner a bottle at auction! :-)

      

Two nice weekend wines - an Aussie white and a Spanish red

Here's a couple of interesting wines I've opened over the weekend, from a local "bin-end" supplier to the trade. I think I'll add some to the website over the next few days, so if you like the sound of them, keep your eyes peeled - neither will break the bank!

The Black Chook VMR 2007 Fleurieu Peninsula, Australia

From the region south of Adelaide which includes the McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek, this is a blend of 80% Viognier, 10% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne. The colour is a clear, pale straw/gold, whilst the nose is intensely fruity, floral and mineral. Aromas of apricot, melon and orange are complemented by some nicely integrated oak. The palate has a beautifully rich, intense, slightly oily texture and is laden with stone fruits and citrus/lime oil flavours. There’s a good deal of spice in there too, with a touch of warming alcohol, all of which is kept nicely balanced and fresh by a backbone of zesty acidity. An Aussie take on a traditional Rhone blend, it is powerful and full-bodied rather than elegant, but offers plenty of interest and is a lot of wine for the money. It would go nicely with chicken and pork dishes, especially a richly-flavoured and spiced stir fry.

Dominio de Aranleón Solo 2005 Utiel-Requena, Spain

This is a blend of Bobal, Tempranillo and Syrah, which has spent 14 months in Hungarian oak barrels. The colour is a deep, impenetrable purple colour with a tiny rim – at nearly 5 years of age, it certainly isn’t showing too much sign of age. The nose offers a heady mix of aromas including black fruits, forest floor and polished wood, with a hint of orange peel and eau de vie. It is at the same time both powerful and intriguing. The palate is quite powerful and full-bodied too, with mouth-filling flavours of stewed bramble and plum, allied to rich, chocolatey, slightly dusty tannins. That said, it is nicely balanced by ample acidity, whilst the fruit flavours are infused with some meaty, herby, savoury elements, which add plenty of interest. The result is a wine which - whilst quite modern and initially hard to pin down – shows more than a little complexity and potential. It isn’t “new world” modern (it is very definitely European) and if I were to taste it blind, I might first suggest northern Italy or southern Rhone, with its combination of sweet, sour and savoury. But my next guess would definitely be Spain. But it certainly isn’t one of those ubiquitous, souped-up, one-dimensional Parkerised wines that Spain produces far too much of, these days. Yes, it is rich and full-bodied, with a degree of warm climate alcohol, but it caresses rather than overpowers the senses and really does feel very “together”. And whilst very enjoyable to drink now, I think it has the structure to evolve nicely for another 5 to 10 years. I think I might keep a few bottles of this tucked away and watch those flavours turn all nice and secondary. It is very yummy, and is definitely one of the more interesting Spanish wines I have tasted recently. In fact, since we seem to be enjoying an all-too-rare sunny evening, I’m off to fire up the Barbie, to enjoy the rest with a piece of rump steak and some Cumberland sausage!

      

A visit to Domaine d'Archimbaud

As promised in my glowing write-up on that memorable sweet wine (see Friday's post below) here's a brief account of our (seemingly annual) visit to Domaine d'Archimbaud, on our way back home from Languedoc in late June. The estate is situated in the village of Saint-Saturnin de Lucian, one of the most northerly wine-growing villages in Languedoc. Since it is not really within easy reach of the main holiday areas, it is one of the least-known (and least-appreciated) appellations in the region. Last I heard, there were only 2 independent growers making wine in the Saint-Saturnin appellation, namely the oft-hyped Virgile Joly, plus d'Archimbaud. To this day, the Co-op still dominates production in the AOC. Virgile Joly's fame is due in no small part to the book Virgile's Vineyard, published a few years after he created his estate in 2000. I haven't tasted any of his wines, but have read mixed reviews from both critics and punters alike. I'd like to taste them sometime, so I could make up my own mind.

Domaine d'Archimbaud was created around the same time, when the Cabanes family decided to leave the Saint-Saturnin Co-operative and strike out on their own. They bottled their first estate wines from the 2001 vintage, and have been making some pretty remarkable wines ever since. Jean-Pierre Cabanes and his daughter Marie-Pierre make the wines, ably assisted in the background by wife/mother Marie-Claude. They are a lovely family and we have always felt extremely welcome when we've visited their cave in the centre of the village, even when turning-up (as we did this year) just before lunchtime, unannounced. Nothing is too much trouble for them.

So what of the wines? Whilst unmistakeably Languedoc, the flavours tend to the more “cool climate” in style. The village is situated in the sub-region or "terroir" known as Terrasses de Larzac, in the foothills of the Causse du Larzac, a limestone plateau on the southern edge of the Massif Central. Here the altitude is higher than many of the better-known appeallations (in this case, around 500ft above sea level) and the climate is different - the days are still sunny and hot, but the nights are cooler than the more coastal and low-lying Languedoc regions, allowing for a slightly longer growing season. The vineyards are shielded from the north winds and the worst excesses of the weather systems of the Massif Cenral by the Larzac plateau and the imposing Mont de St. Baudille, which rises to 847 metres above sea level (about 2,800 feet) a few kilometres to the north east.

Approaching Saint-Saturnin from the south, with Mont de St. Baudille in the background

The resulting wines show great balance and complexity, and not a little finesse. The Domaine d'Archimbaud vineyards are planted mainly to Syrah and Grenache, plus some Mourvedre and Carignan. The vines average around 25 years of age and yields are restricted to around 30 hl/ha. More plantings of Mourvedre are now coming into production. Although the red wines have top billing, the rosé is also noteworthy for the fact that it is a vin de pressurage – in other words, it is made from a direct pressing of the red grapes, unlike most rosés made from the “saignée” method, which is a by-product of the red winemaking process. And it shows - they make one of the best rosés I have tasted from Languedoc, and I suspect it has more than a little ageing potential.

We arrived just before midday at the cave in the centre of Saint-Saturnin. I knocked on the door and waited for a minute, then went around the side to see if anybody was in the store room. I was about to give up when Monsieur Cabanes appeared, slightly dishevelled and dusty. It turned out that he had just been in the vineyards, applying some sulphur treatment to the vines (spring had been cool and somewhat damp, so with the onset of warmer weather, this was necessary to prevent any chance of mildew). As he unlocked the door to the cave, Madame Cabanes also appeared. They greeted us like old friends and sat us down at the table to taste the wines. As I am already very familiar with the Traditon and Robe du Pourpre cuvées and the 2009 Rosé, I asked to taste only a couple of new wines they had emailed me about a few weeks before;

Les IV Pierre Blanc Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile (2009)

This is a pale-ish green/gold colour, with a pronounced floral, grapey aroma, courtesy of 10% Muscat  in the blend, The remainder is 80% Viognier and 10% Grenache Blanc. There's a nice whiff of garrigue herbs, too, with background notes of stone fruits, apples, clove and fennel. The grapiness manifests itself a little on the palate too, along with a nice lemon-infused acidity, making it very fresh on entry, before the richer, slightly oily Viognier and Grenache coat the palate with spiced fruits, with some herby, savoury notes coming in on the finish. Unless I am very much mistaken, there is no oak influence in this wine, leaving the fruit to make all the running. It isn't a quirky wine - rather, it is fresh and pure and beautifully made. That isn't to say that it won't become quirky with a year or two in bottle, but it already has lots of interest and makes for a lovely drink right now. I think I'll be importing this one, and it should come in at around £10.

As for what it says on the bottle, the 2009 is in brackets because - for reasons unknown to me - the Mont Baudile VdP does not permit a vintage to be shown on the label. Monsieur Cabanes pointed me towards a code embossed on the neck of the bottle itself (not a label) showing L010/033, meaning it was bottled in March 2010. I suggested to him that other growers (notably those who market their wines as Vins de Table) get around this little problem by putting some sort of "code" on the label itself - for example, "L2009" (i.e. Lot 2009). Not very subtle, of course, but it circumvents the problem in a way that leaves little to the imagination. I think Monsieur Cabanes might decide to use this method in the future!

l'Enfant Terrible 2008 Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac

This is made from 60% Mourvedre, the remainder being Grenache and Carignan. It was bottled in February 2010, so is still a little primary, but already very expressive. The colour is a bright, youthful, quite deep ruby red with a wide rim. The nose greets you with a huge waft of tar, woodsmoke and polished leather, with a veritable pot pourri of herbs and spices, almost like incense. It isn't oak-aged, but it smells creamy. It has bags of fruit, too - dark, brambly fruit, plums and black cherries.Like the nose, the palate is spicy, herby and tarry, with ripe tannins and just the right amount of acidity to give it a fruity, sweet and sour tanginess. It is quite rich, persistent and nicely warming. As this is such a young wine, I suspected it may be even better on day 2, and this was confirmed with a bottle we consumed this weekend, which really did come into its own after 24 hours in the decanter - a sure sign of a wine that will age and evolve nicely. It had developed more herby and spicy notes, with hints of flowers, earth and red meats. It really is rather lovely, and yet another wine which I plan to import at the end of the summer. Projected price is likely to be around £12-£13.

I then asked if I could taste the sweet Vendange d'Automne 2007, a bottle of which was sitting on the bureau in the corner of the cave. At that, Monsieur Cabanes said of course, but the bottle I saw had been standing upright in the light of the tasting room for too long, so he needed to go and get another one. If I had known he meant he needed to fetch it from the winery 2 or 3 kilometres down the road, I might have said "no, don't worry", but he was out the door and in the car before I knew it. Nothing was too much trouble. We chatted with Madame Cabanes whilst he was gone. She is a delightful, gentle lady who - along with the rest of her family - is clearly at ease with the world, and the life they lead in this beautiful corner of Languedoc. Monsieur Cabanes arrived back within 20 minutes, and presented me with that bottle, which you can read about in my previous post below - and boy was I glad I let him go and get it, for it has been a bit of an eye-opener, to say the least!

Jean-Pierre and Marie-Claude Cabanes, in their cave in the village of Saint-Saturnin de Lucian

Having spent a good hour or so in the company of these lovely people, it was time to resume our long journey to Calais. We left Saint-Saturnin, armed with 3 bottles each of the red and white we had tasted (even though I expected to pay for anything more than a bottle of each, even as a merchant/client, my offer of money was politely declined) with a warm glow. Not just from tasting the wines, but also from the fact that we get to do business with some of the nicest people it is possible to meet in the wine world. Having been importing wines from Domaine d'Archimbaud since 2004, I'm certainly not going to give up in a hurry. Lovely wines, lovely people.

     
The wines I have described above will be available by late summer or early autumn. You can read about the rest of the wines in the Archimbaud range, which are already available to buy, on the Leon Stolarski Fine Wines website.
    

The best sweet wine I have ever tasted from Languedoc

Domaine d'Archimbaud Vendange d'Automne Vin de Table de France (2007)

The label says "Mout de raisins partiellement fermenté - Issue de raisins passerillés". Which basically means a wine from grapes harvested very late in the season (and therefore partially raisined on the vine). There is no AOC for such wines in Languedoc, nor I guess a Vin de Pays, hence the simple Vin de Table denomination. No vintage is allowed on the label, but this is from the 2007 vintage. As far as I am aware, it is fashioned from 100% Bourboulenc, a grape also occasionally known as Malvoisie in Languedoc. If you are confused, then read the entries for both in The Oxford Companion To Wine - and you'll end up even more confused! This wine is a rich, shiny 24-carat gold colour with orange tinges. The nose is sublime, offering captivating aromas of bonfire toffee, candied orange peel, marzipan, fig, honeysuckle and rose, whilst the palate is simply bursting with flavours of autumn fruits, preserved citrus, root ginger and toffee. It caresses the tongue with intensely concentrated fruit, before unleashing a rasp of limey acidity that almost makes your hair stand on end. The finish is immense, lasting for literally minutes, whilst revealing hitherto unnoticed flavours of toffee apple, lemon sorbet, clove and cinnamon, not to mention just about every exotic fruit nuance you could care to mention.

Now I have to admit that, although this was lovely from the moment I opened the bottle, it actually sat in the fridge for a good week or two before I eventually finished it, during which time it just got better and better. But this feeling sort of crept up on me, until I finally sat down to contemplate the last glass and realised just how utterly wonderful it was. Perhaps it just needed to be in the right place at the right time, but it finally reminded me, in the most glorious way, how a great sweet wine can be one of life's most pleasurable experiences. In fact, it is at times like this that one wonders how one could ever drink anything else! I have been privileged to taste many fine examples of the world's greatest sweet wine styles - German and Austrian TBA's, Sauternes, Loire Chenins, Jurancon, Aussie Semillons, Tokaji, Canadian Ice Wine, whatever. And this one has provided as much pleasure for me as any of them. Like all of these wines, balance is everything - a high level of concentration and sweetness demands a healthy level of acidity, and this one has plenty. OK, so the label says it is nothing more than a Vin de Table, but I for one have learned never to let such a humble denomination decieve me. It is what's in the glass that matters, and this is - in my humble opinion - a very special wine indeed. In fact, it is head and shoulders the best wine of its kind I have ever tasted from the Languedoc. And the empty (50cl) bottle has already taken its place in the "empties" hall of fame, atop the welsh dresser in my dining room.

The good news, for any of my customers who read this and are intrigued enough to want to try this wine, is that I might just be able to get my hands on some more. And if I can, the projected selling price will be a bargain at £14.99 for a 50cl bottle.

     

I mentioned in an earlier post (just after I came back from holiday) that I made a last-minute visit to Domaine d'Archimbaud, before we headed north on our journey home. I have a couple of other wines from this estate that I want to tell you about (apart, of course, from the ones I already sell), so I'll post about those (and the wonderul people at Archimbaud) over the weekend.

   

Just another week at the Wine Circle

Last week (being the end of the month) signalled the latest instalment of our little tasting group at Le Mistral restaurant in Nottingham. Although, as usual, a great evening was enjoyed by all, the sum total in terms of quality of the wines merely added up to OK - in other words, a handful of reasonably noteworthy wines, but nothing really spectacular. Best of the bunch were a delicious Felton Road Chardonnay 2005 from New Zealand, which was a dead ringer for a top 1er Cru Meursault and a slightly "poxed" (short for prematurely oxidised) Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet Folatieres 1er Cru 1999, which was really good, but on an inexorably downward slope towards "sherrydom". There was also an interesting Abel Mendoza Rioja Blanco 2009, which was very nice, in a light, floral, even elegant sort of way, with excellent structure. You'd never have guessed it was 100% Grenache Blanc, of course. The question was, did it smell or taste like Rioja? Well, not in any way that those present had ever experienced it didn't. Which begs the question, why make a Grenache Blanc in Rioja which tastes like Condrieu from the northern Rhone? This old traditionalist fuddy-duddy would much prefer it to be marketed as something else (anything else, in fact) other than Rioja. For when Rioja is made in the old-fashioned, nutty, slightly oxidative style and aged for a good few years before release, it is without doubt one of the world's great white wine experiences. And, whilst this "Spanish Condrieu" is a good wine in its own right, it is certainly not Rioja, Jim - at least, not as we know it!

As is often the case these days, the wines on offer at the weekly meeting of the Nottingham Wine Circle the night after were another matter altogether. Hardly a week goes by without at least a few gems to be tasted and this week was no different - in fact, there were a whole raft of successes. Here are some cursory notes on the best of the bunch;

Domaine Rollin Pernand-Vergelesses 2008

Young, lemony, with classy oak. The oak dominates a little at present, but that is only to be expected in such a young wine. But there is a wonderful core of bright, minerally Chardonnay fruit lurking in there. Fairly light-bodied, but intense and very promising. Apparently it can be had for less than 12 quid from The Wine Society. Bargain. 

Chateau de Vaux Les Haut Bassieres Pinot Noir 2008 Moselle (the French bit) 

Reeks of Pinot - in fact, the very essence of that grape. Raspberries and cream, a touch of exotic spice and older wood. It actually smells a touch Californian, with an almost sweet fruit aroma, but then it dances on the palate in a light, elegant way, like a good Burgundy or Alsace Pinot. Quite light, but manages to be generous at the same time. I loved it - andit is another bargain from The Wine Society at £10.95.

Chateau Lynch-Moussas 1985 Pauillac

Wine Circle member Kevin Scott picked this up for a song at a recent auction, and it is a cracker. Smells like aged Claret and tastes like aged Claret, but in a way that really appeals to me (a confirmed non-Claret lover). Cedary, plummy, with hints of blackcurrant. Quite dry and evolved, but the tannins are fine and the acidity is bright. Earthy, secondary aromas and flavours abound, but it still retains a delightful core of rich fruit, with some lovely wild strawberry and forest floor, tea and crystallised fruits - in fact, very complex stuff, with none of the green and red pepper notes that I find such a turn-off in many Clarets. Classy, elegant and really lovely. If only all Claret was half as good, I'd be in danger of becoming a fan!

Vincent Lumpp Clos du Cras Long 1990 Givry 1er Cru

Amazingly deep colour for a 20 year-old Burgundy. Notes of damp earth, wild mushroom and even a hint of cheese, but lurking beneath is a massive core of rich, ripe, glorious Pinot fruit, which manifests itself on the palate in no uncertain fashion. Very identifiable Pinot flavours, but at the bramble and cherry end of the spectrum, rather than raspberry/strawberry. It is earthy, even a touch rustic, but that huge core of fruit, combined with a little bit of tannin and juicy acidity, and a touch of citrus and spice on the finish makes for a complete and very lovely wine, which had many of us in the Cote d'Or. Vincent Lumpp's wines rarely fail to impress, and this was one cracking wine.

Domaine Filliatreau Vieilles Vignes 2003 Saumur-Champigny

The nose is spectacular - tobacco, warm spices, red and black fruits, flowers, minerals. Very complex stuff. In fact, it was perfumed in an almost Burgundian or Cote Rotie way, with some nice earthy notes adding yet more complexity. The palate was creamy and soft, but so complex - oodles of strawberry, raspberry and bramble fruits, with a touch of orange, cedar, tobacco and flowers, and not a hint of capsicum. Uber complex and utterly lovely. Who would have thought it? A 100% Cabernet Franc wine from the Loire which wowed just about everyone around the table - and from 2003, at that. What structure, what fruit.... what a wine! The best red Loire wine (and the best Cabernet Franc from anywhere) I have ever tasted.

Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port 1992

Very dark, very rich. Earthy, slightly rotting black fruits, with enormous complexity. Heady aromas of dates, figs, molasses, dark chocolate and mocha. The palate is rich and fruity, in a jammy, mixed fruit and marmalade sort of way. A wine for the hedonist, with not even a hint of alcoholic burn. Just about as good as vintage Port gets, and I loved it.

A long day in front of the computer screen, plus a lovely red and white pair of Portugese wines

Yesterday was, as usual, golf day, and I had a pretty topsy-turvy round in the monthly medal at my local club. A shaky start saw me drop three shots in the first two holes, after which I settled down a bit with a few pars and bogies. Some laser-like iron shots and a hot putter then saw me card no less than four birdies in the space of six holes around the turn, but these were somewhat negated by another couple of double bogeys. It all added-up to a round of 77 (net 67), which saw my handicap reduced to 9.5, so I am tantalisingly close to once again reaching single figures. After that, it was home to do a bit of work, followed by a nice home-made pizza for dinner and a couple of hours in front of the TV. I love Saturdays - definitely my favourite day of the week!

After a nice lie-in this morning, it has been a pretty long Sunday sat in front of the computer. Which rather typifies the lifestyle of a civil servant masquerading as a wine merchant, in that there aren't that many "days off" from work of one sort or another. There is always something to be done, be it the day job, the wine business or the various things to be done around the house. There's not a lot of the "DIY" sort of stuff that I won't turn my hand to, be it painting and decorating, building a kitchen or a fireplace, carpentry, electrics, even a bit of plumbing. Or, to be more precise, I'd rather do it myself than pay someone else to do it. Which is a bit of an irritation to TLD, as we have a bathroom that I started around 18 months ago that still isn't quite finished. I have to admit that fitting a new bath suite and electric shower is a bit beyond what I am prepared to do, so we had a professional in to do that - in late 2008(!) Since then, I have tiled the walls and added built-in mirrors over the sink and the opposite wall. And, though I say so myself, it looks fantastic. All I need now is a window of opportunity to tile the side panel for the bath and get the floor tiles laid. And the ceiling painted. And the recessed lights fitted and wired-up. And the extractor fan wired-up. And, erm..... that's it. I must admit that proceedings took a bit of a setback several months ago, when I was replacing a floorboard and managed to drill through a central heating pipe. Pity, because I was really on a roll at the time. Anyway, that's my excuse. TLD says that if I don't get it finished soon, she is going to get somebody in to finish it for her. So I'd better get my arse into gear pretty damn quick.

Hence the day spent in front of the computer, going through the numerous processes involved in adding around 8 new wines to the website, wine list, bookkeeping system and so on. I love tasting new wines, but I hate typing out tasting notes. It takes me long enough to write the notes in the first place (although of course the tasting bit is a pleasurable experience) but if anyone can suggest a better way than writing the notes with pen and paper and then typing them out, I'd be happy to hear it.

Anyway, I've broken the back of the day's work, so I am typing this post in the middle of frying a delicious duck breast for our Sunday evening dinner, whilst TLD prepares the veg. Wine-wise, we finished off those lovely bottles of La Combe Blanche La Galine 2001 and 2007 last night, and started on another bottle of von Hessen Riesling 2005. Tonight, I have opened a bottle of Lucien Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 2001, which I picked up for about 12 quid in a Berry Bros sale a few years back. To be honest, it is a bit uninspiring and lacking in fruit. Of course, it may be going through a closed phase, but frankly I'm not prepared to give it the benefit of the doubt. I'll let you know if it blossoms into something more interesting, but I don't expect it will.

Meanwhile, here are tasting notes on a couple of those new wines I've been dealing with today - a lovely pair of wines from Estremadura, on the west coast of Portugal;

DJF Vinhos Grand'Arte Alvarinho 2008 Estremadura

Estremadura is the most westerly wine region in Europe, where the cool Atlantic breezes encourage a long growing season, resulting in very balanced wines. This is a bright, fairly deep yellow/gold, with green tinges. A complex nose of citrus fruits and peach, with herbaceous nettle and lemongrass notes. The palate begins with peach and orange, before a surge of zingy lemon and tart apple flavours coat the tongue. It is quite herby, too, with hints of rosemary and oregano and a steely, mineral depth. There is excellent concentration, with the fruit carrying all the way through to a tangy, even spicy finish, which lingers for an impressive length of time in the mouth. This is no simple quaffer - it is a complex, multi-layered wine, worthy of contemplation - and food. Given the prices commanded by most Alvarinho wines from Portugal, this really is a bit of a bargain at £10.75.

DJF Vinhos Grand'Arte Touriga Nacional 2008 Estremadura

This is a deep purple/blue colour with a very narrow rim. The nose offers a huge waft of bramble and blackcurrant fruit, combined with notes of leather and meat. Ageing in oak has also contributed some interesting vanilla and mint humbug nuances. I also detect just a hint of volatile acidity, which serves to give the aromas even more of a lift. After a while, the oak aromas integrate beautifully, to reveal a serious, structured wine, worthy of contemplation. The palate is full of dark cherry, bramble and chocolate flavours, with plenty of tannic grip. There is great concentration, but the tannins and the excellent underlying acidity keep it nicely tight and delineated. Although it has a modern, clean, even new worl quality, you get the feeling that it will evolve into something really complex and interesting. Indeed, it has plenty of interest already. Therefore, whilst you can drink it with pleasure already, you can also keep a few bottles by to enjoy over the next 5 or even 10 years. A lot of bang for your buck. £11.95.

    

Tomorrow, I'll post on some cracking wines tasted at a couple of wine evenings in Nottingham last week.