Theatre of Wine
Thursday 22 Nov
1. Foillard Morgon 2010, France
Very pale. Cherry aroma, some wood. Light body, very high and prominent
acid. Low tannin. Long. Almost like a good PN. Not really my thing though.
£16.50
2. Thymiopoulos Jeunes Vignes 2011
This is their entry-level Xinomavro. They also have a more complex one
which I must look out for. This is a deeper red colour than the previous wine
(quite black). Raspberry jam very prominent on the nose, also violets. Very
ripe fruit. Palate feels young and refreshing. Medium body. High acid. An
almost porty character on the nose, but nothing like that on the palate.
Surprisingly high tannin. This is good, easy to drink and a crowd pleaser.
A good price point too at £11.70.
3. Dalzocchio Pinor Nero 2008
Amazing bouquet. Cooked fruit, floral, rich. This is seriously impressive
stuff. Complex, long and well balanced. High acid, mild tannin. Some
vegetal/barnyard complexity but still very easy and enjoyable. This was
great. Everyone in the room loved this. £26
4. Guillaume Collection Reservee Pinot Noir 2006
Complex, forest floor aromas. Lots of red fruit underneath. More powerful
nose than the previous wine, but a much more austere palate. Basically not
enough fruit left on the palate to balance out the secondary characters.
Acidity is particularly noticeable on the finish (which is a little sour).
OK, but at £26 a bottle I'd much rather have the previous wine.
5. Castro Ventosa el Castro del Valtuille Barrica Bierzo 2009
Silky mouthfeel. A little closed on the nose. Some black fruit, quite dark
and brooding character. This is nice but nonedescript. I like it but it's
not particularly aromatic - didn't really fit in the tasting.
6. Fay Valtellina 'Il Glicine' Superiore Sassella 2009
This wine is from Lombardy. Ripe red fruit. Prunes and dried fruits. High
acid, relatively light body. Good length, refreshing, silky and delicate.
This is good, interesting and a crowd pleaser, but a little too expensive
given the competition so far at this price point £23.50
7. Allessandro Veglio Langhe Nebbiolo 2009
Deep colour. Rich and ripe nose with smoky overtones. Silky mouthfeel.
Refreshing acid. Very pleasant but pales in comparison to the much more
serious wine which followed (same grape, same producer). £15.50
8. Allessandro Veglio Barolo Gattera 2008
Complex, smoky and spicy. This has lots of black fruit and something like
beeswax. Licquorice on the palate. This is a superb. £35.80
9. Jim Barry McCrae Wood Shiraz 2006
Deep and opaque. Floral, lifted, black fruit, oak and black pepper. Juicy
black fruit on the palate. Very high tannin. Intense, full bodied.
Powerful, with serious fruit intensity. Great stuff £26.80
10. Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape Vielles Vignes 1997
Aged, vegetal nature. Basically smells like an old red wine. Nice, ripe,
mouthfilling and complex. Good, but overpriced at £53 per bottle.
11. Au Bon Climat Isabelle 2009
Very pale colour. Ripe red fruit and nutty aromas on nose. Maybe hazelnut.
This is very pleasant and will develop nicely.
Showing posts with label Theatre of Wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theatre of Wine. Show all posts
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Fine Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines
Theatre of Wine
8 Nov 2012
1. Domaine Huet Vouvray 2007 Petillant, Loire
Petillant implies lower pressure than Champagne. This has a cooked apple character somewhat redolant of apple pie. Good, crisp acidity. Soft and prickly bubbles, low pressure. Long. Cooked apple flavour lasts until the end. This is very good and can apparently age well. £22.70
2. Gaston Chiquet Selection Brut, NV, Dizy
Custard, bread. Very intense fruity palate. Fine mousse. Very buttery. Something savoury on the nose and finish. Extremely drinkable. Good length. This is 60% PN from a grower producer. Good stuff. £26.00
3. Ridgeview Bloomsbury 2010, East Sussex
This seems popular with many people but I'm not a huge fan. It's been a while since I had either this or the Nyetimber (neither are close to good value any more), but my memory of the Nyetimber is much better than this. It's very restrained - nothing bad about it, but nothing that particularly stands out. Very fine mousse. The initial attack fades quickly and a sour note remains on the finish. OK, but definitely trading with a novelty-value English premium. (Having said that, it opens up nicely in the glass and works very well with the cheese). £22.50
4. Edoardo Miroglio Brut 2007, Bulgaria
Good. Very much a New World character: intense initial hit of fruit, ripe and easy character. This is good now, but felt out of balance after going back to it after the following wine. $15.80
5. Guillaume La Flute Enchantee, France
Spectacular value. Very ripe (almost cooked) fruit character. This has serious power. This was paired with a Comte cheese - stood up to it perfectly. This opened up more in the glass and even coped with being tasted again after the Mesnil (number 8). Cracking stuff for the price, but not as subtle as the proper stuff which came later in the tasting. £12!
6. Recaredo Brut Nature 2007, Alt Penedes
Almost tea-like. Bitter oils. Almonds. Plenty of length and intense flavour. Good, lots of acid and worked well with the charcuterie. Expensive for an entry level cava, and not worth the price, but very pleasant nonetheless. £24.20
7. Castel Noarna, Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Trentino
The winery is located in a 15th century castle - sounds like one to visit if I'm ever in the area.
A meaty nose overlaying acidic fruit (lime & pineapple). The pineapple is particularly noticeable on the palate, much more clearly than on the nose. Very sour finish (almost grapefruit). Slight funk. Crisp acidity. Good, but unusual. £22.00
8. Pierre Peters, Grand Cru Cuvee Speciale, Les Chetillons, 2002, Mesnil
Crackers & butter on the nose. MALO intensity. This has real flavour intensity and umami on the palate. A fine mousse. Structure - lots of acidity. However, the buttery notes offset the intense acid making it less austere. This has great length and serious power. Somewhat like marmite - not just because both have umami, but also because it seems to polarise people - I liked it! £63.00
9. Champagne Vilmart Cuvee NV
Rose, 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay
Strawberry and raspberry aroma profile. Very fine mousse. Elegant rather than powerful. A meaty aroma once it opens up. The flavour intensity dips, making you think it's going to be a little short, but then comes back and lasts for quite a while. Complex, good and unusual. Slightly let down by bitterness on the finish. £49.00
10. Jacques Selosse, Rose Grand Cru, Brut, Avize
This is made with lees stirring - real care and attention paid to the quality of the base wine. Noticeable wood. Red fruit. Lots of subtle flavours on the nose. Full bodied, mineralic. Like a sparkling "wine" rather than a typical "sparkling wine". Excellent. £110.50
11. Jacques Selosse, Initial, Grand Cru, Brut, Avize
This is a blanc de blanc where the base wine is aged using a solera system! A somewhat nutty nose. Exploding mousse - almost feels as though it turns to foam in the mouth. Soft mouthfeel, but great power and flavour intensity. Lemon, orange, vanilla, oak. Crisp acidity. High acid, but plenty of fruit so it's not immediately noticeable. Very, very good stuff. £93.00
Random notes:
- Petit Meslier, Arbanne, Pinot Blanc are 3 other, basically irrelevant grape varieties also allowed in Champagne.
- Some sparkling wine is produced by the "ancestral method". This is a new one on me. Apparently made like a bottle-conditioned beer. The yeast goes dormant during the fermentation process but restarts once it's bottled.
- Second fermentation for Champagne usually done under a crown cap. This is because if it were closed by a cork in this period it would double the chances of being contaminated by cork taint.
8 Nov 2012
1. Domaine Huet Vouvray 2007 Petillant, Loire
Petillant implies lower pressure than Champagne. This has a cooked apple character somewhat redolant of apple pie. Good, crisp acidity. Soft and prickly bubbles, low pressure. Long. Cooked apple flavour lasts until the end. This is very good and can apparently age well. £22.70
2. Gaston Chiquet Selection Brut, NV, Dizy
Custard, bread. Very intense fruity palate. Fine mousse. Very buttery. Something savoury on the nose and finish. Extremely drinkable. Good length. This is 60% PN from a grower producer. Good stuff. £26.00
3. Ridgeview Bloomsbury 2010, East Sussex
This seems popular with many people but I'm not a huge fan. It's been a while since I had either this or the Nyetimber (neither are close to good value any more), but my memory of the Nyetimber is much better than this. It's very restrained - nothing bad about it, but nothing that particularly stands out. Very fine mousse. The initial attack fades quickly and a sour note remains on the finish. OK, but definitely trading with a novelty-value English premium. (Having said that, it opens up nicely in the glass and works very well with the cheese). £22.50
4. Edoardo Miroglio Brut 2007, Bulgaria
Good. Very much a New World character: intense initial hit of fruit, ripe and easy character. This is good now, but felt out of balance after going back to it after the following wine. $15.80
5. Guillaume La Flute Enchantee, France
Spectacular value. Very ripe (almost cooked) fruit character. This has serious power. This was paired with a Comte cheese - stood up to it perfectly. This opened up more in the glass and even coped with being tasted again after the Mesnil (number 8). Cracking stuff for the price, but not as subtle as the proper stuff which came later in the tasting. £12!
6. Recaredo Brut Nature 2007, Alt Penedes
Almost tea-like. Bitter oils. Almonds. Plenty of length and intense flavour. Good, lots of acid and worked well with the charcuterie. Expensive for an entry level cava, and not worth the price, but very pleasant nonetheless. £24.20
7. Castel Noarna, Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Trentino
The winery is located in a 15th century castle - sounds like one to visit if I'm ever in the area.
A meaty nose overlaying acidic fruit (lime & pineapple). The pineapple is particularly noticeable on the palate, much more clearly than on the nose. Very sour finish (almost grapefruit). Slight funk. Crisp acidity. Good, but unusual. £22.00
8. Pierre Peters, Grand Cru Cuvee Speciale, Les Chetillons, 2002, Mesnil
Crackers & butter on the nose. MALO intensity. This has real flavour intensity and umami on the palate. A fine mousse. Structure - lots of acidity. However, the buttery notes offset the intense acid making it less austere. This has great length and serious power. Somewhat like marmite - not just because both have umami, but also because it seems to polarise people - I liked it! £63.00
9. Champagne Vilmart Cuvee NV
Rose, 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay
Strawberry and raspberry aroma profile. Very fine mousse. Elegant rather than powerful. A meaty aroma once it opens up. The flavour intensity dips, making you think it's going to be a little short, but then comes back and lasts for quite a while. Complex, good and unusual. Slightly let down by bitterness on the finish. £49.00
10. Jacques Selosse, Rose Grand Cru, Brut, Avize
This is made with lees stirring - real care and attention paid to the quality of the base wine. Noticeable wood. Red fruit. Lots of subtle flavours on the nose. Full bodied, mineralic. Like a sparkling "wine" rather than a typical "sparkling wine". Excellent. £110.50
11. Jacques Selosse, Initial, Grand Cru, Brut, Avize
This is a blanc de blanc where the base wine is aged using a solera system! A somewhat nutty nose. Exploding mousse - almost feels as though it turns to foam in the mouth. Soft mouthfeel, but great power and flavour intensity. Lemon, orange, vanilla, oak. Crisp acidity. High acid, but plenty of fruit so it's not immediately noticeable. Very, very good stuff. £93.00
Random notes:
- Petit Meslier, Arbanne, Pinot Blanc are 3 other, basically irrelevant grape varieties also allowed in Champagne.
- Some sparkling wine is produced by the "ancestral method". This is a new one on me. Apparently made like a bottle-conditioned beer. The yeast goes dormant during the fermentation process but restarts once it's bottled.
- Second fermentation for Champagne usually done under a crown cap. This is because if it were closed by a cork in this period it would double the chances of being contaminated by cork taint.
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Palermo to Puglia: Sicily and the Italian South
Theatre of Wine
18 October 2012
1. Di Majo Norante Rami Falanghina 2011, Molise
90% Falanghina, 10% Fiano
Some floral notes and mineral aromas (slate?). High, crisp acidity. Mineralic nature continues on the palate. This has had some skin maceration - gives it quite a lot of intense flavour. This is well balanced. Very good. £11.30
2. Gioia Al Negro Ombrosa Romantica Fiano 2010, Basilicata
Medium-intensity floral and melon nose. Really good - but a little hard to describe the flavour. Less acidic, this has a more waxy mouthfeel. The fruit is more cooked in character and there is a strongly herbal nature to the wine. I liked this - it was very interesting. £9.40
3. Occhipinti SP68 Bianco 2011, Sicilia
(Named after the road which goes past the vineyard)
This wine was made by crazy biodynamic hippies so very little intervention by the winemaker/growers and absolutely no sulphur. Even more bizarrely - they don't use temperature control during fermentation - for a white wine from Sicily. They obviously like to live dangerously!
Smells like a muscat (turns out to by zibibbo, which is part of the muscat family). As a result, it initially smells as though it will be a sweet wine, but is actually bone dry. A weird oxidized note on the nose. Noticeably mineralic on the palate. This is definitely an interesting wine, but it's not a particularly enjoyable wine. It hits all the technical things you want in a wine - complexity, intensity etc - but something about the whole just doesn't work for me. Fine for a tasting sample, but you'd probably not want to crack open a bottle and drink lots of it. £16.40
4. Guccione Gibril Nerello Mascalese 2009, Sicilia
An extremely pale colour for a red wine - think Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo. Medium-intensity red fruit. Slight deliberate oxidation? Tasted very good, but fades a little quickly. Very interesting - tannins are more towards the PN than the Nebbiolo end of the spectrum. However, it definitely had the stuffing to stand up to the (amazing) salami. The herbal flavour of the salami was totally brought to life by the combination with the wine. One of those beautiful occasions where the combination is better than the sum of the parts! £23.90
5. Occhipinti Il Frappato 2010, Sicilia
The aroma profile here is strongly towards the red fruit end of the spectrum and this is still quite primary in nature. Light, delicate aromas. Nice, but not worth £25. Very quaffable and enjoyable. I prefer the previous wine though. This has a soft mouthfeel, but is actually quite tannic. £24.80
6. Gioia Al Negro Nerulum Rosso 2007, Basilicata
This was the best of the reds - apart from the Taurasi (at 4 times the price). It was the first of the reds which was dark and opaque. Darker nose: complex, sweet, ripe dark fruit. Also, wood, liquorice and herbs. Palate is much lighter and more refreshing. Almost juicy fruit. Very elegant. Lots of complex flavours on the palate too though - more like leather. An interesting contrast between the expectations from the nose, and the showing on the palate. And a total bargain at £11.50.
7. Mocavero Rosso 2009, Salice Salentino (Puglia)
(Salice Salentino... Salice means "willow". Like Salicylic Acid)
Intense flavour. Almost coffee-like bite, but with a smooth mouthfeel (tannins there nonetheless). Spice aftertaste. Nice, but not as good as previous wine. £10.20
8. Fatalone Primitivo 2008, Gioia del Golle
Very good. I must be a little drunk by now as I'm struggling to accurately describe the taste of this wine. A lifted, herbal aroma. Velvety mouthfeel. Intense dark flavours. Relatively low acid. This would be great with a steak! £12.70
9. Pietracupa Taurasi 2006, Campania
Deep, dark colour. Dark fruit, spice, leather and balsamic notes(! but in a good way) on the nose. Noticeable minerality on the palate. This is acidic and refreshing, but powerful too. Tastes very young despite being 6 years old - would be great with beef. Soft and dusty tannin. This is excellent - a classy wine. Beautiful finish too. Shame it's £41.60
10. Ceratti Greco di Bianco 2006, Calabria
This smells like a Beaumes de Venise. This weird grape must also be part of the Muscat family. I'm not a huge muscat fan, but this is not bad. Very sweet but good acidity. Same colour as honey, which probably accounts for all the arguments people were having about whether it tasted like honey or not (not honey, more dried apricot and green grapes). A nice sweet wine, but nothing more. Would not pay £29.70 for it though.
18 October 2012
1. Di Majo Norante Rami Falanghina 2011, Molise
90% Falanghina, 10% Fiano
Some floral notes and mineral aromas (slate?). High, crisp acidity. Mineralic nature continues on the palate. This has had some skin maceration - gives it quite a lot of intense flavour. This is well balanced. Very good. £11.30
2. Gioia Al Negro Ombrosa Romantica Fiano 2010, Basilicata
Medium-intensity floral and melon nose. Really good - but a little hard to describe the flavour. Less acidic, this has a more waxy mouthfeel. The fruit is more cooked in character and there is a strongly herbal nature to the wine. I liked this - it was very interesting. £9.40
3. Occhipinti SP68 Bianco 2011, Sicilia
(Named after the road which goes past the vineyard)
This wine was made by crazy biodynamic hippies so very little intervention by the winemaker/growers and absolutely no sulphur. Even more bizarrely - they don't use temperature control during fermentation - for a white wine from Sicily. They obviously like to live dangerously!
Smells like a muscat (turns out to by zibibbo, which is part of the muscat family). As a result, it initially smells as though it will be a sweet wine, but is actually bone dry. A weird oxidized note on the nose. Noticeably mineralic on the palate. This is definitely an interesting wine, but it's not a particularly enjoyable wine. It hits all the technical things you want in a wine - complexity, intensity etc - but something about the whole just doesn't work for me. Fine for a tasting sample, but you'd probably not want to crack open a bottle and drink lots of it. £16.40
4. Guccione Gibril Nerello Mascalese 2009, Sicilia
An extremely pale colour for a red wine - think Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo. Medium-intensity red fruit. Slight deliberate oxidation? Tasted very good, but fades a little quickly. Very interesting - tannins are more towards the PN than the Nebbiolo end of the spectrum. However, it definitely had the stuffing to stand up to the (amazing) salami. The herbal flavour of the salami was totally brought to life by the combination with the wine. One of those beautiful occasions where the combination is better than the sum of the parts! £23.90
5. Occhipinti Il Frappato 2010, Sicilia
The aroma profile here is strongly towards the red fruit end of the spectrum and this is still quite primary in nature. Light, delicate aromas. Nice, but not worth £25. Very quaffable and enjoyable. I prefer the previous wine though. This has a soft mouthfeel, but is actually quite tannic. £24.80
6. Gioia Al Negro Nerulum Rosso 2007, Basilicata
This was the best of the reds - apart from the Taurasi (at 4 times the price). It was the first of the reds which was dark and opaque. Darker nose: complex, sweet, ripe dark fruit. Also, wood, liquorice and herbs. Palate is much lighter and more refreshing. Almost juicy fruit. Very elegant. Lots of complex flavours on the palate too though - more like leather. An interesting contrast between the expectations from the nose, and the showing on the palate. And a total bargain at £11.50.
7. Mocavero Rosso 2009, Salice Salentino (Puglia)
(Salice Salentino... Salice means "willow". Like Salicylic Acid)
Intense flavour. Almost coffee-like bite, but with a smooth mouthfeel (tannins there nonetheless). Spice aftertaste. Nice, but not as good as previous wine. £10.20
8. Fatalone Primitivo 2008, Gioia del Golle
Very good. I must be a little drunk by now as I'm struggling to accurately describe the taste of this wine. A lifted, herbal aroma. Velvety mouthfeel. Intense dark flavours. Relatively low acid. This would be great with a steak! £12.70
9. Pietracupa Taurasi 2006, Campania
Deep, dark colour. Dark fruit, spice, leather and balsamic notes(! but in a good way) on the nose. Noticeable minerality on the palate. This is acidic and refreshing, but powerful too. Tastes very young despite being 6 years old - would be great with beef. Soft and dusty tannin. This is excellent - a classy wine. Beautiful finish too. Shame it's £41.60
10. Ceratti Greco di Bianco 2006, Calabria
This smells like a Beaumes de Venise. This weird grape must also be part of the Muscat family. I'm not a huge muscat fan, but this is not bad. Very sweet but good acidity. Same colour as honey, which probably accounts for all the arguments people were having about whether it tasted like honey or not (not honey, more dried apricot and green grapes). A nice sweet wine, but nothing more. Would not pay £29.70 for it though.
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Spanish Mediterranean Tasting
Thursday 26 July 2012
This was the first of the Theatre of Wine tastings I've been to, but I'll definitely be going back. Excellent tasting - very interesting wines and extremely knowledgeable speaker. So pleased to have such a good wine shop in the local area!
1. Castillo Perelada, Cava Brut Reserva NV
Very appley. Fine and restrained mousse. Fresh, fruity, reasonably intense flavour. Not bad.
Cost: £11.30
2. La Rosita Brut NV (375ml)
A pink sparkly apparently made by a scottish lady who has moved out to Spain. Made from Monastrelle/Matarro. Not bad. Ripe red fruit character. Nothing special.
Cost £10.00 (per half bottle)
3. Jose Pariente, Verdejo 2011, Rueda
Smells quite like a typical sauvignon blanc but tastes a lot more interesting. Some ripe, fleshy character. Almost peachy. Very nice. Surprisingly good.
Cost: £12.30
4. Equipo Navazos, La Bota de Manzanilla no.32
Great nutty intensity. Almond, salty, minerality. Real power and intensity. Lots of yeast autolysis character. Tastes of the ocean - seaweed/umami. Delicious.
Cost: £26.40
5. Equipo Navazos, La Bota de Amontillado no.31
Oxidized, smells a little like a dank cave. Lots of power. Nutty, caramel, almonds, cinnamon. A true "nut cluster bomb". Incredible length. Delicious, but very different to previous.
Cost £52.00
6. Anima Negra, 2008, Mallorca
Surprisingly pale given the smoky, meaty, BBQ nose. Soft and silky tannin. High acid. Something ethereal (reminiscent of a Burgundy). Violets, floral, licquorice. Rich and aromatic. Only negative is it's a little short.
Cost: £34.50
7. Capcanes, Lasendal, Garnatxa Barrica 2008, Montsant
Black fruit, cinnamon. Soft mouthfeel. A little short. Nice, but doesn't stand up to the tapas.
Cost: £9.00
8. Alemany i Corrio, Pas Curtei, 2004, Penedes
This was amazing, and a total bargain at £8.50. Inky, meaty and savoury, but with black fruit overtones. Perfect age - very good now. Violets, vanilla, tobacco. Soft and silky mouthfeel. Well balanced and complex. This is excellent.
Cost: a ludicrously good value £8.50
9. Celler del Pont, Lo Givot 2003, Priorat
Dark colour, but not as inky as the previous wine. High (searing) acidity, but soft tannins (there are plenty of tannins, but not as much as expected). A little out of balance. Quite good now, probably won't improve with age.
Cost: £20.00
10. Bodegas Bentomiz, Ariyanas Dulce, 2007, Malaga (500ml)
Classic muscat. Acidic and grapey.
Cost: 18.40
11. Dolc Mataro 2009, Alta Alella (500ml)
This is from the "mataro", aka mourvedre/monastrell grape. A nice, warm character. Floral notes come through on the palate, less so on the nose. Full bodied, spicy. Spft, ripe and enjoyable. This is good and interesting, but I probably wouldn't pay that price for it.
Cost: £22.30
Random notes from the tasting:
1. Try brown bread with vintage champagne. He says it's a classic combination where the brown bread really enhances the flavours of the Champagne. I've never tried it, must do so soon.
2. Look out for dry Banyuls. I've never come across it before.
3. The salty flavour in sherry - current thinking is that it comes from glutamates (which presumably come from the flor?). Glutamate, like monosodium glutamate, hence umami/salty-seaweed flavour. Sounds possible. And interesting contrast to the salty flavour in Santorini wines (which apparently genuinely does come from the salty sea spray getting on the vines).
This was the first of the Theatre of Wine tastings I've been to, but I'll definitely be going back. Excellent tasting - very interesting wines and extremely knowledgeable speaker. So pleased to have such a good wine shop in the local area!
1. Castillo Perelada, Cava Brut Reserva NV
Very appley. Fine and restrained mousse. Fresh, fruity, reasonably intense flavour. Not bad.
Cost: £11.30
2. La Rosita Brut NV (375ml)
A pink sparkly apparently made by a scottish lady who has moved out to Spain. Made from Monastrelle/Matarro. Not bad. Ripe red fruit character. Nothing special.
Cost £10.00 (per half bottle)
3. Jose Pariente, Verdejo 2011, Rueda
Smells quite like a typical sauvignon blanc but tastes a lot more interesting. Some ripe, fleshy character. Almost peachy. Very nice. Surprisingly good.
Cost: £12.30
4. Equipo Navazos, La Bota de Manzanilla no.32
Great nutty intensity. Almond, salty, minerality. Real power and intensity. Lots of yeast autolysis character. Tastes of the ocean - seaweed/umami. Delicious.
Cost: £26.40
5. Equipo Navazos, La Bota de Amontillado no.31
Oxidized, smells a little like a dank cave. Lots of power. Nutty, caramel, almonds, cinnamon. A true "nut cluster bomb". Incredible length. Delicious, but very different to previous.
Cost £52.00
6. Anima Negra, 2008, Mallorca
Surprisingly pale given the smoky, meaty, BBQ nose. Soft and silky tannin. High acid. Something ethereal (reminiscent of a Burgundy). Violets, floral, licquorice. Rich and aromatic. Only negative is it's a little short.
Cost: £34.50
7. Capcanes, Lasendal, Garnatxa Barrica 2008, Montsant
Black fruit, cinnamon. Soft mouthfeel. A little short. Nice, but doesn't stand up to the tapas.
Cost: £9.00
8. Alemany i Corrio, Pas Curtei, 2004, Penedes
This was amazing, and a total bargain at £8.50. Inky, meaty and savoury, but with black fruit overtones. Perfect age - very good now. Violets, vanilla, tobacco. Soft and silky mouthfeel. Well balanced and complex. This is excellent.
Cost: a ludicrously good value £8.50
9. Celler del Pont, Lo Givot 2003, Priorat
Dark colour, but not as inky as the previous wine. High (searing) acidity, but soft tannins (there are plenty of tannins, but not as much as expected). A little out of balance. Quite good now, probably won't improve with age.
Cost: £20.00
10. Bodegas Bentomiz, Ariyanas Dulce, 2007, Malaga (500ml)
Classic muscat. Acidic and grapey.
Cost: 18.40
11. Dolc Mataro 2009, Alta Alella (500ml)
This is from the "mataro", aka mourvedre/monastrell grape. A nice, warm character. Floral notes come through on the palate, less so on the nose. Full bodied, spicy. Spft, ripe and enjoyable. This is good and interesting, but I probably wouldn't pay that price for it.
Cost: £22.30
1. Try brown bread with vintage champagne. He says it's a classic combination where the brown bread really enhances the flavours of the Champagne. I've never tried it, must do so soon.
2. Look out for dry Banyuls. I've never come across it before.
3. The salty flavour in sherry - current thinking is that it comes from glutamates (which presumably come from the flor?). Glutamate, like monosodium glutamate, hence umami/salty-seaweed flavour. Sounds possible. And interesting contrast to the salty flavour in Santorini wines (which apparently genuinely does come from the salty sea spray getting on the vines).
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