This was one of the wine and cheese tastings at VB. I just made notes on the wines.
1. Pra, Soave Classico, 2008 (Veneto)
Crisp, fruity (stone fruit). Good wine but a bit thin to stand up to the very creamy cheese it was paired with.
2. Ciu' Ciu' Pecorino 2008, "Le Merlettaie" (Marche)
Good balance and length. Fruity, exuberant nose. Excellent. Paired with a pecorino fresco cheese.
3. Ascheri, Dolcetto d'Alba, "Vigna Nirane" (Piedmont)
Medium-high intensity cherry on the nose. Very acidic. Very Italian. Good length. Maybe seen some carbonic maceration. A good pairing with the insane red wine-washed cheese.
4. Villa Tonino, Nero d'Avola "Baglio Curatolo" (Sicily)
Black fruit, Intense flavour. A little 1-dimensional but should develop more complexity over time. Good, but a little short. Paired with Parmiggiano (a famously hard cheese to pair with wine) and it stood up to it.
5. G D Vajra, Moscato d'Asti 2009 (Piedmont)
Gently sparkling with residual sugar. Works very well with cheese. A much-maligned type of sparkling wine, this definitely has its place in situations such as this.
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Friday, 4 June 2010
Tim Wildman Australia Tasting
1. Knappstein Riesling 2008
Clare Valley, South Australia
Lime, apple and floral on the nose. Dry, medium body. Crisp with medium-intensity green fruit on the palate. Good length with a floral finish. Well balanced, good fruit character. A very good New World riesling.
2. Shaw + Smith "M3" Chardonnay 2008
Very pale. Buttery oak, but done well - not like the overoaked Chardonnays which everyone fears from the bad old days. Green and stone fruit on palate. Good length with a round, soft mouthfeel. Some nuts, particularly on the finish and a slight tannic feeling on the tongue. I like this. This is the type of wine Jen would say smells of popcorn. Once the wine is drunk, the glass still has a strong sweet, vanilla aroma.
3. Yering Station Pinot Noir 2004
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Relatively deep colour for a pinot noir. Cherry, other red fruits and wood on the nose. Also beginning to develop a little bit of the vegetal aromas. Served slightly chilled which has made the acid more prominent and the overall feeling is of a crisp wine. The tannins are a little green - particularly on the finish.
Not awesome by any stretch of the imagination, but pretty good.
4. Balnaves Cabernet-Merlot 2007
Coonawarra, South Australia
Amazing minty, leafy smell overlaying the black fruit. Some tobacco leaf. Concentrated and intense on the palate. High acid, high tannin but well balanced. A slightly dusty mouthfeel. Lots of complex flavours - cloves, cinnamon, something a little medicinal. Fantastic length. Palate tastes younger than the nose so probably got some ageing potential. An excellent wine.
5. Willunga 100 Grenache 2006
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Simple, jammy fruit. Some vanilla, some spice. A little dusty tannin. Good fruit intensity. It has ripe fruit but no real complexity. However, I still like this wine - it's very pleasant to drink.
6. Stanton and Kileen Rutherglen Muscat
12-year old
Rutherglen, Victoria
Toffee, marzipan, raisins, nuts, cinnamon. Ridiculous intensity, ridiculous length... and this is only an entry-level Rutherglen. Bitter like coffee. Sweet, but good acid prevents it from ever feeling cloying. Rich and complex. This is excellent.
Incidentally - a Rutherglen Muscat undergoes:
- fortification before fermentation is complete (like a port, to retain sweetness)
- baking under a tin-roof in the boiling sun (to oxidize, like a madeira)
- aged in oak in a system similar to a solera (like a sherry)
so no wonder it is awesome!
Clare Valley, South Australia
Lime, apple and floral on the nose. Dry, medium body. Crisp with medium-intensity green fruit on the palate. Good length with a floral finish. Well balanced, good fruit character. A very good New World riesling.
2. Shaw + Smith "M3" Chardonnay 2008
Very pale. Buttery oak, but done well - not like the overoaked Chardonnays which everyone fears from the bad old days. Green and stone fruit on palate. Good length with a round, soft mouthfeel. Some nuts, particularly on the finish and a slight tannic feeling on the tongue. I like this. This is the type of wine Jen would say smells of popcorn. Once the wine is drunk, the glass still has a strong sweet, vanilla aroma.
3. Yering Station Pinot Noir 2004
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Relatively deep colour for a pinot noir. Cherry, other red fruits and wood on the nose. Also beginning to develop a little bit of the vegetal aromas. Served slightly chilled which has made the acid more prominent and the overall feeling is of a crisp wine. The tannins are a little green - particularly on the finish.
Not awesome by any stretch of the imagination, but pretty good.
4. Balnaves Cabernet-Merlot 2007
Coonawarra, South Australia
Amazing minty, leafy smell overlaying the black fruit. Some tobacco leaf. Concentrated and intense on the palate. High acid, high tannin but well balanced. A slightly dusty mouthfeel. Lots of complex flavours - cloves, cinnamon, something a little medicinal. Fantastic length. Palate tastes younger than the nose so probably got some ageing potential. An excellent wine.
5. Willunga 100 Grenache 2006
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Simple, jammy fruit. Some vanilla, some spice. A little dusty tannin. Good fruit intensity. It has ripe fruit but no real complexity. However, I still like this wine - it's very pleasant to drink.
6. Stanton and Kileen Rutherglen Muscat
12-year old
Rutherglen, Victoria
Toffee, marzipan, raisins, nuts, cinnamon. Ridiculous intensity, ridiculous length... and this is only an entry-level Rutherglen. Bitter like coffee. Sweet, but good acid prevents it from ever feeling cloying. Rich and complex. This is excellent.
Incidentally - a Rutherglen Muscat undergoes:
- fortification before fermentation is complete (like a port, to retain sweetness)
- baking under a tin-roof in the boiling sun (to oxidize, like a madeira)
- aged in oak in a system similar to a solera (like a sherry)
so no wonder it is awesome!
Domaine Laureau Savennieres "Cuvee des Genets" 1999
Cooked apple, smells very ripe. Apricot and honeysuckle on the nose. However, the wine is bone dry with a slight waxy feeling. An interesting combination. Very acidic, but feels mellow on the palate. Lots of complexity. The palate has younger and fresher fruit than the nose. A complex, stoney finish. Very good.
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Cabernet Sauvignon from around the world
Cabernet Sauvignon from around the world
Vivat Bacchus
Monday 24 May 2010
1. Inspira Reserva 2007
Maipo Valley, Chile
General impression is of clean, varietal character. Lots of fresh black fruit and leafy notes. Quite full bodied and powerful. Round, ripe fruit on the palate and something a little bitter like dark chocolate. Oak is noticeable on the palate, but less prominent on the nose. Given time it should integrate. Good, should improve.
2. Robert Mondavi "Twin Oaks" 2007
California
Greener, leafier smell than number 1. Very high tannin and acid, or at least certainly more noticeable. This wine has a less intense palate so perhaps this is why. The wine suffers in comparison to number 1. Both are decent entry level wines, but the first is more pleasant to drink. I think that this wine does not have enough on the palate to age for long enough to get the acid and tannin in balance. Although maybe with food it would be fine.
3. Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge 2005
Languedoc
Complex, weird aromas. Jammy fruit, meatly and earthy. Probably quite bretty. Dusty mouthfeel - very dry tannin. This is relatively austere now, should improve a lot with age. Good, but not the best Daumas Gassac I've tasted.
4. Leconfield 2003
Coonawarra
Very jammy, concentrated black fruit. Also minty, orange peel, sweet spice and caramel. Very open - not a wine you would use the word "restrained" about. Good acid and tannin. Feels soft and ready to drink. Very Australian in style. Good, but a little brash. Nowhere near as good as the Balnaves Coonawarra Cabernet-Merlot from Tim Wildman's Aus tasting.
5. Springfield "Methode Ancienne" 2003
Robertson, South Africa
Tobacco leaf and ripe fruit on the nose. Intense palate, well balanced and great length. Lots of ripe tannin, slight dusty mouthfeel. Younger on the palate than on the nose. This is very good and should age well for many more years. My favourite of the night.
6. Isole e Olena 2001
Tuscany
Savoury aromas (cheese was a popular tasting note) overlaying ripe, slightly cooked fruit. Fruit character was more prevalent on opening up. Very acidic (Italian-style acid) and good length with a savoury finish. Good grippy tannin - would work well with a steak. Very good.
Vivat Bacchus
Monday 24 May 2010
1. Inspira Reserva 2007
Maipo Valley, Chile
General impression is of clean, varietal character. Lots of fresh black fruit and leafy notes. Quite full bodied and powerful. Round, ripe fruit on the palate and something a little bitter like dark chocolate. Oak is noticeable on the palate, but less prominent on the nose. Given time it should integrate. Good, should improve.
2. Robert Mondavi "Twin Oaks" 2007
California
Greener, leafier smell than number 1. Very high tannin and acid, or at least certainly more noticeable. This wine has a less intense palate so perhaps this is why. The wine suffers in comparison to number 1. Both are decent entry level wines, but the first is more pleasant to drink. I think that this wine does not have enough on the palate to age for long enough to get the acid and tannin in balance. Although maybe with food it would be fine.
3. Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge 2005
Languedoc
Complex, weird aromas. Jammy fruit, meatly and earthy. Probably quite bretty. Dusty mouthfeel - very dry tannin. This is relatively austere now, should improve a lot with age. Good, but not the best Daumas Gassac I've tasted.
4. Leconfield 2003
Coonawarra
Very jammy, concentrated black fruit. Also minty, orange peel, sweet spice and caramel. Very open - not a wine you would use the word "restrained" about. Good acid and tannin. Feels soft and ready to drink. Very Australian in style. Good, but a little brash. Nowhere near as good as the Balnaves Coonawarra Cabernet-Merlot from Tim Wildman's Aus tasting.
5. Springfield "Methode Ancienne" 2003
Robertson, South Africa
Tobacco leaf and ripe fruit on the nose. Intense palate, well balanced and great length. Lots of ripe tannin, slight dusty mouthfeel. Younger on the palate than on the nose. This is very good and should age well for many more years. My favourite of the night.
6. Isole e Olena 2001
Tuscany
Savoury aromas (cheese was a popular tasting note) overlaying ripe, slightly cooked fruit. Fruit character was more prevalent on opening up. Very acidic (Italian-style acid) and good length with a savoury finish. Good grippy tannin - would work well with a steak. Very good.
Henri Bourgeois Etienne Henri 2003
Medium gold (deep colour for a Sauvignon Blanc). Noticeable oak and stony minerality on the nose. Opens up significantly in the glass with more floral and honeysuckle aromas (not sure whether this was because it was too cold to start with or whether it simply needed time to breathe). Smooth mouthfeel, intense green fruit on the palate - ripe green apples in particular, but also plenty of limes. As it opened up the minerality became more prevalent on the palate and there were more stone fruits (apricots) coming through in the flavour profile.
Great complexity and very long - several minutes after tasting it I kept getting an ethereal flashback-taste of the wine. Well balanced and complex, the way this one opens up in the glass makes me confident that it will improve in the bottle. It's excellent now though so no need to wait if you are impatient!
Great complexity and very long - several minutes after tasting it I kept getting an ethereal flashback-taste of the wine. Well balanced and complex, the way this one opens up in the glass makes me confident that it will improve in the bottle. It's excellent now though so no need to wait if you are impatient!
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Tim Wildman Wine Wisdom Class - SW and regional France
1. Iroulegy Blanc 2007, Caves de Saint Etienne
Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, Courbu
£14
Peachy, apricot. Full bodied. Something like tinned pineapple. Bone dry, high acid. Very nice. Perhaps a little bit of a niche wine but I enjoyed it.
2. Chateau du Cedre, Cuvee Prestige Cahors 2006
90 Cot (aka Malbec), 5% Tannat, 5% Merlot
Usually I get tomato on the nose for malbec-dominated wines, but not in this case. Old world in character. Very tannic (must be the tannat) and mouth-drying. However, the high acid comes through at the end to save the day. Dusty and earthy rather than fruity. Excellent.
3. Domaine La Suffrene, Bandol Rouge 2005
55% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 15% Cinsault. 10% Carignan
Bandol is famous for its Brett character sometimes likened (by its fans) to the smell of a dead badger (how on earth do they know?). This wine was not quite that bretty but had serious meaty, dirty aromas (in a good way). Also noticeable garrigue aromas. Full body, decent length although the fruit fades a little too quickly. There are two distinct waves of flavour. Medium acid.
This wine is good, but the levels of brett would give many Australian wine makers a heart attack.
4. Chateau Montus, Madiran 2004
80% Tannat, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
50% new oak. £20ish
Black! Restrained aroma but pronounced flavour. High tannin and acid. Ripe black fruit. Balsamic note. Dusty tannins. A bruiser.
5. Domaine Dugois Jura, Savagnin 2005
Not fortified
100% Savagnin, £25
Intense, flor-like taste. Almonds, saline. Not a full bodied wine but a concentrated flavour - not oak, not fruit, not alcohol.
6. Clos Lapeyre, Jurancon Moelleaux "La Magendia" 2005
£12 (bargain!)
Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng
High acid, sweet wine. Some toffee aromas. Very good.
Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, Courbu
£14
Peachy, apricot. Full bodied. Something like tinned pineapple. Bone dry, high acid. Very nice. Perhaps a little bit of a niche wine but I enjoyed it.
2. Chateau du Cedre, Cuvee Prestige Cahors 2006
90 Cot (aka Malbec), 5% Tannat, 5% Merlot
Usually I get tomato on the nose for malbec-dominated wines, but not in this case. Old world in character. Very tannic (must be the tannat) and mouth-drying. However, the high acid comes through at the end to save the day. Dusty and earthy rather than fruity. Excellent.
3. Domaine La Suffrene, Bandol Rouge 2005
55% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 15% Cinsault. 10% Carignan
Bandol is famous for its Brett character sometimes likened (by its fans) to the smell of a dead badger (how on earth do they know?). This wine was not quite that bretty but had serious meaty, dirty aromas (in a good way). Also noticeable garrigue aromas. Full body, decent length although the fruit fades a little too quickly. There are two distinct waves of flavour. Medium acid.
This wine is good, but the levels of brett would give many Australian wine makers a heart attack.
4. Chateau Montus, Madiran 2004
80% Tannat, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
50% new oak. £20ish
Black! Restrained aroma but pronounced flavour. High tannin and acid. Ripe black fruit. Balsamic note. Dusty tannins. A bruiser.
5. Domaine Dugois Jura, Savagnin 2005
Not fortified
100% Savagnin, £25
Intense, flor-like taste. Almonds, saline. Not a full bodied wine but a concentrated flavour - not oak, not fruit, not alcohol.
6. Clos Lapeyre, Jurancon Moelleaux "La Magendia" 2005
£12 (bargain!)
Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng
High acid, sweet wine. Some toffee aromas. Very good.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Louis Roederer Champagne
Monday 11 January
Louis Roederer is a family-run champagne house. The current owners are direct descendants of Louis himself. They own plenty of their own vineyards with 70% of their production coming from vineyards they own themselves. None of the family-owned vineyards are Pinot Meunier. The wines are all Pinot Noir dominated and generally avoid malolactic fermentation.
They also own Champagne Deutz. As well as Champagne, they own well-regarded vineyards in other regions and countries. For example there is the Louis Roederer "Quartet" - a Californian sparkling wine, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Bordeaux and Domaines Ott in Provence.
However, tonight we focus just on Champagne Louis Roederer
1. Brut Premier
Ripe, slightly cooked apple and a hint of orange peel. High acid, but round texture. Surprisingly smooth apart from at the back of the throat where there is plenty of bite. More bread on the palate. Decent length without any bitterness on the finish. Very good entry level.
2. Vintage 2003
Many champagne houses didn't bother with a 2003 vintage. This was the super-hot year in France and the Champagnes which were made are generally not acidic enough. This is no exception and is clearly only made to satisfy the commercial demand for vintage Louis Roederer. The previous wine was higher quality, despite this one being significantly more expensive. Weird finish.
3. Cristal 2002
Their flagship wine and one which has become synonymous with bling. Very pale with very small bubbles. Intense fruit, and definite red fruit also. Great length, pleasant finish. Very fine and elegant.
4. Rose Vintage 2004
Prickly, sharp texture. Strawberry and raspberry on the palate. Bitter aftertaste. Made by a combination of the saignee and assemblage techniques. The PN is saignee and the Chardonnay is then blended in later. Quite good, but overpriced.
5. Carte Blanche Demi Sec
Grapey. As demi-sec goes this is good. Decent length, not too sweet or cloying. Surprisingly good. They claim that if this was drunk with dessert then it would taste as dry as the first wine.
Louis Roederer is a family-run champagne house. The current owners are direct descendants of Louis himself. They own plenty of their own vineyards with 70% of their production coming from vineyards they own themselves. None of the family-owned vineyards are Pinot Meunier. The wines are all Pinot Noir dominated and generally avoid malolactic fermentation.
They also own Champagne Deutz. As well as Champagne, they own well-regarded vineyards in other regions and countries. For example there is the Louis Roederer "Quartet" - a Californian sparkling wine, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Bordeaux and Domaines Ott in Provence.
However, tonight we focus just on Champagne Louis Roederer
1. Brut Premier
Ripe, slightly cooked apple and a hint of orange peel. High acid, but round texture. Surprisingly smooth apart from at the back of the throat where there is plenty of bite. More bread on the palate. Decent length without any bitterness on the finish. Very good entry level.
2. Vintage 2003
Many champagne houses didn't bother with a 2003 vintage. This was the super-hot year in France and the Champagnes which were made are generally not acidic enough. This is no exception and is clearly only made to satisfy the commercial demand for vintage Louis Roederer. The previous wine was higher quality, despite this one being significantly more expensive. Weird finish.
3. Cristal 2002
Their flagship wine and one which has become synonymous with bling. Very pale with very small bubbles. Intense fruit, and definite red fruit also. Great length, pleasant finish. Very fine and elegant.
4. Rose Vintage 2004
Prickly, sharp texture. Strawberry and raspberry on the palate. Bitter aftertaste. Made by a combination of the saignee and assemblage techniques. The PN is saignee and the Chardonnay is then blended in later. Quite good, but overpriced.
5. Carte Blanche Demi Sec
Grapey. As demi-sec goes this is good. Decent length, not too sweet or cloying. Surprisingly good. They claim that if this was drunk with dessert then it would taste as dry as the first wine.
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