NWC – Sept/Oct
A long overdue update on the NWC tastings over September and October, though due to various reasons I missed several of the sessions.
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4th Sept was our first attempt at a new theme for the group, wine & food pairing. The idea that you bring a small bite that should match the wine. Great fun and some people had made lots of delicious things like gravlax and mushroom tart. However it meant I struggled to keep on top of the wine notes!
A Vrdigny, Sancerre, 2019 was classically high acidy with a grassy high note. Under this first impression did lie some mirabelle plum and pear but even with this good producer I got a touch of caramel on the finish suggesting it would have been better a couple of years ago. What’s the opposite of a love affair? I have this with Macon Chardonnay. I still haven’t had a epiphany. Vaupre, Poilly-Fuisse, 2020 did little to convince me. Fat, leesy, buttery. Some tropical fruit and butterscotch. Enjoyable for those who like the style but give me some tight struck match Chardonnay any time.
Concha Y Toro have the full spectrum of wines and the Amelia Chardonnay, 2021 from Limari is one of their most acclaimed wines recently. It had some of the character of the Macon, the intense tropical fruits and vanilla but was more restrained and balanced to my palate, a little unripe peach on the palate too. I’d be interested in this a few years down the line but at £40+ it’s a tough sell.
Montecillo, Rioja, Gran Reserva, 2001 was not a producer I am familiar with so I assume not one of the bigger names from the Rioja reason. This had become quite evolved, a little green pepper and tomato leaf on the nose and the fruit had mostly evaporated leaving an austere spine of pepper and herbs.
Paisajes, Cecias, Rioja, 2009 could scarcely have been more different. The nose was a touch volatile with red apples but had some nice sweet baking spice notes. On the palate there was huge concentration of fruit. Sweet damson, a touch herbal. A bit much for me, something in between these two Riojas would be best.
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11th Sept was a free-for-all blind bottle evening. De Montgueret, Samur, showed the simple drinkability of sparkling Loire wine. Creamy lemon curd and some sweet apple, a little residual sugar. Summer quaffing. Kerry Vale Vineyard, Illusion, 2018 showed that whilst Rondo is bad when its a red its worse when its white. To be fair it probably shouldn’t have been aged 6 years. It had quite a funky vinegar and frozen pea note and caramel at the pack of the palate. Hugel, Pinot Gris, 2020 was typical with a pear drop and grapey nose, hints of rose water and lacking acidity to my taste.
I’m a sucker for Lopez de Heredia and this Tondonia 2012 was its usual delightful self. Cedar and a touch of coconut on the nose. Perhaps a touch of VA. The palate the trademark great acidity with sour cherry and some dried herbs.
Motus, Treloar, 2013 was a more brooding and serious proposition. 100% Mourvedre done right can be great and this had a lovely ferrous note along with some bacon/meaty notes. A lovely wine at the £20 and one I hadn’t had before.
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18th Sept saw Bordeaux week, for some a highlight of the vinous calendar but not one I traditionally look forward to. The whites of the region are under rated, or perhaps under drunk? Regardless I think they are pretty consistent and we started with 2. Chateau D’Eyran, Pessac- Leognan, 2022 was really leaning into Sauvignon Blanc with quite aromatic elderflow and grapefruit notes. Still a little pear drop in youth. Quite a crowd pleaser at £15. I preferred Chateau de Chantegrive, Caroline, Graves, 2019. A little more semillon in style, some leesy, honey & apricot here with a nice leanness and bitter finish. I’d pay the extra at £22.50.
A few of our group are Mark Haisma fans and one of our first reds was an interesting project he has been involved with. Dagon Clan is a Romanian winery, this Jar SR, 2016 is their cabernet dominated blend with some merlot. Had it a pleasant blackcurrant and green pepper note with some suggestion of menthol. Tannins a little rustic which was perhaps the giveaway we weren’t in a more ‘premium’ region but if you could get it at £10-15 it would be a solid purchase. More recent vintages are a bit more I believe.
Meyney, Saint Estephe, 2019 is a wine that has had an increase in profile over the last few years. Due to some favourable critic reviews and a good price I find myself with some in my cellar. On this showing perhaps my expectations were too high. Although a good wine I wondered if it has closed down a little as the nose was inky and subdued. A lot of structure and oak and not much fruit at this stage. The quality is there and tannin was particularly good but not hugely enjoyable at this stage.
Duhart-Milon, Pauillac, 2001 was proper old school Bordeaux. Love or hate it it bought a cedar, warm earth ashtray character to proceedings. Not my style but nicely mature and plenty of fans in the room. Clos du Marquis, Saint-Julien, 2000 perhaps showed the better vintage as it had a little more energy. What fruit there was still seemed austere but it was still structured with a green blackcurrant edge.
To finish I was fairly impressed with Chateau D’Arche, Sauternes, 2010. The nose had lovely fruit of pineapple chunks and passionfruit. palate was a bit more barley sugar but had great acidity often lacking in Sauternes.
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25th Sept was our AGM and ‘best bottle’ – you need to drink something good after listening to the Chairman (me) drone on for a bit. All so good its hard to pick a few to talk about.
I had bought PYCM, Bourgogne Blanc, 2017. A wine that is a modest level but given the producer reputation retails at £100. It divided opinion. I love the style, struck match reduction and such precise, taut balance on the palate. Some felt there was not enough fruit character under this to be enjoyable. Hard to argue its really worth the money, I wouldn’t (and didn’t) pay £100
It was also an interesting contrast with Carillon, Puligny-Montrachet, 2015. Another lauded producer and a similar price point. This was much more understated to start with, a clean unexpressive nose with a little citrus fruit and oak. The palate was richer but still precise, a touch leesy with a few tropical fruit hints. Carillon probably winning the battle of the posh burgs.
Onto the reds and I was hoping for a little more from the Trevallon, 2006. Again now retailing at £120 perhaps expectations are too high but I have had some great bottles in the past. This felt a touch forward a cabernet style that I don’t love. A little green and menthol dominant, some stock pot and blackcurrant but a touch rustic and dry on the finish.
The star wine of the evening was a star maker at least. Burlotto‘s prices have become silly but if you can get them on release you are in for a treat. This Monvigliero from the relatively poor 2011 was quite stunning. Particularly the nose that had serious complexity. Some classic Barolo rose notes but crushed rocks and olives too. Seductive. On the palate the vintage did perhaps show as it was a touch dilute but it still had lovely fresh raspberry and blackcurrant fruits and such fine tannin.
My perennial favourite, JJ Prum made a showing with Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Spatlese, 2010. It rarely disappoints as this was classic blackcurrant leaf and icing sugar nose. Most good Mosel wines show little petrol you may get in youth or from other regions. Palate was the perfect sweetness and acidity palate with fresh granny smiths and a hint of stone fruit creeping in. This will only continue to improve.
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From Oct we start our tutored tastings again but first we had a visit from Edgmond Wines and Preet who has shown his range of South African wines to the group on several occasions now. I won’t go through the notes but check out his website. Particular favourites were from Villa Esposto. A 2024 Sauvingon Blanc was as far from the grassy NZ version as you could imagine. More of a Loire profile, a touchy stone fruited and mineral.
9th October I led the tasting. A selection of The Wine Society’s ‘Generation Series’. As a group we are a fan of the Society who have a consistently good range from every day to the finest of wines. This was more on the reasonably priced side. As I was presenting my notes were sparse but I’ll highlight a couple of favourites. Firstly the Cap Classique Brut, a tremendous value sparkling wine from Simonsig. Overall most popular was the Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc, phenomenally good value.
16th October was one I was looking forward to as the focus was Chianti. I had overlooked this region for its neighbours in Montalcino who also make Sangiovese but a different close of the grape in a slightly different style.
For the rest of October I must confess a run of my mum’s 70th Birthday and a long planned gig put paid to the remaining tastings but for posterity the group had a posh white tasting followed by something Spanish. Broad themes!
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