We bought half a dozen bottles of 2012 Bersan 2012 Bourgogne Epineuil red in the Leclerc supermarket in Troyes donkey's years ago. It said on the back of the bottle that you could keep it for seven years. We opened the last bottle a couple of weeks ago and drank it with some roast chicken. We weren't disappointed as the wine had matured well on its side and in the cool. The wine was fantastic.
Epineuil is one of my favourite Burgundy wines. It is difficult to find in the UK and we always buy it in France either from the vineyard itself or from a local off licence or supermarket.
I seem to remember that this particular wine was bought for under 10 EUR a bottle. You won't find it at this price anymore.
This wine is typical of the appellation. It is made from Pinot Noir grapes. It tasted of red and black fruits, it was of light to medium body and the tannin had softened. It was well balanced for acidity and sweetness and was dry on the palate and the taste remained for a long time. It had all the hallmarks of a very good wine which was excellent value for money.
The Epineuil appellation is very close to the town of Tonnerre, which is in the far north west of Burgundy and close to the Champagne border. The soil here is kimmeridgian and limestone. The wine has the goût de terroir of the region. It is one of the few red wines that my wife and I can identify easily -"blind", because we have drunk so much of it over the years, and because some of my wife's family come from the area. No other wine in the world has its distinctive taste and character. No one is able to copy it either in France or elsewhere. The climate, soil and vineyard combination cannot be copied
The Kings of France used to drink this wine and no wonder. You need to search this appellation out as it represents exceptional value for money. Tonnerre and it surrounding area is also worth locating and visiting.
https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/bourgogne-epineuil,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MjQ0Jnw%3D
https://www.google.com/search?q=kimmeridgian+soil+map&oq=kimmeridgian+&aqs=chrome.2.0j69i57j0l6.20781j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Thursday, 19 December 2019
Thursday, 5 December 2019
Restaurant Le Saint Père in Tonnerre
Last week we went to Tonnerre to buy some of my favorite red wine -Epineuil. Before buying our wine we had lunch in the Restaurant Le Saint Père in the Rue Georges Pompidou. We entered the restaurant which was a little dark inside to be greeted by tables occupied by local people. The restaurant was full and we got the one remaining table for two left. We had a chat to two gentlemen dining beside us. The food they were eating looked gorgeous. We decided on two menus and shared the starter and dessert. The starter of Terrine of smoked beef was one of the best we have ever tasted. We followed up with Bavette steak and chips The steak was really well seasoned and the chips were great. We shared a Vacherin for dessert and this was another fabulous dish. Vacherin is a meringue based dessert but it should not be confused with the cheese of the same name. The starter and dessert were home made by the chef. The restaurant and service was unpretentious and just as we like it . The presentation of the food was not Michelin starred but the taste and quality of the food was; if not better. We washed the food down with half a bottle of 2016 Dampt Freres Epineuil rouge. We had a great meal and wine in a friendly environment for 63,20 Eur. This was tremendous value for money. I highly recommend the restaurant and it is worth going to Tonnerre just to eat here.
https://www.google.com/search?q=restaurant+saint+pere+a+tonnerre&oq=restaurant+saint+pere+a+tonnerre&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l6.10309j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.google.com/search?q=restaurant+saint+pere+a+tonnerre&oq=restaurant+saint+pere+a+tonnerre&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l6.10309j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Hidden Bordeaux
My wife was rummaging through our wine stocks the other day and found a wooden box with a sliding lid sitting on its side. The box had been lying there in the dark for many years and we had completely forgotten about it. Imagine our surprise when we discovered two wines when we slid the lid off. The first was a bottle of 2000 Château Carbonnieux Grand Cru red from Pessac-Leognan produced by the Famille Perrin. The second was a bottle of Château Ducru Beaucaillou 2001 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien. The latter is one of my favourite Bordeaux wines which at the moment fetches over £100 a bottle.
My wife and I are very lucky; we can remember which member of the family bought the wines for us, many moons ago, but we cannot remember when. Luckily the wines were stored on their side.
We decided to drink the 2000 Château Carbonnieux with some friends who were visiting for Australia. After we had decanted the wine and let it rest for a while, we drank it with duck accompanied by a rich orange sauce. The wine was just past its best, but it was a superb example of the Pessac-Leognan apellation. The wine was concentrated and complex and was long on the palate. It was warming to drink and was still full of black currant, tobacco box and plum flavours. The tannin had softened. The wine went perfectly with the duck and its rich sauce.
Our friends were impressed and so was I. It pays to keep your Bordeaux hidden away, as long it is lain flat in the dark.
Jancis Robinson describes the wine exactly on the following web site and I couldn't agree more.
https://www.millesima.co.uk/chateau-carbonnieux-2000.html.
You can still buy 2000 Château Carbonnieux for around £40 pounds a bottle but hurry up and drink it immediately.
I can't wait to open my second hidden bottle but I should wait a little longer for the right occasion. The Château Ducru Beaucaillou is most certainly a top wine; its world class. It's better to be born lucky rather than rich.
My wife and I are very lucky; we can remember which member of the family bought the wines for us, many moons ago, but we cannot remember when. Luckily the wines were stored on their side.
We decided to drink the 2000 Château Carbonnieux with some friends who were visiting for Australia. After we had decanted the wine and let it rest for a while, we drank it with duck accompanied by a rich orange sauce. The wine was just past its best, but it was a superb example of the Pessac-Leognan apellation. The wine was concentrated and complex and was long on the palate. It was warming to drink and was still full of black currant, tobacco box and plum flavours. The tannin had softened. The wine went perfectly with the duck and its rich sauce.
Our friends were impressed and so was I. It pays to keep your Bordeaux hidden away, as long it is lain flat in the dark.
Jancis Robinson describes the wine exactly on the following web site and I couldn't agree more.
https://www.millesima.co.uk/chateau-carbonnieux-2000.html.
You can still buy 2000 Château Carbonnieux for around £40 pounds a bottle but hurry up and drink it immediately.
I can't wait to open my second hidden bottle but I should wait a little longer for the right occasion. The Château Ducru Beaucaillou is most certainly a top wine; its world class. It's better to be born lucky rather than rich.
Tuesday, 5 November 2019
Ancient Celts and Wine
There have been reports recently that suggest that the Ancient Celts were partial to a tipple of wine. Archaeologists in Northern Burgundy have identified drinking vessels from 500 BC, and discovered the remains of Greek wine. There is no doubt that the Celts enjoyed a pot of wine with their game pie. I wonder if the wine tasted like ancient retsina.
The Celts also drank beer and mead. They had no idea of the natural process of fermentation; mankind had to wait until the 19th century until Louis Pasteur discovered how the process of fermentation worked. This means that for over 2,000 years the Celts remained ignorant of how their favourite drinks were produced, and that any improvement was the result of trial and error or fortuitous accident rather than scientific discovery.
I wonder what the Ancient Celts must have thought when they slugged back a goblet of red with their roast boar while they sat around the camp fire. They must have smelt their wine and tasted that it was good, and quaffed it back while they sang folk songs. The ancient stories must have become more exaggerated as they drank more and more. Some would have got quite drunk if they could afford it and some would have become alcoholics.
The ancient Celts would not have cared less about the nose of the wine or its bouquet. They weren't interested to assess its sugar content and whether the alcohol was well integrated into the wine. They might have perceived the complexity and concentration of its taste. The idea of a caudalie or a grand cru was far away from their thinking. They were just interested in whether the wine tasted good or not. The alcoholics would not have cared about the quality of the wine.
None of the mental or physical paraphernalia associated with sophisticated modern wine tasting and drinking would have existed. No doubt, the profit motive would have been going strong and some wise guy or other would have been trying to corner the wine market.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2206989-ancient-celts-were-partial-to-beer-mead-and-imported-greek-wines/
The Celts also drank beer and mead. They had no idea of the natural process of fermentation; mankind had to wait until the 19th century until Louis Pasteur discovered how the process of fermentation worked. This means that for over 2,000 years the Celts remained ignorant of how their favourite drinks were produced, and that any improvement was the result of trial and error or fortuitous accident rather than scientific discovery.
I wonder what the Ancient Celts must have thought when they slugged back a goblet of red with their roast boar while they sat around the camp fire. They must have smelt their wine and tasted that it was good, and quaffed it back while they sang folk songs. The ancient stories must have become more exaggerated as they drank more and more. Some would have got quite drunk if they could afford it and some would have become alcoholics.
The ancient Celts would not have cared less about the nose of the wine or its bouquet. They weren't interested to assess its sugar content and whether the alcohol was well integrated into the wine. They might have perceived the complexity and concentration of its taste. The idea of a caudalie or a grand cru was far away from their thinking. They were just interested in whether the wine tasted good or not. The alcoholics would not have cared about the quality of the wine.
None of the mental or physical paraphernalia associated with sophisticated modern wine tasting and drinking would have existed. No doubt, the profit motive would have been going strong and some wise guy or other would have been trying to corner the wine market.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2206989-ancient-celts-were-partial-to-beer-mead-and-imported-greek-wines/
Restaurant Villa Vauban Dijon
We recently ate at the Restaurant Villa Vauban in Dijon. I can thoroughly recommend this establishment.
The food was excellent. it was not up to the presentation standards of a Michelin starred restaurant, but what the hell; flavour and good cooking is what is important to my wife and me. My main course was a Pave steak, and it was cooked perfectly - rare. It is extremely difficult to cook and season a steak perfectly: it is not as easy as it would seem.
We had eight people in our party and everyone ordered something different for a main course and everyone was satisfied. The staff coordinated the delivery to our table with aplomb.
The service was courteous but it was not over the top. Six of our party were English speakers only but that was no problem for the staff.
The wine card was extensive and if we had wanted then we could have really drained our wallets on top class Burgundy red and whites. We settled for less exalted wines which still went very well with our meal; there was something for everyone but, mainly, from Burgundy of course.
http://www.restaurant-villavauban.com/restaurant-dijon-restaurant-cote-dor/?mod=actu&cat=carte
We ended up having a superb meal at a reasonable price in the centre of one of France's most renowned cities. What more could we ask for?
https://about-france.com/cities/dijon.htm
The food was excellent. it was not up to the presentation standards of a Michelin starred restaurant, but what the hell; flavour and good cooking is what is important to my wife and me. My main course was a Pave steak, and it was cooked perfectly - rare. It is extremely difficult to cook and season a steak perfectly: it is not as easy as it would seem.
We had eight people in our party and everyone ordered something different for a main course and everyone was satisfied. The staff coordinated the delivery to our table with aplomb.
The service was courteous but it was not over the top. Six of our party were English speakers only but that was no problem for the staff.
The wine card was extensive and if we had wanted then we could have really drained our wallets on top class Burgundy red and whites. We settled for less exalted wines which still went very well with our meal; there was something for everyone but, mainly, from Burgundy of course.
http://www.restaurant-villavauban.com/restaurant-dijon-restaurant-cote-dor/?mod=actu&cat=carte
We ended up having a superb meal at a reasonable price in the centre of one of France's most renowned cities. What more could we ask for?
https://about-france.com/cities/dijon.htm
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
A couple of great Champagnes from Merrey Sur Arce
We recently visited our family in Troyes and on consecutive evenings we drank two excellent Champagnes from Merrey-sur-Arce with our evening meals.
Troyes and Merrey-sur-Arce are in the Aube region of France. You cannot visit Troyes to see friends or family without being offered some Champagne from the Aube region. Troyes was the ancient capital of Champagne, and the centre of the town is built in the shape of a Champagne cork.
https://www.francetoday.com/travel/rainbows_in_champagne/
https://www.larvf.com/,vin-montgueux-ile-craie-champagne-terroir-aubois,4511514.asp
Troyes itself has neighbouring vineyards on the Montgueux slopes. Montgueux produces some fine Champagne but our family seem to turn their noses up at it. They prefer the Champagnes from the Côte de Bar about 40 Kilometers further South.The soil in Montgueux is a mixture of chalk and limestone based clay. The Champagne is produced mainly from the Chardonnay grape.
Merrey-sur-Arce is located near Bar-sur-Seine in the Aube. The village is situated on the river Arce, and the river Seine flows nearby. It is a small village with just over 300 inhabitants. The soils here are Kinmmeridgian and they are limestone rather than chalk based. The terroir here is more akin to the Northern Burgundy region than to the chalk based terroir on the Montagne de Reims, much further north. Chablis and Tonnerre in Burgundy are not far away. The Champagne from the Aube tastes different to the more famous Champagne produced next to Reims and Epernay. You might think that you have never drunk Champagne from the Aube, but you almost certainly have because Champagne from the Aube is shipped much further north to be blended into the House champagnes of the famous brand names.
https://winefolly.com/review/hottest-champagne-region-cote-des-bar/
Most of the Champagne makers of Merrey-sur-Arce grow their own grapes and make their own Champagne and each has their own individual style. Merrey-sur-Arce has around 130,000 Ha of Champagne grapes planted. Over 100,00 Ha is planted with pinot noir and the rest with pinot meunier and chardonnay.
One night we drank Nicolas van Belle non-vintage Blanc de Noirs. This Champagne is made exclusively from the pinot noir grape. Nicholas van Belle is a grower-maker: his is a soft Champagne with a fruity flavour and for me it tastes stronger than Champagne made from Chardonnay. It is gorgeous. I feel that the Champagnes from the Côte de Bar are less acidic than the Champagnes from the grower-makers much further north, and for this reason they are easier on my stomach if I drink too much. It is easy for me to drink too much Champagne as it is my favourite wine.
http://bacchus-club.over-blog.fr/article-28615395.html
The next night we drank Champagne Lacroix-Triaulaire, le Biographe, non-vintage. This wine is producced from a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes. It has the taste of the region plus a style of its own. It has a fruity and savoury taste and it is elegant. The hallmark of a good wine comes from its identification with its region but with a style of its own. this too is a gorgeous wine.
https://www.xtrawine.com/en/wines/lacroix-triaulaire-champagne-brut-la-biographe/p13277
So there you have it; two classic examples of Champagne which have a taste of the region mixed with a style of their own. These Champagnes represent excellent value for money: they can be sipped as an aperitif, they can be drunk with light starters and light main courses and can be drunk with a dessert. What more can you ask for. If ever you are in Troyes, find your way to the local vineyards and get ready to be impressed by the finest sparkling wines in the world.
Troyes and Merrey-sur-Arce are in the Aube region of France. You cannot visit Troyes to see friends or family without being offered some Champagne from the Aube region. Troyes was the ancient capital of Champagne, and the centre of the town is built in the shape of a Champagne cork.
https://www.francetoday.com/travel/rainbows_in_champagne/
https://www.larvf.com/,vin-montgueux-ile-craie-champagne-terroir-aubois,4511514.asp
Troyes itself has neighbouring vineyards on the Montgueux slopes. Montgueux produces some fine Champagne but our family seem to turn their noses up at it. They prefer the Champagnes from the Côte de Bar about 40 Kilometers further South.The soil in Montgueux is a mixture of chalk and limestone based clay. The Champagne is produced mainly from the Chardonnay grape.
Merrey-sur-Arce is located near Bar-sur-Seine in the Aube. The village is situated on the river Arce, and the river Seine flows nearby. It is a small village with just over 300 inhabitants. The soils here are Kinmmeridgian and they are limestone rather than chalk based. The terroir here is more akin to the Northern Burgundy region than to the chalk based terroir on the Montagne de Reims, much further north. Chablis and Tonnerre in Burgundy are not far away. The Champagne from the Aube tastes different to the more famous Champagne produced next to Reims and Epernay. You might think that you have never drunk Champagne from the Aube, but you almost certainly have because Champagne from the Aube is shipped much further north to be blended into the House champagnes of the famous brand names.
https://winefolly.com/review/hottest-champagne-region-cote-des-bar/
Most of the Champagne makers of Merrey-sur-Arce grow their own grapes and make their own Champagne and each has their own individual style. Merrey-sur-Arce has around 130,000 Ha of Champagne grapes planted. Over 100,00 Ha is planted with pinot noir and the rest with pinot meunier and chardonnay.
One night we drank Nicolas van Belle non-vintage Blanc de Noirs. This Champagne is made exclusively from the pinot noir grape. Nicholas van Belle is a grower-maker: his is a soft Champagne with a fruity flavour and for me it tastes stronger than Champagne made from Chardonnay. It is gorgeous. I feel that the Champagnes from the Côte de Bar are less acidic than the Champagnes from the grower-makers much further north, and for this reason they are easier on my stomach if I drink too much. It is easy for me to drink too much Champagne as it is my favourite wine.
http://bacchus-club.over-blog.fr/article-28615395.html
The next night we drank Champagne Lacroix-Triaulaire, le Biographe, non-vintage. This wine is producced from a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes. It has the taste of the region plus a style of its own. It has a fruity and savoury taste and it is elegant. The hallmark of a good wine comes from its identification with its region but with a style of its own. this too is a gorgeous wine.
https://www.xtrawine.com/en/wines/lacroix-triaulaire-champagne-brut-la-biographe/p13277
So there you have it; two classic examples of Champagne which have a taste of the region mixed with a style of their own. These Champagnes represent excellent value for money: they can be sipped as an aperitif, they can be drunk with light starters and light main courses and can be drunk with a dessert. What more can you ask for. If ever you are in Troyes, find your way to the local vineyards and get ready to be impressed by the finest sparkling wines in the world.
Monday, 19 August 2019
It's that corked wine again and again
In my last blog I promised to report back on my efforts to remove the taste of corked wine from the glass. The theory goes that you can dip a sheet of cling film into a jug of the tainted wine and stir it around for a few minutes. The TCA chemicals that taint the wine will then stick to the cling film and you will be able to taste the wine without the cork taint.
I did this with my contaminated wine. I took one sniff of the wine and realised that it didn't work. I asked my wife to sniff the wine and she thought that the process had worked. Ten minutes later she concluded that the experiment did not work and we poured the wine down the drain.
We had a bottle of the same wine and vintage in reserve: we opened the bottle and the wine was superb with roast lamb, fresh peas and Ile Noirmoutier Lady Christl potatoes. I must say that the Lady Christl potatoes were excellent and almost as good as the Pembrokeshire new potatoes that I picked as a boy, in South West Wales. Pembrokeshire early potatoes are treat not to be missed and are available from late May, they are best eaten steamed or boiled until they are just soft. They are good enough to be eaten on their own with some welsh salted butter and better still with Sewin, if you can find it ,but beware of poachers as the species is rare and protected.
https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/features/pembrokeshire-early-potatoes
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/sewin-gets-more-elusive-rivers-1857181
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/808045/protected-food-name-wwcc-sewin-spec.pdf
The island of Noirmoutier is situated in the Vendée region of France on the bay of Biscay and just south of the Brittany peninsular. It's most celebrated agricultural product is the Bonnotte potato which is not cheap.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnotte_de_Noirmoutier
https://www.ile-noirmoutier.com/en/savourer/nos-produits-locaux/potatoes-noirmoutier-island.html
https://www.vendee-tourisme.com/vacances/l-ile-de-noirmoutier/
I did this with my contaminated wine. I took one sniff of the wine and realised that it didn't work. I asked my wife to sniff the wine and she thought that the process had worked. Ten minutes later she concluded that the experiment did not work and we poured the wine down the drain.
We had a bottle of the same wine and vintage in reserve: we opened the bottle and the wine was superb with roast lamb, fresh peas and Ile Noirmoutier Lady Christl potatoes. I must say that the Lady Christl potatoes were excellent and almost as good as the Pembrokeshire new potatoes that I picked as a boy, in South West Wales. Pembrokeshire early potatoes are treat not to be missed and are available from late May, they are best eaten steamed or boiled until they are just soft. They are good enough to be eaten on their own with some welsh salted butter and better still with Sewin, if you can find it ,but beware of poachers as the species is rare and protected.
https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/features/pembrokeshire-early-potatoes
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/sewin-gets-more-elusive-rivers-1857181
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/808045/protected-food-name-wwcc-sewin-spec.pdf
The island of Noirmoutier is situated in the Vendée region of France on the bay of Biscay and just south of the Brittany peninsular. It's most celebrated agricultural product is the Bonnotte potato which is not cheap.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnotte_de_Noirmoutier
https://www.ile-noirmoutier.com/en/savourer/nos-produits-locaux/potatoes-noirmoutier-island.html
https://www.vendee-tourisme.com/vacances/l-ile-de-noirmoutier/
Monday, 29 July 2019
It's that corked wine again
Last night we opened a bottle of Bordeaux red to go with our evening meal. The wine was ever so slightly corked, meaning that the wine is "contaminated " with either the chemical 2,4,6,trichloroanisole (TCA) or 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). These two chemicals can ruin the taste of wine by rendering it with the earthy smell of a damp cellar and a taste of damp rotten cardboard. The TCA usually ingresses into the wine through the cork. A cork can be infected with fungal spores which convert chloro-phenolic compounds, used in the winery, to TCA or less commonly to TBA: hence the term corked wine.
Humans are able to taste TCA at levels of parts per trillion; some humans are more sensitive than others. My wife is more sensitive to the smell than me. She is able to smell cork taint from across the table when the cork is pulled. Sometimes I can smell the cork taint on the cork after pulling.
On this particular evening my wife did not smell the cork taint and I did not smell a cork taint until I swirled the glass before drinking it, for some reason my wife did not do this.
This particular wine was not completely ruined by the cork taint and I could taste plenty of fruit in the wine. It was clear that the wine was contaminated at a very low level. Some people, such as my brother-in-law, cannot sense low levels of cork taint, so he would have found the wine perfectly acceptable.
When you are in a restaurant it is best to swirl your wine before you agree that it smells acceptable. The swirling will release the flavour of cork taint. A good wine waiter should smell the cork before serving you the wine to taste. However, in the case of this wine there was no smell off wine taint on the cork, and my wife can confirm this. It would be embarrassing to send back a bottle of wine if you have not been able to smell or taste it has been corked before slugging it back.
It would be unfair to name the wine as we drank another bottle of the the same wine and its 2015 vintage. The wine was perfectly acceptable, in fact it was very good wine and very good value for money.
The cork taint is not just confined to reactions of the cork. It can ingress into to wine from similar chemical transactions when fungal spores in the atmosphere meet choro-phenolic compounds used as sterilising agents for rubber hoses or seals. This is termed systematic contamination. TCA can also be produced when wooden pallets are exposed to fungal spores in the vineyard or transportation. The TCA is then able to penetrate a natural cork to contaminate the wine. It is quite possible that TCA could contaminate a wine that is sealed by a plastic cork or screw cap, I have never experienced this, however.
Any wine sealed with a natural cork could become corked despite the price of the wine. If you open a bottle of wine that is corked you can return it to the supermarket or wine merchant for a refund, You must do this quickly, however. Our wine was bought in France so it is not worth the time and effort to go back for a refund.
Some wine experts claim that you can remove the cork taint by dipping some cling film into the wine and stirring it for some seconds; apparently the polyurethane is able to absorb the TCA or TBA and remove it from the wine.
I have tried this before but it didn't work. I am going to try this again as the TCA is present at very low levels: more of this later.
Modern winery techniques are reducing the incidence of corked wines sealed with natural corks. I like the idea of natural corks produced from oak trees in Portugal. Natural corks are the best method of sealing wines which need to be kept to improve in the bottle over a number of years. They allow oxygen to permeate into the wine in exceptionally small quantities to help age the wines and break down tannin. Of course, too much oxygen will eventually ruin a wine, but some wines can age for 50 years or more, in a cold and dark cellar, to improve the taste.
The use of natural corks also helps with the sustainability of oak forests which cannot be a bad thing.
Humans are able to taste TCA at levels of parts per trillion; some humans are more sensitive than others. My wife is more sensitive to the smell than me. She is able to smell cork taint from across the table when the cork is pulled. Sometimes I can smell the cork taint on the cork after pulling.
On this particular evening my wife did not smell the cork taint and I did not smell a cork taint until I swirled the glass before drinking it, for some reason my wife did not do this.
This particular wine was not completely ruined by the cork taint and I could taste plenty of fruit in the wine. It was clear that the wine was contaminated at a very low level. Some people, such as my brother-in-law, cannot sense low levels of cork taint, so he would have found the wine perfectly acceptable.
When you are in a restaurant it is best to swirl your wine before you agree that it smells acceptable. The swirling will release the flavour of cork taint. A good wine waiter should smell the cork before serving you the wine to taste. However, in the case of this wine there was no smell off wine taint on the cork, and my wife can confirm this. It would be embarrassing to send back a bottle of wine if you have not been able to smell or taste it has been corked before slugging it back.
It would be unfair to name the wine as we drank another bottle of the the same wine and its 2015 vintage. The wine was perfectly acceptable, in fact it was very good wine and very good value for money.
The cork taint is not just confined to reactions of the cork. It can ingress into to wine from similar chemical transactions when fungal spores in the atmosphere meet choro-phenolic compounds used as sterilising agents for rubber hoses or seals. This is termed systematic contamination. TCA can also be produced when wooden pallets are exposed to fungal spores in the vineyard or transportation. The TCA is then able to penetrate a natural cork to contaminate the wine. It is quite possible that TCA could contaminate a wine that is sealed by a plastic cork or screw cap, I have never experienced this, however.
Any wine sealed with a natural cork could become corked despite the price of the wine. If you open a bottle of wine that is corked you can return it to the supermarket or wine merchant for a refund, You must do this quickly, however. Our wine was bought in France so it is not worth the time and effort to go back for a refund.
Some wine experts claim that you can remove the cork taint by dipping some cling film into the wine and stirring it for some seconds; apparently the polyurethane is able to absorb the TCA or TBA and remove it from the wine.
I have tried this before but it didn't work. I am going to try this again as the TCA is present at very low levels: more of this later.
Modern winery techniques are reducing the incidence of corked wines sealed with natural corks. I like the idea of natural corks produced from oak trees in Portugal. Natural corks are the best method of sealing wines which need to be kept to improve in the bottle over a number of years. They allow oxygen to permeate into the wine in exceptionally small quantities to help age the wines and break down tannin. Of course, too much oxygen will eventually ruin a wine, but some wines can age for 50 years or more, in a cold and dark cellar, to improve the taste.
The use of natural corks also helps with the sustainability of oak forests which cannot be a bad thing.
Thursday, 4 July 2019
The heatwave and the Vineyard
Phew, it was hot in Southern France in June. The canicule broke records. 45.9 degrees Celcius was the highest temperature ever recorded in France. This is another sign of dangerous climate change although scientists are reluctant to claim that such a canicule can be directly attributed to climate change. The French government was well prepared this time to protect human life and fortunately the calamity of 2003 was avoided. In 2003 over 14,000 deaths were attributed to the heatwave in France.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave
The heatwave in June devastated some of the vineyards in Southern France. Some growers lost 50% of their crop. Growers often use sulphur in the vineyard to protect the vines from mildew. If there is a heatwave the residual sulphur combines with the heat to dry out the leaves and fruit of the vines. However, some growers did not use sulphur this year and their vines were still destroyed. Some growers recorded 60 degree temperatures locally. Remember the recorded temperatures of 45 degrees C were shade temperatures. Vines are always exposed to the sun for good reason.
The temperatures reached in some vineyards were exacerbated by pebbles and small rocks which absorbed the heat and reflected it back to the vines. This process helps the vines to grow when temperatures cool down but of course when the air gets too hot the reflected heat damages the vines further.
The training of the vines helps to ameliorate the effects of heatwaves and some growers did not top and trim the foliage to the usual extent.
Some growers, in the far south of France, are now despairing for the future of their vineyards. This is a strong wake up call. Climate change could really be dangerous for all of us and our farms and vineyards.
Other growers further north, in Bordeaux, have been rejoicing about the hot weather - in a few years they may be suffering from the same problems of heatwaves - so watch out.
Human beings have been on the planet for thousands of years and have lived more less in harmony with nature. It is only in the last 250 years that industrialisation has led to damage to the environment.We had better be careful; the next 250 years could see our very existence on Earth being put into jeopardy as a result of our very own actions.
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-vineyards-burned-in-intense-heatwave-damage-during-canicule-say-local-winemakers
https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/economie-social/la-canicule-provoque-une-catastrophe-dans-le-vignoble-des-pyrenees-orientales-1561989995
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave
The heatwave in June devastated some of the vineyards in Southern France. Some growers lost 50% of their crop. Growers often use sulphur in the vineyard to protect the vines from mildew. If there is a heatwave the residual sulphur combines with the heat to dry out the leaves and fruit of the vines. However, some growers did not use sulphur this year and their vines were still destroyed. Some growers recorded 60 degree temperatures locally. Remember the recorded temperatures of 45 degrees C were shade temperatures. Vines are always exposed to the sun for good reason.
The temperatures reached in some vineyards were exacerbated by pebbles and small rocks which absorbed the heat and reflected it back to the vines. This process helps the vines to grow when temperatures cool down but of course when the air gets too hot the reflected heat damages the vines further.
The training of the vines helps to ameliorate the effects of heatwaves and some growers did not top and trim the foliage to the usual extent.
Some growers, in the far south of France, are now despairing for the future of their vineyards. This is a strong wake up call. Climate change could really be dangerous for all of us and our farms and vineyards.
Other growers further north, in Bordeaux, have been rejoicing about the hot weather - in a few years they may be suffering from the same problems of heatwaves - so watch out.
Human beings have been on the planet for thousands of years and have lived more less in harmony with nature. It is only in the last 250 years that industrialisation has led to damage to the environment.We had better be careful; the next 250 years could see our very existence on Earth being put into jeopardy as a result of our very own actions.
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-vineyards-burned-in-intense-heatwave-damage-during-canicule-say-local-winemakers
https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/economie-social/la-canicule-provoque-une-catastrophe-dans-le-vignoble-des-pyrenees-orientales-1561989995
Monday, 10 June 2019
Glyphosate in Wine
A recent study in the US discovered that glyphosate was present in 19 out of 20 wines and beers tested. Glyphosate was even found in organic wine. The concentrations of this weedkiller found the beers and wines were very low. The highest concentration was found in a wine at 51.4 parts per billion and the lowest in an organic wine at 4.8 parts per billion. One organic beer was found to have 0 parts per billion.
Glyphosate is so widely used as a weedkiller that it is found in many agricultural products such as oats albeit at very low concentrations. The judgement is out whether low concentrations of glyphosate in the food change are dangerous to our health. It is suspected that farmers and regular domestic users of glyphosate could be damaging there health if they do not take precautions to protect there skin and lungs when using this weedkiller.
https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-beer-wine-2630077686.html
It is my opinion that such a low concentrations of glyphosate in wine is not dangerous to our health and that the alcohol in wine is probably a greater danger. Keeping alcohol consumption at levels which do not harm our health will probably protect individuals from exposure to other potentially damaging chemicals.
We do not need to use chemical weedkillers in our vineyards and there are other mechanical and natural methods of reducing the growth of weeds. So why not take a precautionary response and only use weeding methods which we know to be absolutely safe.
France is claiming to lead the way to reduce glyphosate usage in the vineyard and wants to eliminate its usage by the end of 2021. Doing this will be highly controversial and some sections of the wine industry are resisting this. The producers will want subsidies.
https://www.france24.com/en/20190226-france-paris-agriculture-fair-beyond-glyphosate-french-vineyards-wine-weedkiller-pesticides
With an ever increasing awareness of the ecological factors affecting the health of both ourselves and the planet, it might be a wise move to placate young people, who are now beginning to protest about climate change and unsustainable farming. In some senses they are correct; a "weed" has as much right to live as a vine. Eliminating all weeds could damage the environment; after all they provide food for birds and insects and they rot down to help provide a healthy soil substrate. Weed and vines also have the right to grow in an environment unmarred by human induced climate change.
The sooner we produce sustainable farming methods globally the better. The challenge will be how to feed the growing population without the use of potentially dangerous herbicides and insecticides.
Until that time comes, I shall enjoy a glass of good wine even though it might be "contaminated" with a very low level of herbicide. And, I shall drink to the health of everyone on the planet.
Glyphosate is so widely used as a weedkiller that it is found in many agricultural products such as oats albeit at very low concentrations. The judgement is out whether low concentrations of glyphosate in the food change are dangerous to our health. It is suspected that farmers and regular domestic users of glyphosate could be damaging there health if they do not take precautions to protect there skin and lungs when using this weedkiller.
https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-beer-wine-2630077686.html
It is my opinion that such a low concentrations of glyphosate in wine is not dangerous to our health and that the alcohol in wine is probably a greater danger. Keeping alcohol consumption at levels which do not harm our health will probably protect individuals from exposure to other potentially damaging chemicals.
We do not need to use chemical weedkillers in our vineyards and there are other mechanical and natural methods of reducing the growth of weeds. So why not take a precautionary response and only use weeding methods which we know to be absolutely safe.
France is claiming to lead the way to reduce glyphosate usage in the vineyard and wants to eliminate its usage by the end of 2021. Doing this will be highly controversial and some sections of the wine industry are resisting this. The producers will want subsidies.
https://www.france24.com/en/20190226-france-paris-agriculture-fair-beyond-glyphosate-french-vineyards-wine-weedkiller-pesticides
With an ever increasing awareness of the ecological factors affecting the health of both ourselves and the planet, it might be a wise move to placate young people, who are now beginning to protest about climate change and unsustainable farming. In some senses they are correct; a "weed" has as much right to live as a vine. Eliminating all weeds could damage the environment; after all they provide food for birds and insects and they rot down to help provide a healthy soil substrate. Weed and vines also have the right to grow in an environment unmarred by human induced climate change.
The sooner we produce sustainable farming methods globally the better. The challenge will be how to feed the growing population without the use of potentially dangerous herbicides and insecticides.
Until that time comes, I shall enjoy a glass of good wine even though it might be "contaminated" with a very low level of herbicide. And, I shall drink to the health of everyone on the planet.
Friday, 10 May 2019
Charles Melton 2008 Voices of Angels Shiraz Dry Red
Charles Melton is one of Australia's most accomplished winemakers. His vineyards are situated in the Barossa County in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. His Nine Popes wine is delicious but a little expensive now in the UK; nevertheless his wines compare favourably with the best from Europe and the US.
The 2008 Voices of Angels had been laying flat at home for a good number of years. The bottle was sealed with a screw cap so there was no real need to lay it down. I can't remember whether I bought it or not or whether it was a present. Probably I bought it in London. The wine was fermented in new oak barrels,
75% french and 25%, and then left on its lees for 24 months before bottling. Charles Melton recommends drinking this wine after a decade or so. The wine was perfect for drinking in 2019. We drank it with family as we ate pasta with a beef based ragout: the rest of the bottle was reserved for French , English and Spanish cheese.
The wine had maintained its deep purple colour possibly because the screw cap had not allowed oxygen to infuse into the bottle, to slightly oxidise the wine which would happen if the bottle was sealed with a cork. The wine smelt and tasted completely fresh. It was strong in alcohol but this was strongly integrated into the wine. The wine was full bodied but the tannin of the Shiraz grapes were softening. The wine tasted of Shiraz spice but it was fruity, complex and concentrated. It had all of the hallmarks of a superb wine that would age for another decade.
This wine is not something that you should slosh down at a party or barbecue. It is meant to be appreciated with good food. It delivers on high quality and taste. It is expensive but really worth trying to see what superior wine making from Australia can truly deliver. It is well recommended. Why not go out and spoil yourself. I don't think the winemaker is producing this brand any longer so it could increase in value.
http://www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au/products/our-wines
https://www.vivino.com/charles-melton-wines-voices-of-angels-shiraz/w/1540420?year=2008
The 2008 Voices of Angels had been laying flat at home for a good number of years. The bottle was sealed with a screw cap so there was no real need to lay it down. I can't remember whether I bought it or not or whether it was a present. Probably I bought it in London. The wine was fermented in new oak barrels,
75% french and 25%, and then left on its lees for 24 months before bottling. Charles Melton recommends drinking this wine after a decade or so. The wine was perfect for drinking in 2019. We drank it with family as we ate pasta with a beef based ragout: the rest of the bottle was reserved for French , English and Spanish cheese.
The wine had maintained its deep purple colour possibly because the screw cap had not allowed oxygen to infuse into the bottle, to slightly oxidise the wine which would happen if the bottle was sealed with a cork. The wine smelt and tasted completely fresh. It was strong in alcohol but this was strongly integrated into the wine. The wine was full bodied but the tannin of the Shiraz grapes were softening. The wine tasted of Shiraz spice but it was fruity, complex and concentrated. It had all of the hallmarks of a superb wine that would age for another decade.
This wine is not something that you should slosh down at a party or barbecue. It is meant to be appreciated with good food. It delivers on high quality and taste. It is expensive but really worth trying to see what superior wine making from Australia can truly deliver. It is well recommended. Why not go out and spoil yourself. I don't think the winemaker is producing this brand any longer so it could increase in value.
http://www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au/products/our-wines
https://www.vivino.com/charles-melton-wines-voices-of-angels-shiraz/w/1540420?year=2008
Tuesday, 9 April 2019
It pays to keep your wine. Who said Tesco doesn't sell good wine?
We opened a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau 2018 last week end from November last year. It was produced by JP Selles a négociant located just south of Lyon. Although it is not a top class wine we enjoyed it with food. Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be drunk straightaway, after it has been bottled, but it is better to let the wine rest for a while before it is opened especially if it is transported. In this case the wine was bought in in a french supermarket and then transported to the UK.
Every year I buy a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau and very often I find it undrinkable and pour it away.
JP Selles' wine is a remarkable exception; we actually enjoyed it and it did not taste anything like some of its rustic counterparts. Keeping it for a few months before opening probably helped its development.
Another pleasant surprise was a bottle of 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape bought from the British supermarket "Tesco". My friend gave it to me when he joined us for dinner one evening with his partner. Usually he bought his wine from an off-licence; he must have been in a bit of a hurry. I laid the wine down and forgot about it. Time passed by and unfortunately my good friend passed away. We used to talk about everything ranging from travel to astronomy and of course wine. We even talked and exchanged views for hours about politics and religion without any rancour and always in good humour.
The wine had kept so well and after 9 years in the bottle it had retained its vigour and its fruity flavour .The tannin had softened and there was a nutty taste of almonds mixed with vanilla. A concentrated and complex wine that tasted like a typical Chateauneuf du Pape - superb. Whoever the Tesco's buyer was deserves a big prize.
This wine cannot be slugged back; it is too powerful to drink without food. My wife and I drank a half bottle one evening with a shoulder of welsh lamb. The next evening I made a cawl with the the leftover lamb and we finished off the rest of the bottle with it.
The wine of course brought back fond memories of our friend and the conviviality that wine lovers share.
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/254092414
https://www.sommelix.fr/producteur-jean-paul-selles-8c9dae323
Every year I buy a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau and very often I find it undrinkable and pour it away.
JP Selles' wine is a remarkable exception; we actually enjoyed it and it did not taste anything like some of its rustic counterparts. Keeping it for a few months before opening probably helped its development.
Another pleasant surprise was a bottle of 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape bought from the British supermarket "Tesco". My friend gave it to me when he joined us for dinner one evening with his partner. Usually he bought his wine from an off-licence; he must have been in a bit of a hurry. I laid the wine down and forgot about it. Time passed by and unfortunately my good friend passed away. We used to talk about everything ranging from travel to astronomy and of course wine. We even talked and exchanged views for hours about politics and religion without any rancour and always in good humour.
The wine had kept so well and after 9 years in the bottle it had retained its vigour and its fruity flavour .The tannin had softened and there was a nutty taste of almonds mixed with vanilla. A concentrated and complex wine that tasted like a typical Chateauneuf du Pape - superb. Whoever the Tesco's buyer was deserves a big prize.
This wine cannot be slugged back; it is too powerful to drink without food. My wife and I drank a half bottle one evening with a shoulder of welsh lamb. The next evening I made a cawl with the the leftover lamb and we finished off the rest of the bottle with it.
The wine of course brought back fond memories of our friend and the conviviality that wine lovers share.
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/254092414
https://www.sommelix.fr/producteur-jean-paul-selles-8c9dae323
Friday, 15 March 2019
Yippee, it's the flat wine bottle delivered through your letterbox
We have had wine in the bag, wine in a tin, wine in a tetra pack and wine in a small plastic bottle on a plane. Now we have got wine in a flat plastic bottle - it's more than cool it's hip.
https://www.garconwines.com/garcon-bottles
All of these wine delivery methods have got one thing in common; the wine is not exactly Chateau Latour or thereabouts.
Never mind, these wines can be posted through the letterbox and will be available for delivery by drone. They are fully recyclable: every piece. Mind you, so are conventional wine bottles. The bottles are sterile and non-toxic and guaranteed not to affect your fertility - evidence please. They are made of virgin PET that will not compete with a castrated cat.
They are advertised as environmentally friendly which reduces their carbon footprint. These bottles pick themselves up from the ground when discarded at a picnic and recycle themselves.
How romantic that they fit in with today's modern PR lifestyle. You can romantically open a bottle of flat pack wine to impress your lover over a deliveroo Beef bourguignon. Be careful though, not to knock over the unstable "Bordeaux bottle shaped" flat pack of red burgundy; your lover might not be too impressed. Ardour could be suppressed. It might be the only bottle of wine you've got - heaven forbid.
You might be better off decanting your wine into a crystal glass carafe. Your wine snob potential life partner might then be convinced that they're drinking Chambertin rather than cheap Merlot plonk from Chile. They might even be convinced that you cooked the Beef bourguignon yourself - just hide the bin.
In all seriousness this could be a good idea and I might try a bottle or two when I have a barbecue. However, I shall not open a bottle of this type of plonk at home with my wife: I shall stick to tradition and still be able to recycle the bottle. I'll be cooking my own Boeuf bourguignon and serving Chambertin when I can afford it.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/01/naked-wines-takes-on-garcons-flat-wine-bottles/
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/french/boeuf-bourguignon
https://www.garconwines.com/garcon-bottles
All of these wine delivery methods have got one thing in common; the wine is not exactly Chateau Latour or thereabouts.
Never mind, these wines can be posted through the letterbox and will be available for delivery by drone. They are fully recyclable: every piece. Mind you, so are conventional wine bottles. The bottles are sterile and non-toxic and guaranteed not to affect your fertility - evidence please. They are made of virgin PET that will not compete with a castrated cat.
They are advertised as environmentally friendly which reduces their carbon footprint. These bottles pick themselves up from the ground when discarded at a picnic and recycle themselves.
How romantic that they fit in with today's modern PR lifestyle. You can romantically open a bottle of flat pack wine to impress your lover over a deliveroo Beef bourguignon. Be careful though, not to knock over the unstable "Bordeaux bottle shaped" flat pack of red burgundy; your lover might not be too impressed. Ardour could be suppressed. It might be the only bottle of wine you've got - heaven forbid.
You might be better off decanting your wine into a crystal glass carafe. Your wine snob potential life partner might then be convinced that they're drinking Chambertin rather than cheap Merlot plonk from Chile. They might even be convinced that you cooked the Beef bourguignon yourself - just hide the bin.
In all seriousness this could be a good idea and I might try a bottle or two when I have a barbecue. However, I shall not open a bottle of this type of plonk at home with my wife: I shall stick to tradition and still be able to recycle the bottle. I'll be cooking my own Boeuf bourguignon and serving Chambertin when I can afford it.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/01/naked-wines-takes-on-garcons-flat-wine-bottles/
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/french/boeuf-bourguignon
Friday, 1 March 2019
Les 3 Jean 2010 Domaine de la Cune Saumur-Champigny Loire Red
We deliberately kept this wine for * years to see how well it would mature and we were not disappointed.
The Saumur-Champigny appellation is in the Loire valley. The wine is produced form Cabernet Franc black grapes. Cabernet Franc is eminently suitable to the terroir and methods of production of the appellation.
We drank this wine with pork. The wine was still vigorous but of course the tannin had softened. There was a lovely red berry flavour and nose and the taste remained on the palate for a long time after swallowing. The wine was medium bodied so you could drink it without food, but I always recommend drinking good wine with food rather than sloshing it back. I don't think that this wine would improve in the the bottle for much longer and most people from France would already have drunk this vintage.
We were given this wine so I don't know how much it would have cost but I doubt that the price would have been more than about £10 a bottle so it makes this wine excellent value for money.
I don't buy much Loire valley wine to drink at home. This wine reminds me of what I am missing and the Loire valley is now back on the menu.
The Saumur-Champigny appellation is in the Loire valley. The wine is produced form Cabernet Franc black grapes. Cabernet Franc is eminently suitable to the terroir and methods of production of the appellation.
We drank this wine with pork. The wine was still vigorous but of course the tannin had softened. There was a lovely red berry flavour and nose and the taste remained on the palate for a long time after swallowing. The wine was medium bodied so you could drink it without food, but I always recommend drinking good wine with food rather than sloshing it back. I don't think that this wine would improve in the the bottle for much longer and most people from France would already have drunk this vintage.
We were given this wine so I don't know how much it would have cost but I doubt that the price would have been more than about £10 a bottle so it makes this wine excellent value for money.
I don't buy much Loire valley wine to drink at home. This wine reminds me of what I am missing and the Loire valley is now back on the menu.
Friday, 8 February 2019
Luis Felipe Edwards Lot 18 Merlot 2011 - Chile
Some how a half bottle of Luis Filipe Edwards lot 18 Merlot 2011 got left on its side and hiding in the dark. I retrieved it the other day when my wife said: "let's just drink a half bottle with our beef stew". Normally we would polish off a wine like this after at most 2 years rather than leave it 8 years.
The wine had a screw cap so there was no need to lay it on its side. I opened the wine and gave it a good sniff. I couldn't believe it, as it smelt fresh.
My wife enjoyed the wine with the beef. To me it tasted a bit flat. It had retained the spice and tannin but it lacked a fruit flavour. The wine had maintained its ruby red colour and for me there was no hint of oxidation. The lack of a fruit flavour was therefore due to a natural reduction of its fruit-tasting compounds. The wine was, however, drinkable with the food.
This wine is obviously not designed to be kept for a long time but after just 4 or 5 years of maturing in the bottle it would probably have retained its fruit flavour. It is a tribute to screw-caps that the wine had not oxidised during a 9 year period.
I have some good quality Australians wines, sealed with screw caps, which I am leaving to mature for a considerable time . I am expecting them to retain their fruit character and to taste very good. These wines, however, will not age in the same way as a cousin in a cork sealed bottle. With cork sealed bottles you run the risk of a putrefying cork tainting the taste of the wine. Cork sealed wines also eventually oxidise owing to the gradually diffusion of oxygen into the bottle.
I was quite surprised that our wine in question lasted for such a long time without deteriorating too much.
I can't remember how we came by this wine, as it was probably given to us: and how much it cost if we had bought it. Younger versions of this wine will probably be good value for money, they are worth a try, be sure to drink them with a wholesome meal rather than sloshing them back at a barbecue.
http://www.simplywinesdirect.uk/?product=luis-felipe-edwards-lot-18-merlot
The wine had a screw cap so there was no need to lay it on its side. I opened the wine and gave it a good sniff. I couldn't believe it, as it smelt fresh.
My wife enjoyed the wine with the beef. To me it tasted a bit flat. It had retained the spice and tannin but it lacked a fruit flavour. The wine had maintained its ruby red colour and for me there was no hint of oxidation. The lack of a fruit flavour was therefore due to a natural reduction of its fruit-tasting compounds. The wine was, however, drinkable with the food.
This wine is obviously not designed to be kept for a long time but after just 4 or 5 years of maturing in the bottle it would probably have retained its fruit flavour. It is a tribute to screw-caps that the wine had not oxidised during a 9 year period.
I have some good quality Australians wines, sealed with screw caps, which I am leaving to mature for a considerable time . I am expecting them to retain their fruit character and to taste very good. These wines, however, will not age in the same way as a cousin in a cork sealed bottle. With cork sealed bottles you run the risk of a putrefying cork tainting the taste of the wine. Cork sealed wines also eventually oxidise owing to the gradually diffusion of oxygen into the bottle.
I was quite surprised that our wine in question lasted for such a long time without deteriorating too much.
I can't remember how we came by this wine, as it was probably given to us: and how much it cost if we had bought it. Younger versions of this wine will probably be good value for money, they are worth a try, be sure to drink them with a wholesome meal rather than sloshing them back at a barbecue.
http://www.simplywinesdirect.uk/?product=luis-felipe-edwards-lot-18-merlot
Thursday, 10 January 2019
What ! A 12 euro bottle of champagne wins a silver medal!
Just before Christmas we went into an Intermarché supermarket to find bottles of Bel Vigne non-vintage brut champagne for 12 euros a bottle. This champagne is produced by the negociant Fourrier-Delmotte in Baroville in the Côte des Bar. The Côte des Bar is in the Aube region of the champagne appellation to the south of Troyes. Belle Vigne was awarded a silver medal in 2016. What could go wrong with buying half a case: well nothing?
We tasted this wine to drink in the new year with 9 relatives and we drank 3 bottles. The wine is superb and its taste is typical of the region where the soil is different to the north of the champagne region. The soil is limestone rather than chalk based. The wine was light and elegant and it was easily consumed with titbits before we dined.
I wish we had bought couple of cases. The value for money is tremendous. You could easily pay twice the price and still feel that you were getting value for money. So, here are three cheers for Intermarché and Belle Vigne champagne.
https://www.adresse-horaire.com/v-baroville-10/c-negociant-en-gros-de-vin-spiritueux-et-alcool/e-sarl-fourrier-delmotte
We tasted this wine to drink in the new year with 9 relatives and we drank 3 bottles. The wine is superb and its taste is typical of the region where the soil is different to the north of the champagne region. The soil is limestone rather than chalk based. The wine was light and elegant and it was easily consumed with titbits before we dined.
I wish we had bought couple of cases. The value for money is tremendous. You could easily pay twice the price and still feel that you were getting value for money. So, here are three cheers for Intermarché and Belle Vigne champagne.
https://www.adresse-horaire.com/v-baroville-10/c-negociant-en-gros-de-vin-spiritueux-et-alcool/e-sarl-fourrier-delmotte
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