We were given this wine by a friend who had kept it too long and we made the situation worse by keeping it for another three years ourselves. My wife cooked a superb fillet of pork and I though I would give the wine a try. It had lost all its fruit. The wine should have been drunk by 1995 or 1996 and not in 2013.
The wine had some of the attributes of a well matured wine; the tannin had completely softened and there was a slight taste of prunes rather than plums but that was it. I could drink one glass but no more and the rest could not really be kept for cooking as there was no flavour left.
It shows the real difference between a standard quality wine and a good one. A 1990 Château Gruaud Larose would still taste perfect after twenty years or so in the bottle and would have retained its fruit flavour; provided of course that it had been kept under favourable conditions. So, this is one of the reasons why it costs so much more despite its renowned name and rarity value.
If you get a chance to taste both types of wine after more than twenty years in the bottle and at the same sitting then jump at the opportunity. You will be amazed at the difference.
RESERVE DU MUSEE 1990 was produced by Benoit Valérie Calvet. Their website can be seen below
£3.59 supermarket plonk indeed which is as good as wine at 10 times the price. I'll let you decide.
This calls for a blog about self-proclaimed wine experts and pundits.
http://www.benoitvaleriecalvet.com/in-the-words-of-others/
Monday, 16 September 2013
Domaine de L'Arjolle - exciting wines
On a recent trip to the Languedoc we paid a visit to Domaine de L'Arjolle hosted by one of the founders of the Domaine - Louis-Marie Teisserenc.
Domaine deL'Arjollle is part of the Indication Géographique Protégée of Côtes de Thongue Appellation. This appellation gives the winemaker more freedom to plant grapes such as the Zinfandel which would not be allowed for wine production under the rules of the Languedon-Roussillon Appellation d'Origine Protégée.
The Domaine is located in the attractive village of Pouzolles which is not far from the town of Pezenas. The Domaine has a wide range of soils and the grape variety is matched to the soil to produce some exciting wines which reflect the climate,weather and soil of the appellation.
Gravel soils are used for the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache grapes. The Syrah grapes used in the blend for their red Paradox wine are grown on calcareous marls and clay. Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes are grown on alluvial soils. Many of the Domaine's red wines are blended from grapes from the differing soils to add to the complexity of the blend.White grapes such as Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Viognier are grown on sandy marls which are mixed with limonite which contains iron oxide compounds.
At first we paid a visit to the modern winery and then tasted a full selection of the wines and some of these wines were tasted with the local cheeses.
My wife and I were completely impressed with all of the wines which we tasted as they had all of the concentration and complexity that one would expect of high quality wines. They were also bursting with fruit.
I could have bought a half case of each wine tasted but we were limited for space. So I selected two to take back to London.
The Paradox 2010 a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Grenache. This dry red wine was full of fruit with a hint of vanilla and spice and was concentrated and complex with a long length on the palate. Even though it had 14% alcohol it did not taste hot and all of the elements of the wine where well integrated. It had a high level of tannin which will soften with keeping and I shall not drink the first bottle for at least a couple of years. The wine is of exceptional value for money at 16.5 Eur a bottle.
Zinfandel 2010 another dry red wine with concentrated and complex flavours of red fruits: it was high in tannin which will soften and had medium acidity. It also had a flavour of liquorice and spice. All the elements of the wine were also well integrated. At 14.55% alcohol this wine did not taste hot either. I loved this wine. Despite difficulties with the wine authorities the Domaine has one hectare of Zinfandel planted in Pouzolles.
Both of these wines are really suited to be drunk with food and I would not recommend them for consumption on their own owing to the high alcoholic content.
The wine growing and making techniques combine all the best features of the old and the new to produce modern styled wines with more than a hint of classical quality.
The wines can be bought from the Domaine who will welcome you and if you cannot go to France you can obtain the wines from the Wine Society. If ever you are in the Pezenas area, a visit to Pouzolles is worth it as the village is dominated by a magnificent twin towered 15th century castle. My photograph does not do it justice.
http://www.arjolle.com/shop/wine-list-p1.html
Domaine deL'Arjollle is part of the Indication Géographique Protégée of Côtes de Thongue Appellation. This appellation gives the winemaker more freedom to plant grapes such as the Zinfandel which would not be allowed for wine production under the rules of the Languedon-Roussillon Appellation d'Origine Protégée.
The Domaine is located in the attractive village of Pouzolles which is not far from the town of Pezenas. The Domaine has a wide range of soils and the grape variety is matched to the soil to produce some exciting wines which reflect the climate,weather and soil of the appellation.
Gravel soils are used for the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache grapes. The Syrah grapes used in the blend for their red Paradox wine are grown on calcareous marls and clay. Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes are grown on alluvial soils. Many of the Domaine's red wines are blended from grapes from the differing soils to add to the complexity of the blend.White grapes such as Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Viognier are grown on sandy marls which are mixed with limonite which contains iron oxide compounds.
At first we paid a visit to the modern winery and then tasted a full selection of the wines and some of these wines were tasted with the local cheeses.
My wife and I were completely impressed with all of the wines which we tasted as they had all of the concentration and complexity that one would expect of high quality wines. They were also bursting with fruit.
I could have bought a half case of each wine tasted but we were limited for space. So I selected two to take back to London.
The Paradox 2010 a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Grenache. This dry red wine was full of fruit with a hint of vanilla and spice and was concentrated and complex with a long length on the palate. Even though it had 14% alcohol it did not taste hot and all of the elements of the wine where well integrated. It had a high level of tannin which will soften with keeping and I shall not drink the first bottle for at least a couple of years. The wine is of exceptional value for money at 16.5 Eur a bottle.
Zinfandel 2010 another dry red wine with concentrated and complex flavours of red fruits: it was high in tannin which will soften and had medium acidity. It also had a flavour of liquorice and spice. All the elements of the wine were also well integrated. At 14.55% alcohol this wine did not taste hot either. I loved this wine. Despite difficulties with the wine authorities the Domaine has one hectare of Zinfandel planted in Pouzolles.
Both of these wines are really suited to be drunk with food and I would not recommend them for consumption on their own owing to the high alcoholic content.
The wine growing and making techniques combine all the best features of the old and the new to produce modern styled wines with more than a hint of classical quality.
The wines can be bought from the Domaine who will welcome you and if you cannot go to France you can obtain the wines from the Wine Society. If ever you are in the Pezenas area, a visit to Pouzolles is worth it as the village is dominated by a magnificent twin towered 15th century castle. My photograph does not do it justice.
http://www.arjolle.com/shop/wine-list-p1.html
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Château Maucaillou 2009 Red AOC Moulis
This red wine is a good solid example of Bordeaux dry red. It is typical of the Médoc and exhibits all the qualities of a good red wine. It is well balanced and the softening tannin is well integrated into the structure of the wine. It has complex and concentrated flavours of red and black fruits with a slight vanilla flavour derived from its maturation in oak casks It will improve in the bottle for a few years longer.
I use this wine as a reference point. Any red wine which tastes better will be of exceptional quality and will be of exceptional value for money if it costs less than £20 a bottle.
If I am paying £15 to £20 pounds for a bottle of red then I expect wine which is just as good as the Château Maucaillou and I would be disappointed if it did not live up to these standards.
Château Maucaillou should be drunk with a good meal and it goes perfectly with beef. You can buy it for about 23Eur a bottle in France. I rate this wine much more highly than Snooth does.
http://www.snooth.com/winery/chateau-maucaillou-moulis-en-medoc/
I use this wine as a reference point. Any red wine which tastes better will be of exceptional quality and will be of exceptional value for money if it costs less than £20 a bottle.
If I am paying £15 to £20 pounds for a bottle of red then I expect wine which is just as good as the Château Maucaillou and I would be disappointed if it did not live up to these standards.
Château Maucaillou should be drunk with a good meal and it goes perfectly with beef. You can buy it for about 23Eur a bottle in France. I rate this wine much more highly than Snooth does.
http://www.snooth.com/winery/chateau-maucaillou-moulis-en-medoc/
Friday, 16 August 2013
Franck GIVAUDIN Irancy Rouge AOC 2011
We drank this wine in a tiny village on the N151 just south of Auxerre. Irancy is one of my favourite wines and Franck GIVAUDIN is a really good producer. You will not be disappointed if you find a bottle of this wine as it has all the regional character that you expect from an Irancy. It has a taste of strawberries and raspberries and an air of minerals.
The wine is elegant and matches Burgundian cuisine really well: we drank it with Bavette steak but it will go down just as well with roast chicken or game. the 2011 can be drunk now or kept to improve in the bottle for a few years longer.
http://www.irancy.org/vigneron.php?id_vigneron=8
I love drinking wines when I am in their actual region of production. This is why, whenever I travel in the major wine producing countries of Europe I order wine that is produced in the locality if possible.
I even like Retsina when I am Greece even though I cannot stomach it in the UK.
In the UK it is difficult to find a locally produced wine of any quality at a reasonable price. This means that we have to look for wines from all over the world to go with our food - this is adequate compensation provided that I am not forced to drink Retsina.
The wine is elegant and matches Burgundian cuisine really well: we drank it with Bavette steak but it will go down just as well with roast chicken or game. the 2011 can be drunk now or kept to improve in the bottle for a few years longer.
http://www.irancy.org/vigneron.php?id_vigneron=8
I love drinking wines when I am in their actual region of production. This is why, whenever I travel in the major wine producing countries of Europe I order wine that is produced in the locality if possible.
I even like Retsina when I am Greece even though I cannot stomach it in the UK.
In the UK it is difficult to find a locally produced wine of any quality at a reasonable price. This means that we have to look for wines from all over the world to go with our food - this is adequate compensation provided that I am not forced to drink Retsina.
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Burgundy – One region but many styles of Wine
Burgundy
– One region but many styles of Wine
On a recent trip to Burgundy it was really brought
home to me how the styles and character of the wine differ from area to area.
This is what makes Burgundy so interesting for me; all of the good wines have regional
character. They have the much talked about goût de terroir.
My wife and I were visiting her family in north Burgundy
and because her father was born in Beines near the town of Chablis we have a
particular fondness for the wines of the area. But this fondness is not just
based on sentimentality as the quality of the wines from northern Burgundy can
be outstanding. The hospitality of our Burgundian cousins was also outstanding.
We drank two red wines:
Le Bourgogne-Côte-Saint-Jacques
2010
produced by Domaine Christophe Lepage from the commune of Champlay near to Joigny,
which is about 24 kms down river from Auxerre on the banks of the river Yonne.
The river Yonne to the south and the Othe forest to the north protect the vines
from excessive heat or cold in all seasons.
About 11 hectares of land is
under vine in the Côte-Saint-Jacques “appellation”. Since the late 1970s there
has been a revival in the fortunes of the Joigny vineyards. Grape production
almost disappeared here during the early part of the twentieth century owing to
infestation of the vines by the phylloxera pest which almost completely destroyed
the vineyards.
The soil here is composed of sand, flint, gravel and
clay overlying late cretaceous limestone and it is ideally suited to the
cultivation of the Pinot Noir grape. The vineyards here are the most northern
of the Burgundy Appellation so the red wines are not as rich as the wines
further south.
This wine tasted of cherry and red fruits with soft
tannins. It was of good basic quality and was fully mature but it would not improve
in the bottle for much longer
.
Côte-Saint-Jacques wines are not readily available
in the UK, it is best to pay a visit to the area. Joigny and Auxerre are towns
which are well worth visiting they are about 4 hours from Calais by car.
Bourgogne
–Epineuil Les Beaumonts 2009 Vignobles Dampt; this is a
prize winning red wine. Epineuil is one of my favourites: it is produced in the
eponymous commune near the town of Tonnerre.
The soil is based on Kimmeridgian calcareous outcrops
which lends a flinty or steely taste to the wine and this combined with the
cherry and red fruits flavours gives a completely distinctive character to the
wine.
This wine tastes much more complex than the Côte-Saint-Jacques.
It is the soil which makes the difference and even though Tonnerre is only
twenty five miles from Joigny the geology is completely different.
The wine was fully mature and ready to drink now but
I am certain that it could be kept for a few years longer.
The vineyards of Tonnerre suffered a similar fate to
those of Joigny and before the end of the 19th century it was
regarded as one of the most prestigious in France; it is now recovering its
reputation. Epineuil is set to become one of the princes of wine. It is also
difficult to obtain in the UK so a visit to the area is recommended.
We drank two white wines:
Chablis
Premier Cru Beauroy 2008 from Domaine Alain Geoffroy:
this is a good quality Chablis which had all the complex flavours that I would
expect from a premier cru wine. It tasted of peaches and citrus fruits with a
mineral flavour imparted by the Kimmeridgian soils.
This wine is 100%
chardonnay and was not matured in new oak barrels. It tasted fresh. We drank
this wine with fish at the start of a meal and chaource with the cheese course.
This wine is OK to drink now but it will keep and improve in the bottle for
several years longer.
Chablis is one of my favourite white wines as I am not
over fond of white wines which have too much oak flavour. Chablis is easily
obtainable in the UK but at inflated prices compared to France, so this is
another good reason to visit the north of Burgundy.
Saint-VéranTerra
Incognita 2008 White: the appellation of Saint-Véran is from
much further south in the Burgundy region in the Mâconnais district which
is west of the town of Mâcon. The climate is much warmer here and this is
reflected in the style and character of the wine: it is much richer than the Chardonnay
based whites form the north of Burgundy. The soil is also different to that of
Chablis as it is based on limestone marls.
This wine is so different in style to the Chablis
premier cru that you could be forgiven for thinking that they are from
completely different regions. It too had a flavour of stone fruits and peaches but there
was the distinct taste of vanilla spice. Unlike the Chablis it had been matured
in new oak barrels. There was none of the mineral flavour from the Kimmeridgian
soils of the Chablis sub-region. It was good quality wine but not outstanding.
The Mâconnais sub-region produces more dry white wine than the rest of Burgundy
put to together and is an ideal place to find and good quality White Burgundy
which is excellent value for money.
So there you have it, two good quality red and dry
whites which reflect the character of their sub-region and even their local
area. The Burgundy region covers just over 12,000 square miles and it is easy
to travel from part to another but there are many styles of wine. In some wine
producing countries you would need to cross a whole continent to find wines of
such distinctive character.
Monday, 22 July 2013
Planet of the Grapes - Bow Lane London
I had time to spare for lunch with a colleague in Bow lane so I popped in to Planet Of The Grapes to see what it is all about. Normally, a name such as this which apes the name of a film would put me off- pardon the pun.
I was really impressed when I asked the waitress to recommend a real dry white wine and the answer was Domaine Vatan Pouilly-Fumé 2010. The wine was superb and I happily paid £10 for a glass. It had the distinct flavour of a Loire Valley white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc. It had green fruit and apple flavours and a gorgeous smokey, flinty aroma; this wine was typical of the area.
I bought a bottle at £16 to take home and this represented tremendous value for money for such a good wine from a good producer. I shall share it with friends over a fish dinner.
The wine was made from grapes from selected plots of land where the soil is based on silaceous clay interspersed with flint stones. It was the perfect wine to drink on its own on a hot summer day but better with food of course.
It was a pleasant to find a wine bar where the waiting staff actually know something about wine and make a perfect recommendation. Of course, I cannot resist a rant about varietal labelling. Merlot is not a wine it is a grape. Merlot is used to produce grapes in almost every wine producing country. The "wine" is rarely 100% Merlot as it will have been blended with other black grapes. the same reasoning applies to Chardonnay.
I was in an Italian restaurant the other day and asked the waitress to recommend a red wine, she suggested Merlot. She was Italian; why did she know nothing about wine? I settled for a Sicilian red, she new where Sicily was but why did she not know that they produced some very good wine? Why should I be treated as an ignoramus?
Is it not time for all wine bars and restaurants to follow Planet Of The Grapes lead and employ people who know something about wine.
If you settle for "Merlot Wine" you will probably get poor quality bulk produced plonk from anywhere in the world but being sold at inflated prices. At Plane Of The Grapes I knew what I was getting and I was prepared to pay that little bit extra for the wine and the good service.
The range of wines from all over the world in Planet Of The Grapes was impressive and the wine knowledge of the manager, Fabio, was equally as impressive. A quick glance at the Bordeaux and Burgundy counters revealed that I had tasted a fair proportion of them . I could be worth a fortune now but I would not have enjoyed my life so much.
So three cheers for Fabio and his staff. I am going back.
http://www.edvwines.com/xq/asp/ID.21/qx/brands.html
http://www.planetofthegrapes.co.uk/
I was really impressed when I asked the waitress to recommend a real dry white wine and the answer was Domaine Vatan Pouilly-Fumé 2010. The wine was superb and I happily paid £10 for a glass. It had the distinct flavour of a Loire Valley white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc. It had green fruit and apple flavours and a gorgeous smokey, flinty aroma; this wine was typical of the area.
I bought a bottle at £16 to take home and this represented tremendous value for money for such a good wine from a good producer. I shall share it with friends over a fish dinner.
The wine was made from grapes from selected plots of land where the soil is based on silaceous clay interspersed with flint stones. It was the perfect wine to drink on its own on a hot summer day but better with food of course.
It was a pleasant to find a wine bar where the waiting staff actually know something about wine and make a perfect recommendation. Of course, I cannot resist a rant about varietal labelling. Merlot is not a wine it is a grape. Merlot is used to produce grapes in almost every wine producing country. The "wine" is rarely 100% Merlot as it will have been blended with other black grapes. the same reasoning applies to Chardonnay.
I was in an Italian restaurant the other day and asked the waitress to recommend a red wine, she suggested Merlot. She was Italian; why did she know nothing about wine? I settled for a Sicilian red, she new where Sicily was but why did she not know that they produced some very good wine? Why should I be treated as an ignoramus?
Is it not time for all wine bars and restaurants to follow Planet Of The Grapes lead and employ people who know something about wine.
If you settle for "Merlot Wine" you will probably get poor quality bulk produced plonk from anywhere in the world but being sold at inflated prices. At Plane Of The Grapes I knew what I was getting and I was prepared to pay that little bit extra for the wine and the good service.
The range of wines from all over the world in Planet Of The Grapes was impressive and the wine knowledge of the manager, Fabio, was equally as impressive. A quick glance at the Bordeaux and Burgundy counters revealed that I had tasted a fair proportion of them . I could be worth a fortune now but I would not have enjoyed my life so much.
So three cheers for Fabio and his staff. I am going back.
http://www.edvwines.com/xq/asp/ID.21/qx/brands.html
http://www.planetofthegrapes.co.uk/
Domaine Debray Auxey-Duresses AOC 2005 White Burgundy
We drank this wine after the Wolf Blass Yellow label sparkling wine but with our food- see my previous posting. This wine is typical of a white Burgundy form the Côte de Beaune area with a complex flavours of nuts, butter, fruits and spice. it is not dissimilar to its more illustrious brothe from the neighbouring commune of Mersault. It compares favourably.
The limestone marl soils and the climate here really suit the Chardonnay grape. This wine has the distinct character of the region. The Côte de Beaune produces some of the world's finest dry white wines with a subtle oak finish. In my opinion the New World still has a long way to go to beat even the modest wines from Debray who is a really good producer.
This wine went perfectly with casseroled chicken but it would go equally as well with fish especially smoked salmon. The 2005 vintage is ready for drinking now.
I can't remember how much I paid for this wine but now I think that we are talking about £16 to £20 pounds a bottle
http://www.domaine-debray.fr/vins-beaune/img/rvf-juin2010.pdf
http://www.burgundyeye.com/wine/winegrowers-merchants/beaune/domaine-debray-beaune/
The limestone marl soils and the climate here really suit the Chardonnay grape. This wine has the distinct character of the region. The Côte de Beaune produces some of the world's finest dry white wines with a subtle oak finish. In my opinion the New World still has a long way to go to beat even the modest wines from Debray who is a really good producer.
This wine went perfectly with casseroled chicken but it would go equally as well with fish especially smoked salmon. The 2005 vintage is ready for drinking now.
I can't remember how much I paid for this wine but now I think that we are talking about £16 to £20 pounds a bottle
http://www.domaine-debray.fr/vins-beaune/img/rvf-juin2010.pdf
http://www.burgundyeye.com/wine/winegrowers-merchants/beaune/domaine-debray-beaune/
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