I have made an uncountable number of trips to the South West of France but I have never tasted this wine. The Côtes de Duras borders on the Bordeaux and Bergerac regions and uses similar grape varieties in the blend of wines and wine making techniques. The wines have a reputation for being unexceptional.
I discovered BB de Berticot Rouge 2010 in a French supermarket on a recent visit. This wine is made from the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varieties and the viticulture is being converted to organic methods.
My wife and I were completely surprised by the quality of the wine. It was very rich and concentrated and had a vivid flavour of red fruits and spice. My wife felt that it had a hint of chocolate on the palate. I could have been fooled into thinking that the wine came from further South as it was so full of fruit and full bodied. The wine also had long length on the palate which is another indicator of good quality.
The wine went perfectly with fillet of lamb and my wife's Lyonnais potatoes - yum yum. The wine and food combination was simply delicious.
The wine had a distinctive taste of its own but I cannot judge whether it is typical of the appellation. The vines are grown on calcareous soils mixed with some gravel.
At about 6 Euros for a bottle this wine is very good value for money as its quality is excellent for the price.
As and added bonus this wine will keep for several years longer as it has a good solid structure and the tannin will soften further.
The next time I am in France I shall treat myself to half a case as it represents much better value for money than anything I can find in a British supermarket.
http://www.berticot.com/organic-wines,us,3,26.cfm
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/classic-lyonnaise-potatoes-recipe/index.html
Post script
We did not drink the whole bottle on our first sitting but finished it the following evening. I discovered a sediment at the bottom of the last glass. The sediment is harmless and indicates that the wine maker has either applied moderate filtration or no filtration at all. This also indicates to me that the winemaker cares about the quality of his wines.
Monday, 14 October 2013
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Alain Mathias Côte de Grisey 2011 Epineuil Red and Confit de Canard
The other night we were pushed for time and we cooked some Confit de Canard accompanied by some pasta. Oh well, I opened the tin and my wife cooked it. It comes in very large tins which will feed four people but only three when I am around. The whole meal took about half an hour to cook.
Confit de Canard is one of my favourite foods; it would go in my top ten along with rib of beef and sea bass. There is a lot of salt in it, so I am sure that the diet dictators would not approve. But, if you have got a bottle of water handy and only eat it once a month or so, why worry? We are going to France this weekend so I hope that my sister-in-law has got it on the agenda.
Confit de Canard is made by curing the legs in salt and then cooking them in their own own fat. It is a speciality of Gascony in France. We buy it in large tins. My wife cooks it in the oven in some but not all of the fat. She does it to perfection and cooks it until it is almost going dry but not quite. The flesh literally falls of the bone. It goes perfectly with pasta or with potatoes cooked in the remaining fat.
Why worry about cholesterol when you can wash down this favourite with a bottle of Alain Mathias 2011 Côte de Grisey Epineuil Red? This wine is delicious and goes perfectly with duck, chicken and game dishes. It is produced in Burgundy not far from the town of Tonnerre. I always think that Pinot Noir based wines go so well with poultry and game and this wine is no exception.
The 2011 will keep for several years longer and if you are ever in the Tonnerre area why not search out some Epineuil and Domaine Alain Mathias in particular.
http://www.domainealainmathias.com/vins.htm
Confit de Canard is one of my favourite foods; it would go in my top ten along with rib of beef and sea bass. There is a lot of salt in it, so I am sure that the diet dictators would not approve. But, if you have got a bottle of water handy and only eat it once a month or so, why worry? We are going to France this weekend so I hope that my sister-in-law has got it on the agenda.
Confit de Canard is made by curing the legs in salt and then cooking them in their own own fat. It is a speciality of Gascony in France. We buy it in large tins. My wife cooks it in the oven in some but not all of the fat. She does it to perfection and cooks it until it is almost going dry but not quite. The flesh literally falls of the bone. It goes perfectly with pasta or with potatoes cooked in the remaining fat.
Why worry about cholesterol when you can wash down this favourite with a bottle of Alain Mathias 2011 Côte de Grisey Epineuil Red? This wine is delicious and goes perfectly with duck, chicken and game dishes. It is produced in Burgundy not far from the town of Tonnerre. I always think that Pinot Noir based wines go so well with poultry and game and this wine is no exception.
The 2011 will keep for several years longer and if you are ever in the Tonnerre area why not search out some Epineuil and Domaine Alain Mathias in particular.
http://www.domainealainmathias.com/vins.htm
Planet Of The Grapes and Albariño 2012 Rías Baixas dry white wine
The other day I was invited for lunch with a colleague and we went to one of my favourite wine bars in the City of London "The Planet of the The Grapes". I have no commercial connexion.
I arrived early and was recommended a glass of the Albariño 2012 La Liebre y la Tortuga white wine from
Rías Baixas.
La Liebre y la Tortuga - the Rabbit and the Tortoise what a lovely name for a wine. And a very apt name for having a leisurely and slow chat in the Cockney hinterland right underneath Bow bells. "Rabbit and Pork" means "Talk" in cockney rhyming slang and well tortoises are slow and leisurely. It must have been the wine - enough of this "Rabbit"!
http://www.cockney.co.uk/
Nine pounds for a glass is not cheap but you are paying, also, for the location and the knowledge and good service of the wine staff. The wine was well recommended so we we decided on a bottle to go with our lunch.
Albariño is a dry white wine produced in the Rias Baixas of Galicia in Spain. Rias Baixas is near to the Atlantic ocean and the wine reflects the climate and granite based soil of the region.They are lively wines with well integrated fruit and acidity. They go well with good food especially fish. They are a bit expensive but when matched with well cooked food they are worth it. They also go well with pie and mash.
http://www.riasbaixaswines.com/wines/index.php
The white Albariño grape is thick skinned and is resistant to the mildew caused by the moisture from the Atlantic. The grape and the soil combine together to give the wine a refreshing taste which is so characteristic of the appellation. It is quite easy to recognise this wine but it could easily be confused with Alvarinho which is produced from the same grape just across the river Miño or Minho in Portugal's Vinho Verdi region.
http://www.wine-pages.com/features/vinho-verde-alvarinho.htm
Whilst working on a project in Hamburg this wine was a team favourite when we dined at the Vasco da Gama restaurant and it was always drunk with fish -superb. And they had both the Spanish and Portuguese wines.
http://www.vasco-da-gama-hamburg.de/
Next time you are in the City then why not pay a visit to the Planet of the Grapes especially if you are feeling flush. And in the supermarket, why not buy a bottle of Albariño or Alvarinho if you can find it? So enjoy some happy eating and drinking
http://www.morrisonscellar.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/KeywordSearchResults?storeId=10701&catalogId=11802&langId=-1&fcd=set&Ntk=primary&N=0&Ns=Relevance%7C1&pageView=&sourcePage=keywordSearch&Ntt=Alvarinho&x=-1078&y=-69&gclid=CJS3ysux9bkCFeXMtAodxFgAfQ
I arrived early and was recommended a glass of the Albariño 2012 La Liebre y la Tortuga white wine from
Rías Baixas.
La Liebre y la Tortuga - the Rabbit and the Tortoise what a lovely name for a wine. And a very apt name for having a leisurely and slow chat in the Cockney hinterland right underneath Bow bells. "Rabbit and Pork" means "Talk" in cockney rhyming slang and well tortoises are slow and leisurely. It must have been the wine - enough of this "Rabbit"!
http://www.cockney.co.uk/
Nine pounds for a glass is not cheap but you are paying, also, for the location and the knowledge and good service of the wine staff. The wine was well recommended so we we decided on a bottle to go with our lunch.
Albariño is a dry white wine produced in the Rias Baixas of Galicia in Spain. Rias Baixas is near to the Atlantic ocean and the wine reflects the climate and granite based soil of the region.They are lively wines with well integrated fruit and acidity. They go well with good food especially fish. They are a bit expensive but when matched with well cooked food they are worth it. They also go well with pie and mash.
http://www.riasbaixaswines.com/wines/index.php
The white Albariño grape is thick skinned and is resistant to the mildew caused by the moisture from the Atlantic. The grape and the soil combine together to give the wine a refreshing taste which is so characteristic of the appellation. It is quite easy to recognise this wine but it could easily be confused with Alvarinho which is produced from the same grape just across the river Miño or Minho in Portugal's Vinho Verdi region.
http://www.wine-pages.com/features/vinho-verde-alvarinho.htm
Whilst working on a project in Hamburg this wine was a team favourite when we dined at the Vasco da Gama restaurant and it was always drunk with fish -superb. And they had both the Spanish and Portuguese wines.
http://www.vasco-da-gama-hamburg.de/
Next time you are in the City then why not pay a visit to the Planet of the Grapes especially if you are feeling flush. And in the supermarket, why not buy a bottle of Albariño or Alvarinho if you can find it? So enjoy some happy eating and drinking
http://www.morrisonscellar.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/KeywordSearchResults?storeId=10701&catalogId=11802&langId=-1&fcd=set&Ntk=primary&N=0&Ns=Relevance%7C1&pageView=&sourcePage=keywordSearch&Ntt=Alvarinho&x=-1078&y=-69&gclid=CJS3ysux9bkCFeXMtAodxFgAfQ
Monday, 16 September 2013
RESERVE DU MUSEE 1990 Claret AOC
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/
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/
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.
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