Chateau la decade Bottiere Julienas 2008

Moderate black cherry up front. Very fine peppery, subtly tannic finish. A cru Beaujolais that approaches but doesn't quite reach Thivin country. Thus far, this is the best of the birthday case. No idea what the price was (Avery's) but I'd gladly pay at least £10-15 for this.

Dad's 69th birthday wines

Both were 'birthday' wines consumed with Dad on his 69th during what it likely to be my last visit to Station House. The claret was one from his cellar. The Cab. Sav is one that Daniel and I bought him in 1995 ('love from The Burkes' I'm told the wrapping said. The latter had help up very well despite year of vertical storage in the bibby (with resultant dessicated cork). Still instantly recognisable as a new world ball buster but the years had mellow it considerably to take on a pleasing rustic edge. The claret was very poor given the region (St George St Emillion) and the year (2000). It had no recognisably Claret like strengths and while not unpleasant it was a disappointment. Sadly there are about 8 left which I doubt will prove good value.

The attritional loss of faith in Claret continued a week later with the consumption of the birthday wine I bought him: La Croix de Beaucaillou 2006 St-Julien. At £30 p/b this was criminally unremarkable. I have definitely enjoyed wines (with Geir) from this stable previously. Perhaps that was the producer's first wine but I doubt it as that now seems to come in at about £80 p/b. It is a long time indeed since I have had a pleasurable Claret experience which as also felt like reasonable value. One exception might the WS's Château Canada (£7.50) but they seem to be increasingly thin on the ground. Perhaps my tastes have changed rather than the wines? Possible, but unlikely, given that the bottles I've enjoyed recently from South Africa are those that remind me of Clarets past.

Bourgueil 2010

Purchased on the ferry back from Bilbao. I think it cost me £7.50 ish (€9 perhaps?).
Excellent example if everything I like about Cabernet Franc. Dry, cedary edge with subtle sour cherry fruit. Cracking.

M&S Ardeche Gamay.

Fair play for getting a Gamay out there for £4.95 but this is atrocious stuff. I can taste absolutely no Gamay like features of any kind here. I can't even bring myself to finish the bottle. A far cry from Yapp Bros Ardeche offering which I think came in at £9. This is a false economy if ever there was one.

Chinon 2009

Insipid Cabernet Franc. Expected better from Waitrose. Lacking any distinguishing features. Little in the way of backbone. Relatively poor value for £10.

Grand Enclos du Chateau de Cerons, Graves, 2006

Due to a balls up at the till in M&S this cost us precisely zero pence! Much darker colour that I'd expected, but then again, my experience of white Bordeaux is minimal. Not a million miles away from a maconaise offering, perhaps? Slightly more of a peach edge to the fruit (almost like languedoc whites?), could that be the semillion? It has 'a hint of oak' according to the label. Might this explain the richness? On the back of this (should have been £16 a bottle) I'd be tempted to go back to white Bordeaux and test the waters further.

Christmas wines, part 3

Chateau Reynon, Premier cotes de Bordeaux, 2006.
Not a patch on it's Christmas day partner - Raats' Cabernet Franc. OK, it was 2 per bottle cheaper but no contest in terms of character. Bland and inoffensive. Rather insipid really. I was hoping to recapture some of the quality of the fabled Gand-Mouyes - also a lowly 'Superior' - but this didn't have anything to separate it from its rivals.
The worry here is that Bordeaux has forgotten how to satisfy below £15. Even allowing for inflation etc, this wasn't the case even £10 years ago.

Christmas wines, part 2

Raats, Cabernet Franc, 2008. Superb depth of flavour.  Of particular interest was whether this was measurably different from Loire reds. I think it may be but either way, it is a cracking wine. At £15 a bottle (WS) this fantastic value for money. I feel like it is the Cabernet Franc component of Claret that might be what makes it so appealing: dry, fruity and cedary in equal measure.

Christmas wines, part 1

The Morgon was part of the contraband case. The Montus was part of a in bond case. The later is still not ready. I shall leave the remainder for at least a couple of years if possible. Perhaps it was just the contrast with the Morgon but the tannins felt furry and somewhat ragged. The Morgon itself was much thinner than I'd expected, agreeable though.

Salice Salentino

We drained two bottles of this at Salvo's Cafe on Dec 23rd.

Total ignorance about Puglia. Very earthy. Dark,  bramble edge to the fruit but not overpowering. Great partner to the food there. Best Italian food I've had outstanding of Italy.

Clos de la Roilette, Flurie, 2010

A birthday wine from MC. This forms the first 2010 cru Beaujolais out of the traps.
Very fine indeed. Has all the sappy juicy-ness I like in a Beaujolais but also a pleasing savoury edge. It's interesting that I often don't associate these wines with any obviously discernable fruit (appart from the occasional black cherry).
Very solid, well rounded wine that is great without overtly trying to be so.
I wonder where it came from?

Barolo

Dan donated this to me at the end of Grace's christening.

Try as I might, I just don't see the point of Barolo.
Entry level seems to be at least £15 a bottle and I've had unremarkable examples that were over double that price.

As far as I can tell, the Nebillo grape seems to produce reds of high acidity, pale colour and a  vaguely pinot noir like flavour. Thus, it looks like gamay and is similar in terms of body but has none of the attributes on the nose or pallet.

Domaine de la croix de Chaintres, Saumur Champigny, 2008

£9 (Waitrose). Superb value. Genuine raspberry burst on the nose (bit of cranberry also?) Earthy, yet light flavour. Becomes progressively more savoury as it develops in the mouth. Fine example of what reasonably priced Cabernet Franc can do. Shades of higher end cru Beaujolais, perhaps without the black cherry edge and more of a soil-like, woody  finish?
In terms of supermarkets, Waitrose really are in a league of their own when it comes to interesting wine at a fair price.

Chateaux Grand Tayac, Margaux 2005

One from Dad's birthday box. He would not have been happy with this. Rather rannic with a fairly rustic edge. Little in the way of any fruit. Absolutely nothing on the nose. Too young perhaps? Possibly, but it's getting on for seven years...being a 2005 Margaux, I dread to think what this cost. It does highlight the rising risk levels associated with buying wine over a tenner.

WS's Malbec (Mendoza, 2010)

Hard to judge this one. At £7 it's reasonable value. Fairly tannic finish, some fruit up front. Much like the Damaine du bosc but more rustic perhaps. Another marker of similarities between South America and the Languedoc?

L'Antique Pouilly Fume

Another Sainsbury's failure. £16 is poor value here for what is a bland inoffensive Sauvignon blanc. Not a patch on the last Pouilly Fume I wrote about.

Southwold wines

The L'Hermitage de Chasse Spleen was the last of the case I think. It may well be my first serious attempt to by good claret by the case. For the first few years it was stored in atrocious conditions (upright, in wildly fluctuating temperatures). At least one bottle had it's cork protruding which didn't bode well. I recall many of these bottles being somewhat thin but this was a cracker. Very smooth, harmonious. Lacking the power of a high end claret but still enough fruit to do it justice.

The Julienas (Adnams) was incredibly good value at £10. Really juicy, light and refreshing.

The Sesti was the reason why I first came into contact with Adnams. It was part of a mixed case put together by The Bunch and released by The Telegraph. Earthy, deep savoury edge to it. I know nothing of the grape or the region. Still can't decide how I feel about Italian reds. All too often they seem rather ragged/rustic yet the price tags don't reflect this.

I was too far gone to recall anything useful about the Rioja. Pity, I think MH paid a fair whack for it.

Louis Max Pouilly Fuisse

£13 reduced from £15 at Sainsbury's and a massive disappointment at either price. Incredibly high acidity for a Maconnaise wine. Very sad to think this is their only medium end white Burgundy.

Pouilly Fume

An outstanding wine. Dr Burton tells me he thinks this may have come from Oddbins, which ties in with its current lack of availability anywhere online. I'd gladly pay £15 a bottle for this. Oddly rich for a sauvignon blanc. Not what I was expecting at all. Almost Riesling-like nose, buttery colour but still very crisp on the finish. Suberb in every way. Makes you wonder if it's time to get back into Loire whites. Time was when Sancerre was the default 'posh white' for our circle.

Madiran, Chateau Montus 2006 | Le Bon Vin

I see that my 2006 Montus is now going for £28.50! I'm pretty sure that I paid something like £13 a bottle after duty and VAT:

Madiran, Chateau Montus 2006 | Le Bon Vin

A good advert for en premiur?