Lunta 2011 Malbec, Mendoza.

Reduced to a tenner on a 2 bottle deal at Majestic. Just after decanting it has that tar-like smoky edge with bold, almost brutal tannins.

Update - an hour later, the story is a similar one but it was interesting to contrast it to a Sainsbury's Cahors: the latter is rougher by far!

Paul Jaboulet Aine St-Peray 2011

We tried a bottle of this at Christmas, hoping that it's Rhone credentials might have something of the Brezeme about it. Having had the second bottle tonight it's disappointment is confirmed. Blend of Marsanne and Roussanne (as per Brezeme, if I recall correctly?) just ends up tasting bitter! I had thought this would have much more ripe fruit about it. At £12.50 (WS) this is a poor show.

Christian Bernard 2010 Fleurie Vielles vignes

Intensely perfumed. Strong violet blast initially, black cherry following later. Classy, well rounded and unmistakably crus Beaujolais. I've read lots of waffle about the 2010 vintage but this is the first of the WS offerings that live up to the hype.

Clos la Coutale, Cahors, 2010

Very rustic. Savoury attack but the acidity is too high, the effect being very little depth as it progress. Disappointing that this doesn't offer an sufficiently interesting counterpoint to the new world Malbecs we have been working through of late.

Petit Mas Sinen

Bought at the producer's place in Priorat. This was absolutely superb. Light initially (cranberry, Red current, fairly high acidity) then bags of depth on the finish (savoury, earthly, oddly petroly edge). Consumed by Geir and I whilst preparing dinner. What a great way remember a great day out in Spain.

Marcillac

Domaine Les Fines Graves

£8 (WS). Deceptive one. At fist it feels very balanced and clean but there turns out to be virtually no fruit at all save perhaps the faintest hint of black cherry, perhaps? The finish is nonexistent, neither harsh nor satisfying, just missing!

Kaiken Ultra Malbec

Liam kindly brought two of these round when we had steaks last week. He thought they would be a good match and right he was. Dense, velvety texture. Dark purple, almost black colour. Highly savoury and well balanced. Doesn't feel anything like as heavy as it should do for a 15% wine. Very good value at £12. Would be good with duck at Christmas perhaps? I read that 'Kaiken is the Argentine brand of Vina Montes, which is based in Chile.' Liam visited the winery on his recent South American sojourn.

George Badriou Beaujolais 2010

£8 (Avery's) and good value at that. Everything you could ask for from generic 'bas Beaujolais'. Vibrant raspberry fruit and a hint of pepper coming later. Just goes to show that you don't necessarily need a cru region to get the best out of Gamay.

Cuvee details Richard Blanc 2011 PGI Comte Tolosan

Further evidence of the south west's value. At £5.50 (Majestic) this is a steal. Seems to manage to be apple like, buttery and very balanced. A blend of colombard, ugni blanc and sauvignon blanc. Shades of the Brumont white we used to enjoy. I read that IGP stands for Indication Geographique Protegee - the EU equivalent of Vin de Pays.

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.