English Wine Producers Press Tasting

                     – Thursday 23rd April 2009

 

Chapel Down, Pinot Reserve 2004

Beautiful light golden colour.

Fresh, slighty toffeed nose, with underlying autolytic yeastiness.

The pinot blanc and pinot noir combination is just right, giving a refreshing appley, white pears combination.

www.englishwinesgroup.com – £25.00

 

Denbies Greenfields Cuvee 2002

Lighter gold. Very fine bubbles. Creamy. Slightly bready, yeasty.

Caramel and stewed apple. Great race of acidity.

Selected Waitrose Stores – £21.99

 

Hush Heath, Balfour Brut Rose 2005

Light strawberry, almost peach in character. Fruit is light and ripe.

Very fine mousse with balanced acidity. Refreshing and exciting.

Marks & Spencer  – £31.49

 

Three Choirs, Premium Selection Rose 2007

Considerable depth of fruit on the nose.

Dark orange peel, rich strawberry and sweet cherry.

Rounded, slightly floral style.

Restrained acidity works well to accentuate complexity of fruit.

Finish lingers on and on….

Selected Waitrose Stores  – £6.70

 

Chapel Down, English Rose 2007

An intriguing blend makes for a refreshingly ‘English’ style.

A hypnotic mix, herbal, grassy, slightly medicinal.  Reminiscent of ploughed fields and hay bails.

Slightly tropical fruit, with a warmth of sweetness, but not too much.

www.englishwinesgroup.com – £10.00

 

Astley, Late Harvest 2007

Delightful perfumed nose of lemon, honey and light rose-petal.

Light on acidity but still fresh and exciting. Summery sweetness.

Astley Vineyards 01299822907 – £9.45 (half bottle)

 

Brightwell, Oxford Regatta 2006

The 100% Dornfielder gives it ‘the scent of the forest.’ Deeper, fuller rubyish tinge.

Pleasantly floral, with a rounder, sweeter edge. Rustic and earthy quality.

Very fine tannins. Won’t last too much longer,  best enjoyed now. Slightly peppery edge to finish.

www.brightwines.co.uk – £9.70

 

Stanlake Park, King’s Fume 2006

Buttery, toasty and nutty.

Pale green with slight creaminess. Mild stonefruit.

Very faint lime and green apple acidity.

Reminiscent of Cloudy Bay Te Koko. Fantastic mouthfeel.

www.stanlakepark.com – £9.99

 

Brightwell, Bacchus 2007

Fresh and vibrant. Melon, white pair and eucalyptus with rounded acidity.

Great example of the aromatic style that the English do so well.

Green-edged and distinctive, with nice palate depth.

www.brightwines.co.uk – £8.20

 

Chapel Down, Bacchus 2007

Wonderful array of summer aromas. Hedge, honeysuckle and grassy.

Red and green apples, ripe and crunchy.

Fresh acidity cleans the palate and leaves a lingering sense of blossom and pear.

Selected Tesco stores – £9.45

 

 

Majestic Fine Wine Centre – Saturday 9th May 2009

 

Meusault 2007

Yves Boyer-Mortenot

 

Appealing combination of soft peach and lightly toasted butter.

Really nice warmth of soft, sweet fruit.

A real depth of complecity on the palate.

Lemon-citrus fruit and ripe melon.

Really fresh acidity is balanced with a fuller mouthfeel.

An impressive wine.

 

Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2000

St Julien, Ch. Gruaud Larose

 

Straw, tobacco and pine dominate what is a particularly savoury nose.

Fruit has clearly died away to leave a small hint of red-currant.

Palate opens out to cherryish fruit and warm acidity.

Tannic grip is still quite fine and grainy.

Still young but has developed great finesse.

 

Handmade Shiraz 2006

Langhorne Creek, McGuigan

 

Warm and inviting round red fruit.

Juicy cherry and redcurrant with a backbone of deep blackcurrant.

Slight peppery edge.

Great youthful feel – ripe tannins, bags of fruit and alcohol integrated nicely.

This will surely develop into a really excellent wine.

 

 

Majestic Fine Wine Centre – Saturday 25th April 2009

 

Rose 2007,

Bandol, Domaine Ott

 

Coppery orange.

Light, stewed apples and slightly unripe orchard fruit.

A sugary dimension, almost waffle like.

Perhaps it’s out of it’s comfort zone but it is very restrained.

Refined is perhaps over-complimentary.

Light and fresh in style, but lacking any real character.

 

Pouilly-Fume 2006

De Ladoucette

 

Bright, minerally and fresh.

Very slight greenness.

Lime, grass and herbs. really nice caramel edge.

Some citric fruit but flavours are much more rounded.

Melon, peach and pear.

Acidity is there but still leaves that lingering caramel touch.

Round and gentle. Nice.

 

Puligny-Montrachet 2006

Cote D’Or, Domaine Jomaine

 

Heavily toasted, almost burnt toast.

Light butter with a limed edge.

Some stone-fruit but over-riding characteristic is a nutty, toastiness.

Secondary flavours continue to dominate the palate although a citric edge gives freshness.

Acidity has died down but still compliments.

A mixed bag.

 

Turkey Flat Shiraz 2006

Barossa Valley, P&C Schutz

 

Concentrated deep red, almost inky.

Huge nose of rich, ripe fruit.

Juicy blackberries and raspberries with a sweet vanilla influence.

Silky, ripe mouth-feel – very full and luscious.

Ripe red fruit dominates the palate with round, sturdying tannins.

A carefully crafted monster.

 

Cuvee Bertin 2006

Gevrey-Chambertin, Virgile Lignier

 

Darker ruby with attractive deeper core.

Bramble, dark raspberry and strawberry jam- like nose.

Juicy berry quality.

Fruit is still very dominant although the wood gives it a much more considered edge.

Very light on tannin which accentuates the fruit.

Very modern style of red burgundy. Enjoyable.

 

 

Majestic Fine Wine Centre – Wednesday 8th April 2009

 

McCrea Vineyard Chardonnay 2006

Sonoma Mountain, Kistler

 

Bright gold in appearance.

Initially quite overpowering with strange raw pumpkin aroma.

Slightly toasted with astringent butter.

A strange vegetal character.

Quite earthy with some stone-fruit but an uneasy balance, quite prominent alcohol.

Interesting and alternative.

 

Brunello di Montalcino 2004

Montalcino, Castello Banfi

 

Luscious black cherry and redcurrant.

Fragrant but a little light on the nose.

Concentrated red cherry and raspberry integrate well with powdery tannins.

Something quite rustic and stalky, but not necessarily detractive.

Hint of vanilla.

Not a superstar, but not bad.

 

Hansel Family Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006

North Slope Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Walter Hansel

 

Dark raspberries and sweetened strawberry.

Broad yet gentle nose, combining fruit and wood nicely.

Violet and raspberry make for a particularly uncomplicated palate.

Charming in its simplicity.

Very light on tannin, finishes very well.

Very pleasant.

 

Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Marlborough, Cloudy Bay

 

Typical kiwi sauvignon nose – lime, grass and herbs.

Oddly perfumed and rounded.

Sweeter, not particularly punchy.

Big on acidity and citric fruit but lacking any distinctive character.

Prominent alcohol.

Lingers for quite a while.

 

Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Marlborough, Cloudy Bay

 

Medicinal, herbal and strangely sherberty sizzle.

Captivating orange peel and dough.

Sour lime and creamy chives.

Fantastic full mouthfeel and really refreshing acidity.

Long, satisfying finish.

 

 

Gewürztraminer 2006

Marlborough, Cloudy Bay

 

Sweet kiwi-fruit and cordial-like lime.

Light golden syrup and earthy nuttiness.

Palate needs time to open out but when it does it’s delightful.

Delicate blossom, little acidity and slight residual sugar.

Shy but full of character.

 

Chardonnay 2006

Marlborough, Cloudy Bay

 

Subtle oaking, light butter.

Rounded caramel – understated.

Quite high acidity and more fruit on the palate than on the nose.

Very light stone-fruit.

Slight zip on the finish. Clean but not particularly fresh.

Interesting but half-hearted.

 

Majestic Fine Wine Centre – Wednesday 8th April 2009

Champagne, 1988

Rare Vintage, Veuve Cliquot

 

Fantastic depth of gold and slow stream of elegant bubbles.

Rich nose of bruised, stewed apples.

Delicate but lush, fresh summer fruits.

Elderflower crossed with more mature, slightly nutty quality.

Stewed  fruit perhaps from slight oxidisation?

Has retained great acidity.

Powerful and lingering. Superb.

 

 

 

Private Tasting – Monday 6th April 2009

Chateau Cantemerle 1999

5eme Grand Cru Classe, Haut Medoc

 

Caramel and blackberry, with smoke, vanilla and tobacco.

Brownish tinge at edge, drinking well at 10 years old.

Smooth tannins, quite noticeable alcoholic burn.

Round blackberry with bitter edges.

Fruit fading fast.

Really nice now, but for how much longer…?

 

 

 

Majestic Fine Wine Centre – Saturday 7th April 2009

Pinot Noir 2006

Marlborough, Cloudy Bay

 

Vivid red to darker core – attractive in the glass.

Leafy, herbal redcurrants.

Very faint vanilla. Delicate and youthful.

Edge of cucumber and sour cream.

Soft strawberry and liquorice with very supple tannins.

Great example of regionality. Fresh, light and brilliant.

 

 

 

Majestic Fine Wine Centre – Saturday 28th March 2009:

 

Mersault-Blagny Premier Cru 2004

Chateau de Blagny, Louis Latour

 

Pale lemon, honey and melon. Very slight toasted scent.

Fresh, clean and slightly creamy.

Subtle acidity, exciting finish.

Excellent.

 

Hansel Family Vineyard Chardonnay 2006

North Slope Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Walter Hansel

 

Heavy butter and toasted oak.

Golden, fuller appearance.

Fleshy stone-fruit.

Sour bite on tip of tongue. Slightly nutty.

Little bit hollow on the palate.

 

Smaragd Loibner Steinertal Riesling 2007

Osterich, Pichler

 

Honeyed blossom and elderflower.

Seductive sweetness.

Zesty lime, honeyed peach. Acidity cuts through.

Sweet apple and mango.

Brilliant.

 

Clos de L’Oratorie 1998

Grand Cru Classe, St Emilion

 

Warm red currant and blackberry.

Juicy plum with slight vanilla spice.

Powdery tannins, jammy fruit.

Nicely balanced.

Drinking very smoothly.

Palate not as concentrated as nose.

 

Ca’Marcanda – Promis 2006

Toscana, Gaja

 

Rich violet. Perfumed berry.

Round cherry and rasberry.

Silky mouth-feel. Juicy fruit.

Very fine tannin. Good length.

Rich and a little earthy.