Tillingham Rosé, made in Sussex, bright strawberry like fruit, very drinkable, only 10.5%.
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Tonight’s wine to have with steak. Not cheap but a lovely Valpol Ripasso - 2016. Monte Santoccio run by a winemaker called Nicola Ferrari who is making some great wines. I met him at tasting last year. His Amarone is fabulous
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A post, over on “the Coronavirus Made Me Do It” thread, mentioned Naked Wines, praising the quality of their offerings, and as a subscriber, I added that it was also quite heartwarming to report the level of support for one of their winemakers and her charitable works down in South Africa.
Basically, Carmen Stevens realised that many of the poorer kids in The Townships were rocking up to school without having had any breakfast and that their schoolwork, as a result, was suffering badly.
She started a “Let’s feed the kids” project and this year, managed to raise a quite remarkable sum of money from Naked Wine “Angels” worldwide.
Have a look over on the Naked Wines website to see how her project has mushroomed, and the huge amount of good being done. 
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just arrived at Home latest En Rama from Hidalgo - just need to get some prawns, ham, olives etc and a hot sunny day!
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Waitrose stock it here in the UK. It’s pleasant enough but doesn’t have enough savoury notes for me…
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Haut Batailley 2005
I seem to be posting on a 2 day delay at the moment, this was Sunday’s wine, shared with a friend in that there London over video, a bottle decanted 2 hours in advance at each end of the call. Colour showed maturity, garnet red bricking to the edge. Lovely mature nose as well, earthy tannins are the main scents, and a light peppery spice and dark blackcurrant support them. Palate is beautifully structured, nice light acidity, soft earthy tannins grip the mouth gently. Dark cassis and plum (maybe plum, dark red fruit anyway) fruits with a refreshing green acidity sit inside this structure, with some light nice peppery spice adding to it. On the light end of medium weight this is a complex claret, well balanced with the fruit providing the supporting act to a lovely complex structure, very enjoyable drink. More evolved than I expected for a 15 year old wine, I don’t think it’ll improve much with more ageing, it’ll hold for another 5 years and mature during that period, lovely wine.
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Château Trianon - of the strangely familiar ‘Petrussy’ label - sent me samples of their 2019. Yay!
I like to think I’m an okay wine taster, sometimes maybe even better. But will I be able to tell the difference between the Kosher and Gentile (presumably?) Cuvées?*
*No, as it transpires. Although it’s good wine for sure.
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Yesterday’s wine:
One of the benefits of the lockdown is having the time to dig into the cellar for forgotten bottles and drinking them whilst I still can…
This was a delightful pomerol. Still drinking good, despite cellar tracker suggesting it is way over the hill. Lovely bouquet, though slightly light in the mid palate. A medium finish. This is a pretty sensual and elegant wine that is sheer pleasure to drink right now. No need to over intellectualize it.
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I thought the difference would be just a rabbi blessing ? or am I mistaken ?
Indeed. Hence no real difference in the taste, although the Kosher cuvée will be a blend of barrels which have only been handled by the Rabbi. The other cuvée could be drawn from a wider selection (and of course include some from the Kosher barrels, although this is unlikely. But certainly not vice-versa).
I am not an expert in matters Jewish. But Mevushal (a particularly strict Jewish practice) wine is subsequently treated (basically by being pasteurised), and this certainly does affect the taste. But to the best of my knowledge this happens (if it happens) at the end of the process, towards bottling (these are just barrel samples of an embryonic wine). The two samples tasted alike. It’s baby wine from the same vineyards and winemaker, so that’s not surprising. But in all my years of tasting Bordeaux En Primeur, this is the first time I have been presented with the kosher and non-kosher versions of the same wine.
Because of current circumstances, these (whole) bottles were sent to me by courier. Normally I would be tasting at the Château or a central tasting, and they would be getting upwards of twenty samples from each bottle, so it’s a surprising investment on their part.
If anyone is still reading this, then I can confirm on the basis of about 100 wines tried so far, that 2019 is a really terrific vintage. On a par with the sensational 2016 and better than anything else since 2010. But I have not been sent the really prestigious names… I think the world has bigger things to worry about, but it will be interesting to see if the Bordelais attempt a futures sales campaign of these wines.
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I agree. It’s not easy to find interesting manzanilla in the UK. It may be that this new one from Domecq will fill that gap but it is not widely available.
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Zoom tasting with Xavier this morning , the 2017 Tiers Chardonnay is spectacular showing really well now but will age - Foggy Hill is again on song this vineyard is one to watch - Cabernet Merlot has all th e hall marks of great wine
Tapanappa with Brian Crosser is on great form
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We opened the Montes Alpha Syrah 2013. Perhaps I should have opened it a bit before dinner. I found it all a bit ‘front of the mouth, fruity.’
Half a bottle is left. It’s been Vacuvin-ed. I reckon it could be better tomorrow night…
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Now it’s not exactly wine, but derived from it. Any how it may be from Tesco but it’s actually not bad, I have had a lot worse for a lot more.
Any way have a good VE bank holiday everyone
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I had 1/2 a case of one of their reds that I’d been slowly working my way through, quite a nice drink. If my memory is correct didn’t Brian come from another successful maker in Aus.
@Pete_the_painter yes you are correct Brian Crosser was the founder of Petaluma Vineyards all those years ago and then sold the name to Lion Nathan, how ever the Tapanappa Vineyard is based at the orginal Petulma Tiers vineyard and wineary which Brian owned with his wife, the winery and offices are now the base for Tapanappa, Brian runs the company with his daughter Lucy and her husband Xavier Bizot who is a member of the Bollinger family
back some time ago the sparkling wine from Petaluma Crosser the Bollinger family we then investors, Xaviers’ brother Eitenen is the big boss of the Bollinger family wineraries - Bollinger, Ayala, Chanson, Langlois Chateau and Delamain Cognac - they are also partners with thier distrubtors in key markets - I think Oz is Fine wine partners??
Petaluma, that’s correct use to be a great label before the take over they they’re not so prominent now. Made a great resiling and sparkling. In the early 2000’s I went to a tasting and meet Brian, think it might have been his first release of the Tapanappa brand.
Must try it …
I had a glug of the Waitrose one last night to improve my spirits.
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I had a generous glass of the Montes Alpha Syrah 2013 last night after work and loved it. Big and rich with a long finish. It seemed more balanced than the night before. I want to say that it had the dark mouthfeel of an Amarone, if anyone knows what I mean. These things are so hard to describe aren’t they?!
It could be that I nip to the Co-op for another…
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