Such a beautiful colour - can imagine the nose and palate.
It’s been a good weekend of wine with common theme of the 2016 vintage. First bottle of the McCutcheon PN from Ten Minutes by Tractorone of my favourite Mornington Peninsula wineries. Has evolved really nicely and very approachable. Definitely one of the top Victorian estates.
Tonight’s bottle was Barbaresco inspired by a very nice Tuscan tasting this week. Thought I had blown it when we opened it and it was closed and tannic so a quick double decant and a 2 hour wait proved just the ticket. Very giving bouquet and the palate dancing with sour cherries before a tarry finish. Classy stuff. Glad we had a delicious pot roast of Highland silverside to keep it company.
8 Likes
Wow, I didn’t realise that Chasse Spleen has become so dear. I haven’t had any CS since I finished the last of a couple of cases of '83 that I think I was paid in lieu. Back then it was a good value wine, priced slightly above something like a Patache d’Aux but below a Cantemerle or Talbot, as just typical examples. I rated it very highly though, and I guess I was not alone in that judgement.
2 Likes
I had the ‘05 a couple of years ago, there’s a note on this thread, it was a classy wine. Admittedly from a vintage I love (I do like 5 years in Bordeaux).
Cantemerle 2016 looks like a comparative bargain at £32 a bottle, Chasse-Spleen ‘16 is (winesearcher has a new entry since I checked) £43 (50 euro), I couldn’t find anything below £49 a few days ago. Cheapest Talbot ‘16 looks to be around £60 a bottle. For all 3 you can find merchants with higher prices.
Claret pricing hasn’t reached Burgundy levels of silliness yet, but the lesser classed growths and top CBs are no longer wines you’d casually impulse buy if you saw a favourite. I might have a look at cellar tracker and see what people say about Cantemerle ‘16, if it’s performing that’s a really good price.
6 Likes
Yeah something like that.
Good discounts to be had.
Got P2, a Rare and MV18’s on order 
1 Like
I had two 2010s of the same Barberesco and also had much the same experience. 2010 was also an excellent vintage and I opened the first one in about 2017. Fortunately, there were eight of us, so I had uncorked a 2010 Medoc (Chateau Fleur la Mothe, IIRC) as well.
After tasting the Barberesco, we decided to let it sit in the carafe for a while and enjoy the Medoc first, pre-dinner. By the time we were half-way through our roast of beef meal, an hour or so later, the Barberesco had settled nicely and was excellent. We had the second bottle about two years back and all it required was a half hour decant.
Piedmont produces my favourite Italian wines. Barbera D’asti is quite versatile for food pairing.
2 Likes
Friends around for dinner on Saturday and this is what we drank. Digby 2013 English fizz for aperitif. Stephane Ogier’s 2022 white Côtes du Rhône with a starter of spiced roast cauliflower with romesco sauce - not had this wine before but surprisingly restrained and balanced. Gonon St Joseph 2012 with venison loin - a match made in heaven. Finally a Chateau Batailley 2009 with cheese. I did do a caramelised Basque cheesecake which we had with some Lustau PX but no pics
15 Likes
Seeing that Digby @crispyduck reminds me that my delivery not scheduled yet. Not in a rush but shall get it scheduled before I overfill the cellar. Actually, technically cellar already overfilled as TWS reserves call off being delivered next week. Can one have too much wine?
Nope!
1 Like
quick visit to Champagne with Customers - visited & tasted at Ayala & Bollinger
highlights Ayala Blanc de Blanc 2016
Bollinger La Grande Annee & Grande Annee Rose 2014
Bollinger RD 2008 - exceptional !
13 Likes
First bottle out of a case of this. I was worried it would be a little young, but I was excited to try it, so I went for it anyway. It may yet improve, but already it’s great. Reds fruits as expected, but also chocked full of violets. Delicious.
6 Likes
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon “The Siding” 2012.
A more fruit-forward and early maturing wine compared to the regular black label. Early on I reckoned it was borderline fruit-bomb, but time has revealed some welcome extra complexity and brought forward some pleasant spearmint notes. This is at peak drinking and I have at least a case left so I better drink up!
13 Likes
I had no idea there was an ‘other’ black label. Sounds delicious. We don’t get anywhere near as much variety in Canada as almost all other countries get. C’est dommage …
Quite a few of the regular black label have passed through my collection of the years, in fact we just had a 2013 a few weeks ago and it was very nice. It unfortunately has been the priced right out of the Canadian market, as I purchased the 2013 for 25 CAD and a bottle now costs 48 CAD I believe? At that price, there are better wines available. I haven’t a clue why it would change so much.
If it sounds like I’m complaining, it’s only because I am … 
1 Like
Nga Waka “ Three paddles” Pinot noir 2022 Martinborough
This entry level £10 wine has that slightly meaty Martinborough flavour with sweet red cherries and spice. Not the longest finish but excellent for the price.
Burn Cottage “ Moonlight Race” Pinot 2021 Central Otago about £25
This takes the grape to a whole new level. Concentrated with dark raspberry colour and delicious bouquet. Long supple palate of red cherries, strawberries, orange peel, mushrooms and vanilla. Very good.
10 Likes
A tad chilly in these parts at the moment. A hearty beef stew an easy decision to make on the catering front. The 2008 Musar was a sublime accompaniment. The Manzanilla went very well with some Piedmont hazelnuts. Delicious
14 Likes
The latest release, 2021, of A Touriga Vai Nua from the fabulous Fitapreta winery. This wine really shows how good the wines of Portugal are getting. It is an unoaked Touriga Nacional ( the translation of the wine is Naked Touriga) and unlike Tourigas of the past this is a relatively delicate and floral wine, and only 13%, that really reminds me of a top notch Beaujolais. Definitely worth tracking down
11 Likes
Feels like a nice segue to our wine tonight. Eben Sadie’s 2013 tinta barocca has mellowed beautifully with rounded tannins. Just such a pleasure to sip and contemplate how it can be so wonderful in a cold climate after its development in the heat of the Swartland.
9 Likes
