We drank a few new things in November.
For date night, I splurged and bought a bottle of Taittinger Brut Reserve that was on special offer at my new local wine shop. I have a soft spot for Taittinger, as it was the first champagne house I ever visited, well worth the tour! This champagne is a 40/60 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, extremely well balanced and flavorful. It had loads of apple and vanilla and just a touch of honey, but no sweetness. The bubbles were very good and lasted. This was a nice champagne, and to get it around the £20 price point was well worth it.
Next up, a bottle of champagne that I bought on special offer from Waitrose, Bertrand de Bessac Cuvée du Marquis Brut. It won a silver award from Decanter in 2012, and I can see why. Again a Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend, this was less well balanced than the Taittinger, but had rich apple flavor with a touch of citrus zest. The bubbles were OK, not great, but good enough for a wine I bought from the supermarket.
To shake things up a bit, I moved down market with an under £10 bottle of Codorniu cava. This maker is really good value, I think they make a pretty good cava. This one was the three traditional cava varieties, macabeo, xarel-lo, and parellada grapes. It had a very grape-y flavor, just a touch of sour at the finish, and decent bubbles. Not the best wine ever, but very drinkable and nothing to complain about.
Finally, I found myself in Prague at the end of the month and was tempted by their Bohemia Sekt Brut. I bought a half bottle at the airport to drink with my husband, who found it far too acidic for his liking. I didn't half mind its very dry and fruity flavor combined with surprisingly good bubbles. But I couldn't drink a lot of it. Honestly, it was far better by the glass at the restaurant in Prague where I first encountered it, served alongside the hefty, saucy, meaty food.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
3D Wines, We Missed You
Some lovely friends gave my husband a year's membership at 3D Wines with a row of wonderful burgundy grapes. 3D always run specials on other cases for their members, though, and recently had some champagne on offer. Along with a case of yet-to-be-tried Maison Lenique 2007, we bought a mixed case of champagne from Fresne Ducret.
We've tried two of the three kinds of champagne in the case, and really enjoyed them. My favorite of the two was the 2004 Brut Millesime. This had loads of bubbles on pouring, and tasted like fresh apple strudel, just the right balance of crisp apples with buttery, slightly yeasted pastry. A great sipper, very refreshing.
The Reserve Premier Cru had a heavier flavor, though, still lots of apples and a bit of quince, much more richly ripe and autumnal. This champagne needed food, and was excellent with some cheddar cheese and walnuts. I would have liked more bubbles at the end of my glass, but my husband thought they were fine.
We're excited to have found a new maker that we like, and are looking forward to trying the rosé that is in the fridge.
We've tried two of the three kinds of champagne in the case, and really enjoyed them. My favorite of the two was the 2004 Brut Millesime. This had loads of bubbles on pouring, and tasted like fresh apple strudel, just the right balance of crisp apples with buttery, slightly yeasted pastry. A great sipper, very refreshing.
The Reserve Premier Cru had a heavier flavor, though, still lots of apples and a bit of quince, much more richly ripe and autumnal. This champagne needed food, and was excellent with some cheddar cheese and walnuts. I would have liked more bubbles at the end of my glass, but my husband thought they were fine.
We're excited to have found a new maker that we like, and are looking forward to trying the rosé that is in the fridge.
Saturday, 6 October 2012
September report
We drank from all over the map in September...
First up was an English sparkler, Coates & Seely blanc de blancs. I had high hopes for this wine, as I really like the rose from this maker. The blanc de blancs has a nice flavour, with orchard fruits and a touch of yeast, and very good balance, but not enough bubbles. I prefer the rose.
From there, we went to Australia, with Grant Burge pinot noir chardonnay that we bought from our new local wine shop. I was very excited that this shop has loads of things that you don't see every day! This wine tasted of very ripe pears, with just a hint of sweetness at the mid-palate, but a very clean finish. The disappointing thing was that even though you could see loads of bubbles in your glass, they didn't have any structure in your mouth, so the wine itself was more effervescent than bubbly. But it was a good deal at £12.
Next up, France, with Charles de Fere Jean-Louis Brut, again from our local wine shop. This is technically a sparkling wine rather than a champagne, and again, lacked the sort of bubbles that I really like. But the flavour was excellent, loads of apple and a touch of buttered toast at the finish. And again, another real bargain at £9 for the bottle. This sort of wine really makes you wonder what the English sparkling makers are thinking when they price their wines at £20+, as in a blind tasting, the Charles de Fere would trounce most of them at less than half the price!
Back to England, with Henners 2009, a traditional chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend. This wasn't a very memorable wine, perfectly drinkable, but nothing stand-out-ish about it. And again, not enough bubbles.
We concluded the month, though, with a wine with plenty of fizz, enough to keep me happy! This was Alamos extra brut, a chadonnay/pinot noir blend from Argentina, again purchased at my new local. We really like the new local : ) My husband found this wine a little acidic, with tart apple flavours. While it wasn't as well-balanced as the other wines we had drunk in September, for me, the bubbles made up for it. And again, around a £10 price point, you can't go wrong.
It's so nice to get these empty bottles off of my kitchen counter...I really must find the time to blog more often.
First up was an English sparkler, Coates & Seely blanc de blancs. I had high hopes for this wine, as I really like the rose from this maker. The blanc de blancs has a nice flavour, with orchard fruits and a touch of yeast, and very good balance, but not enough bubbles. I prefer the rose.
From there, we went to Australia, with Grant Burge pinot noir chardonnay that we bought from our new local wine shop. I was very excited that this shop has loads of things that you don't see every day! This wine tasted of very ripe pears, with just a hint of sweetness at the mid-palate, but a very clean finish. The disappointing thing was that even though you could see loads of bubbles in your glass, they didn't have any structure in your mouth, so the wine itself was more effervescent than bubbly. But it was a good deal at £12.
Next up, France, with Charles de Fere Jean-Louis Brut, again from our local wine shop. This is technically a sparkling wine rather than a champagne, and again, lacked the sort of bubbles that I really like. But the flavour was excellent, loads of apple and a touch of buttered toast at the finish. And again, another real bargain at £9 for the bottle. This sort of wine really makes you wonder what the English sparkling makers are thinking when they price their wines at £20+, as in a blind tasting, the Charles de Fere would trounce most of them at less than half the price!
Back to England, with Henners 2009, a traditional chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend. This wasn't a very memorable wine, perfectly drinkable, but nothing stand-out-ish about it. And again, not enough bubbles.
We concluded the month, though, with a wine with plenty of fizz, enough to keep me happy! This was Alamos extra brut, a chadonnay/pinot noir blend from Argentina, again purchased at my new local. We really like the new local : ) My husband found this wine a little acidic, with tart apple flavours. While it wasn't as well-balanced as the other wines we had drunk in September, for me, the bubbles made up for it. And again, around a £10 price point, you can't go wrong.
It's so nice to get these empty bottles off of my kitchen counter...I really must find the time to blog more often.
Monday, 10 September 2012
August round up - US
My husband and I managed a trip to the US together in August, which of course included some bubbles:
Our favorite was the Jagdschloss Brut 2009, a sparkling riesling from Germany. This was incredibly, mercifully brut, despite smelling of dried pineapple. It tasted of tarragon and other fresh green herbs. The bubbles were petillant, but plentiful. Very refreshing on a hot day. We drank this at the Terroir wine bar at the Highline garden, which I highly recommend for both having a wine list that included NY State wines and for the very good service.
We also had two properly American sparklers. Gruet brut, from New Mexico, a wine maker that we'd tried before and liked as one of the few American wines that wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. This one had a lot of honey and biscuit flavours, lots of richness and depth, and decent bubbles.
The other American wine we had was from NY state, Brotherhood blanc de blancs. This surprised us with its balance, not too acidic and not too sweet, with a very dry finish. It tasted of underripe grapes, with a more floral note as it warmed. Sadly, it just didn't have enough bubbles, being almost flat right from the start. Interesting to note that this vineyard proclaims to be the oldest in America, who knew that would be in NY rather than on the west coast?
Our favorite was the Jagdschloss Brut 2009, a sparkling riesling from Germany. This was incredibly, mercifully brut, despite smelling of dried pineapple. It tasted of tarragon and other fresh green herbs. The bubbles were petillant, but plentiful. Very refreshing on a hot day. We drank this at the Terroir wine bar at the Highline garden, which I highly recommend for both having a wine list that included NY State wines and for the very good service.
We also had two properly American sparklers. Gruet brut, from New Mexico, a wine maker that we'd tried before and liked as one of the few American wines that wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. This one had a lot of honey and biscuit flavours, lots of richness and depth, and decent bubbles.
The other American wine we had was from NY state, Brotherhood blanc de blancs. This surprised us with its balance, not too acidic and not too sweet, with a very dry finish. It tasted of underripe grapes, with a more floral note as it warmed. Sadly, it just didn't have enough bubbles, being almost flat right from the start. Interesting to note that this vineyard proclaims to be the oldest in America, who knew that would be in NY rather than on the west coast?
August round up - UK
I haven't had much time to blog, but don't want to forget what I drank in August. A few things that were ok but not worth repeating:
Finca Flichman Extra Brut, a rose from Argentina that I purchased in the US, an 80/20 Chardonnay/malbec blend. It didn't have enough bubbles for me, and while my husband knew that it wasn't made from traditional champagne grapes, he couldn't place the malbec. Different, but not 'wow'.
Comte de Lamotte brut, purchased at Majestic, a chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend that my husband spotted at a sub £20 price. It was again perfectly ok, but not enough bubbles.
Nicolas Feuillatte 2005, a 100% chardonnay. This had crisp citrus flavours, but almost no fizz whatsoever, very disappointing if you love bubbles the way I do.
Ruinart NV, a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir. This again had very nice flavours, with lots of toast and yeast, but I would have liked more bubbles and expect them from champagnes at this price point.
Finca Flichman Extra Brut, a rose from Argentina that I purchased in the US, an 80/20 Chardonnay/malbec blend. It didn't have enough bubbles for me, and while my husband knew that it wasn't made from traditional champagne grapes, he couldn't place the malbec. Different, but not 'wow'.
Comte de Lamotte brut, purchased at Majestic, a chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend that my husband spotted at a sub £20 price. It was again perfectly ok, but not enough bubbles.
Nicolas Feuillatte 2005, a 100% chardonnay. This had crisp citrus flavours, but almost no fizz whatsoever, very disappointing if you love bubbles the way I do.
Ruinart NV, a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir. This again had very nice flavours, with lots of toast and yeast, but I would have liked more bubbles and expect them from champagnes at this price point.
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
A New Old Favourite
I made tofu and rice for dinner the other night. I really like tofu and rice, but my poor husband...he'll eat it, but it's just not the same as meat and potatoes. He cheered immensely when I offered a glass of bubbles to go with it, especially as I had a bottle of 'the good stuff' in the fridge. We've been really impressed with Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois, a blend of the traditional champagne grapes, chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier, aged in oak. The oak adds such a stunning richness to a champagne that we already love. On top of the usual clean and yeasty wine, there is a layer of dried apricot (without being sweet) and buttered, toasted nut bread. And the finish...wow...lingered forever, making us just want to drink more and more. It was such a good champagne for food, although not a great pairing with the grapefruit in the salad that I had also made, which was far too acidic for the depth of the wine. But champagne and tofu...a definite do-over. THIS champagne and tofu...made it a gourmet meal.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Bubbles At The Beach
I was in the US last week, near the ocean, and keen to try something new and different. I picked up a bottle of The Beachhouse, a chenin blanc/gewurztraminer sparkler from South Africa. It seemed appropriate for the setting, and fit my hankering for 'something different', but it was sadly not for me. It was very sweet, tasting of ripe pears and elderflower. It was also just fizzy, not really bubbly. And I'm not writing this because I think sparkling wines should have a high alcohol content, but on drinking this one and thinking I was drinking soda pop, checked the label to find it was only 8% by volume. You could kind of tell...it's the sort of thing teenage girls on summer holidays would drink. As I said, not for me.
And The Winner Is...
We managed to save the best of the case from Sparkling English Wine till last...having liked the English Oak Chinkapin rose, we had set aside the Engelmann from the same producer. Smart move, as this bottle was really nice.
The wine is a traditional chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend. It smelled yeasty and champagne-like, and tasted of toast and citrus fruits, with just a touch of vanilla on the finish. It had good bubbles, too. We really enjoyed it and thought it was well worth the £25 price.
Well done English Oak, I'll be drinking more of your wines...
The wine is a traditional chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend. It smelled yeasty and champagne-like, and tasted of toast and citrus fruits, with just a touch of vanilla on the finish. It had good bubbles, too. We really enjoyed it and thought it was well worth the £25 price.
Well done English Oak, I'll be drinking more of your wines...
More Bad British
Two more from the Sparkling English Wine case that we didn't like:
The first was another 'undrinkable', Daws Hill 2008 Vintage Brut, a chadonnay, auxerrois, pinot noir, and pinot meunier blend. It surprised me how much I disliked this wine as it's been winning medals in UK sparkling wine competitions. But I guess now I know how seriously to take the awards that are being issued within the UK. This smelled of unwashed socks and stinky cheese, and had some really unripe and dirty green flavours to it that mercifully disappeared almost immediately from the tongue, leaving nothing behind. Because it's such a fleeting moment of bad and then nothing, you could use this sparkling wine for cocktails (which is what we did with part of it) - but for what this wine costs, you'd be better off buying a decent cava for a third of the price.
The second was another 'too sweet', Plumpton Estate The Dean, a pinot noir/chardonnay blend. This wine had overripe apple flavours with a bitter, burnt-nut finish, not very well balanced and too sweet for my taste. If you're still interested in trying it, you can buy it for a couple of pounds less through Waitrose Wine than I bought it for through Sparkling English Wines.
The first was another 'undrinkable', Daws Hill 2008 Vintage Brut, a chadonnay, auxerrois, pinot noir, and pinot meunier blend. It surprised me how much I disliked this wine as it's been winning medals in UK sparkling wine competitions. But I guess now I know how seriously to take the awards that are being issued within the UK. This smelled of unwashed socks and stinky cheese, and had some really unripe and dirty green flavours to it that mercifully disappeared almost immediately from the tongue, leaving nothing behind. Because it's such a fleeting moment of bad and then nothing, you could use this sparkling wine for cocktails (which is what we did with part of it) - but for what this wine costs, you'd be better off buying a decent cava for a third of the price.
The second was another 'too sweet', Plumpton Estate The Dean, a pinot noir/chardonnay blend. This wine had overripe apple flavours with a bitter, burnt-nut finish, not very well balanced and too sweet for my taste. If you're still interested in trying it, you can buy it for a couple of pounds less through Waitrose Wine than I bought it for through Sparkling English Wines.
Monday, 9 July 2012
Drinkable
And now I'm happy to report on three wines from Sparkling English Wine that were entirely drinkable!! None of them have any finish, but that could almost be a plus, considering how overly sour or sweet the other bottles of wine from this case that we've tried have been.
The first was a rose - English Oak Chinkapin, a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. It tasted of tart red berries, slightly under-ripe strawberries and red currants. I'm pleased that I bought a white version from this maker, I'm saving it as the last bottle to try from the case in the hope that it also doesn't disappoint.
The next was Upperton 2009 Nebula. Undoing the trend in my last post of not really liking the chardonnay/pinot noir blends, this was a pinot noir/chardonnay blend! It smelled of grapefruit and mint, with more orchard fruit flavours. Even though I know I'm not supposed to be influenced by these things, I liked the naming and labeling of this wine.
The last was Jenkyn Place 2008 Brut, a chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend. This was the most champagne-like of the wines we've tried from this case, smelling and tasting of lemon drop candies. It had the best balance between sweet and tart, and if this had a decent finish, it would be a really good sparkling wine instead of just a drinkable one.
Notably, all of the wines had decent bubbles, always a good thing for me!
The first was a rose - English Oak Chinkapin, a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. It tasted of tart red berries, slightly under-ripe strawberries and red currants. I'm pleased that I bought a white version from this maker, I'm saving it as the last bottle to try from the case in the hope that it also doesn't disappoint.
The next was Upperton 2009 Nebula. Undoing the trend in my last post of not really liking the chardonnay/pinot noir blends, this was a pinot noir/chardonnay blend! It smelled of grapefruit and mint, with more orchard fruit flavours. Even though I know I'm not supposed to be influenced by these things, I liked the naming and labeling of this wine.
The last was Jenkyn Place 2008 Brut, a chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend. This was the most champagne-like of the wines we've tried from this case, smelling and tasting of lemon drop candies. It had the best balance between sweet and tart, and if this had a decent finish, it would be a really good sparkling wine instead of just a drinkable one.
Notably, all of the wines had decent bubbles, always a good thing for me!
Too Sweet
Anyone who reads my blog will know...I'm not a fan of sweet champagnes. For those of you who are, two of the bottles from the case I ordered from Sparkling English Wine might suit you. The first was Meonhill Reserve, the other was Gaultsbrook 2009 from Albourne Vineyard, both chardonnay/pinot noir blends. They were overwhelmingly sweet on the finish, not something I would drink again.
Someone recently asked me if I was being too hard on the English producers, so while I was at my local deli, I thought I would pick up a bottle of the prosecco they carry. It's not something that would have tempted me before, but since I had bought a case of English sparklers that I had never heard of just to try them, why shouldn't I do the same with prosecco? This one was from Zonin, equally as 'too sweet' as the English wines above, but for around half the price. So it was at least a better value of disappointment.
And to finish off my too-sweet critique, I recently tried a bottle of American sparkling wine, the XD-NV from Laetitia Vineyard, again, another chardonnay/pinot noir blend. I had purchased the bottle to try with a friend named Laetitia, and we both found it very sweet, tasting of overly-ripe apples. I had hoped it would be something we both loved, but I knew it was a long shot as many American sparklers are too sweet for my taste.
Hmmm...perhaps I should avoid the chardonnay/pinot noir blends...there seems to be a theme here??
Someone recently asked me if I was being too hard on the English producers, so while I was at my local deli, I thought I would pick up a bottle of the prosecco they carry. It's not something that would have tempted me before, but since I had bought a case of English sparklers that I had never heard of just to try them, why shouldn't I do the same with prosecco? This one was from Zonin, equally as 'too sweet' as the English wines above, but for around half the price. So it was at least a better value of disappointment.
And to finish off my too-sweet critique, I recently tried a bottle of American sparkling wine, the XD-NV from Laetitia Vineyard, again, another chardonnay/pinot noir blend. I had purchased the bottle to try with a friend named Laetitia, and we both found it very sweet, tasting of overly-ripe apples. I had hoped it would be something we both loved, but I knew it was a long shot as many American sparklers are too sweet for my taste.
Hmmm...perhaps I should avoid the chardonnay/pinot noir blends...there seems to be a theme here??
Monday, 18 June 2012
Better, But Not Great
We tried another of the wines we got from Sparkling English Wine. This was Court Garden 2009 Classic Cuvee, a traditional blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. While this was better than the last two bottles of English bubbles that we tried, it still wasn't great.
On the plus side...it had plenty of bubbles. It smelled like grape soda, which both appealed to and worried me as I like grape soda, but find it very sweet. The wine itself wasn't too sweet, though, tasting of lemons and mint, with a touch of buttered toast.
The down side was a big one, though, as the wine was again incredibly acidic and somewhat bitter on the finish. We're just finding no balance so far in this batch of English sparkling wines, which is really discouraging as we keep hearing the PR about what great quality wines the UK-based makers are producing, but it's not consistently been our experience.
Like the others, this bottle was around the £20 mark (surprisingly, it was a couple of quid less expensive on the Sparkling English Wines website than on Court Garden's website), which I again thought was overpriced for the wine.
Three down, nine more to go...
On the plus side...it had plenty of bubbles. It smelled like grape soda, which both appealed to and worried me as I like grape soda, but find it very sweet. The wine itself wasn't too sweet, though, tasting of lemons and mint, with a touch of buttered toast.
The down side was a big one, though, as the wine was again incredibly acidic and somewhat bitter on the finish. We're just finding no balance so far in this batch of English sparkling wines, which is really discouraging as we keep hearing the PR about what great quality wines the UK-based makers are producing, but it's not consistently been our experience.
Like the others, this bottle was around the £20 mark (surprisingly, it was a couple of quid less expensive on the Sparkling English Wines website than on Court Garden's website), which I again thought was overpriced for the wine.
Three down, nine more to go...
Monday, 11 June 2012
Waiting to be Wow'ed
I've been on the hunt for some new kinds of bubbles to try, and came across the Sparkling English Wine website, which does what it says on the tin. It has a very large range of sparkling English wines on offer, with delivery free if you order 12 bottles. I ordered a mixed dozen from makers that I didn't know. This was rather brave of me, as the wine isn't cheap, with most bottles in the £20 or more price range. I still think English producers are rather cheeky in their pricing - they know that most people think that expensive = good quality. I know better, but took the risk anyway.
Two bottles in and I'm disappointed, not seeing a payoff on my risk yet. The first bottle we tried was the Danebury Cossack 2004, which is a blend of auxerrois and rulander grapes. I can only hope that the bottle I bought was off, as it was entirely undrinkable. It smelled like the damp sponge that sits next to my sink combined with overly cooked green veg, with a distinct hit of asparagus. It didn't taste much better, with an acidity that made my stomach churn. £20 poured down the sink.
The next bottle was somewhat better, although not by much. This was Terlingham Rose 2010, a classic blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier grapes. It smelled of tart red fruits, currants and cranberry, with just a touch of yeastiness. It had some of the sweetness of the red fruit on the tongue, although again this was overwhelmed by the acidity of the wine. It was drinkable, but completely overpriced at another £20 for the bottle. There are nicer sparkling wines out there at half the price.
Hopefully there's something in that case that will wow me...
Postscript...a couple of weeks later, I noticed I had a bottle of Terlingham Rose 2009 in the case. I was surprised I had ordered two different vintages from the same maker, it's not like me, but I was quite busy when I placed the order and received the case, so I didn't check either through as thoroughly as usual. The wine wasn't much different from the 2010, though, still a strong acidity, so I used most of it to make a pot of chili rather than drink it.
Two bottles in and I'm disappointed, not seeing a payoff on my risk yet. The first bottle we tried was the Danebury Cossack 2004, which is a blend of auxerrois and rulander grapes. I can only hope that the bottle I bought was off, as it was entirely undrinkable. It smelled like the damp sponge that sits next to my sink combined with overly cooked green veg, with a distinct hit of asparagus. It didn't taste much better, with an acidity that made my stomach churn. £20 poured down the sink.
The next bottle was somewhat better, although not by much. This was Terlingham Rose 2010, a classic blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier grapes. It smelled of tart red fruits, currants and cranberry, with just a touch of yeastiness. It had some of the sweetness of the red fruit on the tongue, although again this was overwhelmed by the acidity of the wine. It was drinkable, but completely overpriced at another £20 for the bottle. There are nicer sparkling wines out there at half the price.
Hopefully there's something in that case that will wow me...
Postscript...a couple of weeks later, I noticed I had a bottle of Terlingham Rose 2009 in the case. I was surprised I had ordered two different vintages from the same maker, it's not like me, but I was quite busy when I placed the order and received the case, so I didn't check either through as thoroughly as usual. The wine wasn't much different from the 2010, though, still a strong acidity, so I used most of it to make a pot of chili rather than drink it.
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
More Aussie Red
We tried another sparkling red that I ordered from Drinks Direct the other night. This was the 2007 vintage Black Queen sparkling shiraz from Peter Lehmann. My husband liked this more than I did, as to me it smelled and tasted like raisins, which instantly ruins a wine for me. My husband thought it had 'port-like' flavours (yes, raisin-y port!). At any rate, it was nowhere near as good as the Turkey Flat we had just previously drunk, I would recommend that over this wine.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
This Was No Turkey
I love it when a wine exceeds my expectations. I had ordered a mixed case of wine from Drinks Direct, which included several sparkling red wines. Good sparkling reds are fantastic, but bad ones are really horrible. They're kind of a niche drinking market, so there's not that much information out there about them and it can be a bit hit or miss. But I took a chance and ordered several that I hadn't seen before. We tried the first one last night - and it was wonderful!!
This was a sparkling shiraz from Turkey Flat Vineyards. It had loads of fizz when we poured it and smelled of plums, ripe cherries, and a touch of chocolate. My mouth was watering, hoping it would taste as good as it smelled. It tasted of cherries, with a bit of prune finish - and it was completely desert-dry, not a touch of sweetness to it. What a relief, and what a pleasure to drink.
Funnily enough, I had spotted the still shiraz from the same vineyard at a shop and bought it thinking it would be interesting to compare the still to the sparkling wine. I'm really looking forward to trying the still wine now...and to ordering more of the sparkling!! This is one I'll enjoy all summer with grilled steaks, the perfect accompaniment to a BBQ.
This was a sparkling shiraz from Turkey Flat Vineyards. It had loads of fizz when we poured it and smelled of plums, ripe cherries, and a touch of chocolate. My mouth was watering, hoping it would taste as good as it smelled. It tasted of cherries, with a bit of prune finish - and it was completely desert-dry, not a touch of sweetness to it. What a relief, and what a pleasure to drink.
Funnily enough, I had spotted the still shiraz from the same vineyard at a shop and bought it thinking it would be interesting to compare the still to the sparkling wine. I'm really looking forward to trying the still wine now...and to ordering more of the sparkling!! This is one I'll enjoy all summer with grilled steaks, the perfect accompaniment to a BBQ.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
This Won an Award?
We tried the last of the bottles that I bought from Ocado - a rose cava from Marques de Monistrol. I was surprised to see that this wine had won a silver in the 2011 International Wine & Spirit competition, as I didn't think it was even worth the £10 I paid for it. It had the slightest fragrance of strawberry, but no flavour whatsoever and almost no bubbles, just a tiny bit of fizz. Perhaps for the very fainthearted, this is an award-winning wine - but I just don't get it.
Friday, 24 February 2012
Sparkling Burgundy
Another pleasant surprise from the bargain case that I bought from Ocado - this one being a brut sparkling burgundy from Cave de Lugny. This was a very refreshing blanc de blancs, not any really distinctive flavours, but a bit of mild lemon tart to it. The bubbles were more fizzy than proper bubbles, but it was a lasting fizz, so I was OK with that. Nothing spectacular, but very drinkable, and again, another nice non-champagne alternative for anyone on a budget.
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Two More From Ocado
We tried two more bottles from the bargain case of six that I bought at Ocado.
The first was a bit of a surprise - Cuveee Royale cremant de limoux, a chardonnay, pinot noir, and chenin blanc blend. This had great bubbles and a big hit of ginger on the finish. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, but the flavours were not quite what I wanted from a sparkler.
The next was Waitrose own-label brut cava, a blend of macabeo, parellada, and xarel-lo grapes. This wine was a bit of nothing, all fizzy bubbles, a bit of grape-y flavour, and very drink-able. With the discount from Ocado, I paid less than £7 for this bottle of wine, which is really a huge bargain. It's not going to 'wow' anyone who drinks it, but if you need decent bubbles on a budget, this is one to buy.
The first was a bit of a surprise - Cuveee Royale cremant de limoux, a chardonnay, pinot noir, and chenin blanc blend. This had great bubbles and a big hit of ginger on the finish. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, but the flavours were not quite what I wanted from a sparkler.
The next was Waitrose own-label brut cava, a blend of macabeo, parellada, and xarel-lo grapes. This wine was a bit of nothing, all fizzy bubbles, a bit of grape-y flavour, and very drink-able. With the discount from Ocado, I paid less than £7 for this bottle of wine, which is really a huge bargain. It's not going to 'wow' anyone who drinks it, but if you need decent bubbles on a budget, this is one to buy.
I Knew I Could Heart NY
Finally!! A sparkling wine from Chateau Frank that we liked - the 1999 Brut Prestige Cuvee, a classic champagne blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. The flavour of this wine was very nice, with rich apples, a bit of yeast, a little bit of hazelnut, and just a touch of slightly-sweet apricot. It didn't have anywhere near enough bubbles for me, but considering that I really wanted to find a like-able Chateau Frank sparkling wine, I can overlook that.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
No Real Bargains
Ocado was running a special on wine - 25% off if you bought 6 bottles. I find their selection of bubbles a bit difficult. It tends to be either big names at top prices or unknown makers for less than £10. I didn't feel like buying £100's of wine, so I bought 6 bottles of bubbles for less than £60. I'm always hoping something will surprise me.
The first bottle did, but for how much I disliked it - La Gioiosa prosecco, which was billed as 'extra dry'. The first thing I noticed about this wine was how much it smelled like lemon-scented floor cleaner, but this was mostly due to the fact that the bottle exploded in my hands on opening, leaving me to wipe up about a third of the wine from my kitchen floor. While demonstrating excellent fizz, it was not a good start. The next thing that struck me was how sweet this wine was, surprising because it still somehow managed to retain an almost-minty dryness. My husband thought this was a 'sipper for a hot day'. I think it was a 'leave on the shelf for someone else'.
The next bottle was better - a Cremant de Bourgogne, Blason de Bourgogne Brut Rose, a pinot noir/gamay blend. It smelled of strawberries with a hint of vanilla. It tasted like red berries, with a touch of tart cranberry. The downside was that it was a little bitter at the end, and had no finish. The bitterness disappeared with food, though, so I would recommend this with some nibbles. The bubbles were great, once again disproving my preconceived notion that cremants tend to be too flat. While this still isn't the best rose I've ever drunk, it's not bad for the price point.
The first bottle did, but for how much I disliked it - La Gioiosa prosecco, which was billed as 'extra dry'. The first thing I noticed about this wine was how much it smelled like lemon-scented floor cleaner, but this was mostly due to the fact that the bottle exploded in my hands on opening, leaving me to wipe up about a third of the wine from my kitchen floor. While demonstrating excellent fizz, it was not a good start. The next thing that struck me was how sweet this wine was, surprising because it still somehow managed to retain an almost-minty dryness. My husband thought this was a 'sipper for a hot day'. I think it was a 'leave on the shelf for someone else'.
The next bottle was better - a Cremant de Bourgogne, Blason de Bourgogne Brut Rose, a pinot noir/gamay blend. It smelled of strawberries with a hint of vanilla. It tasted like red berries, with a touch of tart cranberry. The downside was that it was a little bitter at the end, and had no finish. The bitterness disappeared with food, though, so I would recommend this with some nibbles. The bubbles were great, once again disproving my preconceived notion that cremants tend to be too flat. While this still isn't the best rose I've ever drunk, it's not bad for the price point.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
I Really Want to Heart NY
I was back in the US last week, and being a good native-New Yorker, ordered some more of the Chateau Frank sparkling wine to try. It's supposed to be one of the better US sparkling wines, but my first experience with this maker underwhelmed me. So I ordered two more bottles - one being the highly rated blanc de noirs. Unfortunately, this also wasn't great, and definitely didn't live up to the hype or the tasting notes. It had no balance, hitting the tongue with a bit of green apple that turned sweet in the mid-palate and then very acidic, leaving no finish whatsoever. It had none of the yeasty, nutty flavours that it claims to have, maybe just a tinge of biscuity sweetness in the middle. And the warmer it got, the sweeter it got. The bubbles also started big and heavy, but fizzled quickly into nothingness. Sigh. I have one more bottle from this maker to try, I really, really want to like it.
To perk up our tastebuds following the let-down of the Chateau Frank, we opened a bottle of Marie-Courtin Resonance Extra Brut that I got from The Sampler. This is a low dosage, predominantly pinot noir champagne, and it couldn't have been more different from the Chateau Frank. The orchard fruit flavour - pears and apples fresh from the tree - was pure and rich, not a touch of sweetness in it. The bubbles were fine but persistent. The finish lasted forever. What a lovely wine, and a great example of what champagne is meant to be!
To perk up our tastebuds following the let-down of the Chateau Frank, we opened a bottle of Marie-Courtin Resonance Extra Brut that I got from The Sampler. This is a low dosage, predominantly pinot noir champagne, and it couldn't have been more different from the Chateau Frank. The orchard fruit flavour - pears and apples fresh from the tree - was pure and rich, not a touch of sweetness in it. The bubbles were fine but persistent. The finish lasted forever. What a lovely wine, and a great example of what champagne is meant to be!
Friday, 27 January 2012
More Bubbles Please
We drank what would have been a fantastic champagne if only it had more bubbles...
Herbert Beaufort Cuvee la Favorite Brut 2002, a pinot noir/chardonnay blend from The Sampler, had the most wonderful flavour - loads of toffee apple with a rich, lingering, toasty finish. The bubbles were good on pouring, but gone after a few sips. My husband didn't mind this as he thought the taste made up for the lack of bubbles. I'm all about the bubbles, though, so this was a bit of a deal-breaker for me. While I want to rave about this champagne, I just can't.
Herbert Beaufort Cuvee la Favorite Brut 2002, a pinot noir/chardonnay blend from The Sampler, had the most wonderful flavour - loads of toffee apple with a rich, lingering, toasty finish. The bubbles were good on pouring, but gone after a few sips. My husband didn't mind this as he thought the taste made up for the lack of bubbles. I'm all about the bubbles, though, so this was a bit of a deal-breaker for me. While I want to rave about this champagne, I just can't.
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Nice, But Not Memorable
We had another of the champagnes from The Sampler the other day...this one was RH Coutier grand cru brut. This is a pinot noir/chardonnay blend, and while I remember that it was very drinkable and had perfectly fine bubbles, I don't remember much more about the champagne than that. It's a little sad, really, as we drink so many different champagnes that something so absolutely nice just fades into the background because there's nothing distinct about it. But perhaps sometimes that's what you want, something with bubbles that won't overshadow the food or the occasion. This will be one to try again, to see if it leaves more of an impression the next time.
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Two More From the Sampler
We had two more champagnes from The Sampler:
The first was nice - Pierre Peters Extra Brut Grand Cru, a low dosage blanc de blancs. This had lovely flavours, citrus and nuts, with a slightly oxidised apple finish. The bubbles were OK, but I would have liked more of them through the glass. For what this is, I think it was a little expensive at almost £40 for the bottle.
The second was another disappointment from the people who make Inflorescence, this was Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blancs. The flavours in this champagne were really interesting, with a spearmint start, followed by some fir tree, with a spicy ginger end. But it was a little bit of hard work with all of that going on! Plus the bubbles didn't hold through the glass, a bit of spray to start, but then mostly flat as we sipped. For a £60+ bottle, this just didn't 'wow' us. I'm glad we started out trying the Inflorescence, which I really like, as the more I try from this maker, the less I like. Had I tried some of these later bottles first, I might not have bothered with the Inflorescence, which I still really like.
The first was nice - Pierre Peters Extra Brut Grand Cru, a low dosage blanc de blancs. This had lovely flavours, citrus and nuts, with a slightly oxidised apple finish. The bubbles were OK, but I would have liked more of them through the glass. For what this is, I think it was a little expensive at almost £40 for the bottle.
The second was another disappointment from the people who make Inflorescence, this was Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blancs. The flavours in this champagne were really interesting, with a spearmint start, followed by some fir tree, with a spicy ginger end. But it was a little bit of hard work with all of that going on! Plus the bubbles didn't hold through the glass, a bit of spray to start, but then mostly flat as we sipped. For a £60+ bottle, this just didn't 'wow' us. I'm glad we started out trying the Inflorescence, which I really like, as the more I try from this maker, the less I like. Had I tried some of these later bottles first, I might not have bothered with the Inflorescence, which I still really like.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
A Sampling from The Sampler
Just before Christmas, I ordered some champagne from The Sampler, and we've been drinking some of it in the last couple of weeks. A report on the four bottles we've tried:
We liked best Paul Dethune Grand Cru Brut, a 70/30 mix of pinot noir and chardonnay. This was everything I want in a champagne - it smelled of green apples and yeast, tasted like brioche, had a slightly tart and lingering finish, and had masses of tiny, never-ending bubbles. I bought this for around £30 for the bottle, and I think it was really good value. I would love to try other champagnes from this maker.
Next we liked RH Coutier Brut Rose. This was an incredibly dry rose for all of the lush berry scents it emitted, and we liked it for not being sweet. It had a touch of black pepper at the back of the mouth, but unfortunately no finish. While we enjoyed it, I preferred the English Pebblebed rose for having a similar balance but much better finish. Being slightly more expensive than the Paul Dethune, it didn't feel great value for money, so while we liked it, I don't think it will be a repeat purchase.
We had mixed feelings about Charlemagne Brut Nature, a non-dosage blend of 70/30 chardonnay and pinot noir - which I liked and my husband found disappointing. I liked it for being a straightforward, citrusy, bubbly aperitif, the kind of champagne you would serve in great quantities to guests on a nice day in the garden. I think my husband was expecting something more, some sort of complexity from it being a zero-dosage champagne. But I liked it for what it was, and also was impressed with the amount of bubbles it had. If you're looking for something challenging, this isn't it. If you're looking for something very drinkable, hold out your glass and say 'more please'.
Finally, the biggest surprise was the champagne we liked the least - La Parcelle blanc de noirs from Inflorescence. We couldn't believe how sweet this was, especially for a non-dosage champagne. Not to my liking at all, which surprised me considering how much I like the regular vintage version of their champagne. And at double the price of the Paul Dethune, definitely not a value-for-money drink.
We liked best Paul Dethune Grand Cru Brut, a 70/30 mix of pinot noir and chardonnay. This was everything I want in a champagne - it smelled of green apples and yeast, tasted like brioche, had a slightly tart and lingering finish, and had masses of tiny, never-ending bubbles. I bought this for around £30 for the bottle, and I think it was really good value. I would love to try other champagnes from this maker.
Next we liked RH Coutier Brut Rose. This was an incredibly dry rose for all of the lush berry scents it emitted, and we liked it for not being sweet. It had a touch of black pepper at the back of the mouth, but unfortunately no finish. While we enjoyed it, I preferred the English Pebblebed rose for having a similar balance but much better finish. Being slightly more expensive than the Paul Dethune, it didn't feel great value for money, so while we liked it, I don't think it will be a repeat purchase.
We had mixed feelings about Charlemagne Brut Nature, a non-dosage blend of 70/30 chardonnay and pinot noir - which I liked and my husband found disappointing. I liked it for being a straightforward, citrusy, bubbly aperitif, the kind of champagne you would serve in great quantities to guests on a nice day in the garden. I think my husband was expecting something more, some sort of complexity from it being a zero-dosage champagne. But I liked it for what it was, and also was impressed with the amount of bubbles it had. If you're looking for something challenging, this isn't it. If you're looking for something very drinkable, hold out your glass and say 'more please'.
Finally, the biggest surprise was the champagne we liked the least - La Parcelle blanc de noirs from Inflorescence. We couldn't believe how sweet this was, especially for a non-dosage champagne. Not to my liking at all, which surprised me considering how much I like the regular vintage version of their champagne. And at double the price of the Paul Dethune, definitely not a value-for-money drink.
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