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!
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