We tried a few new things in March:
Two of them were British sparklers, both from The Wine Pantry. One wasn't so much totally new; rather, a new variety of something we like - the 2003 Blanc de Blancs from Nyetimber. This was very good, not surprising as we like this maker. It smelled very yeasty, with my husband saying it smelled heavily of the must of the grapes. It was very clean and fresh, though, with a lingering, lemony finish and lots of bubbles. As always with Nyetimber, it was a bit pricey for what it was (mid £30s), but worth drinking.
On the other end of the British taste spectrum, we also had the Herbert Hall 2010 Brut, predominantly chardonnay mixed with pinot noir and pinot meunier. I was not a fan, despite the plentiful bubbles, as this wine was very unpolished and very raw tasting, much like a light cider. It gets good reviews against other English wines, but don't let this fool you. It doesn't compare to a French champagne the way Nyetimber does.
The third wine was a bit of a surprise - wait for it - a 2008 vintage brut German sparkling red pinot noir from Vaux, which my husband picked up at The Winery. What was he thinking, this had the potential for absolute disaster!? German red wine? And German brut, which is never really brut? And German bubbles? Well, don't tell him I wrote this, but my husband is a genius, this wine was a lovely surprise. It was bruter than brut, not a speck of sugary-ness to it despite its strawberry start and ripe apple finish. The bubbles were fine, lasting through both the glass and the bottle. As for the redness...this wine held up to food, but was equally good being sipped on its own. At just shy of £30 a bottle, this is definitely one to try if you can find it.
Showing posts with label british. Show all posts
Showing posts with label british. Show all posts
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Thursday, 28 February 2013
Surprisingly good
I can't believe I haven't blogged since November. We've been drinking lots of reruns, things that are very nice (Maison Lenique, Billecart-Salmon), and a vintage(2001?)S Anderson from America that was excellent and had loads of bubbles despite its age. But life overtakes me, and I don't get a chance to write them up properly.
But recently, we had a British sparkler that I want to remember, and if I don't blog about it, I might not remember it. It was surprisingly good - the 2009 Cuvee Noir from Bolney Estate. It is supposedly a red wine made from dornfelder grapes, but it is light enough to drink like a rose. It had excellent bubbles, loads of deep summer fruit flavours, and despite the berry-goodness, was dry on the finish. I think my husband picked this up at The Wine Pantry. I would highly recommend it, and will definitely drink it again.
But recently, we had a British sparkler that I want to remember, and if I don't blog about it, I might not remember it. It was surprisingly good - the 2009 Cuvee Noir from Bolney Estate. It is supposedly a red wine made from dornfelder grapes, but it is light enough to drink like a rose. It had excellent bubbles, loads of deep summer fruit flavours, and despite the berry-goodness, was dry on the finish. I think my husband picked this up at The Wine Pantry. I would highly recommend it, and will definitely drink it again.
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.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
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.
Monday, 26 December 2011
The Run-Up to Christmas
December always presents excellent opportunities for drinking bubbles. We had a number of interesting bottles to try, particularly a few that I acquired in my travels this year. I'll start with those:
From my home state of New York in the USA, I purchased a bottle of Chateau Frank 2004 Brut. To be honest, this was not my preferred purchase from this vineyard, as the blanc de noir is supposed to be the best that this maker offers. But I couldn't find this in my local shop, just the brut, which is a blend of the traditional champagne grapes of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. It was only OK, definitely not a classic champagne as it was overwhelmed with apple cider flavour and too much sweetness on the finish, very typical of an American sparkling wine. I'll keep trying this maker, though, both for the still wines they produce and for the elusive blanc de noir, which I'll have to order on-line.
Next were two from Canada - a mixed group. We really liked Gray Monk's Odyssey White Brut 2008, a riesling and chardonnay blend that had a wonderful citrus freshness to it and plenty of tiny bubbles (which was a surprise from all of the flatter Canadian sparkling wines that I'd tried in the past). It was incredibly refreshing, the sort of wine you just want to keep on drinking because it's somehow both so flavourful and so clean on your palate. Less successful was Blue Mountain Brut, a mix of pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot gris grapes. This was just not very memorable, a bit of apple and citrus flavour with a touch of candied apple on the end, and nowhere near enough bubbles. Really not worth writing more about.
Some friends sent us a bottle of proper champagne for the holidays from Bedales - one we hadn't tried before called Jean Milan Blanc de Blancs. This family was originally a grower who first started making champagne for Krug and who now produce their own wines. This was a lovely bottle, with all of the things that make a blanc de blancs delicious - a light yeastiness on the nose, a crisp finish, loads of fruit flavours in the middle, and masses of delicate bubbles. What a fantastic gift - thank you!
I've saved my very favourite for last, though, as my husband bought me an English sparkler from The Wine Pantry. This was Coates & Seely Rose, which on the bottle says is made from pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay grapes (while their website doesn't include the chardonnay). At first, we weren't sure about this wine, as the bottle is done up in knock-off French, claiming to be from 'Britagne' and being made in 'methode britannique'. We weren't sure if they were taking the mickey or trying too hard to confuse the less au fait among us into thinking that they were actually champagne. But we forgive the exterior of the bottle for what was inside - smelling of the freshest summer berries, tasting of pink grapefruit, and leaving a lingering mouthful of tart candied peel. The bubbles matched the explosion of flavour, leaving me in no doubt that I will buy and drink this wine again!
Looking forward to trying some more in the run-up to New Year's...
From my home state of New York in the USA, I purchased a bottle of Chateau Frank 2004 Brut. To be honest, this was not my preferred purchase from this vineyard, as the blanc de noir is supposed to be the best that this maker offers. But I couldn't find this in my local shop, just the brut, which is a blend of the traditional champagne grapes of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. It was only OK, definitely not a classic champagne as it was overwhelmed with apple cider flavour and too much sweetness on the finish, very typical of an American sparkling wine. I'll keep trying this maker, though, both for the still wines they produce and for the elusive blanc de noir, which I'll have to order on-line.
Next were two from Canada - a mixed group. We really liked Gray Monk's Odyssey White Brut 2008, a riesling and chardonnay blend that had a wonderful citrus freshness to it and plenty of tiny bubbles (which was a surprise from all of the flatter Canadian sparkling wines that I'd tried in the past). It was incredibly refreshing, the sort of wine you just want to keep on drinking because it's somehow both so flavourful and so clean on your palate. Less successful was Blue Mountain Brut, a mix of pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot gris grapes. This was just not very memorable, a bit of apple and citrus flavour with a touch of candied apple on the end, and nowhere near enough bubbles. Really not worth writing more about.
Some friends sent us a bottle of proper champagne for the holidays from Bedales - one we hadn't tried before called Jean Milan Blanc de Blancs. This family was originally a grower who first started making champagne for Krug and who now produce their own wines. This was a lovely bottle, with all of the things that make a blanc de blancs delicious - a light yeastiness on the nose, a crisp finish, loads of fruit flavours in the middle, and masses of delicate bubbles. What a fantastic gift - thank you!
I've saved my very favourite for last, though, as my husband bought me an English sparkler from The Wine Pantry. This was Coates & Seely Rose, which on the bottle says is made from pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay grapes (while their website doesn't include the chardonnay). At first, we weren't sure about this wine, as the bottle is done up in knock-off French, claiming to be from 'Britagne' and being made in 'methode britannique'. We weren't sure if they were taking the mickey or trying too hard to confuse the less au fait among us into thinking that they were actually champagne. But we forgive the exterior of the bottle for what was inside - smelling of the freshest summer berries, tasting of pink grapefruit, and leaving a lingering mouthful of tart candied peel. The bubbles matched the explosion of flavour, leaving me in no doubt that I will buy and drink this wine again!
Looking forward to trying some more in the run-up to New Year's...
Saturday, 3 September 2011
The Best of British?
I'm sticking my neck out here, but I think I recently drank what I would call the best British bubbles. My husband picked it up for me at a shop at Borough Market called The Wine Pantry, which specialises in British wines.
The wine that wow'ed me was Pebblebed Brut sparkling rose, made from seyval and rondo grapes. Now I have to be honest, I'd never heard of this maker before, not even with the amount of reading I do about sparkling wines, so I wasn't expecting much from this bottle. But it was really, really good. The bubbles were impressive, the best I've ever had from a British wine, better than many French champagnes I've drunk. The flavour was just perfect for a rose - not too sweet, not too acidic, not at all floral, and not over-powered with berries. This was a wonderful aperitif, and I'd love to try it again with shellfish, as the maker recommends oysters with it. I'll definitely be drinking it again someday.
The wine that wow'ed me was Pebblebed Brut sparkling rose, made from seyval and rondo grapes. Now I have to be honest, I'd never heard of this maker before, not even with the amount of reading I do about sparkling wines, so I wasn't expecting much from this bottle. But it was really, really good. The bubbles were impressive, the best I've ever had from a British wine, better than many French champagnes I've drunk. The flavour was just perfect for a rose - not too sweet, not too acidic, not at all floral, and not over-powered with berries. This was a wonderful aperitif, and I'd love to try it again with shellfish, as the maker recommends oysters with it. I'll definitely be drinking it again someday.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Two Very Different Pinot Noirs
We had two bottles of bubbles during the week. The first was part of my Fizz Club case from the Champagne Warehouse, the latest release of 1+1=3 brut nature pinot noir. This was a juicy, berry-flavoured cava with a gorgeous, deep pink colour. Very yummy, although the bubbles weren't quite as good as the last batch of this cava that we drank.
The second bottle that we opened was the 2006 Cubitt Reserve from Denbies. This was also a pinot noir-based sparkler, but couldn't have been more different from the cava. To start, it wasn't a rose. Where the cava was full of berries, this was grape-y, like the kind of grape flavour you get in lollipops and bubble gum as a kid. The grape turns into grapefruit on the finish, with a nice acidity.
The only similarity came in the bubbles, which provided lots of fizz on opening, but didn't last through the glass. Disappointing for me, as I do love my bubbles.
The second bottle that we opened was the 2006 Cubitt Reserve from Denbies. This was also a pinot noir-based sparkler, but couldn't have been more different from the cava. To start, it wasn't a rose. Where the cava was full of berries, this was grape-y, like the kind of grape flavour you get in lollipops and bubble gum as a kid. The grape turns into grapefruit on the finish, with a nice acidity.
The only similarity came in the bubbles, which provided lots of fizz on opening, but didn't last through the glass. Disappointing for me, as I do love my bubbles.
Thursday, 23 June 2011
More from Britain
We spent Saturday afternoon touring the British 'countryside' (actually, 15 minutes away from Zone 6 of London) with a friend of mine. It was lovely and lush from all of the rain. I am always amazed at how quickly the terrain changes from city to country around London! Knowing my penchant for bubbles, my friend suggested that we meet at Denbies vineyard, a very wise idea. We came home with several bottles of wine, both sparkling and still.
The first bottle that we tried, Denbies Whitedowns, had really intrigued me, as it was made from seyval blanc grapes, a new variety for me. It was an unusual sparkler, with OK fizz and a very green flavour, almost like under-ripe melon. It had a good enough balance that it didn't taste tart or bitter, it just had no sweetness to it whatsoever. I was borderline on whether or not I really liked it, it was interesting to me rather than enjoyable. The green-ness was too much for my husband, though, he would pass on this one again.
The Whitedowns wasn't the best-known or the most highly-rated of the Denbies sparklers, so hopefully the next ones we try will be more impressive.
The first bottle that we tried, Denbies Whitedowns, had really intrigued me, as it was made from seyval blanc grapes, a new variety for me. It was an unusual sparkler, with OK fizz and a very green flavour, almost like under-ripe melon. It had a good enough balance that it didn't taste tart or bitter, it just had no sweetness to it whatsoever. I was borderline on whether or not I really liked it, it was interesting to me rather than enjoyable. The green-ness was too much for my husband, though, he would pass on this one again.
The Whitedowns wasn't the best-known or the most highly-rated of the Denbies sparklers, so hopefully the next ones we try will be more impressive.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Disappointing Vintage
We opened a bottle of Camel Valley Brut 2009 last night. It was only OK, not as good as the '07 or '08 vintages. This one was much greener smelling and tasting - a bit like the endive that was in the pasta I made for dinner, including the touch of bitterness. It also didn't hold its bubbles through the glass, the first time I've experienced this with a Camel Valley sparkler. Perhaps age will help this one? But for now, I'd stick with the older vintages.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Biddenden Tasting
I went to a winemaker dinner for Biddenden Vineyards last night at a restaurant in the Clapham/Battersea area called Artisan & Vine. While I've been to winemaker's dinners before, it was my first at this particular venue. The evening was fantastic - the food and wine matching were excellent, and the hosts - both from the restaurant and the vineyard - were both charming and informative. They're doing more events throughout the year, including some day trips out to some of the English vineyards, and I'm hoping to go to another dinner in August.
But the reason why I'm blogging is that we started the evening with a sparkling wine from Biddenden, their Quality Pink Sparkling Wine 2007. This wine is 100% gamay grapes, something a little different for a sparkler. It was good - a lovely, deep rose colour with a strong aroma of strawberries. I was worried that the wine might be too sweet for me, but the strawberry flavour was balanced with just a touch of grapefruit, making it a perfect sipper. It had enough bubbles, too, plentiful on pouring and tapering off to a steady fizz toward the end of the glass. I was pleased with this wine, but don't think it quite deserves its £20 price tag - I've had equally good cavas and proseccos in the £10-15 range, which is where I would have priced this wine.
But the reason why I'm blogging is that we started the evening with a sparkling wine from Biddenden, their Quality Pink Sparkling Wine 2007. This wine is 100% gamay grapes, something a little different for a sparkler. It was good - a lovely, deep rose colour with a strong aroma of strawberries. I was worried that the wine might be too sweet for me, but the strawberry flavour was balanced with just a touch of grapefruit, making it a perfect sipper. It had enough bubbles, too, plentiful on pouring and tapering off to a steady fizz toward the end of the glass. I was pleased with this wine, but don't think it quite deserves its £20 price tag - I've had equally good cavas and proseccos in the £10-15 range, which is where I would have priced this wine.
Monday, 23 May 2011
Sour Grapes
We drank a bottle of Camel Valley's 2006 Pinot Noir Brut sparkling wine this weekend. This blanc de noir was excellent, with a tart grape flavour followed by a Bramley apple finish. It had great balance, lots of crisp flavours without any bitterness and lots of fruit without too much sweetness. The bubbles were great, too!
I have to say that I'm getting more and more impressed with this maker every time I drink their wine.
I have to say that I'm getting more and more impressed with this maker every time I drink their wine.
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Reasonable Pricing
I tried Nyetimber sparkling wines many years ago when they first came out. I liked them back then, and was surprised at what good quality these English sparklers were. But then they started winning awards and then the prices went up - towards £30 a bottle. And while the wines were good, I can get other interesting and just-as-good sparkling wines and champagnes for less money, so I stopped drinking Nyetimber.
Ocado was running a special on Nyetimber this week, putting the price closer to the £20 mark, so I bought a bottle of the Classic Cuvee 2006, a chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend. It surprised me how good it was, very close in style to a French champagne. It had a yeasty, frangipane-scented aroma, with lots of crisp lemon and apple flavour. There was just a touch of sweetness on the finish. The bubbles were also good, lots of them and lasting through the glass. It didn't have the long finish of some of the French champagnes I've had in the £20 range, but it's very well balanced and a great sparkling wine at this price range.
If it's still on special the next time I'm on Ocado, I'll be buying a few more bottles. But I still wouldn't splash out on it at its 'normal' price.
Ocado was running a special on Nyetimber this week, putting the price closer to the £20 mark, so I bought a bottle of the Classic Cuvee 2006, a chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier blend. It surprised me how good it was, very close in style to a French champagne. It had a yeasty, frangipane-scented aroma, with lots of crisp lemon and apple flavour. There was just a touch of sweetness on the finish. The bubbles were also good, lots of them and lasting through the glass. It didn't have the long finish of some of the French champagnes I've had in the £20 range, but it's very well balanced and a great sparkling wine at this price range.
If it's still on special the next time I'm on Ocado, I'll be buying a few more bottles. But I still wouldn't splash out on it at its 'normal' price.
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Lovely Weekend
The weather couldn't have been more perfect this weekend, and to top it off, we spent much of it with friends. It was the ultimate combination of sunshine and great company!
On Sunday, we had some friends over for a lunchtime BBQ, which was very laid back and relaxed. For an aperitif, we served an English sparkling wine, Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2006, Jancis Robinson's top-rated English sparkler. This wine is a classic champagne blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. It was pleasant enough - emulating the French-style champagnes but not quite achieving the same kind of yeasty richness or balance of the best of them. That said, it had very good bubbles and made a nice aperitif. It sadly just wasn't very memorable, the kind of thing you drink and say "that was nice" but that you don't feel the need to track down or serve again.
Our friend brought an American bottle of bubbly with him, Beringer Sparkling Zinfandel Rose - which we served for dessert with our mixed berry shortcake. The wine was a great match to the dessert, with a huge, fizzy, in-your-face berry flavour. Like many American sparklers, this was sweeter than the bubbles I usually drink, so I'm not sure I would have liked it on its own. But perfectly chilled, it was a great go-with-dessert wine for the hot weather.
On Monday, we went for a pub lunch with some friends, and then took advantage of the lingering sunshine with a wander through our local park. When we got home, to toast the closing of the holiday weekend, we opened the last of the English sparkling wines we had in the house, Camel Valley Brut 2008. I've had the 2007 vintage before and really liked it, and the 2008 didn't disappoint, either. Unlike the Gusbourne we had drunk the day before, the Camel Valley was a memorable wine. It had wonderful, nectar fruit flavours of apricots, peach, and passion fruit. It also had non-stop bubbles, which lightened the rich flavours. Of the three British sparklers we drank this weekend, this was by-far my favourite. I'm heading over to the Camel Valley website so that I can buy and try some more from this vineyard.
On Sunday, we had some friends over for a lunchtime BBQ, which was very laid back and relaxed. For an aperitif, we served an English sparkling wine, Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2006, Jancis Robinson's top-rated English sparkler. This wine is a classic champagne blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. It was pleasant enough - emulating the French-style champagnes but not quite achieving the same kind of yeasty richness or balance of the best of them. That said, it had very good bubbles and made a nice aperitif. It sadly just wasn't very memorable, the kind of thing you drink and say "that was nice" but that you don't feel the need to track down or serve again.
Our friend brought an American bottle of bubbly with him, Beringer Sparkling Zinfandel Rose - which we served for dessert with our mixed berry shortcake. The wine was a great match to the dessert, with a huge, fizzy, in-your-face berry flavour. Like many American sparklers, this was sweeter than the bubbles I usually drink, so I'm not sure I would have liked it on its own. But perfectly chilled, it was a great go-with-dessert wine for the hot weather.
On Monday, we went for a pub lunch with some friends, and then took advantage of the lingering sunshine with a wander through our local park. When we got home, to toast the closing of the holiday weekend, we opened the last of the English sparkling wines we had in the house, Camel Valley Brut 2008. I've had the 2007 vintage before and really liked it, and the 2008 didn't disappoint, either. Unlike the Gusbourne we had drunk the day before, the Camel Valley was a memorable wine. It had wonderful, nectar fruit flavours of apricots, peach, and passion fruit. It also had non-stop bubbles, which lightened the rich flavours. Of the three British sparklers we drank this weekend, this was by-far my favourite. I'm heading over to the Camel Valley website so that I can buy and try some more from this vineyard.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Great Expectations
I drank a lot of French champagne last year so I'm trying to drink a broader variety of geographies this year. I'm finding it difficult to acquire decent, non-French sparkling wines in the UK, though. Selfridges had a small selection of some of the better-rated (as per Jancis Robinson) British sparkling makers, so I bought a few bottles recently through their website.
Last night, we had BBQ sausages and mash for dinner, one of the ultimate British meals, so we opened a bottle of the British sparkling wine with it - Chapel Down Brut reserve. This wine is made from some unusual grapes, being a blend of Reichensteiner, Rivaner (a white wine grape that I really like), and Pinot Noir. I didn't really like this wine, though. It smelled strongly of yeast and tasted like apple-y beer. My husband was less bothered by it, saying that although it was slightly sweeter than the sparkling wines we tend to drink, it wasn't offensively sweet. Nor was it bitter or sour. While he didn't object to it, he didn't love it, either.
To be fair to Jancis Robinson, she recommended a 2007 vintage from this maker which Selfridges did not have. So I can't fault her recommendation for this wine being less than the one she tasted. But I have to say, based on my experience of this bottle, I wouldn't be keen to try more from Chapel Down.
Last night, we had BBQ sausages and mash for dinner, one of the ultimate British meals, so we opened a bottle of the British sparkling wine with it - Chapel Down Brut reserve. This wine is made from some unusual grapes, being a blend of Reichensteiner, Rivaner (a white wine grape that I really like), and Pinot Noir. I didn't really like this wine, though. It smelled strongly of yeast and tasted like apple-y beer. My husband was less bothered by it, saying that although it was slightly sweeter than the sparkling wines we tend to drink, it wasn't offensively sweet. Nor was it bitter or sour. While he didn't object to it, he didn't love it, either.
To be fair to Jancis Robinson, she recommended a 2007 vintage from this maker which Selfridges did not have. So I can't fault her recommendation for this wine being less than the one she tasted. But I have to say, based on my experience of this bottle, I wouldn't be keen to try more from Chapel Down.
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