Friday, 17 May 2013
A Typical Prosecco
I was in the mood for some bubbles this week, and stopped by my local to see what they had. I brought home a bottle of Jeio Brut, which cost around £10. My husband said it was a typical prosecco, with a not-too-sweet pear and mint flavour. It had lots of fizz rather than bubbles, which was still OK. It also went really well with the blueberry pancakes we ate for dinner. It did a good job of filling my craving for something sparkling without breaking the bank.
New Old Billecart-Salmon
We drink a lot of Billecart-Salmon champagne. They are without a doubt my favourite champagne maker, and I feel fortunate to be in a position to purchase their champagnes. I stopped reporting on 'repeat' bottles, because I really don't like to rub it in when I'm drinking it and you might not be. But we recently had two new bottles of older vintages that I should report.
The first was the 2000 vintage Cuvee Nicholas Francois Billecart. This champagne had a wonderfully big flavour, lots of rich, ripe apple, with some carmelised nuts at the finish. While we enjoyed first glasses on their own, this champagne stood up to our dinner, too.
The second was the 1999 vintage of the Brut Blanc de Blancs. I have always thought that the Brut Reserve was my favourite Billecart-Salmon offering. I'm not so sure anymore. Firstly, I couldn't believe the bubbles in this champagne, especially considering its age. They were amazing, the best bubbles I've had in a long time. The flavour was also fantastic, lemony-goodness, with just a touch of chalky dryness. The finish lasted forever. While you could probably serve this with food, I just wanted to savor it on its own, it was THAT good. I love it when a maker can surprise me with something even better than I was already expecting!!
The first was the 2000 vintage Cuvee Nicholas Francois Billecart. This champagne had a wonderfully big flavour, lots of rich, ripe apple, with some carmelised nuts at the finish. While we enjoyed first glasses on their own, this champagne stood up to our dinner, too.
The second was the 1999 vintage of the Brut Blanc de Blancs. I have always thought that the Brut Reserve was my favourite Billecart-Salmon offering. I'm not so sure anymore. Firstly, I couldn't believe the bubbles in this champagne, especially considering its age. They were amazing, the best bubbles I've had in a long time. The flavour was also fantastic, lemony-goodness, with just a touch of chalky dryness. The finish lasted forever. While you could probably serve this with food, I just wanted to savor it on its own, it was THAT good. I love it when a maker can surprise me with something even better than I was already expecting!!
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
March round-up
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
A Varied November
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.
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, 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.
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