Vintage: 2007
Type: Beaujolais
Country: France – Burgundy – Beaujolais – Fleurie
This wine is slightly different than your typical Fleurie since it has spent some time ageing in French oak. because of this, it still has the flavours that you would expect with the gamay grape: berries and fresh fruit. The oak adds a loving level of complexity and depth. This is a sophisticated Beaujolais . Excellent effort!
Vintage: 2000
Type: Red Bordeaux Blend
Country: France – Bordeaux – Côtes de Bourg
This wine is has a medium garnet colour, fading to a nice brownish colour on the edge. On the nose are blackcurrant, raspberries and dark fruit with a hint of vanilla. On the palate are flavours of dark fruit, cherry, blackcurrant and coffee. Nice long finish. A very nice glass of Bordeaux that is drinking well at the moment.
Appearance
Clear, deep Ruby.
Nose
Clean, prominent. Characteristics of dark fruit, spice, blackberry, plum, and cherry, coffee with a hint of oak and vanilla
Palate
Medium acidity. medium tannin. Flavours of dark fruit, spice chocolate, coffee and cherry. Full body. Long finish.
Conclusion
Outstanding
Vintage: 2000
Type: Champagne
Country: France – Champagne
This is a special bottle of wine. Smooth and round with citrus notes and toasty vanilla. Lots of bubbles and acidity, so it will still last some more though it is drinking very well at the moment. The wine is the essence of great vintage champagne. If you can find a bottle buy it for a special occasion!
Vintage: 1998
Type: Champagne
Country: France – Champagne
This Champagne is clean and fresh on the nose with hints of citrus fruit and loads of autolytic notes. On the palate there are loads of yummy flavours of biscuity yeast and citrus. Smooth and elegant, this wine is maturing nicely and has lots of life in it still.
Vintage: Non vintage
Type: Champagne
Country: France – Champagne
This is a good non dosage champagne. Very dry, high acidity flavours of apple and toasty biscuit. A perfect to start an evening.
Vintage: Non Vintage
Type: Crémant
Country: France – Loire Valley- Saumur
Nice notes of strawberries, though this wine lacks depth. A good sparkling drink for a hot summer day, but nothing too serious.
Vintage: Non Vintage
Type: Rose Port
Country: Portugal- Douro- Porto
This is a straight forward pink port that I picked up in the Waitrose Wine Hall. Served chilled between 10-12 degrees Celcius and it releases its fruity aromas. Try drinking this in the early afternoon when it is hot outside, maybe while snacking on honey roasted peanuts. This could easily replace a Pimm’s when you are enjoying the sunshine in your back garden … because everyone has a sunny back garden in Central London, right?
Technical Analysis
Appearance
Clear medium pink.
Nose
Clean, strawberry aromas.
Palate
Sweet. Medium acidity and medium body. Low tannin. Flavour characteristics of strawberry. Medium finish.
Conclusion
Good.
Vintage: 2007
Type: Bordeaux Blend
Country: France – Bordeaux – Graves
This bottle was a free gift after buying a case of extraordinary Claret (this is what English people call any red wines from the Bordeaux region!) from Berry Brothers. It was a nice Sauvignon Blanc. Unfortunately, I did not take very detailed notes at the time of tasting, so you will not see my technical analysis here, but I recall the wine having the following characteristics:
Dry, high acidity, light bodied, with flavours of citrus zest and tropical fruits. Very good.
I promise, if I receive another bottle of this decent white Bordeaux, I will detail its appearance, nose and palate characteristics! Remember to chill it. It would go well with any fresh summer salad.
Vintage: 2006
Type: Red Bordeaux Blend
Country: Chile – Aconcagua
Lovely notes of oak on the nose with fruit and tobacco. Full flavours of cassis, and blackberry with nice integrated tannins and a sumptuous finish. Very good.
Vintage: 2008
Type: Shiraz
Country: Australia – Barossa
This wine has nice oak hints with black fruit, chocolate, vanilla and tobacco. Still quite dark, almost purple colour. Good effort.