Some cracking and not so cracking wines.

Right, New Year, new commitment to more frequent posts, this is my idealistic New Years resolution. The new year was seen in with some great wines, a highlight being, Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Le Clavoillon 2005. A wine that is showing extremely well at the moment, with layers of brioche, sandwiched between mineral notes, with a lovely rich texture and some tinned flageolot bean wiffs on the nose. The wine displayed the quality of which the 2005's are becoming known for and whilst most people will be keeping this wine for another couple of years I'd be wary about leaving it too long. Another wine that really stood out was the Ridgeview Cavendish 2005  Merret. Ridgeview have tried to push the name Merret as a broad covering descriptor of English Sparkling wine. Whether you support that or not, you cannot argue that this draws a close comparison to some of France's best Champagnes. The wine is hand picked and whole bunch pressed. It undergoes 100% malolactic conversion to tame that crispy English acidity. The wine is a blend that contains Chardonnay, Petit Meunier and Pinot Noir in equal amounts. On the palette this wine deliveries a surprising richness balanced against some great structural acidity, red fruits and summer pudding mingle with biscuit and toast.

So two good wines, here's one I wasn't that impressed with,2008 LA 50/50 Vin de Table Domaine Anne Gros et Jean-Paul Tollot. Here's one that should be great. Take two well known winemakers, throw in a mix of established Carignan, Grenache and Cinsault and combine them in the glorious sunshine of the Roussillon and what do you get? Sorry L&S, but a wine that stinks of a hot difficult ferment, with some weird sulphur bi-products,  that give the nose a strange burnt rubber smell. The pallet is hard with a distinct cheesy taste to it and by cheesy I mean gym shoe cheesy. This wasn't what I was expecting, it was difficult to approach and doesn't taste anything like the "refreshing", "fruity" or "delicate" tasting note applied to it. But hey, maybe this really is what's meant when a wine is described as Rustic........ 

Right, New Year, new commitment to more frequent posts, this is my idealistic New Years resolution. The new year was seen in with some great wines, a highlight being, Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Le Clavoillon 2005. A wine that is showing extremely well at the moment, with layers of brioche, sandwiched between mineral notes, with a lovely rich texture and some tinned flageolot bean wiffs on the nose. The wine displayed the quality of which the 2005's are becoming known for and whilst most people will be keeping this wine for another couple of years I'd be wary about leaving it too long. Another wine that really stood out was the Ridgeview Cavendish 2005  Merret. Ridgeview have tried to push the name Merret as a broad covering descriptor of English Sparkling wine. Whether you support that or not, you cannot argue that this draws a close comparison to some of France's best Champagnes. The wine is hand picked and whole bunch pressed. It undergoes 100% malolactic conversion to tame that crispy English acidity. The wine is a blend that contains Chardonnay, Petit Meunier and Pinot Noir in equal amounts. On the palette this wine deliveries a surprising richness balanced against some great structural acidity, red fruits and summer pudding mingle with biscuit and toast.

So two good wines, here's one I wasn't that impressed with,2008 LA 50/50 Vin de Table Domaine Anne Gros et Jean-Paul Tollot. Here's one that should be great. Take two well known winemakers, throw in a mix of established Carignan, Grenache and Cinsault and combine them in the glorious sunshine of the Roussillon and what do you get? Sorry L&S, but a wine that stinks of a hot difficult ferment, with some weird sulphur bi-products,  that give the nose a strange burnt rubber smell. The pallet is hard with a distinct cheesy taste to it and by cheesy I mean gym shoe cheesy. This wasn't what I was expecting, it was difficult to approach and doesn't taste anything like the "refreshing", "fruity" or "delicate" tasting note applied to it. But hey, maybe this really is what's meant when a wine is described as Rustic........