Formal Hall

Three wines with dinner. Sunday, 13 Nov 2011.

2008 The Liberator Special Edition 'Francophile #2' Stellenbosch.
The Wine Society £9.95 | A-

Heady notes of ripe peaches and some citrus, also touches of floral, rather oily, with some high, almost organic chemistry notes. Palate is ripe and full; ripe white fruits again; really a big wine but not flabby, full mouthfeel with nice texture; theres a slight pithy bitterness amidst it all. Definitely a food wine; lingering finish.

1996 Abadia Retuerta 'Cuvee El Campanario'. Sardon de Duero
A-

Showing beautifully again, lots of freshness still, despiate the age; nice acidity still showing; fruits are now soft and red; crushed raspberries and sour cherries. Seductive, and drinking so well. Paired well with gammon.

2009 Seifried 'Sweet Agnes' Riesling. Nelson.
Naked Wine £18 (375ml) | A

An award winner which I have tasted and reviewed a year ago. This shows all the same notes - wonderful tropical nose of sour mangoes, lychees and valencia oranges. Tasted like sweet marmalade; very high and refreshing citrus acidity paired with bags of sugar; not cloying, drinking like nectar. Wonderful.

General

Three wines from Cambridge Wine Merchants, tasted at their King's Parade branch; prices are retail.

2007 Vidigal Brut Espumante Branco Metodo Classico, Vinho Regional Lisboa.
£9.99 | B

Nose is lively, some fruit, touch of lees there as well. Palate is distinctly off dry, lemony fresh, vibrant; fruit is ripe. Cheerful  but perhaps a simple wine.

2009 Zuccardi 'Serie A' Torrontes. Salta.
£10.99 | A-

Smells sweet, orange blossoms and acacia, really rather floral; orange peel, very lifted and aromatic; some appley notes too; beautiful nose. On the palate theres loads of fruit; some pith and a touch of sugar, like ripe grapefruits; but still very racy, with decent mid palate weight; even some streaks of minerality showing. Well made, so together; such a fine drink - one of the best Argentinian Torrontes I've had.

2010 Zuccardi 'Serie A' Malbec. Mendoza.
£11.99 | B+

Nose shows crushed red berries, woody, vanilla; sweet spices, has port-like aromas too. Palate is light but there's a lot of ripe red fruits, red cherries and berries; sweet, not much acidity; because of the lack of extraction, this to me feels rather hollow in the middle palate; a Malbec 'light' if you will. They are going for a lighter style perhaps to combat the stereotype of big, chunky Malbecs.

CUWS M11 Tokaji - Demeter Zoltan

Wednesday, 09 November 2011.

A tasting of  Demeter Zoltan wines (http://www.demeterzoltan.hu/) led by the winemaker himself for Cambridge University Wine Society. Prices are retail from their UK importer / distributor Cozzi & Boffa (http://www.cozziandboffa.com/).

2009 Demeter Zoltan 'Birtokbor' Tokaji Furmint
£20 | B+

A blend from their various vineyards; the 'house' style if you will.
Clean, lots of citrus, chalky almost; also lime sherbet. Fresh, nice acidity on the palate; there is a touch of sugar there which can be felt, fat white fruits, fleshy white peach; very ripe and fat. Very drinkable, cheerful wine.

2009 Demeter Zoltan 'Veres' Tokaji Furmint
£32 | B+

Floral, also peach, sherbet even grape like? Rather mineral again, but width, not linear, some fatness to this. Nice ripe white fruits with decent lemony finish. Classy.

2009 Demeter Zoltan 'Lapis' Tokaji Furmint
£36 | A-

Clean, neutral white fruit, lime stone, chalk. Again white fruits with some citrus; more mineral showing, restrained intensity and power; feels quite linear and austere, lean. Great tension showing in the wine; poised.

2009 Demeter Zoltan 'Szerelmi' Tokaji Harslevelu
£36 | B+ (not pictured)

Neutral, lime sherbet on the nose. Nice acidity, minerality showing through; quite linear and austere, long persistent lime acidity, solid backbone. Structured.

2008 Demeter Zoltan 'Szerelmi' Tokaji Harslevelu
£36 | A-

Ripe white fruits, peaches, there is some buttery touches. Palate very wide, width as opposed to linearity; fat acidity, so generous yet persistent acidity. 7g/l residual sugar which lends a generous mouthfeel. Very sustained flavours, long finish; lingering power. Fantastic; my favourite dry white wine of the evening.

2008 Demeter Zoltan 'Fobor' Tokaji
£49 (50cl) | A

Honey, acacia, also floral, ripe sweet nectarines, candied citrus, sweet marmalade. Fantastic acidity still there, so fresh; sugar at 198 g/l is high but doesn't feel heavy at all. Nice marmalade showing through, sweet valencia, tangerines; combination of lots of sugar with orangey searing acidity. Superlative; my favourite sweet wine of the evening.

2008 Demeter Zoltan 'Aszu' Tokaji
£95 (50cl) | A

Nose very similar to above, more honey, golden syrup and intensity though. Sugar is slightly higher at 224 g/l.  Intense, cooked marmalade, serious intensity going. There is less acidity, its heavier, more botrytis can be felt, the bitterness shows at the back. Sits on the palate, lingers on the palate forever. At the moment, its not as nimble and playful as the 'Fobor' but I'm reliably informed this is better for the long haul.

2000 Demeter Zoltan 'Eszencia' Tokaji
Price on request | A

Nectar of the gods at 2% alcohol and 500 g/l residual sugar; it literally gloops out reluctantly form the bottle. Honey, so intense; treacle and golden syrup, its like drinking runny honey really. But there's still citrus / tangerines showing too; this is beyond words and description, golden sultana juice. It just sits on the palate and lasts forever. A true novelty.

CUWS M11 Tokaji - Laszlo Alkonyi Masterclass

Wednesday, 09 Nov 2011.
A Tokaji Masterclass by the renowned Tokaji expert Laszlo Alkonyi (http://en.tokajwine.net/) who has extensively researched the dry white wine producing vineyards in Tokaji. The first two wines are 'ordinary' styles of dry white wines whereas the last three are from vineyard sites which Laszlo considers to be among the best in Tokaji. All five wines are made from the Furmint varietal.

2009 Oremus 'Mandolas' Tokaji Dry
B+

Neutral, white fruits and some peach. There is oak on the nose and you can feel it nicely integrated on the mid palate; nice acidity, quite cutting; fresh with grapefruit and citrus, some weight and texture to this. Has a lemony finish. Clean, refreshing.

2010 Disznoko Tokaji Dry Furmint
B-

Neutral, even green on the nose. Palate has green, face contorting acidity, mineral showing; unripe grapefruit, struggling to get ripeness. Acidity really unbalanced; very harsh and piercing. Apparently in Tokaji, 2010 was one of the worst vintages in living memory.

2009 Homonna Attila 'Hatari' Tokaji Dry
A- (not pictured)

Neutral white fruit, maybe some oak; lime sherbet on thenose. Nice acidity, fruit is ripe and large, ripe grape fruit with a touch of greenness; theres a nice fatness on the palate, not linear. Nice length, more on the finish. Big, structured wine, nervy but very polished.

2008 Istvan Szepsy 'Szent Tamas' Tokaji Dry
A-

Creamy and nutty, minerality; again peach, white fruit; more buttery, really shows the oak treatment, there is even a smoky whiff. Full mouthfeel, quite thick and textured; acidity persistent, nicer presence, lemony mid palate. Very wide and generous, quite burly and muscular fruit which could handle all the oak treatment. Burgundian in all but name.

2008 Demeter Zoltan 'Lapis' Tokaji Dry
A-

Citrus, floral and acacia; mangoes, lychee and over ripe peaches, definitely sweeter nose. Palate shows fantastic acidity; touch of sugar can be felt, only a couple grams of sugar; palate is big yet so elegant. Very together, the acidity so persistent; sustained intensity of fruit and concentration; very exciting nose for dry wine. Seductive.

Formal Hall

Three wines with dinner, tasted 06 Nov 2011.


NV Romate Sanchez Fino Perdido
The Wine Society £7.95 | B+

Previously reviewed here; must say it coped well being paired with smoked salmon, with a rather pungent olive vinaigrette dressing.

2003 Chateau La Dauphine, Fronsac
The Wine Society | B+

Bought at auction; stored in the temperature controlled cellars of The Wine Society since release; sold en primeur at £95 per case in bond.
Plummy red fruits on the nose, some woody tones too, touch of vanilla also showing; small amount of secondary notes beginning to show; rustic charm. Palate is settled, rounded red fruits, red plums and sour cherries dominate the palate, still fresh and vibrant; acidity balanced; tannins have softened. Drinking very nicely, probably at its peak now to 2015.

2008 Domaine de Montesquiou Grappe d'Or Jurancon 
Leon Stolarski £17.25 | A-

Rather fragrant nose; honey and acacia, floral tones; intense citrus notes, like sweet, candied orange peel; also exotic tropical notes of mango, with over ripe peaches and nectarines; lots going on. Palate is very vibrant, so much racy lemony acidity; I suspect the sugar is around the 80-100g/l range but theres so much acidity, the sugar is really masked. Palate is rich, bursting with sweet valencia oranges and tangerines, very citrusy; great presence and long finish. Beautifully poised, a wonderful wine.

CUWS M11 - CIVB

A tasting of Bordeaux Wines by the CIVB (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) for Cambridge University Wine Society, led by Anthony Stockbridge. Wednesday, 02 Nov 2011.

2009 Averys Pioneer Range Bordeaux
Avery's Wine Merchants £8.99 | B+

Plum fruits, currants; some violets and smoke; feels quite hot and cooked, like compote. Palate has lots of fruit, good dose of acidity balanced by green notes; a more modern style, immediately approachable and drinkable. Again, nice fruits showing, but lacks in finish; well made everyday drinking wine.

2009 Chateau David, Bordeaux Superieur
Sainsburys £6.49 | B

Dark currants and berries, a bit of mint perhaps on the nose. Again lots of fruit on the palate, juicy; still feels a touch hot. There is a good fruit hit at the beginning, but again disappears quickly; a simple, well made everyday drinking wine.

2009 le Voyage de Chai au Quai, Cotes du Castillon

Laithwaites £12.99 | B+

Dark fruits, some smoke, quite woody nose; then red violets and cherries, berries too. On the palate its fruit forward, quite rounded, plums and berries; does feel quite big; some depth and weight but doesnt carry it through on the finish. Good fruit hit, then disappears quickly; feels a touch alcoholic but in all, its well put together.

2006 Chateau Lapelletrie, Saint Emilion Grand Cru
Tesco Wine £13.10 | B+

Berries and cherries, some sweet spice, maybe violet, damson, attractive. Fresh dark fruits, again juicy, fruit forward, drying but not overtly tannic; the fruit is less round, its a bit thinner and leaner on the mid palate; doesnt immediately disappear on the finish. I think the fruit is drying out, just about hanging on.

2006 Domaine de Saint-Guirons, Pauillac

Majestic £19.99 | B+(+)

From the FX Borie stable, which includes Chateaux Grand Puy Lacoste and Haut Batailley. 

Dark fruits, woody, some leather and sweet spice; quite brooding. Palate has lots of dark fruits, dark currants and cherries; big, denser mouthfeel, nice weight; the oak, fruit, tannin and acidity all very together and integrated; decent finish  There is some structure to this, drinks well enough now but will improve for another 3-8 years.

2001 Terre du Lion, Saint Julien
A- 

Made by second growth Chateau Leoville Las Cases, as what I suspect is their then third label generic Saint Julien; Las Cases' third label is now called La Petit Lion de Marquis de Las Cases .
Lots of secondary notes: woody, mahogany, cigar box; also leather and maybe pencil shavings too, then comes dark fruits and sweet spices - almost a textbook nose of a mature Saint Julien. Very settled on the palate, acidity still fresh, fruit is rounded; no longer big hit, it just has a yielding mid palate filled with ripe red cherries and berries. Shows class, it has clearly matured gracefully and is drinking beautifully now.

2006 Chateau Le Bourdillot Blanc, Graves

Laithwaites £9.79 | B

Colour is quite deep. Nose has waxy, rather oily notes; also white fruits, peaches and nectarines, touch of floral too. Palate is bone dry; nice acidity though its a bit on the harsh side; citrus freshness but lacking in complexity. Short finish, well made but forgettable.

2003 Chateau Laville, Sauternes
B+ 

Classic sauternes nose: botrytis, floral; candied apricots and peaches, sweet citrus, marmalade and acacia honey. Decent acidity in this, isn't cloying; theres good balance, sweetness is moderate, maybe 80g/l range but has a weirdly drying (not sweet) tone at the back palate. Decent length on the finish, classy.

CWM Hidalgo

Second tasting in as many weeks of sherries from Sanlucar de Barrameida, this time from the house of Hidalgo. Tasted Tuesday, 01 Nov 2011 in The Punter, Cambridge; tasting was hosted by Cambridge Wine Merchants and led by Javier Hidalgo himself. Sherries were accompanied by some tasty tapas-stlye food.
Sat next to Tom Lewis, The Cambridge Wine Blogger, his take on the evening can be found here.

La Gitana Manzanilla
B+

This is the 'house' style Manzanilla by Hidalgo, accounts for a majority of their production and sales.
Fresh flor and green almonds; brine and iodine, some biscuit and yeasty notes too. On the palate its very clean and refreshing, cleansing acidity, vibrant and taut; even some citrus showing as well. Nice style, really cuts through the fairly lively tapas and holds its own.

Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana
A-

More nutty, roasted (as opposed to green) almonds on the nose; olives too, some brine and iodine still. On the palate is has more presence, greater intensity of flavour; definitely more nutty, not green anymore. Settled, more mature, still vibrant acidity; there isnt as much flavour on the initial hit, but it has a more sustained mid palate; lasts longer than the basic Manzanilla.

Oloroso Abocado Alameda

B+

Sweeter nose: raisins, caramel and toffee, fudge; again some varnish, with noticeable oxidative character. The sugar is noticeable, maybe on the 50-60g/l range; raisins and sultanas, with caramel; good presence but short on the finish.

Hidalgo 30yo 'Wellington' Palo Cortado
A

On the nose its full on nutty, roasted hazelnuts and almonds; burnt salted caramel, some coffee and dusted chocolate, raisins too; then the more developed nose of wood varnish and lacquer kicks in; serious complexity even on the nose. On the palate theres still plenty of vibrant acidity, even fruity (sultanas, bitter marmalade); astonishingly fresh and lively; sweet spices on the very very long finish. Mature, complex, truly a joy to drink.

Hidalgo 30yo 'Triana' Pedro Ximenez
A-

Dark, almost inky black and according to a fellow taster has the consistency of used engine oil. On the nose theres golden syrup, caramel, treacle and bags of molasses; some coffee, demerara and dark chocolate too; almost overhwhelming really. On the palate its incredibly concentrated, intense and sugary, this hits 400g/l residual sugar; syrupy thick, it actually feels heavy on the palate; tastes like raisin juice; unctuous, decadent, very very long mocha flavoured finish. I poured some of this over the vanilla ice cream dessert and it still showed through.