CUWS M10 - Cambridge Wine Merchants

Tin Pot Hut Pinot Gris 09 Marlborough
A-

Lifted aromatics, white fruits, touches of solvent. Nice fruits, width there, clean acidity, nice fat palate. Some sugar, not completely dry, should be versatile food wine. Well made.

Bouchard Finlayson Blanc de Mer 09. South Africa.
B+

More zing to this, bit aggressive, touch sharp at the beginning. Tropical, white fruits, theres some phenolic notes at the back. Palate is rather one dimensional, flat and wide. Has it seen some oak? Blend of mostlyViognier (hence the phenolic bitterness at the back, I suppose), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling

Vina Arboleda Sauvignon Blanc 09. Aconcagua. £10.
B+

Pithy, nose is distinctly green, leafy, green bell peppers. Good fruits is there, maybe some gooseberry, really forward. Nice intensity with minerality, other than that quite similar to New Zealand Sauv Bl. A food wine.

Carrick Unravelled Pinot Noir 08. Central Otago.
B+

Not fully extracted, pale, quite green, peppery, leafy, violets, earthy too. Attractive, old world style, but theres a weird alcoholic overtone. Sour cherry, strawberry, bit woody. Slightly flabby, could have more mouthfeel and presence, on the light side of things. Love the nose though.

Colonia las Liebras Bonarda 08.
£7. B+

Large, alcoholic, deeper colour and extraction, jammy. Plenty of fruit, big, bold and chunky tannins. Not exactly complex, but its generous. Probably should be had with food.

Von Siebenthal Parcela #7 07
A-

Jammy compote, darker fruits, alcoholic, musty, solvent, some smoky burnt notes. Plenty of fruits there, good acid backbone, tannins are not as gripping. Nice actually, food wine.

Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein 07
£11. B+

Lifted, floral, violets, some alcohol, looks deep and extracted but the palate is quite nifty, fleeting. Sour cherry, Plenty of acidity, crunchy, bit of grip at the back. Weird.

l'Aventure Syrah 02. Paso Robles.
£30. B+

Winegums, pastilles, mint, blackberry. Big and expressive even at this age. What is this? Tannins are unresolved, grabs you all over the place. I think the fruits is still there but isn't showing well; its like its hidden somewhere. Everything is in excess, the oak, the acid and the extracted fruit. No balance, shame.

Old Boys 21 year old tawny
£16. A

An old favourite, like meeting an old friend. Treacle, sultana, raisins, the alcoholic nose is inevitable. Marmalade, excellent length, so much mouthfeel and presence, good weight and the complexity for a wine that's below £20 is remarkable, lasts a surreal amount of time. Simply outstanding.

Overall, another eclectic tasting by the effervescent Brett Turner from Cambridge Wine Merchants. The Tinpot Hut howed well, as did the Von Siebenthal; I'll probably remember the Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein for its weirdness and the American Syrah for its over-the-topness.