More Tastings - Rather a Mixed Bag

15-Nov-11 - Finally catching up with the samples people have sent, for which many thanks. A real mixed bag here with some old favourites and a few new surprises. Where pics are not credited they are from the producer's website.

ITALY

2009 Cantine Rosa del Golfo, IGT Salento - Negroamaro/Malvasía 90/10 - 12.5% abv
Rose pink; light, fresh, 'twangy' nose with some fresh rose-hip hints; lovely fresh fruit, crisp, fresh acidity on mid, hint of leather, light, fruity, delicious on the finish. 16/20

2009 Primitivo, Rosa del Golfo, IGT Salento - 13.5% abv
Red/garnet; mature, dried rose-petal on the nose with that Italian 'twang'; lovely balance, clean fruit, crisp acidity, a hint of liquorice on the palate, long, soft finish with a hint of almonds. Drinking well. 17/20

FRANCE

Pic.: Liberty Wine

2010 Château Beaulieu Cuvée Alexandre, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence - Grenache/Cabernet-Sauvignon/Syrah - 12% abv - Decanter bronze medal - £10
Gris; delicate, floral scents on the nose; soft fruit on the foretaste with a little bit of weight on the mid, very pleasant, lingering finish. Delicious. 16/20

Château Gassier, Cuvée Loubiero, Côtes de Provence - Syrah/Cinsaut/Grenache - 13% abv - £11.50
Gris; warm, summer flowers, honeysuckle on the nose; a big mouthful of fruit on the foretaste, then a hint of austerity on the mid before the flowers return on the finish. Hint of almonds right at the end. 17/20

SCOTLAND

This was a gift from Berry Bros. & Rudd, who had arranged a trip to Rioja to meet four of their suppliers (details in RIOJA REVISITED 2011 - Amazon.co.uk). On the last night we were given dinner at Finca Allende, and at the end of the meal Miguel Ángel de Gregorio came round with a wrapped up bottle which he described as a 'special dessert wine'. We were not expecting the alcohol! His was the 1987 distillation, which is now out of stock, but the 1998 is well-developed and, of course, spirits don't develop once they're in the bottle.

1998 The Glenrothes Single Malt Speyside - 43% abv - distilled 17-Dec-98, bottled 11-Feb-09 - £42
Light amber; acorns, walnuts, hint of Sherry on the nose; fresh fruit, hint of citrus on the palate with a 'meaty', peaty finish, long and ultimately nutty. Fab. 19/20

ARGENTINA

I visited this winery in Feb-2008 - posted on this blog when I got back, repeated here: A similarly spectacular view [of the Andes] was on offer at Bodega Séptima, which belongs to the Codorníu Cava group. This magnificent winery has a top-floor dining room with outside decking and yet another fabulous view of the Andes to the west. They were holding a 'Master of Food and Wine Lunch', and the main course was scallops. Sadly, I'm allergic to bivalves but the chef volunteered to rustle up a steak, Argentinian style (i.e. big and well-grilled). The wines were Syrah, Tempranillo and, of course, Malbec, and we tasted through the range after lunch. This is the latest vintage:

2010 Séptima Malbec, Codorníu Argentina, Uco Valley - 14% abv - six months in American oak - £8
Purple; dark fruit but some bright freshness and warmth; big, mouthfilling concentrated fruit, tannins kick in on the mid, buit the fruit rises abve it, not terribly complex, but rich/austere on the finish. Pity it's not the barbecue season... 17/20

SPAIN

At the Williams & Humbert bodega in Jerez they have a 'library' of wines going back to 1921, and on a visit some years ago I was lucky enough to taste many of them. They're tasted and reclassified by the Capataz periodically, and I discovered that they just got better and better as I went back through the years until about the early 1960s, when the acetaldehyde started to dominate. These are seriously underrated and superb value wines.

Williams & Humbert Collection 12-year-old Oloroso - 19% abv - £8 (half bottle)
Amber; nutty, dates, wax polish on old oak; lovely rounded, mellow, nutty, rich without being sweet, classic Oloroso style, bone dry on the finish. Wonderful. 18/20

 

2005 Legaris, Codorníu, DO Ribera del Duero - Tinta Fina - 14.5% abv - £20
Purple, ruby at rim; lovely, dark, rich cherry/damson fruit; crisp fruit on the foretaste, still fresh acidity, good fruit on the mid - damson/plum, tannins apparent on the finish but this should go. 18/20

Note: as I mentioned above I was on a trip with Codorníu in June of this year and tasted through all the Cavas, Legaris, Scala Dei and Rioja Bilbaínas. I plan to do a detailed post about the trip in due course.

CHILE

Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay Brut, Concha y Toro, Limari Valley - 12% abv - £9
Pale straw, good mousse; nice crisp Chardonnay style with none of that 'new world' blowsiness; very clean on the palate, nice richness on the mid with a hint of hint of biscuit developing, bone dry finish. 17/20

Remember that you can usually find wines at

www.wine-searcher.com
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