The Tasting Note

#442 Tasting German soil

2012-02-12T14:05:00.000Z

Mention the word 'Terroir' and immediately your mind goes to Burgundy. We've all seen wine experts standing at a crossroads and pointing at one plot of land saying the wines from that vineyard are worth £300 a bottle and then to a second vineyard three yards away and saying that the wine from that one is only fit for cooking with. The reason we think of Burgundy is because critics bang on about it the most, but we all know that it matters all over the world.

New world countries, who have based their reputations on consistency of flavour, year in, year out, are now abandoning their tried and tested method of mass wine production and are thinking about the dirt they are planting vines in. How the winds, the aspect to the sun and so forth will translate into what is poured into the glass. And if the Aussies can accept terroir, there must be something in it!

Germany, like Burgundy, is all about Terroir. They only plant one grape worth mentioning* - Riesling - and I had never really looked into how their soils effected the wines before. To try and learn more, I tried three wines blind, all 2009 vintage, all Kabinetts and all made by Dr. Loosen.

The first wine I tried had a lemon meets clay aroma. Some pungent elements to the nose that are quite nice, but mute the slight aggressive sweet, citrussy aroma. The palate follows this through, quite soft, peach flavours and honey in texture but with a tiny bit of spritz. It has a good linear palate, very a-to-b-to-c but not particularly classy and a touch crude! i thought it was the Bernkasteler Lay, knowing that the mainly slate soils give punchier, richer textured wines.

Wine number two had pepper coming off the nose, and a little lime skin that made me think of more oriental spices. There was some petrolly elements emerging. The palate was more citrus and less sweet peach - a lime dominant palate, some spice does emerge and then there is a very lovely, bright, livelyness of citrus fruit and tart, green apple. The spicier elements drew me to Urziger Wurzgarten - The spice garden of Urzig - with its volcanic iron rich spoils.

The final wine was gentle and elegant with some sprightly tart aromas. It was just a pretty wine. A sweet palate, unctuous with peach flavours, a little burnt lime skin and some tart apples on the finish. A lovely, graceful wine and I thought, due to its refined nature, it would be the Wehlener Sonnenuhr from the blue slate soils in this steep vineyard.

So, how did I do? My assumptions for the final wine were right, the elegance that was immediately apparent making the option of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr the only way to go. However, what surprised me was that I got the other two wines wrong. The first wine was the Urziger Wurzgarten, a wine that was supposed to show some signs of spice, but it didn't, and it did have the tropical fruit notes that the Bernkasteler Lay should have. I was blind tasting these with a colleague of mine and he agreed with me. The second wine, which turned out to be the Bernkasteler Lay, was more citrussy and had some spice which pushed me to the Urziger Wurzgarten. I may need to try some more German rieslings to train my palate more - it is a hard life I lead.

The one thing that was undeniable here was that soil has a massive effect on the vines and therefore, on the wine in your glass. It would be blatantly apparent to the most novice wine taster so if you want to learn about terroir, and see it very clearly, don't go to Burgundy, the wines there are too expensive. Buying three bottles of Kabinett from Dr Loosen will set you back forty five pounds in total - the price of one decent bottle of Burgundy.

Six Questions with... Ernst Loosen

*Please don't email me mentioning Germany's other 'quality' grapes - you know as well as I do that Riesling is the big one and really all that matters. We rarely mention Aligote or Sauvignon Blanc in Burgundy, so why bother mentioning Pinot Noir or Muller Thurgau when it comes to Germany?!

#441 Torres - The Starbucks of Wine

2012-02-09T21:21:00.001Z

In 2005 I went to Seattle. A lovely city with trams, a stunning market where shopkeepers throw fish and a building that looks like a spaceship on a stick. I had some of the best fish & chips I've ever had in that city and, even though I have only been there once and for less than a day, it became one of my favourite cities in the world.

Near the aforementioned Pikes Place Market was a Starbucks. 'So what?' I hear you cry, 'there is a Starbucks on my way to work', but this was no ordinary Starbucks, this was the original Starbucks. Opened in 1971 by three partners, they opened their coffee shop at 2000 Western Avenue, and then moved it to 1912 Pikes Place where it remains, in its original condition, today. Despite now being a massive coffee chain, producing (lets be honest) mediocre coffee that has mass appeal, it once started small, three guys seeing a customer need for good quality coffee beans and fulfilling it.

One of the things that I love about the wine trade is that there are a lot of small producers whose wines I can explore and enjoy, but it is all too easy to forget the bigger producers. The Penfolds, Villa Marias and Gallos of this world may now be considered mediocre 'supermarket wines' due to their bulk production, but they have mass appeal and, like Starbucks, started small. No matter how much I want to forget big brands and try small growers' wines, as a retailer and wine writer, I have to remember that the punter matters the most. I should continue to re-taste these bulk produced wines regularly to keep on top of what the majority of the public drink, to give a relevance to the wines that most people drink.

One bulk producer I tried recently was Torres from the Penedes region of Spain. Famed for the plastic bull that they put around the neck of their bottles, this producer has a few brands that are absolutely everywhere. Their Vina Sol and Sangre de Toro brands are two and Vina Esmeralda is another, and it was with this wine that I started.

The 2010 Torres Vina Esmeralda may be bulk produced, but is actually quite tasty. I'd not tried it since my Oddbins days nearly a decade ago, but I was surprised that it had a nice bright floral aroma with some slight soapy notes, but a bit of sweet melon as well. The palate was drier than I recalled, with elderflower and a little green apple. Quite tasty. 88pts

Their big brand Sangre de Toro and Vina Sol also have 'big brothers' - distinguished from the nomal wines as they have the word 'Gran' in front of them! The 2010 Gran Vina Sol is a blend of Chardonnay and Parellada and shows a subtle use of oak barrels on the nose, with some peach aromas. The palate has a nice flavour, but is a mess of texures - too high acid, then some wood tannin and a bit oily and flabby. It may say 'Gran' on the label, but is anything but. 80pts. The 2007 Gran Sangre de Toro was totally different in quality, with bright fruit, cherries and a little spice coming off the nose. The palate has a nice balance of earthy fruit, some spice and a bit of dark peppery elements on the finish. 86pts. The blend of Garnacha, Carinena and Syrah all emerge through this wine and it is a decent enough reserva wine, six decades after it was first produced.

Another advantage of big producers is that they have the money to experiment, and their 2010 Natureo is the first alcohol free wine I have tried that has actually been ok. Made from Muscat, it showed a grapey, fresh floral aroma and then some pretty fresh melon and lemon flavours. It was a touch flabby, but you wouldn't object to this wine being poured to you. 82pts

This desire to experiment is not a new thing, as Torres started planting Cabernet Sauvignon in the Penedes region in the end of the 1960's, and their Gran Coronas is their Cabernet dominant brand. A blend of the french varietal and Tempranillo, the 2007 Torres Gran Coronas Reserva had lots of vibrant cherry, a bit of spice and a lovely veggie element to it. It had nice balance, earthier notes and a spicy finish. Quite a tasty wine, although a tiny bit simple. 88pts. They have also ventured outside of their homeland and now have vineyards in other regions including Rioja, Priorat and Ribera del Duero.

Their Rioja is the 2008 Ibericos Crianza. The wine has a very noticeable vanilla element, with lots of chocolate and sweet cherry. The palate is nice and simple, fresh with a touch of earth, nutmeg spice and a bit of darker aniseed at the end. I quite like it, but it is a touch pricy. 89pts. From Ribera del Duero, their 2009 Celeste is called as (according their website) because at 895 metres in altitude, you can "almost touch the stars and shape the clouds". I wonder who came up with that? Anyway, the wine is quite nice, a gutsy blackberry, liquorice and pepper aroma with some cherries and dark brambles with big, powerful tannins. It is a bruiser of a wine, but will settle down with some time in the bottle. 90pts. Their Priorat wine, 2009 Salmos, is one of their more recent explorations, as they started planting vineyards in the region in 1996. Big, juicy fruit with some powerful fruit and a handful of soil thrown in. Dark, pruney with some bilberries and a liquorice element covered with cracked black pepper. 89pts

Finally, I went back to their homeland in Penedes with a single vineyard 2007 Mas la Plana Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has been made for decades, and has - in the past - triumphed over some legendary wines including Chateau Latour in the Paris Wine Olympiad. It was nice, big and gutsy with polished dark fruit, a hint of musky mushroom, redcurrants, brambles and tobacco elements galore. 91pts.

A company like Torres is vital in the wine trade, as Starbucks is within the coffee world. Both provide a range of beverages that show different styles and regional variations and although they may not be the greatest examples available, they are brands people trust and will stay loyal to. Personally, I wouldn't thank you for a Vina Sol or an Iced Caramel Macchiato, but some folk like them, but when I'm next in an airport and I need a coffee, I will certainly go for a Flat White or extra shot Latte. Similarly, when I'm next in a supermarket and need a bottle of wine, I'll know I'm safe with, and would be happy drinking, a bottle of Gran Sangre de Toro.

#440 A mixed bag from Joseph Perrier

2012-02-08T19:55:00.000Z

I've never been overly enthusiastic about Joseph Perrier. This company, founded in 1825 well outside the traditional heartland of Champagne, is family owned and appears to split a lot of reviewers. Tom Stevenson called it "one of Champagnes best-kept secrets" whereas Jancis Robinson has never been "particularly excited by Joseph Perrier champagnes". I've firmly been in the latter camp, enjoying a glass of their non vintage if one was poured for me, but never thinking it was particularly special and favouring numerous other houses instead.

I tried their range this week and it confirmed some of my reservations, but also opened my eyes to a few stunning wines. Starting with the Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royale Brut NV, a blend of 35% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier, this wine has a bright, salty lemon aroma with some lime and white pepper. A nice mousse with lots of fresh, seaside elements with a underripe pear flavour. It is a nice wine, but a little underwhelming. 86pts

I moved onto a pair of Chardonnay champagnes, starting with the Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royal Blanc de Blancs NV. A fresh bright citrus nose greeted me, with minerally notes - a classic Blanc de Blancs aroma. More of the sea salt and citrus flavours with a nice balance of graphite and grapefruit pith. A good wine. 90pts

The next wine was the 2004 Joseph Perrier Blanc de Blancs. It is the second vintage Blanc de Blancs that Joseph Perrier has released, and it shows lovely light oyster shell aroma with delicious lime and a touch of bread dough coming off the nose. The palate has lemon and grapefruit flavours, good balance of acid and a supremely clean finish. A very good champagne. 92pts

I felt that the high percentage of Pinot Meunier in the NV spoils it a bit, and was pleased when the 2002 Joseph Perrier Vintage came my way. With only nine percent of the dreaded grape, this wine is rich and toasty in comparison to the NV, with brioche and butter coming off the lemon and crisp apple aromas. The palate is delicious with lemon pith, rind and then some richer, almost under ripe tropical fruit flavours. A good wine, noticeable as Chardonnay dominant. 90pts

I've never understood Cuvee Josephine, and the 2004 vintage is no exception. A musky aroma, with redcurrant aromas and then some ripe pear and a touch of baked bread. The palate has a bit high acid, yet feels slightly flabby with a soft, mushy mousse. It reminded me of the texture of Angel Delight, I just don't get this as it doesn't show well against the company's own wines let alone other prestige cuvees. 85pts

A pair of Rose wines was next, with the Pinot Noir (75%) and Chardonnay (25%) Cuvee Royale Brut Rose NV showing a hint of rosewater on the nose with some of the fresh oysters and lemon, reminiscent of the Blanc de Blancs. The palate has a lovely texture, some red apple and a little bit of raspberry as well. A nice balance of flavours and textures. 89pts. Basically, the 2002 Joseph Perrier Vintage Rose is just a more complex and elegant version of the non-vintage with similar aromas. The palate has a bitter element that is lovely with some cranberry flavours and a lovely balance. A really tasty rose champagne. 92pts

Finally, with the same grape makeup of the non vintage, the Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royale Demi-Sec NV has some spice, pepper and a little honeysuckle coming off the nose. The palate has a touch of sweet pear with some honey, spice and a touch of marmalade. It then dries up o the finish and the acid balances out the sweetness. 88pts

There are some good wines coming from this Champagne house. They make excellent Blanc de Blancs and Rose wines, but they fall down when they start playing with Pinot Meunier. Their vintage is good, but it was 2002 so it should be, and my experiences of previous vintages haven't been impressive so this could be a flash in the pan, and their Non Vintage and Prestige Cuvee both fall way short of the competition. I would focus on their Chardonnay wines as these have poise, balance and can compete on quality and price with a number of dedicated Blanc de Blancs producers.

#439 Rugby, Crisps, Wine - too much time on our hands

2012-02-04T17:38:00.000Z

An age old question - which flavour of Crisps goes best with Australian Cabernet Sauvignon? Stuck in work whilst the other 4,999,998 people in Scotland are watching the England vs Scotland rugby match, my colleague (and fellow wine blogger) George Stewart decided to try three flavours of Tyrrell's Crisps whilst drinking a bottle of 2001 Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 1 Cabernet Sauvignon. Which goes best with the wine?

Ludlow Sausage and Mustard

An initial English mustard hit, followed by a herbal sausage flavour - sage and a bit of rosemary gravy flavour as well. The savoury elements of the wine work pretty well with the meaty flavours, and the acidity of the wine balances out the snack's greasier elements resulting in a smoother wine. A green vegetal favour on the palate at the end when you have consumed both together. As a pairing, not bad.

Mature Cheddar & Chive

So a posh take on cheese and onion, and the crisp is flavoured with quite strong cheese and the chive element is a bit too much. With the wine, it gives a port like element - maybe that is just the cheese and fruit combo - but a cheap port. There is a powdery texture with the two together that is actually quite repulsive. Give this a miss.

Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper

The crisp is tough - very hard texture and there is a nice heat of chilli coming off with some smoked paprika flavour as well. With the wine the chilli spice really comes out, so that it is all you really taste. There is none of the sweet flavour you get from the crisp on its own and the wine is a bit stripped - acid coming to the fore and a jalapeno pepper emerges as well. Not repulsive, but not as good as the sausage & mustard.

So if you are ever in a wine shop, with no customers because the rest of the world is watching a rugby match, and want to know which crisp goes best with this wine, you now have your answer. Now what are you going to do?

Follow George on Twitter @thegrapepress

#438 This is what I want from New Zealand - Gladstone Vineyard

2012-01-31T21:44:00.000Z

Christine Kernohan is not your usual winemaker. Firstly, this "sprightly grandmother" worked in the computer industry and was also involved in agriculture industry research. Secondly, instead of setting up in Marlborough and having an easy life making formulaic Sauvignon Blanc, she set up in the less trendy Wairarapa, and finally, she is from a nation that isn't known for its winemaking history, Scotland!

Christine and her husband David took over the Gladstone Vineyard in early 1996 and their first vintage was overseen by Belgian winemaker, Jean Charles Van Hove. Christine spent the next few years learning her craft before taking over as head winemaker with her own idea of what makes good wine. Her style is not big and crude like a lot of Kiwi producers, she favours a much cleaner style of wine, not an old world imitator but certainly old world inspired! Currently importing their products into the UK themselves, I tasted their range of wines.

The 12,000 Miles range is named after the distance between her birthplace and her adopted homeland. This 'entry' brand shows her talent at producing forward drinking wines that can simply be opened and poured. Winning a bronze medal at the New Zealand International show, her 2011 12,000 Miles Sauvignon Blanc shows green apple aromas, some subtle lime and a tiny amount of elderflower. On the palate, there is a balance of minerals, citrus and some crisp apple once again. With well balanced acidity this is a wine that Marlborough lovers will hate but Sancerre devotees should gobble up. Very tasty. 89pts £11

It's sister wine, the 2010 12,000 Miles Pinot Noir is a wonderfully simple style of Pinot. None of the big, sweet fruit leaping out at you that you would get from Otago, just some bright fresh cherries and a little vegetal backbone to the aroma. The palate is fresh, well balanced and has a touch of sweet fruit coming through, but backed up by acid to keep it clean, an earthy element to give it structure and a bit of spice (white pepper maybe?) to jazz it up a touch! A delicious wine. 90pts £15

The Gladstone Vineyard range of wines are a notch above the 12,000 Miles, and there is a quality shift that is noticeable. The 2011 Gladstone Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is a lovely wine, but I can't help thinking it just needs a year to balance out. There is some attractive fruit - melon, mango and lime - coming off the nose and the palate has a bit of weight with melon pith and gooseberry coming through. It is very well made but the acid comes to the fore just a touch. It needs the time and it will be great. 90pts at least! £13

I really liked Christine's 2010 Gladstone Vineyard Pinot Gris. Some dried apricots, rose petals and pear shoot up your nose but it is the palate that pleased me the most. It starts off with a bit of weight to the body, a tiny amount of sweetness with melon pith flavours and some white pepper. You start to think 'oh no, it is going to be fat', but then the acid feeds in wonderfully to a nutty, minerally and beautifully clean finish. This is a really good wine, precise and perfect. 93pts £15

Having liked the 12,000 Miles Pinot Noir, I hoped that the 2009 Gladstone Vineyard Pinot Noir would be fantastic and I was so pleased that it was. I have not tried a better Pinot Noir from New Zealand in a long time and certainly not at this price. It is a touch fuller than it's little sister, with sweeter cherries and some tart raspberry coming off the nose. Plum with some savoury and spicy flavours emerge with an earthy element that is dark, yet not dominating. Christine has managed to embrace the spirit of Burgundy yet keep the wine definitely Kiwi. 96pts £20

Finally, her 2008 Gladstone Vineyard Auld Alliance is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and a tiny drop of Cabernet Sauvignon. I don't know if it was because I saw the McLeod tartan on the label or because of the name of the wine but my tasting note contained many Scottish ingredients! Firstly brambles - lots of brambles - followed by a savoury, slightly black pepper and meaty aroma that could only be described as haggis, and then some cloves and a little treacle element. The palate had pipe tobacco, some coffee and blueberries, followed by a vegetal, almost raw cabbage element. Now I know these flavours and aromas don't sound that appealing when bundled all together but this wine was delicious. A massive nod towards the new world with its powerful fruit but by using Cabernet Franc she gets the vegetal structure that you want from a Bordeaux blend in the old world. A lovely bottle of wine. 92pts

Christine Kernohan manages to keep one foot firmly in each of her homelands - European balance and structure with New World fruit and delivery. When wines of this quality are being made, expressing the unique terrior the country has, it frustrates me that New Zealand is trying to stop being the land of Sauvignon and Pinot by promoting other grape varieties. All they need are more Scottish winemaking grannies.

It frustrates me that New Zealand is trying to stop being a land of Sauvignon and Pinot Noir by promoting other varietals, when wines of this quality are being made expressing the unique terroir that this country has. All they need are more Scottish winemaking Grannies.

Gladstone Vineyard Website

Gladstone Vineyard on Twitter

#437 Speechless - Ice Cider

2012-01-27T17:12:00.000Z

It isn't often that I'm totally speechless when I try a drink, but it happened today. Usually I love or hate something, think it is boring or want to yell from the rooftops how much I think it is tasty, but trying an Ice Cider today confused the hell out of me.

The Neige Premiere Ice Cider is a confusing wine. Made from McIntosh and Spartan apples, it has a bright, fresh apple juice aroma, then with some muskier notes and a hint of apple pie pastry coming off as well. The palate is similarly pleasant, with fresh apples, then slightly stewed fruit flavours coming off with a very clean, slightly tangy, drying cider like finish. It almost has a touch of quince jelly as well. I think it is a perfectly nice product. 88pts

The problem is why would you buy it? Costing £22 to £25 for a half bottle, it is firmly in good Tokaji and Sauternes territory, so I can't imagine anyone buying it as a dessert wine. If you want a sweet apple flavoured alcoholic drink, you could buy a 500ml bottle of good cider for a fifth of the price and if you just wanted a sweet apple drink, there is always apple juice to consider and you wouldn't be disappointed.

There is nothing wrong with this, I quite like it, and could see how it might be nice with a cheese board, but wouldn't ever consider buying a bottle as there are better products out there from the categories that this is trying, but not being overly successful, in inhabiting.

Neige Website

Housekeeping

2012-01-13T20:09:00.000Z

Over the next week or so, I am attempting to update the part of this blog that contains my extensive number of tasting notes, so there may not be any posts until late January. Then the tasting season begins, and there will be posts from tastings including importers Hallgarten, Wine Importers, Liberty wines and the annual pilgrimage I make to Manchester for the SITT event.

#436 Wine Web Watch - Michael McIntyre on wine snobs

2012-01-07T19:49:00.003Z

Michael McIntyre, quite rightly, mocking the absurdity of the wine theatre in restaurants.

#435 A quartet of dishonest beer

2012-01-06T20:29:00.001Z

Stella Artois, Heineken and Miller Genuine Draft. Three mass produced beers, internationally available and made in the millions of litres every day. If beer had a "tap water" category, these brands would be in it. I don't say this with any disrespect to these beers, they provide thirst quenching beery goodness for millions of people every day and don't cost that much. I enjoy a Corona on a hot summers day and when sitting in Copenhagen I found myself supping on a Heineken and enjoyed it tremendously. They don't pretend to be anything other than what they are - honest, commercial beer.

Similarly, producers such as Mikkeller and Kernel make interesting, flavourful beers that not everyone will like. Their small production lends itself to making different styles and therefore there will be inconsistency, either in quality levels, flavours or appreciation from the individual drinking the beer. That is the point of these smaller brewers, they are honest, artisan beer.

And then there is the middle ground and this is occupied by Innis & Gunn. A big producer (fourth largest in the UK), with aspirations of more, yet still producing beers with (and I quote from their website) "depth of flavour, complexity and mellowness". I tried four of their beers and this is what I found out.

Innis & Gunn Original

Smells like Stella Artois that has been concentrated a little. Confected sweetness with a little bit of soap coming off. The palate is thin, with some soap, foam bananas with a bitter finish. Really not a good beer. 72pts

Innis & Gunn Blonde

Light, floury with some more soap. There is even more foam bananas on the palate with some light, pathetically weak flavours. A really dirty finish which is strange for something that tastes of nothing. 68ptd

Innis & Gunn Rum Cask

Brown sugar, a dirty aroma with some burnt caramel aromas. The palate is full of dark, bitter sweetness with a total lack of any form of complexity and depth. It is as if someone has simply added terrible caramel to a bad beer. Awful. 60pts

Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask

Like 'Tesco value Guinness', there is a terrible flowery aroma with some darker sweeter smells coming off. The palate is unbalanced, reminds me of undiluted orange barley water. There is a bitterness on the palate, a really long terrible finish that is both bitter, sweet and fat. Awful. 66pts

The beers I tried were pretty bad. I can forgive the rum and Irish Whiskey cask beers as they are simply point of difference beers that are pretty rotten. The blonde is just dull, but it is the Original, the beer that I thought was the best of the quartet, that I dislike the most. This beer is totally dishonest. It is marketed as an interesting beer, well integrated and yet is anything but. It is like the full fat version of a mass produced lager, like Stella Artois, but lacks any of the honesty that the Belgian beer has. If they marketed this as a cheap beer with added flavour, I wouldn't object so much, but this is trying to be an interesting beer when it really isn't. It is dishonest, and that is the problem.

#434 Six Questions with... Doug Nalle

2012-01-04T17:14:00.001Z

Starting as a cellar worker in 1973, Doug Nalle's winery is on land that has been in his wife, Lee's, family since 1927. A real family run business as not only is his wife an equal partner, their son Andrew makes the wine with his father and other relatives run the vineyard. He graduated with a Masters degree in Enology in the late seventies, and served his apprenticeship at Balverne Winery, before taking full control of the company bearing his name in 1990. His wines are small volume production, high quality wines, of which their Zinfandel is most famous.

What marks the Nalles out from other producers is that their wines are always lower alcohol, with levels around the 14% mark, enabling Doug to show elegance in varietals that may not be normally known for that quality in California.

I asked Doug six questions...

What is your first memory of drinking wine?

At home at the age of 14. My mother enjoyed a glass of Lacryma Christi now and then and so did I. My dad was a good ol' Kentucky boy who preferred Jim Beam.

What do you think is going to be the biggest challenge for Californian Wine in the next couple of decades?

With climate change, warmer nights have lowered acidities (not a good thing in my opinion). Non-irrigated vineyards have fared better. Many newer vineyards are dependent on irrigation. With imminent water shortages winegrowers may be forced to limit irrigation which could, ironically, improve wine quality.

If you had to make wines in a different country, which would it be and why?

New Zealand, especially Hawkes Bay region which is similar to Sonoma County where, exposure, soil and proximity to the Pacific Ocean allow for myriad microclimates.

Aside from your own wines, what do you like drinking?

Champagne, Cru Beaujolais, Bert Williams' Pinot noirs, dry Alsatian Rieslings.

Describe yourself in three words.

Introspective, self-motivated, irreverent.

Name three people, real or fictional, living or dead that would be guests at your dream dinner party, and what would you be drinking?

Jesus of Nazareth, Chairman Mao, William Shakespeare. We'd start with water which Jesus would transform into a 1955 Krug Jeroboam. I'd ask Mao to choose a Burgundy (what do you bet he knew the difference between Corton and Chambertin?) and Bill his favorite grog; then we'd go straight to a magnum of 1959 d'Yquem. Wouldn't much matter what we ate. Maybe some sashimi and Belgian fries for ballast.

#433 Top of the plonks - my top 5 wines of 2011

2012-01-01T19:19:00.001Z

Two thousand and eleven has been a year of much change. The Tasting Note has been honoured by Robert Parker gracing its pages, I went to Italy and experienced the beauty of Friuli and I've been exceptionally fortunate to have tried some outstanding wines.

Here are my top five.

FIVE: 1959 Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs
A tasting with a group of friends gave me the opportunity to try this wonderful wine. I know that adding some younger wine isn't exactly a fair playing field for all the other wines, but it just tasted so good! Off gold colour, a rich, oxidized nose with baked lemon, toffee, salt and smoke. A little peach sponge cake emerges with ripe citrus and a rye bread element on the palate. With a little 1996 Blanc de Blancs added, it livens everything up, bringing balance and some bready notes. 95pts (with the younger wine added)

FOUR: 2009 Taylor's Vintage Port

The launch of the 2009 vintages from Taylor's Fladgate allowed me the opportunity to try young Taylor's for the first time. The 2009 vintage was exquisite. Balance and beauty, rarely seen in such a young port. Up front baked meat aromas with a bit of leather, mint and oriental spice, leading to sweet, jerky aromas. Polished fruit, quite closed, with cassis, cherry and a lot of cocoa and tobacco dusted over the top of it. A stunning wine, young yes, but one that will become legendary. 96pts

THREE: 1972 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle

A 'bring a bottle' dinner had this generous donation from a friend, and after anticipating it to be past its best, we were astonished that it was the wine of the night. Really sweet chocolate, lovely fruit and a little mint and cherry coming through. A very pretty aroma. The palate is super, simple fruit, a touch of spice and some earthier elements. There is black pepper on the finish. A beautiful, elegant wine. 97pts

TWO: 1975 Schloss Johannisberg Grunlack Spatlese
A masterclass of wines from this great producer showed two wines that will live with me forever. The first, an 'entry level' wine from a terrible vintage forty years ago demonstrated how good German wine can be even when everything is conspiring against it. The second was this gem, initial Chlorine up front but then beautiful lemon and lime aromas, leading to peach nectar, pork fat and more lemon. A sweetness up front on the nose, with rich honey, lemon marmalade and lime zest. Fresh throughout, despite its age, and a few sherbet notes dusting the charred lime finish. Staggering. 99pts

ONE: 1990 Salon

The same tasting that I tried the 1959 Pol Roger at allowed me to try, what I think, is the first wine that I've ever given 100 points to. It was my perfect Champagne - simple as that really! Baked citrus with lots of sweet herbs, white peach, some honeydew melon and fleshier fruit flavours. A lot of rich, dark fruit, more concentrated citrus with layers of flavor evolving. Tropical fruit, then graphite, then toasty flavours and finally dry bitter elements. Wonderfully complex, beautifully balanced and delicious. 100pts

#432 Hail to the 'chef' - Compass Box Whiskies

2011-12-30T20:04:00.001Z

New Year is quickly approaching and no doubt bottles of whisky will be hauled out of the cupboard to toast the start of 2012. A century ago, a couple of years before half the world decided to try and kill each other, people around the world would be doing exactly the same. Having parties and drinking whisky, but with one major difference.

Back then, the whiskies being served would not have been single malts, they would be blends with names such as Dewers, Black & White and Famous Grouse. It wasn’t until the latter half of the 20^th century that the single malt market exploded and was deemed to be of higher quality than blends. Since then, whisky snobs have looked down on blended whisky as an inferior product, writing books about how great single malts are and rarely, if ever, mentioning anything else. The producers themselves haven’t helped their cause by hammering down the price of bigger named blends like Bell’s.

But this new year, instead of opting for your normal single malt, I suggest you take a look at blended whisky again. Not the big name brands, but the small, artisan producer called Compass Box.

Founded in 2000 by John Glaser, the company embraces the styles of whisky throughout Scotland but used a range of different malts and grains to produce whiskies of exceptional quality. I tried a selection of his whiskies just before Christmas and they excellent examples of what can be done when you have a blender making whisky that doesn’t have to hit a price point.

Great King Street (43% vol)

This whisky is Compass Box's 'entry level' blended whisky - focusing on the traditions that made blended whisky so popular, but maintaining high quality. The whisky has light honey with some creamy rhubarb and custard aromas. A little dark wood emerges from the nose with some cinnamon spice. Bitter match stick is the first thing you get on the palate, but then some lovely sweetness with honey on the back end. A tasty blended whisky. 89pts

Compass Box Asyla (40% vol)

A blended whisky containing malts from Linkwood, Glen Elgin and Teaninich and grain whisky from Cameron Bridge. Put into first fill ex-Bourbon barrels, it is not chill filtered and has honey and lemon aromas, followed by Trebor Fruit Salad sweets and vanilla. The palate is lovely and sweet with some soft melon pith and an oily, delightful finish. 88pts

Compass Box Oak Cross (43% vol)

Several ten to twelve year old malts make up this whisky from Teaninich, Brora and Carron, and are then put into American and new French oak casks. Lots of Vanilla, some ethanol too and a bit harsh. Pineapple comes off on the palate, quite sweet, medicinal and with leather and lavender. A bit crude. 82pts

Compass Box Spice Tree (46% vol)

Similar in age to the Oak Cross, this whisky is mainly made from malt whisky distilled at the Clynelish distillery and put into first and re-fill American oak. It is then transferred to heavily toasted new French Oak barrels made from wood from the Vosges forest. Rounded aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg and rice pudding with some liquorice covered in honey. The palate has a touch of earth, some sweetness initially then a big, gutsy wallop of spice. It is a bit of a bruiser, but delivered really well – this is the Mohammed Ali to the Oak Cross’ drunken street fighter. 92pts

Compass Box Peat Monster (46% vol)

An un-named Islay whisky, a smoky malt from Mull (Ledaig?!) and a peated Speyside Malt make up the Peat Monster. There is smoke, a lot of burning oak and pipe tobacco sweetness on the nose. Very mellow palate with some pear drops mixed with some spice and cream to cancel out the slightly abrasive alcohol. Mint and smoke on the finish that is very delicious. 90pts

Compass Box Hedonism

Whiskies between 14 and 29 years old from the grain distilleries of Cameron Bridge, Carsebridge and Cambus make up Hedonism. The aroma is creamy with lots of vanilla, currants, crème brulee and a touch of sulphur on the end. Delicious bread and butter pudding flavours with a tiny bit of honeydew melon and coconut. A really tasty bottle of whisky and proof that grain whisky can be fantastic and the match for any single malt. 92pts

I know we are in a world where we all want to know the history of the food and drink we consume. We buy locally sourced meat and vegetables in the supermarkets and with single malts we know which distillery the whisky was made in. But is it relevant? With Compass Box, it is better to look at their whiskies as you would a meal from a Michelin starred restaurant. You trust they are using good ingredients, but it doesn't matter where the food comes from as what you are really paying for is the skill of the chef.

With this range of blended whiskies, you are paying for the skill of 'chef' John Glaser, and his produce is, in a lot of cases, both tastier and better value than single malts with the same flavour profile.

#431 Taylor's Port & OXO cubes

2011-12-26T19:45:00.000Z

I got an old OXO tin for Christmas. I know that sounds like a really strange thing to receive, but I love it. It isn't just an old OXO tin, it is a commemorative one from the coronation of King George VI (if you aren't up on your royal history, it is the person Colin Firth played in The King's Speech) and is in the shape of a red British post box that can be used as a money box. It is battered, with slight rust on it and has had a hard seventy five years life, and because it is in a bit of a bashed state, I like it all the more. It would be easy to get a reproduction tin, all shiny and new, for me to store my cufflinks in (for that is the purpose for which it was bought), but it wouldn't have a history. The genuine article, flaws and all, is what I want because it has had a life.

Old vintage port, like my OXO tin, has had a life and I love the stuff. No two bottles are the same, each tells its own story and has its own character. Bottled after two years in barrel, vintage ports evolve in ways that you can't predict, some in the cellars at Villa Nova de Gaia, others in the cellars of mansion houses, and some under a bed in an old cardboard box. Some are bottled in Oporto, others (before 1970) sent to other countries and poured into glass there. The taste of each is influenced by their journey and each has its own character.

Tawny ports are different from vintage as they are always 'at their best' when you drink them. Having done all their maturation in barrel, they are blended to a style, one of maturity and oxidisation. Although I have tried younger tawnies, I'd never tried a forty year old before. Here is what I found out when I compared an older Tawny with a vintage port from the same house, approaching it's half century.

Taylor's 40 Tawny Port

A lot of dark, liquorice aromas with some caramel and raisin. Cocoa and toffee and some lovely sweet tobacco. The palate is fat, globular and spicy. Very little balance and a lot of alcohol heat. There is a spice flavour there and the finish is sweet and clean but it is just lacking in any grace and is, really, a 'bang for your bucks' wine, and at a hundred pounds a bottle, that is a lot of bucks. 85pts

1963 Taylor's Vintage Port, bottled by Berry Bros & Rudd

Gentle, graceful ripe cherries with a lovely bright sweet fruit aroma. Restrained with hints of damson and cigar tobacco. The palate is very elegant, a touch of spice and some alcohol up front. Mingles with a lovely mint, cocoa and leather palate, savoury notes throughout with a delightful tarry finish. Delicious and a snip at £150. 94pts

For me, and it is just me, Tawny ports are nice but just a bit crude. They are the reproduction OXO tin that I don't want, shiny, new and the same as dozens of others - a 'fake' aged expression if you will. The vintage port however is my battered, old pillar box tin - full of character, life and a story of its own. Every bottle from the case will tell its own story, as my tin will tell a different story from the others made in its production run. This individuality is the appeal of drinking old wines, every bottle is a never-to-be-repeated experience.

#430 Wine - A force for good

2011-12-16T09:59:00.000Z

When I am conducting a tasting event I get to see the diversity of human beings and it is very revealing. You engage the audience when you have to, and then disappear when you aren't needed, but, like Dennis Thatcher behind Maggie, you are always there... observing.

As I looked around the room, it is amazing what you see. I notice the (suspected) Lesbian couple who are trying to not let their friends know they are an item and holding hands under the table whilst they talk to other people. The handsome sleazy guy who is pretending he knows more about wines than he does, in the vain attempt to chat up the girl that has reluctantly had to sit next to him.

There are those people who are here for a chat with their friends, they stand out as they actually don't drink much due to the fact that they are too busy chatting and then end up downing half a glass in one go when it is time to move on to the next wine. The polar opposite are those here for a cheap evening of booze, who drink far too quickly and then spend the ten minutes between each of my stints on the floor eyeing up the full glasses of those chatting.

There is the guy in his mid twenties , here with his parents. Obviously an only or youngest child, his parents have forced him to come along in case the is a young girl he who may catch his eye. Sadly, as always, there isn't. We have the "mutton dressed as lamb" lady and her leather jacketed, balding husband. Both have realised that they had better start socialising with people their own age but reluctant to join the blue rinse crowd yet, so they think wine tastings are a way to meet people without taking up bowls or joining a knitting group.

Then the is the Colonel. A retired military type who is the only person to ask questions, coming so quickly you can only imagine how hard an interrogator he was in a past life. You suspect that he not only knows more about wine than you do, but knows each of the producers you are talking about personally and probably slept with most of their wives when going around Europe during the war. Still, at the end of the evening, he is the first to thank you and say how much he enjoyed himself showing that manners and politeness isn't dead, just getting older.

There are the older ladies, all north of eighty, who confess to you that they don't normally drink and then accidentally mention that they managed to polish off half a bottle of brandy the other evening, and you have the younger girls who are using the tasting as a way to become lubricated by drink before they hit the town later. There is the guy in a jumper and tie that doesn't know anyone and doesnt say a word all night but can't take his eyes off the chunkier girl in ill-fitting heels. Sadly, for jumper guy, she can't stop staring at handsome sleazy guy.

Genuinely-cool-arty-mid-forties-guy is the life and soul of the party at one of the tables, in his thick rimmed spectacles and designer blazer, paired with tatty jeans and flip-flops, despite it being November. He controls the conversation, stories bounding forth about his time cycling in Peru. On the same table is the 'I will not get dressed up for anything as I'm too important and cool ' scruffy looking type who is grumpy that arty guy is stealing his thunder.

Tech guy and tech girl are tweeting the event from opposite sides of the room, with their spelling getting worse as the evening moves on and the wine gets more depleted, and there is the trio of girls who arrived together, talk to nobody but each other and leave together - why they are here escapes me as they don't look to be enjoying themselves.

Tastings offer the chance for so many diverse people to come together and share in an experience that, to a greater or lesser extent, they all enjoy. We hear so much from politicians about alcohol being a dangerous thing, causing the breakdown of society, but when used in moderation and sensibly, wine, beer and spirits does exactly the opposite, and results in people mingling with others that they would never speak to.

Wine is a very positively powerful thing.

#429 Sliced Tomatoes and Rieslings

2011-12-12T21:00:00.000Z

At a time when I should be immersed in work due to the impending Christmas rush that is about to hit my shop at any moment, I have two things going round and round in my head and I can't get rid of them. The first is a musical piece called Sliced Tomatoes by The Just Brothers. This is why I love, and hate, a lot of music from the 1960's. Back then songwriters knew how to create a catch hook - a small piece of music that just sticks in your brain and would then never leave - and the result would inevitably mean a hit in the charts. Despite being one hit wonders, and seven years after this track was released, The Just Brothers created a piece of music that not only won't leave my head, but obviously got stuck in Norman Cook's head as he used it as the main sample for the Fatboy Slim track "Rockafeller Skank".

The other thing that I just can't get out of my head was a tasting I went to months ago! I should have written it up long ago, but I kept putting it off and putting it off, and rather than have that plague me, much as The Just Brothers are, I'd exorcise this demon and write the article about Grosset Rieslings.

After producing some of Australia's most famous Rieslings for three decades, Jeffrey Grosset's Clare Valley winery is on the receiving end of much praise from wine critics all over the world. His hand picked, meticulously made wines are certainly one of, if not the wines that have rejuvinated Clare Valley Riesling and consistently score in the nineties. I have tried the Polish Hill Riesling before, and never understood why the critics rated it so highly, but I'd not tried their full Riesling range before, and expected great things based on the reviews. I'm not certain if I got what I expected however.

2011 Grosset Polish Hill Clare Valley Riesling

The thirty first release of this wine, and it is showing some bright lime and hot rock aromas. Very nice and very pleasant - you could just smell this wine and be happy. The palate has a crisp flavour, some lime and spice emerging with a touch of pepper as well.

A long, bone dry finish. 90pts

2011 Grosset Springvale Watervale Riesling

Soft, muted citrus aromas - a bit like confit lemon and then some softer, chalky notes come off. The palate is lovely and clean, a little lemony with a pencil lead flavour and some grapefruit pith. A touch high acid for my liking on the finish, but not overpowering in the slightest. Very tasty. 88pts

2011 Grosset Off Dry Watervale Riesling

Very subtle with some lemon marmalade coming off and a little pork fat too. A lush, round palate, with the sweetness being delivered first and then a crisp, clean palate with some floral notes emerging. Very light, quite savoury - despite the sweeter notes. 89pts

2007 Grosset Gaia

Almost concentrated pasta sauce on the nose! Dark, vegetal tomato plant aromas with herbs and a huge amount of bramble. The palate is dark, filled with sweet berries and a bundle of dark chocolate and cherry with just a touch of spice on the finish before an attack of dried fruit - prunes. A very well balanced wine, good structure and a delightful finish. 91pts

These are good wines - no debate needed on that, I just don't get the mid nineties that the Polish Hill receives. Maybe I'm being too tough, but they just seem to be considered a little better than I think they are. And this is causing me more mental anguish - why don't I appreciate these as much as the big cheeses of the wine criticism. I suspect that this will linger in my brain alongside Sliced Tomatoes.

#428 Niepoort Port Tasting

2011-12-06T11:00:00.000Z

I make no apologies for the fact that I love port, and as it is appropriate at this time of year, I thought I'd trot out another post on the fortified wine from the Douro. This time a tasting of wines from Dirk Niepoort.

I've long been a fan of the wines from this producer and having visited their lodge in Villa Nova de Gaia I still have fond memories of looking around antiquated rooms with old rotary telephones and a store with old templates for painting bottles strewn about the place. I think their strength is in their Tawny ports and this was one of the first times that their new offering, The Senior Tawny - was tasted in Britain.

Niepoort Dry White Port

Bright aromas of lemon and, a slight hint, of home made lemonade with a touch of lime skin. The palate is very gentle, some honey notes, a little pepper and with some minerally notes. Some grapefruit pith emerges and there is a lovely long, citrus finish. £14.00. 88pts

Niepoort Senior Tawny

Lots of polished wood, cherry and dried cranberries. A little honey comes off with some rosemary. The palate is soft, lovely with dried fruit, a little more polished wood, some dried fruit - prunes and raisins - and then a cinnamon and tobacco finish that is quite sweet. It really is a delicious port and at £18.00 it is great value. 90pts

Niepoort Colheita 2001

A stunning vintage tawny, bright, fresh with some jam and nuts coming from the wine. A lot of leathery flavours, some sweet pipe tobacco and a delicious spice with hazelnuts and cashews - it is like getting a bag of fruit and nut mix and putting them in your mouth! 86pts

Niepoort Late Bottled Vintage 2007

Big, jammy with lots of sweet aromas and rich bramble spiced with cloves. There is a touch of lighter jam flavours, some rich bramble, cherry and menthol. An earthy note comes through, with leather and baked fruit pie and cinnamon on the finish. 89pts

Niepoort Vintage 1997

Surprisingly bright with juniper and sweet cherry. Lots of menthol, a touch of chocolate and bonfire toffee. Flavours of herbs, chocolate, coffee bean, blackcurrants and lots of mint. Dark and concentrated on the finish. Tasty. 89pts

Niepoort Vinhos

#427 Wine Web Watch: Vampire Wine Commercial

2011-12-05T16:59:00.001Z

Oh dear! I could understand going all Vampiric if this company was based in Romania. After all, Romania has one of the oldest wine making histories, and yet is barely seen on the international market, and they may as well come up with a gimmick involving vampires to get themselves noticed.

However this Vampire Wine commercial is for wines made in America, which means that this is a wine for Twilight fans...

#426 A quartet from the Jura

2011-12-04T14:06:00.001Z

I know nothing of the Jura. Simple as that really. You rarely see wines from this region in the UK, so I haven't had much of a need, or opportunity, to try wines from this area of eastern France. I could go online and into my wine books and come up with some fancy information about terroir, how the wind blows or the history of the region, but you can do that for yourself without me simply rewriting someone else's work. What I can do is tell you about the four wines I tried recently, and how this region in France should be a hell of a lot more famous in the wine world than it is.

Traminer is a grape that I have tried before and the wines have been pretty, well, rubbish. The 2007 Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Arbois Traminer was not one of these aforementioned turkeys. Sure, it wasn't overly special, but it was a nice wine offering out a confit lemon and pork fat aroma with some spice and a little lemon and lime pith on the nose. The palate had a touch of spice, some alcohol coming out, with lots of grapefruit pith, a little white pepper and grapefruit. 82pts

The next wine was the 2007 Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Savagnin was a different league. Rich, round, sherried aromas with salty citrus pith and then on the palate, some creamy textures with confit lemon, marmalade and honey. The palate has a really sherried element, salt and then some heat, but it is subdued with a creamier texture. Very good. 91pts

The next wine, and the last from this company, was the fifteen pounds 2008 Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Chardonnay Classique. I really didn't know what to expect from a Jura Chardonnay, but was massively impressed. Light, bright oak and some fresh lemon coming off the nose with some melon and herbs. A simple and elegant palate with some spice - mainly white pepper - with some melon pith, some nectarine and ginger. 94pts

And finally a Vin Jaune. This style of white wine is similar to a Fino sherry, maturing in a barrell under a layer of yeast - known as the voile. It is a thinner layer of yeast than the the flor on sherry, and side from using the Savagnin grape, harvested late, instead of Palomino, the main difference between sherry and Vin Jaune is that the latter is not fortified. It is also bottled in a 620ml bottle, that represents the amount of wine that has evaporated in the six years and three months that the wine has to age between harvest and bottling.

I tried the 1998 Clos des Grives Vin Jaune from Claude Charbonnier. Immediately, smoked lemons with sea salt emerged from the wine with a lovely ash and honey aroma. More salty notes appeared on the palate, with a dried citrus peel, spiced almonds and a lovely lemon and salt zing on the finish. Its not something everyone will like - but I did. 92pts

I didn't really know what to expect with this group of wines, but thought that the Chardonnay would be the weakest of the range, and it turned out to be the strongest. Quite simply, this wine from the Jura offers a quality at a low price that you simply don't get from Burgundy any more.

#425 Six Questions with... Pascal Roblet-Monnot

2011-11-26T09:00:00.000Z

Pascal Roblet makes his wines in the hamlet of Bligny-les-Beaune, after taking over his family's domaine in the early 1990s. He transformed it into one of the leading producers of Volnay, converting the vineyards to biodynamic viticulture and adopting a hands off policy in the cellar, letting the grapes make the wine.

But what does the man like drinking and who would he like around his dinner table? I asked him six questions...

What is your first memory of drinking wine?
It is not really my first memory, but certainly the biggest memory. It was at Christmas and my grandfather opened a bottle of Volnay, vintage 1921. I was a small teenager and I felt a big emotion tasting this wine...

What do you think is going to be the biggest challenge for Burgundy in the next couple of decades?
To keep an artisan vineyard, with their qualities and faults. a lot of people think that we mud have a modelisation of our process. I think this is absurd because Burgundy wines are complex and different and should taste like Burgundy, not a simple wine (made) from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, even if the process is perfect.

If you had to make wines in a different country, which would it be and why?
(Somewhere in) the southern hemisphere of course, because I still have a lot of things to learn there.

Aside from your own wines, what do you like drinking?
You said drinking and not tasting... I drink Loire wines (Clos Rougeard, Edmond Vatan, Didier Dagueneau, Muscadet of Jo Landron) Alsace (Ostertag, Kreidenweiss), Cotes du Rhone (Maxime Graillot, Stephan, Rayas, Beaucastl, Gangloff, Dard et Ribaud, Gramenon...) Jura of Pierre Overnoy and from Burgundy, Dauvissat, Ravenau, Roulot, Antoine Jobard, Pierre-Yves Colin, Mugnier, Roumier, Rousseau, Cathiard, Bizot....its not an exhaustive list!

Describe yourself in three words.
Passionné, exigeant, sensuel

Name three people, real or fictional, living or dead, that would be guests at your dream dinner party and what would you be drinking?
Sacha Guitry, Serge Gainsbourg, Winston Churchill. Brut Initial (Selosse), 2007 Chablis "les Clos" from Raveneau, 2006 Meursault "Tessons" from Roulot, 1996 Silex from Didier Dagueneau, 2001 Batard Montrachet Domaine Leflaive, Morgon "Cote de Py" Foillard, 2002 Chambolle Musigny "Les Fuées" Mugnier, 1999 Volnay Taillepieds du Domaine Roblet, 1993 Chambertin Rousseau, 1990 Clos Rougeard "Le Bourg" Charly et Nady Fourcault - all wines to be served in MAGNUM or bigger...

With thanks to Domaine Direct

#424 Not even a safety pin through their nose - Some Young Punks

2011-11-24T10:05:00.000Z

punk |pəNGk|noun1 informal a worthless person (often used as a general term of abuse).• a criminal or hoodlum.2 (also punk rock )a loud, fast-moving, and aggressive form of rock music, popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s.• (also punk rocker )an admirer or player of such music, typically characterized by colored spiked hair and clothing decorated with safety pins or zippers.

When something says that it is made by "Some Young Punks", based on the definition of the word, you would assume that it had something a bit extreme about it. If it was a chocolate bar, you would expect it to have chilli flakes and popping candy in it. If it was a burger, you would think it would be made out of Kobe beef and garnished with garlic sauce and if it was a beer, you would expect it to be served from the mouth of a dead rodent.
Presented with a range of wines from an Australian producer called "Some Young Punks", I hoped these wines would embrace the hoodlum within and beat you up a bit, being massive, dark overly extracted thugs or offering wines made from interesting grape varieties to a quality level that eclipses their price. I expected them to be a two fingered salute to traditional wine drinking and the vinous equivalent of The Sex Pistols. Sadly, it was not to be...

A pair of wines called Battle Island came first. Made by Some Young Punks (SYP) under the label 'Furious Knives of Wine', these were appalling. The 2010 Battle Island White - a promising and different blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Riesling, had watery lemon aromas, a little grapefruit coming through and initially you thought "well this is just a simple, cheap, Aussie white". When you put it in your mouth there was so much acid it pulled the inner layers of your mouth off. 71pts
The 2010 Battle Island Red was a predictable Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon - the same blend every single Australian producer makes for their entry level wine. Confected cherry pie filling, with some chocolatey elements coming off the nose, with a dark, sweet, tannic and acidic palate. A complete disjointed mess of a wine. 68pts
So a bad start there, but I had hopes for the curiously named wines from SYP. First up was the 2011 SYP Monsters Attack Riesling. From Clare Valley, costing around £15, it had a light, lemon and grapefruit nose with a little zing of lime coming through. Sweetness up front on the palate, with some honey flavour emerging, and a bright, spritzy element. It is a perfectly drinkable wine but nothing special and there certainly wasn't any pink spiky hair in sight. 80pts
Next was the 2010 SYP The Rude Mechanicals Viognier Pinot Gris. I thought it good that they are blending these grapes, as it will expose their target market (younger drinkers) to different grape varieties, and the wine was not bad. Peachy aromas with some lemon grass and a little grapefruit. Unfortunately the palate had some more of the excessive acid, but the flavour of lemon grass, lime skin and nectarine was nice, and at around £12 it is fine - but nothing grabbed my attention. 82pts

The last white I tried was the 2010 SYP Taken Brave Chardonnay. It had big, toasty aromas, some ginger and peach, with a palate totally lacking in any fuller bodied fruit to match the oak. Some citrus flavours kick in on the finish, but again the acidity is just totally out of balance with the wine. Also, with prices north of £20, this is far too much for a mediocre wine. 80pts
My introduction to their reds was the 2010 SYP The Rude Mechanicals Shiraz Petit Verdot, and like it's white counterpart, I hoped that having the Petit Verdot would open up the grape to new wine drinkers. The wine was not up to the standard of the white however, so I'd beat a hasty retreat from buying it. Sweet cherry and bramble come off the nose, with some parma violets, and I quite liked the aroma. The palate started off a bit dull, fruity and simple but boring, and then it deteriorates in your mouth. Bitter, dark and vastly unpleasant. 73pts
It got better with the 2010 SYP Double Love Trouble Tempranillo Shiraz, which offered soft, floral aromas and baked cranberries. A savoury palate with a medium body, some dusty spice coming through and a nudge towards the old world. At £13 it isn't bad, but there is a lot better out there for less. 83pts. The 2010 SYP Passion Has Red Lips Cabernet Shiraz from McLaren Vale was a tiny bit more interesting. Rich, jammy with cassis, bramble and some warm honey, this led onto a dark, earthy palate with black pepper, tobacco and some leather. Tannin kicked in on the back end as did some aniseed. I'd go with this over the Double Love Trouble, for the simple reason it has some guts to it, but no more so than any other Cabernet Shiraz from Australia. It simply doesn't make you want to buy another bottle. 84pts
The 2009 SYP Lust Collides Mataro smelled like pig poop with a bunch of flowers shoved in it. Big, dark, confected with sweetness all the way through and a cheap salted caramel flavour on the finish. Very poor and expensive (£22). 75pts. And it got worse, with the 2009 SYP Fierce Allure Cabernet Sauvignon that had cheap jam flavours with some redcurrant jelly and then a palate of earth, tar and far too much tannin. There was a bitter, overly stewed teabag flavour coming off the finish too. 73pts
This has to be a marketing gimmick, with the cartoony labels and the overly elaborate names for the wines, I think this company is aiming to make beer drinkers into wine drinkers, and going by the overall quality of the product, they are more than likely going to put people off. I wanted big bold flavours, interesting blends, love-em-or-hate-em wines - just something different from the norm. I found, at best, mediocre Australian wines that don't embrace the company's own brand identity and aren't worth the price you pay and at worst terrible wines that you wouldn't drink no matter how fun the label.
The only thing that make these wines punk-like is that they rob you of your money and are full of acid.

#423 Crap or Christmas List - Duff Beer

2011-11-22T12:57:00.001Z

There is simply no question about this, it is going on the Christmas List. Normally I give you an option as to whether you will put this on your Christmas wish list or if it is a load of crap, but need I remind you that The Simpsons is the best cartoon ever and Homer drinks this.

You can buy Duff Beer here for £24.99 per crate of 24 cans.

#422 Gin, part 3: Scottish Gin & G&T blind

2011-11-22T01:52:00.001Z

Scotland - land of haggis, men in skirts and Scotch Whisky. The problem with the latter of these three things is it takes a long time to make it. Not the actual production, but to make a ten year old whisky, it takes ten years of maturation, and if you are a distiller, you don't have any income from these barrels for a decade. As a result, distilleries are looking at ways of making money whilst they wait for their whisky to mature, and there have been a lot of new Scottish gin brands appearing on the shelves.

The first to be released was Hendricks. This is made by William Grant & Sons, the company that makes Balvenie and Glenfiddich, and has the unique selling point of having cucumber as one of the major botanicals in the mix. Served with a wedge of cucumber, it still stands out from all other gins, with distinctive packaging and a marketing campaign that focuses on eccentricity and cucumbers. The second gin I tried was Caorunn from the Balmenach Distillery, which focuses on its Scottish roots, including heather, bog myrtle and dandelion and I finished my brief tour of Scottish gins with The Botanist from Islay distiller, Bruichladdich.

Hendricks (41.4%abv) A fresh, cucumber aroma and a bit of white flower coming off with some juniper. There is a bit of pepper and some violet coming through on the end of the nose, which is very nice. The palate has a pear and parma violet flavours with a little bitter spice, and a touch of cucumber skin on the back end. Very clean, gentle and easy drinking. 89pts

Caorunn (41.8%abv) Very floral, some subtle white pepper spice coming through with a bundle of lime, lemon and heather. The palate has some pear and apple up front, then a kick of alcohol and bitter spice, followed by a woody, tannic element. Very warm on the finish, but delicate as well. 90pts

The Botanist (46%abv) Bright, lemon and orange peel with a little bit of juniper coming through. There is a peppery element emerging with some peach skin. Salty, with a pepper and hot spice coming through. Quite crude really, with a little bit of pepper on the finish. You really notice the alcohol. 86pts

My overall conclusion is that, neat, American gin wins hands down, but what about in that most classic of cocktail, the Gin & Tonic. I had ten G&T's made for me containing the nine artisan producer gins I've tried and also one made from Gordons. I tried them all blind, and here are my results.

10 Williams Chase - very chemically, very bad.

9 Caorunn - simple, easy drinking, a bit sweet.

8 DH Krahn - almondy, nice and herbal

7 Leopold's - Very fresh, clean

6 Fifty Pounds - A little spice, touch of sweetness but very nice

5 The Botanist - Well balanced, a little juniper is prominent

4 Hendricks - Smells like Irn Bru! Very tasty

3 Gordons - Fuller bodied, not too sweet, nice balance

2 Death's Door - Aniseedy, spicy with some cloves. Different & interesting

1 Sipsmith's - A savoury element, citrus & juniper. Classic G&T

#421 Gin, part 2: English Gins

2011-11-17T16:33:00.001Z

Gin is, by many, considered the 'English' spirit, and as with most things that are considered 'British' or 'English', it came from overseas and we bettered it, or embraced it open armed and made it ours. As a result, London became the place that Gin is most associated with. London Dry Gin has a heavily dominant Juniper presence and, aside from the botanicals and water, no additives are allowed to be mixed in, and that includes sugar, hence the word 'Dry'.

Gordons and Beefeater are two of the most famous London Dry Gins, but to follow on from the American gin tasting I decided to try two newcomers, Sipsmith and Fifty Pounds. Sipsmith is the first copper pot distillery to set up in London in nearly 200 years, and one of only four gin distilleries located within the city limits. Fifty Pounds Gin is named after the Gin Act levy, and is made in south east London. But first, a new style of gin, made from apples, by Tyrrell's potato chip founder, Chase Distilleries of Hereford.

Williams Chase Gin (48%abv) from Herefordshire is very clean, appley with a gentle element of sea salt coming off. Also coming off the nose is a bright, soor ploom (scottish boiled sweet) aroma. The palate has a sweet, spiced start with a lot of alcohol heat but it doesn't attack you, it gently warms you and leaves you with more, crisp, green apple flavours. It is a little like grappa to be honest. I like it but it doesn't bowl me over. Having said that, it is a distinctive gin and would work so well in cocktails. 89pts £33-£38

Sipsmith London Dry Gin (41.6%abv) is immediately noticable as a London Gin - juniper comes through to the front of the nose with subtle lemon and grapefruit aromas backing it all up. There is a little white pepper as well. Again, some sweetness up front with some juniper, a little bit of tree bark (strangely!) and then some grapefruit pith and a gentley spiced flavour coming off. Again, some grappa flavous emerge but very herbal on the back end. A nice gin. 90pts £30-£35

Fifty Pounds London Dry Gin (43.5%abv) is very subtle, it comes through with some spice, berries an a light yellow flower aroma. The palate is hot at first, but calms down, offers out some lemony, spicy flavours with a dry, pithy element coming through. Some very nice minerally flavours come through on the back end, and warming to the end. 91pts £30-£35

The artisan gins from England are all good, but they don't have the wow factor of the American gins. We'll see how the Scottish gins do next...

To find out more about these gins, the botanicals and the companies, please visit their websites

Chase Distillery

Sipsmith Gin

Fifty Pounds

#420 Gin, part 1: American Gins

2011-11-15T09:44:00.001Z

Depending who you listen to, there is about half a millennium of difference in when, and where, Gin originated. Some folk believe it started in Italy in the 11th century, albeit in a crude form, and others think it started in the 16th century in Holland. What isn't debated is that it was made from juniper, and it was used for medical purposes, claiming credit for fixing ailments as diverse as stomach aches and the Black Death!

Gin came over to the UK in the early 17th century when William of Orange occupied the British throne, and was incredibly popular, and this continued throughout the British colonies, where gin was used to disguise the bitter taste of the quinine in tonic water, drunk for it's antimalarial properties, and the gin and tonic was born.

For years, all people drank was Gordons and other mass produced gins, and it was generally drunk by people who were silver of hair. In recent years, we have seen a plethora of gin producers emerge onto the market and the age of gin drinkers has plummeted half a century. I thought it about time I tried a number of gins made by smaller producers, and a few of the old, mainstream brands, and then, find out which makes the best gin and tonic. I'll be trying three gins from the big distillers, three Scottish, three English and, starting with, three American artisan producers.

I know, your wouldn't think that America has been a major player in gin production, but if you think that, you obviously haven't watched M*A*S*H. Remember the still that Alan Alda's character Hawkeye built out of test tubes and other medical equipment? Well the product of that was gin, and similarly, during prohibition, flavoured neutral spirits were being produced in huge quantities. Certainly, it was probably nearer the quality of gins from 11th century Italy, but nevertheless it was gin. Now there are a group of producers in America that are producing smaller batch gins, and I tried three.

First up was Aviation Gin, from Portland, Oregon. (42%abv) It has a spicy nose, some coriander coming through with a very aromatic spice aroma - almost like milk infused with Cardamom. The palate has aniseed up front, followed by the juniper flavours and although the mid palate has a tiny alcohol spike, it settles down to finish with citrus pith, some peppery spice and a lovely, clean finish. This is a super gin. 93pts £30-£34

Moving to Denver, Colorado, I next tried Leopold's Small Batch Gin. (40%abv) This gin had a bright, sweetness up front with some herb stalks and an orange flower water aroma emerging from the glass. The palate is gentle, clean and with some juniper, plum stone and mint flavours with lemon and lime pith clearing things up and an amazingly clean, yet fuller bodied, finish. 92pts £35-£40

Finally was Death's Door Gin from Washington Island, Wisconsin. (47%abv). A beautiful floral aroma that is very attractive with a lot of lavender and then with some lime cordial notes coming off. The palate is supremely balanced, a touch of heat kicks in and then with liquorice menthol and aniseed coming gently off on the back end. Gorgeous. 94pts £40-£45

America can produce world leading gins, and there are many on the market aside from this trio. They are a bit pricy, so I would suspect the majority of bottles sold in the UK will be to swankier bars and to gin fans, but if you do see them behind a bar, give them a shot.

To find out more about the gins, the botanicals and the companies, visit their websites
Aviation Gin
Leopold Brothers
Death's Door Gin

Next: English Gins

#419 Port's Viagra - Graham's port & food lunch

2011-11-13T17:32:00.001Z

Imagine the scene. It is the 10th February, four days before Valentines day and every single florist throughout the land knocks their prices down to their cost price. Roses are on a buy one, get one free deal and if you spend more than £20 on a bunch of posies, you get a third off. It wouldn't happen would it? Florists know that Valentines day is their boom period and they can make pots of cash, so indeed, they may even increase their prices at the beginning of February to make up for a lousy January.

Similarly, chocolate pricing doesn't go down just before Easter, and sunglasses don't go on promotion when the sun starts shining. But in December, at the exact moment when people start drinking port, port pricing hits the floor.

I'm not going to get into an argument of whether it is the port houses that reduce the prices to try and dominate the market share, or if it is the supermarkets that decide making a £12 bottle half price will entice shoppers into their outlets, but the result is that the cheaper end of the market is, well, prostituted for turnover by some elements of the supply chain. And it is a bloody shame.

Port isn't trendy, it isn't enjoying the promotion of independent wine merchants that sherry is, and, lets be honest here, red ports are not exactly easy drinking, with even the slightest of over indulgence leaving you with a crushing pain in your head the next morning. Port's only apparent advantage over its fortified rivals is its vintage level wines, providing a simple to understand branding for emerging markets, longevity for collectors and supreme quality for the drinkers - all for very little money. But selling higher end ports are all well and good, how do you sell the everyday drinking ports throughout the rest of the year and not just at Christmas or when the price is slashed down. One option being investigated by Graham's is to pair their ports with food. It is a trick being used with sherry, and has worked, and port houses are eager to get their product away from the reputation of being drunk at the end of a meal with cheese. I was invited to a lunch to explore this further.

We started off with white port, and as it was a tasting, there was no point in showing a Port & Tonic, but the Graham's Extra Dry White Port showed a slightly nutty aroma, with some apple coming off, mixed up with a bit of honey and sea salt. The palate was wonderfully dry, with some alcohol coming off, but with some honey flavour - though not sweetness - emerging. It is a fuller style of white port, good, but a little imbalanced. Tasty though. 84pts. I do think that this wine, in a Port & Tonic, would work very well though, and could be an excellent aperitif with a selection of canapes.

What would you pick to pair with a Chicken Fillet with sweet balsamic vinegar and apple compote? How does a late bottled vintage port sound? The 2006 Graham's LBV had a sweet and savoury aroma, with some balsamic notes and a lovely hint of bramble and chocolate coming through. A sweetness coming off the palate with liquorice flavours, spice and darker, earthier flavours. Quite dry on the finish with a raisin flavour. This is one of the wines that is usually price hacked, but it is a good tasty wine. Maybe not quite worth the £14 that I saw it priced at my local supermarket, but certainly worth far more than it has been thrown out at in the past. I was sceptical about the pairing with the chicken, feeling that the balsamic element of the dish was just a not to the sweeter aspects of the wine, but I was wrong. The balance between both the port and the food was perfect. Certainly, the balsamic sweetness partnered the LBV's sweetness, but the apple compote was inspired as it brought out the freshness of the wine, and the earthier flavours of the chicken engaged the savoury flavours of the wine. Touches of spice from the wine added seasoning to the food - just perfect.

The second course was partnered with one of the Symington Group's red wines, but I tried it with the LBV again. A Slow cooked wing rib of beef with celeriac and pear was the dish and again, the sweeter stickier elements of the food went so well with the sweet, jammier flavours from the wine. The Celeriac worked beautifully with the spicy and dark elements but the pear didn't offer the lift that the apple in the previous course did, but this dish wasn't meant for this wine, so you have to forgive it. This affordable port was, again, a fitting partner for the food, and I can think of numerous recipes found in celebrity cook books that anyone can make that would go well with this wine.

We then went up a touch in price for the ports and onto a trio of desserts. The Graham's Six Grapes port paired with a dark chocolate and cherry pudding was a lovely couple. The port was soft, with lush gentle fruit, a cinnamon spice coming through and some plum jam mixed with a touch of honey. The palate had some heat, and then dark, spicy flavours with cigar tobacco on the back end. 86pts The chocolate pudding brought out the cocoa elements in the wine, with the spice and fruit working well together. If anything, the sweet liqueur cherry brought out the fruit in the wine some more, making it a delightful experience. Next along was the 1999 Graham's Malvedos Single Quinta wine, a dark, damsony aroma with cocoa and chocolate abound. A very sweet, leathery, dark palate, quite closed with mint and earthy spices. It is a good port, but still too young. 90pts. However, when eaten with a fresh strawberry dipped in dark chocolate, everything changed. The fresh berry brought out the fruit in the wine, cutting the darker flavours and injecting a bit of oomph into the wine - basically, the strawberry was port viagra.

Finally, Graham's The Tawny. Soon to be a 10 year old, we tried the current non-age-statement port. Darker raisined fruit on the nose, with a lovely balance of fruit, spice and nutty elements, all coated in honey and with a sprinkling of salted caramel. The palate is all about dried citrus peel, cashew nuts and more of the salted caramel, with just a little bit of alcohol heat. I like this port a lot. 90pts. It was matched with Creme Brulee, served in a dark chocolate cup. To be honest, I could have done without the dark chocolate cup, as the creme brulee paired beautifully with this wine - creamy vanilla custard emphasising the fruit and calming the alcohol heat, and the salty, nutty flavours of the wine balancing out the caramel on the surface of the custard. It really was a perfect food and wine pairing.

The one thing that disappointed me was the last course. The wine served was a 1980 Graham's Vintage Port, a herbal smelling wine with light dried berries, cinnamon, nutmeg and a cherry menthol element too. Baked berry pie was on the palate, lots of raspberries, blueberries and brambles mixed with a sweet berry syrup and some lavender infused through it all, finished off with a little cigar smoke. Remarkably youthful, and a really tasty bottle of port. 93pts. Sadly, but predictably, the wine went with a selection of cheeses. Sure, it worked, and it was a lovely end to the meal, but I can't help thinking that, despite the LBV showing well in the starter and main course, if the vintage had been showcased with the main course, Graham's would have displayed that all ports, regardless of category and price, can be paired with food, and not just reserving the best wine to go with cheese.

The biggest surprise for me was the Malvedos paired with the strawberry, as the fruit managed to release the potential of the wine, and I believe that events like the one I attended could do the same for the port category. Consumer's preconceptions of port need to be challenged, and a port and food pairing can be the sort of event that does it. Lunches like this could prove to be the port industry's own type of little blue pill.

Graham's Website
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Graham's on Twitter

Thanks to J.E. Fells & Wine Importers