The family of grapes

For those of you with more than a passing interest in the relationships between grape varieties, I would point you to a recently published article Genetic structure and domestication history of the grape.  You can get a link to the full pdf version of the article from the right hand side of that page.

Fascinating to see how they are related – and with very limited changes.

Portinho de Covo

A gift from a supper visitor last weekend! We tend to be rather restricted in our explorations of Portuguese wines, so this was a welcome change. It is a blend of Castelao,Alicante and Syrah grapes, from the Setubal peninsular, immediately south of Lisbon. It was full-bodied, deep, with a lot of fruit and berry flavours. Only available from Laithwaites and other linked clubs at around £5.50 a bottle. Quite a bargain.

Malvira from Waitrose

Last week, returning home from Peterborough, I called in as usual at the Newark Waitrose. Looking for something different to drink with our evening meal later that night, I found Malvira Roero Arneis 2008. I have not come across the Arneis grape before, so it gave the opportunity of experiencing a new taste. Arneis historical role has been as a softening for Nebbiolo, though today the grape is more commonly seen as a varietal wine. It is most commonly found in the hills of the Roero, northwest of Alba, in the Piedmont region. The Waitrose description as ‘persuasive tropical fruit with underlying minerality and fine, clean finish, elegant and rich’, I can confirm. There is a richness, rather like a good chardonnay, but without the oiliness that sometimes accompanies them. At £10.99 it is certainly worth a try!

Hello again

Well – its been some time since I seem to have had time to make any entries here, so perhaps I’ll now be able to start a resolution to be more regular!

Last night we had a very enjoyable AGM night at the Cumbria Wine Society, our ‘Best of the Best’ night. This is when we re-visit the wines that were voted the favorite wine on each of the tasting nights the previous year. We ended up voting a Sauternes as best of the best, which surprised me – and I’ll say more about that wine in the future. For now, it might be interesting to note that for the coming year we will be asking members to choose each night, not the ‘best’ wine, but the one they would buy – thus introducing an aspect of value for money. It should end up with some rather cheaper wines at next year’s AGM.

Ruby Wedding meal

On Sunday we enjoyed a meal cooked by the children for our Ruby wedding celebrations. I picked out two wines from the cellar that were due for drinking, but which you are unlikely to find very frequently in the stores now!

Chateau Cissac Cru Bourgeois Haut- Medoc 1995. I remember buying some bottles of this many years ago in a Leclerc supermarket in the north of France. It was on special offer I recall, but now seems to be available for about £30 a bottle. There does seem to be some in the Everywine list. It certainly looked its age, but on initial tasting was still quite tannic. However, after a decanting and a couple of hours in the decanter it was very much smoother and demonstrating all the fruit and flavour that it had. An excellent partner to the fillet of beef that Joseph was cooking.

Chassagne Montrachet  – Les Vergers 1re Cru, Domaine Marc Morey et Fils. This was a present from the parents of Marlene, a young French girl who lived with us for a year in the 90s. I can only find it available from a german stockist now, although you can buy the 1997 for around £550 a case of 12 from Everywine. I can recall that when I tasted the first bottle of Chassagne Montrachet from them that I was bowled over by the experience. This bottle also showed what a completely different sensation it is to drink this compared to an everyday bottle of chardonney! It was a wonderful golden colour, very full and round, very dry but with a sensational velvet, smooth taste. You can’t get this sort of experience in anything at the £15 price point! Unfortunately I can’t find a ‘Les Vergers’ label!

Rustenberg at Waitrose

I make a point of visiting a Waitrose whenever I’m up or down the A1 or M6. Usually, this involves having one of their delicious bacon rolls for lunch (or supper, or whatever really). So I now have a string of them in suitable locations – Sandbach, Newark, Lutterworth, Ashford and recently Great Malvern.

However, on of the benefits of this ‘bacon roll’ search, is that I regularly look at their wine shelves. This week – courtesy of a photo my daughter put on her Facebook site, I’ve discovered that they are selling Rustenberg ‘John X Merriman’ 2008 at £8.99 a bottle, reduced from £11.99, (or £8.54 if you but a dozen on line.)

I visited Rustenberg in 2008 and the John X Merriman was one I really liked. So mush that it was part of the South African tasting I gave to the Cumbria Wine Society. That was 2006 and I haven’t tasted this one yet – but I wouldn’t expect it to disappoint!

Chateau Musar

Its a few years since I tasted some of Gaston Hochar’s delicious Lebanese wine, but on Monday evening we were in Tewkesbury overnight, ready for a visit to the Three Choirs Vineyard the following day. We had supper at the Corse Lawn Hotel, north of Gloucester, and since I wasn’t driving, I chose a half bottle of Chateau Musar 2001 to enjoy all by myself.

I first came across Chateau Musar over 25 years ago, when the thought of anyone producing wine, let alone excellent wine, in the Bekka Valley, sounded like the most extreme anachronism one could get. However, on a visit to Montpellier last year, I discovered a Lebanese restaurant in the city which offered at least four wines from the region – none of them Chateau Musar. But in th UK, Musar is the most well known!

I once had a very rewarding experience when asking for Chateau Musar. Cringletie House, near Peebles, was at one time a regular in the Good Food Guide, and a place we had visited a couple of times for supper and bed. On one of these visits, a request for the cheapest vintage of Chateau Musar on their list resulted in the sommelier apologising profusely that they had none left, but that an earlier (and more expensive) vintage was available, which they would supply at the same price. This was brought, opened, sniffed by the sommelier, who then apologised once more that the bottle was corked. He returned a few moments later to explain that they had no more of that vintage, but could supply an even earlier (and even more expensive) vintage at the same price. That final bottle we enjoyed immensely!

The 2001 was remarkably light in colour, but intense in its nose. So much so I didn’t want to start drinking it, but the flavour was equally good. Maybe not brilliant value in a restaurant (but what is?), but certainly good value if you can get it for around £15 a bottle.

La Hogue

Seems to be an absolute age since I last posted, but that’s because May to July is the peak exam season! Hopefully, I can resume normal service over the next few months – at least until next May!

One of the advantages of the multiple trips to Cambridge is the opportunity to visit Chilford Hall, just east of Cambridge, for the very good wines they produce there. Another is the greater availability of good wine stores, and one such of these is ‘The Wine Store at La Hogue‘. I was reminded of this by an article in the Travel section of last Saturday’s Guardian, which recommended a visit to the La Hogue Farm shop and the ‘…truly impressive Wine Store…‘ near Chippenham just off the A14 between Cambridge and Newmarket.

I went there last month and found the husband and wife owners very helpful and attentive. I was given a tour of their stock, which covers all the normal wine producing areas, but is sourced from small producers only. Just like Shills in Cockermouth they eschew the brands that one can buy in supermarkets, quite rightly because they can’t compete on price with themand

They eventually sold me two bottles that I requested would be good enough to ensure I returned. These were ‘Domaine de Lauriers VdP Rolle‘, from the Languedoc, which, ironically I drove past a couple of weeks later.

The second was ‘Ormeasco Superiore‘ from Durin, in Liguria. Both were good, characterful wines, and will get me back there.

And do note – the Wine Store is a seperate establishment to the Farm Shop – just drive on past the latter!

Recent supermarket recommendations

Some recent recommendations to look out for!

Booths - 2009 Domaine de Pellehaut, Harmonie, Béraut, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne £4.99 until the end of May.“Stunning jewel-pink bargain buy whose mouthwateringly intense ripe, redcurrant and blackcurrant fruit made from merlot, tannat, both cabernets and syrah oozes charm.” – Jane McQuitty in the Times May 1st.

Marks and Spencer – 2009 Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche Gamay. £3.99 “A vivid summery red with the sort of sweet pepper and berry aromas and quaffable cherryish fruit that’s made to make the mouth water whenever there’s an excuse for a summer party or picnic.” – Anthony Rose in the Independent May 1st.

plus – Gaston de Veau Rouge 2009 £4.99 half merlot, half “Mediterranean varieties” (that is, grenache, syrah and merlot); it’s easy, soft, relaxed and spicy, and would be good with a hog roast” Victoria Moore in the Guardian May 1st.

Morrisons & Waitrose - Chapel Down Vintage Reserve Brut  £17.99 “my favourite Kentish sparkler, one of the best to be made in this green and pleasant land.” Jonathan Ray in the Telegraph 28th April.

Decanter’s May recommendations

The May edition of Decanter magazine has a couple of things you might want to look out for.

From Tesco - Maycas del Limari, Syrah Reserva, Limari Valley, Chile, 2008 – Concho y Toro’s northern outpost. ‘Packed with bright red and blackberry aromas’. £9.19

And from Waitrose (if you can get to one!) Penfold’s Koonunga Hill, Seventy-Six Shiraz-Cabernet, South Australia 2008. ‘Damson nose with hints of toffee and mint…full of brash black fruits.’ £8.99

And if you are willing to spend enough in Majestic…. La Marca, Cuvee Prosecco, Conegliano Valdobbiadne NV. £14.99. ‘Very elegant expression of the Prosecco grape, resplendent with peaches, white flowers and grapey nuances‘.