I’m having mood swings. Pinot Noir vs Merlot. I love Pinots from Chile, New Zealand and even Burgundy (when I can afford them). I am equally starting to appreciate the right bank of la Gironde, the home of Merlot? In any case, both grapes are a welcome change from Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Sangiovese for example.
Last night I went to see a bit of Oscar Wilde. Born in Dublin, educated and excelled at Trinity College, and Magdelen Colledge Oxford, he then observed in close quarter London Society with his acerbic wit, before being buried in Paris at the tender age of 46.
I didn’t see him in the flesh, even the rotting, grave-sodden sort. I merely remembered him through one of his plays “An Ideal Husband”. Amongst the many lessons, most extraordinary above all, was my realisation that political scandals have been around since even before my forefather’s forefather (Great Grandfather, then?) was chased from the office of Mayor of Wimbledon in the 1930s. This play was written in 1895 when Wilde was about my age, and concerns the dilemma presented when a senior politician is confronted by his secret and corrupt past, in a black-mail attempt. Does the evil Mrs Cheveley succeed in extorting her demands? You will have to read/watch the play yourself. Whilst doing so, you will not be able to resist a snigger or two at how Wilde’s observations are all too relevant to today’s society.
I found Palacio de Monsalud at the Sunday Times Wine Club.
It is inexpensive (£7.42 per bottle) and I think it arrived in one of those bin end cases that always looks great value but invariably disappoints on balance. The smell on opening was prunes. A heavy thick set wine that reminded me of Port, despite only 13% alcohol. Some spice in the form of French mustard may have been false interest introduced only by the smear of Dijon mustard on my pork sandwich.
At first I assumed the wine was spoiled but as it developed I think it just tastes crap as a matter of course.
I suppose, not surprisingly for a wine that smells of Port, it went better with cheese than anything else.
But I thought that Spanish wines were supposed to be great wines at great value to us Brits. There was nothing here to inspire me to write anything interesting or informative….sorry.
I thought Manchester City were supposed to be rich. Has “Frank” Shinawatra hit on hard times? The January transfer window was supposed to be a time for acquisition…. for us to brandish our financial muscle like a well-endowed porn star unleashing his not inconsiderable appendage to impressive gasps.
Top of our list was a striker or two….or maybe not. Georgios Samaras has just gone to Celtic on loan and Rolando Bianchi found more lush grazing pastures on a small square of Roman green belt known as the Stadio Olimpio, albeit that Sr. Bianchi’s debut for Lazio lasted just 5 minutes before he saw not green, but red, and was promptly sent for an early bath.
Forget the preamble. This Corbières is the most interesting and, frankly, gorgeous wine I have tried in ages.
I found it at Laithwaites (although it was sadly out of stock at time of writing). I cannot remember the price, but it was definitely not expensive. I fear that it is absolutely necessary to stick to the 2003 due to the freaky hot summer that year. It killed several hundred French people so one can only imagine the effect it had on shrivelling (er….I mean concentrating) the grapes, and this wine is an amalgamation of several.
You may recall my suspicions about a new case from Virgin Wines were mostly unfounded, as the first bottle I tried was rather nice.
The case also contained three wines from the same stable – a Marlborough outfit by the name of Belmonte. I tried the Pinot Noir recently with surprising results.
I feel sure it is too early for some purists. Maybe I am the early bird breaking fast on the first worm.  I have been trying several 2005 Bordeaux early release red wines, for example here, here, here, and here with mixed, but mostly good results.
You may not think that January 2008 is all that early to release 2005 wines, but I recently received a letter from the importer, from whom I purchased my special 2005 en primeur wines, kindly informing me that Spring 2008 was likely to be the earliest I would receive my precious Château Lynch-Bages, Château Guiraud and others.
So whilst waiting, I have been obliged to drink from the dawn dew, to eat from the darling buds of May, to to sup from the honeypot of youth (something I have not done in years).
But from the moment I opened the fridge door to retrieve my bottle of Château Lacombe Cadiot, I felt there was something different, something new about this wine. For a start there was some information on the bottle. This was in French as well as English. Secondly, it was a not-overpowering 12.5%. Thirdly, it had a recommended drinking temperature of a perfect 16 degrees Celsius (you have heard me moan before about red wines served too warm). Fourthly, on opening it was the first wine from the bordelais that I can remember having a plastic cork. Four out of four so far then!
The wine tastes of rhubarb crumble with custard. Although I am not the greatest fan of rhubarb, it is the best 2005 Bordeaux I have yet tasted. Still a little tannic I am sure it will benefit from another 6 to 12 months in bottle. If only I could remember where I got it from I would order some more. A quick Google failed to find any UK suppliers. Any help appreciated!
I volunteered to try out the Virgin Wines online service which is relatively new to the UK but follows Virgin’s usual business model of finding a maturing market and trying to take a new angle on it. The only trouble is that I can’t work out what the new angle actually is.
In terms of the mature market, the Wine Society has been trading for yonks. Laithwaites has been marketing wines brilliantly for decades. Berry Bros & Rudd have the posh end of the market. Where is the new angle? As far as I can tell Virgin is marketing wine to the masses. The unwashed proletariat? Well okay then, maybe just inexperienced wine buyers.
Whatever! McCauley’s Journey Western Australia Shiraz turned out to be a top wine.
Word had reached my royal ear that 1994 Riojas may be getting past their drink by date so I immediately opened this beauty, one of the few remaining in my rack from the great year.
I’ve been most impressed by nearly all the Wine Society’s own brand wines. Then I saw this bottle by “Hand of God” which seems to be ripping off the Wine Society’s brand – I had to investigate.
Stumble It!
