I've just returned from two weeks in the east of England visiting my parents. One of the bonuses of going on holiday in an area you know well is that you're aware of where the best shops for things are - including wine! Most of the following came from Bakers & Larners in Holt and can be ordered from:
http://www.bakersandlarners.co.uk/wine- ... 37667da7a3
La Lauvigniere 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape
I arrived without any wine in the luggage and had to go out and get some. Sadly, Bakers was closed so I went to a local supermarket where I noted, with horror, that in their "something special" section of the wine isle they'd seen fit to include some bottles of Gallo! Thus forewarned, I picked something from an AOC Jancis Robinson thought of as Frances "most reliable".
Smell of ripe red berries and wood.
On the palate the overall impression is one of sweetness - this is almost like a port. Not entirely to my tastes which is a shame because there's a lot to this wine in terms of both complexity and intensity. Good serious oak, rich red fruit, smoke, hazelnut, violets, a little touch of black pepper and a smooth, well balanced mouthfeel. But too sweet.
4/5
Von Buhl 2004 Riesling Kabinett Trocken (Pfalz)
Smells of ripe apples and a hint of minerals.
Although these flavours carry over onto the palate they're swamped in a riotous fruit cocktail of lemon, grapefruit and pineapple. To add interest to the drinking experience this has the typical Riesling feature of a big fight going on between the residual sugar in the wine and a high level on acid. Unfortunately in this case, the acid wins on far too many mouthfuls - this might have benefited from some age. Good finish with the apple and mineral putting in a reappearance.
4/5
Cave de Turckheim "Brand" 2005 Grand Cru Gewurztraminer
Serious question - I don't think I've ever had an Alsace Gewurztraminer from anywhere other than Turckheim - do any other co-ops actually grow it?!
Smell packs a big fruity punch of lychee and banana.
The wine feels incredibly thick and rich in the mouth, almost oily. Fruit flavours are intense and follow the scent and are joined by some seriously spicy ginger and floral notes of honeysuckle and elderflower. This is a big wine, and much better than this short note would suggest - the texture and flavour need to be tried to be believed.
5/5 - bought more to take back with us.
Bodegas Portia 2004 Ribera del Duero
Intensely dark colour, almost black. So much so that I actually thought the wine was faulty when I poured it.
Smell was curious, mainly coffee with notes of wood and blackcurrant.
The palate is a revelation - intense, flavours of blackcurrant, juicy cherry and coffee ably supported by equally impressive oaky vanilla and spice. Dig deeper and there's more - some rich earth and a slighty chewy texture. Balance of acid and tannins is superb - this is a wine which would go well both with and without food. Excellent - possibly the best wine I've had so far this year.
5/5 - bought more to take home with us
Wild South 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
I had this with a meal in a restaurant. It was bought to our table and poured and as soon as I tasted it, before seeing the label, I said out loud "that's not New Zealand, it tastes more like a French Sauvignon". And so it was - we'd been bought the wrong wine. I am absurdly proud of having successfully made this small feat of blind tasting.
Sharp, pungent smell of gooseberries and grapefruit.
Palate is mouthwateringly refreshing, with the same fruit flavours as the nose sliding across the tongue. They are joined delightfully by a host of less distinct tropical tastes - I thought I caught pineapple and and melon. Finish is clean with mineral notes.
Went extremely well with the broad bean, pea and parmesan risotto we had.
4/5
J. Moreau & Fils 2006 Chablis
Pungent smell of crip apples.
Turns out to be something of a two-note wine. Apple at the start and stone at the finish. The finish is long, the balance is good and there is a twang of flowers and a hint of honey. There's nothing actually wrong with it but on the whole I've come to expect a bit more from a famed AOC like Chablis.
3/5
Bodegas Campillo 2002 Rioja (Red)
Rich, warm nose of blackcurrant and oaky vanilla with somewhat gamey overtones.
This is classic Rioja, well balanced, smooth and with good jammy fruit, if a little on the unexciting side. The fruit is fat, sweet baked blackcurrant & plum with generous helpings of spice and vanilla and a little hint of mulberry.
4/5
Bodegas Campillo 2004 Rioja (White)
To my surprise this wine actually seems to smell of cream, with rich citrus notes, almost like a dessert.
In the mouth it tastes and feels just as creamy as it smells. There's fruit too of course, a curious mixture of lemon, greengages and melon which make the wine much sharper than the 'cream' label would suggest. A little spice and smoke in the mixture add an extra dimension. A very odd, and interesting wine which I might have appreciated more had it not been such a surprise.
4/5