Colchester Cellar Club October 2022 spainish wine tasting
The Colchester Cellar Club is known for laying on a great tasting and this one was no exception. Below are my tasting notes on the main tasting wines listed on the sheet above.
1-2018-fresh, light but firm acidity, mineral under tone, lemon flavour but little aroma. Drink on its own
2-2017-oak notes on the nose even though its in steel, left on the lees malolatic nose, a little creaminess higher acidity, grapefruit and lemon flavours , long length, drink with a zesty salad
3-2017-light nose, freshness little aroma. Higher acidity with tart lemon flavours, hint of grapefruit, too much tart but decent length, barrel fermented
4-2015-light aromas of redcurrant, oak notes, dry with smoothness and mid tannins. Lots of red fruit. Good with pasta and red meat. May want to leave it for another few years.
5-2012-red and black fruit aromas, smooth and soft tannins, dry, excellent integration, with or without food is not important, drink in front of a fire with a bit of cheese.
6-2009-3 years in oak with red fruit aromas, soft on the nose, dry, smooth on the palette, easy, well integrated tannins that stick around. I would have this with food, red meat, a stew. For 13 years old it’s excellent and could be left for few more years.
7-2006-little red fruit aroma but clean on the nose. Dry with soft tannins going towards a mid range pinot noir. A down to earth red with soul and gentleness. Very hard not to love this wine.
8-2001-A hint of red fruit on the nose with dry and softness on the palette. Good length but best with food. A steak or even turkey but hold back on heavy source or gravy as that will hit the wine too hard.
9-2010-A lack of aromas is not unwelcome, a hint of eucalyptus and redcurrant is all I got. It’s dry with soft tannins and good length. Maybe try in 5 years and see if it integrates better in all its elements like wine 7.
10-1994-hints of red fruit, oak with little tannins left to cause any issues. Yes it’s very soft and smooth but it’s a wine to drink without food as it will knacker it. 28 years old is pushing it.
This red eine from Argamont is a typical red that’s meant to be drunk and not thought too much about. It’s got decent aromas and flavours of cherry, plum, blackcurrant. It’s dry with good length and isn’t overwhelmed with tannins or it being to big and bold.
I’m not sure it it will any awards but it’s a very good wine and 6 years old it has plenty to offer.
At £10 a bottle this Appassimento from Cantina di Negrar has got to be the bargain of the year.
This dry, smooth red wine has soft tannins and decent lengh. Plenty of cherry, plum, chocolate and spice aromas and flavours. It’s not overly complex but has enough for you to sip and enjoy over the evening on its own or with food.
Majestic wines have a real corker here, worth few bottles when you want to treat yourself.
As you would expect from a Valpolicella classic this is very good red wine from Scriani. Its on the dry side, bold but smooth with plenty of red and black fruit flavours. It’s got excellent length of the flavours and even went well with salad but better suited with pasta dish or a lump of red meat.
At £18 a bottle it’s not cheap by red wine standards but decent for the quality of a Valpolicella.
Made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot this blend from LaSelva in Itlay isn’t bad. Its a dry red with firm tannins and decent lengh. There’s the typical black fruit flavours with licorice and a little oak in the back ground. I can’t help feel that there’s something missing from this wine and I can’t think what. All the components are there but the pulling together is missing something.
A good wine but not one to go back to in a hurry.at about £10 a bottle it’s decent value.
Chateau De Targe, Clos de Moulin, Cabernet Franc, 2017, Loire Valley, France
Tried at the 40th anniversary of the Colchester Cellar Club this is Chateau De Targe Clos de Moulin is a very grown up Cabernet Franc. There’s the usual red fruit, plum, with oak and vanilla but it’s all very smooth, dry and structurally tight. It’s very good but you need food to get the best out of it and at £35 a bottle it’s not cheap. The cuvee Ferry Cabernet Franc that they do is better for me.
Chateau Cardinal Villemaurine, Grand Cru, 1975, Saint-Emilion, France
An old Bordeaux is always something to try and this Chateau Cardinal Villemaurine, Grand Cru, 1975, Saint-Emilion is a good wine to see why. At 47 years old theres still complexity and flavours to find but with softness and soothing that has a decent length. The red and black fruit, hints of tobacco and oak are all subtle and mellow but that’s not a problem.
At £120 a bottle it’s not one to get in by the case.
Villabella, Fracastoro Riserva, Amarone Della Valpolicella, Italy
I’m sure you can get bad Amarone but this one from Villabella is not one of them, quite the opposite. Decanter wine magazine save this 90 points and I can see why.
It’s a bold wine but pretty smooth and also not necessarily particularly dry, there’s softness and sweetness in this bottle too. You get flavours and aromas of plum and blackberry, blackcurrant, chocolate and tobacco. Theres oak and a smokiness in there.
Drink with food, BBQ in the garden is a good starting point. At £20 a bottle it’s reasonable value for what you are getting.
Italian red wine is normally as a very high quality if you spend the money and £30 a bottle you expect something quite special and this Mate Marinaia, Toscana is just that.
Made with sangiovese grape medium bodied wine with good subtle tannings, quite dry and balanced acidity. You get lots of flavours ranging from sour cherry and cranberry to blackcurrant and plum with tobacco and Oak notes coming through which are all well-balanced.
Chateau De Targe, Cuvee Ferry, Cabernet Franc, 2017, Loire Valley, France
I love Loire wines and recently the wine maker from chateau De Targe presented to the Colchester Cellar Club. His Cabernet Franc is very good with good length and decent amount of red fruit flavours and aromas. There’s underlying oak and an earthiness feel to it. It’s dry and pretty bold and all the components are working well together.