We visited Eguisheim in Alsace a few years ago and tried wines from about 20 producers that had shops in the village.This was one of the highlights of the trip.
Paul Schneider Pinot Gris, Alsace, France
Aromas of green apple and flavours of gooseberry, green apple, citrus. It’s dry and reasonably acidic. It’s a cheap white wine from France. If I was to guess, I would say southern part due to the citrus and the level of acidity. The northern part should have more acidity and greener notes.
I had this on a team building event, cooking, next to the office. Great night although got there late and missed the cooking!
Villa St Jean, pays d’oc 2017
A dry Tokaj is not unusual these days but I have not come across that I like that much. This one is rather good, made with 100% Furmint there are aromas and flavours of citrus, esp lemon and a crispness that is refreshing. There is a lot of acidity in this wine which reminds me of some of the Chenins from South Africa that I’ve tried.
At £12 a bottle its not badly price but at this price point you can get a better dry wine from around the world.
Mad – Dry by Tokaj – from Hungary
I was expecting a sweeter wine but this is dry. Its pale in colour with little aromas of green apple and citrus. This comes through in the flavours but it is a little light for me, I want more flavours. Its not bad, its just behind the completion.
At about £9 a bottle its not over priced at least.
Domaine Salmon – Grande Reserve – Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2018
Love it or hate it! That’s Gewürztraminer, a Marmite wine. For those not from the UK just Google Marmite, it’s a British food that you had when you were a kid and may still have. I absolutely love Marmite, I do have issues with Gewürztraminer though. And this is a problem when reviewing this grape, I thankful rely on my wife to tell me if this is a good example as she really likes this grape. This is deep golden, yellow in colour showing you that there is real concentration of exotic fruit such as pineapple with honey, big hits of flora and sweet nuts both in the aromas and flavours.
We had this with a fish pie and it did mellow the wine and it did complimented the food excellently. It would also go with Asian food and some Indian foods. I couldn’t drink this wine on its own but with food it’s good, I just have an issue with the £30 price tag. This what’s the issue that my wife thought, great wine but overpriced.
St Michael Eppan – Sanct Valentin 2016 Gewurztraminer
The biggest problem we have in UK with German wine is getting the good stuff. Most of the time it is kept in Germany. Once you find a good stockist you’ll find some absolute gems. From crisp dry rieslings to luscious sweet dessert wines.
This particular wine is dry with aromas of green apple, blossom and flavours that include honeysuckle, white pepper, unripened citrus and a mineral/flinty finish. That’s a lot of acidity but with the light texture it’s rather good.
The only issue I have is with the price, at about Eur20 a bottle it’s not cheap but then again this is German wine so you have to expect the good stuff is expensive.
Castell Schlossberg Silvaner from Germany
Read the back of the bottle and it gives you the usual blurb on what it goes with, fish, rice, pasta, tapas, scrambled eggs! Therefore I would conclude that this wine should actually be drunk for breakfast. I therefore the thought what else would this go with.
Never let It be said that I did not do a serious review. Yes you get the usual aromas and flavours honeysuckle and and lemon with the feeling of high acidity. As a 2015 vintage this is a really deep golden colour with a stronger flavour that you’d get with the age over a younger albarino. But the real question is does this go with cadburys caramel buttons? The sweetness of the caramel is high and is picked up with honey notes from the wine, when both are cold it’s a really nice combination, the other one you could try is an cold chardonnay with cadbury’s milk chocolate and suck the milk chocolate while drinking the wine.
La trucha 2015 Albarino tasting with caramel buttons
4 years ago we came across a little producer south of Saumur. Antoine Butet from Domaine De La Bruyere. Last time we met his father, this time we met the son, Antoine who is the. winemaker The wines were crisp, clear with lovely taste of green fruit and pear flavours for the whites and subtle red fruit tastes, low tannins and easy drinking for the reds. We call him the shed guy because he literally works out of a shed, what looks like an old converted cow shed.
This may not be gold medal winning decanter wine, but it’s fantastic value at Eur4 or Eur5 a bottle and it will not embarrass you if you serve to friends, exactly what wine should be. Ps he also does 10 litre wine in a bag.
The shed guy
Domaine De la Bruyere
Day 4, after all the tasting so far, today would at prove the end turn out to be the most weird.
Our first stop was in Vouvray at Bernard Fouquet. They only do Chenin Blanc wines but have various styles. The first wine was the Cuvee Silex, a dry but tasting off dry, rounded, soft feeling wine with aromas of stone fruit, melon with cane through on the taste. Beautifully east to drink.
Bernard Fouquet caves
Bernard Fouquet, Vouvray, Loire Valley
Francois et Julien Pinon in Vouvray was the next stop. We tasted in a troglodyte cave house, cool and inviting.
Francois Pinons storage
Francois Pinons tasting room
David Sebastien, Loire Valley wine making in a cave
All the wines that he made were competent, the reds had an earthy smell but were full-bodied Cab Franc and had very subtle differences but with good red fruit and black fruit flavours coming through.
The idea is that the wine will take on the flavours of the pot and the pot will breakdown the tanning and structures of wine to give it a finer flavour. He toasts the inside of the pots to give different flavours just as you would a barrel. He even hangs some from the caves ceiling.
The hanging wine vat
Humidity is at 85% and the temperature is approximately 12 degrees in the caves, theres masses of mould growing on the walls on tanks barrels, spooky place.
Mould growing on the barrels
The guy can make wine but I’m not entirely convinced that this is the way forward.
24 pallet gyro pallet for riddling the sparkling wine
Wine having a little rest
Quadrille and Saumur white
Mushrooms growing in the caves
Mushrooms growing in the caves 2
Charles Joguet Cab Franc