Grand Crès, Cuvée Majeure, Corbières, France
This Cuvee Majeure from Grand Cres is a typical south french red wine. Its dry, bold with decent length of tannins. There’s plenty of red, black fruit flavours with oak and spice in there.
Its a good blend of syrah and grenache that won’t disappoint but there is something missing that I can’t quite pinpoint. At £15 a bottle it’s a little bit to expensive.
Pinot Gris, Hengst, 2011, Alsace, France
Ooohhh was the general comment when this was brought out to drink followed shortly afterwards by aaahhh. A Grand Cru is not to be rushed and one by Albert Mann should have extra care. Aromas and flavours of ripe citrus, pineapple, a solid body and a creamy undernote makes this a wine to sip and take pleasure in. Prices for earlier vintages start at £35 and are recommended, getting 2011 vintage is harder, buy later ones and age yourself is my recommendation.
Loire Rosé is pretty good and this one from Majestic is a bit sweeter than the dry Rosé you normally come across. There’s enough red fruit flavours and aromas to stop it from being lack luster but there is something just not there, maybe the sweetness throws you, the price of £7.99 on a mix six price is OK but not one I’ll try again.
Feu, Rosé d’Anjou, 2020/21, Loire, France
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.
Albert Lucas, Chablis Premier Cru, 2018, Chablis, France
Here are a lot of cheap Chablis out there and sometimes you just need to spend a little more and drink and little less like is this one from Albert Lucas. It’s rich, luxurious with plenty of freshness. There are aromas of citrus and stone fruit with additional flavours of honey and apple with grass under notes and mineral hints.
Great with fish or zesty salad anc at £20 a bottle it’s about right for this quality.
Collard-Picard, Archives Millesime, 2012, Champagne, France
There are champagnes that are frankly overpriced and take more than just the biscuit as the English would say and this is where this Champagne from Collard Picard comes in. It’s a good Champagne as far as they go with good acidity and flavours of lime and citrus fruit but at about £240 a bottle it’s takes more than a bit of biscuit.
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.
Chateau Fuisse, Pouilly Fuisse, Le Clos Monopole, 2014, FranceYou know if you have good wine friends when they bring you a bottle of this Chateau Fuisse, Pouilly Fuisse, Le Clos Monopole, 2014 to dinner.
Some of the other people at the dinner table were very excited when they saw this wine, I was very excited when I drink this wine.
Coming from burgundy you do expect good wine but this was exceptional it was medium bodied reasonably dry with excellent balance of acidity and flavours. You had lime, peach, apple and honey flavours with mineral notes with an underlying creamy butter that had just the right level of oak underlying it all.
The worst thing is that at £60 a bottle most people will never get to try such an amazing mine.
Coteaux du vendomois, Chant Grives, 2014, Loire, France
The Loire in France makes some rather excellent wine and this Coteaux du vendomois, Chant Grives, 2014 good example of a reasonable priced everyday drinking wine that should just be enjoyed. Given its 8 years old there was plenty of right citrus fruits in there with honey notes it’s a semi sweet wine made with the Chenin grape.
Clos de l’Anhel, Les Dimanches, 2009, Corbieres, France
Clos de l’Anhelmake excellent wines and it’s often the case that you should drink wine in a particular period after its been made and this Les Dimanches, 2009 shows why.
Coming from the Corbieres region in France wines are generally left to age little and and although this is still old wine it has decent amounts of black fruit, plum, blackcurrant with chocolate and a smoke and earthy undertone, after 13 years it’s still have been drunk earlier.
The turnings for starting to Fe and the dryness was a little bit too much. Possibly 3 or 4 years ago the fruit would a balanced out better.
Definitely want to have his food but try not to have anything with a heavy sauce if you’re going to drink something at this age.