Last week was wine-filled, and so without further adieu…
The tasting for the Islington Conservative Party was meant to be the best ever, and it was. Sparkling wine tasting. What could go wrong? Well, having less than 20 people showing up… at any rate, it was a blast. Yours truly is working the speaking circuit like a Clinton. Large, in-charge and, usually, full of crap.
Just kidding. The night was tinged by politics of course, but what do we really care about? No, let's talk about something that benefits us. (May have just lost that contract.)
Santa Margarita Prosecco. Sparkling wines that are produced in the Veneto in Italy outside Venice. Brilliant, simple and crisp, a perfect start. Nice, easy bubbles, but a bit pricey, probably would retail for £10, a lot for Prosecco. 8.4
Margues de Monistrol 2004 Cava, sparking wine from Penedes, around Barcelona. Slightly lemony, with a hint of green olive, a bit acidic, but a bargain at £8 retail. 8.4
Most preferred: the supermarket Champagne. Tesco Premier Cru at about £15 a bottle. This is a sparkling wine engineered in a laboratory to best fit the British notion of what Champagne should taste like. Almonds and Italian-style biscuit. A smooth oakiness, with plenty of bubbles. Also, a little too sweet. This makes people, Brits in particular, think they are savouring something more then they really are… it works though, wining the 2005 Wine International award for Best non-vintage Champagne, beating out some French contenders that sell their wines for much, much more. Would score higher if not so predictable. 8.5
During a 'meeting' last night, enjoyed the 2004 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Merlot from Margaret River Australia. My esteemed colleague called it 'spicy.' But spicy is really only an OK descriptor, for this wine is better than that. It's not aromatic spices, cardamom, fenugreek, etc. More like very slight cinnamon, clove. Perfect balance, mouth-feel, earthly expression. Almost took the ouch out of the four-time mark-up at the wine bar. 9.0 points. £24.
La Baume 2005 Merlot South of France, has a tasting note on the front label. Dark Cherry and Spicy (!), Fruit Characters, soft and round. A wonderful idea, if completely untrue. Actually it is vile, tense and terse. No balance and burns the throat. Smells like Teen Spirit. 7.6 points. £5.5
Now the 2004 Palandri Estate Cabernet Merlot West Australia Reserve, £8… now that's much better. Black olive, blackberry, oak and dill. Smooth in alcohol but bright in feeling. Dark color. Inky texture. Great for the price, and you know, for having one glass to many as its hangover after-burps will go well with your morning coffee. 8.7 points.
Also there was this one wine that tasted entirely of cloves. Can't remember which one. A Conservative at the tasting asked why winemakers put banana, apricot, etc. in wines for flavour. It's a good question. See, wine is complex, but, alas, made of 100 percent grapes. The "other" tastes come from its complex chemical structure. The molecules that are released in the 'nose' of the wine match the chemical structure of the molecules that exist in the similarly tasting fruits.
The nose-mouth association happens because of a genetic survival-type response, as one argument goes, since things that smell good are attractive to people and also tend to be high in nutrition. Smell prevents us from eating something that's off, by alerting us before in hits the mouth, where digestion begins. Wine also lets people live longer, when consumed responsibly. Not saying the theory is airtight. At least not for someone like me, who sees wonderful wines, and the people who make them, as rock-hard proof of Intelligent Design.
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6 comments:
Wow, I just posted last night and got a reply. Thanks. What a surprise to read your next post and find that it includes a review of a Champagne from Tesco.
Man, give an esteemed colleague a break. As a fan of Cape Mentelle, Australian sister wine to the beloved Cloudy Bay wines of New Zealand, I would describe the Cabernet Merlot as having a roasted plum, soft tannic quality that is spicy in a non-overdoes of clove/mulled wine Christmas kind of way, if I were offering tasting notes. But, if I were just having a reaction to the wine in one of London’s famously smoke-filled bars, I’d say spicy is valid.
And on the subject of valid descriptions…had a bottle of Chimney Creek Sauvignon Blanc the other day. Very nice. Crisp and refreshing and grassy with less of the citrus ‘lemony’ blast on the nose that’s so common in New World sauvignons. Apparently, it had Chardonnay and Semillon in it too. But that wasn’t on the label. Why is that?
You wrote in your last entry that the French don’t like to include details of their Bordeaux blends, for all sorts of reasons. Why don’t the Kiwis? Surely, New World wines like theirs are famous for blending and noting all the blends on the labels.
Do you only post once a week? I hope not. I'm eager to read more. Do you have any tips when buying wine at the supermarket?
I don't have an Oddbins or Threshers very close to home, but am always weary of the wines on sale at the supermarket. I'd love some advice, like does price equal quality?
Had a bottle Giné Giné this past week from Oddbins (£8 or so); it's a Priorat, a name that meant/means nothing to me. The label says that it's 50/50 Grenache and Carignan. For some reason, I’m a fan of the Carignan grape; it’s not very popular and rather harsh on its own – its critics would have you understand. But I’ll always think of it otherwise thanks to a few bottles of Bonny Doon’s discontinued Ugly Duckling Carignane that I had back the late 1990s…I digress. Point is, the Priorat was bold and fruity and smelled of blackberries simmering on the hob, as they boil down to make the perfect summer fruit coolie. Unfortunately, it was also a bit grapey and I found myself occasionally sucking on bits of skins. Overall though, I quite liked it, and have to applaud the way that it has kept since being opened at the end of last week.
I also had a bottle of Dienhard Riesling Trocken this evening. I know nothing of it, except that it’s German, from somewhere near the Mosel and sparkling. It was pretty nice though, especially as an aperitif. It had loads of good bubbles. I’m sorry I missed Interwined’s German and Austrian Wine tasting. Also, having attended Interwined’s most recent tasting on 22 February focusing on Sparkling Wines, I wondered if you might know anything about its fermentation process. Would the German’s treat their sparkling wines more like the Italians, French, or Spanish?
thank you for the comments and questions. I've been very busy this week, so lagging behind. Thanks for waiting:
WIW-- Single Varietals (white) sell better from the new world. Period. Most wine laws allow for some level of blending. This need not be labelled. Your NZ SB was the main grape, and the winery see no reasson for you to know more, except for what makes the majority of the wine. If the wine was 100 percent SB, chances are it would be too acidic and rough, so they kick in a few other grapes to befit the human palate. Sad isn't it? (Your turn to answer the question.)
Dave-- sorry I only post once a week, for now. If you get, say, 1,000,000 friends (or so) to click the google ads, maybe that will generate enough revenue to submit TWICE a week. Don't bother, this leaves you wanting more... no?
When you buy in a supermarket, go for the SALES, it is all subpar, as a rule, so save yourself some money.
SS- good to hear from you! I think your questions need more explanation than the reader has patience. Let's get together and have a few bottles of German sparkling, go over this issue and blog it! What do you say old friend? (emphasis on the OLD)
COMMENTS UNEDITED
If you know a place to get some good German sparklers, just tell me when and where: I'm there.
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