Midweek drinking... 19 July to 22 July

I can't see a thread, so have started one. I am continuing to test out my Oregon purchases as no point buying year on year blindly without knowing if you will actually like the wines. So far I am really enjoying the Oregon 2018s I have had, and in both colours.

  • 2018 Martin Woods Pinot Noir Jessie James Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills (7/20/2021)
    Vivid ruby red in colour. There are lovely forest floor and sappy juicy cherry aromas that jump out of the glass. The immediate sensation on the palette is seduction by delicious concentrated red fruit especially strawberries with mouth watering acidity, fine tannins and a silky mouthfeel all within a light to medium bodied and supremely balanced structure. It is not the most complex wine but it does not need to be. There is persistence and a rising crescendo on the finish. Great wine making. Bottled under Diam 10 at 13.5% ABV. Served refrigerated during hot weather from Conterno Sensory. (93 pts.)
 
We've a Keller Von der Fels 2015 in the fridge to go with some special egg fried rice tonight. Fortunately we have air cooling in the house otherwise my poor Welsh & Scottish blood would possibly boil!
 
Lucky you. I’m missing the aircon we have in CT. It’s good enough to render even the steamiest day pleasant.
It's just a cool air system. Very cold water in the basement cools air which you can then vent into your apartment via a fan. Cost is about 10-20p per day. Very eco. Get's it down to about 19-20C in this weather which is perfect.
 
  • 2016 Brick House Gamay Noir Ribbon Ridge - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge (21/07/2021)
    Deep ruby. Lovely nose of black pepper, really grippy, vibrant dark red fruit. Good acidity and a freshness to the finished. Really tasty, and none of the weighty clumsiness from which Beaujolais can suffer. Just about **** (91 pts.)

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  • 2012 Ocean Eight Chardonnay Verve - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula (21/07/2021)
    Pale to mid straw, green tinges. Quite fresh on the nose, a touch of smoky eduction that lifts relatively quickly. Light and elegant, good line and a positive finish. *** (89 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker

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The Vollenweider continues to be too sweet. Clearly a good wine but it needs 5+ years to knit.
Benjamin may be the best value wine producer in the world. The VV is worth the €1 premium but I pulled out the incorrect bottle, this evening.
Looking forward to tasting his 2020s this weekend, including his new Chiroubles which the family has taken back.3A582D71-5043-4852-BABC-D927002EFB0F.jpeg
 
The red Musar 2014 has arrived in Finland and I like it a lot. Seems more open and less surly than the 2013 but has the same potential IMO to become a very good, maybe even great Musar with age. Everyone every year complains that Musar on release is clean and un-funky but I already smell a whiff of VA and I love it. I can't wait to try this in 10-20 years if I can afford it then. :D
 
We fancied a nice light red we could chill, and picked a Fleurie from TWS which wasn’t quite as we expected
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More rhone looking and tasting, it was pretty well made, but a body builder fleurie, ok acidity, decent flavour, but not what we were after this evening unfortunately.
it was a Domaine de Terres Dorée/J.P. Brun Fleurie Les Garants 2018 in a very heavy bottle which should have been a clue
 
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An excellent Sylvie Esmonin 2011 Gevrey vieilles vignes with some good cheese on Monday

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Followed by an excellent Confuron Gindre Vosne Romanee les Brulees 2012 typical brulees light perfumed and seemless good depth and structure ready for duty although it improved ... everybody loved it... a producer whose style has evolved and which delivers .
Benefit in Provence is given the hot weather, one is careful to open bottles at 13-14 C

Tonight was (Burg) abstinence as we celebrated a birthday so had to open a champagne (Mumm 2012) with a steak of white tuna and a ratatouille made with local organic vegetables of amazing taste. Then, Isabelle prepared her Mousse au Chocolat... bliss
 
2004 LdH Tondonia Blanco -

1st of 12. Prompted by seeing a recent post about how these are getting harder to find - thought I should crack on. Absolutely love this - super fresh, not as oxidative as I expected/as an 05 had last year. Preserved lemons and beeswax, mouth wateringly saline and such a good food wine, reckon this would go with pretty much anything. Loads of complexity but above all so refreshing. Think it has years of life ahead, feel very fortunate to have 11 to go.
 
Loving the love for Beaujolais (or not in @Simon Wheeler case. After reading these threads I'm going to chill a few this weekend and sip. I generally prefer them more in the Burgundian style than the Yvon Metras style these days, but anything that has a nice snap to it when chilled is perfect. TWS has such a good changing selection. Please feel free to PM other merchants (or stick them up here) that I should be considerng.

I had noticed one wine merchant I use offering Gamay from California - I could be interested in trying but my wine-mind for Gamay is set in the £10-£20 Beaujolais range where I get a lot of pplease. However. @Simon Reilly tasting note above for Brick House has tweaked my ears...
 
image.jpgSo tonight should have been wine free after both of us playing team tennis. But it’s hot and almost the weekend.
So on returning home.
It’s quite a mouthful, an extracted style. Dark cherry fruit and short finish. Nice not excellent. 89pts
Sorry forgot to say which wine it was . Crowley Willamette Valley 2018 Pinot Noir
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I had noticed one wine merchant I use offering Gamay from California - I could be interested in trying but my wine-mind for Gamay is set in the £10-£20 Beaujolais range where I get a lot of pplease. However. @Simon Reilly tasting note above for Brick House has tweaked my ears...
I’m trying some, being delivered tomorrow, they sound right up my street for summer drinking
 
We fancied a nice light red we could chill, and picked a Fleurie from TWS which wasn’t quite as we expected
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More rhone looking and tasting, it was pretty well made, but a body builder fleurie, ok acidity, decent flavour, but not what we were after this evening unfortunately.
it was a Domaine de Terres Dorée/J.P. Brun Fleurie Les Garants 2018 in a very heavy bottle which should have been a clue
I have a pair of Brun's 2017 Terre Dorée Cote de Brouilly. If it is anything like the Fleurie, based on your experience, I will have to be very patient.
 
I have enjoyed past Pierro Chardonnays but recent Pierro Margaret River chard 2017 was quite bosomy on opening, very blowsy with lots of oak and fruit. Fortunately left in fridge overnight and calmed down noticeably with a crisper edge and some acidity but will be leaving remaining bottles a bit longer.
Off to the seaside today, taking some Lanson EA, Ginny Povall Botanica Chenin, Loggerenberg Break-a-leg rose and BlackBook chardonnay...should see us through breakfast.
 
It’s been a fino week here, and too long since I have drank much sherry.

Tio Pepe en rama ‘21 (half) was very good on Monday, but I preferred the extra weight, intensity and energy of Valdespino Inocente (half) on tuesday (so much so that it disappeared alarmingly quickly). The obvious place to go next was EN 91 (bottle) on wednesday - however it was not well aligned with what I was really looking for on the day - darker, deeper, more intense but less refreshing, more towards the fino-amontillado and would’ve fared better with more substantial food or cheese.

I feel I should keep a case of halves on Inocente in the coldest part of the fridge for heatwaves. Although I do see it is available en magnum…
 
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