Midweek drinking Jan 30th - Feb 2nd

Alex Lake

Alex Lake

Location
Deep South of Cambridgeshire
2005 Domaine La Barroche Fiancée
This is is a very pleasant place. It's always been a confident wine, but is beginning to mature and settle down. I had trouble with the cork (probably my fault for leaving it standing upright for the best part of a year?) and I ended up with a slightly cloudy wine, but it really is classic mostly mature CNDP. Meaty, vegetal, herbal, a bit of brett. Hoping it will taste even better tomorrow!

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Alex Lake

Alex Lake

Location
Deep South of Cambridgeshire
The Liberator Episode 35 - Dial P for Pinot 2020

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the modus operandi of Richard Kelley who sources small parcels of wines from South Africa and sells them under the umbrella of "The Liberator"

This is a 1200 bottle production pinot noir that I picked up in the recent Harvey Nichols sale.
It didn't smell like pinot to me, or taste like it. Mind you, it's possibly more like how EP Burgundy comes across - fruity and delicious! I preferred it on day 2, but would probably have it pegged as a grenache or even a light styled New World syrah. I would be interested to see what others who may have picked up a bottle or two think.

14% alcohol (but tastes lighter)


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Graeme Harvie

Graeme Harvie

Location
London
FOX FAIVELEY DINNER - Fox, London Wall, London (1/31/2023)

I was invited as a guest of a business friend and theme was relatively humble Faiveley wines (all domaine bottlings except the J. Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge) with uncomplicated cuisine.

Classic gruyere gougeres, seared beef and horseradish crostini, and butternut squash & chickpea tartlet
  • 2019 Faiveley Rully Les Villeranges Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Rully
    Light gold. Smoke, whiff of sea salt, and hint of yellow fruits on the nose. Yellow fruited, a touch tart, saline reasonable persistence but perfectly quaffable. (88 pts.)
Lemon sole, spinach,and buerre blanc
  • 2018 Faiveley Mercurey Clos Rochette Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey
    Lighter side of golden yellow. Little soap suds sea salt and lemon on the nose. Good yellow fruit, decent freshness, nice balance (no knees or elbows). V good. Half bottle. (89 pts.)
Chicken ballotine, hispi cabbage, and mushroom veloute
  • 2018 Faiveley Pinot Noir Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
    Ruby red. Raspberries on the nose which follow on to the midpalate. Perfectly good but slightly clipped finish. Quaffable. (86 pts.)
  • 2018 Domaine de la Framboisiere Mercurey La Framboisière - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey
    Ruby red . Deep red fruited nose with touch of forest floor that continues on to the midpalate where there is crunchy fruit , touch of salinity, energy, and really lovely mouth watering acidity. ♡ (91 pts.)
Boeuf bourguignon and dauphinoise potatoes
  • 2018 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges
    Ruby red. Forest floor nose. Silky tannins, good persistence and length showing strawberries and in a good spot. Lovely (90 pts.)
  • 2018 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
    Garnet a little opaque. Damp undergrowth and hint of darker side of red fruits on the nose. Medium to full bodied with smooth yet slightly mouth drying tannins, slightly gamey with very savoury red fruit with concentration and length. Not unapproachable yet should improve in the cellar. (90 pts.)

Overall worked well and was a fun night with good discussion.
 
Nick Amis

Nick Amis

Location
London
A couple of great wines at Noble Rot. Have picked up some Corison and will be on the look out for Ganevat Chardonnay!

2005 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (31/01/2023)
Mighty fine Cabernet. Full on the nose, with eucalyptus, woodsmoke, dark berries and cocoa. Wonderful on the palate, feeling light and fairly fresh but with immense flavour intensity - espresso and blackcurrant coulis, mmm. Ridiculously long finish, too. Yes. (94 pts.)

2017 Anne et Jean-Francois Ganevat Côtes du Jura Les Miraculés - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (31/01/2023)
Superb. Mushroom, preserved lemon, old wood and a floral meadow. Sweetness with warmth and air, like glazed pineapple, but also a grapefruity nip. Beautifully judged acidity, giving a lovely balance between 'bite' and 'caress'. Why isn't this available in the UK?! (94 pts.)
 
M

Melvin Yeo

Location
Singapore
DINNER AT 67PM - (1/2/2023)

Some wines at 67PM that were relatively good value for once. We got the Cedric Bouchards for S$305 which were below market, but the old pricing of S$190 was probably correct for its quality. Meanwhile the Fourrier was S$158 off the list, sometimes scrolling through wine lists when I am bored does pay dividends! But unfortunately probably one of the last dinners that I will have there since I am cancelling my membership as it just isn't a great value proposition for wine, at least for the Singapore branch.
  • 2018 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblé - France, Champagne
    Started off rather tropical which was rather distracting, especially on the nose. Gained tension and drank almost like a white Burgundy after a couple of hours with ripe citrus fruit. Very well-balanced even though it was still painfully young. Without a doubt my favourite single vineyard from Bouchard. (93 pts.)
  • 2018 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Millésimé Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules - France, Champagne
    Think warmer vintages are kinder to Pinots as it doesn't have that kind of pineapple tropical fruit that ripe Chards have that distracted me from the LHL at first. Fresh strawberries, a lot more expressive compared to a previous Ursules that I tried. Very good quality, initially I preferred this compared to the LHL, probably from the fact that this felt a lot more ready to drink. (93 pts.)
  • 2009 Domaine Fourrier Morey St. Denis Clos Solon Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis
    Colour looked like it was from the late 90s. Quite sturdy in the old-school mould rather than the crunchy, fresh red fruit of modern Fourriers, which was surprising since I thought 2009 was after the style change. If taken to be an old-school Burgundy, this was quite lovely in a dark-fruited, wild, and extracted kind of way from yesteryear. (91 pts.)

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Alex Jagger

Alex Jagger

Location
Bangkok
Melvin Yeo said:
DINNER AT 67PM - (1/2/2023)

Some wines at 67PM that were relatively good value for once. We got the Cedric Bouchards for S$305 which were below market, but the old pricing of S$190 was probably correct for its quality. Meanwhile the Fourrier was S$158 off the list, sometimes scrolling through wine lists when I am bored does pay dividends! But unfortunately probably one of the last dinners that I will have there since I am cancelling my membership as it just isn't a great value proposition for wine, at least for the Singapore branch.
  • 2018 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblé - France, Champagne
    Started off rather tropical which was rather distracting, especially on the nose. Gained tension and drank almost like a white Burgundy after a couple of hours with ripe citrus fruit. Very well-balanced even though it was still painfully young. Without a doubt my favourite single vineyard from Bouchard. (93 pts.)
  • 2018 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Millésimé Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules - France, Champagne
    Think warmer vintages are kinder to Pinots as it doesn't have that kind of pineapple tropical fruit that ripe Chards have that distracted me from the LHL at first. Fresh strawberries, a lot more expressive compared to a previous Ursules that I tried. Very good quality, initially I preferred this compared to the LHL, probably from the fact that this felt a lot more ready to drink. (93 pts.)
  • 2009 Domaine Fourrier Morey St. Denis Clos Solon Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis
    Colour looked like it was from the late 90s. Quite sturdy in the old-school mould rather than the crunchy, fresh red fruit of modern Fourriers, which was surprising since I thought 2009 was after the style change. If taken to be an old-school Burgundy, this was quite lovely in a dark-fruited, wild, and extracted kind of way from yesteryear. (91 pts.)

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The Fourrier really doesn't sound like a typical bottle, Melvin. I drank one myself in the Autumn and it was lovely. A '10 over Xmas didn't show quite so well and more advanced but that was followed by an excellent bottle/note enjoyed by Simon G.

As Tom notes I think JMF felt it was around 1997 the wines were in the style he wanted although I agree there must have been some development in style since - but there was never a big gear change or old school approach here. He did really well in '02, and actually '04, not tried too many '05 myself but then did superbly well in '07 '09 and '10. '08 is a relative miss with many of the wines leaning to the shrill but I still retain hope especially at the top end.

In the period '11-'14 I did start to wonder if the finesse was beginning to become a touch underpowered myself and then - being in Asia - I have actually not approached the more recent vintages which are now piling up in the cellar. A couple of recent GC VV '11 have been superb (have them in Singapore I will open one!) and a GC CSJ '11 was excellent but probably in need of more time. One of the strengths is just how gorgeous they are young and there is maybe an argument that it is the best time to drink them but I think a few of us fans feel that as they mature the winemaking imprint lessens and the actual terroir comes into focus. As a very popular WP producer I'm certain others have a deeper reference point than me but that's my current take fwiw! :)
 
Peter Webb

Peter Webb

Location
Northwich
After a quiet few days following the Moor Hall blowout, we care roaring back with an excellent Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir from Restless River. Lovely crunchy red fruit made this very easy drinking with absolutely no complexity to consider. Suspect a few years will make it a completely different beast. Shall see.

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Tonight was a mixed bag. Having restocked the white wine fridge, I chanced on this 2017 Pouilly Fuisse. Quite shocked how oxidated it was. Thought we had left that behind. Previous bottles have been very good. Hoping it is a once off.

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Finally we opened this rather interesting looking bottle. Elgin Pinot noir but Burgundian in style even in its youth. Making me very happy indeed. For those unfamiliar with the style, it is from Blank Bottle.

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Mark Carrington

Mark Carrington

Location
Dorset, England
  • 2018 Pieropan Soave Classico Calvarino - Italy, Veneto, Soave Classico (02/02/2023)
    Crystalline pale yellow; an endearing & alluring bouquet, subtle floral & mineral (sic) notes; has a mesmerising texture & complexity, almost weightless, poised; emphatic, extended finish. Will drink well for next couple+ years. (93 pts.)Posted from CellarTracker.
  • This wine over delivers year in year out.
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S

Saina Nieminen

Location
k
Campestral Claret Rosé Pet Nat - Spain; 12,5% abv; c.15€
Slightly pink. Earthy, lots of citrus of the orange type; slightly fizzy, savoury yet ripely sweet, very moreish. I love pet nat for being just pure joy and fun. No point writing long notes about them despite how satisfying they are. Buy again? Yes. Lots.
 
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