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Can’t decide which of these to have with slow-roast pork belly/five spice/chillies/garlic so have decided to open both.
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The only sensible course of action.
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Fine example of how decision-making ability is so over-rated!
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It IS a bank holiday weekend…
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I enjoyed the Chinon. Vivino notes from a few months ago:
Nose: dark red fruits: cherry, raspberry, and candied sweets. Med intensity.
Palate: med acidity, low tannins. Fruit forward with cherry and raspberry notes. A little chewy, like a cherry pastille. Short finish.
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Friday night, another TWS mystery wine bottle: Burklin- Wolf Riesling Trocken Riesling 2016. Apologies for the long pic - its a tall bottle.
In the glass, golden with hints of brass although I expected something much paler with green highlights. Nose is classic aromatic Riesling: limes, petrichor, grape pips, slightly musty - yet no petrol. On the palate: Masses of unsweetened lime cordial, a touch of tannin? very ‘spring green’ if that’s a taste . Finish is the same as the palate - it goes on and on. I kinda wish there was a touch of honey to round things out.
Later on: supper will be smoked eel, new potatoes, quick-pickled red onion, garden cucumber, hard boiled egg and whatever else I find in the fridge. No-cook Friday with Australian Masterchef for entertainment.
Happy Friday everyone !
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OK, so we have finished dinner already. The Gewurztraminer won hands down vs the Chinon. We had already drunk half of the bottle beforehand – this is such a beautiful wine to drink by itself anyway; rich and full; lychees on the palate; nice length – a fine exhibition wine that was able to handle the richness and spiciness of the dish.
The Chinon was well described by Putonghua73: very pleasant, but the bottle will be finished in front of the television rather than at the table.
Our pork belly recipe was from the September’s BBC Good Food magazine and I would definitely recommend it. Credit also to our local butcher, John Murray of Loxwood who prepared the joint for us.
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I find Italian whites a bit of a lucky dip, sometimes just a delight and others a let-down. This is sitting well above average.
(https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/pinot-bianco-sudtirol-alto-adige-hofstatter-2020)
Really nice on the nose but the highlight is the rich smooth texture and finish, succulent. My only grumble is the overripe fruit and lack of acidity (IMO) but it really doesn’t distract from the drinking pleasure.
A good start to the long weekend. Hope everyone enjoys their time-off!
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I tasted that at the Italy tasting last night, and it was interesting to compare with the Julg Weissburgunder we’d had earlier in the week. For me the Julg won, a bit more intense and with lively acidity.
This, though, was an absolute winner but probably not what you’re looking for
https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/hofstatter-kolbenhof-gewurztraminer-2020?recommendationid=0
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After todays walk What are you going to do today? - #5045 by woodap
I’m starting with this picked from the local beershop yesterday.
Hitting the spot just as I’d hoped
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A straight-forward mencia from Sainsbury’s here tonight …
…a Valdeorras ‘Via Nova’ Mencia 2019 from Virgen del Galir ( who also make the ‘Maruxa’ Godello that TWS List ).
A bright medium crimson / purple colour. Red berry and cherry fruit, a floral quality and notes of pencil lead and freshly turned soil on the nose. Similar on tasting, pure red fruits, good acidity, discreet tannins and some mineral / graphite complexity. Not a million miles away from a modern, easy drinking, Loire cab franc in style and good value for the £10 paid.
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The weather forecast kept on telling us that there were going to be thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening here, but they haven’t (yet) arrived, so we spent a lovely evening in the the garden. I grilled some pointrine de porc with wild garlic, and duck breast fillets with three peppers (both courtesy of the butcher in Super U, the village one being on holiday), with grilled aubergines and a spicy tomato sauce. We drank Domaine Loew, Pinot Gris Bruderbach Le Menhir, 2018.
Lovely dry pinot gris, with digestive biscuits and stone fruits in equal measure, and a hint of smoke on the finish. That slightly melancholy almost-end-of-holiday feeling, but at the same time, life doesn’t get much better than sitting together in the garden on a balmy evening, eating grilled meat and drinking great wine.
Hope everyone has a good weekend.
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Crowd- pleasing BJ tonight with oven baked sausages (Duchy Original organic jobs - reduced at Waitrose as they often are…) along with home grown veg, viz - baked tomatoes, boiled newish potatoes and french beans.
Can’t go wrong here apart from drinking too much of it in one go. Came in the TWS mixed Cru-BJ case last year.
https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/chateau-de-beauregard-moulin-a-vent-la-salomine-2019
Fine sentiments @gabehiggins, but I have a double weekend shifts working for 111 fending off the trivia-to-999 dispositions before they get launched… Bank Holiday weekends always seems to uprate the level of bizarreness.
But at least the annual Aylsham show is back on again on Monday after 2 years of Covid-induced cancellations
Bon weekend à tous
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Disappointed with this edition of the Liberator. This is a straight and uninspiring sweet Chenin. A tiny bit of grilled pineapple, but that’s it. And you’d have to be really creative to detect that. The other sweet Liberator wine on offer is orders of magnitude superior. Go for that one.
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So. Purely in the interest of “research” for the forthcoming EP offer, we cracked open a 2017 La Rioja Alta 874 Reserva.
First impressions is that it is too young. Drinking window started 2021, apparently. Whilst the tannins are smooth, it’s the acidity that needs to tone down.
Anyway, it’s loads of cherry jam, almondy notes, a tobacco type finish, quite a bit of old school rioja vanilla. Pretty nice, but hopefully even better in future. I like my rioja to be a bit more balsamic and strawberry like.
I’m not sure what all of this means for the forthcoming EP, and my (in)ability to resist temptation.
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Ha ha, after viewing all your photos from Peru to Poland I have no sympathy, for the weekends you work, you reward yourself well, and rightly so. 
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Tonight roast salmon and a pepper and hazelnut salsa Ottolenghi style with a 2016 central coast Pinot Noir and Sibelius 5 on the Proms with a transcendent sky! Happy bunnies!
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Enjoying all your wines this weekend. Good work.
I thought I’d add to the love for the Burlotto Pelaverga which has been mentioned on a couple of recent threads. The 2020 is super light, to the point of rosé, but the aroma is huge and palate has all sorts going on. I bought one to see if I liked it. Should have bought more. Very fine wine.
The Simpson’s Derringstone PM was a first for me. It put me in mind of a flat version of Tesco’s premier cru champagne. Spicy, earthy, slightly bitter with a good smack of acidity. Much better than I’m making it sound. Again, I’d like more.
Ignore the egg glut, we just can’t keep up with the hens.
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