Weekday Drinking (19th-22nd October 2020)

[Taffy-on-Tour]

Really looking forward to the Sylvain Pataille Event with our own @Toby.Morrhall at 18:00 this evening.
I checked and I have bought his wines going back to 2012, and nary a dud amongst them.
And giving them some extended cellaring, really does enhance them.

Domaine Sylvain Pataille Bourgogne Blanc Mechalots 2016,

This one was for me, the surprise of the bunch.
Toby described it as being exceptional, and you cannot argue with that opinion.
But Neal Martin, the Vinous top taster gave it 90/100, and wrote “superb” twice having sampled it blind at a London event.

[GannetKeith]

Half term. Wine needed.

Glass of Sherry to whet the appetite then planning the whole shebang with a steak pie from our local butcher.

[adbdorset]

Holiday cottage aperitif is this a carryover from last evening.

An easy drinking Viognier but not anywhere near a baby Condrieu but that being said refreshing and a hint of stone fruits.

For the main event with dinner ( confit du canard), this …will have 90 minutes open before drinking.

[Andrew20]

Good event I thought. But these things always make me add things to my wish list!

[Embee]

Same event as Taffy and @Andrew20. Really enjoyed listening to Sylvain and Toby discuss his wines with this at hand…

…the third of six. Maybe their enthusiasm has got the better of my taste buds but this is the best so far. Lovely nose, fresh red and black fruits and some compost / forest floor. Similar on tasting, really fresh and easy to drink, savoury fruit with light tannins to provide a bit of grip and good length of flavour. Delicious, I doubt if it will see tomorrow.

Best I ease off a bit tomorrow though !

[Taffy-on-Tour]

A brilliant Sylvain Pataille event with Toby and organised by Catherine!!
I learned so much and will watch it again.

An Evening with Sylvain Pataille

[Taffy-on-Tour]

Tonight:

Cottage Pie
Chiefs@Bills
And

Sylvain Pataille Marsannay Rouge 2014,

I have absolutely nothing to complain about.

[Robin63]

Yes, definitely. One of the best I have attended. The discussion was fascinating, giving attendees a great insight into Marsannay and Its wines.

[woodap]

Ooh missed this. Will watch on YouTube. Have had and have a number of Pataille wines and have always enjoyed.

[Taffy-on-Tour]

Tonight another Zoom event, this time featuring Chateau Doisy-Daene.

Winemaker Events (Zoom) - Types of Tastings - Tastings

I will confess to having a personal interest in this property, as when I researched top-end value for money sweeties in the 2015, this one really stood out.

Ch Doisy Daene Barsac 2015 Halves,

So a case of halves from 2015 and the same from 2019.
The ratings on Vinous and Robert Parker speak for themselves.
The 2019 purchase was £150 IB per 12 halves, around £16 per half delivered, for a brilliant sweet wine. If you have not tasted an example of classy Barsac, you have no idea what you are missing.
I also bought the Cypres de Climens in 2015 & 2019. The latter was a meagre £108 per 12 halves. I love Climens, it is expensive but by purchasing the well respected 2nd wine (made exactly the same way as the Grand Vin), but approx. one third of the price, you get the Climens magic at a bargain basement price.
The vintages to buy the Cypres is when the Grand Vin is a blockbuster, and that information is not easy to find.

Cypres de Climens Barsac 2015 Halves,

This Chateau Doisy Daene Zoom session should not be missed!!

[Herbster]

That was really interesting, just finished watching it now

I’d like to say that he wins the prize for best lockdown hair, but I think he’s always been like that…!

[Taffy-on-Tour]

It looked to me like the caveman look.
Maybe a relative of the Paviland Lady?!!?
But Sylvains undoubted prowess at producing terrific wine cannot be denied.

[Taffy-on-Tour]

And a really good session on Reynon, Floridene and Doisy-Daene not forgetting Cantegril.
So much info to pick up, such as the highly respected Cantegril property supplies the Society with the wine for our Exhibition bottles.
Here is the video:

An Evening with Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu

[Tim_S]

Thanks Taffy!

Just a note to say that you may not be able to view the video on a mobile device until the morning, but you should be able to view it from a laptop or PC.

[Inbar]

An ode to joy this evening, with the Society’s Blaufränkisch (and BBQ pork ribs):

This wine is a great antidote for a long and stressful day, with its nose of hedgerow fruit, bramble, plums and baking spice and a fruity, juicy but lithe palate. I love the freshness of the red fruit, the smokiness, the slightly medicinal note and the twist of spice on the finish. It’s not the most complex or demanding of one’s brain cells - which is good, as I’ve got none to call upon this evening.

Well done Freddy and the WS for putting this delicious grape on the map!

[MarkC]

Went to try the last part of an ancient 1996 Pommard that was a revelation in one of the first ‘virtual’ tastings back in April. Sadly, it was now over the hill, probably Coravined once too often and stirred the sediment up too much. So it went down the sink…

Kept with the Burgundy theme, and took a glass of this, with a mushroom and onion puff pastry tart with cheese and cream topping.

So vibrant, still very primary fruit, no real signs of age at all. Plenty of acidity which with the red fruit kept it very refreshing. I was expecting some tertiary earthier notes at this age, but this vintage is so good it’s still on primary…it went very nicely with the tart despite that. Sadly, it’s my last bottle of 3, but still 3/4 of it left.

[Phil_H]

Visiting ‘the bubble’ aka Dad this evening so had to break my not drinking on a Tuesday night promise when presented with these two.

BBR Puligny with a cod and prawn gratin. Lovely balance of oak with some sharpness to cut through the creamy sauce.

Followed by a 2005 Gruaud Larose with herb crusted rack of lamb. This had a lovely blackcurrant taste to start but softened considerably after an hour or so. Still some tannin but nothing overpowering.

[Phil_H]

I tried this a couple of weeks ago and thought it was an ok wine but was maybe expecting a bit more from an ‘exhibition’ wine. Have had many blaufrankisch on trips to Austria and Germany over the years and this didn’t quite make it into my favourites. Interesting wine nonetheless.

[Inbar]

@Phil_H

maybe expecting a bit more from an ‘exhibition’ wine

Ah, but it isn’t an Exhibition range. It’s very much an entry level, ‘introduction’ sort of example. I agree this isn’t complex, but it’s a very good example of the varietal.

[Russ]

So Phil, should I start my 2005 Gruaud Larose?