I love this wine, maybe I should have more Barbera d’Alba in my life. Smooth drining especially with a day on the countertop, would not hesitate to buy more. From a Piedmont mixed case that just keeps on giving.
https://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/HistoricProductDetail.aspx?pd=IT27851
What are you drinking this week?
A Gewürztraminer from Tiefenbrunner this evening - a wine which I had before and knew would deliver (some certainty was very much needed today!):
I often think that Gewürz from Alto Adige is like the slightly less flamboyant sibling of the Alsatian one. It’s unmistakeably a Gewürz, but more of a Steven Fry than Oscar Wilde, say. The heady perfume you get in some Alsatian examples is often a little toned down, but the ‘spice’ of the name is very much in evidence. It also tends to finish drier - to my palate at least.
So there’s still musk and rose on the nose in this one, but also a warm hit of Chinese five spice and cardamom. There’s peach and a touch of tropical fruit too. On the palate it delights with its ripe peach and apricot notes, and a warm spiciness of cardamom and cinnamon (‘warmth’ probably from the 14% ABV too!) .
The finish is certainly on the drier side for a Gewürz, and leaves off with a note reminiscent of the clove-studded orange we often drop into our mulled wine cauldron. The texture is lovely - full and rounded, without being cloying. I reckon this will sound like a picture of hell to some, but this is close to our definition of heavenly white… 
Pork Panang on the menu, which this wine should match nicely 
Happy Tuesday! 
I first read that mask and rose…
Sign of the times… ? 
Not the best day here either, apart from a TWS delivery, and now I’m relaxing with a 2017 Society NZ Chardonnay, possibly the first Kumeu wine I’ve had. But possibly not.
In the kitchen, with white lighting, I’d say there are hints of green in the colour. On the sofa, with much yellower lighting, I’m not so sure.
Creamy, rich, mellow, citric freshness. Mouth-filling, and with a long finish. It’s a very nice drink.
Opened as a bit of a midweek treat and it’s the best wine I’ve drunk this year. So so drinkable, cape Rhône blend with the weight and balance of a Bourgogne, spices and herbs, very very fine tannins, really long and sustained. The biggest problem is not heading back for glass after glass. £17.50 in bond and now sold out but the 2017 has strong reviews and is on L&W.
Well this is more like it:
A not unexpected delight, though still very young - TWS give '19-'25 CT give '20-'33 - I suspect TWS is a little pessimistic and CT a little optimistic, but I’m pretty sure it will last through to '30. So it will benefit, I think, from another year or two to settle down but very very nice right now. On first opening there is a lot of oak dominating the nose, which I do quite like, but that did ease off after a few hours decanted. Dark fruits, good balance of acidity and relatively smooth tannins. The latter will I suspect only get smoother with another couple of years.
HI everyone, first time contributor after a few months of lurking after joining the Society in May. I’ve found the community to be a really helpful resource to shape my first forays into the wine society’s catalogue. Thanks for the benefit of all your expertise so far!
With this in mind - I’ll be joining the Weinert online tasting this evening with a bottle of: The Wine Society | Free UK Delivery
This is the first structured tasting that I’ve joined. Would the community recommend a decant or shall I pop and pour?
I almost opened the same yesterday @szaki1974. Great to hear it’s drinking well.
Two for me yesterday ( both remain for tonight I hasten to add ). With venison ragu and pappardelle…
…a 2016 Barbera from Vajra. Medium purple red colour. Red cherries, bouquet garni and something like cheesecake on the nose. Similar flavours on tasting, minus the cheesecake but with some dark plums too, ripe but not overblown fruit, good acidity, as one would hope, and some powdery tannins to structure. A lovely wine and spot on with the food.
In place of dessert ( I’m still trying to shed the weight put on during lockdown ) from a mixed case of 2014 spatlesen recently pulled from reserves, a Scharzhofberger from Von Kesselstatt…
…no notes taken but it was beautiful and with plenty of potential for further development. Fresh and moreish presently with a similar minty flavour that I enjoyed so much in the 2015 broached prematurely last year ( thinking I had more in reserve when in fact it was this wine ). The rest will be finished over today and tomorrow where I’ve a feeling it will be even better now that it’s been exposed to air.
Welcome to the community @JohnBarleycorn. This is how the community works:
I bought this on recommendations from here, and then on the recent weekend thread it was mentioned again by @Iain37
We tried it last night and very impressed. Great value for money. Refreshing - Blackfruits, some herb and black pepper, with a smooth long finish. With a little research I discovered the vineyard is under 15km from Domaine Jones.
Now have a case on order
Hmm, so many good reports on that wine, thanks for posting. I think that’s going to have go in the basket the next time I order. Unless it’s all been snaffled up by then !
I’ve got just over 1,500 in my basket, best be quick!
That’s one hell of a thirst you’ve got there !
PM me should you need the phone number of an addiction counsellor 
I recommend a decant for about an hour before drinking. Mind you, I can rarely wait that long and usually have a glass upon opening anyway…
Pasta with a creamy walnut sauce and this lovely Macon is a great partner. Lovely honeyed note on the nose, blindfolded I’d have expected a sweet wine. On the palate lighter and fresher than the aroma suggests. Some mineral on the surprisingly long finish as well.
The standard Talmard for a pound less is also very nice, but this is worth looking out for if and when the next vintage arrives!
Another bottle of the Macon - Bussieres Mont Sard 2018 from Joseph Burrier tonight with herb chicken and salad. Did not have that very high acidity of my first bottle and much more enjoyable as a result. Wonder if I had eaten something the first time that had emphasised the taste of acidity?
Weather a bit on the cool side made me think of this:
Very good level, still remarkably fresh with a lovely spicy almost peppery note and just a hint of something medicinal. Surprisingly not too rich (age often seems to make that barleysugar character less prominent). Ridiculous long finish that stays balanced between sweetness and acidity.
Thanks @JosK, this is the approach I’ve taken, including my failure to resist a sneaky taste upon opening!
First impressions are very good, I’m looking forward to the presentation in 30 mins.
Weather forced me into Salut in Manchester for shelter on the way home. Enjoyed a glass of Meerlust pinot noir 2017. Soft ripe strawberry fruit with a hint of smoke on a decent finish. Would be a good restaurant wine. Very enjoyable, didn’t by a bottle in their shop because at 24 pounds there are equally good wines on TWS list in the teens.
I may have picked up a Qupe modern white though. So all said its been the best downpour in ages.
I thoroughly enjoyed Salut when I used to visit Manchester on business. Must visit again when the situation allows.
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