Dom. Grand Vin Jaune. Something more interesting for birthday week. This is rather lovely; yeasty, sherry-like nose, intense, open; very full and intense wine, beautiful acidity - orange citrus, very dry, saline, touch of sweetness, cumin/coriander seed; it has a real freshness and openness despite its intensity… definitely not everyone’s cup of tea!
I drink quite a bit of this -
https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/brazin-lodi-old-vine-zinfandel-2015
Tonight with a sort of cheese veggieburger. I know it’s well known on here and I’ll probably repeat myself saying how much I like it. But I do, and I can’t help enjoying it. Every bottle seems slightly better than the one before. First impression tonight of very dark treacle toffee so quite fitting for October, with more coffee, chocolate, and spice after a while. There is certainly sweetness, balanced by a faint hint of bitterness. I must be near the end of the 2015s and I’ll be sorry to see them gone.
Revisiting tonight. There is a streak of acidity but perhaps not enough power and grip for ageing too long. Something maybe a 2016 would have.
Thanks for the comments shared thus far.
On offer (£10.99) @ Waitrose now 
It isnt a wine i know but asked Pierre and he said we have sold in the past and it can be amazing. Marcel write the following, so definitely on the radar:
It certainly is a marmite wine. I love it; my wife hates it.
It is rare and complicated to make as it needs a minimum of six years and three months aging, undisturbed, in barrel. Vin jaune has to be made from the savagnin grape, a cousin of Gewurztraminer.
Many growers also make a halfway house Vin jaune style of wine which is aged for less, usually two or three years and can be made from savagnin and Chardonnay.
At the moment the Jura is going through a difficult period after the frosts of last year and growers are having to ration and eke out stocks for as long as possible
There is an email operation due out this autumn, showcasing the wines of Stephanne Tissot, one of Jura’s top producers
I’m in! 
Just take my money!
Oh good lord I did not need to hear this.
A delightful Viognier yesterday, consumed with home made chicken and mushroom pie:
A challenger for the hegemony of my usual sub tenner Viognier of choice - Grès du Trias. This Paul Mas example is textbook Viognier - peachy, honeyed with lovely floral notes of jasmine and honeysuckle but with surprising freshness and even a sort of piquancy on the palate. A definite re-buy for midweek quaffing! 
Splashing out a bit this evening (eat and drink for tomorrow… etc.) with rib eye steak and sautéed spuds and this:
Château Siaurac, Lalande de Pomerol 2014
Hm… jury’s out at the moment. I seem to be enjoying it a little more than the other half who seems to be left with a not very pleasant coffee bitterness on the finish which I just don’t perceive. We didn’t give it much air yet, so perhaps it just needs to relax a little.
From first glass, I love the nose - very autumnal, with damp leaves, bonfire smokiness, cedar and sweet tobacco. The fruit is starting to recede a little, with notes of prunes, figs and cassis. There’s a certain floral note too and a kick of spice.
On the palate there is at the moment a little tussle between smoothness and astringency. The fruit is as per nose - taking a bit of a back seat, though I love the prune/dried figs/cassis notes. It’s spicy with pleasant oak notes (cedar, cocoa), but there is a sort of disharmony at the core of it.
We’ll see whether it becomes a bit more integrated as the evening progresses and with the food; feels unfair to judge it unfavourably just yet…
Happy Mittwoch! 
Thanks for this Steve, I know you’ve got that Montbourgeau Savagnin which is pretty good. I’ll look forward to see what happens this autumn 
When this was, confusingly, re-listed there was some discussion here as to what vintage it actually was. This was received here …
…an Alicante ‘Mares de Luz’ Monastrell / Giro 2018 from Pepe Mendoza.
An attractive red / purple colour. Ripe, dark plum and berry fruits, sweet spices, and a herbal note on the inviting nose. All of that again on tasting with a streak of liquorice running throughout the smooth in texture and deeply flavoured palate. Ripe tannins provide structure and notably fresh acidity, for this part of Spain at least, an easy drinking balance.
Super VFM at just under a tenner and as per other wines previously tried, from this exemplary producer, one that exceeded my expectations.
Bordeaux 2008. A 6 out of 10 vintage. With a local tasting group, who’s cellar has been built up over many decades. Chance to try wines out of my usual price comfort zone. Hint: top 5 WOTY coming up
This was the first premium tasting level £50 since Quintarelli
Bordeaux for me has been “priced in” for a long time. A land of few bargains but reliable. Some good drinking at the £20-30 level. £50-£100 has been disappointing for me due to always considering what you could get elsewhere for the same. Little experience at £100+
Chasse Spleen and Haut Batailley first up.
All in the typical Bordeaux mould. Dark fruits, pencil shavings etc etc. 2008 impact edging these two to being a touch austere with noticeable acidity. Less plush fruit
Lafon Rochet next up and I was pleased that we were drinking a wine that was a little more distinctive. A bigger more concentrated wine. Oddly the first time I’ve had a strong scent of melon on the initial nose (black fruits still dominating). More tannic presence
Kirwan next up. A step up in price and at the levels of where I’d feel some disappointment VFM wise. Still an excellent wine. Pencil shavings, graphite, smoky. In essence a non fruit driven nose. This completely misadvertised what came on the palette as this was plush and fruit driven. Slight austere ending which could be a vintage thing. Short to medium finish good
Petit village next up . A very popular wine on the night. For me can do better even in Bordeaux for cheaper. Was a good drop. Drinking now
Then just as I was reconfirming my bias that Bordeaux is overblown as a region. The next wine was a complete mic drop. Much like the Quintarelli tasting the next wine made me reevaluate the wine experience. It wasn’t an extrapolation of pleasant characteristics but £30 better etc. It was fabulous. An experience beyond its deconstructional parts
Angelus bugger this is so damn expensive. I’ve already bought some Quintarelli since being ruined by that experience. I’ve got a sinking sensation it’s happening again. Not cheap but a revelation for bordeaux. As enjoyable for me as Vega Sicilia Valbuena & Alion (high praise for me)
Such opulence in the nose. It really was like a perfume shop where they get you to smell all the different possible ingredients that can go into a perfume and then going straight to the master blend. Excellent. I’ll get one bottle. Poor kids xmas presents just got smaller to compensate. 
The last two were Clarence de Haut Brion and Haut Brion itself. It was an honour to try these wines. The Haut Brion’s first professional review was from Samuel Peeps. Both of these wines were great but then you expect so. The Haut Brion the extrapolated version of what you’d expect from a Bordeaux. The finish rolled on and it was a wine that had decades ahead of it but not a revelation
Actually a lot more classically styled than I was expecting. Nice quality, good value.
'01 is one of the stronger vintages I believe; didn’t Waitrose stock it last year?
I got mine in Waitrose, on one of the 25% off deals. I’m not sure if they still do it, I’ve an idea that they don’t. It was on to the 2008 or ‘12 last time it was in.
2015 Domaine Raspail-Ay Gigondas
Yesterday the weather was atrocious and I needed a big, warming, bear hug of a wine. This did the trick nicely. 3rd of 6. A quick double decant. No sediment. Would say it’s open for business. Will finish off the remaining half tonight.
Yes, a bottle often slipped into the grocery shopping totally by accident. Only 1 left now.
Not seen any (certainly online) for a while at Waitrose.
Had CV booster jab midday (Pfizer?) my goodness they are efficient, only booked it yesterday & they could teach an F1 team a thing or two. I was literally in and out of the village hall within 180 seconds, and that included queuing.
So in anticipation of feeling lousy (and I am, it’s a man-flu thing) tonight’s supper is Lancashire hotpot, been cooking since 3:30.
And in the glass tonight: 2014 Ch. Dutruch Gr Poujeaux (£20). Surprisingly light, thin even, possibly needs time to open up in the glass. Elegant certainly. I’ll expand these notes in an hour or so.
https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/chateau-dutruch-grand-poujeaux-moulis-en-medoc-2014
01438 741177
