Can’t believe I am kicking this off but it’s dank and not so nice outside so we decided on a Mushroom Risotto…but we then had to have a wine to accompany.
Picked this…
We buy this at Tesco annually and wait for an offer. A reminder from our days in the west for a reasonable price.
Yes, I’ve had this a few times and enjoyed it too.
I’ve already demolished some brined cod ( I’m addicted to this method of prepping white fish ), something like egg fried rice ( minus the egg ) and roasted cherry tomatoes with this, which is still on the go…
…a Chablis ‘Les Grands Terroirs’ 2017 from Samuel Billaud. Delicious citrus, lemon butter and mineral flavours, it’s really hitting the spot. Excellent value too with the 25% off when bought from Waitrose a couple of months ago.
Finally got round to the Bin #6. Much lighter colour than the last PN I had, which was from NZ, with a sort of soft cherry smell. I hoped to write something about the taste but I’ve just had a few M&S Habanero Chili Tortillas and I can’t taste the wine at all. It’s just a pleasant cooling sensation. These habanero tortillas are very hot!
From previous threads, oops edit, twiglets and Palo Cortado are on my hit list !
Had to delete pretzels !
Had a bit of bin six with buttered freshly baked walnut, date and smoked paprika sourdough. It is a very good match if you avoid the dates… The wine is nice and fruity on the nose, you get the typical (at least to me) PN palate. Very Good for the money. Opened it well in advance tbh.
Bit extravagant for a Monday, but hey. Went well with creamy pasta. Lovely citrusy-grapefruit, mango nose but not so exciting on the palate. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did it set my world alight? Nah. Good quality crafted wine, beautifully balanced but a tad…boring
.It’s got to be Champagne non? Ready Salted
Sounds good. I have some in reserves but TWS says not drinking till 2021. So you’d say ready now?
Absolutely, I thought it was in a really good place right now. acidity doesn’t dominate and the flavours and its balance are nicely rounded already. No doubt, it will keep but the other bottle I have isn’t likely to last !
Of course, personal taste is everything and you may disagree.
As an aside, I tried a 2014 1er Cru ‘Vaillons’ from the same source this time last year ( from a mixed case of Billaud 1er cru, TWS released some time back ) and that did need time. All 3 wines, in that case, had a drinking window until 2020 which I thought was extremely conservative, IMO, it had barely opened up.
Thank you. I may retrieve the case sooner than planned.
Billaud’s Chablis is fabulous - what a good food and wine combo!
Thanks, I can only agree, they paired beautifully !
It looks as if this wine is on offer at Waitrose online at the moment… feeling tempted but I think I have a few bottles in reservers already.
I opened this last night and tried it again today, sadly it’s a bit meh! Yup that’s the technical term.
Rather light, not a bad thing for a Monday and Tuesday, but just underwhelming. TWS backing our growers notes refers to it as being flamboyant, pure and seriously good. Sadly it’s been none of those things for me. What a shame…hey ho life’s too short, off to find something else for a Tuesday night!
Finally, a little aperitif after a long working day:
Thymiopoulos’s Malagousia/Xinomavro blend. Light, fresh, pear-y, peachy and zesty, only let down by a very short finish. Still, gets one in the mood, as it were! 
For the main event, a lovely Beaujolais-Villages from Dominique Piron, to accompany wild mushroom risotto on which the husband is slaving as we speak:
I’ve grown to love and appreciate Piron’s wines - especially his Morgon (both Grand Cras and Côte du Py are fantastic), though his Beaujolais Blanc is not too shabby either. The Villages is slightly less complex and minerally than his Morgon - as one would expect- but still offers excellent drinking experience at more-than-a-fair price.
The nose has notes of cherry boiled sweets, bramble fruit and red plums, as well as a nice undergrowth note. The palate has a core of delicious ripe fruit (cherries, red plum, hedgerow berries) underscored by a delicate touch of minerality and even a little bit of a savoury/mushroomy note. Finish is surprisingly persistent with cherries to the fore. Delicious! 
Happy Tuesday, one and all! 
Another one of the Rieslings from a TWS mixed EP case from 2015. This Unterturkheimer GIPS Riesling Trocken comes from Aldinger from Wurttemberg in southern Germany. We had it with cod in a parsley sauce.
Great, I grabbed a bottle of this from Waitrose on offer on the basis that I have enjoyed his other wines. Sounds justified.
I’d be surprised if it disappoints you - but let us know what you think when you open it. I actually think it’s got a lot more depth to it than many other Beaujolais -Villages I had. I just went on his website, and the wine is sourced from in and around Morgon. Semi-carbonic maceration explains the vibrant cherry and plum, but there is definitely an interesting savoury hint too 
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