Welcome to the last week of Spring. Leastways - it is in my books, and looking distinctly summery out on the Pennines earlier today.
This evening an early glass of Ch Moulinet Pomerol '16, from Aldi’s recent under £10 offer. And for under a tenner it’s OK; tasted blind it could be a new world Merlot - plenty of sweet raspberry yoghurt, blackberries & a slight bitterness & dilute tannin on the finish. But not a Pomerol by any stretch of the imagination.
Tomorrow London beckons, I need to drum up some freelance work at the Design trade shows in Clerkenwell. Not a day I’m looking forward to, dust and noise.
There is a 3rd option: Cooking wine. However I’d suggest treating it as a new world varietal designed for drinking. In my very limited experience of Pomerol - this one does not have the acidity, tannin or heft for keeping.
I’m drinking it with a Monday night pasta: Bucatini all’Amatriciana and its good. Might go well with a Thai red curry which would balance the (not unpleasant) sweet berry notes in the wine.
Very slowly working through a case and happily finding each bottle better than the previous one. Very riesling-like kerosene aroma on opening and on the front of my tongue. Lime, lemon, and pear flavours and starting to develop hints of lime marmalade. Drinking this with a medium vegetable and chick pea curry and it’s very enjoyable.
Exhibition Hermitage Blanc 2015 from Jean-Louis Chave.
It’s an attractive nose, pineapple, honey and integrated light touch oak.
On the palate, really lovely. Medium acidity amongst a long textured finish. A slight savoury hint, making it more serious vs a wine flush with fruit. A light 14.5% for northern rhone whites these days
Mostly Marsanne with a touch of Rousanne. I think has been stored for some time at home, bought from the Taffy days to figure out what the fuss was about, knowing opening anything early was a clear rookie error. A lesson I still fail!
A wine I had a few weeks ago to accompany a chicken pie. I suspect we’re not drinking it at its apex but it’s still a very good wine that does need food for now.
Would probably suggest that those who have this sit on it for another few years.
…a Blauer Spatburgunder Trocken 2017 from Pfalz producer Weingut Knipser ( £15 ). As is often the case with PN, is the pale colour deceiving as to what the nose and palate might deliver ?
For me, yes. Spicy wild strawberry and black cherry fruit with a savoury sous bois quality on both. Fresh acidity provides structure to the fruit and suave tannins an easy drinkability. The given drinking window, until 2024, seems spot on, as for my tastes at least, it’s at peak drinkability now ( as evidenced by the level in the bottle 30 minutes after opening ! )
It was a lovely match to my venison liver dinner too.
It’s good to go with a decant. Nice chianti profile and just a very tasty wine.
It’s miles ahead of the 17 which I had last year and thought it was too dark and dense and would require significant time to develop
I think broard beans are fava beans.
It’s a shame you cant get the dried ones easily in the UK, they’re delicious and make a wonderful soup loaded with olive oil and garlic.
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