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Welcome to the heatwave!
Nothing better than mowing the lawn and lighting up the bbq.
These 2 to go with a variety of cuts and 2 starting boys getting home shortly!
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Had a bottle of the Barthod during the week and it was lovely.
Quickly ordered another couple whilst still available.
It got me thinking again about the lack of Barthod 2021 anywhere though
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Fabla 506 Garnacha x Syrah Las Pizarras from Calatayud.
Excellent nose of black cherries, raspberries and a bit of tapenade that comes crashing down in the palate. So close yet so far.
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Ok, the rest of that went into poaching pears. Iād be curious about a new vintage as the wine has potential.
Now, to some Franconian Silvaner (BĆ¼rgerspital trocken EL). One of my first white wine loves. Great stuff. Pale lemon. Red apple skin, citrus, some struck match. More acidity and less body than Alsace or Swiss versions. Tight, pretty crisp, tad of creaminess.
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Itās all Jollity Farm over here this evening, after the other half has pretty much got his voluntary redundancy package agreed (and very nice it is too!), and I finally made the decision to hand in my noticeā¦ smiles all round! 
This put a smile on our faces too:
Porta 6 Sparkling Wine Brut, Lisbon NV
A very enjoyable sparkling, made in the Charmat method from 70% Arinto, 25% FernĆ£o Pires and 5% Chardonnay. Lovely nose of lemon zest, fresh melon and pears with similar notes following on the palate. Itās not going to win medals for complexity but itās a lovely summer fizz, with a creamy and floral palate, ripe fruit notes and a zesty finish. For a tenner from ASDA - this will definitely feature again! 
This will accompany Miso and sesame seeds crusted tuna with rice and bok choi:
Les Contours de Deponcins Vin de France Blanc, Domaine Villard 2020
An EP purchase, this is just beautiful - though I can imagine Viognier-phobes shrieking in horror 
For us, this is what we love about this variety, and some! Lovely medium gold in the glass, the nose has aromatic notes of honeysuckle, fresh nectarines and apricots, a touch of honey and a twist of spice. On the palate it is generous, but without losing focus or becoming flabby; thereās ripe stone fruit, honey and a tingle of stem ginger spice with a pleasing citrus zest to the finish. Just wonderful! 
Happy sunny weekend to all! 
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Iām hosting TWS Norwich group meeting on Sunday afternoon for a lazy boozy lunch. As Iām working tomorrow Iām currently cooking an enormous cauldron of Cassoulet using genuine Gascony confit ducks and Tarbais beans. Cooks will know it takes ages !!
Doubtless there will be posts to the thread on the day
Anyway to while away the time Iām sipping this Souvenir bottle from my recent Lebanon trip.
Chateau Kefraya āAdĆ©enneā, which is a blend of two indigenous varieties, Assouad Karech and Asmi Noir. I donāt know the proportions. Only 11% abv. Wasnāt available for tasting at the cellar door, so this was unknown territory.
Medium bodied, bright cherry colour. Sage, white pepper and mushrooms on the nose, Quite acidic, not tannic. Red capsicum, farmyard, maybe redcurrant flavours. The back label does state āAtypical experimental wineā. Indeed, an oddity. I have another which Iāll ignore for a few yearsā¦
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After last weekās blow out, itās Friday, so Iām allowing myself alcohol again (though keeping it light at just 9.5%). I cooked scallops with sourdough crumpets, samphire, cauliflower leaves and a whey butter sauce, and drank Dƶnnhoff, Kreuznacher Krƶtenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett, 2018.
https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/kreuznacher-krotenpfuhl-riesling-kabinett-donnhoff-2018
Bought as part of the Off Dry mixed case EP in 2019, of which Iāve now drunk half. While there are those who would undoubtedly recommend keeping the others for a while, Iām going to find it impossible to do so. Thereās just so much pure, refreshing, enjoyment in these wines, which are beautifully airy and balanced right now. Great with the food; dangerously easy to drink.
Hope everyone has a good (hot) weekend!
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Comparison tonight. Long week, feel like I can make an excuse. The Longbottom āHā Small Batch Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2021 has that distinctly oaky chardonnay nose, toasty vanilla- standard. Mouth watering acidity, oak still prominent. Cool climate body- subtle spice as well as the vanilla, and takes me somewhere warm in the eastern mediterranean. Good, but seems a little out of balance and isnāt sure what it is. The acidity is refreshing, but the oak seems to overpower any subtleties. Thought Iād try another Girlan, this the Aime Gewurztraminer 2022; a really pretty nose of roses and orange peel; this seems to take me back to a time when I enjoyed dry muscat. It has a lovely viscous texture, again floral but also that bitter orange zest. You can feel the power in the high in alcohol (15%), yet it holds it well - no heat. Lovely acidity too and finish isnāt bad either. Good stuff. Nice on this warm evening 
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All sounds good, in every respect, at yours @Inbar !
Even if both of your work related stuff is only temporary, enjoy the respite. Er, that said, believe me itās all too easy to become a permanent fixture 
Anyway, after burning a large calorie hole earlier in the day to partially negate the usual weekend excess here. This tonightā¦
ā¦a Navarra āFlying Lessonsā Garnacha 2016, Vina Zorzal. Apparently from a vinyard of ancient vines from which the hand picked grapes were then foot trodden. 900 bottles made.
A fairly full dusky ruby in the glass. A perfumed nose with notes of pot pourri, liquorice, sweet Asian spices to the fore and cassis and plum fruit playing a secondary role. Every sip taken deserving a sniff. Some role reversal on the palate with the fruit notes to the fore and the sweet spices in support. Depth of nuanced and complex flavour is extremely satisfying whilst fresh acidity and ripe tannins provide a balanced and all to easy to enjoy structure. Thereās good length on the expansive and layered finish too. Have to say, itās well worth the Ā£26 paid when bought back in 2018.
It probably deserved a whole lot better than my somewhat unoriginal dinner too but sometimes simple food and great wine do make a happy match.
And tonight, with a sizeable and fatty pork chop and onion gravy, that was very much the case.
Have a good weekend everyone and fingers crossed the weather in your part of the world is as good as it is here !
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Your round?
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I shall refrain from commenting on your oblique reference to Viv Stanshall and the Bonzos (oh look I just did, I love the word problematicā¦) and just say about bloody time! Waving two fingers to the man and leaving the stage is such a lovely thing to do. I shall raise a glass. Emma has been saying all day; āWeāre bringing back cocktail hourā so I shall raise the remainder of my French 75 to your liberation. And it is very delicious, letās all bring back cocktail hour.
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Whatās the Barthod like? (for a red Burgundy skeptic)
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I found my one very nice, the obligatory fruit, but also a hint of spice and a good bit of acid there as well.
In an odd way it reminded me of a Burlotto Pelaverga, but I hasten to add it has been a fair few months since I had one of those so I may just be going mad(der!)
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These came for an enjoyable Friday evening. The Marsannay with salmon fillets on a bed of Puy lentils laced with some pancetta and a splash of double cream and then continuing on to some cheeses.
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Iāve opened two bottles this evening, both of which are, I hope, to last through until Sunday. Well. We shall see. A 2021 Blank Bottle Retirement @ 65, and a 2020 Julien Brocard Chablis Boissonneuse.
Both are trusty old faves with me, and for a Brucie bonus, wife is also enjoying the Blank Bottle. Normally a bit dry-savoury for her tastes, but the 2021 seems a bit more āgenerousā than the 19s / 20s [this vintage is 44% Shiraz and only 56% Cinsault, a change to the previous years].
The Brocard is a lovely wine I think, and especially the 2020 - nicely balanced, good acidity, nicely dry but with a teasing hint of sweet fruit at the end. Really really nice.
The Blank Bottle is also a lovely wine, beautifully light & perfumed, slightly ferrous, very fresh and a nice āgraininessā to it, a hint of spice / umami, and that lovely slight earthiness too; but the additional Syrah evident in being just that wee bit fuller-bodied than other years. Best with a slight chill to it / cellar temperature. Yum yum.
Both in grave danger of not lasting quite as long as one might wish them to.
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A few bottles of fizz cracked already this evening.
Did you know something we didnāt?
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Yes indeed! Probably 3 years too lateā¦ But better late than never
As for Vivā¦ Love him! And the Bonzos! 
We have a fab little video of my daughter at 5 dancing to Jazz, Delicious Hot, Disgusting Coldā¦ I switch between crying and laughing watching her doing an air guitar to the tuneā¦ 
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And something sweet. Heard a bit about this Ulysse Cazabonne Sauternes. My take is that itās all there, sweet, caramel, honey, toffee, orange zest. The balance of acid and sweetness is there too, but towards the sugar, and maybe too much. Itās well made, maybe too consciously as it ticks the boxes. But thereās just something missing; technically itās all there but itās unsubtle and one-dimensional, not much character, much like a lot of āgoodā Bordeauxā¦ meets expectations exactly. But - Iām being snobbish as Iām enjoying it anyway; itās a lot of wine for the money.
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You and Boris going on the same day! The state totters!
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