It’s a cold cold evening, so let’s warm the cockles with a warming southern rhone clone from down under
D’Arenberg D’Arry’s Original Grenache Shiraz 2017. I love D’Arenberg wines because they are Aussie without being over the top. So here we have lots of fruit but no jam. Raspberry, Tay berry, cocoa, acidic bite, furry tannins, white pepper, very slight herbal finish.
It isn’t big, clever, world beating or actually that original, but it is good, cheap, wintry fun.
Love your new avatar by the way 
Ahhh… the fragrant scent of the yellowtail.
You need an avatar lappy dude
You say fragrant scent, others would say putrid stench….
I like my avatar as a kind of antidote to people having super-duper château extravagant as their avatar. It’s probably Britain’s best selling red wine….
Inspired to change mine to Blossom Hill… 
I do. Duly added to my task list… somewhere after ‘buy a Christmas tree’. I might actually change the name as well - be nice to appear a bit more dignified.
First of six bottles of the house fizz delivered today…
No special offers this year but still a bargain at £9.50/btl
Carols around village christmas tree followed by raclette and a couple of glasses to 2016 Guigal cdr, cheers tot. Also managed to order 2* LRA 890 2010 today, just need to figure logistics to get them here. Not a bad start to weekend.
Absolutely it is.
It’s been a long week at work - I’m very glad it’s the weekend. I cooked cioppino and some poppy seed sourdough rolls, and we drank Domaine Loew, Muscat, Les Marnes Vertes, 2019.
Unmistakably muscat, really grapey, violets and lavender on the nose, very dry, with a body of Asian pear, more grapes, and almost dill rather than the normal mint on the finish. Wintry weather, and by rights quite a summery wine, but it partnered the food perfectly.
Happy Weekend!
Went to the fishmongers this morning and it was clear when I got there what I would be having for dinner. Before the wild prawns we had a dover sole which was delicious. These are the biggest prawns I ever cooked. So meaty, a wagyu of the sea! Paired with a really big wine to match the sauce made with butter, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and all the juices from the prawns heads. The wine is just starting to stretch its legs and it’s quite dense and viscous. It needs food with substance. Complex and very interesting, beautiful colour.
Hermitage here too, although I think I’d swap for those prawns!
A 2013 Petit Chapelle Hermitage. Not an overly concentrated hermitage. I’ve not had many but other vintages/hermitage has been more concentrated rich and intense.
This is lighter in style, acidity still present and offering a decent backbone. Maybe a little austere with reduced ripe fruit in support.
Recommended by ToT, I’d agree with @GHobson’s last checkin on it. May let the others go for longer and visit the more tertiary development.
Happy weekend all. I think it’s starting to feel Christmassy now!
Thymiopoulos Rosé 2013
Dinner at home with childhood friend I don’t get to see often. Salmon fajitas for supper and a first chance to try Thymiopoulos Rosé after reading much about it here.
Beautiful deep colour. Lovely depth of flavour. Cherries and strawberry but also a hint of something herbal. Well worth the money.
A bit left over which went with cheeseboard. As expected paired very well with goats cheese, but less expected also good with Beaufort and cheddar. 
I thought I would give a 2nd Swiss bottle a whirl. Courtesy of Aldi and weighing in at £9.99, I expected a little bit more from this Pinot Noir, compared to the excellent Gamay I sampled last weekend. This one was slightly sharp with an unusual aftertaste. It was not a disastrous adventure, just not as satisfying as the Gamay, which I am managed to secure a small additional parcel of.
Inspired by last week’s Boeuf Bourguignon thread https://community.thewinesociety.com/t/beef-bourguignon/13426
and it being ToH’s turn she announced that she would make a proper one last night - and very slow-cooked it was too, on account of those longer-than-anticipated 1/4 final games.
Burgundy was indeed harmed in the making thereof, apparently no stock or water should be added to the wine, and it reduced down nicely. I picked a generic Bourgogne from I-Marché from the second-lowest shelf.
Rather let the side down with the choice of wine to go with it - a Rioja GR which we picked up at their cellar door 3 or so years ago. This was ideal with the meal, good structure but not wood-dominated and boysenberry / loganberry fruity flavours.
There was some cheese begging to be finished off and so I opened a bottle of Cypriot Commandaria; again a travel souvenir. It fills a NV Tawny port hole quite competently. It’s a passito-style from sun dried Xinisteri and Mavro grapes, sometimes they are lightly-fortified, but this wasn’t (see the 13% abv). It’s also believed to be the oldest specifically “named” wine in production in the world, - since the 12th century - and has been made in the same way since at least 800 BC apparently. Don’t really see it for sale in the UK do we ?
Picked up some Thai, Korean and Chinese ready meals (feeling lazy). Opened up a Villa Maria Riesling as that’s a grape they used to have lots of in NZ. Good, drinkable stuff. It’s not meant to be full on fireworks but has a nice mid body, moderate acidity and a flavour that reminds me of lemon & lime marmalade. Gladly, it’s not a petrol bomb. Can be drunk with spicy food without feeling guilty.
A special Saturday lunch en famille of venison casserole followed by cheeses and ended with a chocolate mousse brought these wines.
First Lady cab sav and Gilles Robin papillon C.H … tonight … got them out earlier to warm by the log stove
Opened a Half bottle of Château Angludet, Margaux 2012 tonight:
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