Kicking this one off quite early…I haven’t started (just!) yet but decanted this bad boy ahead of a dinner with friends tonight…
Deep, dark crimson/purple. Masses of sediment. Doesn’t look 11 years old…
Intense nose of fruit, spice and vanilla (probably from oak). Had a wee sip and very textured and tannic still, hoping it softens a bit after a 4 hour decant!
It will be with saddle of roe deer with an intense port and dark chocolate sauce.
Hoping it goes ok!
Mark sounds really good. Iv’e got a Vasse Felix 2015 to go with roast lamb. Always been a fan of VF had it many years ago in a resturant in Islington.
Started a little earlier than usual.
Decanted for a few hours. The first glass is lovely. Black fruits, tobacco and menthol. Very fresh on the finish, which is pretty long and very smooth.
I may edit later as the evening progresses, but this is impressive stuff. Plenty of life left and I may hunt out more as St Joseph holds a place in my heart. Not sure I’ve ever had a bad wine from this producer, St Joseph or otherwise
Happy weekend all
Seeing as the weekend has started - thought it cheeky but fair to re-post this (was in error posted as ‘midweek’)
Friday evening, daughter No.2 & hound visiting. We shall be going full carnivore.
Spider steak & roast marrowbone, with potato dauphinoise for Daughter & I. Beautiful roast Uchiki Kuri (Onion Squash) for the Lady Lapin. Pigs ear for the hound.
With Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Guigal 2007 £29.50. Bit disturbed by a ‘passed it’s best’ review, so I shall have a backup just in case. Perhaps a quick taster at lunchtime to check?
Which confirms it’s excellent: brick red rim, plenty of sediment, oaky yet balanced, lovely tertiary flavours of undergrowth & dusty roses, finish is warmly alcoholic so typically Ch9dp. Is it worth £29.50 ? certainly, but I only bought the one. So into the decanter for 6 hours until teatime.
Can I just say, if anyone from TWS is watching: I really like these Museum releases.
Bacchus, Chapel Down, Kent 2020 (with Gorwydd Caerphilly)
Château Ksara Old Vine Carignan, Lebanon 2018 (with Ogleshield)
Chianti Colli Senesi Tenuta Le Calcinaie, Simone Santini 2020 (with Hand-selected Berkswell)
The Society’s Exhibition Alto Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (with St Andrews Farmhouse Cheddar).
The Berkswell was comfortably the best cheese and The Chilean CS the best wine (no surprise). The Lebanese wine was the most interesting as I’d not tried it before.
Why don’t I buy more Chianti? Often crosses my mind when I drink Fontodi.
I guess the truth is that I have a residue of prejudice that Barolo and Brunello are more serious wines (probably because historically Chianti was the ubiquitous Italian red). This is pretty complete sour cherry fruit, ripe tannins and crisp acidity. Carries its 14% alcohol pretty well.
I love a good cheese, and I really love Berkswell, but come on, hand selected??
I hand-select my cheese in Tesco every week! 
Not a drinking day for us, usually, but I’ve got that Friday feeling after a lovely day spent with a good friend going round and round Arlington reservoir- so I thought- why not! 
This Riesling will shortly accompany Keralan tofu curry:
Deidesheimer Riesling, Bürklin-Wolf 2018
First glass is a peach! Well, there’s some peach in there, for sure. Medium gold, the nose has attractive notes of lime, ripe pears, almond blossom and flint, with a whiff of petrol in the background.
On the palate it has similar notes of zesty citrus (lime, lemon), white peach, blossom and ginger spice. Waxy in texture, there’s a verve of minerality and bright acidity throughout that lifts the finish. Extremely delicious! 
Happy weekend! 
I am still working on my language being quite as clear as inbars. I’m not there yet however.
I just came to say that this is chuffing nice.
Will be having with these pieces of lamb and some simple sides.
Happy weekend everyone!
Bottle 1 of 12 of these very young babies ( 2019 Jean-Marie Fourrier Bourgogne) to get in the mood for going through the Burgundy EP over the weekend. The EP paper copies usually arrive around coffee time on Saturday so fingers crossed for a delivery tomorrow. Probably just jinxed it now 
Smooth, round, and with a slightly herbal edge, we popped and poured this but will be decanting next time about an hour in advance. The second glasses were even more delicious and still a third of the bottle to go. A lovely wine and a great way to end the week.
Morgon Beaujolais tonight. Just fancied crunchy red cherries, cranberry and touch of fruit sweetness. This delivers and will be sipping away all evening.
Thank goodness the weekend is here.
I haven’t started on my ‘19s yet, but the ‘18s are almost all done (whoops). RE decanting, I really do find it is worth doing the “fourrier shake” on these - just put your thumb over the end of the bottle and shake vigorously, you will be surprised at how much CO2 degasses and the wine opens up (apologies if you already know this!)
Third of the Blind Spot Wines tonight. I was slightly aprehensive about the Garganega after Fiona Beckett thought it a little over priced but was very pleasantly surprised. Like the other wines in the range I asked my wife to guess the price and she was spot on.
Pataille Borgougne Rouge ‘18 here tonight, and very nice it is too. I had only put in for one of the named vineyards in the ‘20 EP offer, but perhaps I need some more of this too…. And probably the village Marsannay….
Maby Prima Donna Tavel, 2020
to go with a spicy ‘cod cassoulet.’ Did the job admirably.
The colour of old fashioned cherryade, and a good hint of the flavour. Slightly sweeter than previous vintages, less herbal. Normally I’d have preferred the earlier vintages, but tonight this really hit the spot.
Am planning on opening the same on Sunday. Curious how long before drinking you opened and whether you decanted.
The rest of the weekend has a lot to live up to
https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/the-great-sa-wine-co-grand-blanc-stellenbosch-2018
It’s Semillon in all its glory but with that biting Chenin acidity. They working together in absolute harmony.
Tough week so something special required.
Grand Puy Lacoste 1986.
Typical deep colour - 1986s are so easily spotted on colour alone. Typical Paulliac nose of cedar, spices and blackcurrants. Many 86s have seen the tannins outlive the fruit. Not here. This is really smooth and incredibly long. Not quite at the same level,as the 86 Haut Brion I drank on my birthday last month - but not far behind. There is no rush to drink this - at least a decade of life ahead. And all for under £20 when bought in 1989.
Now on to the Auchentoshan. A whisky I always associate with my Mum. She bought me back a bottle from a trip to the distillery and I have loved it ever since.
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