Last of my two bottles and both were cracking.
To paraphrase Andrew Jefford from the new France (about a very different wine) “the wine slipped down with the gratifying ease of a billiard ball rolling serenely towards its pocket”. It disappeared way too quickly. It would have been great to have had more than two bottles, however I’m more than satisfied to enjoy the moment.
While you lot were all on Instabook salivating over the next Bin series, I kept this train going by cruising through a heterogeneous but happy-together batch last night, including;
Barely alive on a rainy Saturday morning in Somerset as I type this.
Opened a bottle of this intriguing white last night…
Amazing aroma that you smell from across the room of pineapple and tropical fruit. Leads you to believe that the palate is going to be something sweet and tropical, but is actually quite different. A palate of rhubarb compote and pink grapefruit with some proper acidity.
The bag of pick’n’mix in front of a Star Wars movie with the kids probably wasn’t the classic food pairing 
as long as it wasn’t episodes 1, 2 or 3 then it sounds like a great pairing! 
Some people just have that bit more class than others. 
The 09 Gassac Rouge is drinking very nicely at the moment. It really pays to wait a decade for this symphony of a wine to develop. The nose is a thing of beauty and the maturity gained from bottle age has imparted a degree of finesse and suppleness that is very much to my liking. You can easily go through 2 bottle of this with your better half before even noticing. In retrospect, the 2010 is flatter and maybe not worth the wait, but still very good nevertheless.
I trust you’ve watched the ultimate takedown of the prequels:
Far more entertaining than the films themselves.
Love your description of the Gassac. I have a case of the 2014 in reserves. Should I wait until 2024 to withdraw them, would you say? Assume I’m happy to wait.
If it’s a case of six, then I’d start trying around year 10. Open one bottle every six months or so and it will give you a solid 3 years of pleasure. I have now gone through all my 07s and 08s, and have little left of the 09s. I have some Gassac Blanc 07 left, but I prefer that wine when drunk a lot younger.
https://www.daumas-gassac.com/vintage/mas-de-daumas-gassac-red-2014/
I blame @Brocklehurstj @Herbster and @Inbar for this. I was forced to go and buy it after Thursday’s community tasting and the chat about wine maps. Was expecting to have to order it but the local bookshop had one in stock. It was clearly a sign and now I know what I’m doing all afternoon!
It’s a great book. I have the last 4 editions. My advice is: don’t throw them away when you buy a new one.
Heck of a line up…almost hard work…ending with the Calvados i assume…Time for a cleansing ale perhaps?
Ta v much - that plan could work nicely given the timings on some others in reserves (ie to pull them out as mixed cases).
Brilliant, not seen this before. Thanks for sharing
He does all three prequels. Amid the brutal humour it can be very insightful. I’ve probably watched them more times than the films themselves now…!
For Friday evening we enjoyed these wines with dinner. The champagne was the aperitif and was as good as previous bottles have been. Our first course of butternut squash spiced with Chinese five spice needed a little sweetness which it got beautifully from the Vouvray which had held its colour and retained its acidity. For mains there was pan-fried salmon fillets on a bed of Puy lentils with a little double cream and some fried pancetta pieces. The Otago pinot noir was a slight disappointment (the 1st bottle of 3) because it was rather more elegant than has been my past experience of pinots from the south of S. Island. Nothing wrong with the wine, it just didn’t quite suit the earthiness of the lentils. Some S. Rhone of no great note went well with the cheeses.
This fine 2015 red Burgundy to start off the weekend. All the bottles I have had have been delicious, this one is no exception. Not the best with tomato and roast pepper soup, but perfect with the red onion and guanciale tart and also to contemplate afterwards.
Vintage 2019 I need to get some more in January I think.
I have a bottle of the '14 Mas de Daumas Gassac which will be be my first of theirs. As always with a wine like this I have a bit of a dilemma; I want to try it to decide whether to buy more vintages as they appear but I’m aware that I probably need to leave it a while yet to be at it’s best. So my question is how early do you think I can try it to get an idea at least of what it will be like once a proper adult? Bear in mind I do tend to like well matured wine. Any advice much appreciated!
Edit: hah, just noticed @Aspedini asked almost the same question that you have answered! I guess I’ll leave it another year or two to make the assessment.
Friday - a new wine to go with our fish, from an excellent family owned and run winery that we know well
2018 Delheim Chenin Blanc Wild Ferment (South Africa, Stellenbosch)
Had their standard Chenin before, but this wild ferment was a revelation. So much texture and depth while totally dry. Like putting your tongue on a cold slab of sandstone.
Saturday - Friends are joining us for a Deliveroo from a local Italian restaurant and a Zoom tasting organised by local independent Flagship Wines with co-owner/winemaker Zoom tasting organised by local independent Flagship Wines with co-owner/winemaker Faouzi Issa of Lebanon winery Domaine des Tourelles.
Of course we’ll have a fizz as aperitif
N.V. G. H. Mumm & Cie Champagne Cordon Rouge Brut (France, Champagne)
Flagship have supplied us with three wine, a white and red and a premium red.
Plan is to have the red with the food prior to taste tasting start
2017 Domaine des Tourelles (Lebanon, Bekaa Valley)
and the white with the tasting
2019 Domaine des Tourelles Blanc (Lebanon, Bekaa Valley)
This is an interesting blend of Viognier 65%, Chardonnay 20%, Obeidi 10%, Muscat d’Alexandria 5%.
If we need, we can open the other red
2014 Domaine des Tourelles Marquis des Beys (Lebanon, Bekaa Valley)
but I’m expecting to save it for another day.
Sunday - I don’t know. We will be, for the first time since March, dining at a restaurant indoors. So the wine choice depends on what they have on their wine list.
Delheim from TWS’s current list (& highly recommended) , Mumm from Sainsbury and Domaine Tourelles from Flagship Wines
@HudsonRoux - I am envious of your decanter; is it a family heirloom?
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