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Taking these to an Indian-themed bbq this evening.
Bin #012 Mando Rosado
Foradori (Teroldego) 2018
Tandoori chicken skewers
Should be yummy, will report back
Edit: not sure what happened to the photo
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@Brocklehurstj had the Mando last weekend and loved it. Enjoy!
And so for this weekend. Another dip into my TWS less then a tenner wines.
The Society’s Pinot Grigio 2021
Well this is a surprise. Don’t see Italian Pinot Grigio on this forum very often, perhaps its the lousy reputation it carries. Probably why I avoid it most of the time too TBH.
However this is not bad at all. Lots of ripe fruit (banana, yellow apple) and citrusy (lemon/lime, orange blossom) but this is nicely balanced by the abundant acidity.
It won’t knock your socks off but really delivers for what it is. A good pleasing start to the weekend! 
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A sort of greyish day in Brighton today - but still enjoyed a lovely outdoors swim at the Pells in Lewes.
Seeing as there is now an ‘R’ in the month, we got some mussels, and will be making a Rick Stein’s Cambodian mussels. To accompany - a Riesling:
Schweigen Sonnenberg Riesling, Weingut Jülg 2016
There is something romantic (and sobering) about the fact that half of Jülg’s vineyards lie in Alsace - borders often being such contrived, artificial things, but romanticism aside - this is very good. Very good - but not excellent.
On the plus side there is lovely colour (shimmering med gold) and lovely nose full of floral notes of citrus blossom and jasmine, pears and stewed apples as well as a touch of peach and maybe just a background whiff of petrol or similar.
The palate is very enjoyable too - at least based on the first glass we had - with ripe pears, a fresh tangerine note and some background spice (I thought saffron, he thought ginger). The mouthfeel is a touch viscous, although the wine is definitely dry, with an evolved waxy texture. Good acidity, too - but the finish lets it down a bit. I wish it lasted longer on the palate - the fruit, waxiness and spice are so lovely, but don’t really linger much.
Not sure this will be a re-purchase, but have no doubt we will enjoy seeing it evolve over the course of the evening, and I reckon it will complement the food well too 
Hope everyone has a very good weekend! 
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Thanks for kicking things off this weekend James. As per usual here when September comes along my mind invariably turns towards autumnal and savoury red wines. This fits the bill admirably…
…an Austrian Pinot Noir 2016 from Brundlmayer. As per TWS notes it’s quite Burgundian and reminiscent of a good Cotes de Beaune in style,
An attractive medium crimson in the glass. Savoury red berried and redcurrant fruit with a leafy, damp soil, note on the inviting nose. Pretty much the same on tasting with some sourly ripe red cherry notes and integrated oak spice thrown in too. Fresh acidity and soft tannins provide structure and an all too easy to drink balance to the complex, red fruited, flavours. The lingering finish is another plus so, all things considered, good value for the £22 paid.
All the best for the weekend everyone, I hope you have a good one
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Aldi English white Cuvee, lots of citrus, but fairly average. Not to be bought again. Shame, as their previous English Bachus was rather nice.
I’ll make up for it with a whisky later on.
Happy Friday everyone!
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Settling into a spell of Italian drinking, I’ve opened some 2016 Fontodi.
This is drinking nicely now, providing confirmation that 2016 really is a cracking vintage. For those who enjoyed the 2015, I find this has more freshness and precision; more what you’d expect from chianti. There is still plenty of body and depth rolling around as you drink it, though. Lovely balance.
I have loads of this and it’s time to get drinking, it seems!
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Not too surprised. It’s from Lyme Bay which makes 2 cuvées, one is 100% bacchus, which this isn’t, and their “Shoreline” blend which I suspect is the very same in an Aldi wrapper. As well as bacchus it contains the usual suspects including 3 hybrids; seyval, ortega and solaris. Matthew Jukes comments that it contains “no less than 9 different varieties” Good thing / Bad thing - the customer decides.
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Odd - to use a French word (Cuvée) for an English blend? and then even more ridiculous ‘Bowler & Brolly’ - which I havn’t seen together for 50 years.
I think you deserve that whisky Richard !
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An old trusty for me this evening - a 2020 Gaba do Xil Godello, by Telmo Rodríguez.
Enjoyed this with some simple fishcakes, rice & veg - we’ve had a pile of wonderful rich seafood this last week down in Cornwall, and fancied something relatively light & simple now we’re back home again.
Such a simple but classy wine in my opinion, I must say. Blossom, nectarine, melon and honey, that slight whiff of gorse I find in Godello, enough savoury stuff to keep it from being OTT in any way, and a lovely slightly creamy texture.
Always a winner for me is this one, and probably my favourite mid-priced Godello. Seems to match the slightly Autumnal & wistful feel just slightly coming in now too.
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Time for a trial bottle of this:
Translucent, pale red, but ooh, what a nose… raspberry, red currant fruit, some spicy and floral notes - just so much going on. If this was blind, I would very likely have mistaken this for young burgundy or possibly high-end NZ pinot.
An initial sip had the red fruit, but was also predictably drying and tannic, so a decant and back into the wine fridge it went for an hour or two.
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After last night’s hedonism, we just drank up a couple of bottles which weren’t finished, especially as we’re out for a wine tasting tomorrow evening. I cooked a dish of squid and prawns with courgettes, and a tomato and basil sauce. Our leftovers were Bruno Sorg Muscat GC Pfersigberg 2017, and Terlan Vorberg Pinot Bianco 2019.
Both still delicious 
There was some debate last night about whether the Pinot Bianco had seen any oak - some thought the richness was more lees-y, others that there may be oak involved. A bit of research on the producer’s website reveals that it was indeed fermented and aged in oak, but it’s not overpowering.
Have a good weekend!
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The Dalamara opened up nicely. Plenty of structure, long and complex. More akin to Nebbiolo than Pinot with a bit of air, this is really great now, but the 6 I have tucked away will stay there for some time.
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Mixed seafood & pasta made with a touch of garlic & chilli was knocked up by Mrs W this evening.
A couple of glasses of this accompanied:
From a mixed case bought from TWS a couple of years ago.
Ripe pear and peach notes, medium to full bodied on the palate, but alongside a lovely crispness.
Very enjoyable.
Still have one each of the corresponding Scheurebe and Riesling from the same mixed case to go at some point.
Also coravined a glass from this magnum given the current EP offer and associated Rioja chat on these pages.
Left it in the glass for a couple of hours before broaching.
Not sure it would blow anyone away necessarily, but still a very enjoyable glassful and a definite reminder of the pleasure, longevity and relative value the region can offer.
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Perhaps this is a nod to The Avengers, which in Germany was called ‘Mit Schirm, Charme und Melone’ (with Umbrella, Charm and Bowler) - so yes, a 60 year old stereotype that was old fashioned even then. Of course we British are never guilty of such pigeonholing!
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https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/half-bottle-of-inocente-fino-valdespino
Opened this last night, and proceeded to drink half of the bottle with a tiny bit of Napoli I had left. This fino is a ballerina of a Sherry, dancing in your mouth. Every sip a different experience. Another coup for @PierreM. Now, if only he could source some of the Almacenistas!
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https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/koyle-el-peuco-alto-colchagua-tempranillo-mourvedre-2015
An odd one. Chilean Tempranillo-Mourvèdre - from 2015. Difficult to pigeonhole because absolutely nothing like Rioja, nor your typical southern French red. I paid £12.50 a year ago which seems about right.
Nose is powerfully herby, tar, muddy beaches at low tide. On the palate - more of the same plus ripe plums with tannic skins. I’m thinking more bottle time would help, but really not sure where to go with this bottle because there are no obvious food companions & not something to drink on its own… it’s a bit of a bruiser.
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Couple of supermarket specials this Saturday:
The Viognier went with a classic roast chicken. Quite full and rich with lots of tropical fruit (melon, ripe peaches), it’s also got quite a bit of residual sugar, but fortunately also enough acidity to balance out. Nothing earth shattering, but decent value.
Arsenal remain top of the league, and I fancy a glass of red, so another old favourite opened. From previous experience the '18 is simple, fruity and easy drinking, but I’ll give it some time to open up in a decanter before dipping in.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend.
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It’s hard to put into words how impressed I am by this but, nevertheless, feel compelled to try and do so anyway…
…a Kumeu River ‘Coddington’ Chardonnay 2015.
Peach, apricot, baking spices and oatmeal on the fragrant and complex nose. Similar flavours plus cashew nuts and seamlessly integrated oak notes on the rich and weighty palate. Vibrant acidity not only provides cut and balance to the unctuously rich fruit but gives plenty of refreshing tang on the lengthy finish too.
The back label states the wine will improve with two to four years bottle age but that seems very conservative, TWS drinking window until 2025 is more realistic IMO but, for my tastes at least, I doubt if it could taste any better than it does right now !
Edit -Oops ! wrong thread 
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