Veuve vertical and other things, 19th May

A couple of weeks ago I was joined by ACC, G and the Baron for lunch at AduV Towers, and a real treat was in store. It's not every day you get to drink two vintage champagnes from the 1980s!

First up was this Veuve Clicquot 1983 provided by G, who got it at auction for an absolute steal. Based on his experience with other bottles from this lot, it came from a good cellar with good levels. The pop of the cork was certainly lively, and the wine itself was a glorious golden colour. It had a very yeasty nose and was rich and concentrated which made ACC think it had a high proportion of chardonnay. The finish was impressive too and it was drinking very nicely now, whereas apparently the 2008 vintage is falling off a cliff. The Baron thought it would go well with sweet food, but it was fine with smoked trout too. It was as good a bottle of champagne as I've had in recent years.

Meanwhile, ACC had brought along this 1980 vintage Veuve which he obtained for less than 20 euros from a source which I won't divulge in order to preserve this particular hunting ground for the future. Eye injuries were avoided as the cork was eased out with a gentle sigh. It was generally agreed that this bottle had more nutty aromas and was perhaps a little drier, with good grip. Its bubbles were exuberant to begin with but then tailed off more quickly. Comparisons were made to Salon. I wouldn't like to say which I preferred - they were both remarkable wines and it was an extraordinary experience to drink them side by side. They don't make them like they used to!

Those two were always going to be a tough act to follow, but we did our best with the reds. I supplied the Nuits St Georges 1er cru Pruliers from Domaine Bony and once again I was very pleased with it but didn't bother making notes.

From G's cellar came this Chambolle-Musigny Clos le Village 2008 from Felettig. This was drinking perfectly at 10 years old, and was delicious, smooth, plummy and elegant. "Chambolle is sexy pinot noir" said ACC, and this bottle lived up to its reputation.

Finally, the Baron had brought along some Mas de Daumas Gassac 2005 to go with the cheeseboard. This is from the Languedoc and I found myself wondering what grapes it was made from - have just looked it up and apparently it's mostly cabernet sauvignon which would explain why I liked it so much. It was smooth, fruity and ripe, and drinking very nicely now, although the website says this one should be kept further. Apparently it was only 12.5% alcohol so not a hangover-inducing monster either.

I've definitely had worse lunches. Thanks everyone for a very enjoyable occasion!

Eurovision party, 13th May

The Eurovision Song Contest always provides a good excuse for a party with its many drinking game opportunities and this year I was joined by G and ACC. We didn't feel the need to wait for a key change to get cracking...

ACC had mentioned that he was going to bring a French pink fizz but we weren't expecting this, which looked dangerously like sparkling shiraz, my least favourite alcoholic beverage of all time. In fact it was a natural wine called Aubunite La Sorga from the Languedoc, which ACC had brought back from a recent trip to Paris. It's made from a grape called Aubun, with which I was not familiar, and was relatively low alcohol at 11%. Once again I have to confess to not making detailed tasting notes, but can confirm we did enjoy it! Très glou-glou. And what a font on the label!

Next up, to accompany some Ginger Pig pork pie and sausage roll, and a couple of token vegetables, was this Fleurie 2011 from Jean Foillard. G brought a bottle of the 2009 vintage back from Brussels of all places last year, and we really enjoyed it. It's one of these very pure Beaujolais which tick the boxes for me. So I went online and randomly found some 2011 and snaffled the lot, only five bottles but I've been working my way through them with great pleasure. As usual, it went very well with charcuterie, and had notes of black cherry. I think it took us a whole 22 minutes to get through it.

Then it was on to a bottle of Terres Burgondes 2011 from Giboulot, which is another light, pretty number with scintillating fruits. I love it, and the 2011 vintage is going down particularly well at the moment.

The rest of the evening is a bit of a blur and for me the winning song was rather dull. I prefer this sort of thing (sample lyrics "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!") and was delighted to see Ruslana perform in the interval with a song which was mysteriously similar to her 2004 winner. Altogether now: "Shi-di-ri-di-day, shi-di-ri-di-da-na!"

Cheap and cheerful whites

A few weeks ago the Wine Society had an offer called "Off the Beaten Track" which tempted me into buying a mixed case. So far we've had two of them, both whites.

The first was a Bourboulenc from Domaine de Limonet, 2010. This is a Vin de Pays de l'Aude which is from the Languedoc. It was 13% alcohol. Pale gold in colour, it was fresh and had good acidity. It wasn't complicated but had a little bit of oak and went well with crab. We felt it was the kind of wine to drink young. It would normally be £7.75 a bottle which seemed about right. I enjoyed it but I think by the end of the bottle we were getting a bit bored with it, so while it was interesting to try, I doubt whether I'd have it again.

The second was this Quinta da Lagoalva, Talhao 1, 2011 from the Tejo region in Portugal. I know very little about Portuguese whites other than Vinho Verde, and this proved to be a pleasant surprise. It was quite floral on the nose and distinctly lemony and zingy on the palate and went well with the lamb biryani we had for supper. Again, 13% alcohol, fresh and light, and one to be drunk young. According to the notes, it's a blend of arinto, verdelho, sauvignon blanc, alvarinho and fernão pires. I felt this would have wide appeal and would be a good party wine. At £6.75 a bottle it seemed good value and I'd certainly consider getting some more.