Recent drinking round-up, 31st Aug

G and I have been drinking a few bits and pieces lately which don't really need an individual entry (= code for I have been too lazy to make proper notes about them) but which I want to record here.

First up, these lovely halves of manzanilla procured for me by ACC of the Burgundy Portfolio. This is Bodegas Argueso San Leon Manzanilla, which I'm told is a step up from the Las Medallas from the same producer, which I've had from the Wine Society before. It's also a bit pricier. The halves look very smart in their box with the red capsule. Smashing stuff and very refreshing after half an hour in the freezer. I'm very happy with it and we've been getting through it at a rate of knots. Well, one has to make the most of the fleeting English summer!

This was a Muscadet sur lie from Comte Leloup du Chateau de Chasseloir 2007 from the Wine Society. It's a bit older than your average muscadet and claims to be some special cuvee, so we thought we'd try it as an alternative to white burgundy. It cost £8.95 but wasn't exciting and I wouldn't bother having it again. Top marks for jazzy string around the bottle though! I have no idea what that's all about.

Another white from the Wine Soc in the search for alternatives for white burg, as much as I love the stuff it's nice to have something different occasionally. This Saladini Pilastri Falerio 2010 was more like it. I think this was part of the mixed case of weird things (I hear a disapproving voice murmuring "les autres regions") that we got a while ago. The Wine Soc have moved on to the 2011 which is only £5.95. It was quite full-bodied and gutsy but good in the hot weather.

Then we have some reds. I've blogged about this Beaune 1er cru Clos du Roi 2007 from the Martins before. This was the last bottle on the rack and didn't disappoint, lovely classic Beaune.

Then a red I haven't written about before - a Meursault Rouge 2006 from Latour-Labille. I bought a case of this en primeur and got it out a few months ago. We tried it and, well, it wasn't that great, so we stashed it away in the hope that it was just going through its "sulky adolescence" and would come round in due course. What a relief to drink it the other night and find that it had done so - it's now delicious and soft with lovely fruit. There's no hurry to drink the rest but it's good to know I can if I want to.

And finally, this old friend - the Meursault 1er cru Les Cras 2007 also from Latour-Labille. This is wonderful wine and every sip is a pleasure. We think it's still a 9 but have no doubt that it's going to become a 10 - we had a debate about whether it's already reached that level. Given that the village level Meursault has taken 6 years to come round, arguably this should be reaching its window in a couple of years time, except that the 2007s are more approachable in style. Both of these red Meursaults are highly unusual as most vineyards in Meursault are planted with chardonnay. All the more reason to enjoy them while we can. I can't wait to try them both again in a few months' time!

Dinner at ACC's, 25th August

On Saturday evening, G and I caught the trusty 68 bus to the wilds of zone 3 where we joined ACC at his new gated residence for dinner.

We kicked off with an elderly gin and tonic, made from gin that was of unknown age but seemed pretty old, and was 49%! This was a recent acquisition from the second best wine shop in Beaune. In fact it's described as "genievre" on the bottle so may be closer to Dutch jenever than gin. Either way, it made the best gin and tonic I've ever had - very floral and refreshing. Memo to self to get some high-strength gin. With this we had a lovely beetroot and broad bean dip and pitta bread, which I mystifyingly failed to photograph.

ACC lost no opportunity to show off his jeroboam of marc, photographed with the gin bottle for contrast. Sadly we didn't open it on this occasion...

Then we moved on to a white, which G brought along. This was a Domaine Leroy Bourgogne Blanc 2008. He got this in Paris for the princely sum of 38 euros, and we had high expectations because Domaine Leroy is a top domaine and because 2008 was a great year for whites - Anne Parent's bourgogne blanc in particular has been giving us an enormous amount of pleasure lately. The Domaine Leroy had a whacking amount of new oak, no sense of terroir, and all in all we felt it was rather "international" i.e. aimed at the US palate. ACC suspected that there was a problem at the domaine in 2008 and that this bourgogne contained a lot of declassified premier and even grand cru wine, which you might think would be a good thing but not if they were being treated with lots of new oak which didn't suit the wine. So in summary, it was drinkable and I found it pleasant enough, but we'd expected something more.

Our starter was some duck and calvados pate served with ACC's home-made bread and a very jazzy salad of leaves and toasted almonds dressed with olive oil infused with garlic.

Next up on the drinking front was a magnum of red Chassagne-Montrachet 2005 from Domaine Ramonet. This immediately made up for the disappointment of the white. It was rich and smooth, with lovely integrated berry fruit. All in all, it was excellent, and slipped down a treat with our cassoulet, which was the perfect thing to eat on a damp Saturday evening.

Then we moved onto cheese, which I'd procured from what is now my favourite cheese shop, Pascal Beillevaire in Montpelier Street, earlier in the day, braving flash floods in Hyde Park as nothing was going to stand between me and my cheese. I can't recommend this place highly enough. On this occasion, I got a Langres, some 24 month old Gruyere, a Banon which turned out to be seriously evil (a good thing!) and finally, the piece de resistance, an artisinal Roquefort which was absolutely sensational. I was also given a chocolate mousse and rice pudding with salted caramel - you can see why I like the place.

As a dessert wine I also brought along a bottle of this Samos Anthemis muscat, which is an old favourite and never fails to please.

Finally, we were treated to a glass of this exciting old Mirabelle, which made a lovely digestif.

At least my new camera took some photos in focus, which is a turn-up for the books. All in all, another wonderful dinner and thanks to ACC for hosting.