Recent drinking round-up

It all started a couple of weeks ago, when I took some of my team to Artesian, the bar at the Langham Hotel. They have all sorts of weird concoctions there which tempted the others, but for some reason I fancied a Negroni. My only previous encounter with this drink was tasting one that ACC ordered at the Perseverance a few years ago and as I hadn't known what to expect I'd been taken aback by its bitterness. At Artesian I fancied having another go. It was served in a glass with an ice cube like a golf ball - I suspect it's some kind of fake ice cube, and it was slightly annoying as it got in the way, the further down I went. But the drink itself very much hit the spot.

I decided to get the ingredients to make them at home, and since then G and I have had several! I bought this extra-wanky expensive red vermouth from Waitrose to go with the gin and Campari, as I wasn't sure if Martini Rosso was sweet or dry. We've been very pleased with the results and it's certainly bracing. Just the thing after a difficult day in the office.

In other news, I was favourably impressed by this Domaine de Trevallon 2005 which G came across, which is from the Rhone. It's 50% syrah and 50% cabernet sauvignon which means it has to be called "Red Table Wine" (got to love those French labelling laws!) and I found it very appealing. But the price isn't as low as I'd hoped, so realistically we probably won't be rushing to have it again.

Then, as it was quarter end, we had our occasional treat of a bottle of Latour. This time, the 1976 vintage. We were intending to have the 1950 but it turned out to have died - the first time a Latour has let us down. Never mind. 1976 is famously the year of a massive heat wave....

cue photo of Pitsford Reservoir, just down from the family home back in the day

... and we could taste the effect on the wine, which was very rich and ripe, and relatively low in tannin. It was surprisingly easy-drinking, and less cerebral than some, while retaining that powerful Latour thing. Although approaching 40, it showed no sign of losing its vigour - a good role model.

On Saturday night we broached the bottle of Pommard 1er cru L'Argilliere 2008 from La Maison Romane which I'd bought after being so impressed with it at ACC's place a few weeks ago. I wanted G to try it. Once again, it had a heavenly nose of wild strawberries and an earthy, rustic character which I loved. G awarded it an instant dix points.

But then, the following evening, we had this bottle of village Vosne-Romanee 2007 from Odoul-Coquard, which G had brought back from his cellar the previous weekend. This stuff is just delicious and drinking wonderfully now. It has that rich, flash Odoul-Coquard style - very polished, very smooth and an absolute pleasure to drink. When you consider that it's a village wine, not a premier cru, it's really quite exceptional. We both thought it was different from, but as good as, the Pommard from the night before.

So I guess we haven't done too badly of late, and there are a few things coming up in May which I'm looking forward to, including a trip to Lyon!

Beaujolais tasting, 16th April

On Thursday evening I set forth for the wilds of zone 2, all in a good cause i.e. the opportunity to drink some top notch Beaujolais. The tasting was run by the Burgundy Portfolio and held in a venue I hadn't visited before, the Lisa Norris Gallery. It was a pleasure to meet Lisa and her husband and the format was the one I most enjoy, where we sit round a big table munching on cheese and charcuterie while ACC tells us colourful stories about the wines we're tasting and fields questions.

First up was the Cote de Vaux 2013 from Jerome Balmet which first appeared at last spring's tasting. Baron McG and I split a case between us which arrived recently and I've been enjoying it - it's light, fruity, relatively low in alcohol and very gluggable.

The rest of the wines were from Domaine Benoit Trichard and we tasted them in pairs. Apologies for my somewhat sparse notes due to scintillating conversation and the presence of an enormous and tempting cheeseboard close at hand.

The first two wines were from 2013: the Cote de Brouilly (not to be confused with Brouilly itself) and a Moulin-a-Vent "Mortperay" which was a cask sample. The Moulin-a-Vent was generally preferred among the attendees with its dark black fruits, but I'm a follower of the Cote de Brouilly and in fact already added some to my cellar back in January.

The next pair was the same two wines but this time the 2011 vintage. These were easier to assess with some maturity on them, and this time the general preference was for the Cote de Brouilly, which had an engaging hint of liquorice. I've been steadily working my way through a case of this and it's a very enjoyable week-night wine, good with sausages.

Finally, we tasted a 2007 Cote de Brouilly against a 2011 Moulin-a-Vent "Cuvee l'Exception". The 2007 was quite earthy, gamey and savoury, and excellent value at £12.50 a bottle. But for me, the Cuvee l'Exception was the wine of the evening. I'm a big fan of this wine and a magnum of the 2009 is sitting in my wardrobe as we speak, but hadn't tried the 2011 before. It was rich and delicious, and built to last. I succumbed to a case and will try not to guzzle it too quickly as I suspect it may get even better with time. At £20 a bottle it costs barely more than a bourgogne rouge these days, and it is certainly worth it.

An honourable mention must go to the cheese-procurer - some wonderful Epoisses was produced towards the end of the tasting which delighted Baron McG and myself. Merci beaucoup to ACC for another excellent evening.