Recent drinking round-up

The Palo Cortado project has continued with this Cayetano del Pino Viejisimo which is apparently around 30 years old. This was a half bottle from the Wine Society and cost £21. It was admirable, more elegant than the Capuchino, and perhaps slightly lighter in weight. G commented that it had no volatile acidity. Price-wise it's a little more expensive than the Capuchino and I'm not sure it's better as such. I'd love to have them side by side some time!

The other night, G contributed this bottle of Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Morgeot 2011 from Domaine de la Choupette. I'm a big fan of this domaine's red wines, and this white was up there. It was pale gold in colour, and very classy with good structure, balance and acidity. It had that slightly waxy quality one sometimes finds in Chassagne and went down surprisingly quickly with our fish soup. "A disastrous combination of excellent and easy drinking" said G.

On another recent occasion, ACC came round and contributed this excellent bottle of Chambolle-Musigny 2002 from Edouard Bryczek. He had bought a case of this back in the day and recently got it out of storage. What a treat! It was textbook Chambolle drinking beautifully now, smooth and well-integrated with ripe fruit. Positively sensuous.

The Epoisses made a bid for freedom and I couldn't resist taking a photo of it climbing down the side of the cheeseboard! Anyway, this will probably be the last entry here for 2016, which has been a difficult year for many reasons. Roll on 2017. Bonne année, tout le monde!

Capuchino palo cortado

Lately I've been getting into palo cortado sherry - yet another PC Project. At a tasting at Corney and Barrow in Notting Hill a few years ago, palo cortado was memorably described as the transsexual of sherry, because it starts off as a fino and then basically becomes an oloroso (see Wikipedia for the science bit). The results are quite special.

I've mainly been drinking Williams and Humbert Dos Cortados 20 year old which is available from Waitrose at £15.99 for a half bottle, or £12 as I always wait for the intermittent 25% off deal. Last time round I also acquired some Apostoles which is from Gonzalez Byass and costs £19 for a half bottle (or £14.25). This is apparently 30 years old, and includes some pedro ximinez which makes it sweeter and in my opinion wasn't very well-integrated.

So anyway, recently I was doing a Wine Society order and decided to be self-indulgent and treat myself to this Capuchino 30 year old from Osborne. I've tried their 30 year old oloroso, Sibarita, before and enjoyed it very much. This comes in a 50 cl bottle, enough for 4 generous glasses, so much nicer than a half bottle. Credit to the WS for selling it at £22 as opposed to £31 plus from other retailers.

It was definitely a notch up from the Dos Cortados and an aperitif to be savoured. It had the sharp, bracing quality of fino, but with a richness and complexity from the oloroso side. I found the weight of it very pleasing and detected hints of coffee and walnut. The finish went on for minutes, or would have done if I hadn't been pigging pistachio nuts at the same time. I suspect this might not be everyone's cup of tea - I wouldn't give it to my mother, who is an aficionado of the Sanchez Romate mature medium sweet oloroso, for example - but for me it was a revelation. Oh dear, I seem to have acquired yet another expensive taste!