Burgundy Portfolio tasting at Baker's Hall, 21st Nov

On Wednesday evening, I made my way over to Baker's Hall for a very exclusive wine tasting held by ACC of the Burgundy Portfolio. This was a relaxed, sit-down affair of the sort I enjoy the most.

We started with this sparkling wine made by Quentin Beaufort which was dry and complex with some good age on it and was definitely up there with champagne, despite being made from grapes grown just outside the border.

This Chablis 2017 from Domaine Gueguen has apparently mostly been bought up already as quantities were low last year, but was very appealing, with minerality and richness. ACC said it had a certain fleshiness reminiscent of a pink grapefruit. G thought it was drinking already, and I found myself thinking it would be great with fish fingers.

Domaine Les Champs de Themis is a new find and this Bouzeron is made from aligote doree. I found it very interesting - dry, floral and almost grapey. ACC described it as "gastronomic". Cassis not required!

I'd had a heads up that this wine was going to be shown, although as this was the only bottle in the country we had to be self-restrained and not guzzle it all. It's a grenache from Romain Chapuis, made from Rhone grapes, unfined, unfiltered, low sulphur. At £18.50 a bottle paid-up I couldn't resist grabbing a couple of cases, as past experience has shown that these wines have a habit of evaporating from the AduV cellar.

This Mercurey from Domaine Les Champs de Themis had an amazing fruity nose which reminded me of Ribena, and was charming easy drinking, not rustic like some Mercureys.

The Vacherin went down very well too

We then had the excitement of a blind tasting. On the left was a wine that was relatively light in colour and very fruity and pretty, with notes of tinned strawberries, while on the right was a dark, intense number which needed more time. I jumped to conclusions and foolishly guessed that the one on the left was a Cote de Beaune and the one on the right was a Cote de Nuits. Wrong!

The one on the left was actually 2016 Vosne-Romanee Chalandins from Henri Audiffred. This was quite a revelation for me as I always think of Vosne as being big and rich, whereas this wine was relatively light and fruity. ACC said it was likely to close down soon.

G had the advantage of having been to Burgundy recently and guessed that the wine on the right came from Domaine de la Roseraie, which as soon as he said it was incredibly obvious. It was definitely in that very serious style, made for the long haul. It appears I bought a case en primeur, so I shall make a note to look into it in 2023!

Finally, we tried this wine from Ventoux in Provence which was another low-sulphur number made from 40% marsanne, 40% clairette and 20% grenache blanc. I enjoyed its minerality and it was suggested that it would go well with chicken with morels, or with cheese. Sadly we had eaten all the cheese by this stage so were unable to put this theory to the test.

A very enjoyable evening all round and can't wait to get some of that Grenat in my cellar. Thanks ACC!

Recent drinking roundup!

Apparently I haven't done one of these for a while, so as we hurtle towards winter it's time to get caught up and get rid of the mountain of empty bottles in the corner.

G and I drank this half of Alfred Gratien 1999 champagne back in July but it seems I never reported on it. "No harm in that" reported G, quoting my Irish grandmother, quite accurately in this case. It was fully mature, with notes of brioche and toast. G said it was almost custardy and it reminded me of a croissant. It didn't have many bubbles left and we felt it was at the end of its drinking life but it was refreshing on a hot summer Sunday. That seems a long time ago. I actually just discovered a lingering half of the 2000 on my wine rack this afternoon, so that needs to be put out of its misery in the near future!

Between August and October, we guzzled several wines from the Finger Lakes which D has been so kindly transporting back for us. This Red Newt Riesling 2013 from Lahoma Vineyards was lovely. Pale in colour, it had a Mosel style nose but was richer and spicier on the palate, with a burst of lime and G thought a hint of quince on the finish. It was beautifully made and had great balance, with a refreshing core of acidity. It's currently retailing on their website at $24.50 - compare and contrast with the 2012 Sawmill Creek Riesling for sale at Hedonism for £35.10. We wistfully imagined living nearby and being able to buy it by the case.

As an aside, I saw several red newts last time I went backpacking in Pennsylvania!

Another Finger Lakes white we tried recently was the White Springs Dry Riesling 2015 from Ravines. Regular readers will know we absolutely loved this winery. This wine was also pale in colour and had a nose of lime or possibly lime blossom. It was light, elegant and clean, dry but ripe. G said he felt a better person just for drinking it. It was definitely drinking now but we know they make wines for the long haul so it's possible it might get even better in time.

On to the reds - this Ryan William Pinot Noir 2012 amused me by stating it was 12.4% alcohol on the label. It was a dark colour and reminded us of the Cote de Nuits with notes of black cherry and black forest gateau. It was very easy to drink and even had something of a peacock's tail. G thinks it cost $27 which was excellent value.

A few weeks ago we had this Thirsty Owl Pinot Noir 2016, a name which always brings a smile to my face. This was apparently 12.2% alcohol and cost $17 according to G. He also remembered that the winery was founded in 2002 so the vines are young. It was really classic lightweight pinot, pretty but not particularly serious - a vin de soif. We served it lightly chilled, which worked very well, and we thought it was drinking nicely now but would last another year or so. G used the word "unforced" and we agreed it had an honesty about it, reflecting its terroir and climate, not buggered about. It actually reminded us slightly of Giboulot's wines, which is praise indeed. A virtually perfect Tuesday night wine, and again, one that we'd buy by the case if we lived nearer.

I had a trio of wines from the Wine Society recently too, just to see what's going on there. I failed to take a photo of the Cote Roannaise Perdiziere 2016 from Domaine Serol which was a gamay and came in at 12%. It was a little disappointing, to be honest. It lacked any interesting feral notes, nor was it one of those light, pretty gamays. At £16.50 it wasn't particularly great value and I won't be rushing back. I've just realised I actually tried the 2011 back in 2012 when it cost £7.95, and wasn't particularly impressed with it then either! Memo to self: read own blog before ordering wines...

This Naoussa 2016 was much more my cup of tea. It's from Greece and made from the xinomavro grape which is a new one on me, but was described as being like a cross between pinot noir and nebbiolo. It reminded me of a decent bourgogne rouge and at £10.50 it certainly hit the spot.

I cracked this "La Belle Romaine" from Chateau Merande last night. This is a Vin de Savoie made from a grape called mondeuse. It was fine but didn't wow me. It's only 12% alcohol, but at £17 a pop I'd rather be drinking that lovely Coteaux Bourguignon from Romain Chapuis.

We've started drinking this St George gin from California which was a gift from G's fan club in Grand Rapids and it has been going down very well in a G&T, with more floral notes than your average. The style reminds us a little of Plymouth which is always my go-to gin, so that works for me!

Finally, a couple of disappointments. G brought a bottle of Gevrey-Chembertin 1er cru Craipillot, 2001, Gerard Seguin round the other night. It had an amazing nose of liquorice, leather and earthiness, but when we came to taste it we found it rather tertiary (G's word) - it dried out on the palate and had a chewy finish. In the end we agreed we weren't actually enjoying it, and it went down the sink. The same thing sadly happened to two bottles of Combe D'Eve from Giboulot on Wednesday which broke my heart a little. Possibly being in the wardrobe over the hot summer didn't do it any favours. Must do better at maintaining stock rotation in future! Fortunately I have just got some wines out of storage so I'm looking forward to trying those soon.