Caramba, encore raté

Et voilà, j’avais dit que j’irais au salon des Vignerons Indépendants sans rien acheter. Et j’ai craqué pour 3 bouteilles de jasnières Cuvée Tradition 2001 de Bénédicte de Rycke. Un nez intense, minéral. C’est Jean-Pierre Robinot, de l’Ange Vin, qui m’avait fait découvrir le jasnières, de sa région, où il est reparti. Séquence nostalgie.

OZ TNs

Recently tasted
Prices in Australian dollars

Merum Semillon 2004. Around $26. Pemberton, Western Australia. Pale gold. Aromatic with lemon, dried pears and faint smoky oak. Fuller-bodied white with flavours of citrus and nuts, softly textured in the mouth it closes with a zingy finish.

Terra Felix Marsanne Roussanne 2004. Around $15. Central Victoria. Transparent lemon. Nose is a fruity, perfumed mix of stone fruits and floral notes. Velvety mouthfeel showing full flavours reminds me of chewing a just quite ripe peach. Delicious style at a nice price.

Haselgrove Adelaide Hills Reserve Viognier 2004. $25. Pale, hint of green. Nose reminded me of lemon butter – with an edge of spicy oak. Think of a fresh baked apricot Danish and you’ll get the picture. Crisp and vigorous to finish.

Continue reading

Cask Wines

‘What is it with cask wines? Are they any good?’ The question arose, yet again, at a recent wine course.

I replied that casks (foil or plastic bags of wine in a cardboard box) have their place – in the home – if not in the restaurant. I argued that cask wine is a useful standby in the kitchen, in the same sense as instant coffee, tea bags, and dried milk, and not only is cask wine handy as a cooking ingredient but also for a quick snort when you don’t have an open bottle handy.

Continue reading

Duckhorn Vineyards

Notes from a tasting of Duckhorn wines presented by Margaret Duckhorn. They have obviously put a real whack of money into their operation and are sincere about quality. The use of various ‘duck’ names and logos is of an extent that even had me, an unrepentant punster, ‘quailing at some of the material she presented.

Continue reading

Notation des vins

« Faut-il noter les vins ? »
S’il y a une question qui revient sans cesse, et qui au passage provoque entre amateurs quelques joutes verbales pas piquées des hannetons, c’est bien celle-là. Si tout le monde est d’accord pour dire que l’on peut décrire un vin, du moins décrire la façon dont on l’a perçu, les choses se gâtent sérieusement quand il s’agit de s’accorder sur l’art de synthétiser tout cela par un chiffre, unique, effroyablement précis.

Continue reading