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In the Press
December 2010
17 December
Chateau Briatte an Underpriced Treasure according to Jancis Robinson
Ch Briatte, Cuvée Speciale 2005 Sauternes
"Really sticky, fat, orange, oak-aged bombshell from Preignac. Not complex but good value.
Jancis Robinson, The Financial Times Online
12 December
Domaine Millet Chablis 2008 Voted White Wine of the Week by Decanter
Chablis Domaine Millet 2008
"This generic Chablis knocks spots off many of its more costly Village-level peers. Poised and broad, it is wonderfully vibrant, with a mealy roundness to the nose and a palate run through with mouth-tingling minerals, juicy melon and apple fruit. A finely crafted wine well worth seeking out." 4****, 17.5 Points
Decanter Online
11 December
Gran Lurton Corte Friulano Voted One of Jancis' 75 Sure-Fire Whites
Gran Lurton Corte Friulano, Bodega Francois Lurton 2009
"Clever new name for Argentina’s widely planted Sauvignon Vert, reminding us it’s the same as the characteristic grape of Friuli in north east Italy (which used to be called Tocai Friulano until the Hungarians objected). Full bodied, lightly honeyed with a green streak and an imposing bottle."
Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com
11 December
Victoria Moore's Top Deals this Week
Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2008
"Made by an Italian who began his career in Montalcino, which might explain why this manages to take the best of Argentina — the ripe fruit with its scent of red plum skin — and pour it into a European, almost claret-like structure. Simply superb."
Domaine de l'Aurage 2007
"Another excellent C&B wine, which I recommend in case anyone wants to order half a dozen of each for Christmas (deadline is December 17). The Cotes de Castillon is a good hunting ground for well-priced, merlot-based bordeaux and this is no exception."
Victoria Moore, The Daily Telegraph
6 December
Our Wines Reviewed in the Wine Gang Newsletter
Christmas report - Corney & Barrow
Two things struck us, although not for the first time, at Corney & Barrow's big autumn tasting: how true the wines are to their origins; and how, in general, C&B favours elegance over brawn in its wines. Something else we were happy to see, considering C&B's reputation for being a posh, expensive merchant, was some good wines at under a tenner. Delivery is free for orders over £200 (£12.50 below that); www.corneyandbarrow.com 020 7265 2470; and there are shops in Newmarket and Ayr.
DRY WHITES
Hyde de Villaine HdV Chardonnay 2007 92/100
Napa Valley (California), United States
Dry White (Cork), 14.0% abv
Are we being a bit churlish in not giving this a gold? No question it's very good. It's Burgundian in structure, especially in it's penetrating acidity; it has a rich oatcake nose and it's creamy, savoury, smoky, lemony and long on the palate. But it just seems to lack something. Magic perhaps. In case you're wondering, the de Villaine of the name is indeed Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée Conti. Drink with your bank manager.
Pouilly-Fumé Les Chaumiennes A&E Figeat 2009 91/100
Pouilly-Fumé (Loire), France
Dry White (Cork), 12.5% abv
Classy Pouilly-Fumé Sauvignon with richness and concentration allied to refinement. Juicy, green, gooseberry fruit around a stony, mineral core; satisfying and dense with mouthwatering acidity. Sauvignon as only the Loire can do it. Try with fish such as sea bass or bream or with goat's cheese.
Langhe Bianco Rossese Josetta Saffirio 2008 89/100
Langhe (Piedmont), Italy
Dry White (Cork), 13.5% abv
You can always count on Italy to come up with obscure grape varieties – Rossese in this case. The wine is not aromatic so much as satisfyingly textured and creamy, with fresh herb and slightly earthy flavours and acidity that gives both structure and food matching potential. Try it with a garlicky roast chicken, risotto or herb-baked fish.
Domaine Millet Chablis 2008 89/100
Chablis (Burgundy), France
Dry White (Cork), 12.5% abv
There's always a place for decent Chablis, especially at a half-reasonable price. This has the clean, pure, mineral flavours that we like in Chablis, with a hint of honey and an underlying nuttiness.
Pinot Blanc Auxerrois Cave de Cleebourg 2009 88/100
Alsace, France
Dry White (Cork), 12.0% abv
Pinot Blanc gets rather sidelined by Alsace's more showy grapes, but it can be delightful, especially as an aperitif or with a sliver of quiche. This is right on the button – fresh-faced, floral and apple-scented, mediumbodied and soft-textured with a clean, delicately mineral finish.
Terre de Lumiere Viognier Celliers J d'Alibert VdP d'Oc 2009 88/100
Pays d'Oc (Languedoc), France
Dry White (Screwcap), 12.5% abv
Medium-bodied, convincingly aromatic Viognier from the Minervois region, with an orchard-fresh pear, apple and apricot perfume and vibrant apricot fruit in the mouth. Fresh and well-balanced. A steal at the price. Makes a good aperitif and would be good with something delicately spicy.
Vina Garedo Grupo Yllera 2009 86/100
Rueda, Spain
Dry White (Cork), 13.0% abv
All-purpose, medium-bodied, crisp, dry white made from Verdejo (Spain's approximate answer to Sauvignon). Not a lot on the nose, but lively apple and herbal flavours and a refreshing, crisp finish.
DRY REDS
Cecilia Beretta Amarone Classico Terre di Cariano 2005 94/100
Valpolicella Classico (Veneto), Italy
Dry Red (Cork), 15.0% abv
Top-notch, complex, multi-layered Amarone in which we found – sorry if this sounds indigestible – chocolate and mocha, dried fruit and ripe figs, walnuts and almondy cherries. We also found it dry with a touch of sweetness and we loved the supple tannins. Finally, we just wrote, 'very long, very good'. Try it with game, match it to a chunk of Parmesan or drink it on its own long into the night. And don't forget to get your guests to do the grape test: yes, mainly Corvina.
The Lane 19th Meeting Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 93/100
Adelaide Hills (South Australia), Australia
Dry Red (Screwcap), 14.0% abv
Stylish, sophisticated Cabernet with piercing minty, eucalyptus aromas, concentrated black fruit, spice and cedar flavours and well-integrated oak. Intensely flavoured but finely structured, with the potential to age and become more complex over the next eight years. On the other hand, you could just drink it with a Christmas goose or rib of beef.
One of this month's Five Wines to lay down
Vignobles Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005 91/100
Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Rhône), France
Dry Red (Cork), 14.0% abv
We tasted this just over a year ago and and are happy to report that it was good then but even better now. Elegantly sweet and spicy, with a floral lift to the aromas and a fine tannic framework to keep it going for a fair few years to come. Need something to go with your Christmas goose this year or in 2017? Look no further.
Pinot Noir Muddy Water 2008 89/100
Waipara, New Zealand
Dry Red (Screwcap), 14.0% abv
There's many a fuller, more showy New Zealand Pinot Noir but this has the virtues of clarity and definition – anything but muddy in fact. Nicely shaped with sweet cherry fruit and touches of spice and mocha. Could be drunk with fish or meat.
Nelson Estate Shiraz 2003 89/100
Paarl, South Africa
Dry Red (Cork), 14.5% abv
Chunky Cape Shiraz with mature, spicy, sweet-earth flavours, ripe, blackberry compote fruit, smoky oak and tannins that are still quite burly. Plenty of stuffing and interest, but it's not for anyone looking for a subtle wine. Drink with red meat or game, roast or casseroled.
Saumur Champigny Lieu-dit Les Villaises Cave de Saumur 2008 88/100
Saumur-Champigny (Loire), France
Dry Red (Cork), 12.5% abv
An elegant, medium-bodied red with light, velvety tannins, supple, red-berry fruit and a touch of sweet, spicy earth. Quintessential Loire Cabernet Franc. Serve it slightly on the cool side (if you can bear to at this time of year), perhaps with some lamb cutlets or pork chops.
Château Moureau Minervois 2008 87/100
Minervois (Languedoc), France
Dry Red (Cork), 13.5% abv
Persuasive Minervois with aromatic, juicy raspberry fruit, spicy flavours and an earthiness that seems to come straight from the terroir. Medium-bodied with gentle dry tannins in the background and an overall impression of authenticity.
Château Bel-Air Fût de Chene Graves de Vayres 2003 86/100
Graves de Vayres (Bordeaux), France
Dry Red (Cork), 12.0% abv
This is one of the Bordeaux 2003s that shows a hint of green, despite the astonishing heat of the summer. It's not unpleasant though: it gives a bit of green-pepper freshness to the Merlot-dominated cassis fruit and the gravelly graphite flavours. Medium-bodied and ready for drinking.
SPARKLING WHITES
Champagne Delamotte Brut NV 89/100
Champagne, France
Sparkling White (Cork), 12.0% abv
Delamotte, which gets some of the rejects from the fabulous Champagne Salon (see the Christmas Treats tasting), is best known for its Blanc de Blancs, but this 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir and Meunier blend is very attractive – round and supple with brioche and créme fraiche flavours and a crisp, clean finish.
The Wine Gang Newsletter December 2010 edition
6 December
The Wine Gang suggest some Christmas Treats at C&B
Christmas Treats - Corney & Barrow
A festive round-up of some of our favourite fizz, sweet, sticky and fortified wines for you to serve to the masses/fortify yourself with/give as presents/drink in secret (delete as appropriate).
SPARKLING WHITES
Champagne Salon Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil 1997 96/100
Champagne, France
Sparkling White (Cork), 12.0% abv
Rich but delicate, evolved but fabulously fresh. This rare and exceptional Champagne is made from a single vineyard of Chardonnay in the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and only in the finest years (on average three times a decade). It smells of flowers and macaroons, has hints of walnut, spice and cocoa, is concentrated, creamy textured, long and mineral. Splash out.
One of this month's Five Greatest Wines
Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 92/100
Côtes des Blancs (Champagne), France
Sparkling White (Cork), 12.0% abv
While the exclusive Champagne house of Salon may be beyond many Christmas drinking budgets, its sister house Delamotte is more accessibly priced. This Blanc de Blancs is elegant with crisp apple fruit, a delicate floral streak and a touch of minerality, complemented beautifully by its lively fizz.
SWEET WHITES
Producteurs Plaimont Saint Albert Pacherenc du Vic Bihl 2008 92/100
Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh (South West), France
Sweet White (Cork), 13.0% abv
Concentrated, intensely flavoured and wonderfully tangy sweet wine with flavours of candied citrus peel, Christmas spices and acacia honey. It's made from Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng and, because of its acidity, goes brilliantly with lemon tart and any kind of citrus pudding, as well as with blue cheese and foie gras. The bottle is 50cl.
Château Septy Monbazillac 2007 88/100
Monbazillac (South West), France
Sweet White (Cork), 13.0% abv
Lush, honeyed, crème brulée flavours with touches of spice and barley sugar. Very sweet and ripe with just enough balancing acidity. Useful for matching to all sorts of rich puddings, but not ones with fruit acidity. Half-bottles are available at £5.75.
The Wine Gang Newsletter Christmas Report, December 2010 edition
1 December
Olivier Leflaive Wines Score Highly in Blind Tasting
Puligny- Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru Olivier Leflaive
“Bold, minerally and savoury, with toasted nuts, straw and a smoky, citrus lick, this complex wine was the star of the tasting... Beautiful smoky oak - a really classy nose, and follows through on the palate." 87/100
Puligny- Montrachet Les Meix Olivier Leflaive
“An intense nose, with integrated oak, creamy mineral notes and sweet, ripe fruit... A delightful wine.” 88/100
Montagny Bonneveaux 1er Cru Olivier Leflaive
“Intense floral and white peach flavours, this wine delivers an awful lot of quality not for a lot of money.” 79/100
Imbibe Magazine
1 December
Voted as the Top 50 Great Wines for Christmas by Decanter
Altos de Baroja Rioja Joven 2008
“Aged in barrel for three months, it's a lively, generously fruited number with lifted floral notes, bolstered by flavours of berries and recurrants." 16/20
Chassagne-Montrachet Abbaye de Morgeot 1er Cru Olivier Leflaive 2007
“A lively wine with notes of star fruit, lemon peel and honey on toast." 17.5/20
Barbera d'Alba Fratellis Levis 2008
“Showing all the Piedmonte region's hallmarks : rose petal,violet-kissed red cherries, liquorice and super-fresh acidity - enjoy it throughout the meal." 15.5/20
Decanter Magazine, January 2011 Issue
1 December
Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 09 Receives 5***** from Decanter
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru Domaine Leflaive 2009
"Vigorous palate, layered, compact and marvellously intense and disciplined. A rigorous wine with a very impressive finish." 5*****, 20/20
Sarah Marsh, Decanter, January 2011 Issue
Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 09 will be released en primeur in December
Click here for more information about Domaine Leflaive
