Yes today the Winepost is one year old - one year ago today we posted our first "proper" post - from the Wineshow - one whole year - variations in number of posts per month ranging from quite a few to not very many - from just 100 visitors (August 06) to 493 (April 06) and around 350 this month. I'm amazed that so many people come and look at my ramblings - and even more amazed that some people are return visitors - so tell me what you like, what you don't like and even when I should just shut up!
Towards the end of the year I'll be giving out the winepost awards - everyone else seems to give our awards so why shouldn't I? Categories will include - most minging wine of the year, wine personality of the year, winemaker of the year, wine of the year and good value wine of the year - noone needs to enter - to win all you need to do it have met me or had me drink your wines - winners of all awards (except minging awards) will also have a link to their site placed in the links section - if you make or distribute a wine and think you should win this award then do feel free to contact me!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Chateau Sainte Eulalie
For one afternoon of our trip we decided to head out of the St. Chinian region and head to La Liviniere in Minervois and after a bit of a journey we arrived and were welcomed by Laurent Coustal, a very genial Frenchman, looking more like a banker that a wine maker (though in truth it is his wife who actually makes the wine) and ushered in - starting with Printemps d'Eulalie 2005 Rose - perhaps the best Rose we tasted on the trip which had delicious red fruit and just a hint of liquorice on the palate - definately a light pink colour rather than the salmon or orange that Rose can creep towards.
By this stage we were beginning to enjoy ourselves, Laurent learning English phrases and us improving our French, and next up was Plaisir d'Eulalie 2004 - the basic chateau red made from 40% Grenache, 40% Carignan and 20% Syrah - red fruits to the fore, relatively simple but incredibly drinkable - especially in a wine that costs about £3.50 - deeply coloured, chewy and some clove and toasty aromas mixed in with rounded blackberries - the nose was a little closed - however subsequent tastings (we bought a case - and got it home in the little Clio!) have shown that this can really open up delightfully.
Up next was the Cuvee Prestige 2003 - around £5 - again plenty of colour and this time a suggestion that the wine will improve for perhaps a couple more years (Laurent thought perhaps 3-4 years m0re) - the vintage giving it extra fullness but also bringing it's drinking forward a couple of years a wine of great balance and structure, yet also with finesse and style and a little gentleness - not a great blockbuster as some of the Carignan dominated wines have been (this is grenache dominated) however spicy vanilla and black fruit flavours are delicious now - I can't wait to be writing on this in a few years time.
Last of all came La Cantilene 2004 - this is a Syrah dominated wine - so far more depth and power than the previous wine with black pepper and vanilla and a touch of rosemary and thyme - however at this stage my notes dried up - I began to panic - Laurent was taking a phone call and I realised - no cash - and I want some of this - no in fact I want a decent amount - much as I had loved the wines of St. Chinian it wasn't that these were better - but they were better value AND Katherine really liked them too! Fortunately despite apperances - there in the corner was a credit card machine - we were saved - so we duly placed our order - tried to pay - only to discover that Laurents daughter was on the internet so he couldn't get a line out! And eventually paid and to our delight were given a small parting present of a bottle of La Cantilene 2002 - a lesser vintage but nonetheless a delightful addition that I shall look forward to immensely!
By this stage we were beginning to enjoy ourselves, Laurent learning English phrases and us improving our French, and next up was Plaisir d'Eulalie 2004 - the basic chateau red made from 40% Grenache, 40% Carignan and 20% Syrah - red fruits to the fore, relatively simple but incredibly drinkable - especially in a wine that costs about £3.50 - deeply coloured, chewy and some clove and toasty aromas mixed in with rounded blackberries - the nose was a little closed - however subsequent tastings (we bought a case - and got it home in the little Clio!) have shown that this can really open up delightfully.
Up next was the Cuvee Prestige 2003 - around £5 - again plenty of colour and this time a suggestion that the wine will improve for perhaps a couple more years (Laurent thought perhaps 3-4 years m0re) - the vintage giving it extra fullness but also bringing it's drinking forward a couple of years a wine of great balance and structure, yet also with finesse and style and a little gentleness - not a great blockbuster as some of the Carignan dominated wines have been (this is grenache dominated) however spicy vanilla and black fruit flavours are delicious now - I can't wait to be writing on this in a few years time.
Last of all came La Cantilene 2004 - this is a Syrah dominated wine - so far more depth and power than the previous wine with black pepper and vanilla and a touch of rosemary and thyme - however at this stage my notes dried up - I began to panic - Laurent was taking a phone call and I realised - no cash - and I want some of this - no in fact I want a decent amount - much as I had loved the wines of St. Chinian it wasn't that these were better - but they were better value AND Katherine really liked them too! Fortunately despite apperances - there in the corner was a credit card machine - we were saved - so we duly placed our order - tried to pay - only to discover that Laurents daughter was on the internet so he couldn't get a line out! And eventually paid and to our delight were given a small parting present of a bottle of La Cantilene 2002 - a lesser vintage but nonetheless a delightful addition that I shall look forward to immensely!
Monday, October 30, 2006
Chants des Cigales 2003 - Domaine La Linquiere
The top wine from Linquieres - a slightly bizarre place in that you go to taste their wines in a small boutique situated away from the actual domaine. The wines in general from this domaine were drinkable, if not all that exciting - by this stage everything was to be judged against Canet-Valette and Maurel Fonsalade who were perhaps the best winemakers we came across. This wine had animal and oak aromas - which initially seemed slightly unpleasan, however the wine itself was fruity and had plenty of structure, red fruit flavours and enough acidity and tannin to suggest that perhaps another few years in the bottle would do this the world of good - either that or the domaine had not let the wine breathe enough before serving it - either way it was good but not that good (E11.90)
Friday, October 27, 2006
Dow's LBV 1999 Port
Wow! - Just picked up a couple of these in Somerfield for a massive £2.24 a bottle - surely THE bargain of the year - I can see Port Jelly, duck in port, beef in a port and shallot sauce, port in port, and of course port in a glass all coming up over the next few weeks!
Le Vin Maghani 1995 - Dm Canet-Valette
The older brother - and indeed far more expensive brother (1999,2000 & 2001 all 20Euro's the 1995 40!) this had everything the 2001 has - only so much more - fabulous it if wasn't twice the price of the 2001 it would have been coming home with me as it was it is a distant memory to be savoured. The wine unsurprisingly tasted pretty similar to the 2001 - except that the tannins were softer, there were some dried fruit notes and the wine was so much more complex than the later vintage - worth more than 2001 - yes - worth double - no way!
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