by | January 16, 2026 · 6:07 am

Right grape, wrong country.

A pale yellow wine with a distinctive Riesling nose. The palate was rich yet mouthwatering with the bottle age adding a pleasing complexity. Dry – not ‘German dry’ – which made me suggest Alsace. Very good.

(Iphöfer Kronsberg Riesling Alte Reben, Wirsching, Franken 2020)

[Geoff: The last of a lovely case of Franconian wines from TWS. Iphofen-based Wirsching are the largest privately owned weingut in Franconia with 90 ha of vineyards. (Anne Krebiehl, The Wines of Germany). Wurzburg is the Franconian centre and the vineyards are around the loops of the river Main. Riesling is the second most planted grape after Silvaner and ours had had time to develop deeper, somewhat earthier notes that balanced out the attractive lime notes. A complex wine I would have no problem re-ordering..]

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by | January 15, 2026 · 4:21 pm

Wine from the Co-Op …

… an Italian co-op, that is. Produttori del Barbaresco was started in 1894 and revived in 1958. It’s aim is to highlight the Nebbiolo grape from the town of Barbaresco in a lighter, fresher – and less expensive – wine than Barolo. They also make a Nebbiolo with the Langhe DOC, their entry level wine. This is a ‘fall back’ for Barolo and Barbaresco producers. This one is 100% Nebbiolo thought they can use other grapes. 2023 was a very hot vintage and the vines suffered water stress. The wines tended to be lighter than normal and are able to be enjoyed earlier. (14% abv)

It appeared a low intense red with a purple rim with a forward cherry nose with some cranberry notes. Red fruit dominant this was all primary notes. The palate was attractive, long, dry, some tannins with a concentrated kirsch almond mid-palate and some sourness on the finish. An easy drinking , attractive wine.]

[Richard: we never have much luck with this grape so this wine was a surprise. Purchased from TWS on the back of some good reviews, £23. Light in colour but with plenty of flavour. Tangy and savoury with the wine equally good on day two.]

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by | January 15, 2026 · 3:51 pm

Chateau Montrose 2006

Tasting each other’s wines ‘blind’ is an enjoyable challenge as we’re forced to concentrate and make deductions from the looks, nose and taste of the wine. No label means no expectations. I wonder what I would have experienced if I had known this was a 2nd growth St Estephe from a ‘classic’ vintage – despite a wet September. The whole estate was green harvested (removing of unripe clusters) to concentrate the ripened fruit, a maximum of six bunches per vine was the objective. It’s 72/28 Cab Sav/Merlot, matured for 18 months in 60% new oak barrels and represents 35- 40% of the chateau’s production.

App: deep ruby, brown rim. Nose: dark fruits, pronounced oak notes, classic pencil shavings of claret, some lift with red fruit freshness Taste: faint fruit taste, tannins dominate, very subtle end note of dried fruits. Not particularly complex or fruity – and we like ‘traditional’ clarets – it was, tasted blind, okay. There was a sense of gravity about it and it had that ‘well-made’ feel but, considering its status, I found it underwhelming. Too young perhaps as Montrose is known for its longevity. Interestingly, 2006 was the year that the chateau changed hands to the present owners, the Bouygues family.

[Richard: this was a Xmas present around 2011 from my late father-in-law, who sourced it, via a friend, from the Sunday Times Wine Club. Reviews have never been great with the predominant complaint being too much tannin. I hung onto it but decided it was time. On opening a lovely nuanced nose but, as so often happens with claret, the palate disappoints. Little fruit, thin (12%), unsophisticated.]

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by | January 10, 2026 · 4:21 pm

Serendipity strikes again…

Another blind tasting that featured, as it turned out, very similar wines.

Mine was a bright medium red with a rather dusty nose with red/black fruits. Pleasant mouth feel, quite rich with black fruits and a tangy, sweet/sour balance. Slightly raw for a 16 year old wine but a very moreish and recognisable claret. According to the website the blend is 45% of merlot, 40% of cabernet sauvignon, 10% of cabernet franc and 5% of petit verdot. I’d never heard of the Chateau but they produce 180,000 bottles a year.

(Château Carcanieux Cru Bourgeois Médoc, Waitrose £17.)

[Geoff: This seems to be a Waitrose standard and it was the year that attracted me. The hot 2010 vintage produced thick skinned grapes and tannins gave structure to the rich fruits. A blend of Merlot/Cab Sav/Cab Franc/Petit Verdot in 45/40/10/5 percentages. Rich, structured, some duskiness still ‘young’ but drinking nicely now. Very good value but I think Waitrose are on to a later vintage now. The property is owned by the Taillan group (Merlaut family) who also own some Cahors winemakers.]

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by | January 8, 2026 · 6:05 pm

The Institution.

Serena Sutcliffe wrote that Bollinger “is not merely a champagne – it is an institution”. This institution is still family owned by the holding company SJB and also includes Ayala champagne, Maison Chanson in Burgundy, Langlois-Chateau in the Loire and Delamain cognac. The majority of their wines come from their own vineyards, which is unusual in Champagne. We tried their Special Cuvee – 60% PN, 25% Chard. and 15% PM. The blend includes up to 10% reserve wines and is aged on lees for 5 years. The dosage is circa 8 g/l.

App: golden yellow, small lively mousse. Nose: ‘old’ note of cooked apples, rich and freshened with some subdued acidity. Taste: dry but not harsh, medium length, soft, low acidity presence. A lovely champagne, if a little short, but certainly different to many of the well-known names because of its softness.

[Richard: I rarely drink Grande Marques, preferring – really on cost grounds – grower champagne or even English Sparkling. So perhaps my expectations were too high. This bottle was from a 2024 mixed Xmas case, so hard to price. I wasn’t as impressed as G having tried it over two nights. On both occasions I thought it a little jejune. Old wine on the nose, but none on the palate which I found both a little too raw and disappointingly short.]

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by | January 7, 2026 · 12:38 pm

Take a seat.

“A Boekenhout is the Cape beech tree prized for making furniture, hence the seven stylish 18th century chairs.” “Er okay. So the link to wine, then?” “The company’s craftsmen fashion wine out of natural products just as the old craftsmen did.”

We sat down and tasted the Boekenhoutskloof 2017 Syrah from the Swartland WO. The grapes come from two sites, handpicked, and taken to the Franschhoek winery. Fermentation is in concrete followed by maturation for 18 months in large Austrian oak barrels.

The colour was an intense, bright ruby and there was a rich red/black fruit smell, very forward. There was a lovely blend of acidity, tannins and spice on the palate with a pleasing earthiness at the finish. A very well made wine, combining New World richness with Old World delicacy.

[Richard: I always think that Syrah, when properly vinified, is the purest of the red grapes and this is one such example. Plenty of fruit, fully mature, some complexity and that lovely Syrah taste. From Waitrose Cellar in a 25% off promotion so about £30. They currently have the 2021 at around that price if you buy 3 assorted bottles.]

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by | January 3, 2026 · 2:56 pm

A tale of two bottles…

Geoff spotted this in Waitrose and we both bought a bottle.

I opened mine on Wednesday. Clear and bright, a little lighter than the photo suggests, but cork on the nose (Angie smelt it and said ‘chopped wood’) which carried onto the palate. Thin, attenuated, no character, no terroir – didn’t taste like a Riojan wine. Faulty bottle or poor wine? Either way it was the worst of wines…

Last night we tried Geoff’s bottle. It was the season of light, the spring of hope. Identical in appearance but a fresh lemony nose, hints of coconut. Initially sweet to taste then savoury with an earthy finish. A quintessential white Rioja, despite being a Viura and Chardonnay blend and, indeed, it was the best of wines.

(Faustino I Gran Reserva Blanco, 2020, Waitrose £20.)

[Geoff: I think my mate must have had the Ghost of Christmas Past. This is a lighter style of a traditional white Rioja but with all the hints of oak and spices that make it a special white. It has suddenly appeared in Waitrose and is excellent value with both freshness and some attractive oak notes. Recommended.]

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by | January 2, 2026 · 4:29 pm

Yet more claret…

An impromptu, blind tasting of this, last night. Dark red, some signs of age. Big tarry nose which reminded me of Rioja. The taste started sour but there was plenty of fruit on the middle palate, medium length, thick mouth feel and, most importantly, not dried out.

Angludet is always reckoned to produce reliable, if not outstanding wine – I can recall buying some en primeur in the 1980s. This is their second wine, made from young vines. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Geoff tells me this came from M&S in the good old days when they sold interesting wine.

(La Reserve D’Angludet 2010).

[Geoff: Yes, M&S’s wine selection has become safer, more corporate (those dark blue labels are still around) and has a narrower price range.

Right, some interesting facts about Ch. Angludet, courtesy of Anson’s Inside Bordeaux. Peter Sichel, a sixth generation Bordeaux wine merchant), bought the chateau in 1961. The vineyard has been the same size and shape (nearly) for 250 years at least. Its history goes back to the 1400s, possibly before. The plantings are 46% CS, 41% Merlot and 13% Petit Verdot. La Reserve is made from the younger vines. I’ve always thought Angludet as reliable, plumper claret but this Reserve wine went down very well with venison. It has a richness which is attractive and no hint of being tired. Current prices seem to be £35 – 40.]

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by | January 2, 2026 · 3:32 pm

Chateau Moulin-Borie 2016

This domaine is owned by Bruno-Eugene Borie who manages other estates in Listrac-Medoc as well as Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou. Having a clay-dominated subsoil, the centre of Listrac is one of the latest ripening communes in the Medoc, hence the dominance of Merlot in the blends. The commune’s wine tend to struggle in poor vintages although 2016 is described as “exceptional”. The blend is 50% merlot, 40% cab. sav and 10% petit verdot.

Darkish ruby in appearance this had a slightly sweetish, red fruit and woody note on the nose. That woodiness was apparent on the palate which had a tart quality and exrtremely soft tannins for such a young wine in a good year. There was also some spice evident. At £10.99, this is good value if a little dull but a good match for the Christmas red meats.

[Richard: from Aldi, maybe last year. A decent, everyday claret, savoury, rich, uncomplicated. On-offer claret is an Aldi speciality and the ones we have tried have all be palatable, if nothing more, especially if you can keep them for a bit longer.]

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by | January 2, 2026 · 3:03 pm

You learn something new every day…

… such as famous wine that I’d never heard of. Fondillón. This comes from Bodegas Monovar in Alicante and was evidently drunk at royal houses across Europe from the late Middle Ages until the Louse of Phylloxera consigned it to the record books. It’s not fortified but is 16% abv brought about by late-picking the grapes – 100% monastrell – and ageing for ten years in a solera system before release.

A bright orange liquid with viscosity, its aroma was treacly and of burnt sugar, a liquid candy floss. It was sweet in the middle palate but finished quite acidic and had a strong woody aftertaste. I can understand why it would have been liked, in times gone by but tastes have changed – become more sophisticated, perhaps – and food matching wouldn’t have been a priority then. Interesting to try.

[Richard: I’ve wondered about this one for a while – it is £50 – and a few enthusiastic comments from WS members persuaded me. Plus, it’s Christmas. Unfortunately, disappointing. Madeira like nose led into a predominantly burnt taste with little subtlety fro a 30 year old wine. Overpriced as well – you can some superb sherries for an equivalent price, like the Casilla, down thread.]

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