Time flies
Posted by Ray O'Connor | Filed under Trade Tasting
Well, time really caught up with me last week. Besides the regular duties of keeping the cogs oiled at the Wine Challenge, there was all the tastings to attend. Sadly I missed the Mentzendorff tasting at Somerset House due to a prior arrangement. Big shame as they have got a great portfolio. I’ll make up for it in a way by visiting Langlois-Chateau, whom they represent, when I’m in the Loire for the next two days. I’m heading out for a flying visit to the Salon de Vins de Loire. We came up with the idea of bringing the horse to water, so to speak. Loire producers at the fair can bring their samples to a specific room at the fair where we collect them and bring them back to the UK, making life a lot easier for them.
But I did make it to the Maison Marques et Domaines tasting at BAFTA where amongst many others I tasted the Mud House wines. This New Zealand winery has only been growing vines for ten years and represnts a fifth of the grapes grown in Otago. The Pinots hit the spot. Subtle, with lovely red fruits and really noticeable acidity, in a good fresh way. The wines of Domaines Schlumberger, who are celebrating 200 years and 7 generations of wine-making, were on show also. Pinot Gris “Les Princes Abbes” 2007 was complex and nutty with a brioche note to it. All this character was sustained by minerality and power.
The Louis Latour Agencies tasting was a tight fit at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, but there was quality as well as people packed in the room. I kept going back for the McHenry Hohnen wines from Margaret River. The 3 Amigos white was particularly interesting as it is made from Marsanne/Chardonnay/Rousanne. It is rich and round on the palate yet powerful. There is a nice creamy texture and evident but subtle oak. Lovely stuff.
That was Tuesday. Wednesday I headed to Great Western Wines celebration of the Languedoc Rousillon tasting at the generic body’s building on Cavendish Square. Only 6 producers present but a great offering of wines. Chateau du Donjon, Minervois, managed to offer delicious fruit at extremely good value. The rose was just perfect – totally quaffable but the fruit was particularly well balanced and easy. La Galiniere Merlot ‘08 from the same estate had lovely ripe fruit and a clean, smooth finish. I’ve known the wines of Mas du Soleilla, La Clape, since I sold them at Maze restaurant. Les Bartelles 2007 is a perfect blend of Syrah and Grenache that would give any Southern Rhone wine a serious run for its money. Great ripe fruits with some liqourice and pepper, it slides down so well. Finally, a wine which was not represented by the winery at the tasting was Domaine Marcevol, Cotes de Roussillon 2005. Grenache, Syrah and Carignan make up the blend of this wine from the Gods. It was a fantastic representation of the local terroir. Not just because it is organically made, but for the herbal, dried fruits and distinct minerality that you would imagine the Cotes de Roussillon producing. That wine is a real find.
Now, it’s off to the Loire to slurp my way round the fair. Bring it on!
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bathmate...