Dessert Wine Tasting, November 2009

SOON TO BE ADDED

Californian Red Wine Tasting, November 2009

SOON TO BE ADDED

Champagne Tasting, October 2009

SOON TO BE ADDED

Wine Society Committee Training Tasting, October 2009

Thanks to Alistair Goddard for another consumate hosting performance in this, our first wine tasting for 2009/2010. The wines sampled were:

1. “Tesco Finest” Fiano, IGT, 2007
Origin: Menfi, Siciliy.
Available From: Tesco, £5.20
Comments from the tasting: Excellent value, very drinkable.

2. Camel Valley “Cornwall” Brut, 2006
Origin: Nanstallon, Bodmin, Cornwall, England
Available From: Dart’s Farm, Somerset, £19.99
Comments from the tasting: Perfectly nice, but can get much better for £20. Too light; lacks structure; too acidic.

3. Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc, 2008
Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand
Available From: Majestic Wine Warehouse, £10.99
Comments from the tasting: Nose: passionfruit, lychee, elderflower; some said: pineapple, mango, citrus, melon. Palate: dry, acidic, strong front palate taste but no body — fades away. No finish (or mid palate for that matter). Perhaps a problem with the bottle?

4. Wild Earth Pinot Noir, 2006
Origin: Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand
Available From: Rannoch Scott Wines, £16.29
Comments from the tasting: Appearance: magenta, crimson, medium opacity. Nose: beautiful – raspberry, blackberry, vanilla, plum, violet, stewed fruit, cherry. Palate: dry, medium acidity, low tannin, light body despite very full taste. Notes of stewed blackberry, plum, with spice — lovely. Conclusion: an excellent wine.

5. Domaine de la Vougeraie, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, 2006
Origin: Clos de Vougeot, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Available From: Berry Bros. & Rudd, £72.40
Comments from the tasting: From the biggest Grand Cru vineyard — Clos de Vougeot can be of variable quality, but this one comes from the top. Appearance: ruby/ garnet — quite translucent. Nose: raspberry, grain, farm smells, pig, mushroom, christmas spices (nutmeg/ cinammon/ clove), fennel, chicory. Quite a list! Palate: incredible length, beautifully smooth, perfect structure and balance. More please!  A superb wine.

6. Matetic EQ Syrah, 2007
Origin: San Antonio Valley, Chile
Available From: Majestic Wine Warehouse, £18.49
Comments from the tasting: Appearance: purple. Nose: blackcurrant, caramel, dark chocolate, oak, wet leaves/ damp. Can smell the alcohol. Palate: full-bodied, beautiful, very tannic back palate, very smooth mid-palate. Licorice notes. Another very good wine.

7. Guardian Peak “Lapa” Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007
Origin: Stellenbosch Range, South Africa
Available From: ?, £17
Comments from the tasting: Lapa = building in which communities congregate/ commune. Appearance: dark ruby/ purple. Very opaque. Nose: creme brulee/ burnt sugar/ caramel, dark chocolate, blackcurrant, earthy. Palate: dry, tannins; very smooth, very acidic. Delightful.

Committee’s Choice
A vote was taken at the end of the evening to determine the Committee’s favourite wine. With one exception, every wine received at least one vote — a testament to the quality of Alistair’s selection. The Tesco, Nautilus, Matetic and Guardian Peak wines all received a single vote.

The remainder of the committee voted for one of the pinot noirs — the Wild Earth or the Clos de Vougeout. These two were outstanding exemplars of, respectively, the new world and old world styles of pinot noir — the Wild Earth with its clean, fruity notes, and the Clos de Vougeoit with its more pungent aromas. Both were outstanding wines. Ultimately, the committee preferred the new to the old by a margin of 6 to 4. Bravo New Zealand!

Slovenian Wine Tasting, July 2009

SOON TO BE ADDED

Highlights of the Year Wine Tasting, July 2009

SOON TO BE ADDED

Italian Wine Tasting, June 2009

SOON TO BE ADDED

Mexican Wine Tasting, June 2009

SOON TO BE ADDED

South African Wine Tasting, May 2009

SOON TO BE ADDED

Champagne Night, March 2009

SOON TO BE ADDED

Sherry, Sherry Baby! Sherry Wine Tasting, March 2009

Inspired by the Jersey Boys and XXXX, Alistair hosted an excellent survey of the diverse range of wines from the Jerez region of Spain. The most popular wine of the evening was the Amontillado with eight votes, followed by the Sweet Oloroso with six votes, the Palo Cortado with four votes, and the Cream Sherry with a single vote.

Budget Wine Tasting, November 2008

Here is a delayed post of the list of wines from the very well-received tasting organised by Deirdre and Tara last year, which showcased some great wines that we can all afford.

Tasting the Stars – Sparkling Wine Tasting, February 2009

Alistair hosted a splendid evening showcasing excellent sparkling wines for all budgets. Guests were spoilt with not only a Dom Perignon 2000, but also a Krug Grande Cuvée NV. The real winner of the evening, however, was a Green Point Vintage Brut Rose 2004, which not only won the vote when the Dom and the Krug were excluded, but even managed to garner a few votes when they were included.

Georgian Wine Tasting, February 2009

The Wine Society’s connection to Georgia was established last year through the participation of College member (now member of Georgian Parliament) Giorgi Kandelaki. This connection has continued this year with the participation of George Tkhelidze, who hosted an outstanding introduction (with able assistance from Dianne Boodoo) to Georgia’s ancient and continuing vinicultural traditions. The favourite wines of the evening were Tbilvino’s 2003 Saperavi Special Reserve and Telavi Wine Cellar’s 2006 Icewine.

Reds of the New World Wine Tasting, February 2009

All wines of the evening are available at the newly opened OddBins at 78 Southhampton Row (near corner of Theobald’s Road). GC Wine Society Members are advised to see Mick and Nick, the owners of that location, to get 20% off any bottle they have enjoyed during this, or any other tasting!

Bubbles on a Budget

With the economy entering recession and the Society’s Champagne Night still a month away, Alistair offers some sparkling alternatives to champagne.

Canadian Wine Tasting, January 2009

The overwhelming favourite of the evening was the 2005 Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine, which is also the only Canadian wine sold at Waitrose, and likely the most expensive wine served at a Club function this year. Favourite white was the 2007 Grand Pré Ortega from Nova Scotia, a surprising victor from a very new wine growing region. Favourite red was the 2006 Mission Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, the biggest wine of the evening. Of note was the new world/old world divide in the Pinot Noirs, with Henry of Pelham’s 2006 vintage having a more earthy old world sense about it compared to the new world style of Prospect Winery, which had an interestingly spicy and vanilla-like finish.

German Wine Tasting, December 2008

Thanks to Matthias for hosting this excellent introduction to the wines of Germany. The overwhelming favourites of the evening were the three Rieslings — one dry, one medium-sweet, and one a dessert wine.

The Nectar of the Gods – Dessert Wine Tasting, November 2008

Dessert wines possess higher levels of both sugar and alcohol than ordinary wines. Since alcohol is itself produced from sugar, the maker of dessert wines is faced with challenge of imparting higher sugar levels to their wines than are possessed by the constituent grapes. This tasting was organised around four of the five methods commonly employed to increase the sugar levels in a dessert wine. Three of these methods — those producing straw wines, icewines, and botrytised wines — dehydrate the fruit, resulting in a concentrated, sweeter juice when pressed. (Ironically, our exemplar straw wine, Amarone, is actually not sweet at all, as it is fortified after fermentation. It was included in the tasting nevertheless both to ensure the inclusion of a straw wine, and because it is a wine often served with dessert, if not strictly speaking a ‘dessert wine’.) The fourth method is fortification, in which alcohol is added to the wine before fermentation is complete, halting the fermentation process and leaving behind a high residual sugar content. The fifth commonly used method – the direct addition of sugar – was not represented at the tasting.

French Wine Tasting, October 2008

Amandine’s survey of French wine was the perfect start to the year. All wines tried at the tasting are available from Oddbins on High Holborn.