Little ole wine drinker me (us?)

[Shadow]

Love this at the moment....I'm pretty sure we get it from Lidl.

Right, pls do me a favour Adam next time you have a nice win on the Giro, just so the chillen still get fed.
As you like shopping at Lidl, just for a couple more notes, try this or this. Have someone pour approx 50 - 70 ml of your current favourite into a large enough glass to leave plenty of room to add more. Same person to also pour same quantity into another identical glass of which ever other bottle was chosen. You are not to see which is which. Drink both and tell me which you prefer.
And if you won really big, say Almeida e/w at 100/1, try this, I think you will love it!!!

 

[Adam4868]

Right, pls do me a favour Adam next time you have a nice win on the Giro, just so the chillen still get fed.

They're teenagers....they need to start looking after me 😁

As you like shopping at Lidl, just for a couple more notes, try this or this. Have someone pour approx 50 - 70 ml of your current favourite into a large enough glass to leave plenty of room to add more. Same person to also pour same quantity into another identical glass of which ever other bottle was chosen. You are not to see which is which. Drink both and tell me which you prefer.
And if you won really big, say Almeida e/w at 100/1, try this, I think you will love it!!!

Shall certainly give them a try,although I think I've had the Puglia can't be sure though.Had a couple of glasses of my usual last night after some cycling,really easy to drink or maybe that's just me.
Anyway I'll be watching the highlights with this tonight 😁 win on no win !

 

[Shadow]

Had a couple of glasses of my usual last night after some cycling,really easy to drink or maybe that's just me.

Funny that. Anything half-decent with alcohol is easy to drink after a ride I find- so not just you!

Anyway I'll be watching the highlights with this tonight 😁 win on no win !

Should be very good. Booths have a very good reputation for their own label kit. Sadly, their nearest store to me must be about 450 km away - a bit too far to ride out for a bottle.

 

[Shadow]

A Tale of Two Wines, One Vintage - 2016

2016 was a very good year for english sparkling wine and also in europe generally for red wines. Let's see how they are getting along...

Court Garden is one of my favourite english sparklers and one of the best in east sussex, underrated possibly, because others are more well-known. 2016 is their current vintage. Colour is a very deep yellow, much more than the image shows. Tons of flavour, the bready or yeasty notes I like with the tell-tale dash of lemon of english sparklers coming through. Long. I could drink loads of this quite happily. Will keep going for another 2 or 3 years easily before showing signs of decline. Excellent. And for english fizz, very good value for £27. Would have made an excellent choice for Charly III's celebration but I missed it by a week!

Onto @Mad Doug Biker's favourite red seen upthread. My bottle lacked the netting of MDB's. Nice fruit but not jammy, nice dash of american oak, dry almost dusty, soft tannin and smooth, a bit short on freshness. A very good version of a rioja look-alike. This would have 3 years ageing a good portion in oak and then in bottle before gong to market. - it would not be more because the 'medals' awarded were from 2020 competitions. This peaked about a year ago and is now showing signs of gong downhill. Still good value at £6.
I've since opened another bottle and it is better. More upfront fruit. less dustiness and more fresh. Keep drinking but be wary. Remains good value.

 

[Adam4868]

Bad photo sorry but had this tonight,and nice it was.
View attachment 689845

View attachment 689846

 

[Shadow]

2004 Viña Tondoñia

I really fancied a top notch rioja on saturday so it had to be this. One of my favourite wines, a wine all wine drinkers should try at least once before they die. It is quite unlike anything else. Lopez Heredia (LH) make traditional, long lasting wines, the reds from Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo grapes. Clarified using egg white from the estate and bottled directly from cask, unfiltered. Rioja reservas by law have to be aged for a minimum of 5 years. LH ages this for a minimum 6 years in barrel - they have their own cooperage, which is unusual - and time in bottle. The current vintage is 2011, hardly recent! It tastes old, no upfront young fruit, maybe a hint of plum but loads of spicy, earthy, leathery notes plus the traditional american oak trace of vanilla. Soft tannin and a streak of refreshing acidity. Gorgeous. Consumed alongside chicken with tarragon, vermouth and cream. A perfect pairing.
Cost about £15 approx 7 years ago, directly from the winery. 2010 available in UK at £36 - now well out of my price range. But if you would like a hint of what it tastes like, the crianza from LH, Viña Cubillo is around £15. Also highly recommended.

 

[PK99]

2004 Viña Tondoñia
View attachment 690804
I really fancied a top notch rioja on saturday so it had to be this. One of my favourite wines, a wine all wine drinkers should try at least once before they die. It is quite unlike anything else. Lopez Heredia (LH) make traditional, long lasting wines, the reds from Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo grapes. Clarified using egg white from the estate and bottled directly from cask, unfiltered. Rioja reservas by law have to be aged for a minimum of 5 years. LH ages this for a minimum 6 years in barrel - they have their own cooperage, which is unusual - and time in bottle. The current vintage is 2011, hardly recent! It tastes old, no upfront young fruit, maybe a hint of plum but loads of spicy, earthy, leathery notes plus the traditional american oak trace of vanilla. Soft tannin and a streak of refreshing acidity. Gorgeous. Consumed alongside chicken with tarragon, vermouth and cream. A perfect pairing.
Cost about £15 approx 7 years ago, directly from the winery. 2010 available in UK at £36 - now well out of my price range. But if you would like a hint of what it tastes like, the crianza from LH, Viña Cubillo is around £15. Also highly recommended.

I am sad that Rioja has {mostly} shifted from the American-oaky-smokey-long-aged character to the much more fruit-forward (Parkerised?) French oak style. A great deal has been lost and modern Rioja has no distinctive character anymore. I understand the commercial drivers to the change, but I'm still sad.

 

[Shadow]

I am sad that Rioja has {mostly} shifted from the American-oaky-smokey-long-aged character to the much more fruit-forward (Parkerised?) French oak style. A great deal has been lost and modern Rioja has no distinctive character anymore. I understand the commercial drivers to the change, but I'm still sad.

I think most rioja still has a distinctive character, it has just changed, however, I take your point. There are both styles, the modern French oak style and the more traditional american oak style. What is difficult and often frustrating is discovering which is which from looking a the label of a bottle from a producer you do not know.

 

[PK99]

I think most rioja still has a distinctive character, it has just changed, however, I take your point. There are both styles, the modern French oak style and the more traditional american oak style. What is difficult and often frustrating is discovering which is which from looking a the label of a bottle from a producer you do not know.

Oh sh!t.

Do you mean I need to sample lots of Rioja?

 

[mistyoptic]

Oh sh!t.

Do you mean I need to sample lots of Rioja?

Nah! Move up the road to Ribera del Duero instead

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Bonkers cheap Merlot from Aldi with a lovely deep, rich taste well beyond its price point of £5.49

 

[Shadow]

1st July. Canada Day 🇨🇦.

So must have a canadian wine! Ex-neighbours over for supper before they move to new apartment.

NV Philippe Martin Champagne - brought by friends so won't complain. Like the yeasty flavour, just starting a slow decline into old age.
2019 La Grosse Pierre Chiroubles - the lightest of the 10 Beaujolais crus, yet this has depth too. Excellent with Watercress Roulade with bacon and mushroom cream filling. A real star.
2017 Charles Baker Riesling - brought back from my last visit to Canada. Archetypal 'kerosene' aroma, streak of acidity, delicious. Could easily age another few years.
2017 Semillon Dessert - an aussie Sauternes look-alike made by de Bortoli, makers of Noble One, a superlative truly iconic wine. An absolute bargain from Tesco at only £6.25. One of the Tesco Finest range.

 

[PK99]

1st July. Canada Day 🇨🇦.

So must have a canadian wine! Ex-neighbours over for supper before they move to new apartment.
View attachment 697471
NV Philippe Martin Champagne - brought by friends so won't complain. Like the yeasty flavour, just starting a slow decline into old age.
2019 La Grosse Pierre Chiroubles - the lightest of the 10 Beaujolais crus, yet this has depth too. Excellent with Watercress Roulade with bacon and mushroom cream filling. A real star.
2017 Charles Baker Riesling - brought back from my last visit to Canada. Archetypal 'kerosene' aroma, streak of acidity, delicious. Could easily age another few years.
2017 Semillon Dessert - an aussie Sauternes look-alike made by de Bortoli, makers of Noble One, a superlative truly iconic wine. An absolute bargain from Tesco at only £6.25. One of the Tesco Finest range.

New wine region sweet wines represent exceptional value. Climate and skill working your favour without the obscene land value surcharge of Sauternes.

 

[Shadow]

For those of you who like inexpensive red wine in general, &/or good value spanish reds &/or good value garnacha (yes, that means you @Adam4868), you should try this garnacha from Campo de Borja, Spain, available at Sainsburys stores for only a fiver, at the moment. Part of their Taste the Difference range. It is quite fruity, could do with more grip and the 14.5% abv is barely noticeable, but at a fiver is an absolute bargain.
Especially as the Chancellor now takes exactly £3.50 out of the £5. That leaves only £1.50 for bottle, label, transport, retailer margin. And a few pence for the poor bugger making the stuff. I do not think it will re-appear on the shelves once it has gone.

 

[Adam4868]

Thanks I'll take a look next time I'm in... currently drinking this from Sainsburys taste the difference range.Partner bought me a few bottles for my birthday,with the cycling theme in mind obviously 😁 Do some decent deals such as the buy any six bottles and get 25% off.They dont seem to last that long though,the wine that is not the deals.