They say luxury whispers. If Steve Edmunds doesn’t exactly whisper, there’s an audible pause whilst he things about what he wants to say and then quietly sets though a thoughtful response to the question. Gamay Rose 2017 from Edmunds St John. The best rose in the US no less according to Eric Asimov. What’s that? – you could buy a decrepit bottle of SQN 1996 rose for 30,000 $? His rose whispers quality but doesn’t shout it – Produced from Barsotti Ranch and Witters Vineyard, both in excess of 3,000 feet above sea level, it has a lot of savoury …
Coronavirus Drinkathon – Part 5
2017 Bourgogne Aligote Le Clou 34 Claire Naudin-Ferrand “Stimulation in body and cell. For the good and misguided. Desperation I’m under your spell. Misunderstood and derided. Gimme new kicks I want to go deeper Never been to keen a timekeeper Show me new tricks You can get me on the beeper I’m a pure new pleasure seeker.” There are as many ways to enjoy wine as there are wines to drink. The quirky. The drink so fast it could be apple juice. The serious. The difficult. The great disappointments. One follows one. Peak follows trough. But pleasure, that’s important. A …
Coronavirus Drinkathon – Part 4.
2014 Chatons de Garde Andrea Calek For sheer drinkability, style and substance the wines of Andrea Calek take some beating. Whilst they do not offer a total absence of flaws, so much is delivered that complaing about that a hint of VA or some mousiness after day 3 seems a bit childish. A deep core of dark fruit with a hint of bitterness but an abundance of mid-palate complexity to balance things out. This cuvee, made from 100% Syrah has more than a passing resemblance to the mighty Thierry Allemand’s Cornas. As if the two were brothers, Thierry hard working …
Coronavirus Drinkathon – Part 3.
After a quiet day at work, I thought I’d shift some of the tiles in our courtyard. That done, or er, well, on its way – I was thirsty. A good chance to try, 2002 Meursault Clos Velle Darviot-Perrin. Into the premox dangerzone once more. Let’s keep our hard hats on. First bottle was premoxed, not that badly, but enough to merit the sink rather than the throat. Second bottle lovely – not a high-def, powerful Meursault, but really gentle, lightly toasty and drinking perfectly now. Not old in the least. One forgets sometimes how well white Burgundy even of …
Coronavirus Drinkathon – Part 2
Is it the weekend? is it Friday? is it Monday? Who knows, everyday feels the same. Time to uncork another bottle. 2016 Beaujolais Pierre Cotton Ever since Guy Breton recommended the work of Thillardon and Cotton as the best of the ‘new wave’ I’ve gone after his wines. To me, he combines some of the high-wire act of acidity and intensity of Dutraive with a bit more stability, fruit and juiciness. This to me was a perfect bottle of Beaujolais. It was everything one wants. In context, this is only the 3rd vintage out of the traps – Cottons’ first …
Coronavirus Drinkathon – Part 1
What a shitty few weeks this is turning into, with no prospect of immediate improvement. This is the first of a few posts of odd bottles I’m drinking. Taking the opportunity to raid the cellar, flatten the curve of ennui, self-isolate some good bottles and boost the mood. 1999 Latour-Martillac Blanc In my opinion, the spectrum of quality in Sauvignon Blanc is more compressed than for other varieties. At the top you may have say Vatan, Haut-Brion Blanc and at the bottom you may have various Sauvignon Blancs of dismal aspiration and industrial quantity. But in between, the difference between …