On Friday I spent the afternoon playing cricket. Yes, more play. Less work. Still striving after the elusive balance. It was for the Wine Trade XI, against a touring Aussie team, Canterbury Cricket Club from Melbourne, at Hampton Wick. In a 40 over game, a relatively strong Wine Trade bowling attack kept them to 157-9, and we overhauled this total with just 3 wickets down. They were great sports, though, and it was a game played in a convivial atmosphere. An an example, I opened the bowling and in the second over trapped one of the openers plumb LBW with a swinging yorker. The Aussie umpire gave it, but we called the opener back when he claimed to have got the toe of his bat on the ball.

As is usual, we brought some wine to the game, which we enjoyed with a barbecue afterwards. Some unusual and interesting bottles.

This Clos du Gat Chardonnay from the Judean Hills, Israel, was pretty impressive. It’s a bold, big, self-confident expression of the grape with lots of concentration. Rich but with some balance, and fig, toast and oak notes.

I love Musar, but found this Musar Jeune 2011 a bit hard to get on with. A powerful, dense, fruit-driven wine with bold spiciness and real intensity. Smoke, tar, spice and vivid black fruits.

Something English: an Ortega from Frithsden Vineyard. Delightfully English with aromas of summer meadows, fresh cut grass and delicate citrussy fruit. Light and refreshing.

For me, though, the highlight wasn’t a wine, but an ice cider from Quebec, Canada. The Neige Premiere 2010 weighs in at 12.5% alcohol and has amazing sweet flavours of ripe apples, honey, spice and apricot. Great acidity too. Just brilliant stuff.