Such a great afternoon. I was speaking with Doug Wregg of Les Caves de Pyrene at the London Wine Sessions in Hackney. We arrived early so headed up the road to Sager & Wilde for a quick drink (Michael Sager Wilde is pictured above). I had a quick beer (Partizan Saison Lemongrass, which I will write up on beeranorak), and a glass of the Navazos Niepoort Palomino 2009.

Navazos Niepoort Palomino 2009 Jerez, Spain
Nutty and tangy with nice depth of flavour. Powerful nutty flavours with rich texture and some spice. Quite mineral, too, with a tangy edge. Quite distinctive and delicious. 93/100

Back at the sessions, Doug and I presented four brilliant wines from the Les Caves list, with a lot of discussion of interesting issues in the world of wine. Well, I thought they were interesting, at least. Here are my notes.

Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves 2013 Saumur Champigny, Loire, France
A classic Loire Cabernet Franc with lovely cherry and raspberry fruit with some green herby notes that are well integrated. Fresh and pure, and utterly drinkable. 90/100

Dard & Ribo Crozes Hermitage 2011 Northern Rhone, France
Meaty, ripe and sweet with bold black fruits and notes of olive and pepper, with some tapenade character. Ripe and rich but really pretty and fresh with lovely purity. This is such a fabulous expression of northern Rhone Syrah. 94/100

Claude Cortois Quartz Les Cailloux des Paradis 2012 Loire, France
Subtly nutty, slightly oxidative and with notes of lemons and apples. Linear, fresh and expressive with nice texture and a profound minerality. Really vital and alive: the sort of wine that repays attention. 93/100

Salvo Foti Vinujancu 2011 Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy
From a vineyard at 1300 m. This is complex and lively with notes of nut, spice and lime oil. Lovely precision. So precise and fresh, this is quite brilliant. It’s a blend of Riesling, Carricante, Minella and Grecanico. 94/100

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