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Two more highlights from this week’s press tasting at Majestic: a couple of lovely Alsace whites from Schlumberger. I love these wines, and at the offer price they are a steal. But they illustrate why Alsace remains a nightmare for consumers. One is dry, the other quite sweet. But nowhere is this indicated on the bottle. [...]
This is a fortified wine from the South of France (Agly Valley, Roussillon), made in a similar way to vintage Port, but from the Grenache Noir variety. It’s a little less strong than Port (16 as opposed to 19/20 degrees of alcohol), but it’s one of the Maurys that have been aged reductively, so it [...] Domaine du Merchien is owned by a Brits David and Sarah Meakin, who moved to the southwest of France (Coteaux de Quercy) to farm and make wine. This wine, JAS, is a blend of one-third each Jurancon Noir, Abouriou and Syrah. Website: www.merchien.com. Domaine du Merchien JAS 2008 Vin de Pays du Lot In August 2010 I reviewed the first two releases of a new high-end domaine in the Roussillon region of France – Domaine of the Bee. It’s the personal project of Justin Howard-Sneyd of Direct Wines. He recently sent me his latest release, the 2009. Now this is in a similar mould to the first two – [...] I was delighted to find a spattering of new wines from the southwest of France in The Sampler yesterday, when I attended the icon tasting. I bought one – a Marcillac- and drank it last night. It was fabulous. Probably a bit more refined and less edgy than the Domaine du Cros that I’ve raved [...] I really liked this wine. It’s unusual in that it is a natural wine, with no sulfur dioxide added, but which is made by a producer who focuses on conventionally made wines in Minervois. Normally, natural wines are made by people who’ve turned away from conventional winemaking entirely. It’s a living wine that has a [...] I hope that regular readers will agree that I’m not a big hype merchant. If I big something up, it’s because I really, really like it. This is one such wine. At under £10 it is a no-brainer, and I’ve already bought some. But a caveat: those who prefer power over elegance (and I’m not [...] Very impressed by these six Beaujolais wines from the 2010 vintage. 2009 in Beaujolais was highly praised as a miracle vintage. The wines were fabulous. And it looks as if 2010 might be just as good, or perhaps even better. These wines were part of a major offer by The Wine Society, and are the constituents [...] Unsurprisingly, Roederer’s Vintage 2005 is a tasty Champagne indeed. Here’s my note on the bottle consumed this evening: Champagne Louis Roederer Vintage 2005 I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I have never been to Alsace. The odd thing is, I really love Alsace wines. So why haven’t I been? Anyway, here’s a spread of different bottles, reflecting some of the different varieties grown in the region. All were pretty good, with the Riesling and Muscat the standouts. Kuentz-Bas Pinot Blanc [...] |
 This is the blog of wine journalist Jamie Goode, online since 2001. Feel free to nose around; your comments are welcomed.
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