So Stu, Joe, Will and I rocked over to Andrew’s pad in Fulham for an evening of wines tasted blind, together with some rather nice food. We’d initially agreed to keep it to one wine each, but we ended up with quite a bit more than this. It was a fun evening. Our blind tasting was terrible, of course. Here are my notes.

Champagne Henri Abele Rose NV France
Lovely, fresh, precise fizz with a hint of cherry and a bit of bite. Nice balance here with some toast and raspberry notes, too. 90/100

Lune d’Argent Clos des Lunes 2011 Bordeaux, France
Textured, fresh and bright with citrus and pear fruit. Lively with nice precision. Delicate and pure, with no obvious oak influence. 88/100

Hatzidakis Assyrtiko 2013 Santorini, Greece
Citrus and pear fruit with some pith and some nutty, waxy notes. A bit of warmth with tangerines and lemon curd notes. Very bright. 91/100

Puklavec Gomila Furmint 2012 Slovenia
Pithy and lively with citrus fruit and some nutty, herby, waxy characters under the fruit. Lovely precision and intensity. 89/100

Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 Margaret River, Australia
Some evolution here, with complex notes of herbs and warm spiciness. Concentrated with good density and notes of blackberry, mint and spice. Beautifully elegant with great complexity and really nice balance. 95/100

Stag’s Leap Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Napa Valley, California
Focused, bright and pure with sweet cherries and berries. Lovely sweet fruit dominates, with purity and definition. Ripe style, and very accessible and easy. 90/100

Rockburn Pinot Noir 2011 Central Otago, New Zealand
Elegant supple cherry fruit. warm, spicy, sweet fruit with notes of spice and green herbs. Seductive and quite rich. 93/100

Grant Burge Mesach Shiraz 1995 Barossa, Australia
Ripe, rich and spicy with lovely blackcurrant fruit and some ginger and mint characters. Dense with a bit of grip and quite youthful. Good acidity. 91/100

La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 1998 Rioja, Spain
Meaty, spicy and complex with aromas of vanilla, herbs and spice. The palate has real complexity with cedar, herb, spice and coconut characters under the warm cherry fruit, together with hints of leather and spice. So integrated, stylish and complex, this is a lovely wine that needs a bit more time still. Fabulous. 96/100

Contino Reserva 1991 Rioja, Spain
Warm with notes of herbs, spice, minerals and cedar, as well as ripe raspberry and cherry fruit. There’s some earthiness, too. Complex and nicely evolved, this is delicious. 92/100

Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz 2008 Beechworth, Australia
Ripe, sweet and rich with notes of black cherries, plums, olives and meat. Rich, smooth, bold and intense with lovely fruit. A rich wine with some real interest. 94/100