Presenter: Fred Bell
|
May 2013 minutes:
|
| Wines |
Region |
Country |
Source |
Cost |
Comments |
Type |
1.
Spice Trail 2011 Pinot Noir, Kékfrankos
Rosé
|
Matra
|
Hungary |
Waitrose
|
£5
|
12%. Salmon pink
wine with a ripe berry nose and some white peach.
Floral and fruity on the palate there was good
structure, with bracing acidity adding a touch of
steel to its backbone.
“A nice rosé”.
|
Rose |
2.
White
Hall Vineyards 2010 Viognier, Monticello
|
Virginia
|
USA |
Oxford Wine Co.
|
£17
|
13%. A rich nose
with a touch of honeysuckle and mouth coating,
syrupy texture with a slightly bitter-sweet finish.
Agreed by all as a good wine, but the syrupy aspect
wasn’t to everyone’s taste.
|
White |
3.
King
Family Vineyards 2010 Viognier, Monticello
|
Virginia |
USA |
Oxford Wine Co.
|
£18
|
13%. More
restrained example of Vioginer, creamy honeysuckle
on the nose. Plenty of character and a herbal
bitterness on the finish. “French style”.
|
|
4.
Breaux
Vineyards, NV Equation Merlot, Middleburg
|
Virginia |
USA |
Oxford Wine Co.
|
£13
|
14.5%.
Good fruit nose with a little tar and menthol.
Mineral with young tannins (too young) and a little
minty chocolate. “Not married yet”.
|
Red |
5.
Veritas
2010 Petit Verdot, Paul Schafer 4th Edition,
Monticello
|
Virginia |
USA |
Oxford Wine Co.
|
£18
|
14%. Savoury,
meaty nose with liquorice and mocha which developed
a strong coffee aspect in the glass. A very good
wine with great potential but a baby - the harsh
tannins, especially at the front, suggested it needs
3-5 years. "A rollercoaster of a wine"
|
|
6.
Barboursville Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Franc
Reserve, Monticello
|
Virginia |
USA |
Oxford Wine Co. |
£20
|
13%. Deep colour
with a little bricking at the edges. The nose was of
youthful fresh fruit, maybe a little candified, with
some blackcurrant. It was relatively light on the
palate, a soft wine with some raisin sweetness, but
balanced, smooth with gentle tannins and very
drinkable. "No twiddly bits”.
|
|
| 7.
Boxwood
Estate 2007 Topiary Cabernet Franc, Merlot,
Middleburg |
Virginia |
USA |
Oxford Wine Co.
|
£25
|
13.8%. An edgy
wine, syrupy sweet undertones and creosote mixed in
with the fruit. It had bouncing flavours with coffee
and hazelnut from the mid-palate and a tarry finish,
although the tannins started to come across as harsh
after a while. “Not a St. Emilion, but good”.
|
|
8.
Barboursville Vineyards 2007 Octagon, Monticello
|
Virginia |
USA |
Oxford Wine Co.
|
£28
|
13.5%. A touch
of polish on the nose along with dark, rich
blackcurrant fruit - but a pure fruit, not cordial.
A serious and fruit forward wine this had a powerful
attack but the finish whimpered a little. “A good
Claret blend”.
|
|
9.
Breaux
Vineyards 2005 Nebbiolo, Middleburg
|
Virginia |
USA |
Oxford Wine Co.
|
£30
|
14%. Old looking
wine with serious browning in the glass. The nose
was difficult to describe so we settled on
“intriguing”. On the palate there was sour acidity
and tannins with roasted flavours and a balsamic
aspect. "An oddball wine".
|
|
|
15/05/2013 |
Raffle wine: Monsaterio de las Viñas 2009 Old
Vine Garnacha
Won by: Bernard Newman |
