TheDailyClaw

Cheaper in the long run …. and a load of other nonsense came out of my mouth when I was asked this the other day.  The simple fact is, collecting wine satisfies several key attributes of any good hobby:

1. Collecting, a bit like football cards or marbles when we were kids

2. Trading, with friends, again just like in the playground

3. Desirability, again some cards were harder to get than others

Add to that the fact that it’s lovely to consume, especially with friends … I guess the question should be, “Why would you not Cellar Wine?”

I just love this wine, it’s very distinctive and goes equally well with or without food.

A funky nose of spiced poached pear, bit of cinnamon; good strong middle palette, almost soup like texture; a bizarre mix of minerality, savoury and dried fruits with a good strong acidic middle.  Well structured with a good length to finish with, a nice tang to keep you coming back for another glass … or two

Had with homemade pork meatballs and pasta.  

Opened two bottles over subsequent weekends in mid-Feb.

Possibly the hardest cork to remove, Ive ever experienced.  If it had been glued, it would not of been any more work to remove. … But it was definitely worth the effort.

A bouquet of spring flowers and red fruit.  Good mouth filling middle palette, of raspberries and slight red cherry; a fruit sweetness to it, that with the fine tannins and well balanced acidity, made a beautifully concentrated and harmonious drink; very good length, just a wonderful finish, wish I had more to call upon.

I’ll be leaving the last couple of bottles for a year or two, plenty more to come I fancy.

Where to start, getting the cork out I suppose; tricky, but with a little care out came the cork without any mishap. 

Gently decanted the wine, almost immediately the wine opened up; nose of black fruit and forest floor, mushroom goodness, later to show some slight dried oak, cigar box characteristics.

In the glass, a wonderful hue of red with a hint of brown, it looked clear and fresh in the glass, not bad after 30 years.

How did it taste? … well, amazing … mouth filled with black fruit and spice with tannins so well integrated that it just felt perfect, middle palate was sumptuous and felt like silk.  The finish was long and rewarding, at the end the acidity took over.  Personally, I loved it, as it made each mouthful feel fresh.  No sharp corners, just a wonderfully harmonised display.

At £60 from the good people at the Sampler, a real treat for a family Sunday roast beef lunch.

You just cannot beat a good bottle of aged claret; if you have a case in the cellar, lucky you.   

Felton Road Chardonnay 2004 Block 6:

Beautiful clear light golden colour in the glass, a welcoming nose of tropical fruit and marzipan (rose water), slight honey.  A wonderful fresh mineral finish with medium length, a well integrated and rounded feel to the middle palette; tasting of honey and cream, hint of ripe tropical fruit.  No excessive sharpness, just a fantastic expression of quality chardonnay from the new world.

Just came through the letter box, it’s been egely awaited; a truly beautiful quarterly magazine, a good few hours reading and a bottle or two to be drunk in the process. 

Opened a lovely bottle of Mesh Riesling 2006; Clear, bright vibrant in the glass, a lovely lime tinge in colour.  Aroma of citrus, strong lemon; good crisp lively palette, slight petroleum hints to it; strong, long finish.

A really nice Eden Valley wine, dry without being overly harsh.  

Held it’s own with, chicken wrapped in pancetta with cheese sauce and veg  

Firstly, A Louis Jadot 2005 Meursault – light on the nose and appearance to match, citrus and ripe fruit on the palette, medium length, but I felt the alcohol was a little to the front; pleasant enough to drink by itself.

Secondly, Shaw & Smith M3, beautiful clear golden colour in the glass, nose of tropical and citrus fruit, no over-the-top oak just a fantastic mouth filling palette of fruit, with a honey streak through the middle; fresh as you like finish with good long length to it.  

So come on all you ABC’s try some Shaw & Smith and tell me then you don’t want it …

A recent article in Decanter magazine got me thinking, it was an interview with a vicar and a discussion about his wine collection.  In order to satisfy the need not to be attached to material things, he occasionally gives a bottle of his best wine up for Sunday service… Personally I think this teeters on S&M, but hey, I’m sure his flock is most appreciative.

Why did this get me thinking? Well, I don’t always share my best wine with my nearest and dearest; whether or not somebody really appreciates fine wine is the measure of who gets what.  Indeed, having two bottles open at once, one for the more discerning of connoisseurs and one for the rest is often the case.  Don’t get me wrong, any wine I serve up is always a nice bottle; just some are nicer than others.

This cannot be a good thing… But I don’t intend to change, either.  Clearly, this does not bode well for me when the final scores are totaled come the final reckoning…

I’ve only got a couple of bottles of Felton Road Block 5 2004 left, opened one up yesterday; what a genuine treat it was.  Nice bright red cherry look in the glass; lovely complex nose, bit of dried leaf, slight leather, cigar box but only in the background; well integrated red fruit and chocolate, bit of spice.  Medium length with a lovely freshness about the finish.

Personally, I prefer a bit more fruit in this wine, as tasted 6-8 months ago, but this is lovely.  Drank it by itself, wonderful. 

I’m  not a massive fan of Champagne, personally speaking I tend to prefer a NV such as the lovely Alfred Gratien, Brut or a Waitrose own brand Blanc de blancs.  Both extremely good value at just under £20

We had some Waitrose Blanc de blancs at Christmas time, been in storage for about 12 months, lovely fresh, crisp, green apple.  Lovely mouse and an excellent finish, real length; beautiful with salmon and crab canapés, quails egg and celery salt.

Great value and in my opinion better than some of the top marquee brands. 

Had a bottle of the Waitrose blanc de blancs over the week for Nick’s 30th, super stuff.  Enjoyed by all

The best value white wine ever … Well, maybe a bit of a stretch

Opened a lovely bottle of Donnhoff Riesling Qba Nahe, 2006 at under £10 a bottle, it truly does not get much better than this; a beautiful dry backbone of flint, lime, fresh as you like, silk texture and what a finish, long, pure and majestic.

If you can find a better white for under a £10, please let me know; this is his basic wine and what a winner it is.

Oh, I had it with Waitrose chicken kiev and a potato and cheese gratin with peas.

Took part in a lovely tasting at http://www.thesampler.co.uk/ ; husband and wife team, who have a fantastic shop and are looking to expand with a few more; not bad going in the current market. 

They always have a fantastic selection of wines that you can sample, great way to try some classic vintages as well as some new wines, before splashing out on a bottle or case. 

Back to the tasting evening, 5 flights with a good range of wines from St Julien, Margaux, Graves and St Emilion; some good discussion and debate was had with each flight.

Personal favourite was Cheval Blanc, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe A at £150 a bottle

The Margaux at £130 was very interesting; at first almost dead on the nose and not much on the palette; after about 15 mins in the glass, it woke up and became delightful; not classic, but much more elegant and in-line with what I was expecting.

Anyway, if you are around upper street in London, pop by, they always seem very welcoming.