Whatcha drinking (2023)?

[Yorky]

My first bottle of wine for over a year..........

And my second bottle two days later.......

Mont Clare 3 s.jpg

• Yorky
• 31 Dec 2022

Funny how all of a sudden you get a taste for something.

 

[detroitdad]

Old Forester 1920 old fashioned

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

 

[TastyReuben]

 

[Shadow]

It has been a while since I contributed to this thread, I have been negligent. So going to show some bottles from last year that were of interest for one reason or another.

First up, to celebrate canada day (1st july), it had to be this:

2017 Hidden Bench Riesling - From Ontario, Canada. Delicious, refreshing, great flavour with a steely minerality (this is a good thing!). Organic. Still very young, would keep for at least another 7 years, but not in my home. Only 10.5%. About C$25.00. (apx £15.00). Not available in UK.

 

[Shadow]

Others in july:

2020 Rickety Bridge Chenin Blanc

2020 Fontan Tattoo Blanc

2020 Guillaume Aurèle Rosé

Rickety Bridge - from South Africa, where the best chenin blanc is made outside of the Loire Valley. Much is cheap 'n' cheerful, some are very good. This was full bodied and well-rounded. Very enjoyable. £11.50.

Fontan - from Cotes de Gascogne, SW France. A classic case of the wine not living up to the label ! (I'm usually immune to this condition). A blend of sauvignon blanc and gros manseng (GM). I am not a huge fan of savvy b, so bought this because I thought the GM would add to its character. It did, but not enough!. Disappointing and overpriced. £11.50

Rosé - from Languedoc, S France. Made in the Provençal style. Light salmon pink, soft with good body and zesty. A blend of syrah, cinsault and grenache, all you would find in a provence pink. Excellent as an apero and with any summer food, like one of my faves, Salade Niçoise! Very good. £9.25

 

[karadekoolaid]

This is our second little bottle of liqueur we brought back from Normandy:

Sort of a gentle Calvados?

 

[Shadow]

August comes around and plenty of fresh fruit around. A perfect end to a meal.

2011 Domaine de Durban Beaumes de Venise

Muscat is the grape, from the southern Rhone Valley. Sweet with Intense grape flavour. (Bizarrely, muscat is the only grape that tastes of grapes when made into wine!). Excellent as an apero and as a dessert wine, widely considered France's best dessert muscat. Durban is a top producer. Red Beaumes de Venise is also available. (White or pink from this area is classified as Cotes du Rhone). An underrated wine these days, it used to be the only sweet wine on a restaurant list in the UK. £9.25 (from the cellar door).

2007 Gulfi Neroblejo

From Sicily and one of the island's top producers, made with 100% organic Nero d'Avola, the red grape of the island. Matured in new oak barriques, fresh and bold, not overpowering in spite of 14% abv, complex and very long. Reflects its sense of place. No signs of age at all. Quite superb. Sadly my last bottle. A bargain at £17.50. (Bought 10 years ago, so likely to cost much more these days!).

2018 Le Roi Boeuf

Drunk this in a lovely little restaurant in Calais in late september. It was heavily promoted, so asked the staff if it was any good, they recommended it, not just something they had bought too much of and were trying to offload to unsuspecting tourists. Still not totally convinced, asked for a sample which they gladly provided. An unusual blend of merlot, tannat and cabernet franc from the Landes region which is near Bordeaux. It was designed to be drunk at the local annual beef festival. Very good.

 

[Shadow]

Mid to late september, a little foreignness is required. So, imagine you are on a road trip in northern france and intend to go to the birthplace of the inventor of the saxophone - Adolphe Sax. He was born in Belgium so you cross the border and look at the map and see a town called Chimay only a few km up the road. That must be where the beer comes from, I'm thinking. Stop in Chimay but cannot find a brewery only an 'english pub' going by the name of The Queen Mary! I kid you not. Discover 'L'Espace Chimay' is 9 km to the south. Highly recommended - usefully, it has a restaurant and accommodation attached.

I was not aware that Chimay also make cheese. Also highly recommended and as you might imagine, the cheese pairs with the beer rather well.

The next day, back in la belle france searching for a local cheese, Maroilles, and the Saint Humbert Brasserie Artisinale. Much easier to find cos its on the main drag in town. Operated by the personable owner Bruno. (Last name Ryberzynski - very french).

From left: Blonde 6%, Ambrée 6% and Triple 8%. All brewed in the tiny weeny space seen behind the rope, above. All very good too, although the Triple is not to my unsophisticated (beer) taste. Stayed for a sandwich, a lovely atmospheric space.
Eventually found a farm from where to buy Maroilles cheese. Very pungent. Works brilliantly to create flamiche.

Imagine you are on the same road trip in northern france and at the first overnight stop, the guy at reception asks if you would like a local beer as an aperitif before going out for supper, it would be rude to say, non. So he brings me one of the most delicious beers I've had in ages. Maybe I was thirsty. Looking at the label, I see it is unpasteurised and unfiltered, so not surprised to find plenty of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Pour carefully! The brasserie is only 5km away but sadly closed the few days I'm in the area. A few days later, I find some in the french equivalent of a farm shop and drink it with an evening snack more days later.

Santé!

 

[Shadow]

And that brings us round to 10 days ago (apologies for poor standard of focus, could possibly be user, shurely!?):

2018 T Haag Schloss Lieser Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett

German riesling - from the Mosel, only 8.5% abv. So had a glass or two while prepping veggies at 11.00…without any ill effect ! Still very young, another wine that did not last long enough in my ‘cellar’ to mature fully. Off-dry. Would be much better in 4 years time and lasting to at least 2033. Superb. £15.50.

NV Cuvée Tradition Champagne Hostomme

This has been my 'house' champagne for near on 20 years. 100% chardonnay. Just suits my palate. €27.00 cellar door/available in UK under Harrods own label £40.00.

2015 Château Heritage Saint Elie

Heritage - from Lebanon, blend of cabernet sauvignon and cinsault. Very dense and rich. Different from Musar. (And cheaper!). No signs of age, still young, easily good for another 7 years or so. (Which pleases me cos I have 10 more bottles in the 'cellar', but i dont think they will be around for 7 years!). Only available from independent and specialist delis (in UK). Was excellent with roast beef. Amazing value at £17.00.

 

[The OMWC]

August comes around and plenty of fresh fruit around. A perfect end to a meal.

2011 Domaine de Durban Beaumes de Venise
View attachment 94595

Muscat is the grape, from the southern Rhone Valley. Sweet with Intense grape flavour. (Bizarrely, muscat is the only grape that tastes of grapes when made into wine!). Excellent as an apero and as a dessert wine, widely considered France's best dessert muscat. Durban is a top producer. Red Beaumes de Venise is also available. (White or pink from this area is classified as Cotes du Rhone). An underrated wine these days, it used to be the only sweet wine on a restaurant list in the UK. £9.25 (from the cellar door).

Durban has always been my favorite BdV. And it's not horribly expensive so it's perfect for a sabayon. Vidal-Fleurie used to produce an excellent one as well- not sure if they still do since their acquisition some years back.

And our white wine for the first course at New Year's dinner. Picky Eater is, thankfully, more adventurous in her drinking.

 

[Shadow]

And our white wine for the first course at New Year's dinner

Oooh, lovely! I would have really enjoyed that.
What did you have to eat with it?

 

[The OMWC]

Oooh, lovely! I would have really enjoyed that.
What did you have to eat with it?

Spinach pkhali and butternut squash with a ginger-tomato sauce.

It was an odd dinner in that we usually drink local (I'm convinced that FLX is among the greatest wine regions on the planet). This time, we did have a local sparkler, but white, red, and dessert were all France.

 

[karadekoolaid]

From left: Blonde 6%, Ambrée 6% and Triple 8%. All brewed in the tiny weeny space seen behind the rope, above. All very good too, although the Triple is not to my unsophisticated (beer) taste

I´ve been fortunate enough to have access to some Belgian beers recently; both in the UK and the USA. These are beers to sit and enjoy, to savour, like a fine wine; not beers to chug down while watching a game of football! The flavours are, in some cases, extremely complex, like the Trappistes Rochefort . My favourite, when I can get hold of it, is Delirium Tremens - perhaps more for its creative presentation than for the content!

 

[Shadow]

when I can get hold of it, is Delirium Tremens - perhaps more for its creative presentation than for the content!

Oooh, not sure I'd buy a beer called DTs. And I'm far too mature to give it to unsuspecting beer drinking visitor!?!
What's the abv?