Month: June 2018

Bunch Wine Bar Tasting

Bunch is a natural wine bar on Berry Street in Liverpool. Since its opening in late 2017 it has hosted a number of tasting events. The latest was in conjunction with Wines Under the Bonnet and featured wines from the Muscadet region of western France.

Naturlich Pet Nat. Landron Chartier 2017  – Coral pink in appearance with aromas of red fruits and rose. Palate is dry with a good mousse giving a nice mouthfeel. Delicate red fruits with a nice finish of raspberry.

Gros plant, Cognettes 2015 – Production of wines has been organic since 2009. Fermented using wild yeasts in tank and then spending 6 months on lees. Aromas of green apples with some tropical notes. Palate is dry with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Fresh acidity is balanced with delicate fruit, apples and stone fruits. Very good value for money.

Plongoire. Les Chants Jumeaux.2017 – Pale lime green with a slight haze and very light effervescence that quickly dissipates. Nose shows slight oxidation but palate is fine with stone fruit and some nice acidity. A quirky wine that is actually better than you might first think.

Cognetterra Gwenn. Cognettes 2015 – fermented in amphora with 10% whole berries using wild yeasts. Aged for 12 months in amphora. Nose is stone fruit and herbs. The palate is peach and pear, its soft, round with a touch of sweetness and a long, lingering peachy finish. A very appealing wine with real character and finesse. Excellent.

La Plage. Les Chants Jumeaux 2017 – A rosé that is actually light red in colour. Aromas of red fruit and perfume. Palate is light and delicate with  strawberry and a hint of biscuit. Finish has a hint of earthiness about it

Trait Gamay. Remi Sedes 2015 – First vintage was in 2013. Nose is dark red fruits, earthy. Palate is full and concentrated, dark red fruit, cola, violets and leather with tannins that still need to soften. A wine with good structure that has the capacity for further ageing. Excellent.

Also tasted but not part of the tasting;

Mayga Watt. Vignereuse (Marine Leys) Rosé Pétillant 2017 – Salmon coloured, slightly hazy. Aromas of strawberry, raspberry, bubblegum and a hint of fennel. Palate is delicate red fruits, off dry. Most gentle mousse. Very nice.

Liverpool Terracotta Warriors

Liverpools’s World Museum on William Brown Street plays host to the exhibition China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors until October 28th. You can visit the museum’s website here

Qin Shi Huang was China’s first Emperor and when he died aged 49 in 220BC he was buried in a huge mausoleum that had reportedly taken over 700,000 men to build. The huge construction lay undiscovered until the spring of 1974 when farmers digging wells for irrigation came upon it by chance. Subsequent excavations revealed an enormous army of warriors, some 8000 in number, made from terracotta. Much of the site of the mausoleum has yet to be excavated.

The purpose of the warriors was to look after and protect the Emperor in the afterlife. He was buried with everything he could possibly need, including chariots and many everyday objects such as cauldrons and drinking vessels.

In total the exhibition has around 180 artefacts, including 10 warriors, which span 1000 years of Chinese history.

The Golden Horse of Maoling was discovered in 1981 in the mausoleum of Emperor Wu.

As you can imagine the exhibition is very popular and admission is by timed entry to control numbers and give visitors plenty of opportunity to see the exhibits. It is advisable to book tickets well in advance. You can do so using this link

The exhibition makes a great activity as part of a visit to the city. If you have limited time an hour should be all you need to get round the exhibits.