Wine | Postcards From Here and There

October Tasting at Bunch

The October tasting at Bunch, the natural wine bar on Berry Street in Liverpool, provided the opportunity to taste six wines chosen by host Bobby in honour of his birthday.

Muller Thurgau. Pet Nat. Minimus. Oregon. USA. Slightly off dry with a lovely gentle mousse. There are pears, touch of honey and some bready yeast from the lees which gives the wine a nice texture. There is a slightly floral edge to the finish.

El Bandito Cortez. Testalonga. 2017. Swartland. South Africa. 100% Chenin Blanc from vineyards planted in 1972. Hand harvested, whole bunch pressed. Half fermented in stainless steel and half in large, old barrels then blended together. Nose is very understated with some apple, pear and stone fruit character. The palate is dry with a good rounded texture with stone fruit, almond and a slight touch of honey. Shows lovely balance with a hint of white pepper on the finish. Very nice indeed.

Cutis Deviner. Sobodne. 2015. Slovakia. Deviner is a cross between the rare Slovakian Devin and Traminer. Skin contact for 5 weeks. Ambient temperature ferment outside in open vats. The wine is then aged in old barrels for two years. The palate has lovely balance with orange, apricots and a floral touch giving a nice texture. An orange wine for those that don’t like orange wines! Very enjoyable.

Pomagrana. Lectores Vini. 2017. Catalonia. Spain. Very light in appearance. The nose is expressive red fruits, strawberry, cranberry. The plate is light and juicy, herby and slightly savoury with a hint of pepper on the back palate. A red wine that can be chilled down. Very enjoyable and good value.

Suspended Animation Syrah. 2017. Skinny Legs. Swartland. South Africa. Good depth of colour, nose is dark fruits and touch of farmyardy Brett. Palate is dry with dark berry fruits, it is savoury and smokey. tannins are dry. Needs to open out a little to show its best.

La Milla. Borgata. Piemonte. Italy. Dolcetto from 60 year old vines. Intense, inky colour. The nose is not very expressive with some black fruits and a hint of mint. The palate has earthy black fruits, a little spice and dry tannins. A wine for food.

Canon La Gaffelière Visit

Facts

Chateau Canon La Gaffelière is located at the foot of the slope south of the medieval town of Saint Émilion.

It has been owned by the Von Neipperg family since 1971.

At 19.5 hectares it is planted to 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Production of Canon La Gaffelière is around 7500 cases.

In 1988 they began to move towards organic practices and in 2014 they received full organic certification.

They have been propagating their own vines to maintain the genetic diversity of their vineyards rather than buying genetically identical clones.

Fermentation largely takes place in wooden vats purchased in 1997.

The property sources barrels of French oak from 8 different coopers. Toasting is medium and medium plus. Between 40% and 60% is used depending on the vintage

It was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the 2012 reclassification of the wines of Saint Émilion.

The Von Neipperg family also own the 4.5 hectare La Mondotte which is situated east of Saint Émilion. The first vintage under their ownership was 1996. Certified organic since 2014, production here is much smaller at 650 to 1000 cases

Tasting

Chateau D’Aiguilhe. Castillon -Cotes de Bordeaux. 2014. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 30% new French oak. Grapes are from a 25 year old vineyard purchased in 1998. There are plums, black fruits and spice here in a nicely balanced wine with a nice finish. An excellent example and very drinkable.

Clos del’Oratoire. Saint Émilion Grand Cru. 2013. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 40% new French oak. Plums and red fruits with a slight floral note. Medium bodied, light spice and dry tannin. A delicate hint of coffee on the finish.

Chateau Canon La Gaffelière. Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion. 2011. 60% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 80% new French oak. Black and red fruit, savoury spice and a touch of floral perfume. the finish is long and savoury. Very Good.

La Mondotte. Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion 2006. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Great depth and complexity of aromas, black fruits chocolate and spices. Smooth and rounded with lovely black fruits, black olive and a touch of caramel. The finish is long and lingering. This is a fantastic wine and drinking well now.

Wine Society Liverpool Tasting Highlights

The Wine Society held ‘A World of Fine Wine’ tasting in The Crypt of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. As usual this walkabout tasting was well attended and there were some very nice wines on show.

Here are some my personal favourites on the night.

Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV. A delightful champagne, with lemon, red fruits and a toasty biscuit. A nice mousse and quite full bodied with a lingering lemon and biscuit finish. Very drinkable!

Fefiñanes Albariño. Rias Baixas. 2017. The nose is stone fruit, peach and apricot with lemony citrus. The palate is medium bodied with lovely balance. Refreshing. Very nice.

Sandhi. Santa Rita hills. Chardonnay.2014. This is delicate and well balanced chardonnay. Lemon rules here along with a hint of toast and a great lingering finish. A great chardonnay.

Ockfener Brockstein. Riesling. Spälese. Zilliken. 2003 Rich and powerful with acidity to balance and the fruit shines through, stone fruit with a touch of honey and orange. A wine of real class.

Domaine de Bellene. Nuits-Saint-Georges. Vieilles Vignes. 2012. Red berry fruit, cherry and an earthy core make this a very enticing wine indeed. The palate is medium bodied with some lovely savoury red fruits and a slight sweetness. Well balanced and drinking so well. Excellent.

Miles Mossop. Max. Stellenbosch. 2014. The nose is a little closed with hints of black fruits and plummy spice. The palate is much more expressive, with nice balance and structure. Very approachable and very drinkable. Great value for money.

Cairanne. Haut Coustias. Domaine de L’Oratoire Saint Martin 2015. A big, intense nose of red fruit, cherry, clove and dried herbs. The palate is full and rich with red fruits and a savoury, peppery finish. This is excellent.