Tag: Bunch Wine Bar

Bunch Wine Bar September Tasting

After a break over the summer it’s back to Bunch Wine Bar in Liverpool for a tasting of wines specially chosen by co-owner Lara in honour of her birthday.

A wet and rather wild night in Liverpool marked the start of autumn and many could be forgiven for having a night in front of the television. As usual the tasting was held downstairs and there were no spare places as far as I could tell. As usual the wines were well chosen and served at an appropriate temperature. There is always something interesting to try at these tastings which is why I enjoy them so much. The surroundings are ideal for a small, intimate tasting where all are free to contribute questions or comments if they so desire.  These tastings are fun which is exactly what drinking wine should be.

Festejar. Pétillant Naturel. Patrick Boujou. Auvergne. – From the south eastern edge of the Loire Valley, this delicate rosé is made from 100% Gamay. Light red in appearance with a slight haze. Quite closed on the nose but the palate is strawberry, cherry and some slight floral notes. The carbonation is really gentle giving an almost creamy texture to the wine, strawberry and cream, what’s not to like! A slight savouriness on the finish. Very nice.

Ortega. Tillingham. Peasmarsh, East Sussex. 2017 – Made from 100% Ortega, a grape variety well suited to the English climate as it is quite hardy and not as susceptible to frost damage as some other varieties. As with many natural wines, production is quite small with only 1000 bottles made in 2017. Barrel fermented, no fining or filtration and only low sulphur dioxide levels ensure that the purity of the fruit is preserved in this lovely, very drinkable wine. The aroma is intense, grapey, elderflower and florals. The palate is dry and the acidity is quite high but is balanced by lovely stone fruits. The texture is quite creamy and there is a touch of spice on the finish.

Fist of Fancy. Chardonnay. Kyle Dunn. Swartland. South Africa. 2016 – I was unsure about this wine at first but with plenty of aeration it opened out to be a very nice wine indeed and great value for money. Lemon citrus and a smokey minerality are key here along with a hint of biscuity vanilla. Shows lovely balance and a great chardonnay for all those that don’t like chardonnay!

El Bandito Testalonga. Swartland. South Africa. 2016 – made from 100% Chenin Blanc which has had 10 day skin contact to produce an orange wine that shows just how subtle this style of wine can be. There are oranges, stone fruit and some light caramel here. The wine is dry with a nice finish. A wine for food, very nice.

Baby Bandito. Follow Your Dreams. (Magnum). Testalonga. Swartland. South Africa. 2017 – Made from 100% Carignan. A wine for everyone to drink when they need reminding what life is all about! Nose of red fruits and a touch of wild herbs. The palate is dry, red berry fruits, cherry, some cola and an olive savouriness. A well made wine that is worthy of some serious attention.

Chatrons de Garde. Andrea Calek. Ardèche. France. 2014. – the back story of Andrea Calek makes for interesting reading and his wines make for some interesting drinking if this example is anything to go by. Aromas of dark berry fruits, cola, liquorice and a touch of farmyard! There is some real character here. The palate is dry and the dark fruits are smokey, there is a touch of pepper but it is very subtle. Tannins are a little dry. A great food wine but having said that I enjoyed it on its own.

New World Natural Wines

The monthly tasting at Bunch Natural Wine Bar on Berry Street in Liverpool had as its focus natural wines from the New World. While New World wines have a considerable share of sales in the UK the natural wines are perhaps not very well known and not so often encountered. This may be for a number of reasons but principally production is often small, in relative terms, and many wineries can sell their production within their own country. Couple that with the fact that natural wines are often made with little or no sulphur dioxide at bottling  means that they perhaps do not travel as well, especially over the huge distances from Australia and New Zealand. With these facts in mind it was a tasting that I very much looked forward to.

Naturalist Pet Nat. Cambridge Road. 2016. Martinborough. New Zealand. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris from Martinborough at the southern end of the North Island. The varieties are vinified separately using wild yeasts then blended together prior to bottling. There are aromas of lemon, pear and stone fruit which make this a very inviting drink. Dry but with a slight creamy texture thanks to the gentle mousse. Well balanced and with a lingering finish of lemon and a touch of bread yeast. Visit their website here

Since I Fell For You. Gewürztraminer. Ovum Wines 2016. Oregon. USA. Taking its name from a Nina Simone song this is a well made wine. Bags of floral, rose petal, lychee notes give way to tropical fruits. Medium bodied but rich in texture it is creamy with a hint of sweetness. The finish is long and floral. There is a purity of fruit here and a lovely freshness. This really is very nice. Visit their website here

Riviera Del Notro. Roberto Henriques 2017. Bio-Bio Valley/Itata. Chile A blend of Muscat, Semillon and Corinto. All have been vinified separately with skin contact; the Muscat for 5 months, Corinto for 7 months and the Semillon for 3 weeks. The wine is yellow/green with the slightest haze. There are intense aromas of grapes, roses and honeyed tropical fruits and this is reflected on the palate but with a slightly medicinal flavour. There is some volatile acidity. The wine improves a little in glass developing a smokey character. Very dry and a finish that lasts almost forever! A marmite of a wine, I became more of a fan as it opened out. Visit their website here

B’Rose. Yetti & the Kokonut. 2017. Barossa Valley. Australia.  David Geyer and Koen Janssens began their label as recently as 2015 and now make a range of low intervention wines from grapes sourced from the Barossa and Eden valleys in South Australia. This rosé is an unusual blend of Gewürztraminer (vinified on skins), Cabernet Franc and Grenache. It is a glorious salmon pink colour with aromas of strawberry fruit with a few floral notes thrown in. The palate is light, juicy red fruit, slightly off dry in style. My sample had warmed a little in glass and would have benefited from being a little more chilled but this is not an unattractive wine that would certainly go down well in the garden on a hot sunny afternoon. Their range is well worthy of further investigation.

Rockwell Red Blend. Minimus Wines. 2016. Oregon/Washington. USA. Winemaker Chad Stock started the Minimus label in 2011 with an underlying philosophy to embrace experimentation in winemaking and to continually strive to explore all the possibilities available in this region of North Western USA. This is the second vintage of Rockwell, a blend of 40% Tempranillo, 26% Sauvignon Blanc, 14% Viognier, 16% Syrah and 4% Chenin Blanc. This is a very unusual blend with lots of red fruits, floral, smokey, candy floss. There is a slight sweetness on the front palate but it is dry on the finish with some grippy tannins. There is an awful lot going on here – a crazy blend that actually works very well. Smooth, very drinkable and a lot of fun. Try it and you may be surprised just how much you like it. Visit their website here

Terracura Syrah. Silwervis Wines. 2015. Swartland. South Africa. Winemaker Ryan Mostert has made a New World wine which is very much Old World in style, reminiscent of the great syrahs of the France’s Rhone Valley. The nose is a little closed but there are hints of berry fruits and smokey spice. The palate is dry with dark berry fruit, leather and peppery spice. The finish has some lovely brambly fruit. This wine needs a little time to soften a little at the edges. Very nice now but put a bottle or so away for a few years and it will be well worth the wait. Visit their website here

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.