The Cheese and Wine Tasting Eve

Seraph Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2010
A crisp, smooth sauvignon blanc reminiscent of Sancerre. Partnered with an equally smooth goat's cheese this was a white which pleased a table of predominantly red wine drinkers. Virgin Wines offer a reserve version which claims to put Sancerre to shame, so that's going straight on my list to try with Sancerre historically being my choice white.

Berberana Rioja Reserva 2006
A fine Rioja, extremely smooth and surprisingly light. Referring back to the Cuna De Reyes listing earlier in the blog, this Rioja has interest and complexity which the other was lacking; less oaky and less powerful than some but many of those sacrifice smoothness in their name. This was apparently bought from Tesco and is normally a £13 bottle, the price seems fair as too many supermarket Rioja's at around £10 have seriously underwhelmed.

Vina Del Perdon Rioja Gran Reserva 2000
Powerful but tremendously smooth, the age and quality really shows through. One of the best Rioja's I've drunk and impressively good value from Waitrose (around £10). How far the difference in power and complexity relates to age versus vineyard intrigues me given the three quite different bottles of this wine that I've written about so far.

Cadi Ponti Sicilian Shiraz 2010
Age isn't everything of course, and this Shiraz was magnificent. Delivering powerful spices and a richness which combined beautifully with Camembert, there is admittedly a small risk that by this point I was a little drunk and therefore less able to distinguish quality. Nonetheless, the flavours were definitely there and I'll be tempted to pick up another of these as it is low in the price range but strong without being overpowering.

Bellevue Estate Cellar Reserve Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2009

I was moments away from opening this bottle when I read the front label to refresh myself of the winemaker's notes. It summarised with 'should drink well anytime over the next two years'. Thinking it best not to argue with the winemaker and that a year in storage would be worth the wait, I put it back in the cupboard and began looking through my other wines. Finally I changed my mind again, thinking that in my yearning for learning I should in fact try a young wine, saving bottle #2 for the right age. Finally I realised I am in fact a total moron, because it's 2011 now and a 2009 bottle, so it's already had two years of maturing prior to me buying it. So, finally, I opened it and poured.

Firstly, it's fair to say Chardonnay isn't really my thing. I quickly decided when I began drinking white wine in hotter weather that Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc were superior. This Chardonnay first reaffirmed these thoughts, but halfway through the first glass I began to appreciate it a little more - although not usually my ideal white, the flavours were strong enough and interesting enough to keep me thinking and tasting. This is the second Chardonnay I've had this year, the first at a wine tasting, and that was similar to this in that it didn't remind me of the overcompensated sweetness of mass production. It's a bottle I could drink in it's entirety in an evening, without thinking about food it would go with, what might or might not have improved it, and without getting bored. Still not comparable to a great Sauvignon Blanc, but it certainly has its place, and right now it's place is in my throat with a little burn of spice as I finish a second large glass and correct my resultantly bad spelling.

Cuna De Reyes Rioja - 2009

It is certainly fair to describe this as a good wine. It is simple but pleasing, smooth, very drinkable. It had none of the bitter aftertaste which some good bottles I have drunk seem to give even when the primary flavour itself it great. However, while complex flavours may not be a natural attribute of Rioja I have certainly had bottles which sparked my interest more, changing my expression to one of gleeful surprise. This lacked that something extra to set it apart from the crowd: a good, smooth and drinkable Rioja, but without the bite of some others. It is hard to say whether this will change with maturity, developing more layers of flavour to provide intrigue, or something a little powerful as an overtone. I’ll hold onto the second bottle I have and find out - a little research may give me the timeline that is right. I wonder where a guide to ageing wines can be found? Strangely no vintage is given anywhere on the bottle, although I know this one to be a 2009.

Vinazza Garganega Pinot Grigio 2010

I've recently been put off Pinot Grigios. Often too much acidity and the propensity for the second and third glass somehow not to compare favourably with the first, has left me opting for the more reliable Sauvignon Blancs. This is a little different and the nose gives fruit which is carried through in a smooth white which is not intense but is very pleasant. It doesn't have a great deal of punch in its flavours but in a wine which you expect to be crisp and clear it ticks all the boxes with some pleasant subtlety to boot. I imagine a grilled white fish or pasta salad would accompany this perfectly (as advised) but we having roast chicken and the wine went well. Very drinkable: my girlfriend who rarely goes for a second glass of any wine ended up quite tipsy on her third. There's definitely a hint of apple in there - unexpected for a white which isn't sweet and which has subtle flavours and isn't especially fruity. For now this has restored my faith in a grape which supermarket mass production seems to have butchered in all too many cases.

Vino Uno - Beneficio Cellar Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre 2008

Full bodied but without feeling heavy - very smooth. You can taste the time it has spent maturing and the flavour is strong but with a little sweetness. I have three bottles of this, so will be keeping one for a year or two longer. Bottle number two I'll be drinking next time steak is on my menu. Having got this in a case where the bottles averaged less than a tenner, I was only a little surprised that the normal price for this little fellow is just short of a score. Frankly you can taste the price tag, which is both good and bad, depending on how you look at it.