Last Wednesday El Sollinidor (let’s just call him Joe Bloggs, or Joe) and myself headed over to one of Majestic Wines’ London stores, with the express purpose of having lots of free booze. The key aim, underpinning the free booze (or ‘wine tasting’) event, was to learn a little more about whatever different wines there might be to gobble. The format, rather than just throwing lots of different vineyards and vintages in your face until you can’t stand, focused on a small range of styles, giving a good chance for close comparisons. For the whites were three chardonnays each coming from a different part of the world, but apparently more critically from different latitudes and altitudes. For the reds a small table with two Lebanese wines from Chateau Musar, and a table of six reds either from Bordeaux or from the new world but Bordeaux style, all cabernet sauvignon or blends with this as the primary grape.
Chateau Musar – Two wines here, both with the same grape blend and from the same producer. One was their flagship and used the best grapes and was a year older, the other was their ‘second wine’ and a decent margin cheaper. Having tried the cheaper one, we were pretty impressed. Then we drank the other and deficiencies became clear. The latter was better balanced, with more power in its complexity; velvet richness on top of layers of tastes and just as the tannin arrived, an explosion sweetness from somewhere to offset it. Surprisingly it had almost no finish, where the cheaper wine’s finish was impressive. The difference was huge and like the fickle bastards we are we instantly downgraded the scores we had just given to the actually very good lesser wine of the two. Cheateau Musar seems to be a well known producer and you can pick up a bottle from Waitrose if the minimum six bottles needed for a Majestic wines order puts you off. Alternatively, buy six.
The Bordeaux(s) – The first wine of these we drank, the Calicanto 2009 Vina El Principal, was perhaps the most interesting of the evening for me, and yet one which scored poorly. This may be a style issue. The wine was literally (not literally, metaphorically literally) bursting with fruit, subsequently identified as blackcurrants. I’ve never tasted such strong and distinct fruit flavours in a wine, which is why it was interesting. However, it was crap because the intense fruit masked a lack of complexity or subtlety, and failed to mask too much acid and a poor finish. Some would love this wine though, and I can see why, but it’s not for me. Next up were two unmemorable new world wines, following by a Chateau Griviere, which was memorably unmemorable for a 2002 from an apparently well respected producer. It seemed to do almost nothing for either of us - this may be because it followed some younger more intense wines and the subtle flavours were lost... or it may have been past its best drink by date, as indicated by the man pouring it. Finally two immense Bordeaux(s) both of which I found very good, although the slight difference in quality not accounted in the 30% price difference. Neither, for me, was as good as the better Chateau Musar.
Unfortunately we had the three chardonnays first, and my memory of them is poor. However, we did identify some great vanilla aromas which come from oak ageing and identified that we can’t agree on white wine yet. The Sauternes, which we had later along with very salty cheese, was perhaps the second most interesting wine of the evening. Joe, who's happy to say he doesn’t know his whites well and doesn’t like sweet wines, immediately bought a bottle. Impression made.
Chateau Musar – Two wines here, both with the same grape blend and from the same producer. One was their flagship and used the best grapes and was a year older, the other was their ‘second wine’ and a decent margin cheaper. Having tried the cheaper one, we were pretty impressed. Then we drank the other and deficiencies became clear. The latter was better balanced, with more power in its complexity; velvet richness on top of layers of tastes and just as the tannin arrived, an explosion sweetness from somewhere to offset it. Surprisingly it had almost no finish, where the cheaper wine’s finish was impressive. The difference was huge and like the fickle bastards we are we instantly downgraded the scores we had just given to the actually very good lesser wine of the two. Cheateau Musar seems to be a well known producer and you can pick up a bottle from Waitrose if the minimum six bottles needed for a Majestic wines order puts you off. Alternatively, buy six.The Bordeaux(s) – The first wine of these we drank, the Calicanto 2009 Vina El Principal, was perhaps the most interesting of the evening for me, and yet one which scored poorly. This may be a style issue. The wine was literally (not literally, metaphorically literally) bursting with fruit, subsequently identified as blackcurrants. I’ve never tasted such strong and distinct fruit flavours in a wine, which is why it was interesting. However, it was crap because the intense fruit masked a lack of complexity or subtlety, and failed to mask too much acid and a poor finish. Some would love this wine though, and I can see why, but it’s not for me. Next up were two unmemorable new world wines, following by a Chateau Griviere, which was memorably unmemorable for a 2002 from an apparently well respected producer. It seemed to do almost nothing for either of us - this may be because it followed some younger more intense wines and the subtle flavours were lost... or it may have been past its best drink by date, as indicated by the man pouring it. Finally two immense Bordeaux(s) both of which I found very good, although the slight difference in quality not accounted in the 30% price difference. Neither, for me, was as good as the better Chateau Musar.Unfortunately we had the three chardonnays first, and my memory of them is poor. However, we did identify some great vanilla aromas which come from oak ageing and identified that we can’t agree on white wine yet. The Sauternes, which we had later along with very salty cheese, was perhaps the second most interesting wine of the evening. Joe, who's happy to say he doesn’t know his whites well and doesn’t like sweet wines, immediately bought a bottle. Impression made.
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