Wine blog
My tasting notes of fine wines I have enjoyed.
Vacqueyras AOC
Réserve Bessons Dupré 2024
Médaille d’or, concours des vins Orange 2025
A really satisfying Côtes du Rhône wine. Vacqueyras village has its own Appelation Controlée and is situated adjacent to the Gigondas uplands but Domaine Bessons Dupré vineyards are located on the stony garrigue plateau, which suits them fine. The wines from both these Côtes du Rhône villages have come in to greater prominence in recent years. This Vacqueyras vintage gained the gold medal at last year’s festival in Orange and is now on sale widely in Provence.
Bottle of the 2005 vintage from a château favoured for his cellar by my Father in recognition of the name Barton, the same as our neighbours’ in Trumpington, Cambridge.
Clos René 2005, our Christmas claret with roast lamb. Apparently the traditional meat for a celebration feast meal in the Médoc region of Bordeaux; the local lamb in those days was presumably from the sheep grazing the salt marshes of the banks of the Gironde, if not elsewhere in Gascony.
Read more: Christmas claret: Clos René 2005, Pomerol appellation contrôlé
Casher - AOG Zenata - MD Excellence - Domaine des Ouled Thaleb, Benslimane, Morocco
Ouled Thaleb is one of the oldest Moroccan domaines, the vineyards are on the Atlantic coast about 50 km north-east of Casablanca. Ouled Thaleb features a catalogue of wines built around a solid reputation over more than a century. The Casher wine is an assemblage of 40% Cabernet Franc, 30% Syrah, 30% Arinarnoa. It poured as a dark and graceful deep red in the glass. An elegant taste, balanced tannins (lightly oaked) and pleasantly long after the swig.
An exotic send-off from Marseille-Provence airport’s relaunched lounge, Salon Cézanne. The lounge now has more space and a sparse menu of hot food, but has the unfortunate design air of the staff canteen at Alcatraz, due to the control tower and razor wire immediately outside. The Moroccan wine’s good though: enjoy your flight!
A delicate blend of the Corsican version of Sciaccarellu rosado and Niellucciu rosé varietals. We found this bottle poured as a very light peachy colour, with a delicate taste, slightly spicy, more melon rather than vanilla or lemon. An excellent accompaniment to our Mediterranean lunchtime salad facing the azure water of the Ligurian Sea at Menton.
