Wine blog
My tasting notes of fine wines I have enjoyed.
Tasting the Vin des Hautes Alpes IGP wine in the thin air at more than 1600 m. in a mountain hotel in Cervières on the road to the Col d’Izoard, this is immediately a soft red wine for the mountains. A distinctive and slightly peppery taste reminiscent of the Swiss Valais or the new Austrian reds, this one is more tangy than a Mondeuse from Savoie. No great after-taste or bouquet but a refreshing and slightly tangy swig, standing up well to the locally-sourced soupe des ortilles, ie nettles. It tasted best with the local cheeses, Bleu de Queyras lightly scented with parsley and a soft goats cheese laden with fresh herbs.
Chateau Maurac, 2005, a Cru Bourgeois from St. Seurin de Cadbourne, Haut-Médoc AOC, in Terry’s garden in Preston Park, Brighton to accompany wild pigeon he cooked for us pot-au-feu in a sauce made from myrtilles from Corsica, on a bed of celeriac with green vegetables. The redcurrant flavours of the fine claret complementing the myrtilles from the high mountains and the richness of the meat.
Still more than 25° even as the sun sets and so a fine ending to our August Bank Holiday weekend.
Comparing two widely-available Prosecco wines under the Tuscan sunshine with our midday salads.
Two fine Austrian white wines: Zierfandler 2015 trocken, Winzergenossenschaft Gumpoldskirchen with Grüner Veltliner 2017, Domaine Huber, Traisental. Comparing a forward-thinking bottle of Zierfandler from Gumpoldskirchen with a classic Grüner Veltliner from Traisental.
Read more: Comparing Zierfandler from Gumpoldskirchen with Grüner Veltliner from Traisental
Comparing two strong red wines from the valley of the river Douro in Portugal and then with a port wine from the same area
“animus” Douro 2017 - Vincente Faria, Vila do Conde
Tinta Roriz, Touriga National and Touriga Franca
“gloria” Reserve Douro 2015 - Vincente Faria, Vila do Conde
Aged in oak
These wines are DOC only for the region; both wines are based on Portugal’s main red grape varietal, Touriga National. They appear to be production in excess of the quota for a more specific DOC classification. Touriga National is famous both as a table wine and the main grape varietal for port wine. Both are available in UK supermarkets at an excellent price/quality point with matching labels but neither label gives much further information: we set out to taste what is the difference.
Read more: Tasting “Animus” Douro 2017 and “Gloria” Reserve Douro 2015
