Book 4
650. Château de Saint-Cosme, Gigondas, 2007
So, the real opening was with this – chosen to compliment a main course of game (rabbit, pheasant, venison and squirrel) and beef-shin stew. …
649. Lopez de Heredia-Viña Tondonia, Viña Bosconia Rioja Gran Reserva, 1991
I wonder if this bottle – stored close enough to the wine shop’s light to be warm on purchase – might have been a …
648. Bodegas Las Orcas, Decenio Rioja Reserva, 1999
1st bottle was a bit grubby, with dead fruit and grating tannins. The 2nd fortunately proved that this was simply corked. In fact, this …
647. Planeta, Cometa Fiano IGT Sicila, 2009
The quality of winemaking that Planeta are renowned for comes through on this Fiano, yielding a quite complex, deep, but balanced wine that was …
646. Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion Péssac-Léognan, 2001
A rightful second entry for the last bottle of my half-dozen. Perfect with boeuf-en-brioche for Christmas Eve main course. At its perfect maturity now. …
645. Neyret-Gachet, Château-Grillet, 2006
A great start to Christmas Eve dining that changed continually with aeration and warming, to reveal a rich, complex, but balanced white. This certainly …
644. Tenterden Vineyards, Chapel Down Pinot Reserve, 2005
Picked up randomly at Albion Café en route to an afternoon callover / meeting at Albion, just before Christmas. And the day after doing …
643. Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Riesling Clos Windsbuhl, 2003
Another good showing of this wine – I’m very hopeful of the 3L bottle coming in the new year! In Chez Liline, it was …
642. Albert Boxler, Pinot Gris Grand Cru Brand Alsace, 2005
Surprisingly sweet, this – medium at least – which made this probably not a wine one would sit down with and sip – in …
641. Weingut Stadt Krems, Grüner Veltliner Lössterrassen Kremstal, 2009
A decent-value Grüner Veltliner, but well put in its place a few days later by Schloss Gobelsburg’s 2010 Kammerner Renner – which had depth, …