Monday 28 July 2014

Bordeaux 725



Technical ignoramuses as we are, it has taken us all these years to work out that there is a figure beside each post which shows the number of hits there have been. Our little blog is not aimed at a mass market to say the least. Our main purpose is to have an aide memoire to help us recall our experiences as the more we drink the less we remember.

Slotovino posts typically get low double-figure hits which is fine by us. A good number of hits are are probably from us anyway. However our sole mention of Bordeaux stands head and shoulders above any other topic we have covered with 725 hits. The nearest most visited post has half that.Why should this be? We were not particularly proud of our Bordeaux post. In it we revised our attitudes (upwards) to White Bordeaux and Bordeaux Clairet (a well overdue correction we thought) and did some personal musing over our last visit there 47 years ago. Hardly of universal interest.

Bordeaux is vast of course. Bigger than the combined vine-growing areas of some entire countries but it has a quality imbalance. The vast majority of produce is under-achieving in spite of recent progress. 47 years ago, there was no Bordeaux or Bordeaux Superieur worth drinking as far as we could tell. Now there seems to be at least some good wine to be had from those denominations.

Thanks to a long-time Slotovino correspondent we were set the task of finding a good Red Bordeaux for around the £10 mark at under 13% recently. Our friend had had no luck in this quest so we gave it a try and for what it is worth here are the results from a very limited survey; originally 12 bottles (with one breakage so 11 bottles in the end) from 2 main sources - The Wine Society and Laithwaites plus one each from Amathus and Berry Bros. & Rudd. Why these suppliers? We thought they would know their Bordeaux and the first two were expert in finding value for money wines.

Overall winner:



Chateau Mouret, Graves. 2010 (Berry Bros £12.25) 12.5%

Our expert writes: 

a good mix of purple colour, very fruity and utterly dry, an energetic
wine which makes for great drinking.
I cannot find a source for it on the
net, strangely - but if it is in the price range you indicated then it
is a good buy indeed.


Other wines he particularly liked:



Reserve Bordeaux Special 2011. (Wine Society, £7.25). 12.5%

When one sees the words reserve and speciale one is well prepared for a
mediocre wine. However this is really lovely - intense, dark,
blackberry and other things, I taste cherry (maybe because it is cherry
season now and I just picked a good few kilos of tarry black
heart-shaped cherries yesterday). Wine experts may say hint of licorice
or anis or some such thing about these kind of wines. what the nose
promises it keeps, and the aftertaste is balanced and very pleasant.
The only thing preventing it from being spectacular is that it is a
tiny tad sour - but this is really nitpicking. I would buy this for
sure. I had it with a pasta of grano saraceno in ground turkey and
tarragon. Really nice.




Chateau Le Ferreau Belair, Cotes de Bourg 2008. (Laithwaites £11.99). 12.5%

The first wine I tried was and is an instant hit: Chateau Le Ferreau
Belair, 2008. It is very well balanced, has a perfect mix of fruit and
wood and tanins. I firmed it up a bit in the fridge since the heat wave
made the apartment and the wine a bit  lax,  so that is why perhaps the
wine tasted a bit younger and fresher than 2008. I am keeping the bottle
and will keep it as a good contender for my house wine.


Controversial



La Chateau vieux Tuquet Bordeaux 2011. (Amathus, £7.90). 12.5%


This one was heftily objected to by two guests, who claimed it is too
dry, to tannic, and not 'tasty'. I attribute most of this to the fact
that this one is anything but an australian shiraz or some such. I then
opened them a 14.5% nebbiolo which I had here and that kept them happy,
while I happily had the Vieux Tuquet all to myself to finish. I liked
it, it does have immense tannins, and has a tad an unpleasant sour
taste. But when squatting on the tongue there is a moment of French
glory, a berry and chocolate (perhaps) mix. Dry and straight but with
poetry. I would drink this again for sure, but it is a bit too extreme
for popular use I'd say.
 

This is all for the moment. Now Bordeaux lovers, do your worst and let's see those numbers take off!
 

Sunday 20 July 2014

D'Agata "Native Wine Grapes of Italy"


There is a lot to say about Ian D'Agata's marvellous new book and we look forward to gathering our thoughts in due course.

As well as being able to award it Slotovino Book of the year 2013/14, we would just like to list here the more obscure grape varieties covered in this essential publication.

Most if not all are entries in 'Wine Grapes' (Slotovino winner in 2012/13) but as mentioned in our 13/14 winners blog, D'Agata's book should be read in conjunction with that volume by anyone interested in Italian varieties.

NB. Under TRENTINO, there is an important omission. Yes the variety named Wanderbara is  conspicuous by its absence. Do we get a free bottle for reporting this? Try entering Wanderbara in Google Images by the way...



ABRUZZO


Cococciola
Maiolica
Passarina






BASILICATA


Guarnaccino
Tamurro Nero






CALABRIA


Guardavalle
Marsigliana Nera
Pecorello Bianco
Roviello





CAMPANIA


Aglianicone
Arilla
Barbera del Sannio
Bariletta
Bianco Antico
Cacamosca
Caprettone
Castagnara
Coda di Cavallo
Coda di Pecora
Coglionara
Fenile
Ginestra
Janese
Olivella Nera
Pepilla
Ripoli
Sanginella Bianca
San Antonio
San Lunardo
San Pietro
Sciascinoso
Serpentara
Sirica
Suppezza
Tronto





EMILIA ROMAGNA


Albana Nera
Alionza
Angela
Barbesino
Balzamino
Bertinora
Bervedino
Bsolla
Calbanesco
Canina Nera
Canino
Cargarello
Cordusel
Cornacchia
Crova
Fogarina
Forcella
Fortana
Lanzesa
Malbo Gentile
Maligia
Marzabino
Melara
Molinelli
Montu
Mostarino
Mostosa
Paradisa
Pelagos
Pela dei Vivi
Ruggine
Santa Maria
Scarsafoglia
Scroccona
Sgavetta
Termarina Nera
Uva del Fanrini
Uve del Tunde
Uva Tosca
Varano Bianco
Varano Rosa
Verdetto = Verdello






FRIULI VENEZIE GIULIA


Aghedene
Corvino
Fumat
Negrat
Pignolo
Sagrestana
Terrano






LAZIO


Abbuoto
Bellone
Campolongo
Giacche
Lecinara
Maturano
Pampanaro
Rosciola
Rossetto




LIGURIA

Albarola
Barbarossa
Crovino
Lumassina
Pollera Nera
Rollo
Ruzzese = Rossese Bianco
Scimiscia






LOMBARDIA


Brugnola
Chiavannesca Bianca
Croa
Invernenga
Merlina
Moradella
Pignola
Rossola Nera
Uva della Cascina







MARCHE


Albanella
Galioppo
Garofanata
Maceratino Bianco





PUGLIA


Bianco d'Alessano
Bombino Nero
Cococciola
Francavilla
Lupigno
Marchione
Maresco
Negro Amaro Precoce
Notardomenico
Pampanuto






PIEMONTE


Avana
Avarengo
Baratuciat
Barbera Bianca
Becuet
Bian Ver
Bonarda Piemontese
Brachettone del Roero
Brunetta di Rivoli
Bubbierasco
Bundula
Cardin
Carica l'Asino
Cascarolo
Celerina
Chatus
Doux d'Henry
Durasa
Gambe Rossa
Grisa Nera
Grisa Rousa
Lambrusca d'Alessandria
Lambrusca di Vittona
Lambruschetta
Montanera di Perosa
Neretto di Bairo
Neretta Cuneese
Neretta di Marengo
Neretto Duro
Parporio
Plassa
Preverail
Quagliano
Rossese Bianco
Uvalino
Zanello





SARDEGNA


Albarenzeuli Bianco
Abarennzeuli Nero
Alvarega
Arvesiniadu
Barbera Sarda
Caddiu
Caricagiola
Giro
Nasco
Nieddera
Nieddu Mannu
Nuragus
Pascale
Retagliado Bianco
Semidano





SICILIA


Acitana
Albanello
Calabrese di Montenero
Catanese Nero
Corinto Nero
Damaschino
Minella Bianca
Nocera






TOSCANA


Abrostine
Abrusco
Albarola Nera
Barsaglina
Biancone
Bonamico
Bracciola Nera
Buriano
Canaiolo Bianco
Colombara Nera
Foglia Tonda
Grane
Granoir
Gratena
Lacrima del Valdarno
Livornese Bianca
Mammolo
Mazzese
Morone
Negratino
Nereto
Occhio del Pernice
Occhiorosso
Orpicchio
Primaticcio
Raspo Rosso
Sanforte
Verduschia
Verrucciese
Volpola





TRENTINO



Enantio

Fruhroter Veltliner

Lagarino
Negrone
Nero di Baisi
Nosiola
Paolina
Pavana
Peverella
Rossara
Verdealbara

 


UMBRIA

Cornetta
Grero





VALLE D'AOSTA


Bianco Comune
Bonda
Crovassa
Ner d'Ala
Neyret
Prie
Prie Rouge
Roussin
Roussin de Morgex
Theilly
Vuillermin



VENETO

Bianca Capriana
Bianchetta Trevigiana
Bigolona
Boschesa
Cabrusina
Cavrara
Cenerente
Corbina
Denela
Forselina
Gruaja
Marzemina Bianca
Marzemina Nera
Pattaresca
Pedevenda
Perera
Pinella
Pomella
Quaiara
Recantina
Rosetta di Montagna
Rossignola
Simesara
Trevigiana Nera
Turca
Turchetta
Verdiso