Long Lunch at Home with Friends

E and I had picked up some top-notch canned tapas and some cheese and decided to invite a few close friends over for a long lunch strecthing into the early hours of the evening. The wines poured were meant to go with the food, which thankfully they did. A good way to spend a alzy Saturday afternoon.

• NV Gosset Champagne Brut Excellence 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  From a half-bottle that seemed to have quite a bit of bottle-age on it. Surprisingly good. It had a rich, yeasty nose, almost with some white meat, plenty of fleshy apple aromas, a bit of nuts, a touch oxidative at the edges - very nice. The palate was rather more impressive and together than the last 375ml I had a month or so back. Rich, a bit creamy, with lots of ripe apple fruit, so that it came across almost cidery on the attack and through the the mid-palate, where the appley tones were met with some white plums with bits of spice and white meat floating around at the finish. A nice biscuity touch at the tail rounded the wine off nicely. Not the most precise or refined of Champagnes, this was more about fruit and power, but it was very nice indeed, and great with squid-ink pasta.

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• 2001 Chateau Musar Blanc 92 Points

  Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

  I really liked this. It had been opened for a day when I got to it. Full of character on the nose, lots of smoky, flinty mineral, some slightly oxidative notes, and then dried figs, white plums, a bit of apples, slightly savoury at the edges. Very intriguing - reminded me somewhat of a Nicolas Joly Savenierres we had not too long back. The palate was rather rich on the attack, rather creamy textured, but very balanced, with nice acidity running through honeyed tones, with yellow fruit, figs and plums on the mid-palate, a squeeze of ripe lemon past that and then beeswax, mineral and spice - cloves and cardammon maybe - just at the finish. An unusual wine, a blend of Maiweh and Obaideh, but a really enjoyable one.

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• 2008 Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc 90 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou

  A pretty nice wine - a very food friendly wine that punches above its weight. Rather subtle nose here - some mineral, some dusty earth, white fruit scents, a bit of apple, a hint of honey, with just little touches of lanolin and wool on the nose which pointed to Chenin, otherwise, this could well be a Chablis on its bouquet. In fact, our resident Loire expert called this a Burg blanc! I liked the palate. It had lovely fresh balance, with delicious flavours of green apples, some pears, a nice streak of mineral and a pinprick of spice. Not the longest finish, not the most complex of wines, but it was nicely shaped and very good with a variety of seafood and absolutely perfect with some razor-clams in olive oil.

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• 2006 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Castello di Brolio 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Solid stuff - quite clearly the wine of the day for me. Modern-leanings aside, this bottle is a testament to how far Chianti has come over the past decade or so. Still young of course, but it was showing as much quality as a young Brunello that might cost twice as much. It started out with a touch sweet oak on the nose, a whiff of tobacco smoke, and then sweet aromas of dark cherries and fresh berries seasoned with bits of bramble and dried herbs, very nice. The palate had lots of lovely juicy freshness along with a dusting of fine, powdery tannins, and pure, deep flavours of dark cherries and berries wreathed with a bit of fried flowers and fruit. There was a nice purity to it all, so that the fruit came across ringingly clear, almost Brunello-like again. The long finish showed a mouthfull of ripe fruit and bramble, with some dried herbs bringing up the very rear. Lovely stuff, and it proved a surprisingly good pairing with a touch of Epoisses. No harm in drinking now, but this is still a baby and has all the fruit and structure in the world to age gracefully in the long term. Glad I have a few more tucked away.

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