Brian's Housewarming

Much thanks to Brian, who hosted us at his lovely new house for a wonderful night of home-cooked food (with a few extras). As always, we all had a blast, with wonderful conversation flowing amidst what seemed like a never ending flow of astoundingly good eats from his kitchen. Some of the pairings (like the Jamon with the Sherry and the Oxtail Stew with the Shiraz) were just crazy good.

• 2007 Domaine Jacques Prieur Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Santenots 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Really impressive. Opened one night back, this was drinking really nicely when we got to it. It had a lovely nose that was a nice mixture of modern and traditional, with toasty oak hints wed to rich red fruit aromas, mushroomy earth and a very Volnay flower accent. Really nice stuff. The palate had surprisingly good richness for a 2007, showing full flavours of dark cherries, strawberries, toasty earth and spice in a round, supple package that was well integrated and balanced out by bright 2007 acidity. Solid stuff. This was a real pleasure to drink in its youth, but should improve even more over the short term.

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• 2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Once again, absolutely top-drawer stuff. This started out with some typical Prum sulphur on the nose that took a bit of time to tone down. Underneath that, there was a lovely melange of vanilla, green apples, peach, some meadow flowers. Good stuff, but as with the last bottle I had, it was really on the palate where this really shone. There was lovely purity here, ringing with pure green apple, lemon and stone fruit flavours that resounded through the mouth beautifully, filling every crevice with a gentle sense of fruitiness wapped in a lightly honeyed layer. There was a nice bit of minerality underneath that all as well which underscored the wine at the midpalate, along with a good bit of acidity running into a long finish. Once more, I was struck by how nicely balanced it was given the vintage. Pure, poised and perfectly elegant in typical Prum fashion, this went down ever so easily. This bottle was not quite as mindblowing as the last one I had - this was popped and poured after an hour or so, while the other bottle had been opened a week in advance and slowly given time to breathe. However, this was still clearly a top-notch wine. With time, it fanned out with some lovely white flower and sweet fruit notes that lingered away in the mouth. Excellent, and especially beautiful when paired with cold crab roe. Still a baby, I have no doubt will be an incredible wine when its time comes.

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• 2007 Feudi di San Gregorio Campanaro 91 Points

  Italy, Campania, Campania IGT

  From a blend of the indigenous varietals Fiano and Greco, this was a very interesting wine - that tasted for all the world like an unwooded Chardonnay, and a good one at that. It had really nice nose - creamy white fruit scents from time on the lees, some beeswax, and then a whiff of seashell and a deep layer of chalk. Lovely stuff. The palate was no slouch either. Not the deepest or the most complex of wines, but it was extremely focused and precise, with a pure, laser-like beam of mineral running through rather rich white fruit notes and finishing with a slightly citrusy lift. This was a serious wine with plenty of quality, reminiscent perhaps of Chablis in a riper vintage.

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• NV Equipo Navazos La Bota de Manzanilla 22 "Navazos" 95 Points

  Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

  Beautiful. This is one of those wines that I feel privileged to have owned and drank. Bang on form after a couple of bottles that were a bit less than brilliant, this had an absolutely knockout nose, bursting with almond skins, figs, dried limes, wood spice and mahogany, all infused with a floral whiff - one could smell it the moment the bottle was popped. Absolutely lovely. Unlike a couple of previous experiences were the palate did not quite match the nose though, this time it was a killer. Amazingly pure and fresh, yet super rich and powerful, with layer after layer of figs, lemons, almonds, yellow fruit and a spray of salty seabreeze. So rich, so deep, yet almost transparent in the way it danced across the mouth. Right at the very finish, this unfurled into a wonderfully fresh, melony note that stretched away into the distance. Back on form indeed, and this was brilliant. With Jamon Iberico, it was so good that we were transported to culinary heaven.

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• 2002 Branson Coach House Shiraz Rare Single Vineyard Coach House Block 94 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Oustanding stuff. I thought I was way over the Robert Parker big Aussie Shiraz schtick, but every now and then, a beauty like this appears that reminds everyone of how there are great gems amidst the cult monsters of the Barossa Valley. This was a smashing wine, full of character and a delight to drink as it nears its 10th year in bottle. Classic aged Aussie Shiraz nose here - crushed ants, woody accents, some vanillin, deep plum and cassis aromas, a touch of earth. Clearly new world, but really nice for all that. After that nose, it was no surprise that the palate was very rich, ripe, with deep, dark-fruited layers of plums and blackberries. However, this was rather surprisingly buttressed by fresh, really well-integrated acidity, a bed of fine tannins and sprinkled with a nice layer of wood spice. Some oak still lingered at the long finish, where dark chocolate and mocha notes floated out. This was modern, big and powerful, but it sure was wonderfully balanced and absolutely delicious. Not my style usually, but this was a lovely wine that spoke of its origins eloquently. As would be expected, it was a wonderful pairing for the oxtail stew. Really nice now, but this should continue improving in the forseeable future. One to revisit again in 5 years' time.

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• 2008 Sorrenberg Gamay 90 Points

  Australia, Victoria, North East, Beechworth

  A nice little wine - really unique stuff. It had a very unusual nose, opening up with a whoosh of menthol, vicks vapour rub almost, and then ripe cherries and strawberries, a nice whiff of flowers, some bramble, even a bit of meat and earth. Nice stuff, if a bit idiosyncratic with that menthol action going on - made me think it was an Aussie Pinot. The palate did not do much to shake that impression. No sign of carbonic maceration, this was sweet and ripe, but at the same time really fresh and bright, with zippy flavours of sour cherries, strawberries and plenty of bramble and spice washing around the mouth all the way into an open-knitted finish where there was just a bit more of that menthol and eucalyptus - almost bit spa-like aroma therapy notes I thought. Balanced and delicious, this was a real surprise. As good as many a Cru Beaujolais.

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• 2001 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  I had clean forgotten having had this a year and a half back. What a difference the time has made! While that was big, ripe and a bit in your face, this was really very nice indeed. Still young of course, but it was showing lots of quality this time round. Nice, rather more classic Brunello nose here, with notes of smoke and tar, a light dusting of rose petals, a dose of dried earth, some beef blood and rather subtle dark fruited nuances, all a bit tight still, but very nice. The palate came across as very fresh and lively. A bit tight initially as well, it only slowly filling out with a mouthful of pure dark cherries after some time, and then earth notes, some mineral and hints of meat - all very nicely balanced and integrated, with a refined finish showing bits of smoke and just a dusting of herbs wafting around a layer of fine but firm tannins. There was lots of depth and a lovely breadth of expression here, but the rich, dark fruit-forwardness of a year back has been replaced with a sense of elegant finesse - this was a wine of great character and charm. As always, the last few sips were the best. Still primary at the moment and obviously needing plenty of time, but this has great potential that should really start revealing itself in 7-8 years' time. Excellent.

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• 2004 L. Tramier & Fils Musigny 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

  Very good stuff making for a very strange experience. Firstly, this was a 2004 with hardly a hint of Green Meanies. Secondly, it was from a decidedly their or fourth third negociant whose wines none of us had tried before. Thirdly, as far as we could ascertain, M. Tramier and his fils had not made a Musigny before 2004 nor indeed in any of the vintages after. Fourthly, Alex had plucked this for a really good price from a supermarket shelf. And for all that, when served blind, it was a darn good wine. Not quite a Musigny at full tilt for sure, but very impressive indeed given how it found its way to our table. There was a beautiful, beautiful nose on this - no one on the table had any doubts that this was a Chambolle, with its perfumed flowers, cherries, strawberries, earth, truffles - just lovely stuff. As intimated before, there was barely a hint of 2004 Green Meanies save for the littlest suggestion of stems at the very edge of the bouquet. The palate was telltale Chambolle as well. It had a lovely clarity to it with delicious flavours of strawberries, cherries, blueberries maybe, and that familiar floral ring on the midpalate. Strange thing is that no one even thought it might have been a Musigny given the very Chambolle character. Telling maybe, given that Musignies often taste like Musignies rather than having a "typical" Chambolle character. This in fact reminded me of say a Les Fuees more than anything else. However, while it may not have had Musigny power or depth, it did stretch away into a wonderfully long finish that was clearly Grand Cru. A lovely wine. Not quite living up to its terroir fully perhaps. But at its price Delicious stuff which I would drink over and over again.

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• 2001 Domaine Chantal Lescure Clos Vougeot 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  How very unusual indeed. Two Grand Cru Burgs from equally obscure producers. This was not quite as good as the Musigny that preceded it, but it was a very decent drink. It had a sweet flowery nose, think rose petals and violets, and then some metally mineral, a bit of black tea and a whiff of sour cherries - very attractive. There was a weighty palate following that, with rich dark fruit twirled around a layer of fine but still firm tannins. Fresh acidity carried it into a satisfyingly round finish where the ripe fruit mingled with a touch of bramble. Not the most complex or refined, but a nice wine to drink. It will probably improve a little with time as it integrates more and softens around the edges too. We all thought it was clearly a Cote de Nuits, but none of us could pick out where in the Cote it came from except for William, who unhesitatingly called it a Clos Vougeot. Lesson learnt once more - if it is a red Grand Cru that it impossible to pick out, chances are that it is either a Corton, an Echezeaux or a Clos Vougeot.

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