Supper with the WSET diploma guys at E & M's - theme was wine to accompany seafood

I bullied Elissa into running the sesion because I found the Huet vin de glace at some tiny bottle shop when I was back in the UK for next to nothing (thanks sis) and she made me come up with the theme in order to give everyone else a target. Attendees where Yuko, Anastasia, Ruth, Julian, Gus, Michelle, Elissa and myself. We had a chuckle about the fact that we had so many from Jerez or the Loire and a near or complete lack of Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc (or Semillon seeing as we're in Australia). It was also interesting that there was nothing from Italy or Spain when people had a free choice...guess we're all just old and predictable...

• NV Equipo Navazos Manzanilla en Rama

  Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

  Savoury seaside notes, slightly oxidised, crushed almonds. In the mouth the wine is savoury, tart, drying with an olive tang. But it is quite lightweight from a mouthfeel perspective and the flavours are short.

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• NV Equipo Navazos La Bota de Manzanilla 42

  Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

  medium minus aromas of muted yeast, toast, almonds and a briny, slight rancio note. In the mouth the wine has rancio, almonds and nuts with an unctuous mouth coating texture and is quite rich with slight tang. Long. Look, it's very good, and I like sherry, but there is a certain kind of hollowness that doesn't work for me.

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• NV Bodegas Barón Manzanilla Pasada

  Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

  Muted savoury and slightly nutty nose. In the mouth the wine is warm, tangy and long…very long in fact with slight spice, muted flavours of olive and slightly meaty & yeasty notes…and it's bone dry. Lovely.

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• 1980 Domaine Huet Vouvray Vin De Glace Sec Le Haut-Lieu

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Aromas of honey, toast, butter, cream and slight apple - custard apple in fact and very slight cork notes that seemed to blow off with time. In the mouth the wine is still very fruity and zesty acidity with flavours of tart green apple and lemon juice dominating very slight honeyed notes on the long finish. Very nice.

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• 2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Clos du Bourg

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Medium minus aromas of apple, touches of lanolin and the beginnings of honey. On the palate the wine is off-dry with flavours of honey, ripe apple, slight spice…very nice but still quite young.

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• 2011 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur

  green herbs, something medicinal, sour citrus peel and wet stone. On the palate there is green herbs over slightly tart, bitter, citrus peel…slightly short

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• 2009 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Peach over pineapple and pain d'epices and a slight meaty/smoky quality and touches of struck flint. On the palate there is a very slight spritz, the wine is off dry with stone fruit over tropical fruit - primary fruit is the dominant ingredient - with medium plus length. After about three hours a slight kerosene note begins to intrude which clashing as it does with the pure primary fruit, for me, turns a very nice wine to an okay wine.

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• 2008 Howard Park Riesling Great Southern

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Great Southern

  slightly candied lime and lime peel, touches of fresh cut grass and notes of diesel & leather. In the mouth the wine has medium plus slightly zesty lime…it's tangy, slightly phenolic mid palate grip. Long but a little simple for me.

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• 2013 Hahndorf Hill Winery Grüner Veltliner GRU

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills

  Medium plus intensity aromas of grapefruit, herbs, spice, slight cheese note. IN the mouth there is tangy grapefruit and the wine has slight phenolic grip…it's nice but simple

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• 2011 Laurenz V. Grüner Veltliner Charming

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

  Muted, medium minus aromas of green gages, tiny grapefruit notes, slight flinty and smoky element. IN the mouth the wine is slightly sour with bitter green fruit…it's also quite astringent which also introduces a cheesy/leesy note. Nice but not for me and I don't like that astringency.

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• 2012 Sato Chardonnay

  New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

  Cream, slight butter, lemon, slight dill pickle, toast, herbs, honey. Lemon citrus and slightly unripe peach and peach stone. Very juicy, butter, cream, toast, slight caramel note on the long finish. It's a touch warm on the finish but nice and quite interesting. It is what I would imagine an overworked Chablis would taste like...

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• 2005 Divem Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux Les Initiales de Divem

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux

  herbaceous, black bramble and currant, spice, black pepper, leather, cedar and cigar box. In the mouth there is roasted tomato, black fruit, a very slight candy floss note, medium plus savoury tannins and slight alcohol warmth. Very nice (though that might be because it's the only red of the night!)

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I still don't get the fascination with equipos...I need to try more of it (ahh, what an excuse!) the Huet Vin de Glace was very nice. I also enjoyed the Merkelbach but it did start to fall over after a couple of hours, which doesn't bode well for extended cellaring. All in all a lovely supper.