World-Cup Wines: Brazil vs Chile

Great game, great food and company, plus a trio of very nice wines.

• 2006 Mischief and Mayhem Clos de la Roche 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  I have had pretty mixed results with these Mischief and Mayhem bottlings, but I must say that that was pretty good. Not quite a top-notch Clos de la Roche, but definitely a nice wine. It had a sunnily sweet nose of bluberries and cherries glowing with summery ripeness, and then some floral notes and fragrant spice reminiscent of cloves and nutmeg. It was fruity, but not quite new world. The palate took on those rich, ripe blueberry tones on the attack, before opening up into a nicely fresh midpalate with a just a hint of cherry cola on it. I thought this had nice depth and breadth wed to a good sense structure and balance, all quite satisfying. Decent finish too, spread across a backpalate of warm spice streaked with a little streak of mineral and earth that came up with time. It lacks some complexity at this point of time, but still very enjoyable. Will continue to improve our the next few years.

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• 1998 A. et P. de Villaine Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise La Digoine 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise

  This was a truly excellent Bourgogne. To be fair, it was probably not priced as an everyday Bourgogne, but it stood toe-to-toe with a decent, if not quite great Clos de la Roche that was served alongside and came out fighting. This really had a deep nose on it, with fragrant wafts of cherries against a little background of earth and a sprinkle of spice. I thought it was Morey with a nose like that. It was on the palate that the wine really showed its strength though. This had a clean, elegant feel to it that I really liked, but no lack of depth either. Again, there lots of spice mingling with its plump, juicy cherries and darker berry flavours, all packed together with fresh, open-knit acidity and some tannins that were beginning to stretch out into a velvety feel. I really like the way this was shaped in the mouth, with just that little touch of grip at the finish, where the sweet fruit was underlined by a touch of bittersweet herb. open knit, fresh feel, with sweet fruit underlined by a touch of bittersweet herb. Good stuff, at a great place for drinking now.

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• NV Equipo Navazos La Bota de Manzanilla 16 "Navazos" 93 Points

  Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

  As always, a beautiful wine, and a really good pairing with ramen in miso soup as well. This showed a tangy, salty nose, with old kumquats and preserved fig peel alongside a little touch of spice and lovely sherry shades of yeasty flor and almond skin. Nothing assertive or in your face, this just rose out of the glass and subtly enveloped the senses. Same thing on the palate too - more quite than demonstrative, it was all about harmony and complexity. In the mouth, it just unfolded with lovely, effortless depth, even some power showing in tightly interwoven flavours of fig peel, sweet kumquats and limes that echoed the savoury notes on the nose. Here though, everything with lifted by a citrusy freshness, with the high acidity giving the wine a beautiful sense of detail and precision. I just could not help feeling though that this may have seen better days and is just started to slide into a more mellow phase. No complains though, especially as it settled into a long, fresh finish speckled with spice and savoury notes. Very yummy, and it will probably hold, but I would start drinking these anytime now.

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