Reading Offline #3 - Thames Lido Dinner - Mixed Chardonnay, Tondonia and Clos des Papes

Lovely to get the band back together for a third visit to the Thames Lido. Hope we can manage plenty more in 2025.

Some lovely wines generously shared, great banter and some lovely and fairly priced food.

• 2015 Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard 90 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Kumeu

  Initially a little exotic fruit on the nose; papaya. Then the nose closes for a while. Tightly coiled there is an almost rocket like peppery greenness. With the scallop starter it loosens up a bit showing some slatey minerality and a little mandarin segment. Serious without really showing its character. I'm left wanting more.

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• 2018 Louis Jadot Meursault Les Narvaux 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Lime oil and wet stones on the nose, a little creamy too with some faint toffee hints. Palate takes a while to play its hand but is lovely when it does, some delicately judged acidity with some pineapple stalk greenness. A full 10 seconds after swallowing there's a lovely lime zest twist. Really opens out with the scallops way more than the other Chards in the flight. There is even a savoury touch of chicken roasting juices. Fab

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• 2022 Tesselaarsdal Chardonnay 90 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge

  Struck match and some slatey minerality on pouring. Palate has lovely lemon pith character. Also helped by the food, this develops notes of nougat, honey and acacia with time in the glass. The table's 3rd favourite wine of the night.

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• 2020 Roland Lavantureux Chablis Vauprin 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis

  A lovely bonus bottle. Lime sorbet nose, a touch of celery leaf. Time in the glass really lifts this. Mouth coating lime and grapefruit juice. Good stuff.

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• 1981 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 94 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  What a cracking wine. First sniff reveals some coconut oak. There's also a touch of banana leaf some blueberries and a touch of grated white chocolate. With air some balsamic chestnut richness. Although I could just sniff it for hours I should move on to the palate! Lovely acidity, mature red fruits and a touch of coffee and walnut sponge. Brilliant match for the bavette. Fabulous.

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• 1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia 91 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Beef tea, some grenadine, orange zest and star anise on the nose here. Palate has more of the same with beautifully resolved tannins. With air a little mint toffee emerges. Love how this evolves over 40 mins in the glass and with our bavette. Final sniff before the last mouthful has a freshly scraped vanilla pod. Lovely.

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• 2001 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia 91 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Final in our trio of Tondonias. Unlike the older wines had not been decanted and takes a while to hit its straps. Notwithstanding this it's a youthful cassis led wine. Some hints of coffee macaron too. Some cardamom and almost Ovaltine malty creaminess. Palate fresh, long and savoury. Tannins need some time to relax.

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• 2000 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 91 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  A really wonderful, cerebral experience here. Have had nothing like it before. Nose has hints of strawberry sour, Tizer and wild cherry sorbet. A touch of sliced beef tomato too. Something lactic on the palate which is youthful and has lovely acidity. Very hard to set this in any context but I loved trying it.

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• 2005 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Initially Cherry Tunes on the nose them some almonds complete a boozy Bakewell slice. There is a certain creaminess and a touch of saddle leather. Palate rich and red fruited. Flirts with crossing the line from interesting and leathery to something truly farmyardy but for me doesn't quite get there. Some thought the line well and truly crossed! 14.5% ABV.

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• 2011 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Holds it's alleged 15.2% (!!!) well even as it warms in the glass. Darker fruited than the 2005, very rich. Some chestnut liqueur and raw steak. With air a touch of bergamot. I'm not usually one for the higher ABVs but I really like this with our cheese plate. My second favourite wine of the night in a very tight field.

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Looking forward to the next one already.