9/17/2017 - winosot Likes this wine:

Last bottle of this 2008 Tahbilk Marsanne and I see that I posted on this in 2013. This wine is as young as ever . Honeysuckle on the nose with the kérosène and almond nuance. I wish I had not opened it however I am halfway down the bottle and 1 hour on I will try again to see how much further it has developed. I am truly excited.

10/23/2016 - winosot Likes this wine:

Have kept this wine carefully since circa 2005 and now still have one bottle left. Just shared it with Sunday roast lamb and this bottle was still full of life with good fruit and solid backbone. Not bad for a minor chateau Haut Medoc. Has any one except me still got a bottle?

8/14/2014 - winosot wrote:

Surprisingly good and I hear RP liked it too!! A predominance of merlot makes it soft and forward with a silky finish. a little smokiness in there and two or three hours later the last glass was still all there. I like 2008 as a vintage and if it had not been for the exceptional 09/10 turnout would be more talked about.

4/22/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Drinking at its peak. Pencil lead followed by rich black fruit and vanilla. balanced and at 13.5% less in alcohol than one would expect! A perfect match for a lamb steak. Found as bin end at $ 9.95. What a steal regrettably it was on its own on the shelf! can't win 'em all!

4/10/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Opened and enjoyed first night with steak. Well made wine with elegant structure good balance and blackcurrant fruit and spice flavours., Bin end price of $3.99 meant good value price point. Vacuumed overnight and still on the mark on day two and perfect accompaniment with cut peppers and celery and cheese dip and hummus. Very nice!

4/8/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Bin end at $3.99, drunk on day of purchase. Straw colour and showing age. Toasty and full flavour displaying oak and tropical fruit,. Not the finesse of a burgundy but displaying the depth and interest that comes from a Chardonnay from the Ardeche area to the west of the Rhone valley.
Good foil to a healthy meal of red and yellow peppers, celery and humous dip. One more bottle to go which I will enjoy soon. bargain at the price.

3/29/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Purchased on half price offer in 2007 for £5. Cellared for 7 years and proved to be a good buy! Nice shiraz with good colour and clarity, softened but with blackberry and plum fruit with spice and pepper and rounded tannins. A long long finish. 14.5% but not overpowering! Good drinking right now! Malbec is the signature grape for Argentina in the present market but a good Shiraz scores for me as well.

3/23/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Purchased in 2004 in France and cellared in UK since. 50/50 Cab sauv. and Merlot. Drinking well with good colour and no sign of any tuille at the rim. Violets on the nose increasing further with longer opening. Good ripe fruit and softened tannins. Not dried out at all and at 13% fruit and accohol in perfect balance. The finish was long. In short a well made wine from a minor chateau in an exceptional year. I am encouraged to think what might await me when I get to start opening the classed growths from this year!!

3/22/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

I purchased this wine in the Spring of 2000 in an Intermarche store in Noyon brought it back to the UK and it has been carefully cellared since. Have been longing to open it and decided the time was right. Wow This wine is everything you would expect a mature quality Madiran to be. Savoury and earthy on the nose with dense dark fruit on the palate and a long long finish. The tannins which would have been mouth puckering in its youth have softened and the wine has a roundness which made it a real pleasure to savour. I have had a number of older bottles of Madiran over the years and I think the tannat grape is interesting and worthy of patience to be kept and this is the best I have tasted. Bouscasse, along with Montus is the best regarded and deservedly so. Good drinking if you have kept it well!!

3/21/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

"The darling of Sydney" they say... because Mc Williams Semillon Elizabeth is the bottle to have with you food at a restaurant on Sydney harbour front. Unlike the french stick and the camembert you eat when in France that doesn't taste as good when you bring it home and eat it in your front room... this is different!! This is great wine and has been aged before release and has this beautiful lime and steely flavour with crisp acidity which when left to open up develops a nutty flavour and added compexity. Wonderful stuff. Find it in Tesco and try it out. It has many years ahead to develop further.

3/21/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Budget Gran Reserva from Berberana. Loads of black fruit flavour mulberry and blackberry, nice smooth tannins and that vanilla structure that comes from extended oak ageing. Much more alive than many Gran Reservas I have had over the years and good value for the price point. Good easy drinking and nothing to offend!

3/15/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Good value budget Chilean cabernet sauvignon exhibiting all of the blackcurrant and cedar qualities you would expect. Matches a good french Camembert .... "la Rustique" available in many countries and always worth purchasing because it matures well and is typical of all the qualities that good french cheese has.

3/15/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Visited this quinta in 2011. It is a delightful property complete with the old concrete pressing vats where foot treading is still practised...... happy memories!! Bought two bottles of the 2006 LBV. Very powerful on opening with alcohol to the fore! After a couple of hours it settled down to mixed berry nose and balanced chocolate and spice flavours. Perfect complement to the blue cheese. This quinta is part of the Sandeman stable of suppliers and although this year was not declared as a vintage year by the major shippers this single quinta offering from the prime vineyards on this estate is now drinking well. Good value.

3/14/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Purchased this wine in 2003 and cellared for 11 years. No ullage and ready for drinking. Third layer wine from Chateau Gruaud Larose and it didn't dissapoint. Bramble and blackcurrant on the nose gave way to cedar tobacco mulberry and dried figs in the mouth with a long long smooth finish. Balanced in all sense of the word with soft tannins and a delight to savour. I paid circa 10 Euros (£7) at purchase in Auchan in Noyon and I see that if you are lucky enough to find this now you would part with £30 -£40. Even at that price it is worth it.

3/2/2014 - winosot Likes this wine:

Bought this wine and drank within days which is unusual for me!! Pleasantly surprised at the quality and can only assume it had been well kept by the outlet. Colour of light straw with slight green notes. A touch of vanilla and and tropical fruit together with a balanced mid palate and a long long finish. We liked it. Purchased two bottles of the 2009 at the same time and look forward to seeing how these compare.

8/31/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Bin end purchase some years ago from ABC wines in Sarasota and then transferred back to UK. Unctuous with sweetness to balance the acidity as you might expect from this quality wine. Honeyed. I have one more and will give this some more time!!

10/18/2013 - winosot wrote:

What can I say. Opened one day and found first taste awful. Emptied glass back into bottle (something I don't often do) and left bottle until the following day! Funny how cygnets become Swans..... well this wine did just that. With 24 hours opening this wine shone. Dense and powerful with smokeyness and heaps of liquorice and pepper. a real mouthful and despite the nearly 15% of alcohol it still had balance and some plum fruit which encourages me to leave my second bottle a little longer before I unscrew the cap! Appreciated by our friends who also like a good bottle of red! I do not share some of the disparaging remarks made about this wine!

10/18/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Nice structured wine with good plum/damson fruit and spice with a little flower scent and balance from the Viognier . Nice to see that the Chapoutier pedigree from prestigious Rhone offerings has transferred with the support of US Napa valley expertise from Terlato to produce this gem from the Victoria state of Australia. Nice dryness on the finish and not over the top. Lovely stuff.

9/28/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Good time to drink this. Bought circa 2000 in local UK store and cellared carefully. Good Haut Medoc property situated just south of Chateau Lagrange on the fringe of St Julien commune. The wine is just on the way down but still with fruit but slightly fading tannins. Liquorice ,anise, and a little leather in there too. Colour was good with only a slight bricking at edges. Delicious with a roast dinner with all the trimmings.

9/23/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Bought this in 2005 following a wine tasting/dinner with Russian Hill owners Ellen Back and her husband Edward Gomez at a hotel in Bodega Bay (no sign of "the birds!!). We were on a holiday from the UK and booked into the hotel because they had a wine tasting going on!! We were privileged to sit on Ellen's table whilst winemaker Patrick Melley ran the tasting. After all of this time this wine is absolutely at its peak. Bramble, mulberry and red stone fruit and perfect balance and ripe tannins.. A hint of violet at the end. A nice deep garnet rather than the deep purple too common in ripe syrah. At 14.7% the alcohol will overtake the fruit in a few years time so it's good to get a taste now.

Fond memories of the vineyard and the team. Lovely stuff Ellen.

9/21/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Two half bottles drunk with blue and other cheeses. Good to review how the 2000 VP's are coming along. Good depth and starting to soften and mature nicely. Not a named bottle but could be from any of the Symington's many top houses. Looking forward to working my way through my remaining 17 bottles over the next decade ....or two....

9/20/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Good fruit with smooth and balanced as tannins. mature and ready to drink. Alcohol (at 15%) was starting to overpower the fruit and so I was pleased I caught this to drink at the right time. Blackberry/prune flavours with a smokey aftertaste. Tasted and bought a couple of bottles of the 2009 recently. Nice to know how they will be towards the end of this decade! Good stuff.

9/3/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Bethany Vineyards is in the ownership of the Schrapel family who arrived in the Barossa valley in 1845 and settled in the village of Bethany. This cabernet/merlot blend is powerful but not high in alcohol (13.5%) a deep garnet colour and not showing any browning at the edges. I bought this wine in circa 2004 and have cellared it carefully to be at its best. 12 years after vintage the wine (which spent 15 months aged in oak) is silky smooth with mature ripe fruit plum, sloes and vanilla notes and has a long full finish. Sadly too many mid range Australian reds are drunk too early and it looks like I am alone amongst cellar tracker followers to have bought and kept this gem. I have a bottle of the 2003 vintage still to go and on this showing it should still has some life in it. Wonderful stuff

8/24/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

It sometimes pays to hang on to the odd bottle of basic supermarket wine. This Mc Guigan Limestone Coast Shiraz was probably no more that £5 at purchase but kept for 9 years from vintage has turned it into a smooth offering with balance and a vanilla softness overlaid with blackcurrant and mulberry flavours. Colour was good and would probably have gone on a little longer. A well made wine.

8/24/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Having a house in France has its benefits and this was purchased (one of two) in circa 2004 in Auchan in Noyon in Picardy. Not a named growth but kept well in my cellar in the UK and now tried 13 years from vintage. Wow... fabulous wine smooth mature and at its peak. Pomerol at its best with some earthy notes, cedar nose some tobacco and sweet tea. Lovely soft damson fruit. Something satisfying to know that this lovely wine is found on "Google" purely because you have two bottles and no one else has any or has chosen to comment ... has anyone else out there any in their cellar? Should add that this was enjoyed with ripe brie, and mature Taleggio DOP. ( one for you all to look up!).

8/24/2013 - winosot wrote:

Bin end price for this Sancerre which had a complex mineral nose followed by citrus flavours and even a hint of starfruit in there to test the taste buds. Nice wine and went well with the moules for lunch and later on with nibbles following a couple of hours vacuumed.

8/3/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Bought a while back in France... circa 2007 and now ready to go. Syrah base but with mourvedre and grenache in smaller quantity. Still tannin to the fore and some dark fruit .....13.5% so not overdone. Well worth the leave and accompanied a lamb leg steak from the BBQ to a tee and a little later alongside ripened camembert. Another one left in the cellar to have in the not too distant future. (Gold medal in Paris 2007 CGA)

7/19/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Good value organic Pinot Noir from Colchagua valley in Chile Earthy with red fruit flavours of damson and plum and a mushroom smokey follow through. To me... just as a good pinot should be and far better than many of the more expensive versions currently on sale from the new world!

6/30/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Good Oz GSM. Full of ripe fruit but nice balanced tannins and long long finish. Bottle faded fairly quickly which was a disappointment.

6/29/2013 - winosot wrote:

Much as previous bottles ...still got eight to go. This wine is top draw Rioja Reserva and at the silly price of £7 could be day to day drinking wine but it is just too good. Smooth tannins and soft silky feel in the mouth with just about the right amount of oak. Plenty of fruit and will last for some while yet.

6/23/2013 - winosot wrote:

Nice mature claret. Had lost a little of it's fruit but well balanced tannins with cedar box nose and tobacco and liquorice notes. Bought in France circa 10 years ago and I have cellared carefully under the stairs (ground floor) in cool conditions ever since. Perfect match for Sunday roast.

6/26/2013 - winosot wrote:

Powerful SMG blend approaching maturity from Languedoc. Ripe berry fruits and powerful mid palate and long lingering finish. Liquorice and spice. went down a treat with French stick and baked camembert topped with onion spiced chutney... to die for. True retail £10 but half price paid as bin end! Good value.

6/11/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Consistent with my previous note on this wine. Well made and tremendous value. Beautifully balanced with plenty to come . Blackcurrant, liquorice, vanilla and balanced tannins. Will allow some time to elapse between drinking through the remaining (six) bottles left in my cellar. This will develop further as time goes by!!

6/8/2013 - winosot wrote:

Plenty of fizz in this bottle. Floral notes and sherbet lemon on the palate! Brings back memories of visits to the sweetshop!! Zesty and a little drier than some Cava. Local indigenous varieties here....no sign of Chardonnay (thank goodness we say!)

5/31/2013 - winosot wrote:

Budget range Prosecco. A lovely honey suckle perfumed nose. Good mousse and mouth filling fresh flavour of ripe apples and pears with a hint of almond. Refreshing.

5/27/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

A rare treat to have the Marsanne grape on its own and particularly from this legendary grower. On opening the flowery nose was there. Youthful with nice acidity. Tangerine citrus and white stone fruit mix. Later with an hours breathing it showed a viscous character with a little lanolin ( remember the car seats in the 50/60's) and a yeasty marmalade flavour. A lovely long finish and some years of good development ahead of it. Look forward to the rest of my bottles over the years! I see a previous critic used it for cooking....... but still gave it 88 points....oh well!

5/12/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Colour is a brilliant pink with great clarity exhibited by the use of cabernet sauvignon in a rose format. Ripe and fresh red berry fruit flavours and crisp acidity make this a perfect match for summer lunchtime food. In our case ....no sun.... but what do you expect in the UK!! I am a fan of Santa Rita wines and this is a quality rose.

5/12/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Bought three of these reduced to half price of £6.50!! Not sure why someone would reduce the price because this is well made stuff and not to be missed. Lovely mousse with stone fruit flavours of peach and apricot with a hint of melon. Crisp acidity and nice long finish and thoroughly refreshing. Two more to go...can't wait. (Your loss financially is my gain!)

5/11/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Although this was a budget bottle (reduced to £5 from about £8) this was a pleasant surprise. The SMGC blend had all the warm ripe fruit still to the fore and the wine was perfectly balanced and incredibly smooth. Black cherries and mulberry with a hint of vanilla. At 13% it was not overpowered by the high alcoholic content now too often found in Roussillon wines. Recommended

5/2/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Bought this bottle of Alsace G. in Waitrose some while ago along with a Villa Maria Gewürztraminer both had a £9 price tag!! Had the NZ product the next day with Chinese takeaway and was a little disappointed. Whilst there was plenty of the Turkish delight and rose petal there was little acidity and freshness to balance and certainly no spice to speak of. It was a little blowsy and over ripe

This Alsace offering was altogether better and it was all it should have been. Even though this is a minor "cave" offering the quality was there and it was beautifully balanced and the perfect foil for the oriental food it accompanied it. There is still a long way to go in NZ to get to the quality that can be achieved from this grape. The Alsace offering will age as well to greater complexity whereas the NZ wine will age quickly and lose its freshness. A good buy and I will seek out some more.

4/29/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Good mousse fresh and fruity slightly on the sweet side although not billed as demi sec it could almost have been so. Apple and stone fruit and very fresh with good acidity. Better towards the end of the bottle when some of the mousse had subsided.

4/19/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache Noir and century old Carignan in this premium offering from the Val D'Orbieu vignerons. This wine has a following in Europe and rarely disappoints us. First vintage I tasted was 1998 and I think I have tried almost every vintage made of Cuvee Mythique since!! This 2009 is complex and chewy with liquorice and tar layering ripe berry fruit. It has a balance of tannin which will help its development and the long finish has a little vanilla in it. I think this will drink well for the next 5 years. Look out for it. Price is normally circa £10 but found these at £5 probably to make way for the 2010. Great stuff good value

4/16/2013 - winosot wrote:

Good Syrah from Hawkes Bay on New Zealand north island by well established Babich Wines. Decanted and this lifted the wine which was a little closed on opening. Full bodied ripe black fruit with floral notes. At its best right now.

4/14/2013 - winosot wrote:

Bought several bottle of this about 2008 and drank within the year. It seems I had left a bottle which I uncovered when reorganising the cellar. Thought it might be over the top in 2013 but how wrong can you be!! This is a good value big brand Reserva and all the elements were in place. The cherry and blackberry/mulberry fruit with vanilla from the oak ageing and a finish that went on and on. The Gran Reservas from Spain can sometimes display too much oak and the fruit leaves too early which is why a good Reserva is the pinnacle for me. Glad I inadvertently kept this bottle. A real pleasure!

4/9/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Wow. Lovely stuff. Last bottle of a long evening of food and drink celebrating better half's 50th. I thought it might stand up to the New York cheesecake and it did! Peach, honey, butterscotch, and an almond nuance which carried on to the finish to leave a luscious marzipan aftertaste. Bought in the mid 2000's at Auchan supermarket in a Paris suburb...will have fond memories of the experience. I wish I had another...sadly I don't!

4/7/2013 - winosot wrote:

fair value champagne on offer at £8. Wasn't expecting too much but this was fresh with apple and cape gooseberry fruit and a good toasty finish. Was enjoyed by six of us toasting my wife's 50th birthday with nuts and olives before embarking on the serious wines and food for the evening. Did the job.

4/7/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Great house style! Ripe apple fruit and good mousse. Long finish. Both bottles were purchased on offer one at £15 and the other at £20. Good value and toasted to celebrate my better half's 50th birthday with immediate family.

4/7/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Bought this wine on release in a French retail outlet and have kept it well cellared. Love this Chateau's offerings and had my first bottle of Gruaud Larose in the late 70's. (1966 vintage) and many others since. First time for the second wine and it didn't disappoint. Smooth rich and vigorous with plenty of blackcurrant, cedar and pencil. Complexity is there and the longevity of this chateau's offerings make this second wine one with plenty to go. An ideal accompaniment to the celebration of my better half's 50th birthday.

4/2/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Good robust Argentinian Malbec. At 5 Bucks a bottle it is good value. Ripe smooth blackberry fruit and vanilla aromas it matched well with a pizza. Buy it if you see it.

4/2/2013 - winosot Likes this wine:

Aperitif wine with friends on pizza evening before main event. Fresh, bright with forward white stone fruit and good balance. Sweet cigarettes eaten on the way to primary school sprang to mind with the aftertaste. Surely some of you Brits out there will remember them!! How could you ever forget! Good stuff from Argentina...