Whites
‘Jurançon Sec,’ Chateau Jolys 2012
This wine won a gold medal in December’s International Challenge Award. It is a wine that is really only consumed in the South of France. The grape is Roussane. It is often used for blending. These grapes are in the main used to make dessert wines and it bears some similarity to a new world chardonnay. On the nose you get hints of citrus, grapefruit and pineapple. From the colour it looks as if it will be oily and fatty and yet it is bone dry when you drink it.
It would work well with foie gras poele and cassoulette and could be served with spicy food. Trade price is £18
‘Costieres de Nîmes blanc,’ Mas des Bressades 2013
This grower is between Provence and the Rhone Valley. It is an up and coming region, which is famous for red wines and is a small producer of white. The wine is pale. It smells flowery and mineral on the nose. This wine is a blend of Viognier, Bourboulenc and Grenache. It produces a wine that is round and smooth in tone and goes well with meaty stews and duck.
Red wines
Minervois ‘Grandes Reserves,’ Chateau Agnel 2010
This region makes young wines, the producers are on ‘old land’ and make outstanding wines at a cheaper price. The grapes are Grenache and Syrah. The juice and skins are used to macerate the wine and time is allowed for more extraction and flavours to develop. You could keep this wine for 4 – 5 years but it is very drinkable now.
‘Cahors Prestige,’ Chateau Haut Monplaisir 2009
Cahors is a class appellation. Like marmite, you either love it or hate it. These wines can be kept for up to 30 years and are so powerful you could cut them with water. The skins and juice are macerated for over 25 days and the wine is then kept for 12 months in oak barrels. On the nose you get plenty of fruit. It is elegant and fresh. This is a good vintage, influenced by mountains and berry’s the Malbec feels lighter but is still complex. It is best opened a few hours before drinking.
Bandol ‘La Brulade’, Domaine de la Bégude 2005
Small production of less than 1 hectare, which favours minerality. The grapes are planted in terraces to capture as much sun as possible. The wine is composed of 95% mourvedre and 5% grenache. Mouvedre is a difficult grape to grow. The vinification is done by hand, stalks are removed, the fermentation is very small and it is matured for 2 years. On the nose you get prunes and dried figs. The flavours are earthy and the wine is chunky.
Wine tasting at Wine Club at Shoreditch House run by Vincent Gasnier, Master Sommelier
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