Tasting Notes November 2012

A Personal Selection
Jeff Corbett, Searsons Wine Merchants

1. La Clape, Terre à Verre, Languedoc, 2011 Half star
Lovely nutty and fragrant nose. In the mouth, nutty, oily and decent acidity from the Bourboulenc. Nice; went very well with brown bread. Grapes are Bourbolenc (min 40%); Grenache Blanc and Roussannec
€10.75

2. Marsanne, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodianennes, Cave de Tain, 2010
Really fresh, fizzy nose. Some oiliness, good acid, mushroom, herbs: the garrigue. Peach and peach stone. Quite a lot going on but not as moreish as the first.
€11.50

3. Chateauneuf-du-Pape white, Jerome Quiot, 2007
Very light in colour. Fresh, minerally nose. Wonderfully fruity, good bite and freshness, stone fruit. Rich and complex; will go on improving for some time. Great food wine. 13.5% alc. Grapes Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne
€25-30

4. Chateauneuf-du-Pape white, Domaine de Marcoux, 2006
Much deeper than the Quiot. Huge nose; Calvados, slightly oxidised, smooth. Intense, concentrated but prefer the Quiot. (There was some bottle variation; the other bottle was much more oxidised.) 14.5% alc.
€40

5. "Coutures", Frederic Mabileau, St. Nicolas de Bourgueil, Loire, 2009
A nice red colour: unfiltered. Feels a teeny bit green and a hint of that maçeration carbonique effect of which I am not fond. Good fruit; lots going on but not my cup of tea. 13.5%
c.€30

6. 'La Porfia' Cabernet Franc Gran Reserva, Botalcura, 2006
Lots more sun than the previous! A dryer, richer, longer wine. Raspberry, intense. I vastly prefer. 14%
€17-18

7. Joven, Martin Berdugo, Ribera del Duero, 2011 Half star
Light, clear red. Not a huge nose but what a basket of fruit. Fresh, lovely. 40-50 year old vines, no oak, 14.5%
€13

8. Rioja Reserva, Luis Canas, 2005
Lovely deep red. Gorgeous fres fruit gums some powdery tannins; sweetness; vanilla. Well-integrated, balanced. Gorgeous. 5% Garnacha. 14.5%
€20

9. Alenza Gran Reserva, Alejandro Fernandez, Ribero del Duero, 2001
Deep red; huge clean, complex nose of green fruit pastilles and vanilla with maybe condensed milk and caramel. Greta extract; vanilla again.Still fresh, some silky tannins, drinking perfectly. A very lovely experience but don't keep it too long. 14%. I suppose you have to pay for quality, sadly.
€60

10. Surani Chardonnay, Manduria, Puglia, 2009
Served blind. Beautifully honeyed, mineral. At first I thought Chablis. Very nice.
€14

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4. Chateauneuf-du-Pape white, Domaine de Marcoux, 2006 Much deeper than the Quiot. Huge nose; Calvados, slightly oxidised, smooth. Intense, concentrated but prefer the Quiot. (There was some bottle variation; the other bottle was much more oxidised.) 14.5% alc. €40

4. Chateauneuf-du-Pape white, Domaine de Marcoux, 2006
Much deeper than the Quiot. Huge nose; Calvados, slightly oxidised, smooth. Intense, concentrated but prefer the Quiot. (There was some bottle variation; the other bottle was much more oxidised.) 14.5% alc.
€40