Tasty Tasting Notes - Courtesy of Eric Edwards

It is very rewarding when a wine merchant receives detailed feedback from tastings especially when those wines are considered “in the round”,
that is to say tasted in their own right and with (appropriate) food.
The following wines were sampled by Eric Edwards and Marc Kennard at Marc’s excellent deli in Lamb’s Conduit Street in London (see link http://www.kennardsgoodfoods.com).
Eric’s tasting notes are quoted verbatim; they are deliciously vivid with a real kinaesthetic flow; a blend of taut observation, poetic whimsy (in the best sense) and sensitivity.
He both looks for the wine, but also lets it come to him, which is the best way to evoke a balanced response…

Bodegas Ameztoi, 2007 Txakolina Getariako Ameztoi, Txakoli di Getaria

Had with:  Really good green olives

Appearance:  A bright pale gold with lovely green highlights in the glass.

Nose:  Zesty notes of peeled citrus fruit, especially lime, tart green
apples, and hints of dried white flowers thrown into the crashing sea.

Palate:  Zing, zow, wow!  It might be the power of imagination, but I
swear I can taste the many dead sea creatures whose calcareous remains
have accumulated over the long slow march of geological time in the
cliff sides where the grapes have been grown.  Chalk, a hint of brine,
and a lovely burst of fresh squeezed lime juice, all with held
together with a spritz of (very) bracing acidity.

Match:  I can’t say much about the cheeses, but it certainly goes down
splendidly with green olives!

Marega, 2004 Tocai Friulano “Aurora,” Collio

Had with:  A summer and winter Cheddar from Keens and an Isle of Mull

When we tried the big brother to this wine, the Malvasia Istriana, I
was entranced by surely one of the best white Italian wines I’ve had
the pleasure to taste in the last year.  I’m happy to say that the
more subdued Aurora is a worthy companion.

Appearance:  Deeper gold with dense buttery highlights, and with only
the faintest touches of green around the rim.

Nose:  Notes of dried grass and dusty hay, mixed with honey, nuts, and
a touch of flowering herbs.

Palate:  Really rounded, soft, slightly sweet, but with plenty of
clean, lifted acidity.  Nice flavours of toasted nuts and honey which
grow more pronounced with time in the glass.

Match:  Definitely a winner with the cheese, especially the slightly
creamier, softer Isle of Mull.  Has the weight and rounded intensity
to pair nicely with a range of soft to medium firm cheeses, a good
all-rounder white.

Di Majo Norante, 2006 Sangiovese, Molise

Had with:  A summer and winter Cheddar from Keens and an Isle of Mull

So far I’ve been really impressed with both the wines from this
producer and the value for money that they keenly represent.

Appearance:  Deep garnet with youthful ruby highlights, good
concentration of colour but with typical Sangiovese hues and not a
smidge of darkening purple Merlot in sight.

Nose:  Really expressive with lovely red fruits, loads of herbs, and a
long lasting touch of faint tobacco leaf and mint on the end.
Palate:  I love this wine!  Can you tell?  I’ve had plenty of
disappointing Chianti at two, even three times this price and they
were not the lovely wine that this simple charmer is, full of fresh
red and black berries, more herbs, great acidity, and superb
drinkability.  Roll up with your fresh pasta, sun-ripened tomatoes,
anchovies and dark bruised purple olives, and I’ll break out a bottle
or two of this and no one will go home without a smile on their face.

Match:  Unsurprisingly, this runs definitely a far distant second to
the white.  With the winter cheddar from Keens, this lively little red
comes away with only a slight limp (and tougher tannins) but with the
deeper, creamier attack of the Isle of Mull, the wine simply falls
down at the starting line, tumbling over the sudden rise in
astringency and suffering a loss of confidence along with most of its
fruit.

Colle Stefano, 2006 Verdicchio di Matelica, Marche

Had with:  Three Brie de Meaux at three degrees of ripeness

Appearance:  Bright pale gold in the glass with noticeable green
hints, very fresh looking.
Nose:  Lots of floral notes with light citrus aromas and some dried
herbs in the background.

Palate:  Some very nice lime flavours, quite a bit of fruit actually,
with a middle palate that is nutty despite the intense, fresh acidity,
and a very true to varietal finish of faint bitter almonds.  A lean,
poised, fresh little wine with lots of potential for pairing with
seafood.

Match:  Despite being perhaps the least weighty wine of the trio, it
holds it own against the Brie, but only barely and with the mildest of
the three intensities of cheese.  Really this is a wine that would be
more at home with milder, drier cheeses than the ripeness of a mature
Brie.  This is also the wine of those we tried with the Brie with
lowest alcohol at 12.7% abv, giving it the least body among these
three dry wines.

Domaine du Corps de Garde, 2006 Saint Bris, Bourgogne - Sauvignon Blanc

Had with:  Three Brie de Meaux at three degrees of ripeness

Appearance:  A pale yellow shot with touches of red-gold, lacking so
much as a hint of green.

Nose:  Muted aromas of peaches and other stone fruit but with delicate
hints of hay, subtle citrus, and not a gooseberry anywhere in sight.

Palate:  Bracing palate of clean, almost chalky citrus fruit, with a
warm middle and an intense burst of pleasant astringency and strong
acidity on the finish.  A very distinctive and pleasurable wine.

Match:  More intensity on the palate of this equally dry wine,
especially on the long finish, brings the wine much closer to an equal
match.  Against the three examples of Brie, the original, more mild
sample proves the best choice.  Alcohol is at 13% abv, giving the wine
despite its high acidity, a bit of weight and warmth, but well
balanced.

Domaine le Roc Des Anges, 2006 Les Vieilles Vignes Blanc, Roussillon

Had with:  Three Brie de Meaux at three degrees of ripeness

Appearance:  Not the colour one expects from a white from the warm
environs of the Languedoc Roussillon region:  This is pale gold but
with a tinge of almost orange or light brown hanging in the
background.

Nose:  Again surprisingly restrained on the nose, delicate even, with
subtle aromas of nuts and white flowers

Palate:  Elegant sweet fruit held together with layers of toast,
honey, and spices galore.  All of this is washed over clean river rock
with a finish that is remarkably mineral.  A special wine which I
would expect to only improve with a bit more bottle age, for those
with the patience to wait.

Match:  By the far the best match to this warm, rich, gooey cheese.
Even with the most mature example, the wine holds it own and in fact
shines, matching notes of spice and honey and with a round, warm
mouthfeel, no doubt enhanced by its balanced 14+% alcohol.

Domaine Guy Allion, 2006 Sauvignon De Touraine, Loire

Had with:  Can Pujol (a soft, creamy Spanish goats cheese)

Appearance:  A lovely limpid green-gold, it looks like Sauvignon Blanc
should.

Nose:  Zesty intense fruit abounds on the nose, verging towards the
tropical, while a touch of elderflower cordial lurks in the
background.

Palate:  Ripe gooseberries and more fruit than a wine at this price
from the Loire has any right to, there is nonetheless, good clean
balancing acidity to remind you that you’re still in France.

Match:  Great with the cheese, a fine foil to the rich and creamy
texture with more than enough aromatic pep to pair with an even more
pungent example.  I can really imagine knocking this back in a summer
garden with a nice salad of goat’s cheese and wild greens or simply
with some Crottin de Chavignol spread on fresh, crusty bread.

Domaine Henry Pellé, 2006 Menetou-Salon Blanc Morogues, Loire

Had with:  Can Pujol (a soft, creamy Spanish goats cheese)

Appearance:  Clear and lively with a touch of yellow-gold. 

Nose:  Elegant nose of dried grass, a hint of citrus, and a touch of
herbs in the background.

Palate:  Racy, invigorating, pure Sauvignon Blanc, with flavours of
grapefruit, green berries, and chalky soil.  Distinctly Loire and not
to be confused with the fleshier examples from New Zealand.

Match:  Effortlessly vaults over the creamy cheese and respectfully
asks for more, please, if you rather don’t mind.  Another great quasi
regional pairing proves itself again.

Domaine Bruno Lupin, 2006 Roussette de Savoie Cru “Frangy,” Savoie

Had with:  Comte

Appearance:  Almost a touch of bronze, giving the wine an interesting
colour in the glass of faintest onion skin.

Nose:  A lovely nose with hints of pears, tart apples, honey, and
almost cider like notes at first and then ripening the longer it is
exposed to the air.

Palate:  Perfectly off-dry with traces of gingerbread, nougat, and
honey, deliciously exotic while very pure and clean at the same time.
A really delicious and exceptional wine.

Match:  No surprise that this goes wonderfully with the cheese, each
bringing out the rich complex and nutty flavours of the other.

Cornish Point Vineyard, 2006 Cornish Point Vin Gris, Central Otago

Had with:  Colston Bassett Stilton

Appearance:  A faint whisper of pinkish gold to the wine, but lighter
than the lightest of rosés.

Nose:  A lot going on here, big, yeasty, bready, and toasty, much like
what I’d expect from a Pinot dominated Champagne or sparkling wine.
Behind it are notes of red fruit and caramel.

Palate:  Very rich but with loads of acidity and some residual warmth
from the (fairly) high alcohol.  This is an intense and full-bodied
wine, rich and full of slightly sweet citrus fruit and more of those
tart red berries to balance it out.  Bite on the finish to keep it
long and fresh.

Match:  Not a great match, and definitely nothing on the Monbazillac
we would suggest to be paired to this phenomenal cheese.  This is a
big, broad, texturally rich wine with quite a bit of weight and plenty
of fruit and acidity, and yet it is overcome by the strength,
saltiness, and sheer richness of the cheese..

Domaine Montirius, 2003 Vacqueyras “Clos Montirius,” Rhone

Had with:  3 year old Parmesan

Appearance:  Deep garnet with flashes of dark brick and cherry wood. 

Nose:  Delightful, classic southern Rhone nose, with lots of black
fruit, bruised plums, leather, meat, and long lingering savoury notes.

Palate:  A warm, generous wine, with dusky, dusty tannins, more of
that deep black fruit, stewed olives, and concentrated flavours.
Really develops over time in the glass.

Match:  Has more than enough concentration for this dry aged Parmesan,
but there is a slight increase in tannic astringency that even this
very dense and darkly fruited wine cannot , it seems, avoid.  A nice
bit of beef or lamb I think, or a hearty bean stew, would be slightly
better than any cheese.

Bodegas Sanchez Romate, Amontillado NPU, Jerez

Had with:  3 year old Parmesan

NPU stands for Non Plus Ultra, or “nothing further beyond.” Whether
or not it once graced the Pillars of Hercules is a moot point, as in
this case it means “nothing better” which is a sentiment I can agree
with whole heartedly.  An Amontillado worthy of the risk of nitre and
immurement, indeed.

Appearance:  Polished gold, with amber and wood. 

Nose:  Rich and complex.  Notes of orange wood, wax, hazelnuts,
caramel, nutmeg, polish, and alcohol.

Palate:  Deep and buttery with savoury notes around a core of candied
citrus, orange peel, and nuts.  Very complex and long and immensely
satisfying.

Match:  Splendid with the cheese, bringing out the nutty, salty
flavours of the aged Parmesan.