St Ewe, Cornwall, £10.50, cork seal
A week in Cornwall and it's time to try a local wine. The Bosue Vineyard lies in the little village of St Ewe, a couple of miles inland from the south coast fishing port of Mevagissey. It's made 
from a blend of Seyval Blanc, Ortega and Kernling
The label claims this has a 'rose blush', but no it's golden yellow in colour and looks pretty much like a white wine to me. On the nose there's not much to sniff at, though the hints of stone fruit and citrus are pleasant enough. Again the palate is light and lacking punch with peach being the main flavour accompanied by a hint of lemon in the background. This is off dry and benefits the initial touch of sweetness that adds a little weight to what's a pretty thin palate. Bosue Vineyard 'Cellar Blend' 2008 is pleasant enough, but really does lack intensity and interest.
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Baden, €16 for 375ml, cork
My friend’s been in Germany for well over a year and her boss decided that her education in local culture somehow required indoctrination in classic 80s movies. To say I was excited when she handed me a pile that included the Alien series and this absolute-classic-one-of-the-best-movies-ever-even-though-white-sneakers-with jeans-aren’t-cool-but-Queen’s-soundtrack-
certainly-is-man-this-ruled-my-childhood, would be an understatement. So after dinner and a bottle of Dornfelder we all settled down with Highlander and a bottle of Auslese Scheurebe. I’ve never tried Scheurebe before, but from what I can gather, it was originally thought to be a cross between Riesling and Silvaner, but is considered a cross between Riesling and a mysterious wild vine. The wine’s made by a co-op that is actually called Winzergenossenschaft Königschaffhausen, but that's just too long and silly to fit into the title of a blog post.
It’s an Auslese wine, it’s 9.5% alcohol and of course it’s a lovely deep golden colour. This smells of the rot, with botrytis inspired apricots, dried tangerine peel and marmalade aromas alongside the dominant smell of honey. On the palate there’s honey again, but taste wise this is all about apricots. Sure this is sweet, but it’s well balanced with noticeable acidity that does a lot to keep things fresh and lively. Königschaffhausen Scheurebe Auslese 2007 is a nice wine, it’s well made and tasty, though it lacks the complexity to be really engaging. There can be only one!
Nierstein-Schwabsburg, Rheihessen, €14.50, cork
Day number six of a weeklong visit to Germany and it's been a non-stop diet of beer and pork, only interrupted by a couple of decent Rieslings and a certain evening that involved a bucket load of mojitos (don't ask). Tonight Joey and I are having dinner at a friend's home, and apart for the chance to eat something other than roasted pig, it's also an opportunity try a few different German wines. 
Georg Gustav Huff Dornfelder 2008 is bright, vibrant and a distinctly, plummy purple colour. I was honestly surprised by how exotic and complex this smelt. There’re aromas of cherries, plums, spicy Christmas cake and a sniff of Morocco; not sure why I said Morocco, but I think this kind of smells a little like sandalwood. There’s also a distinct whiff of blueberry bubblegum that reminds me of Pinotage. On the palate there's black fruit and spice, along with an obvious lick of oak that adds a creamy, richness. This is a well crafted wine with a smattering of tannin, no noticeable alcohol and decent length. In a blind tasting I would never pick this for German; the weight and richness of it surprised me. Georg Gustav Huff Dornfelder 2008 is an interesting, well made wine, and while it's perhaps a touch too rich for my taste, the quality can't be denied.
Visit German only website.
Rueda, $120, screwtop
I've got my WSET exam on Saturday and probably the biggest gap in my knowledge is Spanish white wines. So I was able to purchase and drink this little number and call it homework. Marques de Riscal have been producing wine for over a 150 and are perhaps most well know for Rioja, however they have also have extensive planting in the Rueda DO. This is made from a mix of 85% indigenous Verdejo grapes and 15% Viura. It's good to see a Spanish wine sealed with a screw-top. 
This is lemon yellow in colour and medium intensity (that's getting all WSET on you). The nose is fresh, floral and echoes spring-time. There's aromas of white blossom, plus a touch of lime and pear. On the palate the flavours are green apple and pear and a hint of bitter, green almonds on the finish. Marques de Riscal Rueda 2008 is a tasty wine, it's soft and round; there's not much acidity, but plenty of drinkability. I enjoyed this.
Visit winery website.
Willunga, McLaren Vale, screwtop
Mitolo Wines are a family owned producer in South Australia's McLaren Vale. I like a good, flash-free, website and their one is pretty informative. Apart from telling me that 20% of the grapes were dried Amarone style for over five weeks and it was made by Ben Glaetzer 
I was also able to discover that the jester featured on the label is Monarcho; "the most eccentric of all Jesters in the court of Elizabeth 1" who also happened to feature in Shakespeare's Loves Labour Lost. We drunk this next to the similarly priced Chapelle de Potensac 2005, a Cabernet based Bordeaux.
This is dark, purple and inky in the glass. Having a sniff and it's hello Mr Cassis; this boy just screams black current. There're also more savoury, earthy aromas along with spice and liquorice. Sipping this and the first thing I notice is an initial lick of sweetness, but things settle down and then it's all aboard on the black fruit train. Smooth, integrated tannin, decent length and a touch of oak derived creaminess make this an obviously better made option than the Chapelle de Potensac 2005. The wine does what Monarcho on the labels promises; it offers a fun, easy drinking drop with plenty of flavour. However it's certainly not the most complex red going around and I actually thought it a touch one-dimensional. It wins the bout, but I probably still wouldn't recommend it.
Visit winery website.
Medoc, Bordeaux, cork
Providing inspiring wine on a budget is always a challenge, so when I was bullied into organising the booze for dinner with a heap of my colleagues I thought it would be 
interesting to do a bit of a New World, Old World thing and open this next to an Aussie Cabernet. Chapelle de Potensac is the second label of Chateau Potensac from Bordeaux's Medoc. The wine is made of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with the rest being Merlot and Cabernet Franc; it comes from the stellar 2005.
Chapelle de Potensac 2005 is a dark ruby colour. The nose isn't particularly intense, but there's an attractive whiff of mint, tobacco, mulberries and plums. The palate is a bit of a one horse race; there're plums and well more plums. There's a bit of tannin that helps to fill out the mouth, but my main issue with this wine is that it pulls up short; puff and it's gone. Uninspiring.
Visit winery website (if you're lucky).
Barossa Valley, South Australia, $120, screwtop
Responsible for organising the wine for a dinner with a group of my colleagues, I certainly wasn't surprised when this little pink number proved to be one of the most popular bottles of the evening. Turkey Flat is a stalwart producer in the Barossa, who along with other things, are stewards of the 
World's oldest Shiraz vines. They are also pretty serious about their Rose with a vineyard specifically dedicated to it, rather than the usual scenario where rose is a by-product of red wine production. It is a blend of 54% Grenache, 28% Shiraz, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Dolcetto.
Talking about a wine's colour is something I'm not normally bothered with, but this is just so pretty. It's a soft baby pink and shins in a very sexy way. And boy does it smell good; there's red fruit aplenty, especially cranberries, but also a seductive herbal edge that gives it moreish, savoury quality. The palate has the same delicious red fruit and the whole package really is an explosion of freshness and flavour. Looking at my tasting notes a single word kept shinning up at me; "lovely".
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Gisborne, Macedon, $355, diam cork
My Pinot loving friend is still in town so tonight things got a tad more serious. While personally I've got a sentimental attachment to the Macedon Ranges (and the cheesecake at the café in Gisborne near where this is from), but the name Bindi should be known to every Aussie wine lover. Producers of high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay they do things along organic 
and biodynamic lines and are all about terroir, rocky soils and small yields. The ‘Composition’ Pinot Noir comes from “the quartz rich 'Block K' vineyard and from older vines in lighter quartz/ alluvial and volcanic soils”.
Smelling this is really a matter of defining the term 'floral'; I'm talking flowers, spice, flowers, cherries and flowers. The palate was an alluring mix of red fruits, smoke, star anise and savoury herbs. Initially I wasn’t blown as way as much as I expected by this; it’s a refined wine that’s more about subtle power than an explosion of fruit. It’s lush, silky and seems to go on forever, yet it’s a tale of depth, intensity and structure. I appreciate the quality of this but was wonder if it’s worth the money. And oh, how much must you love a wine that's label features a teacher?
Visit winery website.
Coal Valley, Tasmania, A$22.50, screwtop
A mate's visiting who's a bit of a Pinot fan and this bottle just happened to be sitting on the bookshelf calling to be drunk. We weren't rude enough to yell back, but instead calmly walked over and unscrewed the stelvin seal and finished the bottle. Forty-two degrees south refers to the latitude of Tasmania and also in this case the second label of Coal Valley Winery Frogmore Creek. 55% of the fruit for this comes from Campania and Richmond in southern Tasmania's Coal Valley, the rest from Relbia in northern Tassie. 
Ruby in colour this is pretty intense for a Pinot. The nose is just oozing red berries; it's a good old fashioned fruit orgy with red cherries, strawberries and raspberries all flashing their pink bits around. There's also a whiff of sweet spice, perhaps cinnamon and star anise. The palate is bright, fresh and packed with all the lush fruit we smelt on the nose. What I liked about this wine is that it not obviously sweet; sure it's fruity but it's not over the top and there's a beautiful creamy texture in the mouth. 42° South Pinot Noir 2007 is not the most complex wine in the world, but it still wins out for pure deliciousness; there's lots of enjoyment to be had here.
Visit winery website.
Alexander Valley, Napa, US$24, screwtop
The duty free selection at New York's JFK airport was extremely average; Jacob's Creek dominated and this was the only US offering. I really have no idea about North American wine, but a bit of research on the web shows that Ferrari-Carano are a family run company who have
vineyards scattered across Napa. It's worth checking out their website to see the smiling proprietors looking oh so Californian.
This is pretty deep gold in colour and having a sniff the age is noticeable. There’s plenty going on with the nose; lot’s of tasty fruit – grapefruit, peach and apricot - but also a bit of late night toast smeared with honey. This is tasty stuff; the palate’s ripe and lush with tropical fruits, peaches, and plenty of melon; there’s also a nice lick of caramel on the finish. I was expecting buckets (or barrels) of oak, but was impressed with how balanced this was. The 13.5% alcohol was really well integrated. Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay 2006 is certainly a lovely wine; full bodied, complex but well balanced. I’m starting to get worried; the last three Californian wines I’ve tried have impressed me…
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Douro, MOP105, screwtop
A Portuguese wine sealed with a screwtop!!!!! Whatever else may be said the people at Quinta do Cotto should get points for being sensible and innovative in face of Portugal's outdated, crusty, cork culture. Though they were originally a Port producer (and still make a Vintage Port in exceptional years) the winery has been focused on making table wines since the 1930s. This is their standard offering; a blend of the traditional Port varieties of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Francesa, as well as the more unusual Sousão. 
The nose on this has plenty of sweet fruits, especially plum and blackberry (it's obviously been kept fresh by the lovely screwtop), there're also hints of oak with spice and cinnamon. On the palate this was initially all about plums and seemed pretty simple, but with a bit of time it opened up OK and black fruit and pepper flavours emerged. It is medium bodied with fine, chalky tannins. Being critical it does pull up a little short and I'm thrown off by the alcohol that's a tad obvious for a wine that's meant to be 13%. Quinta do Cotto Douro 2005 is a pleasant enough drop and while not overly exciting definitely gets a bonus marks for the closure.
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Tuscany, £11.99, cork
No website Mr Machiavelli? From what I can gather this estate was founded in 1693 and today the winery is located in Machiavelli's old house, which also operates as a museum. This wine is 100% Sangiovese and I'm pretty sure 'Solatio del Tani' refers to vineyards sunny position, but if they had a website I could check...
It's still ruby in colour, but just starting to show hints orange around the rim. Sniff, sniff and I get aromas of liquorice and red cherry, but also hints of flowers, strawberries and something dusty. The liquorice and cherry from the nose are just as obvious on the palate, and as the wine opened up floral and spice notes emerged. It's got high acid levels, but this is balanced with intense, but fine, sweet tannin. Chianti's touted as a food wine and this bad boy is on exception; it's well structured and tasty, though if I had to nitpick the alcohol is a little obvious and the palate's not overly complex. Machiavelli 'Solatio del Tani' Chianti Classico 2006 is decent drinking.
Frascati, Lazio, $59, cork
I didn't know a thing about Frascati until a little while ago, but what I found out is kind of interesting. It's a smallish DOC in the Alban Hills 20km south-east of Rome and for thousands of years it has been supplying the pubs of Rome with booze. This specific bottle is a blend of 50% Malvasia Bianca di Candia, 40% Trebbiano Toscano, 10% Malvasia del Lazio, the very same grapes that were used to make Frascati in ancient times.
Fontana Candida Frascati 2006 is a lot darker than I was expecting; it’s a lovely bright gold. It smells good, really good. There are soft fruits and tropical fruits, think apple, pear, starfruit and pineapple, but it’s surprisingly complex with whiffs of almond, summer meadows, and honey. To taste, it screams of the Italian hills; herbs, wildflowers and honey, alongside ripe red apples and pears. It’s a wine with plenty of body and a nice roundness in the mouth. Joey gave this a big thumbs up, and I enjoyed it too; good price as well. I’d drink the 2006 vintage sooner rather than later.
Visit winery website.
Ponti Wine Cellars, Central
25th May 2010
Day two of the Ponti Wine Cellars master classes and it was time to move from Italy to France. I was very excited about tonight’s tasting and the opportunity to try some old Bordeaux. I’m usually pretty sceptical about Bordeaux; I’ve had bottles I’ve loved, but have also had gallons of rubbish. I suppose though, what really gets me is poor value I perceive as coming out of the region. 
We were guided through several decades of Chateau Corbin Michotte wines by proprietor Emmanuel Boidron. When Emmanuel arrived he was exhausted after travels in China, but with a glass in front of him he quickly warmed to the topic and warmed to his audience. His Grand Cru Classé estate is located on the north-west corner of St Emilion; just up the road from Cheval Blanc. It has been owned by the Boidrons since 1959. The wine is usually a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc and matured in big, new oak barrels.
The vibrant, ruby Chateau Corbin Michotte 2005 was truly a beautiful proposition with plenty of red and black fruit, spice and floral notes. While truly delicious, what impressed me most about this was how refined it was; medium bodied and with fine, perfectly integrated tannin. The 1998 was noticeably firmer and richer than the 2005. It was still ruby in colour with just a hint of orange and a little cloudiness. The nose had lots of spice coming through, with more black fruit than red – boysenberry and blackberry – alongside some sweet 
red capsicum. The palate was all about sweet black fruits with a lovely herbal edge. Again this was really drinkable with excellent length and masterful, firm but alluring tannins.
Apparently 1981 was a hot year in Bordeaux and Chateau Corbin Michotte 1981 was distinct in that it was made from 50% Cabernet Franc. Perfumed, complex nose had aromas of red liquorice, cassis, spice and leather, while the palate started sweet and moved through gamey flavours before finishing with a taste of liquorice. When we opened the 1975 Emmanuel was really impressed with the cork; I’d have to agree that it was holding up remarkably well (for a cork). Orange fading to brown this had lots of mint on the nose along with aniseed, cinnamon and violets. It was really savoury and tasted of red fruits, tar, tobacco, and aniseed. The acid was noticeable on these older wines and the length excellent on all. The final wine got me a touch excited; a Chateau Corbin Michotte 1964. Light brown in colour the nose on this was 
initially withdrawn, but as it opened with hints of flowers and spice. The earthy palate was much more inspiring and had leather, aniseed, game and red fruit flavours.
What a tasting; the 1964 was the oldest wine I’ve ever drunk and a truly memorable experience. However what impressed me most was the consistency and quality across the whole selection. The older vintages weren't from the best years, yet all these wines we were beautifully balanced; medium bodied with particularly stylish tannin; and most importantly they were all so, so drinkable. I mentioned price before and at $389 for the 2005 vintage I really can't complain about value either.
Ponti Wine Cellars, Central
24th May 2010
Vinexpo Asia is about to start in Hong Kong has been inundated with visiting winemakers, wine tastings, wine walks, wine dinners, wine fairs, 'crazy wine sales' and I'm guessing quite a few people drinking beer. The excitement is almost too much to handle, but amongst it all I was particularly taken with the round of 'master class' tasting offered by Ponti Wine Cellars. Unfortunately I couldn't make the Chianti and Burgundy ones (that whole working thing), but I managed to make the two latter tastings, the first of which was the Barolo's of Renato Ratti.
The tasting was hosted by the charismatic Pietro Ratti, son of the founder and current proprietor. Pietro enthusiasm for his wines and Piedmont in general was unmistakable. His Italian passion was obvious as he briefly outlined the company's history and walked us through his wines. By chance I've tried their Langhe Nebbiolo previously, but the Barolo's of this tasting were a marked step up.
First on the tasting table were three vintages of their Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco. Marcenasco is a sub-region of Barolo near the town of La Morra where their winery is and this (in theory) is their entry level Barolo; though there is nothing 'entry level' about the quality. These wines see 25% new oak, with the fruit coming from three vineyard sites. The 2006 was simply delicious with plenty of cherry, liquorice and of course tannin. The 2005 was similar though I detected mint and aniseed on the nose and the tannins seemed a bit grippier. The 2004 had sign of developing with additional gamey notes on the nose and slightly softer tannins. All three wines were all fantastic, and while the tannins were big they were accompanied by acidity and red fruit aplenty.
The Renato Ratti Barolo Conca 2006 comes from a tiny vineyard right in front of their winery. This was a lot more complex than the Marcenasco, with the noticeable floral aromas. The nose was perhaps slightly more closed, but there was still cherries, smoke and violets. The more 
savoury palate of course had cherries, but also liquorice and dried herbs. Again this was a case of amazing tannin, balanced with plenty of acidity.
Pietro sees the single vineyard Rocche wines as his 'grand crus' and the quality of his Renato Ratti Barolo Rocche 2006 & 2005 were amazing, but distinct. The 2006 was a tale of tar, flowers, cherries and lots of liquorice with a somewhat withdrawn, but integrated palate and all consuming tannin. 2005 still had the cherries, but there was game, mint (something to do with this vintage perhaps?) and an overwhelming seductive, floral perfume.
I walked away from this all about Barolo. The wines themselves were outstanding and Pietro's friendly, knowledgeable comments added to the experience. Ponti Wine Cellars did a good job of hosting the event.
Visit winery website.
Eguisheim, Alsace, cork
Yuen Long isn’t known as a hot spot for fishing, but I’m slowly getting a bit of an addiction to casting into the gutters and drains of my neighbourhood. The wine I assume would go rather nicely with a Shan Pui River carp, if I ever manage to land one. This offering from Paul Zinck was grown at an elevation of between 230 to 280 metres on south facing slopes of calcerous silt.
This is darker than I expected and is a lovely golden colour; there’s also an abundant deposits of beautiful wine crystals. Having a smell and things get pretty exciting, pretty quick; there’s crisp green apple, green guava, sherbet, lime, lemon and plenty of minerality; it’s seductive stuff. The palate is totally dominated by lemon; there’s enough citrus here for some kind of festival, though hints of tropical fruit add interest. Round, lush and surprising persistent, what stands out however is the buckets of fresh acidity. Though it lacks a bit of palate complexity Paul Zinck 'Prestige' Riesling 2007 is good stuff; bright and aromatic I’ll buy another bottle when I finally catch my carp.
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Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais, $148, cork
I’m never tempted by Beaujolais Nouveau (well OK once in Japan, but that was only because it was a Hello Kitty wine), but Cru Beaujolais on the other hand is a whole different story. Moulin-a-vent means “windmill” in French and this hilly area in the north-east of Beaujolais is known for its relatively long lived wines, as well as its windmill. Available in Hong Kong from Wine Hot, it is of course 100% Gamay.
Quite light it’s a vibrant cherry red and there’s cola, red fruits and pepper aplenty on the nose. This tastes fresh and ‘red’; really it’s a mardi gras of red fruit; first along dance the wild strawberries, then come the jolly little raspberries and finally it’s a wave of cheeky cranberries. Alongside this fruit fiesta there’s a lovely lick of spice and a grind of white pepper. While there’s plenty of upfront fruit this is a wine that's certainly no pushover; medium to full bodied it’s got fine tannins and good persistence. I drunk it over a few nights and on the third evening it had softened, but was still holding up beautifully. While it may not be the most sophisticated, Chateau Moulin-a-Vent 2007 so, so drinkable.
Sury-en-Vaux, Sancerre, Loire, $158, cork
I try not to buy wine from Park n Shop too often, but occasionally get tempted when something interesting is on special. I had had a Sancerre for ages so when I 
saw this reduced to $98 I thought I’d give it a go. I can't find anything much about this on the web. The bottle names the producer as Domaine Paul Vatton with an address in Maimbray, a village in the commune of Sury-en-Vaux. It is, of course, made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
Darker than I expected, Domain de Saint Romble Sancerre 2007 is a lovely golden yellow. OK, OK; so I was looking for cat piss and got a bit of a whiff at the start, but it soon drifted off and I ended up smelling tart gooseberry and grapefruit. The nose on this was pretty interesting with additional aromas of star fruit and coriander. On the palate this was totally dominated by acidity, making it a wine you feel rather than taste. Though there is a big lick of lime on the finish, I would have liked to have seen a bit more flavour on the mid palate. I enjoyed Domain de Saint Romble Sancerre 2007, but in many ways it is a bit of a one trick pony and that trick ladies and gentlemen is the bite, bite, cut, cut acid show.
Alentejano, MOP196, terrible cork
Trincadeira? It's one of those exotic 'other' Portuguese grapes and from what I can gather it's widely planted in the hot southern regions of Alentejano and Algarve. Produced by Herdade do Esporao, this is part of the 'Moncastas' range of single varietal wines from which I previously sampled their Aragonês. This saw six months in new American oak and was sealed with the crappiest cork I've seen in a long time. I still smile when I notice it was imported by Goodtime Distributors.
It took a bit of time for the nose to open up, but when it did I got aromas of plum, cassis and mocha, along with chalk and leather. It tastes of green plums and boysenberry stirred with a bit of mint. Medium bodied with good grippy tannin it's a wine that benefits from being served with food. It's still fresh and very much alive, though my only complaint is it's a little hollow on the mid-palate. Esporao Trincadeira 2003 is a pleasant drop that's drinking well.
Visit winery website.
Balnarring, Mornington Peninsula, cork seal
I'm back in Australia and dug this out of the cellar. I've no idea how I acquired it, though I do remember visiting the winery years ago. Known for its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and expensive sea views, the Mornington 
Peninsula isn't regularly recognised for its Merlot and Marinda Park is one of the few who produce it as a single varietal. Sorry about the photo; it's totally distorted by my mum's bright green kitchen; the same kitchen that has been warping my mind for nearly thirty-five years.
Showing a touch of bottle age it is a beautiful crimson red colour. It smells delicate, floral and feminine (another way of saying subtle?); and has lovely spicy notes - think star anise, cinnamon and a lick of sweet fruit. It's soft, spicy and tastes of red fruits and spice, or to be more precise plums and fruit cake. Medium bodied; it's balanced and still maintaining a touch of freshness. Beautifully integrated and drinking well, Marinda Park Merlot 2001 doesn't smash you over the head; initially I thought it was a touch uninspiring, but in the end was one over by its stylish drinkability and lovely softness.
Visit winery website.
from a blend of Seyval Blanc, Ortega and Kernling
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