advertisement


Christmas Wine II

Status
Not open for further replies.
A great and unique source, and an excellent profile. I used to visit him every year, but my attention drifted way from Burgundy, and I haven't called in for years. An interesting man, as you say, with many interests. These photos were taken at about the same time as you were enjoying your bottle in the US!

smmT0e.jpg


eP2fPH.jpg


s4L2Ay.jpg


wRWUVl.jpg
Beautiful portraits, congratulations.
The amazing thing is he doesn't seem to have changed much, physically at least, in 30 years.
 
Thank you. All taken on my trusty Nikon F3, either on HP5 or TriX 400. I've still got it, its very battered, but works perfectly.

I'm not actually sure of the exact year, its either 1992 or '93. I've got some colour (film) shots of him on a subsequent visit, but I don't like them as I tried to use the flash. Bad move.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PsB
I was asked on here many moons ago when The Chocolate Block first appeared in the UK. Just spoke to a friend who used to work for Jeroboams. He couldn't remember the year but said that his firm bought up the entire first vintage of the wine from Boekenhoustskloof. Production has scaled up enormously since then.
 
I used to live in San Francisco, and I was friends with someone who owned a half share of a vineyard. We used to go drinking in all sorts of city haunts which specialised in wine, speakeasies, and I learned that the best (in his view) Californian Chardonnay had a butteriness. He used to say that this buttery Chardonnay was rarely exported, they would keep the best for local consumption.

Well I can’t fly to California now, thank you Covid. And I want, I need, a fix of that wine. Has anyone discovered any good Californian wines available in the Uk, at the £30 max mark?

I miss the ocean, I miss the hills, I miss the view from the Golden Gate Bridge coming into the city from Sausalito.
 
I used to live in San Francisco, and I was friends with someone who owned a half share of a vineyard. We used to go drinking in all sorts of city haunts which specialised in wine, speakeasies, and I learned that the best (in his view) Californian Chardonnay had a butteriness. He used to say that this buttery Chardonnay was rarely exported, they would keep the best for local consumption.

Well I can’t fly to California now, thank you Covid. And I want, I need, a fix of that wine. Has anyone discovered any good Californian wines available in the Uk, at the £30 max mark?

I miss the ocean, I miss the hills, I miss the view from the San Francisco Bridge coming into the city from Sausalito.
Not to everybody’s taste, but I really like the Bread and Butter Chardonnay stocked by Majestic. Sells for about £16, but often discounted on the mix six to about £12. Very buttery, creamy even, a mouth filling richness but with a satisfying finish too, and works well with food that doesn’t need much acidity to cut through. We like it with things like calves liver, or North African/Middle Eastern stuff like chicken in lemons and olives.
 
Not to everybody’s taste, but I really like the Bread and Butter Chardonnay stocked by Majestic. Sells for about £16, but often discounted on the mix six to about £12. Very buttery, creamy even, a mouth filling richness but with a satisfying finish too, and works well with food that doesn’t need much acidity to cut through. We like it with things like calves liver, or North African/Middle Eastern stuff like chicken in lemons and olives.

Well that's easy to try. Will report back. Thanks.
 
A good bit of marketing, Bread & Butter. So too with Chocolate Block. Not a great fan of either, but the appeal is clear.
 


"What could possibly surprise you more than it being excellent. But at the first sip, the word genius escapes in a whisper. Because these wines are exactly what the vintage should be. And this, vintage after vintage, come rain or shine. The wines of Domaine Michel Lafarge are infallible. And they are so great they don't come to you, you have to work up to them."

Such understatement is rare in wine reviews.
"It's elegant, sappy and refined, with caressing tannins and fresh, tangy cherry and raspberry fruit."
Its all of this, suits my taste.Picked this up today Bourgogne Passetoutgrain ,could not wait to open.

oh forgot the music,,

 
51381981827_a3b067ebd7_z.jpg


Sociando-Mallet 2000, found lurking in one of the cobwebbier sections of the ancestral cellars. Lovely, what I think of as proper, old-fashioned claret (but probably isn’t.) Makes me feel I should be relaxing in an armchair in my Gentleman’s Club rather than tucking into a bowl of cook’s Pasta Surprise by the light of a gibbous moon*. Bought en primeur all those years ago when being an Old Person was a scary idea rather than an immensely pleasant surprise. Two bottles still left, excellent news.

This has been paired with Hot Rats. My saxophone tutor is making me take a stab at Lady In Red, and I desperately needed an antidote before I dissolve into a pool of sugary goo. What a great album it is - although The Gumbo Variations is too long by precisely one Ian Underwood solo the rest is nigh on perfect. The five minute solo on Son Of Mr Green Genes has been embedded in my memory for forty years - I can still sing along with it note for note.

*I have long forgotten what a gibbous moon is, but this one looks so good in the clear sky I’m sure it could be one if it wanted.
 
51384154827_cce2462d8c.jpg


Opened this earlier to put some in the pot. Although I originally bought it for drinking (having bought it in Carrefour wine fairs in previous years) I was going to recork and keep in the fridge for more cooking, then realised I was being stupidly snobbish just because it was a 2€ bottle. It’s very decent basic plonk, and going down well with Thelonious under the parasol that has been pressed into operation against tonight’s occasional fine drizzle.
 
"Today, the total vineyard area here covers some 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres) producing around 22 million liters " Costieres de Nîmes. That's a heck of a lot of wine.I've always wondered why it doesn't have
the same cachet unless there's some hidden gems.
 
Not to everybody’s taste, but I really like the Bread and Butter Chardonnay stocked by Majestic. Sells for about £16, but often discounted on the mix six to about £12. Very buttery, creamy even, a mouth filling richness but with a satisfying finish too, and works well with food that doesn’t need much acidity to cut through. We like it with things like calves liver, or North African/Middle Eastern stuff like chicken in lemons and olives.

It's got loads of character. I think I will buy more, maybe. The negative for me the balance of oak to acidity and fruit -- I want to say that there's too much bread and not enough butter.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.


advertisement


Back
Top