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Christmas Wine II

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Did anyone else try that ‘cooncil’ Aussie wine I mentioned. I really like it, even though I fear I shouldn’t, and it seems to be on special in the various supermarkets.

In contrast, I have a ‘96 Margaux that I really should either drink or sell. I bet the Aussie ‘cooncil’ wine tastes better ;)
 
Dogberry said:
If I'm reading this correctly they have only one case of 2018 and more of 2019
https://www.uncorked.co.uk/searchsite?keyword=coudoulet
Is the 2019 vintage ok?
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If one case of 2018 is not enough, J&B have three at the same price as Uncorked.

The 2019 should be excellent, but I haven’t got round to thinking about buying any yet. It’s still widely available EP, I don’t think there’s any rush.

JTC said:
Did anyone else try that ‘cooncil’ Aussie wine I mentioned. I really like it, even though I fear I shouldn’t, and it seems to be on special in the various supermarkets.
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From reading various descriptions I get the impression of a sort of oaky, zinfandelly wine - and speaking for myself (obvs) that’s not really my kind of thing.

JTC said:
In contrast, I have a ‘96 Margaux that I really should either drink or sell. I bet the Aussie ‘cooncil’ wine tastes better ;)
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You know, I wouldn’t bank on it. We could try a comparison. You supply the wine, I’ll supply the glasses. I’ll keep the Margaux safe under my side of the table.
 
Marchbanks said:
From reading various descriptions I get the impression of a sort of oaky, zinfandelly wine - and speaking for myself (obvs) that’s not really my kind of thing..
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Definitely fruity and quite sweet, almost *too* easy to drink. Maybe my wine taste is ****ed up but I really enjoyed it. Enough to buy several extra bottles last time I was in. Definitely better than most supermarket ‘new world’ reds IMHO…
 
JTC said:
Definitely fruity and quite sweet, almost *too* easy to drink. Maybe my wine taste is ****ed up but I really enjoyed it.
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Never any need for excuses. Not ****ed up, just individual. Example - I have a soft spot for sweet white wines, which causes fellow Christmas Winers to give me a bit of a wide berth on occasions. I like to think it’s that anyway, although it’s possible the repellent personality and gamey whiff have something to do with it too.
 
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Bruenello di Montalcino Il Poggione 2015 @ Morrisons £38 reduced to £30. A wonderful wine which I first enjoyed curtesy of a wine trader around a fire on a camping holiday. Great with barbecued steak.
 
A bonus alfresco night after the rain stopped around 6pm despite continued thick black clouds passing overhead. Saucisse aux lentilles, blue Wensleydale and crumble with blackberries from the brambles on the lanes and apples scrumped from overhanging branches. Tonight’s bottle was les Cocalières from Domaine d’Aupilhac, the Montpeyroux region of Languedoc. 40/30/30 S/G/M though I would have guessed more Grenache than that. Pretty tannic on first opening, so a small shake-up in the decanter was applied. Classy stuff - I certainly get the ‘petit fruits rouges’ mentioned on the label and possibly the thyme. Bought in France for the equivalent of £17 and I look forward to trying another of the remaining two bottles, perhaps in another eighteen months or so.

Even more Ceramic Dog tonight - this time YRU Still Here? from 2018. Some serious railing against the state of the US at the time. Good to hear Steve Bannon mentioned in the same call-and-response style as fascism and the KKK - “Never again!! We mean it!!” Muslim Jewish Resistance must be one of the great song titles. Do we have anyone over hear that mixes fine musicianship and ranty protest in the same way? (Please don’t say Eric Clapton...)

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Well MB you have got me listening to Marc Ribot/Ceramic Dog. It is so varied (which is good) I am not sure what I make of it, but I certainly like some of it so far.
 
wacko said:
Well MB you have got me listening to Marc Ribot/Ceramic Dog. It is so varied (which is good) I am not sure what I make of it, but I certainly like some of it so far.
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I’d approach it in chronological order (a bit like I do with wine, he said hurriedly, aware he was pushing yet another thread off-piste.) There’s a sort of development in style that seems to make sense that way. I haven’t really got to grips with Hope (the dreaded ‘lockdown album’) yet. I wonder if I could play like that if I bought a beaten-up Jazzmaster?
Dogberry said:
You'll be drinking cab.franc from the Loire next.
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Is Marc a Jacky Blot fan? Or even vice-versa?
 
Marchbanks said:
Even more Ceramic Dog tonight - this time YRU Still Here? from 2018. Some serious railing against the state of the US at the time. Good to hear Steve Bannon mentioned in the same call-and-response style as fascism and the KKK - “Never again!! We mean it!!” Muslim Jewish Resistance must be one of the great song titles. Do we have anyone over hear that mixes fine musicianship and ranty protest in the same way? (Please don’t say Eric Clapton...)
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Yes. We have the mighty Nigel Blackwell. See the wonder that is 'A Country Practice':


I’m incredibly bored with the word “millennium”
I’m with the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Millions now earmarked will later be wasted
Her Majesty, marvellous, Mother – The Musical
The fireworks lighting up the Houses of Parliament
Death in Trafalgar Square, death in the armchair
Of cliched old spinsters who’ve never been loved
Every day is Australia Day
“Sons and Daughters” and “Home and Away”
And then the news comes on and the sound goes down
‘Cos she can’t be bothered with all them politicians
They’re all just a bunch of flaming drongos

She died with her telly on, eighty-seven and confused
With not enough hospital beds ‘cos all the money’s been used
On the end of the century party preparations
And they reckon that the last thing she saw in her life was
Sting, singing on the roof of the Barbican
Sting, singing on the roof of the Barbican
 
Joe Hutch said:
See the wonder that is 'A Country Practice':
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That’s pretty good. I think deep down I have a downer on Nigel as he thinks it’s cliched to be cynical at Christmas and being so is one of my deepest held ideals.

I saw he was playing near me in a couple of weeks’ time and I was about to buy a ticket until I realised the gig was in fact in September 2022. Then I had second thoughts as I’ve never been able to understand any HMHB lyrics until I’ve seen them written down, and had visions of a 66-year old git being surrounded by bright young things dancing and singing along to cleverly crafted songs about football and the Wirral while he wondered what was going on.
 
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It helps to have been born only a couple of miles away from Nigel B. I can understand almost all of the references, especially when he says stuff like: 'My road outta here's a trunk route/A Five Five Two'

What I like about Nigel is that he's a pedant like me, but doesn't take it seriously (David Mitchell is similar in that respect). An interviewer once asked Nigel B if he got cross when people said he was a Scouser (ie from Liverpool rather than Birkenhead). He replied:

https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/topic/19465-half-man-half-biscuit-interview-with-nigel-blackwell/

'Being called 'Scousers' is purely geographical ignorance - if I know the difference between Kentish man and Man of Kent and Geordies and Mackems for instance then there really is no excuse for lazy journalists (whose job it often is to know these things) to label us thus. Liverpool is a superb place and I'm there probably once a week and if we were from Crosby say, then I could perhaps just about understand the tag (even though Crosby itself is a town in its own right), but Birkenhead is a fairly large place as it is (142,000 people?) and so there is never an excuse for this error. Doesn't bother me as such. I don't get annoyed - it's simply RANK BAD FORM on the part of the journalist.'
 
Joe Hutch said:
It helps to have been born only a couple of miles away from Nigel B. I can understand almost all of the references, especially when he says stuff like: 'My road outta here's a trunk route/A Five Five Two'
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I didn’t explain myself well enough. I think I’d probably get the references - my problem with hearing HMHB songs on the radio is that I haven’t been able to work out most of the actual words. I remember hearing Knobheads On Quiz Shows (apologies if not quite correct) and thinking ‘that sounds quite good...’ Then the presenter laughed and said ‘typical spot-on observation’ and I had to search for the lyrics to see what he meant. I imagine it would be no different in a live context. Except I wouldn’t really be in a position to search for the lyrics. Although scrutinising my phone and belatedly cheering halfway through the next song might have a certain surrealist appeal.
 
Dragging us slightly back on-topic, Nigel B does sneak some wine references in, such as:

'I’m sitting in my Ladbroke Grove
Waiting for the NME
They’re coming down to interview me
But I haven’t told the others, ‘cos they’d mess around and burp, and tell the truth and laugh at me for drinking a classic red bottled by a medal-winning estate on the banks of the Garonne'

'Used to be in Evil Gazebo'
 
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Still possible to dine alfresco, I’m pleased to say. Tonight it’s one of King Louis’ Deux Albion whites, whose 40/40/20 Viognier/Marsanne/Picpoul mix appeals greatly to my not-bone-dry-please palate. Mixing well with some Morrisons cranberry buns and 75% off short-dated sheep’s milk cheese.

King Louis is being paired with King Marc, in more playful mood tonight with Los Cubanos Postizos. I’ve just heard a Mellotron sway by, the inclusion of which would probably give Ry Cooder a heart attack. Marc’s written a book, which I have ordered. His old mucker Elvis says it is ‘bloody funny’ so I’m looking forward to it. Apparently it’s a mix of real life and fiction. That’s an interesting idea - I might try posting in that style once the bats have roosted in the Great Hall and it’s a bit less chaotic indoors.
 
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D.V. Catena Tinto Historico Argentinian Malbec. Not really taken with this - I’m sure there’s a decent wine in there, but it’s hidden by way too much oak for my taste. I see I paid £9.00 in Tesco even during one of their 25% promos. £7.50 would seem more like it to me.

The only positive aspect of finally being forced to have dinner indoors is the chance to wade through the pile of CDs that have been waiting for weeks to be heard. I’ve started with some John Zorn stuff bought from @foxwelljsly (warning: contains yet more King Marc.) Thanks Mr Jsly, thoroughly enjoying Lucifer. If I’ve managed to drag you here, welcome to the Christmas Wine playpen.
 
^ Catena are generally a quality producer. Their bottling for Tesco is probably their entry level and not for subtle tastes.
A committed Francophile is more likely to find wine they like from South Africa than South America I think.
btw your posts are a highlight of pfm.
 
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