Christmas Wine

[eternumviti]

I did a double take when I saw that - I thought you had been raiding my recycling bin.

And proud of it - the Marchbanks crest shows Curmudgeon Dormant.

The only thing that really thrills me about Christmas is when it's over, so I'm with you.

Now are you really drinking the 17/16/15 vintages of VT yet?

 

[Marchbanks]

The only thing that really thrills me about Christmas is when it's over, so I'm with you.

Refusing to play along with it is very liberating.

Now are you really drinking the 17/16/15 vintages of VT yet?

No, that was a little joke. Of those vintages there are a dozen 2016s lying as yet untouched in the ancestral cellars. But there are also four 1998s, CT informs me, so I need an excuse. The forthcoming winter solstice maybe?

 

[wacko]

You should drink up those '98s if they are VTs. When does the CT aggregate wisdom think is end date ?

 

[eternumviti]

As I've indicated on this thread before, I'm very wobbly about VT. All of the recent vintages appear to be evolving early, and they're very pale, pinotish in colour, even though graceful, with reserves of tannin. I actually missed the 16 yesterday, but JR's notes from a couple of years ago bear out the pattern.

15, 14 and 13 top to bottom.

 

[Marchbanks]

You should drink up those '98s if they are VTs. When does the CT aggregate wisdom think is end date ?

2021. Some interesting recent tasting notes too, ranging from ‘quite superb’ to ‘never fails to disappoint.’

 

[SteveS1]

What's the blend? Looks very Grenache dominated.

 

[eternumviti]

Usually 65-80% Grenache, with varying Syrah and Mourvedre and smaller amounts of other permitted varieties.

 

[SteveS1]

Usually 65-80% Grenache, with varying Syrah and Mourvedre and smaller amounts of other permitted varieties.

It does look very pale. But as someone who often finds these southern reds a bit big, I would be tempted by that.

 

[wacko]

2021. Some interesting recent tasting notes too, ranging from ‘quite superb’ to ‘never fails to disappoint.’

Have you tried one recently ? Since you have 4 and this is the weekend...

 

[Marchbanks]

Have you tried one recently ? Since you have 4 and this is the weekend...

March 5th (got to love CT!) This weekend I’ll be at the wine fair in Lille. I’m going Loire crazy, buying lots of Joguet Chinon, sweet Chenins and (sorry) Sauvignon Blanc. Then a detour into Belgium for a crate or two of Rochefort and back to France to pick up a pre-ordered box of mixed Languedoc reds that I’m really looking forward to. Maybe the weekend after...

 

[dweezil]

Case of 2010 Ch Laroque and a bottle of Coutet on the way, also dipping into a bottle of Fournier Marsannay in case my Eastern mojo is back.

First time for the St E and Barsac.

 

[eternumviti]

It does look very pale. But as someone who often finds these southern reds a bit big, I would be tempted by that.

The issue is perhaps less the depth of colour - though it is very light for Chateauneuf - than the hue. There's a lot of amber and paling at the rim. This is a sign of age, and these are very young wines for something at this level.

The wines below are from the same stable but all from the 2018 vintage. Still fairly light, but much more purple. You would expect Chateauneuf to hold these hues, albeit often deeper, for much of their first decade.

Top to bottom Pigeoulet, Megaphone, Pallieres Terrasses and Racine.

 

[Marchbanks]

As I've indicated on this thread before, I'm very wobbly about VT. All of the recent vintages appear to be evolving early, and they're very pale, pinotish in colour, even though graceful, with reserves of tannin. I actually missed the 16 yesterday, but JR's notes from a couple of years ago bear out the pattern.

15, 14 and 13 top to bottom.

The 2014 and 2013 in particular look seriously aged - although the bottom photo is quite yellow, especially compared to the second set you posted.

 

[eternumviti]

Yes, the white balance on the phone seems variable, but in fact they were browner than they appear in the pics.

Not the 18s, they were fine, albeit not deep.

Like Steve, I like delicacy, but 15, for example, is a broad shouldered vintage with some deep colours, but not here.

 

[Marchbanks]

...in fact they were browner than they appear in the pics.

Crikey!

 

[wacko]

Crikey!

Fortunately we both bought Beaucastel/Coudoulet

 

[gassor]

I'm partial to Jim Clenenden's wines (vineyard is Au Bon Climat), but there are dozens of others.
Others on here know a lot more about French wines than me, but I seem to remember Gigondas goes quite well with turkey (I don't really like the stuff so we tend to look elsewhere for Christmas), if you prefer French. A Chilean carmenere/cab sauv blend could also work well, as could some Spanish Ribera del Duero or Penedés.
Buy some of each?

Had some Spanish Ribera del Duero for the first time last week and it were lovely. Cheers

 

[Marchbanks]

This weekend I’ll be at the wine fair in Lille. I’m going Loire crazy, buying lots of Joguet Chinon, sweet Chenins and (sorry) Sauvignon Blanc.

I’m going in! I’m going in! If I haven’t made it back out by tomorrow send a search party.

On second thoughts...

(Rows F to J not pictured)

 

[wacko]

^^ Would find it too difficult to chose anything at all. Unless there are small producers that you already know and are difficult to source from ? And good prices ?

 

[eternumviti]

The prospect of that fills me with something close to horror. Too many years of the LWTF, Vinexpo etc.