Tastings 2003

The Leek Wine Club

Tastings 2003

Members

Meetings

The Americas, Australasia & Africa and Old World

5th November 2003 Supplier: Majestic Wines

Casa Lapastolle 2000, Merlot,14%, Cuvee Alexandre, Colchagua Valley, Chile. The nose was complex and powerful. A touch of butterscotch at first on the taste but a smooth, well balanced mouthful with a long, satisfying finish	15/20 £14.99
Catena, 2001, 13.5%, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bodega Catena Zapata , Mendoza, Argentina. The wine had a wonderful fruity nose. The taste was of blackcurrents and was smooth with a long finish	15.5/20 £10.99
Beringer, 1997, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, St Helena, California. A powerful, blackcurrent nose. Some good tannin was evident and this complemented the complex flavours. A smooth finish left a good feeling about this wine	16/20 £12.99
Kanonkop, 2000, 13.5%, Pinotage, Kanonkop Estate, Stellenbosch, S Africa. The colour was very dull but the nose was good - a typical pinotage. On tasting, the wine was rather bitter which prompted us to question whether the wine was very slightly "off".	8/20 £13.99
Oyster Bay 2001, 13.5% Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand. A good, quite complex nose. The taste was a little dry but fruity with slight tannin. The finish was long and satisfying.	14/20 £9.99
Tatchilla Foundation, 2001, 14%, Shiraz, Mclaren Vale, Australia. The wine had a fruity nose and a typical shiraz peppery taste. It was smooth and with a smooth finish. A good, if not exceptional wine	14.5/20 £15.99
La Mora 1998, 13.5%, Nebbiolo, Terre da Vino, Barolo, Italy. A wine with a dry nose. The flavour was smooth and complex. The finish was rather short and insignificant.	12/20
Vina Alarde Gran Reserva, 1996, 13%, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Bodegas Berberana, Rioja Alta. This wine had a superb fruity nose with overtones of toffee. The flavour was complex and fruity with vanilla flavours in the background. The finish was memorable!	17/20
La Reserve de Leoville Barton, 1998, 12.5%, St Julien, Beycheville. Cab Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 15%, Cab. Franc 7%. A most disappointing bottle. The wine was not off but had a poor, faint nose, despite the fact that it had been decanted for 2 hours. The flavour was slightly fruity but had sharp overtones, not typical of a good claret.	8/20

Tasting 1st October 2003

Penfolds Introductory Case from Majestic Wines

(All less 20%)

Rawsons Retreat Merlot 2002, 14% £5.99. A deep red, the nose was of herbs with subdued fruit. The taste was powerful but with a sharpness that followed through to the finish. The tannins were faint and the finish was on the short side.	12.5/20
Koonunga Hill, Cabernet/Merlot 2001, 14%. £6-99 This wine was a dull red in colour and the strong, fruity nose gave hints of chalk. The taste was soft and rather thin with a hint of liquorice and a bitter tang on the short finish	13/20
Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, 13.5%. £11-99. A lovely nose of fields of blackcurrent. The taste was powerful and silky with well balanced tannins. A huge mouthful with a long, satisfying finish. A good choice for meat/game.	16/20
Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet 2001, 13.5%.£6-99. The nose on this wine was rather subdued and closed in although the bottle had been opened for 2 hours prior to tasting. Some fruit was evident . The flavour was soft, yet fruity and full bodied with a hint of liquorice. The finish was long but a slight bitter edge .	13.5/20
Bin 2 Shiraz/ Mourvedre 2001, 14%.£7-99. A shining deep red with a nose that was fruity with some hay. The Mourvedre dominated resulting in a sharpness which followed through to the long finish. This is another wine that needs game.	13/20
Bin 138 Shiraz/ Mourvedre/Grenache 1997, 14%. £13-99. The colour was very dark red and the fruit on the nose was accompanied by rubber. The taste was of fruit, black pepper and chocolate - wonderful. This wine was very smooth and a huge mouthful. The finish was long with lingering pepper. An excellent wine	16/20
Thomas Hyland Shiraz, 2001, 14% £8-99. This very dark wine had a fruity nose with butterscotch. The first taste was light which filled the mouth with a wonderful smooth fruity experience. The finish was long and complex.	16.5/20
Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2000, 13.5%, £9-99. There was a chemical scent mixed with fruit on the nose. The wine was somewhat closed. Despite this the flavour was smooth and soft with a good finish.	14.5/20
St Henri Shiraz 1998, 14% £29-99. The nose was of grass and fruit and very powerful. The flavour was smooth, soft and full but the fruit seemed subdued. The tannins were well balanced. The wine will probably benefit from further cellaring.	15/20

Wine Tasting July 16th 2003

Sparkling Wines Worldwide

Freixinet Cava Rosado Brut, Non Vintage, 12%, 70% Trepat 30% Garnacha, Thresher Wines, £5-99. This sparkling rose had a bouquet of marshmallow and raspberry. Although not having any great length, the taste was refreshing - very good for a summer evening in the garden. There was a hint of bitterness on the finish.	10.5/20
Bleasdale sparkling shiraz, 2001, 13.5%, Langhorne Creek, Australia. This cherry red wine had an excellent bouquet of blackcurrent and toffee. This was a reminder of a Kir Royale cassis. The wine was low in bubbles but the flavour was full and smooth. The finish was long. However it was a wine that some people liked and others did not.	12.5/20
Gala Brut, N/V, 12%, Cepas de Mendoza, Argentina. The bouquet was earthy with hints of honey and peach. This was a rather thin, dry wine with a creamy style but smooth. The finish was a fair length	12/20
Canaletto Brut, N/V, 12%, Pinot Grigio, Casa Girelli, Trento, Italy. This was a very pale wine with a bouquet of lemons and rather flowery, perhaps of elderflower. The lemon flavour with the bubbles fill the mouth but did not please everyone. The finish is smooth if not long.	11/20
Jacobs Creek sparkling 1996, 12%, Pinot Noir, Australia. This pale yellow wine had a vegetable nose and the flavour of citrus fruit filled the mouth. The finish was long and smooth. A well made wine .	13/20
Shadow Creek (Moet and Chandon) Blanc de Noir, Pinor Noir, Pinot Meunier, N/V, 12%, A slightly pink wine with a yeasty nose reminding one of a distant slurry pit.. The flavour was strange with a reminder of rubber. The finish was smooth.	12.5/20
Shadow Creek (Moet and Chandon) Blanc de Noir, Pinor Noir, Pinot Meunier, N/V, 12%, A slightly pink wine with a yeasty nose reminding one of a distant slurry pit.. The flavour was strange with a reminder of rubber. The finish was smooth.	15/20

Wine Tasting 18th June 2003

Two Whites + Syrah and Shiraz

Cremant de Loire, 2001, Berger Freres, 12.5% , 5.7 Euros at the cellar This clear sparkling wine had a chardonnay nose with a good hint of yeast. The colour was pale yellow. On the palette the flavour was full if not complex and the finish was a good length. Overall it stood up well to many of the champagnes on sale at much higher prices. A good summer wine	13.5/20
Clos d'Yvigne 2000, 13% Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon/Muscadelle, Pamela Atkinson, Gageac, Rouillac, France, £8-99 Booths. This powerful wine was unfiltered and the nose was reminiscent of greengages. On the palette, the wine was quite dry and slightly sharp but this was followed by a smooth finish.	13/20
Keynote 2002 13.5% Syrah Terriore Western Cape, Co-op£5-05 This was a deep blackcurrent colour with a nose of faint chocolate and prunes. The flavour was powerful with hints of toffee and blackcurrent crumble. This was followed by a rather sharp finish.	13/20
Graham Beck 2001 14% Coastal Region South Africa, Booths.£7-99 This nose was described as a Wilbur Smith novel! with black cherries. The taste was rich, smooth and complex with vanilla (oak) on the palette. This was a good balanced wine with a long satisfying finish. Superb!	15/20
Tsantali 1998 13% Pavlos Argyropoulos Greece, Oddbins. £6-99 Sadly this wine was below par with a slight mustiness on the nose. The flavour offered hints of blackcurrent and toffee. The finish, though smooth, was short.	9/20
Mcguigan Black Label 2001 12.5% Booths. £ 5-29 A good shiraz with a fruity nose with hints of pepper. The flavour was full and complex with a long, smooth finish. Excellent all round.	15/20
Heartland 2001 15%, Limestone Coast, S Australia, Oddbins. £6 The nose was of blackcurrent, vanilla and a sweet compost heap. The flavour however was sharp and a touch sour and the finish was short but equally sharp. Disappointing.	10/20
Penfolds Bin 128 1999 13.5% S.Australia. Booths £ 9-99 This was a fruity wine, well structured, smooth and complex on the palette. The overall feeling was that this was a safe and predictable wine rather than an exciting wine	12/20
Brown Brothers Victoria Reserve 1999 15% King Valley Australia £11-99 A wonderful fruity nose with hints of pontefract cakes. What a taste! smooth, full, rounded and complex. The finish was long , lingering.and satisfying.	16/20

Wine Tasting 14th May 2003

California White and Red Wines

Mendocino County Rousanne, 2001, 13,5% Bonterra Vinyards, Oddbins £6.99 This organic light, clear wine had a nose similar to a good herb tea, in some ways like an unoaked French Marsanne. The complex structure afforded a real full mouthful. A medium length complemented this light wine	14.5/20
Echo Ridge Viognier 2001, 13.5%, Fetzer Vinyards, Oddbins £7.99 The wine had a delicate apricot nose. The flavour was oily and full and the medium length finish was slightly, and perhaps, typically sharp but quite pleasant.	13/20
Mondavi Woodbridge 2000 Chardonnay 14% Portland Wines £6.99 This Chardonnay is the cheaper of Robert Mondavi's ranges of wine. It had a powerful, grassy nose leading to a full and surprisingly complex flavour. This bottle was slightly spritzy The length was fair. This is a good example of an easy drinking wine.	13.5/20
Origin Shiraz 2000 13.5% Hunters Grove £5.99 Wine Rack The nose was rich, with hints of pepper and fruit, particularly cherries. The complex flavour is smooth like velvet with some alcohol on the cheeks. The finish is still smooth if not very long. A really good wine.	15/20
Mad Zinfandel 1997 14.5% Kempton Clark, Portland wines £8.50 Sadly this wine was just 'on the turn' It was a good educational bottle as it gave a good example of a dull, brick red colour with brown edges and a taste that was sharp and full of the wrong flavours. Oxygen had clearly found its way through this completely dry cork. We will try another bottle.	8/20
Ancient Vines Carignane 14.5% Bonny Doon, Portland Wines, £9.99 This was a very dark red win with a complex, fruity nose. The taste was powerful and fruity with well balanced tannins but the finish was short.	13/20
Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon 13% Robert Mondavi Portland Wines £11.95 A lovely dark red colour followed by a lovely fruity, blackcurrent nose. This is wine in a higher cless, full and complex in the mouth, ready to drink and with a long satisfying finish. Superb	16/20
Marimar unfiltered Pinot Noir 14% Don Miguel Torres Vinyard, Portland Wines £17.50 The nose was powerful and fruity. The wine was dark for a Pinot Noir but bright and clear. The taste was superb, complex and full in the mouth, with a lingering satisfying finish. A tip top wine indeed.	17/20

Wine Tasting 9thApril 2003

A selection from Adnams Wines

Step Road Winery, Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2001, 11.5% £7-50 A light, clear wine with a crisp acidity, well suited to be drunk on a warm afternoon in the garden. The nose was of gooseberries and the flavour was full. A medium length complemented this light wine	12/20
Chateau de Chenonceau Touraine Blanc, 2001, 12%, £6-95 A powerful grassy, gooseberry nose but the flavour was rather sharp. This well structured wine needed a snack to complement it. The finish was long and quite smooth.	11/20
Peak, Clare Valley, Australia, 2001 13.5% £6-95 This Chardonnay had a powerful, grassy nose leading to a full flavour. The length was rather short from the earlier promise.	12/20
Domaine les Terrasses d'Fole, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse. 2001, 14% Viognier £6-95 A rather thin nose followed by a sweetish flavour The finish was long and smooth.	12/20
Chateau Monconseil Gazin, Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/ Cabernet Franc, 2000, 12.5% (Bronze Macon 2002) £6-95 A deep red colour with a lovely butterscotch nose. The flavour was sharp and a little hard. The finish was not as long as might have been expected.	12/20
Quinta do Crueto, Portugal, blend 2000, 13.5% £6-75 The wine was a deep red colour with a fruity nose and the hint of vanilla (oak). The tannins were well balanced and soft and the finish was a good length	13.5/20
Magniesse Cellino San Marco, Italy, Negro Amaro 1998, 14% £6-95 The wine had a deep red colour and a fruity nose. The flavour was complex but a little sharp. The finish was long and quite smooth.	14/20
Peak, Clare Valley Shiraz, Australia. 2001, 14.5% £7-50 The nose was wonderful, if not particularly fruity. The complex flavour was full with hints of toffee and blackberry. The finish was very long and satisfying. An excellent wine.	16/20

Tasting on March 26th 2003

Cabernet Franc wines from Bourgueil and Chinon bought from the producers

Les Chevaliers, 1997, 12%, Cave du Grand Vin, Bourgueil, £4.80. The wine had only a slight fruity nose. It was pale in colour and soft in the mouth with little tannin or length but pleasant nevertheless.	13/20
Domaine du Puy, P Delalande, 1999, 12.5%, Crevant les Coteaux, Chinon. This had a more typical Cabernet Franc nose with wood and fruit. Although soft and fruity on the palette, the wine was short on the finish	14/20
Chateau de Coulaine 1998, 12%, Beaumont en Veron, Chinon. A slight nose gave way to a pleasant taste. This wine was well balanced with some good tannins. The finish was short.	14/20
Dom. Pascal Brunet 1998, 12.5%, Panzoult Chinon. This was a good wine with a nose of pencil shavings. It was well balanced and had some good tannin. The finish did not disappoint.	15/20
Dom. du Rouet, 1997, 12.5%, Crevant les Coteaux, Chinon. The nose was slight and poor and the wine somewhat thin and rather soft with a short finish	12/20
Clos du Marronniers, 1997, 12.5%, Panzoult, Chinon. This wine had an excellent fruity nose. In the mouth the flavour was full and fruity and the finish was long and smooth	15/20
Cuvee des Battereaux, Dom. du Rouet, 1996, 12.5%, Crevant les Coteaux, Chinon. The wine had a good fruity nose. In the mouth the wine was full with a good finish.	14/20

Wine Tasting on March 12th 2003

Red wines from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

Wines tasted	Score
1. Valdivieso Reserva, Pinot Noir, 1999 14.5%, Lontue Valley, Chile. Bt from Morrisons. £5-00 (Offer) This is a light but powerful, elegant wine with a fruity nose with some burnt sugar. The taste is soft with a long tingling finish tinged with a touch of vanilla (oak)	14.5/20
2. 35 South, 2001, Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5%, by Vina San Pedro, Lontue Valley, Chile. Supplier: Morrisons. £ 3-29 (Offer) The deep red colour is followed by a powerful, blackcurrent nose. The smooth, soft and powerful taste displays some good tannin. The finish reminds one of Ribena.	14/20

3. Palo Alta Reserva, Merlot, 2000, 14%, Francisco de Aguirre, Limari Valley, Chile. Supplier: T. Alexander, Leek. £6-35.

A rich, complex nose of summer fruits. In the mouth, the wine is full, round and long with good balanced tannins. This is a very good example of a Merlot wine.

15.5/20

4. La Nature Organic, Barbera, 2002, 13%,Famatina Valley, NW Argentina. Supplier: Morrisons £4-49.

Light in colour, the nose was of Hot Cross Buns. The taste was thin with a little tannin. This is a simple wine, short and not complex.

11/20

5. Bodega Norton(1895), Malbec, 2001, 13.5%, Gernot, Langes-Swarowski, Mendoza River Valley, Argentina. Supplier:Morrisons. £3-99 (Offer)

A slight nose with some vanilla and perhaps matches, The taste starts rich but the wine has a short and rather sharp finish.

11.5/20

6. La Consulta, Syrah, 2001, 14%, Fina Celia, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina. Supplier: Morrisons. £4-99 This dark red wine has a complex, fruity nose with a touch of pepper and vanilla. The taste disappointed, being rather flat and thin. It is better with food. There is almost no tannin and the finish is short.	11.5/20
7. Corazon de Roble, Tannat/Cabernet Franc, 1997, 12%, Castillo Viejo, San Jose region, Uruguay. Supplier: T Alexander, Leek. £5-35. The wine was lightish in colour but the faint brown tinge indicated that it needed drinking. The nose was faint. The taste was smooth but rather thin.	12/20
8. Viejo Parcel, Cabernet Franc, 1998, 13% Bodega Castillo Viejo San Jose region, Uruguay. Supplier: T Alexander, Leek. £8-75	12/20

Wine Evening 12th February 2003

Subject: The Malbec Grape

A selection of wines from Argentina and South Africa

Wines tasted	Score
Fairview, Charles Back, Paarl Valley, South Africa, 2000, 13.5%, £5-99, Morrisons A wine with a good nose of Raspberry leaves. Powerful and full in the mouth with well balanced tannins and a good length. This is a wine which can be drunk with food or alone.	14.5/20
Fairview, Charles Back, Paarl Valley, South Africa, 2001, 14%, £5-99, Morrisons The colour was a rich ruby red. This wine had a Raspberry nose. The wine had good tannins but a slightly bitter finish. It was perhaps a little young.	13/20
Norton, Bodega Norton, Mendoza, Argentina, 2000, 13%, £3-49 (Normal Price £4-99), Morrisons. The nose was of rubber and vanilla(oak). This was a soft wine with a sharp, short finish.	12/20
Balbi, Bodegas Balbi, Mendoza, Argentina, 1999, 13%, £4-79, Safeway. A powerful nose with a hint of tobacco. The taste was rich with lots of raspberry. The tannins were powerful and the finish was long and smooth. A good food wine.	15/20
Adiseno, Alistair Maling, Mendoza, Argentina, 2000, 14%, £5-99, Safeway. A nose of rubber and caramel. This was a powerful wine with a sharp, medicinal taste. The finish was long and with a bitter citrous flavour.	11/20
Tesco reserve, La Agricola, Mendoza, Argentina,, 2001, 13%, £4-99, Tesco. A beautiful ruby red in colour, the nose of this wine was of faint damsons. The taste, however, was thin, sharp and tannic with a short finish.	10/20
Anubis, Balbo/Antonini/Pagli, Mendoza, Argentina, 1999, 13%, £6-99, Wine Rack. The colour was ruby red and the nose was predominately of burnt sugar. The taste was smooth but bland with some tannin. The finish was short.	12.5/20
Los Primos, Valentin Bianchi, Mendoza, Argentina, Oddbins, 1999, 13.5%, £5-49. An oaked wine with faint engine oil on the nose. A simple wine with a dull taste and a very short, sharp finish.	11.5/20

Wine Evening 8th January 2003

Subject: Pairs of single grape wines, one New World and

one French.

Which is the French wine? What is the grape?

Wines tasted	Score
Fouassier Pere et Fils, Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, France, Sainsbury's 2001,12.5%, £7.99.	12/20
Oyster Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, Sainsbury's 2002, 12.5%, £6.99	13.5/20
Bovier et Fils, Chardonnay, Chablis, France, Aldi, 2001, 12.5%, £4.99	12.5/20
Glen Ellen, Chardonnay, California, USA, Morrisons 2000, 13%, £5.99	11.5/20
Cave de Buxy, Pinot Noir, Cote Chalonnaise, Co-op, 2000, 13%, £5.99	10.5/20
Pinnacle Estates, Pinot Noir (Reserve), Central Coast, California, USA, n/v,13.5%,£7.99,Safeway	9.5/20
Les Vigne a Reunis, Syrah, Tain l'Hermitage, France, Sainsbury's 2000, 13%, £6.99	13.5/20
Rosemount Estate, Shiraz, S.E. Australia, Safeway, 2001, 13.5% £7.99	15/20

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