Watching the telly last night I was struck by how many Christmas adverts are already springing up and yet to me it feels as if the Summer has only just finished. Anyone for Champagne…Vintage Port…Sauternes…Magnums…? Woops, kettle and black. We have just fast forwarded from the 2007 to the 2008 for one of our real stalwart White Burgundies, the Mâcon-Vinzelles “Grand-Père” by the Bret Brothers. The 2007 was pure, elegant and refined. The 2008 however is a terrific and more substantial example.
Mâcon-Vinzelles “Le Clos de la Grand-Père” 2008
Bret Brothers at £ 17.50 per Bottle
Gone is the relative subtlety and poise of the 2007 and move over, the 2008 has richness, opulence, and bags of fruit.
This flavoursome White Burgundy is incredibly expressive and engaging.
Not merely a blockbuster like many a New World example but possessing a solid backbone of wet stone minerality and well balanced.
Invariably, the smaller the crop, the better the quality. The vineyard lost close to half their grapes with late hail but the late September sun and late
harvest picking in October really helped to concentrate the wines and to produce what the Bret Brothers feel is their best Vintage of Grand daddy and I agree!
Not all too surprising given the 50 year old vines in this tiny vineyard, a smidgen over half a hectare.
In stock.
Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, 24th November…
“The Usual Suspects” -
Au Bon Climat (Central Coast)
Olivia Brion (Sonoma)
J. Christopher (Oregon)
Dominus (Napa)
Flowers (Sonoma Coast)
Kistler Vineyards
Peter Michael Winery
Ridge Vineyards
Joseph Swan (Russian River)…
Additionally, just shipped and recommended:
Palladian Estate Cabernet-Sauvignon 2005 St-Helena, Napa Valley at £ 28.00 per Bottle
A bit of bottle-age, full-bodied, chewy, rich Cabernet.
Silly Season:
Short and sweet this week:
The day before Remembrance Day my interest was pricked by “Muslims Against Crusades” on the BBC News. In retrospect if you were on the receiving end of pretty much any Crusade you’d be right to be feel a tad miffed. The irony to me however was what one of their spokesman first said when being interviewed. He said that their primary aim was to bring Sharia Law to Britain. Correct me if I am being particularly dumb but isn’t that itself a Religious Crusade?! We are against Crusades but here is our Crusade. A bit like Alcoholics Anonymous but why don’t we each start with a bitter shandy…?!
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