A good slurp

M

montyracing2

At the Start
Joined
Apr 17, 2005
Messages
763
Location
Blackpool
I'm no expert but enjoy our weekly Sunday red wine and think I know a good wine from an average one. This evening tried a bottle of this:

The Black Stump Durif Shiraz

It put a lot of my previous choices to shame. Might be trying a few more in the range.

Any other recommendations? - MR2
 
Always depends in the style you like. I find new world shirazs a bit heavy as a rule

Waitrose and majestic are the best retailers ive found

Most underrated reds imo are loires. Most underated whites are austrian
 
South african wines have often left me cold (especially the awful reds) but about the best new world sauv blanc ive tasted is Springfield which is at waitrose. Just under a tenner a bottle too. It has the right mix of the loire elegance and new world fruit.

Theres also a slovenian sauv blanc on offer there at the moment which is excellent
 
Maybe ill try again then but frankly a lt of sa reds ive come across are too astringent
One more recommendation. Mcmanis merlot from waitrose. Calfornian and as elegant a new wrold merlot (a grape i always like at top end) as ive tasted. About tenner a bottle but would pay more
 
How can you describe wines from a country in one way? It doesn't make any sense.

I spent some time recently at a Chateau (Suduiraut) in Aquitane - very nice wine (recommended for Foie Gras or as a dessert wine). I found a nice bar a vin in Bordeaux for something much lighter, and prefer something from Saint Emilion over anything else I know. I had a very nice chilled red from Bourgeuil (very light) recently. I wouldn't mind taking a course, as a couple of guys I work with have and know a lot, interesting subject.
 
Yes it does make a lot of sense to talk about wines from one country, or at least a region in"one way"

It comes down to the style and grapes that will or will not work well there. And the hotter the climate the more likely the alcohol will be higher

You will rarely see new zealand cabernet sauvignons (neveR probably) but plenty of sauv blanc which is immediately identifiable. Same with austrian and german wines. You simply will not get the same style with the same grapes in chile say. Nor will you ever find a big booming shiraz in northern france
 
Last edited:
Fair enough.

As soon as a girl makes the mistake of taking me on, I'm suggesting a few days around Aquitane!! :lol:
 
No comment...

But bourgeil is loire red isnt it? Two things here. Many reds really do benefit from some chilling and second....loure reds are light and complex and most underrated of all wines imo
 
Phew those piedmonts are heavy stuff

I would have thought your fav region was buckfast abbey grass? Isnt that what you wash down the deep fried bounty bars with?

Mind you barolos arent that much different perhaps
 
clivex said:
Phew those piedmonts are heavy stuff
Click to expand...

A Dolcetto is superbly quaffable, being very light and smooth and aromatic (imo). A Barbaresco is the one for having with a nice fillet.

I would have thought your fav region was buckfast abbey grass? Isnt that what you wash down the deep fried bounty bars with?

Mind you barolos arent that much different perhaps
Click to expand...

Honestly have never seen a deep-fried Mars Bar beyond pictures on the web. It's more deep-fried pizza round my neck of the woods, which I regularly have with foie-gras and caviar; washed down with 1990 Cristal Millenium and Ribena. ;)
 
Good man yourself, Grassy, it's nice to see someone stand up for what they like best.
 
I actually had a a deep fried mars bar thing in Boisdales scottish restaurant in the city. Cant remember it though. Lloyds were blowing some tax payers money on us big time

Great place though

Will try that Dolcetto. Maybe
 
2009 Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz.

Used to buy from a merchant when I was in the UK, now I can drive and pick it up myself from the Cellar Door at 20% of the price I paid at home. Bloody fantastic!!!

Pretty sure there will still be some merchants in the UK and Ireland who carry it.

If you like a Shiraz I couldn't give it a higher recommendation.
 
Last edited:
I got a couple of bottles of this, and went back the next day and cleared out the shelf. The best cheapo wine I've got in a long time. Streets ahead of the bargain basement Sancerre and Chablis etc available in Tesco.

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_21294.htm

These offers tend to be cyclical so worth looking out for next time. Was sold in combination with a Rioja which was also decent value but not up to the Albarino IMO.

The reason I got it in the first place was after tasing an Albarino based wine in Alexis Restaurant in Dun Laoghaire (Bodegas Eidosela Alberino/Treixadura, Rias Baixas) which I really loved, available in 64 wine Glasthule at around €20. Well worth splashing out on if you can find it.

The owner of Alexis is a bit of a wine buff with an accountants eye for a bargain, and very proud of his bio dynamic/organic wine list. You could probably take any wine on his list as a decent recommendation.

http://www.alexis.ie/wine_list.html
 
Last edited:
Back
Top