Off in the distance

Riesling

'Eroica', Chateau St Michelle & Dr Loosen, Columbia Valley, Washington State, USA - 2008

A straightforward fresh summery citrus Riesling, showing the charm of the grape when young.

'The Contours', Pewsey Vale, Adelaide Hills, Australia - 2005

And a total contrast - the bouquet had that powerful blast of petrol and burnt rubber that an older Riesling can develop as it matures. This is an old vineyard (a century and a half before this was made) and they won't release the wine till it's gone 5 years old.

Munsterer Rheinberg, Kabinett Halbtrocken, Weingut Goettelmann, Nahe, Germany - 2005

An unctuous apparent sweetness that belies the fact that it's almost dry. At 12.5%, it's also very strong by German standards.

Grand Cru Schlossberg, Albert Mann, Wettolsheim, Alsace, France - 2004

Oh come here and be my friend. An absolutely classic Alsation Riesling - this couldn't be from anywhere else, it's closer to the Alsatian Gewurtz than it is to Riesling from elsewhere.

Pinot Noir

Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques, Vielles Vignes, Domaine Fourrier, Burgundy, France - 2000

This may be a classic GC - but a bit disappointing. And with a current market price well into 3 figures, grossly overpriced.

Cuvaison Winery, Carneros, California, USA - 2007

Fruitier than I would normally go for in a Pinot Noir, but still nice, and much better value for money than the previous wine.

'Peter Max', Crystallum, Elgin Bay, Western Cape, South Africa - 2008

About 50% more expensive than the Californian, but probably about the same as far as enjoyment is concerned.

Saint Clair 'Strip Block 15' Pioneer's Block, Marlborough, NZ

Personally, I reckon the Kiwis are making the best PNs I'm tasting, and St Clair are one of the great makers. I definitely prefer this to the Gevrey, and at a tenth of the price, it is vastly better value.

Dear Fine+Rare.

The Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques 2000 Fourrier Jean Marie is quite a nice wine, but I wouldn't call it particularly special.

I think £172 per bottle is a touch more than I'd pay. That would make the good size glass + refills I had of it last night more expensive than two bottles of the St Clair 2007, and I preferred that.

Love

Me

I am amused.

In Tesco currently, there are (among a large number of other ones) Ogio wines from Puglia going at a reduced price.

One of them is a Primitivo Red.
And one of them is a Zinfandel Rosé.

Hmmm.

Or maybe not, but I've just noted some history which is personally interesting.

One of the happenings during the aftermath of the French Wars of Religion was the Edict of Fontainebleau, in 1685. This removed the last protections of the Huguenots, reimposing religious intolerance, and causing large numbers of them to flee.

One of the places they fled to was South Africa. Being French, many of those fleeing were wine makers, which is why the South African wine industry is so ancient: it was actually founded by a bunch of French refugees.

One particular couple (Dutchman Gerrit Janz van Vuuren and his French Huguenot wife), settled in a place they apparently called 'pretty fields', or 'Bellinchamp'. A name that managed to mutate.

That's why 'Bellingham' wine has a foundation date of 1693 displayed on their labels. And it's also why there's no sign of the enterprise on our family tree: the name is an independent coinage.

(On the subject of that date: when in Tesco a few days ago, I noticed the bottles next to them on the shelves, from a rival winemaker, very, very prominently displayed a date of a few years earlier: 1687 if I remember correctly. Oh what a difference a few years makes!)

Ah, it's Boschendal - apparently The estate's title deeds are dated 1685, but this is likely to be a clerical mistake since the estate's first owner, Jean de Long, was one of the party of 200 French Huguenot refugees granted land in the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch East India Company in 1688