Fellow Wine Lovers,
This week we learned that 211 Conservative either think that the Prime Minister is doing a good job or that they hadn’t actually listened to the question. Mad Nads set the record straight with a live to TV intervention that’s stated, amongst other things, we were at war with Ukraine, and that Boris had to survive, because donors had given more than £80m to the party coffers.
Perhaps the question is what about him that makes them more likely to donate? Is it the money flagged in the New York Times as alleged money laundering? If we found out would we have to involve the coppers?
Did you see any of the comments after the vote and wonder how the Speaker’s investigation into Class A’s on the parliamentary estate was coming along? Anyway, we’ve all been assured that it was a resounding victory and that the public just wants the government to deliver.
Deliver what exactly we’re not sure, we have world beating petrol prices already, levelling down seems more likely than up, and the chances of all those new hospitals being delivered is less likely than Elvis Presley performing at Wimbledon Theatre on Saturday. Meanwhile Domino’s have confirmed they wouldn’t put the government in charge of delivering tonight’s pizza.
Whilst all this high stakes political drama was happening in Westminster, the real world launched itself into eight weeks of Love Island. We can’t claim to have any expertise in this area, but understand that it, too, is high stakes drama set in a villa in Mallorca. The dress code is swimmers and bikinis and at the end one lucky couple are declared the winners.
In other news, the PGA Tour has suspended members for playing this week’s Saudi funded Liv Golf tournament at the Centurion Club. Not sure that rates as a Nice One Centurion! Already high on the controversial list we suspect this one will run and run…
Flushed with success at Lord’s the England Test Cricket team pitches up at Trent Bridge today to face NZ in the second test, let’s see what this ground brings us eh? Pitch is a touch on the green side I understand.
In real sports, the Critérium de Dauphiné currently has Wout Van Aert in the yellow jersey and Ethan Hayter in the young riders white jersey. I do find it slightly disturbing that I’ve got a couple of bottles of wine that’s older than him!
Next week we have the Tour de Suisse rolling in and if a nod is as good as a wink, keep an eye out for Hugh Carthy! Tour de France time is truly creeping up on us!
Saturday is World Gin Day so we’ll take this opportunity to highlight our offering…
Eclectic Gin Society – Original Blend (£35.00) – distilled at Kinrara Distillery in the Cairngorm National Park, this is a cracking London style gin distilled in small batches.
Hepple Gin (£38.00) – our bestseller, this is from a Northumberland estate that is lucky to have their own juniper and is at the forefront of a replanting initiative to conserve wild juniper in the UK. The gin is described by Victoria Moore: “It might be the best martini gin I’ve ever tasted.”
Renegade Gin (£38.00) – distilled in Battersea, by Braden who lives around the corner, these guys are the only ones in London starting right from scratch with grain. A punchy style of gin with juniper, citrus and herbs to the front with a lovely dry finish.
Eclectic Gin – The Spice Blend (£39.00) – again made for us at Kinrara; botanicals used are Juniper, Coriander, Liquorice, Angelica, Orange, Grapefruit, Cardamom, Grains of Paradise, Cassia and All Spice. Try it with tonic and a slice of ginger!
Procera Blue Dot Gin (£80.00) – we went a bit off the reservation with this one quite frankly. Distilled in Nairobi Kenya at 1638m altitude, it is the only gin using the African strain of Juniper (Juniperus Procera). With botanicals from Zanzibar, Madagascar, Kenya, Morocco, Sierra Leone and Somalia it’s a truly African gin. Earthy, spicy and slightly nutty, with a fabulous floral note to the juniper and a crisp finish. 96/100 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2020.
Tasting This Weekend
For those not drinking gin and tonic all weekend we shall open Domaine Jouan Menetou Salon 2020(£15.99). These guys have 4 hectares of Sancerre and 1 hectare of Menetou Salon, but it’s the Menetou we love, and not just for the price! Crisp and elegant, do you agree?
We’ll stay French and sunny on the reds too with Juliénas-Chaintré Fleurie ‘Cuvée Sept’ 2020 (£14.99) Fleurie is probably the best known Cru Beaujolais and is sometimes referred to as “The Queen of Beaujolais”, so well regarded are its smooth, supple reds.
Bon Weekend!