Fellow Wine Lovers,
Red Wine Time! Bye, bye Indian summer, hello trousers and damp mornings.
But before we get into that, what’s been going on in the world this week…
We were amused that Donald Trump, a man currently in court for inflating his wealth, has issued a demand for an apology from Forbes for taking him off of their wealth list.
We’ve both been chuffed to find our teams at the top of the Premiership. Wayne especially so as it involved Arsenal beating Manchester City!
We felt disappointment when we read that a person as wealthy as Bernie Ecclestone felt the need to defraud the UK government. He was busted and received a suspended sentence and will pay the HMRC £652 million. To be fair, it’s not the first time we’ve been disappointed in this manner.
We were amazed to hear Chaka Khan collaborating with Bombay Bicycle Club (Tekken 2), and absolutely loved the Rolling Stones track with Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder (Sweet Sound of Heaven).
We found ourselves wondering what could be more elementary than a school boy error? Could it be a Farrell? We’re fairly sure that schoolboys don’t run out of time on a kick.
We also found ourselves wishing that the world had much more glitter and many less bullets.
Back in SW19, our numerous trips to the West End to taste different wines have started to bear fruit, as this week we welcomed two new wines to our shelves and also welcomed back an old friend.
Domaine d’Altugnac ‘Les Turitelles’ Chardonnay 2022 – £15.99
So, we all love white burgundy but can’t necessarily always justify treating ourselves to Chablis Grand Cru on a Monday and this is where ‘Les Turitelles’ steps in. Childhood friends, Christian Collovray and Jean-Luc Terrier each grew up in a family of winemakers and shared a bond from a young age. They became closer still, when they married sisters, Brigitte and Florence, also from a winemaking family. They now boast two properties, Domaine des Deux Roches in Mâcon and Domaine Altugnac in Languedoc which means you’ve got Burgundy winemakers bringing all their skill and experience to their property in Limoux – what’s not to like?! Bursting with white floral aromatics and a touch of citrus on the palate, followed by a concentrated and lingering finish this is a complete joy, perfect any day of the week!
Hesketh ‘Unfinished Business’ Pinot Noir 2021 – £16.99
We’d already appreciated this Pinot and were on the cusp of ordering when we read this message on their website:
Hesketh Wines acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work. We acknowledge the importance of the land to its traditional owners, and we as guests are committed to always respectfully caring for the land.
That’s what we like to hear, so we went ahead and bought the wine! Made with fruit sourced from a selection of premium cool climate vineyards within the renowned Limestone Coast region in South Australia’s southeastern corner, this is made in a way that allows the juicy intensity of this parcel of fruit to shine. Light to medium bodied with luscious red fruits and juicy acidity pursued by plush tannins, this is an incredibly moreish wine that we expect to have to re-order quite quickly!
Joseph Perrier Brut ‘Cuvée Royale’ – £45.00 (also available in magnum)
Founded in 1825, Champagne Joseph Perrier has been owned and run by the same family since 1888 and own 21 hectares of vineyards on the right bank of the River Marne, around Hautvillers and Cumières, two villages classed 93% in the ‘échelle des crus’ (the former official crus scale of Champagne). ‘Cuvée Royale’ alludes to the historic relationship between Joseph Perrier and Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, as the royals’ Champagne of choice – probably the highest honour any Champagne house can hope to earn. A blend of 35% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier, with three years of ageing, this vivacious champagne has a delicate nose of green apples and stone fruits, and a lively freshness that balances the round and elegant citrus fruit on the palate.
Welcome back, old friend!
I reckon, having just rattled on about the Turitelles and the Hesketh, that the sensible follow up would be to get them both open on the tasting counter this weekend so you can try them for yourselves and check our workings….
And that, I think, is that.