Fellow Wine Lovers,
Queens tennis in the afternoon, Euro football in the evening, US Open Golf following on from that – it’s already a busy weekend in Park Vintners World (new theme park coming soon), before we’ve even thought about selling any wine!
Elsewhere the Leveson enquiry is keeping us all entertained, although it’s doubtful whether any findings will really affect the lives of us in the ‘real’ world; Spain is having a ‘Uganda’ moment, although we can confirm that temperature wise you would definitely prefer to be in Malaga rather than Merton; and Harry got the sack – finishing fourth in the Premiership is now considered failure, or are there more skeletons in the Redknapp cupboard yet to have their day in court?!
Don’t forget…
As I ran out of aftershave on Monday morning, it made me realise that we were rapidly approaching one of the most important days of this year (after the Gold Cup and Olympic Mens 100m, of course) – Fathers Day.
Yes indeed, this Sunday, 17th June, is the day when men around the country are awoken by cold cups of tea and undercooked bacon sarnies, accompanied by more child-produced noise than is strictly necessary at 8am on a weekend morning… Go on Dad, enjoy your day.
However, if you had forgotten until now, we can help.
We have sturdy red wines, bubbles, Port, Whisky, sipping Gin, local beers and much, much more, all of which would work a treat to revive the aforementioned cold cup of tea…
Sud de France
As mentioned last week, we’ll be looking at wines from the south of France on our tasting table over the next couple of weeks. This week we are visiting the Pays d’Herault.
Hérault is surrounded by the departments of Aude, Tarn, Aveyron, Gard, and the Mediterranean sea on the south. Top quality land here is hard to find, but ever-improving wine-making and use of top international varieties rather than lesser local ones, has resulted in wines of truly excellent quality. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache are the dominant red grapes, while Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Marsanne and Viogner are the main whites.
The reputation of Hérault received its biggest boost by the success of the wine Domaine Mas de Daumas Gassac, located to the north of Montpellier.
Aimé Guibert, the founder of the Domaine, planted an eccentric mixture of vines on fine, volcanic soil that was identified by oneologist Emile Peynaud to be capable of producing wines of Cru standard, which led to it famously being described as’ The First Growth of the Languedoc’ by vinous luminary Hugh Johnson – and over the last 30 years the wines have more than lived up to these words.
Now, having got your palates tingling in anticipation, I hate to say that we will not be showing the top wine this weekend (although we do have it in stock!) but will be showing the more everyday drinkers produced by the Domaine for enjoying whilst waiting for the top wines to grow into themselves.
Réserve de Gassac Blanc 2011 – £10.99: Unoaked Viognier with the addition of Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay. Tropical fruits and herbs on the nose, soft and ripe on the palate, a good aromatic finish with a streak of minerality too. Superb with snails…
Moulin de Gassac Classic Rouge 2010 – £8.99: A blend of Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache. Typical wine of the region – a pleasantly spicy palate with abundant savoury red fruits, and an enduringly tasty finish. On their website they recommend it with Chicken Tikka Masala, which seemed so out of character for a French estate that it has to be tried!
Oh, and did we mention, they’re both organic too.
So, you simply have to come and see us this weekend – if not to catch up on sport, then at least to buy a Father’s day gift – and whilst your here, you might as well try the wines too!