Fellow Wine Lovers,<\/p>\n
So, last Saturday after we closed here, I popped into Waitrose around the corner to pick up something for my supper and was somewhat surprised at how quiet it was. Whilst I\u2019ll accept 8.20 on a Saturday evening is not peak time, it seems that they\u2019re struggling to have a peak time. John Lewis announced that their profits were down 99% this week, a tough year at the office it would appear. Word on the grapevine is that Debenhams are up against it too, still a tough old world on that high street.<\/p>\n
I was sending a parcel to my niece today as it\u2019s her birthday soon (Happy Birthday, Ayesha). The chap in the post office was telling me about a customer who\u2019d ordered the same top online in all 22 colours to see which one looked best and was returning the 21 that didn\u2019t pass muster. How on earth does that make for sustainable business for anyone except the Post Office?<\/p>\n
Anyway, the press seems absolutely convinced that online shopping is killing off Debenhams and their ilk, as we\u2019re all too lazy to go late night shopping on our way home from the office. Personally, I\u2019m not convinced; my local bike shop received a rent review. Like all shop rents it was upward only and the landlord seemed to think upward by 53% was reasonable. The bike shop declined his generosity and moved next door, paying the same rent he had been. If all rent reviews are upwards in such jumps, is it any wonder that businesses fail? In 2010, the highest rent paid on Oxford Street was \u00a3700 per square foot, in 2015 it was \u00a31000 per square foot, meanwhile, average weekly earnings in 2010 were \u00a3554 and in 2015 were \u00a3528. None of that looks sustainable to me. Rant over!<\/p>\n
For the sake of team harmony, we broke with our usual tradition that Wayne buys posh wine whilst Alex is at the beach, and took ourselves off to a tasting last week and bought some new wines.<\/p>\n
We started off with some Portu-geezers from our chum Matthew: I\u2019d highlight the Quinta do Espinho Colheita 2014 (\u00a314.99),<\/strong> a deliciously spicy red from the Douro that\u2019d be bang on the button with some meaty sausages. Also worthy of mention is Cl\u00f4 Branco (\u00a38.49)<\/strong>, from Adegas Camolas in Setubal; an absolute charmer of a white, fruity and aromatic, it\u2019s a blend of Fern\u00e3o Pires and Moscatel with a lovely dry finish.<\/p>\n Then we picked up a couple of long lost friends from Spain, whilst adding a lovely red from an almost extinct grape variety. La Forcalla de Antonia (\u00a318.99)<\/strong> is from Valencia in Spain and is made from the Forcal\u00e0 grape variety, common in the region until phylloxera struck at the end of the 19th century. Aged in big oak barrels for 8 months and then concrete eggs for 3 months, it has lovely cherry fruit, fine tannins and a smooth, elegant texture.<\/p>\n We also ventured to the Balearics, buying some 12 Volts (\u00a325.99)<\/strong>, a delicious drop from Mallorca that we have tried to buy on several occasions in the past, only to discover there was none left. It has dark juicy fruits, well managed tannins and our note said \u201cvery good, like this as much as ever, wintry perhaps?\u201d so maybe in a few weeks when the leaves are falling\u2026 Then we dithered a little in Burgundy\u2026<\/p>\n Chateau de Chamirey Mercurey Blanc 2013 (\u00a328.49)<\/strong>, we have form with this one, having bought it with a little age a couple of times in the past. This is rich and rounded with just hints of honeyed age creeping in at the age of 5. We\u2019d say almost pitch perfect age wise.<\/p>\n Jean Jacques Girard Savigny-Les-Beaune 2015 (\u00a328.99)<\/strong>, we tried to buy some of the 2010 and 2011 on release only for it to have been sold out, we got lucky with 2015 and it is absolutely delicious, lovely juicy cherry and berry fruit, decent weight and good length, with just a bit of grip from tannins and fruit all the way through.<\/p>\n Domaine G\u00e9rard Thomas Meursault 1er Cru Blagny 2015 (\u00a350)<\/strong> marks our first foray into 1er Cru Meursault here. We tried a couple of village wines but somehow they just didn\u2019t cut it, and this was frankly quite delicious and they were just a bit, well, village. In an ideal world it\u2019d cost half this, I would work one day and cycle for six. Sadly we\u2019ve not managed to reach that ideal, yet.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve taken enough of your time and teased you with deliciousness for long enough, it\u2019s time to pull a cork or two.<\/p>\n Tasting this weekend<\/p>\n We\u2019ll populate the glasses of the red drinkers with one of our new Portu-geezers: Vinha Paz 2015 (\u00a316.99)<\/strong> is from the D\u00e3o region, a blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinto Roriz, Alfrocheiro and Jaen. Rich and spicy, with great fruit and a touch of black olive in the finish.<\/p>\n To stay with the Iberian theme, we\u2019ll open our new white Rioja. Palacio del Camino Real Blanco 2017 (\u00a310.99)<\/strong> is from about 10 miles west of Logro\u00f1o and is zippy and fresh with just a touch of creaminess after 2 months lazing away in a barrel.<\/p>\n Finally, a bit of news from the North. The chaps at Hepple Gin, not content with making our best-selling clear spirit and generally being buenos huevos, seem to have been dallying with the great and the good this week, when none other than Charles, Prince of Wales came a-visiting and helped them dig over some juniper saplings, by all accounts (Instagram mainly).<\/p>\n A Royal Warrant in the offing, we\u2019re sure, perhaps we should try and get them to come down and tell their story before they go stratospheric? Let\u2019s start a petition\u2026<\/p>\n That\u2019s it from us for now – have a nice weekend one and all!<\/p>\n Wayne & Alex<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fellow Wine Lovers, So, last Saturday after we closed here, I popped into Waitrose around the corner to pick up something for my supper and was somewhat surprised at how quiet it was. Whilst I\u2019ll accept 8.20 on a Saturday evening is not peak time, it seems that they\u2019re struggling to have a peak time. 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\nWe also ventured once more to Greece, Naoussa in fact, for Markovitis Xinamavro 1999 (\u00a328.99)<\/strong>, which is deliciously complex with a lovely aromatic aged character, even touches of balsamic perhaps. It\u2019s certainly easy to see why it\u2019s known as Greece\u2019s Barolo!<\/p>\n