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Fellow Wine Lovers,<\/span><\/p>\n Come on Friday 13th<\/sup>, give it your best shot…<\/span><\/p>\n Many thanks for all the heartfelt messages, both on email and in person, regarding locking myself out of the shop last week.\u00a0 Some of the terms of endearment – pillock, dimwit, muppet, something to do with appendages on my forehead \u2013 were all things I\u2019d heard before, too many times.\u00a0 However some of you were a bit more creative\/abusive\/educational and I can only thank you for expanding my lexicon and giving me some new phrases for when next I go to watch AFC Wimbledon play.<\/span><\/p>\n This week has been far more successful, if you ignore my constant battle with my email server refusing to send or receive in an appropriate manner, in fact I may well be talking to myself here if this doesn\u2019t send properly and you\u2019ll never know what you missed!\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve continued with the \u2018buy wine-sell wine\u2019 strategy and it seems to be working a treat, so much so that I\u2019m going to send Wayne out for lunch when he gets back on Monday \u2013 it\u2019s the Time & Leisure Food and Drink Awards Ceremony <\/b>up at Cannizaro House and hopefully he\u2019ll come back filled with canap\u00e9s and Champagne clutching a certificate.\u00a0 Fingers fully crossed all weekend, thank you for your votes.<\/span><\/p>\n So let\u2019s talk about what I\u2019ve bought recently.\u00a0 Morton Estate finally landed so I have a stack of the ever popular Morton Brut NV<\/b> (\u00a312.99) sparkling wine, I also have its sister fizz Mimi<\/b> (\u00a310.99) slightly softer in style but a must try for all you Prosecco fans.\u00a0 All their still wines also came back in including the Hawke\u2019s Bay Chardonnay<\/b> (\u00a310.99) an oaked Chardonnay that is a popular guilty pleasure for many of you.<\/span><\/p>\n Also back in stock are some Italian favourites.\u00a0 Gavi<\/b> (\u00a312.99) returns as does the Sesti Grangiovese 2009<\/b> (\u00a319.99) – from one of the best producers in Montalcino, and an absolute gem.\u00a0 The Brezza Barbera d\u2019Alba Santa Rosalia 2010<\/b> (\u00a319.29) that was written up so nicely by Victoria Moore earlier in the year also reclaims its shelf space.<\/span><\/p>\n Whilst he\u2019s away I thought I\u2019d take the opportunity to buy a couple of new wines too, you know, make my mark etc.\u00a0 First up Domaine des Amphores Saint-Joseph 2010<\/b> (\u00a319.99).\u00a0 We love the wines from the Rhone and don\u2019t seem to have as many on the shelves as we should.\u00a0 Well this is a step in the right direction \u2013 my tasting notes were as follows: <\/span><\/p>\n Classic Syrah from the Northern Rhone that is smack bang in the middle of its drinking window.\u00a0 Farmed organically and using as little sulphur as possible in its production, it has lovely bright cherry and raspberry fruits on the nose, with the palate showing a bit more of that peppery spice you would expect.\u00a0 The tannins are beautifully integrated and it has an elegance of finish that would marry very well with some venison roasted with a bit of crushed juniper.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Finally the blockbuster that is Le Cigare Volant 2008<\/b> (\u00a337.99).\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n From the Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz, California this is winemaker Randall Grahm\u2019s interpretation of Chateauneuf du Pape.\u00a0 Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan all appear in the blend.\u00a0 Utterly approachable now, but like all good CNDP it will happily sit in the cellar for a few years to come.\u00a0 Oh and why the name of the wine?\u00a0 All related to the banning of alien aircraft from landing in the vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape, decreed by the village council in 1954, but then you probably knew that!<\/span><\/p>\n In order not to blow the years\u2019 budget in two weeks I will be tasting some slightly less rich and rare wines this weekend, and you can come and taste the m too but don\u2019t be too late since I sold out of the Riesling I had on tasting last week by Saturday mid-afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n The white will be the Madregale Bianco<\/b> (\u00a37.79) from Abruzzo never tasted on a Saturday before it would seem.\u00a0 For the red I\u2019ll be popping open the Gran Cerdo Tempranillo<\/b> (\u00a38.99), can you believe we have never put this on tasting \u2013 many of you already know and love it but for those of you who don\u2019t it\u2019s a treasure worth unearthing.<\/span><\/p>\n