What Was Your Most Recent Bottle of Wine?

[Nick Armstrong]

Well, if it is indeed as suave, complex and lovely as several of the Moldovan young lady violinists with whom I have been working recently, then we should all stock up on it without delay!

[Beef Oven!]

Tried any, Beefo?

Not been that lucky.

[french frank]

I spotted a bottle of German wine in the Coop: a Mosel Piesporter Michelsberg which took me back to the glory days of German wines. I shan't buy another . I remember Oddbins saying a few years ago that they didn't stock any German wines because 'there was nothing good enough'. Is there anything worth looking out for?

[johnb]

I remember Oddbins saying a few years ago that they didn't stock any German wines because 'there was nothing good enough'. Is there anything worth looking out for?

On the surface that seems an extraordinary statement. I don't know enough to recommend anything but I do know there are many knowledgeable wine enthusiasts who love German wines.

(Many decades back though the reputation of German wines was "afflicted" by Liebfraumilch and, yes, poor quality Piesporter Michelsberg.)

[french frank]

On the surface that seems an extraordinary statement. I don't know enough to recommend anything but I do know there are many knowledgeable wine enthusiasts who love German wines.

(Many decades back though the reputation of German wines was "afflicted" by Liebfraumilch and, yes, poor quality Piesporter Michelsberg.)

I was remembering a long time back when, as a teenager, I was taken out to eat somewhere by my father (who knew nothing about wine, I should say). He usually chose a German wine and I remembered them as very good, and with a good reputation. Then there was certainly an era of Liebfraumilch, Black Tower, Blue Nun, but I seem to think even the rather more upmarket labels became unreliable? It could be that the Oddbins man was excusing the fact that they had nothing German, but if not, why not (this was about 10 years ago)?

Last bottle here of Niersteiner Gutes Domtal Auslese 1976, £41.41 - that was another name I remember.

[Barbirollians]

I was remembering a long time back when, as a teenager, I was taken out to eat somewhere by my father (who knew nothing about wine, I should say). He usually chose a German wine and I remembered them as very good, and with a good reputation. Then there was certainly an era of Liebfraumilch, Black Tower, Blue Nun, but I seem to think even the rather more upmarket labels became unreliable? It could be that the Oddbins man was excusing the fact that they had nothing German, but if not, why not (this was about 10 years ago)?

Last bottle here of Niersteiner Gutes Domtal Auslese 1976, £41.41 - that was another name I remember.

Sugar water German wines are still out there but in retreat . German winemakers are returning to Riesling from the Muller Thurgau which was the backbone of Lieb etc .

There are lots of quite wonderful German wines . I suggest that if you see anything from the Mosel from Dr Loosen it can be bought with confidence . The same would apply to Fritz Haag and JJ Prum, the awesome albeit expensive Mosels of Egon Muller and the Rhine wines of Gunderloch and Leitz . The latter and Dr Loosen's wines are available from Waitrose and Majestic .

The Co-Op has also always sold good German wines from von Kesselstatt .

[french frank]

That sounds very authoritative and comprehensive as a reply - thank you!

I'd never noticed any German in our Coopie, other than the mass market labels.

[Barbirollians]

They have them in my local one bt it is a big ex Somerfield store .

The Darting Estate Riesling in M and S is also good.

[Hornspieler]

Well, if it is indeed as suave, complex and lovely as several of the Moldovan young lady violinists with whom I have been working recently, then we should all stock up with it without delay!

"with" not "on" I hope, Tony.
HS

[amateur51]

Some friends put together half-a-dozen bottles of Spanish wine from The Wine Society for a local wine-tasting yesterday. We're all keen amateurs/topers. The comments before the Wine Society description are mine

The wines were:

The Society’s Reserva Brut Cava

Lemony & clean, some breadiness too - good persistent bead.

http://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/productdetail.aspx?section=pd&pl=ZSP&pd=SG1581&pc=&prl=&cc=WDRINK&anchor=ReviewsAnchor

Bolo 2012 Godello

Quite fat and appley, alcohol well integrated (not ‘hot’), good acidity, good with prawns we had to taste.

http://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/productdetail.aspx?section=pd&pl=ZSP&pd=SP8211&pc=&prl=&cc=WDRINK&anchor=ReviewsAnchor#ReviewsAnchor

Vina Zorzal Graciano 2010

Pink rim, lightish cranberry juice red with good acid/tannin balance, raspberry palate but not jammy.

http://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/productdetail.aspx?section=pd&pl=ZSP&pd=SP8621&pc=&prl=&cc=WDRINK

Blau, Monsant, 2011

Deep red/purple but tannins quite restrained, some red berry sweetness, nice now but perhaps delicious in a year under the bed (the bottle not me)

http://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/productdetail.aspx?section=pd&pl=&pd=SP7871&pc=&prl=

7 Fuentes Listan Negro 2011

Good fruity cranberry nose, good acidity, would be good with food.

http://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/productdetail.aspx?section=pd&pl=&pd=SP8121&pc=&prl=

La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva 2004

Typical aged old-fashioned style red Rioja, rim not brick red yet, bouquet of tangerine peel with good ingering sweetness and acidity. Why did no-one bring a roasted leg of lamb?

http://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/productdetail.aspx?section=pd&pl=&pd=SP7981&pc=&prl=

I enjoyed all these wines but as you can tell, the notes reflected how many I had sampled

[Barbirollians]

I found that Graciano a bit disappointing when I tried it - rather more alcohol than anything else .

[ardcarp]

I've not been following this thread and haven't read 32 pages. In my head I differentiate between the fine wines one is treated to on special occcasions and the stuff you find agreeable for an everyday tipple. In the latter category Mrs A and I have recently discovered Lidl's range of wines which seem to represent pretty good value for money. Just shared a bottle of Stowell's Australian Colombard-Chardonnay at just under £4 a kick. Surprisingly sophisticated.

[gurnemanz]

Just got back from a week's holiday in France and had various Côtes du Rhône in situ including some nice ones from 2012, which I think was a difficult year further North. In Avignon we stumbled across the church (St Didier's) where Messiaen was baptised and had a pleasant meal in a nearby square.

[Barbirollians]

To each their own ardcarp but in my experience big branded wines such as Stowells , Gallo, Blossom Hill etc are to be avoided . The spend on these wines is largely on their marketing and the wine in the bottle is a subsidiary thing.

[ardcarp]

Barbs. I once helped a guy deliver his yacht to Bordeaux. He was something of a wine expert and as we chugged the final 20 miles up the Gironde he was prancing on the deck pointing out various famous vineyards on the left and right banks. He treated me to a great meal in Bordeaux as a thank-you and bought a bottle of Chateau Margaux costing 60 euros...and this about 20 years ago. It was very pleasant, but 60 euros-worth pleasant? As you see I'm a philistine. I have however since then, developed a tiny bit of knowledge about Muscadet, which I find the very best accompaniment to shellfish. It is the one wine I buy and bring back from French trips, and I always pick a range (Sur Lie, naturellement) from about 8 to 15 euros; and the most expensive isn't always the best.