What Was Your Most Recent Bottle of Wine?

[amateur51]

PS I ordered a case of Mark Haisma's Croix des Champs 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin direct from his website earlier this year (at a significantly lower price than is now showing), on the basis of JR's recommendation, and was stunned when Mark Haisma himself delivered it to me a month or so ago. He explained that, when in the UK, he lives in Wiltshire and was doing the local deliveries himself. (Nice bloke too.)

Great story, johnb!

[jayne lee wilson]

Not usually keen on South American blends, a wild card purchase has given me much pleasure:
VINA ARAYA Cabernet Carmenere Reserve 2010, from Sainsburys.

A great meat n' cheese character, probably would have coped well with the Cantonese dish I prepared last night - if I hadn't made a pig's mess of it in a new wok

But cheered up today with a lovely, light, spicy brunchtime foo yung! (Bit early for wine though, it's not winter yet.)

[ahinton]

Not my last, by any means, but a salutary tale nonetheless. I received a cold call from Laithwaites some years ago in which the caller (as Essix gel par excellence - sorry for any unintended insult taken by any members from that county) was so grossly incapable of pronouncing any wine name and so lacking in any useful knowledge of the subject as to border on the incoherent (which very much surprised me, coming from this outfit); anyway, she was trying to push a white burgundy that her struggles to pronounce ended with her wrapping he tasting muscles around "well, it sez 'ere - er looks like Mont Racket" but, given that the price was well under a tenner, I thought to myself "I've had enough of this - I'll just take a case and have done with it!". When it finally arrived, however, it turned out to be called Domaine de Mont-Rachet and it was a Macon! Ah, well - there's no fool like an old composer, is there! The wine was fine, by the way.

[Nick Armstrong]

"well, it sez 'ere - er looks like Mont Racket" but, given that the price was well under a tenner, I thought to myself "I've had enough of this - I'll just take a case and have done with it!". When it finally arrived, however, it turned out to be called Domaine de Mont-Rachet and it was a Macon! Ah, well - there's no fool like an old composer, is there! The wine was fine, by the way.

Great story, ah! Made me larff innit

[amateur51]

Not my last, by any means, but a salutary tale nonetheless. I received a cold call from Laithwaites some years ago in which the caller (as Essix gel par excellence - sorry for any unintended insult taken by any members from that county) was so grossly incapable of pronouncing any wine name and so lacking in any useful knowledge of the subject as to border on the incoherent (which very much surprised me, coming from this outfit); anyway, she was trying to push a white burgundy that her struggles to pronounce ended with her wrapping he tasting muscles around "well, it sez 'ere - er looks like Mont Racket" but, given that the price was well under a tenner, I thought to myself "I've had enough of this - I'll just take a case and have done with it!". When it finally arrived, however, it turned out to be called Domaine de Mont-Rachet and it was a Macon! Ah, well - there's no fool like an old composer, is there! The wine was fine, by the way.

Great story, ahinton

However it serves you right for falling for the blandishments of an Essex girl when you could have popped into Tanner's in Hereford who would actually have known about the wine they're selling. Lovely people

http://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/our-branches/hereford

Other wine merchants are available

[Nick Armstrong]

Tanner's in Hereford who would actually have known about the wine they're selling. Lovely people

http://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/our-branches/hereford

They're great V good source of Sesti - put the name in the search box.

[amateur51]

They're great V good source of Sesti - put the name in the search box.

[Richard Tarleton]

I received a cold call from Laithwaites some years ago in which the caller (as Essix gel par excellence - sorry for any unintended insult taken by any members from that county) was so grossly incapable of pronouncing any wine name and so lacking in any useful knowledge of the subject as to border on the incoherent (which very much surprised me, coming from this outfit

Indeed, sounds totally out of character for Laithwaites, who normally combine friendliness with knowledgeability in perfect measure....

[johnb]

ahinton,

Lathwaites is reported to be the largest wine retail in the world (excluding supermarket chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury). It runs many of the wine clubs (e.g. Sunday Times) and owns Avery's of Bristol (which was a family business) and Virgin Wines. It is big. Very, very big. I've seen their range described as solid, conservative but a bit dull - (but what do I know about these things).

Perhaps a smaller wine merchant might provide more customer support.

PS I have bought some some wine from Jeroboams (yet another another part of the Laithwaites empire) and they were very helpful. So perhaps subsidiaries such as Avery's and Jeroboams are given a certain amount of freedom.

[Richard Tarleton]

ahinton,

Lathwaites is reported to be the largest wine retail in the world (excluding supermarket chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury). It runs many of the wine clubs (e.g. Sunday Times) and owns Avery's of Bristol (which was a family business) and Virgin Wines. It is big. Very, very big. I've seen their range described as solid, conservative but a bit dull - (but what do I know about these things).

Perhaps a smaller wine merchant might provide more customer support.

Don't want to turn this into a Laithwaites thread, but it probably depends how you go about it. I always order over the phone, and always speak to the same "wine adviser". I've always found the "customer support" to be very good. And sticking to what I know, they do deal with a lot of small and family run producers, both old and new world, producing interesting wines, and their wines do come with provenance. There is only so much wine one can drink, after all.

I think a rather good bottle last Friday was the main cause of my dozing through most of "Parade's End", and being completely baffled by the bits I was awake for.

[ahinton]

Great story, ahinton

However it serves you right for falling for the blandishments of an Essex girl when you could have popped into Tanner's in Hereford who would actually have known about the wine they're selling. Lovely people

http://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/our-branches/hereford

Other wine merchants are available

Where's Hereford? Never heard of it! No, seriously, Tanners are indeed a fine outfit and I do pop in to purchase nice things from them from time to time and am on their mailing list as well.

[Keraulophone]

Sanatogen

A daily dose of that [ghastly] stuff kept my granny going till a ripe old age.

In my case, Muscat de Frontignan, Ch de La Peyrade - a light and delicate sweetie that announces the end of a summer dinner, at half the price of the cheapest Sauternes. Recommended.

[Tapiola]

A daily dose of that [ghastly] stuff kept my granny going till a ripe old age.

Ghastly is right, K. My own mother swore by it. Didn't do her any good though (a ripe old age eluded her...).

[Barbirollians]

Bourgogne Rouge Les Bons Baton 2009 from Patrice Rion. Jolly delicious .

On a much cheaper note in this brief Indian summer I recommend Waitrose's bargain El Guia rosado at £3.99 - served very cold it is very red fruit laden and not at all sweet nor austerely Provence dry.

[umslopogaas]

I'm looking for the source of:

'Rosemount' Founder's Selection SE Australian Shiraz, vintage 2011

I'm no connoisseur, but I thought it was very good. My nephew brought it when he last visited, but apart from "the local supermarket" I didnt track down the source. All I know so far is that it isnt Morrisons.