The best from tonight’s blind tasting: Bonnezeaux, Daumas Gassac, Thalabert. All mature, complex, involving; exciting! Just missing the podium: Nadia Curto 2016 Barolo and Devon Minnow 2021 Bacchus. Both of intensity, balance and potential. Good tasting!

I’m excitedly calling this BUD BREAK for what might be Nottingham’s only Gamay vine(!)! This is year 2. What excitement might be in store this year? One day, maybe grapes? Bring on that midlands / northern English summer…

Gamay is quite the chameleon. On release, this showed exotically sweet purple fruit. At 7 years, orchard and undergrowth. Today: varietal red liquorice & aniseed; palate has red fruit, acid, depth; bones beneath a softening exterior. Aroma will evolve significantly by next time!

This week's blind tasting theme was wines from 10s of years ago. Of 19 wines, the stars were as they should be: 2003 Sassicaia & 1983 Climens... which was the best sweet Bordeaux I've ever tasted! Bright & golden; pure & airy; crackling acidity; no oxidation!

Last night's wines Nottingham Wine Circle

Earthquake in the (my) Côte d'Or ☹️

My top 2 of 24 in our blind ‘South of France’ tasting included a ringer in the Margaux. The Trevallon had a Bordeaux aspect too from its Cabernet, reminding of good Pessac via a bricky tone. My little Roussillon made a good showing: at a fragrant peak for its level

Impatience got the better of me. Infamously-tannic house style still in evidence, if preserving strong red fruit. Still-minty oak too. Traces of orange & earth add interest. This Malconsorts plot was sold to Dujac in 2005. It would be a dream to taste what they’re doing with it!

Great tasting... which included two bottles of the same wine (blind). One good, one 'too old', reminding of the importance of good storage

Holographic tannin! Cool vintage I think a necessary part of that texture; letting the terroir speak

It was my cooking… but at least the wines were… outstanding!!

If I had my own vineyard, an amphitheatre would be nice

Barbaresco

Alps making an appearance at sunset

I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to taste Burlotto’s new Barolo - Castelletto. But as it was in a Fontanafredda restaurant at 20% of the UK price…

Brightness and intensity to the fruit. Meaty undertones of Gevrey. The tannin imprints without severity. Absolutely delicious. Further evidence that @MarkHaisma really aced the difficult 2013 vintage

The reds for our group’s ‘best bottle’ tasting. Looking rather good!

Special tasting of Loire Chenin Blanc - notes by Alec frusheronfood.co.uk/2024/02/16/nwc…