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Liquid Refreshment
The 2004 Maccari ‘Templaris’ Merlot was picked up, on a whim, from an independent grocer in North London, called Woody’s, for £7. Woody’s also has a kebab shop next door, so how dedicated can they be to wine? Well, they do alright. The Templaris Merlot is kind of a rare find. As a wine, not […]
When this site started around two years ago, Petit Verdot (the little guy in the Bordeaux grape blend) was making some inroads as a single varietal wine. In areas of Spain, it was going great; in other areas, such as Australia, it was kinda ho-hum.
Now, that the crazy Aussies are more distracted by blending Viognier […]
If you look at the wine merchants list at the bottom right of our site, you will find a ‘UK-Zelas’ tag for a wine shop on Archway road in London, whose wine credentials InterWined recently ‘investigated’. All in an honest day’s work.
Good news is, it checks out. Even better, the shop may have one of […]
For the theme of January’s Wine Blogging Wednesday, the hosts Jack and Joanne of Fork & Bottle chose the white wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Running along the Austrian/Slovenian border in northern Italy, the region is renowned for the high calibre of its white wines; but, perhaps, in the UK it is best known as the birthplace […]
The 2004 Bethany Grenache Barossa from Schrapel Family Vineyards: Co-Op, £7. Heavy aroma of raspberry, with an undercurrent of wet earth. There is a touch of violet in this one, but it tastes mainly like grape-flavored tootsie-roll pop.
Short review, this: the 2004 Jean-Luc Colombo Les Forots Côtes du Rhône (13%) is a blockbuster. Made of 100% Syrah, this is a wine that tastes of heavy vine fruits smashed up — strong, strong stuff. Wonderful balance: 8.5 alone, 8.6 in a discounted mixed case.
The 2004 Quinta Generación is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Shiraz, and a touch of Petite Verdot.
With so many grapes, how could it taste bad?
Well it does — at first.
So decant or leave open a least an hour, or, better yet, one day. Then you’ll be getting somewhere. A deep ruby colour, it gives that tell-tale ‘Cabernet from Chile’ smell that is kinda dusty and untidy. But, the blackberry throughout is great; and the body is peppered with…pepper.
Also, the roasted beef on the finish is kinda wacky. The finish is both long and harmonious: 8.8 points, 8.9 in a discounted mixed case.
Each Friday, InterWined.com pairs one great wine with one great meal and publishes the results along with the recipe in a little feature it likes to call ‘Blow the Bank’.
This week, it’s InterWined’s Own Roast Chicken Givry.
Among some wine drinkers, it would appear that the red wines of Givry have the rather dubious reputation of being once-great, also-rans in a crowded field that includes such famous names as Beaujolais, Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Mercurey, and Montagny. Sure, as a quick survey of the Web will knowingly confirm that Givry was the favourite tipple of the late King of England and France and Lord of Ireland Henry IV — but that was nearly 600 years ago.
Doesn’t anyone have something good to say about Givry now?
It would seem not. In fact, for the Bourgogne aficionado, the reputation of the reds of Givry was permanently damaged by phylloxera in the 1860s and ‘70s and the ravages of two world wars. Which, one suspects, might explain the difficultly in locating these medium-bodied Pinot Noirs outside of France.
Thankfully, InterWined managed it with a wine that the local Oddbins on Clapham High Street was only too happy to note is personal favourite of South London acting great, Mike Leigh favourite, and voice of Barry Mickelthwaite in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Timothy Spall. He’s an OBE, don’t you know. That’s Order of the British Empire to you and me. So, you know it’s good… It’s not CBE, KBE, GBE good. But, it’s still good — just like the always engaging and entertaining Mr. Spall and the red Givry. It might not be Hollywood A-list or Mercurey, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth your attention and respect.
Such is certainly the case with the InterWined-tested, Spall-approved 2004 Givry Domaine Tatraux. £10.99 from Oddbins, the Givry Domaine Tatraux gives a subtle, really breathe it in, hint of berry on the nose (raspberry, forest fruits, you know the rest) that proves indicative of its light finish and medium-body. No score; if it’s good enough for Spall, it’s good enough for you. Just, go buy a Givry and drink it (especially if you live in the United States, where the Domaine Tatraux is unfortunately, unavailable at present). In the mind of Blow the Bank scribe Sean, it was entirely reminiscent of many lighter New World Pinot Noirs and the perfect accompaniment to white meat, like InterWined’s Own Roast Chicken Givry.
See; the clue is in the name: Roast Chicken Givry.
InterWined’s Own Recipe In Full
Roast Chicken Givry
Click on the post to view and download the recipe
A recent lunch at One Blossom Street presented InterWined.com a unique opportunity: to try a very, very expensive wine, compared to a not-so pricey wine.
Owner Roberto, and wine merchant Antonello, were there for the private tasting. Roberto broke out his 2003 Barrua Isola Dei Nuraghi , made by the same folks who produce the super tuscan Sassicaia, which he said will be the next great wine to come out of Italy. He’s going to sell it for around £85 a bottle ($175).
Antonello brought his 2004 Piantate Lunghe, Conero Rossini, which would sell on a store shelf for a much more forgiving £12 ($25).
So which taste better?
Roberto isn’t a huge fan of his Barrua. He believes it is produced to appeal to more “international” tastes, and isn’t distinctly Italian enough. And he’s right to an extent, as it is a blend using French varieties: Carignano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wine is incredibly well-balanced. Flawless, even. Violets, plum and a strong helping of liquorice. The tannins are weak for an Italian wine, but this just makes the Barrua incredibly mellow. The loamy clay soil can also be tasted, at least that’s InterWined’s guess on what kind of earth the grapes grow in. The wineceller, Enotria, says that the wine pairs well with spicy food. They’re lying. Spicy food kills this wine. Ruins it. We tried the wine with a spicy tomato pasta with olives and hated it. 9.3 points. Drink by itself or with cheese.
Antonello’s Piantate was fuming with alcohol on the nose, but for some reason, it cut right trough the spice. His wine is a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese — very Italian. Medium body with surprisingly soft tannins. It had nice grip, sure, but still a year too young. InterWined noted a chalky flavor, which Antonello confirmed: the vines grow in chalky soil.
How about that? 8.9 points.
Hey, did you know Parducci winery in Mendocino, California is the only carbon neutral winery in the United States?
That’s OK, neither do the guys at the wine shop in London that sells it. Apparently saving the environment means little, yet there is an entire section of the shop dedicated to the vineyards that save […]
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