Preamble Tasting June
2001
Summer Flavours
Tony Fahy
1. Chardonnay sur Lie, Unwooded, Danie de Wet, Wetshof Wines, SA,
2000 
Lovely deep colour, burnt
rubber nose. Pleasnant, very fruity.13%
Oddbins, £5.74
2. Menetou-Salon, Henry Pelle, Morogues, Clos des Blanchais, France
1997
Lovely nose, hint of
sulphur. Stern, hint of buterscotch on the finish. Very
pleasant. Don't keep too long. 12.5%
Oddbins, £9.91
3. Lugana San Benedetto, Zenato, Italy, 2000
Floral, dolly-mixture
nose. Fresh, zingy, loads of fruit. Dried pineapple.
Lugano is the grape, related to Trebbiano. 13%
Searson, £8.99
4. Dry Riesling, Framingham, Marlborough, NZ, 1998
Beautiful petrolly nose,
yellow, quite stern, beautifully balanced. Ends with lychees.
Not quite as sharp as Alsace; a fuller feel. Would it last?
Though perceived wisdom is that it won't maybe that's because no one has
ever tried. Now there's an experiment!
McCabes, £8.99
5. Cabernet Sauvignon, Hoopenberg, Winemakers
Selection, Stellenbosch, SA, 1998
Cherry red, nice
nose. A bit leathery at first (possibly after the excellent white),
then the condensed milk begins to come through, with lots of tannin and
fruit. Very young, Bordeaux style, will develop nicely.
O'Briens, £11.99
6. Pinot Noir, Villard, Chile, 1999
Blind; Pinot with
a musty hint on the nose. Decidedly rubbery, unmistakably Pinot, but
still musty in the mouth. Our bottle was off; the others got
strawberries. 12.5% French maker?
O'Briens, £12.99
7. Cotes du Rhone, Domaine de la Mordoree, France,
1998
Deep red,
strangely rubbery. Very strange on the palate at first; a zippy
mouth feel. Very rich and flavoursome. Feels like more alcohol
than its 12.5%. Comes through wonderfully with a huge aftertaste;
peppery, gorgeous. Grenache 50%, Syrah 20%, Mourvedre 10%, Carignan
5%, Counoise (a rare ingredient in red Chateauneuf-du-Pape, adding
acid and peppery taste) 5%
Mitchells, £9.95
8. Pinotage, Babich, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Blind; Very
purple colour, berry nose, new world feel. Cherries, quite like a
good Zin. Our president rated it wine of the
night. Quite a remarkable wine.
McCabes, £9.95
9. Zinfandel, Ravenswood Vintner's Blend, Sonoma,
California, USA, 1997
Rich red, Rubber nose. V. slightly metallic taste spoils the
otherwise excellent fruit gums palate. Tannins, good backbone, fruit
acid. A great example of good Zin, (and for newcomers to this site;
I don't really like Zin as a rule).
Oddbins, £10.40, Mitchells have the inferior '98 at
£12.00
10. Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Tommasi,
Italy, 1995
Deep, deep red. Nose not so big as expected - less
upfront. Huge feel, still a lot of tannins; plums and prunes.
Less bitterness than many others. Grapes are Corvino 60%, Rondinello
30%, Molinara 10%
Superquinn, £17.50
11. Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois, Petits
Grains, Les Vignerons de Septimanie, France
Lemony yellow, not too sweet, grapy nose; feel of a warm
location. Actually fortified. Well balanced, tangy, not
cloying like many.
Searson, £10.99