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I suppose I could have left it for a few more years. But I remember having the same issue with certain wines from Sancerre / Pouilly Fume before, even those with a bit more age.
Weekend drinking thread [22-24 November 2019]
wine.arbitrageur
#22
Broke a period of abstinence with a glass of cos cerrasuolo di vittoria. Very good. I love wines where the nose signals so accurately that good things are to come on tasting. Followed it with a coravin extraction of musar 2002. Had been concerned over the quality of relative musar vintages due to the community. Turns out that concern was largely unfounded. That said I have found that musar has the highest variance in bottle quality even from the same year
winechief
#24
I think it still has some evolvement to go so if you have the patience (clearly I donāt!), I would hold.
I have 1 bottle left which I will try and forget about for 2-3 years.
JosK
#25
I also thoroughly enjoyed the 2015, and I luckily have still 6 bottles in the cellar. I also had the 2016, but for now I thought it was OK, but it was not nearly as bold or complex as the 2015.
Mike
#26
I had this last night with cheese, crackers and chutney - I had had a big lunch. It was better than I remembered very enjoyable
Inbar
#27
We went to a Christmas tasting last night (clearly Iām on the mend! 
), run by one of my favourite local wine shops. 'Twas good fun, with some truly interesting wines - and the nicest non-wine related thing was running into @Bargainbob, finally! 
I reckon we tried about 35 out of 60, and my notes are basic, but of the ones we enjoyed, these were the highlights:
This was utterly beautiful, poised and well-made Pinot. It was our Pinot of the evening althoughā¦
https://www.butlers-winecellar.co.uk/products/rully-rouge-jean-baptiste-ponsot-2014
ā¦this came very close! (Thanks for the tip, @Bargainbob! )
Wasnāt sure this was going to work - but it was a delicious combo, and South American Cab Franc is its own thing anyway.
Minimal intervention Syrah - absolutely stunning - funky, savoury, herbal with deep dark fruits but very fresh. Will definitely buy at some point!
A revelation for me! I never tried the Rainwater style before, and it was lighter, more tangy with an amazingly long finish. It will definitely feature over xmas!
Oh man, this was right up my Sherry streetā¦ 
but the price aināt.
A quaffable wine! Thatās as far as my ānotesā go.
https://www.butlers-winecellar.co.uk/products/cote-de-brouilly-les-sept-vignes-chateau-thivin-2017
A stunning Cote de Brouillyā¦ This should convert any Beaujolais doubter. Excellent value for money in my book!
A fun evening, followed by Belgian Fries on the busā¦ @Bargainbob however, had a bottle of Barbera to enjoy on the bus! Far classierā¦ Hope it was good, Bob! 
Bargainbob
#28
Great to finally meet you @Inbar! And Iād absolutely agree with your wine picks. The Palo Cortado was outstanding, and probably the wine of the night for me. The spatburgunder was a cracker, as was everything else on the Germany/Austria table - sadly Iāve mislaid the wine guide so I donāt know its name, but there was a Blaufrankisch/Cabernet/merlot blend that was stunning. There was a full-on Lodi Zinfandel on the James Hocking table that was great as well.
All in all, a really fun evening with some delicious wines, and a treat to meet you. Iām glad youād recovered sufficiently to attend!
Inbar
#29
Oh, I couldnāt agree more! It was the last one we tasted - and it left a wonderful aftertaste. It was called Peccatum Premier Cru 2015 - for some reason itās not on Butlerās website, but here it is:
https://www.gkwinehouse.co.uk/2015-peccatum-sin-premier-cru
The Gruner was wonderful too - but again, itās not on the website.
The two are definitely connected! 
there was no way I was going to miss this, so concentrated all my recovery powers!!
Hope to see you again at the B&H tasting in January, if youāre able to make it
JosK
#30
@Inbar @Bargainbob The Leberl Peccatum is an all-time favourite of mine, I have drunk them over the past 20 years or so, and it has never disappointed. Also very good value for money in my opinion! I once ordered them direct from the winery, only for half of the bottles arriving in pieces. They did reimburse the damaged bottles, but poor packing put me off ordering again. Will try GK Wine House now.
suiko
#31
Montsant Trossos Vells 2013, Alfredo Arribas Old vine carignan from decayed slate slopes in this typically excellent value area next to Priorat. I love carignan. Usually Montsant wines are big and rich and packed with terroir - in fact I think they are textbook terroir wines - but this one takes that terroir and majors on freshness and subtlety rather than weight. This producer seems to do no wrong - a must try for a take on a more elegant style from.the region.
Brocklehurstj
#32
Opened this last night
Thereās been a lot written in these pages about the producer, which is why it has lasted all of 3 weeks in my rack. Extraordinary value for Ā£10.95. I donāt know how they achieve the complexity from grapes harvested only last year. Silky and smokey, delicate but long-lasting. A beautifully balanced wine. Only time Iāve ever repeat added a wine to my basket before finishing a single glass.
szaki1974
#34
Opened a Beaujolais today, not Nouveau thoughā¦
I have got to say I am very impressed by the complexity it offers. Glad to phase the remaining bottles over the next 2-3 years.
Robin63
#35
Great to see GarzĆ³n on your list and that you enjoyed the blend. GarzĆ³n is owned by an Argentine multi millionaire who has invested heavily in this stunning Bodega and gravity fed winery - superb food to if you find yourself that way - inland from the delightful coastal village of JosĆ© Ignacio.
I am always amazed by the palm trees in the vineyard.
Like Argentina (with Malbec) there is a growing appreciation of blending the Tannat with other grapes. Tannat with Viognier (especially from Alto de la Bellena - Weekend drinking thread [25th-27th October 2019]) is providing some excellent wines whilst, as you say, single variety Cab Francs can be delicious.
Inbar
#37
Wow! thatās some view! absolutely stunning!..
Iām not sure now why I thought the Cab Franc/Tannat wouldnāt workā¦ every Madiran I had so far had always been a blend of Tannat with at least some Cab Franc in (as well as other varietals). I was clearly on some other planet! 
Inbar
#38
By the way, Bob - did you try the stilton with the sherry combo (chap at the back of the church)? If so - did you enjoy it?
We thought it was sublime! And so far, itās the only Sherry my other half actually enjoyed and didnāt accuse of smelling like furniture polish. It was rather decadent:
Embee
#40
Thanks to @Inbar and to @winechief for the heads up on a couple of bargains from Asdaā¦
ā¦first up, a Romanian orange wine. No added sulphur either, the back label sensibly advises it should be consumed as soon as possible after purchase. The food, chicken thighs with sumac and pomegranate molasses and a white bean salad demanded something full flavoured to cope. The wine did an admirable job. Stone fruit, apricots, herbs and a touch of vanilla initially but once exposed to air the wine became even more nuanced and complex. Fresh, well balanced and a joy to drink, especially at Ā£6 !
The second wine, also from Romania and made from Feteasca Regala, has been my fridge door white for the last couple of monthsā¦
ā¦I wanted something cheap and cheerful to cook with and which Iād also be happy to drink whilst cooking. It serves those purposes well. Light, floral, fruity and well balanced it provides plenty of uncomplicated drinking pleasure for a mere Ā£5.25.
The Wachenheimer Riesling R in the photo was picked up from the Showroom today and will be broached tonight with crab and pasta. Needless to say Iām really eager to try it !