Wine Gang notes on Dirty Dozen tasting
In the Wine Gang January 2014 newsletter, Vine Trail are top-rated in all 5 categories of wines shown by the 12 importers:
Domaine Léon Boesch Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé2011
Alsace, France, Off-dry White (Cork),13.0%abv
Gewurz' at its opulent spicy best, with afabulous density of tangy tropical fruit and gingery zing. There's a cushion ofsugar (30g/litre to be precise) and a voluminous feel, but there's somethingbright and lively in there too. Gorgeous.
Rating: 93/100 - £19.80 at Vine Trail
Domaine Dirler-CadéRiesling Grand Cru Spiegel 2007
Alsace, France, Dry White (Cork),13.0% abv
Typically precise, racy, taut andageworthy Riesling from the excellent little family firm of Dirler-Cadé. Fromthe Grand Cru site of Spiegel, this may be six years old and just starting toshow off the caraway seed-like aromas of age, but you sense it's still a baby –there's so much latent energy packed in here, and it will repay many years inthe cellar.
Rating: 93/100 - £21.50 at Vine Trail
Goes with: Salads& Vegetable dishes.
Domaine Gilles BerliozChignin 'Chez l'Odette' 2011
Savoie, France, Dry White (Cork),11.0% abv
Gentle and flowing with a wonderfullightness of touch, this charming Alpine white made from the local Jacquèrevariety, has white fruits and flowers and a thirst-quenching stony coolness.
Rating: 90/100 - £14.50 at Vine Trail
Goes with: Salads& Vegetable dishes.
Domaine de MontesquiouJurançon Cuvade Préciouse 2012
Jurançon (South West), France, Dry White(Cork),14.0% abv
Luscious but grapefruit-tangy, withhoneyed fruit draped over a tensile steel framework of nervy acidity, thisconcentrated, rich, dry white blend of Gros and Petit Manseng and Petit Corbuis both highly distinctive and excellent value.
Rating: 90/100 - £11.10 at Vine Trail
Goes with: Chicken.
Robert Michel Cornas 'LaGeynale' 2005
Cornas (Rhône), France, Dry Red(Cork),13.0% abv
Top-flight Northern Rhône Syrah at itssavoury best, Robert Michel's top cuvée benefits from 100+-year-old vines on asouth-facing granite slope, which yield a gorgeous seam of blackberry fruitinfused with grilled meat and a shake of pepper and a powerful but supple feel.Gorgeous now, but will happily sleep for several more years to come.
Rating: 94/100 - £32.22 at Vine Trail
Goes with: Redmeat & Dark game.
Domaine de Cébène FaugèresLes Bancels 2010
Faugères (Languedoc), France, Dry Red(Cork),14.0% abv
This intense, brawny but evocativesouthern French red blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache has guts and plentyof stuffing, but is lifted by its very pure fruit character, with swirls ofliquorice, black fruit and rosemary and firm but fine tannins.
Rating: 92/100 - £14.10 at Vine Trail
Goes with: Redmeat & Dark game.
Domaine de Prion Fleurie'La Madone' 2011
Fleurie (Beaujolais), France, Dry Red(Cork),12.5% abv
Graceful, poised, pretty and perfumed, butwith a certain peppery spiciness and some silky but not inconsequentialtannins, this is serious Gamay with the sophistication of Pinot.
Rating: 91/100 - £14.35 at Vine Trail
Goes with: Charcuterieand cold meats, Duck & Mild game.
Franck Peillot MontagnieuMéthode Traditionnelle
Bugey (Savoie), France, Sparkling White(Cork),12.0% abv
From the Bugey appellation, which isgenerally lumped in with the Alpine wines of Savoie but which actually standsalone across the Rhône river, this is a superb Champagne-method sparkling wine,a blend of 40% Altesse, 30% Mondeuse and 30% Chardonnay that has the sameelectric tension and clarity of the wines of the more celebrated northernregion, and a rippling mineral undertow.
Rating: 90/100 - £14.04 at Vine Trail
Goes with: Aperitifwine.
Gourt de Mautens RasteauVin Doux Naturel 2006
Rasteau (Rhône), France, Sweet Red(Cork),16.0% abv
A kind of unfortified Rhône-ish take onPort, this sweet red (it's made from late-harvested grapes and has 100grams perlitre of residual sugar) is fabulously pure and intense, almost like aSyrah-Grenache liqueur, with the pepper and rosemary spice freshening the deep,dark and sweet brambly fruit.
Rating: 93/100 - £34.68 at Vine Trail
Goes with: Chocolate& Ice cream.