Wine Meeting

There was a good number of regular and – equally pleasing – new members at the October Wine Club meeting.  All had come to see Michael Jelley from this specialist wine merchant in Summertown and Wallingford talk about some of his favourite wines from across France.

Armed with a little bit of knowledge, you can make some wonderful selections on wines for very good prices.  Our first wine was a great example of this.   If you like Sancerre wines but don’t enjoy paying a premium, then try the Bellevue Touraine, also from the Loire Valley, but not far from the Sancerre region.  The same Sauvignon Blanc grape but at a fraction of the price!

Next, we went to North Burgundy, where we tried Domaine Besson Chablis.   This was a wonderful wine from a small vineyard that produced a Chardonnay wine with very crisp non-oaked tones.  Perfect if you like the grape but don’t enjoy the creamy buttery taste offered by some wines from this grape.

In contrast then, for our next white, we went to the South of France, where we tried a Champ des Nummus Chardonnay from Limoux.  This wine had been exposed to some ageing in oak barrels, that allowed it to react with oxygen to create some wonderful buttery notes, synonymous with some wines made with Chardonnay grapes.

Our final white for the evening was a Chateau Lapuyade Jurancon.  A really unusual wine, made from grapes harvested late in the year.  This has given each grape the maximum amount of sun, turning the wine a wonderful deep yellow colour that you would normally expect from a sweet wine.  If you like dessert wines but find them a little too sweet then try this, with some wonderful butterscotch and honeysuckle flavours coming through.

Our first red of the evening was a real crowd pleaser.   A Julienas Cuvee Six Beaujolais Villages.  Made from the Gamay grape, this is a very affordable, good quality wine that has soft tannins and a very refreshing red berry taste.  Perfect if you have a large number of guests over and are likely to get through a few bottles!

Our next wine was not something many had tried often, if at all.  A red wine from the Sancerre region.  Reds from this region are typically Pinot Noir and the Berthier Sancerre was a really good example of a light red wine from that region.   If you are a fan of Pinot Noir and want to give your guests something a little different then try this.

The next wine we tried came from Bordeaux, a Château des Gravières Bordeaux Superieur.  A typical Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend that provides you with that classic black cherry, Oak taste that you would expect from this region.  A good price and one definitely to try if you like wines from this region.

For our last wine of the evening we tasted wonderful GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blend from the Côtes du Rhône region.  The Domaine Dionysos ‘La Devèze’ was wonderfully smooth with deep red fruit flavours and a touch of spice.  Great for Christmas!

This month saw the 17^th Annual General Meeting of our highly popular club. Ian Langley presented the accounts before thanking Susan Ryan for her many years of service, who is standing down from the committee. Ian then welcomed Di Rabbetts, who is joining the committee in the role of treasurer and membership secretary.

The theme of the evening was Wine Awards, and every wine tasted had won some form of award whether a medal, a high number of points, or been commended by a wine professional in the press. The wines were presented by Ian together with Brian Rippon.

To accompany the AGM, members were treated to a 91 point Graham de Beck Blanc de Blancs (Majestic, £15.99), a biscuity traditional method sparkling chardonnay from South Africa, which had a slightly mixed reception. However, all of the following wines met universal approval of the members. The first white of the evening was a crisp Villa Noria Picpoul de Pinet (Strictly Wine, £10.99) which Jamie Goode rated at 90 points. Members thought it was an extremely good and pleasant example of a Picpoul – a wine from a very small appellation of which 65% is exported, more than half of that coming to the UK. That was followed by a fascinating but equally delicious ‘mountain’ blend, Terra Alpina Organic Bianco (Majestic, £10.99) made with grapes from Hungary, Italy and the Pyrenees.

Although most examples of Falanghina come from Campania in southern Italy, the next wine was an organic example from Puglia, Bella Verità (M&S, £9). It showed the usual delicious characteristics of citrus blossom aromas and apple and pear flavours. The final white was a Marcarini Roero Arneis (Majestic, £12.99), a lovely and complex version of the Arneis grape from the Roero hills in Piedmont.

The reds started with a lovely Pinot Noir from Chile, Matetic Estela Lunar (M&S, £12 – but found in Didcot at £9, reduced to clear!). Awarded 92 points by Decanter, this was a delicate wine with notes of cherry and sweet spice. Matetic regularly win awards for being one of the top 100 wineries or producing one of the top 100 wines in the world, so this was an absolute bargain – especially considering that their wines tend to sell for twice this price. The next wine was even more of a bargain – a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from the Tesco Finest range. This has won gold medals, the Montepulciano trophy and the Great Value Red Wine trophy. Normally £7, it was on offer in September at £5.25 when you buy 6 bottles of wine.

Brian then presented a red from Strictly Wine, a Tikveš ‘Cuvee Methodius’ Vranec (£8.99) from the Republic of North Macedonia. This is a deeply coloured red wine revealing vibrant aromas of blueberries and blackberries, with hints of chocolate and cocoa – winner of a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge. Finally Ian showed an unusual wine from Portugal, an Alicante Bouschet (M&S, £8). This grape not only has a red skin but also, unlike most red grapes, a red pulp –called a teinturier. Although now virtually unheard of, it was until the start of this century the 12^th most planted red wine grape in France! Decanter gave it 91 points and (alongside Matthew Jukes) recommended trying it with lamb.

The evening was enjoyed by all, who commented on the quality of the wines. Perhaps there is something to wines that have received an award after all…

The third wine club meeting of the 2022 calendar took place on the usual third Wednesday of the month, on 16^th March. Attended by approximately 20 of our club members, this was a smaller turnout than usual, which meant slightly more generous samples of the delicious wine on offer throughout the evening (and more headaches the next morning, perhaps!).

The theme of the night was “The Judgement of Paris”; for those unfamiliar with the wine connection to this phrase (as opposed to the story from Greek Mythology), the Judgement of Paris was a wine competition organised in Paris in May 1976 by Stephen Spurrier, a British wine merchant, and his colleague Patricia Gallagher, in which French judges carried out two blind tasting comparisons; one of top quality chardonnays and another of red wines (Bordeaux wines from France and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from California). In every category, the Californian wines came out top, which greatly shocked the judges, as France was at the time considered to be the foremost producers of the world’s best wines.

And so, to the Judgement of Upton. Eight bottles of wine, including four white and four red, and half from France and half from California, were brilliantly presented by the dynamic duo Ian Langley and Brian Rippon, from the wine club committee. Over four rounds, two bottles at a time were sampled and compared by being labelled as A and B, to enact our own blind tasting. The wines were all supplied by the Wine Society and were similarly priced, so the task was to see which one’s members preferred.

Round 1 involved two Viogniers: a 2020 McManis Viognier from California and a 2021 Grignan-les-Adhemar, Viognier from Domaine de Montine, in France. The Californian is a rich, velvety white wine with peach, pear and apricot aromas and could be paired easily with fish curry, prawns, scallops or a melon starter (random!). The French wine, from Southern Rhone, is a creamy, full- flavoured Viognier with peace and exotic guava flavours. Very ripe and full-flavoured, it is said to go perfectly with fish or duck pate. With only 45p separating the two wines in price (£11.95 and £11.50 respectively), both wines present good value for money.

Round 2 involved two Chardonnays: a 2020 Bogle Vineyward California Chardonnay and a 2020 Domaine Andre Bonhomme from the Macon-Villages Vielles Vignes in France. The Californian is 50% aged in American Oak for eight months to give a rich vanilla and nutmeg spice. The other half is aged in steel to retain the fresh peach and lemon character. It is 14.5% alcohol and priced at £12.50 and is best paired with children dishes prawns and beef carpaccio. The Domaine Andre Bonhomme (13.5%) is a ripe yet refreshing burgundy with aromas of white peaches and a balanced palate with a long finish for a wine of this price (£12.50 also).

We then moved onto the reds. Round 3 involved two Pinot Noirs: The Society’s Exhibition Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019 (Californian) and a Reuilly Rouge ‘Les Demoiselles Tatin’, from the Domaines Tatin in France, 2019. The former is a vibrant and bright red fruity wine that you’d expect from the fog-cooled yet sunny Sonoma Coast in California. At 13.5% in alcohol volume and £14.95 in price, the wine goes well with rabbit dishes, roast beef, veal and cold meats. The French wine is a delightful Central Vineyards Pinot Noir from a ripe Loire vintage. Again, another one that can be paired with cold meats, rabbit and veal, but also with ham, salmon and wild mushrooms. Versatile and a snip at £12.50.

The final two wines of the night were of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Merlot variety. The first was a 2015 Chateau Tour Saint Bonet, Medoc (13.5%), a ruby-red coloured, medium- bodied wine from a consistently good Bordeaux estate; it has a bouquet of cassis and cedar and is made from Cabernet- Merlot grapes. The second wine was the 2019 Californian Pedroncelli Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon (14.5%). This wine has blackberry, blackcurrant and mulberry flavours which are well- balanced by subtle cedar and vanilla notes. Both wines are great value (£13.50 and £11.95 respectively) and on the night, were paired with pieces of delicious chorizo.

A vote by a show of arms was undertaken throughout the evening, with the Californian wines overall coming out on top again, although there was of course some divided opinion! A fantastic, informative enjoyable evening was had by all.

Wednesday 16^th February was the sixth meeting of the season for the Upton Wine Club.  This month we were excited to see the return of Andy and Ross from the wine distributor Hallgarten, who have supported the club on several occasions and provide wines both to up-market restaurants and retailers such as Strictly Wine.  The theme this month was South African wines that had coastal influences in their production – the cooler climate, often with the influence of sea breezes, create unique conditions resulting in some exceptional wines.

The first wine of the evening was a Sauvignon Blanc from the Lomond Wines estate, situated on the Western Cape, where there are up to 18 different soil types producing some really good, complex single variety wines.  If your go-to Sauv Blanc is New Zealand then this will make you sit up and realise there is much more to try! Full of zesty citrus notes but with some depth from a touch of passion fruit and a hint of blackcurrant…

Next was a Chenin Blanc from Mulderbosch Vineyards in Stellenbosch, a well-known wine region in South Africa.  This wine is made from a blend of fermentations, part in oak barrels and the remainder in stainless steel tanks.  The result is a vibrant fresh wine with aromas of pear, apricot and a touch of cinnamon spice.  A really lovely wine that would go down well with food or on its own.

Moving on we tried a Grenache Blanc – not a common grape – from the Western Cape region of Breedekloof. This showed beautiful balance with notes of anise, lime and green apple.  The focus in making these wines is on sustainable farming, with very little intervention in the making of the wine.   The producer ages the wine for 10 months on its “lees” (the yeast used in the fermentation process), creating an amazing complexity.

Our next white came from the Elgin Valley, surrounded by mountains, which created an amazing microclimate to grow this wine, made mainly from Sauvignon Blanc but with added Riesling and Chenin Blanc.  The wine was called 1900 Queen Manthatisi and was from Spioenkop (incidentally, where Liverpool FC took the name of their stand – the Kop!)  The cooler climate has created a wine full of ripe peach, citrus and grapefruit notes.

Our final white was a real treat.  Lismore Chardonnay wine was a great example of what the Wine Club is all about.  If you knew nothing about the producer Samantha O’Keefe and her wines, then spending £40+ on a bottle is not something most of us would do.   Because we had over 30 people join us this evening it meant we could try some exceptional wines.  Here, Sam had grown wines in conditions that allowed the grapes to be harvested 3-4 weeks later than most wines, allowing them to develop some really intense citrus aromas with hazel and butter notes that make this simply exceptional.

If you think the “only” wine to try with steak is Malbec, then think again.   Our first red was an unusually deep flavoured Pinot Noir from Cape Agulhas called Phantom.  A very dry, cool summer has allowed this wine to ripen slowly, creating a great flavour and one you wouldn’t normally expect from this grape variety.

South Africa is famous for its Pinotage wines.   The next wine, again from the Western Cape, was an amazing example of this grape.  Full of cherry, wild strawberry fruit and ripe raspberries – just as you would expect from a Pinotage but with some wonderful spice and earthy notes.  All the wines were very well received but this was one of the most popular.

Our final wine was again a real treat.  Englishman Richard Kershaw is known for producing exceptional wines in South Africa and with a price point that is justifiably higher than what we might normally spend on a bottle.   This wine was a 100% Syrah called Clonal Selection and was made from grapes taken from small parcels of wine in the Elgin Valley region.  If you wanted a bottle for a special occasion or simply to just treat yourself, then this would be my recommendation!

As another year winds down and the Autumn months tumble towards Winter, there are a few things that you can guarantee; the cold air in the mornings; the shops decorated with tinsel and decked out with their Christmas products; and the friendly and knowledgeable duo Tim and Gill from Joie de Vin arriving for their annual presentation at Upton wine club.  The fact that this has become an annual tradition is what makes the November meeting of wine club extra special and well turned out, and so it was on 17^th November when 30+ members of the club came to listen to the expertise of Tim and Gill and participated in the delightful sampling of some of their bestsellers.

The evening started with an enjoyable sparkling wine, a ‘Maison Peltier Vouvray Brut La Colliniere’. We were informed that this wine had been fermented for two years and produced in the traditional, or “champagne” method. The consensus was that this was a good quality, fresh and crisp sparkling wine.

Our second wine of the evening was a ‘Domaine Guillaman Chardonnay 2019’, a fresh and crisp wine with hints of apple and citrus. This wine is produced in the Southwest of France, not far from the Bordeaux region, and comprises of 15% Gras Manseng and 85% Chardonnay. It is a highly quaffable wine that can be drank on its own, but also can be paired nicely with chicken dishes. It certainly went down well with the crowd.

Joie de Vin’s third bottle of the evening was a crisp ‘Maison Peltier Vouvray Sec 2019’. A typical Vouvray, it is made with Chenin Blanc grapes and has notes of apple and pears on the nose and palate and would pair very nicely with grilled fish or mild curries, or like its predecessor, can be enjoyed on its own.

The final white wine of the evening was introduced as ‘Le Pommeraie de Brown 2016’, a wonderful example of a barrel-fermented white wine from Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux’s premier region for white wine. Made of 84% Semillion and 16% Sauvignon Blanc, the lovely wine had notes of citrus, pear and vanilla. An elegant wine and another crowd pleaser.

At this halfway point in the evening, Tim moved us onto the red wines in his collection, starting with a ‘Domaine du Bon Remede Merlot IGP Mediterranee 2019. Deep in colour with a fruit nose, this was a particularly lovely rich and smooth red wine, Tim recommended that this would go very well with a meaty fish such as monkfish.

Wine six of the evening was the ‘Domaine La Toupie Quator, Cotes de Roussillon 2017 AOP’, a lovely wine with soft round tannins, ripe fruit flavours, spicy notes, complexity and length. Made from four varieties (Grenache Noir, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvedre) in the foothills of the Pyrenees, the wine is hand-harvested. A wine that is great with red meats, cheese and charcuterie, it can be drank now through to 2024.

The penultimate wine of the evening was the ‘Domaine Trilles 10, Cotes du Roussillon 2018’, a rich, full wine with a deep colour and big fruit flavours – cherry and plum. The producers do not use chemicals in their processes and the wine is aged in oak. My personal favourite wine of the evening, Tim said it goes well with duck, rice casseroles and barbecues.

The final wine of the evening was a ‘Domaine Trilles Rivesaltes Ambre’, which had a deep brown/ gold colour with hints of honey, caramel, candied fruits and vanilla. A ‘vin doux naturel’ made, like port, by adding spirit to arrest the fermentation, it was the perfect end to the evening and one can imagine drinking it with a rich pudding or with strong cheeses.

For more details about the wine, you can contact Joie de Vin direct on www.joiedevin.co.uk; and for information about joining Upton Wine Club, please contact Ian Langley on ian.langley@yahoo.co.uk

If ever further proof were needed that the festive season was nearly upon us, with the nights drawing in at a rapid pace, this month’s wine club enabled everyone to try a selection of sparkling wines….and maybe to find a few to get the festivities started!

Sparkling wines come from a number of regions worldwide and have many different labels, depending on the region and style of production. We were able to try many of them including champagnes, Prosecco, Cremants and English sparkling wines.

Our first wine was a Cintila Extra Dry Peninsula de Setubal NV, a wine made from Portuguese grapes, providing a wonderful buttery, creamy taste. This was well received by everyone and considered excellent value for money! Further details of how much all the wines were and where you can buy them in the Wine Archive.

We then tasted a Prosecco from Tesco (from their Finest range). A good example of a well known wine from the Italian galera grape, produced in the northern region of Italy. Some found this a little light on taste, others loved it! It would be a good cocktail mixer if you needed sparkling wine!

Next we tried Castel Faglia Franciacorta NV. Another Italian wine from the Lombardy region. This has a lively acidity with some fresh almond and aromatic aromas. Again, a lovely wine on its own or with a starter such as smoked salmon.

We moved on to an English sparkling wine next called Prince Charmat Sparkling Brut. We tried the white but you can also get a rose. This wine comes predominantly Chardonnay grapes collected across the South of England and then produced in West Sussex. This was very crisp with lovely fruit notes of apples and peach.

The next wine we tried was a little more well known and definitely comparable to Champagne. Another English wine, Simpsons Chalklands Classic Cuvee. A great wine with notes of caramelised pears and citrus on the nose and to taste. Just a really enjoyable wine from the UK!

We then looked at a wine from the North of France, Cave de Turckheim Cremant d’Alsace. Most of this wine is kept by the French for local consumption but 10% finds it’s way out of the Alsace region and is definitely worth a try if you’ve not had it before.

To finish we compared a fine Champagne called Champagne Collet, Brut Vintage 2008 with another Champagne from Aldi, Champagne Veuve Monsigny Brut NV. With the first wine a little more than twice the price of the second, we were keen to see if we really could “taste the difference!” In the end it was concluded that BOTH wines were excellent. The Collet would be a brilliant alternative to some of the more well known Champagnes and the Monsigny was exceptionally good value for money!