I see that Amazon have the Lagavulin 8 for £38 today which seems a good price.
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I see that Amazon have the Lagavulin 8 for £38 today which seems a good price.
Since the last 51 posts have been about whisk(e)y, it is about time we oenophiles got a look in! ;)
So I shall soon be expecting delivery of a case of a 2012 Chateau Mauresin Barton, Moulis en Médoc:
Intense balance of red fruits with mild hints of vanilla and woody, toasty flavours on the finish. You can enjoy this wine now, and for at another 5 or more years.
48% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.
13% ABV. Drink from 2026 - 2033. £23 a bottle.
Nor here - five months at best. But I have a lot of wine in my 'cellar', and as my partner is not much of a wine drinker, we get through wine more slowly that we could. However, once a bottle has been opened it ought to be consumed within two days at most, even if you pump out the air.
2023 Château La Croix Saint Michel, Montagne Saint-Émilion
A classic Montagne-Saint-Émilion from within one of Bordeaux's most prized terroirs.
Just a small river apart from the famed Saint-Émilion, Montagne-Saint-Émilion is a little-known Right Bank satellite dedicated exclusively to red wine. Though it boasts a terroir that’s nearly identical to its famous neighbour, its bottles remain relatively well priced because of their low profile.
Though just 24 acres in size, its wines are substantial, powerful things that become graceful and downright revitalizing as they linger in your glass. The wine is aged partially in concrete and partially in stainless steel tanks to preserve its vibrancy.
This wine opens with a fragrent nose of fresh red berries, evoking raspberry and cherry. Its garnet robe catches the eye with brilliance. The palette is subtle and aromatic from the first sip, revealing juicy fruit flavours and a smooth, balanced texture. The finish is refined, marked by fine, well-integrated tannins that lend structure without overpowering the wine's natural elegance.
Tasting notes: Silky ripe tannins, complexity, with a long red fruit finish.
85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
14% ABV. Drink by end of 2029.
Morning all,
Quick update now I'm back home. While out and about in Dublin, I found myself on a bit of an impromptu whiskey history tour. If you're ever in the Liberties area, it's fascinating – the Golden Triangle where Roe, Jameson and Powers once ruled . Most of the old distilleries are gone now (the last drops of pot still whiskey were distilled at Bow Street back in 1970), but you can still feel the history in the air .
Anyway, I couldn't resist bringing a little piece of it home. I picked up a bottle of Teeling Small Batch from the distillery on Newmarket Square – the first new distillery to open in Dublin in 125 years . It's a blend of grain and malt whiskeys, aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Central American rum casks .
The taste? Vanilla and caramel up front, with a lovely dried fruit and tropical spice note on the finish – a little rum‑y sweetness that lingers just long enough. At 46% ABV, it's got enough character to sip neat, but it's smooth enough that I didn't feel the need to add water. My daughter‑in‑law, who's been my accidental whisky enabler, gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up.
I may not have bought a turntable to play that Joni Mitchell record, but I've found another way to enjoy the finer things in life.
Sláinte.
Alistair