The Wine & Whisky Thread

[Barry]

Selection Vieilles Vignes, Côtes du Rhône, 2022



A Red wine from Côtes-du-Rhône, Southern Rhône, Rhone Valley, France. Made from Shiraz/Syrah and Grenache grape.


Given to me by a friend living in France, so I don't know the price, but it was not expensive.

[Barry]

2020 Château Labastide Dauzac, Margaux



Margaux is an important appellation in the Haut-Médoc district of Bordeaux, southwestern France. Located 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the city of Bordeaux, the appellation is famous for producing supple, perfumed wines, predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon, which can show excellent structure and longevity.

The other grapes permitted for use here are Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Fruit must come from vineyards planted to densities of 6500 to 10,000 plants per hectare (2600 to 4000 per acre).
Quality and quantity

The Margaux appellation contains 21 cru classé properties from the 1855 Bordeaux Classification (20 of which still exist) – more than any other so-called "Left Bank" (on the left bank of the Gironde estuary/Garonne river) appellation. It is also, geographically speaking, the largest in the Médoc. The total vineyard area of the appellation covers approximately 1530 hectares (3780 acres).


Château Dauzac is a producer making Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux blends in the Labarde commune of Margaux, and was ranked a fifth growth in the 1855 Classification of Medoc and Graves. The château gained prominence in the 1880s, when its vineyards were the site of trials that led to the development of a fungicide to combat downy mildew, commonly known as the Bordeaux Mixture, or "bouillie bordelaise".

The château is built on a property that has records of ownership dating back to the 12th Century, and a reference to "Bourdieu Dauzac" in the records of the Benedictine abbey St. Croix of Bordeaux dates back to 1545. The estate lies in in the commune of Larbarde, at the very eastern end of the Margaux appellation and south of the village of Margaux.

Indeed, while the Dauzac estate covers 120 hectares (295 acres) of land, with a single, 49 hectare (120 acre) block of vineyard, four hectares (10 acres) of it is outside the Margaux appellation and qualifies only for the Haut-Médoc title.

The vineyard is planted to a rough 65 percent to 35 percent ratio of Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot. This provides fruit for the grand vin and the second wine, Labastide Dauzac.

The four-hectare (10-acre) plot in the Haut-Médoc provides fruit for Dauzac's third wine, Château Labarde. A fourth wine, Aurore de Dauzac, was made exclusively for the 2013 vintage.

Until 2019, the estate had been owned by French insurance group, MAIF (Mutuelle d'Assurances des Instituteurs de France) for past 30 years. It was the directors of MAIF who, in 1992, brought in André Lurton to reinvigorate the property.

In 2019, Château Dauzac was sold to French businessman Christian Rolleau, founder of business services company SAMSIC.


Alcohol ABV: 13.5%

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot



Bought in France, €33 a bottle.

[struth]

What happens when you take an already delicious bourbon barrel matured Campbeltown single malt from Glen Scotia distillery and then finish it in first-fill Guyanese Demerara rum barrels? You get this tasty treat, that's what. Double the cask, double the flavour is the theory here, but this process also has historical precedence. Glen Scotia has records that go as far back as 1815, before the distillery was founded, that show casks of rum present and for sale in the town.

Glen Scotia Double Rum Finish Whisky

(70cl, 46%)






Rather nice

[rmcin626]

What happens when you take an already delicious bourbon barrel matured Campbeltown single malt from Glen Scotia distillery and then finish it in first-fill Guyanese Demerara rum barrels? You get this tasty treat, that's what. Double the cask, double the flavour is the theory here, but this process also has historical precedence. Glen Scotia has records that go as far back as 1815, before the distillery was founded, that show casks of rum present and for sale in the town.

Glen Scotia Double Rum Finish Whisky

(70cl, 46%)






Rather nice

Need try that one

[struth]

Need try that one

Have to say it's pretty good. Likes air

[Barry]

2019 La Cave d'Augustin Florent, Madiran



Madiran is a wine region located in the Southwest of France. This red wine region is situated in the Gascony district, relatively close to the renowned Bordeaux region. The region's entire reputation is built around the full-bodied, red wines that are produced here.

Madiran wines are often full-bodied and tannic, with intense dark fruit flavors such as blackberry and plum. They may also exhibit earthy, spicy, and sometimes smoky notes



A pretty good table wine, 13.5% ABV Bought in France €9.70

[Barry]

2020 Château Mazeyres, Pomerol



CHÂTEAU MAZEYRES

The complexity of Mazeyres' wines comes from the vineyard's size - 22 hectares - and the variety of highly complementary soils. The clay gravel brings length and finesse, the sandy clay adds volume and fruit, and the clay lends structure to the wine. Château Mazeyres is one of those Bordeaux vineyards whose historic origins is demonstrated by the fact that it is surrounded by urban development. Although now, its long history is less well-known. Bought in 1988 by the Société Générale pension fund, it has been under major renovation works since 1992 which has been reflected in the improvement in its high quality wines - uncommon in the history of a vintage. In July 2020, Mazeyres was acquired by the Guillard family.

A must in the Pomerol appellation: a wine of remarkable complexity! Château Mazeyres is the perfect embodiment of the elegance and complexity of the Pomerol terroir. With its biodynamic approach, this wine combines refinement, authenticity and delicacy, reflecting the passion and expertise of winemaker Alain Moueix, an agricultural engineer and Bordeaux winemaker who has been running the estate for over 20 years! The vineyard is situated on a sandy gravel hillside and a plateau of sand rich in iron dross, favouring fine Merlot and producing dense, juicy and generously aromatic wines. The Cabernet Franc adds structure, while the Petit Verdot brings finesse, freshness and straightforwardness...this wine has it all!

The wine is medium-bodied, soft, silky, and elegant, with freshness, refinement, and loads of spicy, fresh, vibrant red pit fruits with hints of strawberries, and pepper that comes in on the finish. Drink from 2024-2035.

14.5% ABV. About £33 a bottle.

[Barry]

2016 Clarendelle, Bordeaux

From the same stable as crazy-priced, 1er Cru Haut-Brion, this is a claret of 5-Star pedigree. Wine Advocate described it as “well worth seeking out in terms of value and pleasure”. Premium Bordeaux in a top vintage. Fine balance and ample fruit.

American financier Clarence Dillon visited Bordeaux in 1934 and fell in love with world-famous Château Haut-Brion. The estate wasn’t then in peak form, but that didn’t put him off one iota. Certain it was the jewel of Bordeaux, he bought it and so started his family’s long commitment to the region and fine wine. In 1983 they purchased La Mission Haut-Brion, next door, and the family have since extended their portfolio to other areas of Bordeaux. Clarendelle is the initiative of Clarence Dillon’s great grandson, Prince Robert of Luxembourg. It’s a premium blend Bordeaux that expresses the very best of the vintage – the excellent 2016. Largely Merlot, it offers rich berry fruit, with rounded tannins, and already makes very enjoyable drinking.

The 2016 vintage is a blend of 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. A very fruity wine, with aromas of red fruit and blackcurrant alongside floral overtones reminiscent of violet. Tannic power together with deliciously velvety texture and rare smooth, powerful, and generous on the palate.

13.5%ABV, drink by end of 2025. About £18 a bottle

[rmcin626]

The drams at an Ardnamurchan tasting last night


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[struth]

very much a peat night