Chateau Cheval Blanc, St-Emilion, Bordeaux, 2006

This was a real treat - a 2006 Cheval Blanc. I tasted this at Hedonism Wines in London as it was featured in their tasting bar in the basement and I couldn't resist. I am very slowly adding to my repertoire of the top Bordeaux Chateaux...

Appearance: Although the room was mood-lit to a low level, the wine was clearly bright and full-bodied, with touches of pink on the edges and a deep, inviting purpler colour.

Nose: The smells were rather subdued, yet clearly very powerful. There were hints of rich, dark chocolate, cedar and spiced plums. Relatively high acidity hints that it could age for a while yet.

Palate: The palate showed and impressive depth and character to the wine, with a real structure to it. A savoury mid-palate led to a burst of cherry, with a quince jelly finish aided by powerful tannins. 

Rating: From a year that was hit-and-miss on the Right Bank, the Cheval shows an amazing strength and depth. The wine-maker clearly successfully dodged the rains and produced a fantastic wine that will get better for quite a few more years. What a privilege to try one! 9/10

Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, USA, 2010

Another wine on the list at the restaurant, I've wanted to try this Napa Sauvignon for a while. I luckily got the chance a couple of days ago and it was definitely an eye-opener. A cool year, the 2010 vintage made especially crisp, green wine: this one is no different. It is Cakebread's process that makes this wine so interesting. As well as Sauvignon Blanc, small amounts of Semillon and Sauvignon Musque are added, for a bit of weight and structure, as well as floral notes. Just over 10% of the grape juice was fermented in oak barrels, while nearly 90% of the wine produced was then aged in French oak for 5 months. 

Appearance: The wine is very pale, with a slight hint of green to the edges and a robust body to it.

Nose: The first few smells are very intense - gooseberry, lemon zest and grapefruit mostly. There are touches of blossom and soft spices in the background, while crisp acidity is clear.

Palate: The front of the palate is very cool and crisp, almost leafy. It then bursts into a richness of melon and gooseberry, with an almost creamy, heavier texture from the oak. This is all then carried through by the zingy citric acidity to a powerful finish.

Rating: There is a lot going on in this wine. It has classic Sauvignon flavours, with a common blending grape added (Semillon), but also packs a serious punch. The complexity and weighty texture gained from the oak juxtaposed with the ripe acidic wine calls out for it to be drunk with food, which is when it will come into its own. By itself, it is a marvel to pick apart. 8.5/10  

The Crusher Viognier, Wilson Vineyard, Clarksburg, CA, USA, 2011

This amazing new wine on the Seafood Restaurant list has surprised all who work there. It is from the little-known Clarksburg AVA, situated just to the East of Napa Valley. The soils are flat and fertile with plenty of clay and silt deposits, with fog and cooling breezes from San Francisco Bay blowing inland from the West. The vineyard's Petit Syrah is a marvel also.

Appearance: Unlike most Viogniers, The Crusher does not appear to be too thick and oily in the glass. It has a soft straw colour, with a hint of green to it that suggests youth and freshness.

Nose: The nose is bright, clean and very vegetal. Unripe apricots develop into notes of white peach and honeysuckle, while fresh grass and herbs make for an altogether fragrant wine.

Palate: The palate is weightier than the nose might suggest, but is not overpowering. It begins with a ripe peach sweetness that is supplemented by a poached pear and tropical fruit mid-palate. The finish brings in a green chilli pepper spice and a slight oiliness with a balanced and rounding acidity. It isn't the lengthiest wine I've tried, but certainly is powerful.

Rating: This wine is beautiful in youth. I'm not sure how well it would fare with much age, as much of the appeal is the freshness and clear-cut flavours at each step. There is enough weight and richness to pair with strong foods from scallops to spiced pork, while the acidity and lightness will keep you coming back for more. A fantastic, great value for money, American Viognier. 8.7/10

Chateau Martinens, Margaux, Bordeaux, 2007

As the University Wine Tasting Team prepare for the last competition of the year in a few weeks' time, I thought I would share with you a couple of the wines we have been testing ourselves on! This Cru Bourgeois Margaux was delicious - certainly a nice treat on a Saturday afternoon... Anyone living in St Andrews can purchase this at St Andrews Wine Co. on Bell St.

Appearance: In the glass the wine appears at first glance to be a little older than 2007, with a brick orange hue to the edges, and a lighter garnet centre.

Nose: The complexity and development of this wine was quite amazing: every time I try a Margaux I am always drawn back to believing Bordeaux to be the world's top region for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Here it presents with a strong yet delicate nose of dark leather, cocoa, with a blueberry sweetness to it.

Palate: A plush chocolatey thickness gives way to a lighter stoney minerality and cleanliness on the finish, which is lengthy and very well structured. A slight hint of orange zest is notable, as well as delicate, soft spices and supple tannins.

Rating: All in all, I wish more Bordeaux could be like this. Elegant and refined, perfumed and delicate, yet with all the power and strength for its complex characteristics to show through. It is very well balanced and extremely drinkable. 9/10

Pinot d'Alsace Metiss, Domaine Bott-Geyl, Alsace, 2009

This is an interesting blend from the Alsace region of France. It is made from predominantly Pinot Gris, but contains others in the Pinot family, like Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Auxerrois. Made by Domaine Bott-Geyl, a biodynamic enterprise in Beblenheim.

Appearance: It has an inviting deep, dark gold colour, with a hint of green freshness about the edges.

Nose: It starts with amazingly fresh, clean green apples, and moves to a complex stoney minerality. It is packed with ripeness when opened in the glass, leading on to touches of honey and pear.

Palate: As is typical with many Alsatian wines, it is very dry, yet still has a ripe fruits and a full body to it. The front palate is all about the pear and apple acidity, but it then moves to a more delicate array of cloves, crystallised ginger. The finish is held together by a lengthy minerality, that leaves a pleasant warmth.

Rating: All in all, a fantastic wine for the price (c.£11). Very well-rounded, full-bodied, yet fresh. It certainly does better with food, but even without it the complexity will keep you impressed. Excellent balance of spice with acidity and weight. 8/10

Bollinger La Grand Année 2004

La Grand Année is Bollinger's vintage release and going in I was expecting a lot of power and depth. It is Pinot Noir dominant, aged for 5 years in bottle on the lees, after first fermentation in oak barrels.

Appearance: Light and fresh, yet with a gold tint. Concise and intense bubbles

Nose: It is a rather punchy nose, with toasty overtones, yeast, orange peel and hints of vanilla and clove.

Palate: Following the impressive nose, the palate shows an array of ripe fruits: pear, fig and blackcurrant.  A burst of citrus acidity on the finish is accompanied by a lingering minerality, while there are secondary notes of honey and soft, faint spices.

Rating: A lovely wine, although perhaps a little young (drunk April 2013). Following 2002 was always going to be tough, yet the wine is fresh, complex and exciting - it holds its own. Pricey, but worth the treat for a special occasion, boasting the craftsmanship and time that has gone into producing it. 8.2/10

Sciences Po International Tasting at Bollinger

This past weekend I was lucky enough to be selected to go as part of a St Andrews team of three to a tasting competition held at Bollinger, organised by the Parisian university Sciences Po. It was a competition unlike any I have done so far, with questions ranging from theoretical (about grapes permitted in specific regions, average prices, etc) to practical (arrange the following wines in order of age, which is not French and where is it from?). With twelve other university teams competing from all over Europe, the competition was fierce: the MC allowed teams between 30 seconds and 3 minutes per question depending on the difficulty, leaving little room for too much speculation. Three teams proceeded to a final round where they were given a Champagne and a red, along with 3 minutes, before presenting their findings to the judges and other competitors.

Bollinger La Grande Année Rose 1999, 2002, 2004

These sort of questions force you to focus on particular aspects of different wines and I found really helped to break up the components of each. Take, for example, the first practical question in the Champagne section. We were presented with 3 Bollinger La Grande Année Rosés and asked to sort them by age. Instead of approaching the nose and palate looking for hints of what the grape make-up could potentially be, we had to look for oak exposure, development of yeast (noting time spent ageing on the lees), strength and integration of the bubbles and complexity of the palate, all of which could indicate specifically how old a wine is. By breaking each section down into a specific aspect of the wines, I found a greater appreciation for all the factors that make up a particular bottle.

The first Rosé was dark in colour, a deep pink, with orange tinges. It showed a great deal of muscovado sugar, toasted brioche and currant flavours, but also had a strong acidity that suggested age, but perhaps not too much. It was a wine with a powerful and voluptuous palate that clearly was from a stellar vintage. The second was much more integrated as a whole mouthful, with softer acidity and lengthy sweet berry flavours, candied peel and buttery pastry. It was, however, not quite as dark in colour, and appeared lighter in consistency. The third showed a much stronger acidity and plenty of citrus on the nose. It was the lightest of the three and the palate didn't have the composure and length of the first two. Having said this, it still was a vintage Bollinger thought worthy of making a single release from, and clearly was very high quality! From that, the third would appear the youngest, while the first and second are tougher: either the first is marginally older (because of colour and power of flavour), or the second is older (because of complexity, development) and the first is just outstanding quality. As it happened, the latter was the case, with the first being 2002, the second 1999 and the third 2004.

Jeroboams ageing on the lees

Following the competition, we were treated to a tour of the Bollinger caves. This was particularly fascinating for a number of reasons for me: as well as being famous for ageing their wines far beyond what is required, Bollinger is one of relatively few Champagne houses that use oak barrels for fermentation (4,500 in total). That, along with their high percentage of Pinot Noir in every release (a minimum of 60%), gives a strong and robust wine, with a great deal of body. Looking down at the ageing process, it is clear to see that the house is obsessed with producing wine of the highest quality. The still wines (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier) which make up their final blend are fermented first mostly in oak barrels. From there, many are bottled into magnums and left in the cellars to age: the reasoning being that magnums provide the perfect sized container for ageing. After that, the still wines are blended to whatever cépage is desired and rebottled with yeast for a second fermentation. They are then left to ferment and age on the lees and are turned a few degrees every day in order to keep the yeast contact high: a process called riddling. We were told a single riddler can turn up to 25,000 bottles per day by hand - definitely needed when the cellars hold over 10 million bottles, all at different stages of the process.

Pinot Noir vines at Champagne Bollinger

My second visit to Champagne has only increased my appreciation for the wines that are grown there - hopefully it won't be the last! Bollinger's astonishing ageing process is certainly evident in their wines and there will be shorter reviews of certain cuvées coming soon so watch out for those for any tips. Huge thanks must go to Sciences Po for organising such a fantastic and challenging competition.