Following the indulgent Seasalter birthday weekend (to be posted about soon), February has had quite a lackluster beginning. However, the following two wines have helped brighten up this period, one with it's label alone!
Both wines chosen are from very different regions. Starting with the red. The chosen red this month is Porta 6 2012 produced in the Lisbon area of Portugal. I was lucky enough to stumble across this wine at the Three Wine Men event in London just before Christmas. I was directed to the Majestic stall to try a red Maçonnais but couldn't help but be attracted to this bottle!
There also happens to be a story behind the label. The label has been designed and created by an artist from Lisbon who I believe paints scenes of Lisbon city life. The gentleman in the doorway is real life Lisboan (not sure if that is the right terminology for someone from Lisbon!) who gave his permission for his likeness to be used on the bottle as he engaged in his daily street cooking. It makes for a very attractive label and the city tram is a nice touch.
The second wine of the month is a Burgundy. It seems to me, for some, that Chardonnays in the Maçon region and surrounding areas are often seen as the poorer relation of their Burgundian older, posher, more expensive family member, Meursault (along with some of the other Northern Burgundy Chardonnays). I personally am a huge fan of Maçon Chardonnay and some of the villages there knock out some truly class wine; Lugny, Uchizy and many more. Travel a very small distance south and you arrive at Viré-Clessé. They do Chardonnay very well there too, particularly at the Domaine André Bonhomme. They have a range of Chardonnays, old vine, aged, botrytised, and varying prices to match. The wine chosen from them this month is one of their less expensive wines, but does not taste inexpensive, that's for sure! It is their basic AOC 2012 (not 2010 in photo).
It has wonderful aromas of honey, lime and peach. The malolactic fermentation adds a luscious buttery sensation in the mouth and gives it a lovely full body. It is a dry wine, but with such a refined balance the acidity doesn't strike you and there is a slight welcome off-dry impression. The barrel ageing adds a subtle oak flavour leaving a beautiful clean, crisp and lengthy finish. This wine is available to buy at some UK retailers and is about £14 (could not find the 2012 unfortunately, but other vintages are great too), which I think is superb value. It would probably pair well with smoked salmon, cooked salmon and spaghetti carbonara!
It is bottled on site, and what a site that is! Having visited the Domaine it is definitely one of the most memorable. On arriving through their gates in to the court yard, you are surrounded by huge bird cages full of exotic parrots and budgerigars and any other species that should probably be living in the Amazon, and some yapping dogs. This welcome is matched with an equally lively one from the owners who escort you lovingly into their little dark sales cellar, which they spend a lot of time trying to keep the dogs out of. When you do decide to purchase many cartons of their wine it is best to use a cheque or cash as, as much as they insist their card machine works it never gets a signal (well not in the three separate instances I've been there!). Despite the chaotic Domaine this is as smooth, refined and sophisticated wine you will get in those parts - I promise!
Santé
Gadget Time!
As promised, a featured gadget or gizmo. This post presents to you the Vine from Quirky.
For those of you with short fridge door shelf spaces, this is perfect! It rests your wine (the right way up) on your fridge shelf, or even on a kitchen surface without fear of movement and looks good too!
