Wine tasting fun
Happy sunny Thursday Club Members!
As promised, another newsletter for you today and if all goes well I might send you one more on Friday!
I am not sure about you but my plans to try to slow down in December have completely gone out of the window and I just seem to get busier by the minute. 2024 is already looking promising with lots of ideas on the table and exciting trips ahead.
But until then, I have plenty of wine discoveries to share with you.
Do you know how our Accidental Wine Club started? Why don’t you head over to our Home page and have a read to find out how this now weekly tradition began.
Wine tasting fun
Oh, the wine tasting! Seems like a long time ago now, even though it was only last week when Friend invited me to do a wine tasting/training session for his team. I was so excited by the invitation and also very honoured, especially since most of the team was just at the beginning of their wine journey. So the preparation for it became even more important to me. Old World, New World, climate, how to taste wine and trying a few from their wine list; all seemed to be a priority. But there was only one thing I wanted to achieve the most: for the team to have fun whilst slowly falling in love with this world.
The white from the tasting…
There was one white from the tasting that really stood out and luckily for everyone, it is also available online to buy!
Nugan Estate Drover's Hut Chardonnay
The Nugan Group goes back to the 1940s when Alfredo Nugan emigrated from Spain to start a fruit and vegetable packing company. By the early 1990s, the group diversified by planting vineyards and selling fruit under contract; winemaking was a natural progression.
This is not your usual New World Chardonnay. Feels very delicate compared to some of those that favour alcohol and heaviness over taste. Creamy, buttery oak aromas hit you on the nose. White stone fruits, peaches and nectarine on the palate followed by a beautifully cleansing hint of citrus. The crisp acidity at the end was very welcomed and the lovely long finish… It is rich by all means and rather complex but the freshness of the grapes mixed with that sweet, vanilla oak make it so well-balanced and very elegant.
Name: Nugan Estate Drover's Hut Chardonnay
Origin: New South Wales, Australia
Grape: Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5%
Notes: Creamy, lightly toasted, sweet oak on the nose. Ripe peaches and nectarine on the palate. Lovely fresh, crisp acidity at the end with a nice, long finish. Full-bodied and well-balanced, complex
Price: £12.60
Recommend with: Perfect match with scallops cooked in butter, would also highly recommend it with a piece of Monkfish
Where: D'Arcy
The Pinotage
This food-friendly wine was an excellent choice to finish the tasting. Most of the team never tried it before and didn’t really know what to expect but this was definitely the firm favourite for Friend and me.
The deep, dark ruby-coloured juice looked so silky in the glass. Dark fruits along with the earthy nuttiness on the nose, there is a touch of sweetness that trying to push through. Aromas of ripe black plums and fresh red cherries on the palate, with hints of white pepper and a bit of liquorice. The smokey oak is still sweet here, thanks to the use of American and French oak barrels. This is just so smooth and velvety whilst still holding its body. And that fresh acidity just lifts up the wine. A very well-rounded and structured red that is hard to have just one glass of.
Name: Hill & Dale Pinotage
Origin: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape: Pinotage
ABV: 14.5%
Notes: Dark, deep ruby colour in the glass.Ripe dark plums and fresh cherries, smokey sweet oak, liquorice and earthy nuttiness. Smooth, silk and velvety, well structured and complex
Price: It’s currently on for sale for a whopping £8.28!! If I were you, I would stock up right now
Recommend with: Game, tender fillet steak
Where: Ashby Wines
And the one from our French night
Chateau du Gazin Canon Fronsac 2018
I know I have already given you a sneak peek of this red but thought it deserves one more mention. I didn’t think at the time this would leave a strong memory on my palate but I keep thinking about it and it has been 3 weeks now since Friend and I tried it. This plush, Merlot heavy red was so full of character and charm. The nose is complex with toasted notes, the palate is full of blackcurrants and blackberries and very smooth. Balanced wine, with a long finish, with notes of coffee, blackcurrant, blueberry, cedar. Powerful and sophisticated, a treat we all deserve!
Chateau du Gazin Canon Fronsac 2018
Next time…
The restaurant trip and getting ready for the arrival of Faraway Friends🍾!
Have a grape day!
The 4pm Club