{"id":13,"date":"2010-03-18T19:06:25","date_gmt":"2010-03-18T19:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2020-03-30T15:02:31","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T15:02:31","slug":"review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=13","title":{"rendered":"Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just a reminder to visitors to our pages that we score out of 7,\u00a0 so 5’s and 6’s are really rather good!!<\/strong><\/p>\n

March 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, cancelled due to Covid-19 virus control measures.<\/p>\n

February 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

A different and fun evening, with Andrew Bennett (formerly of 3D Wines) presenting a ‘tutored blind tasting’.<\/p>\n

Andrew plied us with a variety of mystery wines and then led us, step by step, through the process of identifying them. \u00a0Easy.\u00a0 Or then again, perhaps not so easy … \u00a0because we still had to make the final decisions ourselves and it would be fair to say that conclusions varied widely. It certainly gave rise to lots of lively discussion and there were a few surprised faces when the wines\u2019 true identities were revealed.\u00a0 A further surprise came in the shape of Riedel tasting glasses, generously donated by Andrew, as prizes for those with the most correct answers.<\/p>\n

Although there were a few wines tying on score for the best wine of the night, my casting votes go to a savoury Chianti Classico from Castello di Bossi (2015 vintage, Waitrose) and a luscious dessert wine from the Loire \u2013 the Ch\u00e2teau de Fesles Bonnezeaux (2010, Majestic).<\/p>\n

A big thank you to Andrew for an educational and entertaining evening.<\/p>\n

January 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

A welcome return for Ben Robson of Bat & Bottle Wines, Oakham, who is becoming an annual fixture with his Italian wines at Lincoln Wine Society. \u00a0Ben was his usual ebullient self, full of information and anecdotes about his wines, as well as advice on how to avoid shoe-shopping when touring Italy with wife and daughters.<\/p>\n

We expect Ben to provide us with good wines and he didn\u2019t disappoint, starting with a \u2018Metodo Classico\u2019 (i.e. m\u00e9thode champenoise) sparkler made from the Greco grape in Tufo, Campania. We then moved on to wines from the Abruzzo region, with lovely examples of Cococciola (a first for everyone), Trebbiano and Pecorino. All scored well with the bubbly coming out as favourite.<\/p>\n

We then tried four Montepulciano D\u2019Abruzzo wines, i.e. four wines made from the Montepulciano grape in the Abruzzo region, but all quite different to each other. The youngest was a 2016 which had never seen oak, the others were aged in oak (or chestnut) for varying periods, with the oldest vintage a 2010 that still had at least another five years in it. With three of the reds scoring 6 out of 7, it is difficult to pick the favourite red of the night; on my score sheet honours were even between the Cantina di Frentana Riserva \u2018Panarda\u2019 2013 and the Camillo Montori \u2018Fonte Cupa\u2019 Riserva 2010 \u2013 you will need to try them for yourself.<\/p>\n

For more information on Ben\u2019s wines, go to\u00a0\u00a0bat.wine<\/a><\/p>\n

December 2019 – Christmas Social<\/strong><\/p>\n

November 2019 – Spain<\/strong><\/p>\n

This evening could easily have been entitled \u201cSpain, but not as you know it\u201d, as our own Mark Baker presented us with an excellent and original selection of wines that many hadn\u2019t heard of before.<\/p>\n

We started with a Hiruzta Txakoli wine. Those who have travelled in the Basque Country of northern Spain will recognize Txakoli (pronounced Chackolee) as the slightly sparkling, dry white wine served in many eateries in the region; unfortunately, very little is exported and so it was new treat for most of us. Whilst it would probably be better suited to drinking on a warm summer\u2019s evening it was, nevertheless, greatly enjoyed on this cold November night.<\/p>\n

After trying lovely Godello and Verdejo wines, we had a white Rioja – the Capellania 2015 from Marqu\u00e9s de Murrieta \u2013 which was the highest scoring white wine of the evening. This wine is from a single Rioja estate planted to the viura grape. Aged in French oak barrels, this is a smoky and stylish wine with a rich, creamy finish. \u00a0A classy example of a rich white Rioja.<\/p>\n

Our red wines included the L\u2019Alegria 2016, made from 100% Bobal.\u00a0 Although this grape variety was new to most of us it is, in fact, the second most planted vine in Spain (after Tempranillo). Opinions were divided on this rather \u2018robust\u2019 wine but, as nearly all Bobal production disappears into blends, this was a rare opportunity to try the unadulterated product.<\/p>\n

The undisputed highlight of the evening (other than Mark\u2019s presentation of course) was the Bodegas Alion 2009, from Ribera del Duero. Although we try not to be influenced (unduly) by the price of a wine, this tasted expensively good \u2013 sorry, I meant to say seriously good.\u00a0 Lay & Wheeler\u2019s description is perhaps slightly more useful than my own notes, reading as follows. \u2018Produced using grapes once destined for the 3-year-old version of the Vega-Sicilia, Ali\u00f3n is made to a more modern, earlier-drinking recipe than its older sibling. Wonderful lifted notes on the nose of wild strawberries and pepper spice with gentle sweet oak. There\u2019s ripe, balancing grip on the palate and silky freshness\u2019. At just \u00a370 per bottle it has, unfortunately, now sold out. \u00a0So I can\u2019t ask for a case for Christmas \u2026<\/p>\n

Where do you go after scaling the peaks of perfection?\u00a0 Well to Malaga of course, to try one of their naturally sweet pudding wines. The MR Mountain Wine (2015), made from the Muscat of Alexandria grape, was gorgeous yet fresh with honey and bitter oranges, meaning that the evening certainly didn\u2019t end on an anti-climax.<\/p>\n

A big thank you to Mark for giving us an informative and enjoyable evening with some superb, and different, wines.<\/p>\n

October 2019 –\u00a0<\/strong>S<\/strong>aint-\u00c9milion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many members of the society have a fondness for Saint-Emilion, whether it be from having joined The Jurade when they last visited Lincoln, visiting the area or simply drinking the wine.\u00a0 So this was a much anticipated tasting with an initial waiting list for the limited places.\u00a0 Luckily, all who wanted to come were eventually able to, and the evening is likely to have increased the level of fondness!\u00a0 We are very grateful to The Jurade for donating some of the wine for our evening.<\/p>\n

Our welcome wine (not Saint-Emilion!) was an organic chillo available from Aldi.\u00a0 Comments were very positive with people being pleasantly surprised at the intensity of flavour.\u00a0 I will definitely be getting some to enjoy again at home!<\/p>\n

Our speaker, Tim Hartley, then commenced the main proceedings with a Chateau de Puisseguin Curat 2011 which has 7 to 8 months in oak.\u00a0 It is 70% merlot, 25% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon and a gold medal winner.\u00a0 It was also my personal favourite of the evening.\u00a0<\/p>\n

An exception to the merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon blend was the second wine which was 85% merlot and 15% pressac (otherwise known as Malbec).\u00a0 We were informed that the vines for this Yon St. Christophe 2000 have to work very hard as there is only a few inches of clay on top of the limestone.<\/p>\n

Third to taste was Chateau Pipeau Grande Cru 2013, a blend of 80% merlot, and 10% each of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon.\u00a0 Our speaker explained how the terroir soil types vary greatly within a small area of Saint-Emilion thus producing the widely tasting wines.<\/p>\n

Competition for the wine scoring the highest from the group was rife, with three scoring equally.\u00a0 These were the Chateau Frombrauge Grande Cru 2002, the Chateau Grand Corbin Grande Cru Classe 2010 and the Chateau Laniote Grande Cru Classe 2009.<\/p>\n

The remaining two wines were the Chateau Mondorion Grande Cru 2014 and the Chateau Bernateau Grande Cru 2004.\u00a0 We were very privileged to be able to taste the eight quality wines presented to us.\u00a0 Tim Hartley is obviously passionate about both the area of Saint-Emilion and its wines, with a wealth of knowledge and some beautiful photographs shared by slide.\u00a0 It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening so long may the relationship of the Jurade with Lincoln continue!<\/p>\n

September 2019 – Wines from Brazil<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our meeting gave us some different and interesting wines to taste.\u00a0 Apart from one member who actually comes from Brazil, the majority of us had not tried Brazilian wines before (or had no recollection of doing so!).\u00a0For those of you who know the play Charley\u2019s Aunt by Brandon Thomas, Brazil is where the nuts come from, but in this case we were partaking of their wine.<\/p>\n

Our speaker Nicholas Corfe, of Go Brazil Wines & Spirits, shared interesting details of the wine producers and their wines, showing how most of them are from the very south of Brazil on his map.<\/p>\n

The welcome sparkler, Familia Geisse Terroir Nature 2012 obtained a mid-range score from the group but did improve as it warmed slightly to give more taste. It was described as having a honeyed palate with plenty of toasty yeastiness, but until it warmed up those of us at my table found it fairly neutral.\u00a0 A blend of equal amounts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it is renowned for being chosen for the launch party of Jancis Robinson\u2019s latest Wine Atlas this month.<\/p>\n

We then tasted three whites from the same family business Don Guerino, starting with Sinais Italico Riesling 2019.\u00a0 My personal favourite of the whites was the Reserva Chardonnay 2018 but the \u2018Vintage\u2019 Torrentes 2019 was also a delight and both scored well from the group.\u00a0 Nicholas shared that 2018 was a very good vintage when \u2018all the stars aligned\u2019.<\/p>\n

We then moved on to the reds starting with \u2018Vintage\u2019 Malbec 2017 from the same Don Guerino producer.\u00a0 The two \u2018Vintage\u2019 wines had distinct labels including a vintage car which led to debate at the table \u2013 some loved the labels, others not so sure.\u00a0 The Malbec smelt delicious with notes of blackcurrant. The second red, Campos de Cima Tres Brocas 2016 (three mouths) from a tiny family run business was an intriguing blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Ruby Cabernet.\u00a0 This was followed by another wine from Don Guerino \u2013 the Reserva Teroldego 2017 which elicited comments on its lovely colour, a bright and deep purple-red.<\/p>\n

The highest scoring wine of the evening was the last one, Pizzato DNA\u201999 Merlot 2008. This was also the most expensive at \u00a340 per bottle but we had scored it before the prices to avoid being influenced.\u00a0 This is an award winning Merlot single grape which has been aged for 9 months in new French oak.<\/p>\n

In summary, this was a great tasting giving us something different to try, and lots to learn about a region many of us had not thought to try before.<\/p>\n

For more information about Go Brazil and their wines, go to https:\/\/www.gobrazilwines.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

August 2019 – Barbecue<\/strong><\/p>\n

After the success of last year\u2019s barbecue at Lindum House, we decided to do it all again.\u00a0 Which means that, in my books anyway, we can now call it a tradition. Once again we had plenty of good food and wine, and once again the weather gods smiled upon us. What more could we ask for?<\/p>\n

The wines on the night were:
Le Caves Des Hautes Cotes, Cremant De Bourgogne
Broglia Gavi 2018
Marsolay Chardonnay, Pays D\u2019Oc
Louis Jadot Beajolais Villages\u00a0
Brazin Zinfandel 2016 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

July 2019 – Champagne and Sparkling Wine Tasting<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wow, what a tasting!\u00a0Think of all the necessary ingredients for a great wine tasting and they were there \u2013 interesting wine you would not normally get to try, learning something new, fun anecdotes, social interactions and yummy nibbles.<\/p>\n

Henry Speer, a longstanding and popular member of the society, shared his expertise in champagne and sparkling wine. He was also most generous with the offerings.\u00a0 The boat was also pushed out on nibbles to give us salmon pate, brie and olives alongside our bread.<\/p>\n

An interesting wine was the Welcome wine on arrival \u2013 a Prosecco.\u00a0 This was due to it being a \u2018frizzante\u2019 rather than a full sparkler!\u00a0Personally, this made the Corte Delle Calle far preferable to many of the mass produced supermarket selections of Prosecco.<\/p>\n

The most popular of the sparkling wines anecdotally seemed to be the Nyetimber Classic Cuvee non-vintage from West Chiltington in Sussex but the Graham Beck Brut non-vintage from South Africa came close (and was served at Nelson Mandela\u2019s inauguration as President in 1994 and is said to be a favourite of Barack Obama\u2019s).<\/p>\n

An additional interesting aspect to the tasting was the opportunity to compare wines.\u00a0 So we compared Langlois L\u2019Extra Brut non-vintage (60% chenin blanc\/40% chardonnay) to Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut non-vintage (60% pinot noir\/25% chardonnay\/15% pinot meuniere). We then compared Domaine Chandon Brut non-vintage to Moet et Chandon Brut Imperial non-vintage.\u00a0 The former is a sparkling wine from Argentina produced by the same champagne house so interesting to see how they fared against each other.\u00a0 Lastly, we compared the Moet et Chandon Brut Imperial non-vintage to Dom Perignon Brut 2009.\u00a0The Dom Perignon was very generously donated (!) by Henry and we were all very appreciative of the opportunity to try something out of reach for many of our purses.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly perhaps, the highest scoring wines of the evening were the Bollinger and the Dom Perignon with much debate over personal preference between the two.\u00a0 We did discuss the influence on our palates of knowing a wine is more expensive even if you don\u2019t know the actual price until the end.<\/p>\n

All in all a great evening, with Henry\u2019s dry sense of humour keeping us laughing whilst our palates were entertained with the fizz.<\/p>\n

June 2019 – Portugal with Philip Kirk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Philip\u2019s longstanding affection (and knowledge) of Portugese wines was evident in his presentation to us on Thursday evening. In fact he likes them so much that he is soon moving to Portugal to start his own wine-oriented business there.\u00a0We wish Philip well in his new venture \u2013 and good luck in learning Portugese \u2026<\/p>\n

This evening we tasted a lovely selection of wines from Martinez Wines of Ilkley – three whites and three reds, including grapes that most of us had never heard of, and two ports (a white and an LBV).<\/p>\n

On a high-scoring evening, the favourite white on the night was the Beyra Branco Beira 2017, a fresh and crisp wine made from the Fonte Cal and Siria grapes.<\/p>\n

Two reds tied for favourite red of the night, Quinta da Foz de Temilobos 2013 and the Niepoort Late Bottled Vintage 2013.\u00a0 The Temilobos is a single vineyard wine, made from a blend of Port grapes in the Douro valley by the Delaforce family. The Niepoort needs little introduction, this was a fine, juicy example of an unfiltered LBV.<\/p>\n

A big thank you to Philip for an enjoyable evening.<\/p>\n

For more information on Martinez Wines, go to https:\/\/www.Martinez.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

May 2019 – Committee Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n

A lively turnout for the Committee\u2019s recommendations\/last-minute-panic-purchases.
We had each chosen two wines, one in the \u2018under \u00a310\u2019 category and one in the\u00a0\u2018over \u00a310\u2019 category, giving our lucky members a total of twelve wines to taste and vote on. \u00a0Once again, tasters didn\u2019t know whose recommendations they were trying before voting for their favourite wine in each category. \u00a0The downside of this system is, of course, that it seriously limits the opportunities for coercion, bullying or even just good old bribery by the less ethical members of the committee.<\/p>\n

Despite the voting system being marginally less complex than voting in the forthcoming election of members for the European Parliament, the fact that neither of my own wines came first does suggest that many people were confused by the process.\u00a0 Still, our process is a lot cheaper than the E.P elections and it came up with the following results:<\/p>\n

Best wine under \u00a310
Nero Oro Appassimento, Sicily 2017, an Italian red, chosen by Jenny, which swept away the rest of the field \u00a0(\u00a38.99 from Majestic)<\/p>\n

Best wine over \u00a310
Grace Bridge Pinot Noir, California 2015, chosen by Ira and Steve
(\u00a313.95 from The Old Bridge Wine Shop, Huntingdon)
A close(ish) second in this category, and so an honourable mention goes to
La Casetta \u00a0Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, chosen by Helen (\u00a313.99 from Majestic)<\/p>\n

Congratulations to Jenny, Ira and Steve, and Helen.<\/p>\n

April 2019 – New Zealand with Keith Grainger<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keith is a very experienced and popular wine tutor and presenter.\u00a0 This evening his great depth of knowledge was evident – as you might expect from someone who was one of the founder members of the Association of Wine Educators – as he presented us with a wide range of New Zealand wines.<\/p>\n

We tried Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough (not surprisingly) but also from the Gladstone region on the North Island \u2013 a very different style of Sauvignon (more Loire-like?). All scored highly, a reflection of the popularity of New Zealand Sauvignons, with the Gladstone wine perhaps just edging it; this wine was the 2017 Johner Sauvignon Blanc from Virgin Wines. We also tried a delicious Waipara Reisling before moving on to the reds.<\/p>\n

New Zealand produces some lovely Pinot Noirs and we were able to compare two Pinot\u2019s from different regions, Marlborough and Central Otago. The wine from the latter proved to be the highest scoring of the evening, it was the 2012 John Forrest Collection Bannockburn Pinot Noir, again from Virgin Wines. Described as \u2018New Zealand\u2019s answer to fine Burgundy\u2019, this is a serious wine with a good balance of black fruit and spicy oak. We then moved on to wines that would probably have been unheard of here from New Zealand 25 years ago, a Merlot-Cabernet and a Syrah, both from Hawkes Bay on the North Island. Keith explained that, although Hawkes Bay has been a longstanding producer of red wines, it is relatively recently that a better understanding and utilisation of terroir has led to great improvements in the quality of wines made from these classic French grapes \u2013 something that we were able to confirm for ourselves on the night.<\/p>\n

Keith\u2019s selection of wines came from The Wine Society, Waitrose, Virgin Wines and Great Western Wines.<\/p>\n

March 2019 – Northern Italy with Ben Robson<\/strong><\/p>\n

An excellent turnout for a popular speaker and, once again, Ben didn\u2019t disappoint. Last year he presented southern Italian wines to us, so this year we asked him to do an about-face and present wines from northern Italy. And his selection was certainly interesting!<\/p>\n

Our welcome wine was a Prosecco, but not Prosecco as you know it! \u00a0Described as a new \u2018old-style\u2019 of Prosecco, the Case Bianche Prosecco ‘Antico’ (i.e. antique) was a vino frizzante that was still on its lees!\u00a0 Unusually for a modern wine, the fermentation is completed in the bottle, leaving the yeast sitting in the bottom of the bottle \u2013 so when poured it looks distinctly like cloudy lemonade! \u00a0The extra time on the lees gives it a fresh, sour apple and lime character. This wine went down well on the night and certainly created a lot of discussion. And is in danger of using up my monthly quota of exclamation marks \u2026<\/p>\n

The remainder of the wines for the evening came from the Piedmonte region of north-western Italy.\u00a0 My favourite white of the night, the Villa Guelpa Longitudine, is made from the Erbaluce grape, which was new to me. Whilst Ben\u2019s tasting notes allude to apricot, cantaloupe melon and kiwi fruit, with salt and mineral elements to \u2018heighten the tension\u2019, my more simplistic scribblings noted \u2018lemon meringue pie\u2019. And I do<\/u>\u00a0like lemon meringue pie.<\/p>\n

The reds started with a lovely, fresh and fruity Barbera D\u2019Asti and moved on to a selection of wines made from the Nebbiolo grape. Neck and neck for the top scoring red were the Ascheri Barolo \u2018Pisapola\u2019 and the Antoniolo Gattinara; my casting vote goes to the Gattinara.\u00a0 Ben\u2019s tasting notes describe it as, \u2018Old English rose, black cherry and forest strawberry aromas. Deep, full and fine crunchy Nebbiolo fruit, intricate red berry, orange peel and floral nuance.\u00a0Tannins are fine and will ensure a long life\u2019. My notes are a little more succinct, i.e. \u2018Really nice\u2019 which, I feel, sums it up well.<\/p>\n

All the wines, and more, can be found on Ben\u2019s website: https:\/\/batwine.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

February 2019 – a 3D Vinous Tour de France<\/strong><\/p>\n

Billed as a \u2018Tour de France\u2019, this was a tour de force\u00a0<\/em>from Andrew Bennett of 3D Wines, presenting wines from just some of the vineyards that he works with around France.<\/p>\n

As well as selling wine under their \u2018Time for Wine\u2019 banner, 3D Wines encourage you to immerse yourself in the world of wine production by renting a row of vines in a classic wine region (you can even choose to pick your own grapes) or by attending one of their organised events: events such champagne blending in Rheims or truffle hunting in the Rh\u00f4ne valley.<\/p>\n

This evening we tried some excellent wines from Champagne, Burgundy, Alsace, Bordeaux, the Loire and the Rh\u00f4ne. On an evening of high scores, the best scoring wines were the C\u00f4tes de Nuits Villages Blanc 2016 and the Blaye Grande R\u00e9serve Cuv\u00e9e 3D 2015 \u2013 both with average scores of 6\/7.<\/p>\n

The C\u00f4tes de Nuits, with 10% Pinot Blanc added to the compulsory Chardonnay, ‘\u2026 has wonderful minerality on the nose and a smoky, lemony quality from the Pinot Blanc. The palate is very fine and elegant with crisp citrus fruit, a touch of melon and finely judged spicy oak’, and all at a price that mere mortals can afford.<\/p>\n

Coming from \u2018the right bank\u2019 of the Dordogne, it\u2019s no surprise that the Blaye is a Merlot dominated blend, but it also contains a good dollop of Malbec in with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Described as \u2018Rich and spicy with\u00a0an appealing nose of ripe black fruits, exotic spice and mocha. The palate is fresh and lush with sweet, spicy damson and blackcurrant fruit, spicy oak and grippy tannins. It is mouth-filling, rich and concentrated with a lovely juicy, spicy oak finish.\u2019 \u00a0Delicious and, again, very affordable.<\/p>\n

For more information about 3D Wines, visit\u00a0https\/\/www.3dwinesexperience.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

January 2019 – Brown Bros of Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being the UK’s only importer and stockist\u00a0of Brown Bros wines, Jeremy Sandham is uniquely placed to give a comprehensive presentation of their range, and this he certainly did. From the 7.5% Cienna, to the 14% Patricia Shiraz, and all points between, Jeremy showed us just how broad and varied the Brown Bros range is. Sourced mostly from vineyards in\u00a0Victoria, but also from Tasmania and New South Wales, the Brown Bros ‘thing’ is to experiment with, and then perfect,\u00a0presenting grape varieties and blends\u00a0you wouldn’t often see; grapes such as the Cienna, the Durif, and (a new one on me) the Crouchen. And how many times have you seen Sauvignon Blanc blended with a small % of Gewurtztraminer? And it works!<\/p>\n

Jeremy’s laid back and relaxed style belies a huge knowledge, and enthusiasm, for the wines he sells. It’s always a pleasure to welcome him to LWS. Usually he is bringing one of his reps or agents to do the presentation, so this time it was\u00a0a\u00a0rare treat for us\u00a0having him present personally. We’re already talking of him coming back next year – maybe fine Burgundy?? Watch this space.<\/p>\n

What about the wines, you cry; well, scoring was remarkably even across the board with five 5’s. The Crouchen \/\u00a0Riesling blend only managed a 3, along with the wonderfully eccentric Cienna (a low alcohol, sweet red wine, served chilled). Wine of the night was the Patricia Shiraz, with the Explorer Chenin Blanc getting an honourable mention. For me, the 18en Sauvignon Blanc was a delight, and a big surprise, the Sparkling Brut was fantastic – vintage champagne in style, but at under \u00a320!\u00a0 All tonight’s wines, and many, many more, can be found at https:\/\/sandhamswine.co.uk<\/a> or at the shop on South Street, Caistor.<\/p>\n

December 2018 – Christmas Social<\/strong><\/p>\n

A new format for the Christmas Event\/Party\/Thing this year, and yet people still seemed to have good time!<\/p>\n

For those that were too busy eating or chatting to make notes, here’s a list of the wines that we enjoyed:<\/p>\n

Vecchia Modena Pignoletto Spumante N.V.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Waitrose\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a39.99<\/p>\n

Incantesimo Falanghina, 2017 \u00a0 Corney & Barrow \u00a0\u00a310.50
Domaine la Croix Belle, C\u00f4tes de Thongue \u00a0 The Wine Society \u00a0\u00a38.95
Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay \u00a0 The Wine Society \u00a0\u00a318.50
Navajas Crianza Rioja 2015 \u00a0 \u00a0The Wine Society \u00a0\u00a38.95<\/p>\n

Finest Alsace Gewurztraminer, 2017\u00a0\u00a0 Tesco\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a39.00
Juli\u00e9nas, Les Capitans, 2017\u00a0\u00a0 The Wine Society\u00a0 \u00a39.95
Trapiche Pure Malbec, 2017\u00a0\u00a0 The Co-op\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a39.09
Terre di Falano Primitivo, 2016\u00a0\u00a0 Waitrose\u00a0 \u00a39.99<\/p>\n

November 2018 – The Wines of Croatia, with Mikki Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n

A great presentation from Mikki, with some nice wines to taste and just the right amount of interesting background information about the country and its wine production. Did you know that in 2016 there were 259 different cultivars of vine that were officially recognised in Croatia? \u00a0\u00a0The big disappointment about this tasting was the fact that we didn\u2019t get to try even half of them!<\/p>\n

Mikki presented us with a selection of wines from \u2018inland\u2019 Croatia, some made from indigenous grapes and others from more widely known \u2018international\u2019 grape varieties. \u00a0Included in the indigenous category were three different wines from the Gra\u0161evina grape, to compare and contrast. \u00a0White wine from the Gra\u0161evina is very popular in Croatia and well worth trying if you visit on holiday (or even before then if you buy it from Croatianwineclub.co.uk). \u00a0My favourite wine of the evening was the 2014 Erdut 1730 Gra\u0161evina, fresh, with hints of citrus and good minerality.\u00a0\u00a0 However, the popular vote (which I suppose I ought to report for a change) went to another grape, the Traminac\u2019, more widely known as Gew\u00fcrztraminer.\u00a0 The 2016 Papak Ilok Radosh Traminac was the highest scoring wine of the evening; with honey and rose petals on the nose it smelt sweeter than it tasted, it was off-dry on the palate, tasting (I am assured) of lychee with a bitter twist. It transpires that the 1947 Ilok Cellars Traminac was served at our own Queen\u2019s Coronation banquet in 1953 (and can still be bought at about \u20ac7,500 per bottle – sadly beyond our budget for this evening).<\/p>\n

One more Croatia fact; within Croatia, Croatia isn\u2019t actually called Croatia \u2013 it is known as Hrvatska. \u00a0So, when you read the label on a Croatian wine, it may well show the country of origin as being Hrvatska.\u00a0 Now there’s the basis of a good quiz question!<\/p>\n

The wines are available from Croatian Wine Club\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 https:\/\/croatianwineclub.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

October 2018 – ‘Wines for the Festive Season’ with James Long<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is 27 years since James Long first presented Corney & Barrow wines to the Lincoln Wine Society; I\u2019ve lost count of the number of his visits since.\u00a0 But a record turnout demonstrated that we\u2019ve not tired of him, and says a lot about his entertaining presentations and good wines.\u00a0 And his generous discounts don\u2019t go amiss either \u2026<\/p>\n

James\u2019 remit of \u2018Wines for the Festive Season\u2019 meant that he had few constraints on the wines shown, other than the fact that that he promises us faithfully that these are the wines that will be served in the Long household over the coming festive period.\u00a0On the evening, suffice to say that the wines went down very well, with every wine getting an average score of 5 or 6 (out of 7).<\/p>\n

Difficult to pick just two favourites, but if forced then I would go for Bourgogne Blanc Les S\u00e9tilles, Olivier Leflaive, 2015 \u2013 the fruit of predominantly younger vines from the legendary villages of Puligny-Montrachet and Mersault (the blend is why it must be declassified to Bourgogne Blanc under French law), \u2018supple, mineral, creamy, refreshing\u2019.
And for a red, although many favoured the Californian Cabernet Sauvignon from Bakestone Cellars, I\u2019ve chosen the Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, Cecilia Beretta, 2016 \u2013 and not only because I love the Italian pronunciation of the name Cecilia. This \u2018baby Amarone\u2019 was well-structured with a long, chocolatey finish and delicious cherry, plum and savoury notes.\u00a0 Bloomin\u2019 lovely.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.corneyandbarrow.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

September 2018 – English Wines with Christine Austin<\/strong><\/p>\n

A welcome return for Christine who, as co-founder and Life President of the Lincoln Wine Society, wouldn\u2019t dare offer us a bad tasting!\u00a0 Our topic was \u2018English Wines\u2019, and the first thing that we learnt was that we should now be calling them \u2018Wines GB\u2019, given that wine is also produced in Wales (and, given the pace of global warming, it probably won\u2019t be too long before we include Scotland as well). \u00a0But regardless of subject name, Christine presented us with an excellent selection of wines, mainly sparklers but including a still white, a red and a \u2018sweetie\u2019.<\/p>\n

The still white certainly deserves a mention in despatches; the Halfpenny Green Tom Hill 2016 from Staffordshire (yes, Staffordshire!) was refreshingly different, floral with lime on the nose, crisply dry and flavoursome in the mouth, and very popular on the night.\u00a0 Made from the Huxelrebe grape, a bargain at just \u00a39.99 from Waitrose Cellar.\u00a0 Huxelrebe cropped up again in the Denbies Noble Harvest 2015, with botrytis helping to produce a luscious dessert wine.\u00a0 And again, very well received on the night.<\/p>\n

It was no real surprise that most of the wines in our tasting were bubbly, with sparkling wine now accounting for 70% of all UK wine production, and with some of these wines able to compete with the very best on the world stage.\u00a0 From the multitude of riches on offer, the highest scoring wine on the night was the Nyetimber Classic Cuv\u00e9e Brut NV – which I felt was a particularly good example of this widely available wine.\u00a0 It\u2019s made from a blend of classic Champagne grapes, based on the 2014 vintage but including reserve wines from as far back as 2008.\u00a0 Just behind the Nyetimber on the scorecard was the very select \u2018The Trouble with Dreams\u2019, made by Dermot Sugrue, former winemaker at Nyetimber \u2013 certainly one to keep your eyes open for in the future.<\/p>\n

English wines, whoops, I mean Wines GB, are no longer something to drink just for their novelty value; there are some seriously good wines out there. \u00a0A big thank you to Christine for showing us some of them.<\/p>\n

August 2018 – Committee Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well the best turnout of the year to-date reflected the membership\u2019s resounding vote of confidence in their Committee\u2019s ability to choose some excellent wines for them to judge.\u00a0 Or perhaps, on reflection, it just shows a touching naivety.\u00a0 Either way, we were presented with some lovely wines on the evening \u2013 six wines in the \u2018under \u00a310\u2019 category and six in the\u00a0\u2018over \u00a310\u2019 category (and yes you\u2019re right, wines costing exactly \u00a310 are apparently not allowed).\u00a0 Members then voted for their favourite wine in each category. \u00a0We also had a mystery wine for those who just can\u2019t pack too much excitement into one evening.<\/p>\n

For the first time at this event, we didn’t know which Committee member had chosen each wine (we\u2019d each chosen one wine for each category), so members were voting for the wine and not the person who chose it – I expect it was just a coincidence that this was also the first time I\u2019ve not won. \u00a0Anyway, hard-earned reputations were on the line!<\/p>\n

After a marathon tasting the votes were cast and counted. \u00a0Then, in an atmosphere so tense it could have been cut with a butter-knife, the winners were announced.\u00a0 They were:<\/p>\n

Best wine under \u00a310
Zebro Vinho Regional Alentejano 2010, a Portugese red chosen by Peter
(\u00a35.99 from Sandhams, Caistor)<\/p>\n

Best wine over \u00a310
Clos Floridene 2015, Bordeaux, a French white chosen by Ira and Steve
(\u00a319.00 from the Co-op)<\/p>\n

Very well done to Peter (who counted the votes) and Ira and Steve (who held the spare voting cards).\u00a0 Hang on a minute \u2026<\/p>\n

July 2018 – barbecue<\/strong><\/p>\n

A departure from our normal format – a barbecue in the lovely grounds at Lindum House, something we haven’t done for many years. \u00a0Nice venue and good food (organised by Eddy), good wines (organised by Mark and Peter) and good weather (organised by Paul). And a big thank you to Steve for his classical guitar accompaniment to the welcome wine.<\/p>\n

The wines we had were:
Graham Beck Brut N.V.
Martin Codax Albarino, 2016
Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc, 2016
Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico, 2014?
Brazin Zinfandel, 2014<\/p>\n

Peter’s novel idea of freezing some of the Cote du Rhone was a big surprise, well received on a warm evening.<\/p>\n

June 2018 – Southern Italy with Ben Robson<\/strong><\/p>\n

The welcome return of Ben Robson, Bat and Bottle Wines, Oakham. \u00a0Ben presented a selection of wines from southern Italy, from the rolling hills of Tuscany (well they’re south of Milan aren’t they?) down to slopes of Mount Etna on Sicily. \u00a0Ben’s enthusiasm for his wines shines through (he only sells wines that he likes to drink himself!), so you can always guarantee an entertaining and informative evening with him.<\/p>\n

We had a wide selection of wines; starting with a spumante, followed by 3 whites, a rosato (sounds better than pink) and 4 reds. \u00a0Favourite wines on the night? \u00a0Difficult to say as there were too many wines scoring 6\/7 to list them all … \u00a0My own favourites were the Cantina di Marzo Greco di Tufo ‘Palazzo’ 2015 – a rich, minerally white from Campania, described as ‘a white wine for red wine drinkers’. \u00a0And the Paolo Petrilli ‘Agramante’ 2015, a blend of Nero di Troia, Sangiovese and Montepulciano from Puglia, rich fruit and fine tannins. \u00a0A bit like me after a couple of glasses of wine, i.e. gorgeous.<\/p>\n

More details of Ben’s wines can be seen on his website: https:\/\/batwine.uk<\/p>\n

May 2018 – Australia: Robert Oatley Wines, with Anthony Flack<\/strong><\/p>\n

A good presentation of wines from one producer but different regions of Australia, with a wide range of grape varieties and blends.<\/p>\n

The whites included Riesling and Chardonnay, but the most popular on the evening was the clean, fresh Hancock & Hancock Fiano from the McLaren Vale. Originally from southern Italy, the Fiano grape was new to many, and this example had enough complexity to make it interesting as well as refreshing; it will certainly go very nicely with food when dining al fresco<\/em> over the coming summer months …<\/p>\n

A strong selection of reds included 3 wines vying for best of the night: the Hancock & Hancock Cabernet Sauvignon\/Touriga, the Signature GSM and the Finisterre Syrah all scoring very highly. \u00a0My vote went to the GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre), a sumptuous Rhone blend that is also very good value for money.<\/p>\n

Our local stockist for Robert Oatley Wines is Ann et Vin in Newark
www.annetvin.com<\/p>\n

April 2018 – Leon Stolarski, New Classic Wines from Regional France<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leon re-visited us with another selection of interesting SW France wines. We were able to taste some grapes unfamiliar to most; Aramon, Courbu, for example, and others that we don’t get to taste every day; Grenache Blanc, Mourvedre, Carignan, etc.<\/p>\n

Leon’s style is to let the wines speak for themselves, and this they most certainly did, and whilst the whites were a bit too specialist for most, the reds scored very well, with my wines of the night being the Mas Foulaquier Les Tonillieres – a 50\/50 Carignan and Syrah blend, and the 2011 Montesquiou Jurancon sweetie, made from 100% Petit Manseng and harvested really late. Extremely luscious. www.lsfinewines.co.uk for more on Leon’s wines.<\/p>\n

March 2018 – Fortified Wines, with Chris Mooney and Sandhams of Caistor<\/strong><\/p>\n

An excellent selection of fortified wines, presented by Chris Mooney of Fells – one of the leading wine importers in the UK.<\/p>\n

We sampled Sherry (a Manzanilla and an Amontillado), Madeira (a Sercial, and a Bual & Malmsey blend), a Marsala (plus an unfortified wine from the same producer) and Port (a Tawny and a vintage). \u00a0All-in-all, some serious – and seriously good – wines that were very well received on the night, with five gaining average scores of 6\/7.
My personal favourites were the Pellegrino Oro Marsala and the Dows 1977 Vintage Port, although at \u00a390 per bottle I might have to restrict myself to just a half case of the latter.<\/p>\n

All of the wines are available from Sandhams Wine Merchants, Caistor https:\/\/www.sandhamswine.co.uk<\/p>\n

February 2018 – German Wines, with Ben Straw<\/strong><\/p>\n

A good selection of German wines from Ben Straw of The Straw Collection.<\/p>\n

January 2018 – ‘Burgundy and Beyond’, with Liam Smith of Majestic Wines<\/strong><\/p>\n

An excellent evening, with Liam Smith (manager at Majestic’s Lincoln store on Wragby Road) presenting a selection of Burgundy and Burgundy look-alikes. We were impressed by the quality and affordability of the wines on offer. \u00a0 \u00a0https:\/\/www.majestic.co.uk<\/p>\n

December 2017 – Christmas Party<\/strong><\/p>\n

November 2017 – Wig and Mitre Dinner<\/strong><\/p>\n

October 2017 – ‘A Festive Selection’ with James Long of Corney and Barrow<\/strong><\/p>\n

September 2017 – ‘Ones to Watch’, with Neil Courtier<\/strong><\/p>\n

August 2017 –\u00a0<\/strong>Wines from Portugal, with Nicola Ladwiniec<\/strong><\/p>\n

June 2017 –\u00a0<\/strong>Committee Challenge 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

May 2017 –\u00a0<\/strong>Wines from Bordeaux presented by Anthony Stockbridge<\/strong><\/p>\n

April 2017 – ‘Chile and Argentina’ with Chris Mooney and Sandhams Wines<\/strong><\/p>\n

March 2017 – ‘Off the Beaten Track’ with Leon Stolarski Fine Wines<\/strong><\/p>\n

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February 2017 – Majestic’s Definition Range, with Gerry Baker.<\/strong><\/p>\n

January 2017 – ‘Wines from Verona’ with Ben Robson<\/strong><\/p>\n

December 2016 – Society Christmas Party<\/strong><\/div>\n
November 2016 – ‘Wines for the Festive Season’ with James Long <\/strong><\/div>\n
October 2016 –\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
September 2016 – Wig & Mitre Dinner\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
August 2016 – Supermarket Challenge <\/strong><\/div>\n
J<\/strong>uly\u00a0 2016 – Champagne with Henry Speer\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
June 2016 – ‘Reislings Around the World’ with Ben Straw\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
May 2016 – ‘ Classic France’ with Anne Berry\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
April 2016 – Australian wine with Ann et Vin and Raj Solanki\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
March 2016 – Rioja with Jeremy Sandham\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
February 2016 – the LWS’s Exhibition Range, with Mark Baker and Peter Adams\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
January 2016 – Chianti with Ben Robson<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Just a reminder to visitors to our pages that we score out of 7,\u00a0 so 5’s and 6’s are really rather good!! March 2020 Unfortunately, cancelled due to Covid-19 virus control measures. February 2020 A different and fun evening, with … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":145,"href":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":662,"href":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions\/662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/lincolnwinesociety.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}