A tasting of White Burgundy given by Berry Bros and Rudd for CUWS 31/10/1995 (RJB)

The speaker defied anyone to pick up any oak on any of these wines! OK so there won't be as much as appears in many 'Empire wines' (as the speaker liked to refer to New World wines), but . . .

• Macon Villages 1993, Philippe Robert Any flavours that may have been present were certainly not fruit. Rough, acidic and with a 'hot' end. 78
• Macon Villages 1991, Dom. de la Combe, H. Lafarge Deeper colour, buttery vegetal nose. Soft and easy to drink, but no complexity and beginning to tire. 80
• Rully 1993, Philippe Robert Lacking fruit, but what there was was pleasant enough. A woody feel to it. 82
• Rully 1991, Ch. de Rully, Comtes de Ternay Slightly oxidised nose. Short, but with some mature flavours. 82
• Montagny Les Joncs 1993, Dom. Faiveley At last some decent fruit. Smokey oaked nose - a reasonably well put together wine with nice acid, but a touch too sweet. 85
• Pernand-Vergelesses 1992, Les Caradeaux, Dom. Chanson Peres et Fils Longish fruit and lees flavours, ready to drink. Seemed too alcoholic for balance. Lacking concentration. 86
• Puligny Montrachet 1992, Dom. Bernard Belicard Ready to drink. No great complexity or concentration, but some mineral overtones. 87
• Meursault-Charmes 1992, Bouchard Pere et Fils My favourite wine of the evening - probably more down to the interesting flavours (some may say dirty) than any intrinsic qualities. Steely sharp green nose and a fair whack of acidity - needs some time to drink at its best. 88?

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30/10/1995 (RJB)

• Schoffit Pinot Blanc (Auxerrois) 1993 Cuvee Caroline Delicious, unctious full-bodied wine. Touch of sweetness (residual sugar?), peaches and mangoes. Similar to how I remember the Zind Humbrecht below. 90
• Zind Humbrecht Pinot d'Alsace 1990 From a half. Drinking beautifully - seems to have lost some sweetness and gaining mineral complexity. 90+
• Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Herrenweg 1989 From a half. Suprisingly overshadowed by the above wines. Not as huge as I was expecting but still very clear gewurztraminer fruit. No obvious signs of age. 89

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A Tasting with the Cambridge University Blind Tasting Team 30/10/1995 (RJB)

• Berri Estates Unwooded Chardonnay 1994 Not a great wine, but a very good example of what pure Chardonnnay tastes of. Melon fruit and spicy (oaky!) flavours. 83
• Loberger Muscat 1992, Alsace Clean oily Muscat. Lacking depth and beginning to tire. 84
• Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese 1988, Dr Loosen Lively Riesling nose, beginning to get petrolly but still with the exuberance of youth. Palate good, but gives the impression of more to come. Liquorice fruit. 90
• Wynns Coonawarra Riesling 1993 Interesting to taste this beside a classic German Riesling. Not showing much Riesling characters at all. It is a well made commercial wine. 83
• Vouvray Vielles Vignes 1993, Bourillon Dorleans Rather estery and cosmetic. Not showing very well, although it does have a honeyed chenin nose. A rather weak vintage showing through? 84
• Peter Michael Clos de Ciel Chardonnay 1991 Rather nasty sweet toffeed oak flavours dominate. Palate soft with some class trying to escape, but overall a disappointing wine. Has it always been like this? Was it a bad bottle? Or is age catching up with it? 82

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29/10/1995 (TNB)

• Foxen Chardonnay 1993 Tried from a whole bottle, having had it at a tasting. Both times it struck me originally as a bit soft, toffeed, New Worldish, but seems to improve greatly on second taste. It has good structure, good tight (but tasty) Chardonnay fruit, and a fine finish. After the first impression, it is quite Burgundian. (89) (Oddbins FW 12.99)
• Beaune Bucherottes 88 (Jadot) From a half. Vibrant red cherry and strawberry pinot fruit. A trace of "hotness". Mouthfilling fruit with good length and sufficient but not intrusive structure. Excellent balance. (88)

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28/10/1995 (RJB)

• Durney Vineyard Chardonnay 1989, California Carmel Valley Not a greatly complex wine, but it has aged nicely. Honeyed and nutty with some acidity. 87
• Mountadam Chardonnay 1990, Australia From a half bottle. An odd nose (maderised?) - buttery and showing more age than might be expected. Oily on the palate with fresher flavours than the nose suggests. Perhaps it's going through an odd phase between secondary and tertiary flavours. It seemed to get better during the evening. 85-89
• Ch. Sociando-Mallet 1982 From a half bottle. Classic claret flavours and aromas. Cedar wood, with some fruity mintiness. Still lightly tannic but drinking very nicely. 90

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A blind tasting of 5 whites and 5 reds - no theme 26/10/1995 (RJB)

• Clos de Bourg 1982 demi-sec, Huet Lovely mature chenin, showing a bit older than expected and getting close to being a sec in style. Lacking a bit of complexity. 87
• Kistler Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 1992, California A big big big wine. Glorious full-powered oak and fruit nose with some lees character. Good length. Wonderful balance given the huge nature of this wine - not for the faint-hearted. 92
• Rutz Cellars Quail Hill Vineyard Chardonnay 1992 Coincidently another Russian River Valley Chardonnay from 1992. Subdued nose a bit too squeaky clean. Nice acidity on the palate but lacking the concentration of flavours I was expecting. Given that this is 14.5% alcohol it's suprisingly elegant. Maybe it's just closed up at the moment. 88
• Gewurztraminer 1983 VT, Hugel Oily medium to full-bodied gewurz as one would expect. Not showing its age and still with time ahead of it. 89
• Gewurztraminer 1983 VT, Ostertag Another coincidence that certainly added to the fun of the tasting. Lighter more elegant style than the Hugel. Would never guess it to be VT. Again not showing its age (I guessed it to be 1990ish). 88
• Campo Viejo Gran Reserva 1980 Holding together well. Sweet tempranillo 'strawberry' nose. 84
• Wynns John Riddoch Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1985 I wasn't so keen on this, but I was in the minority. It has held up well - minty vegetal nose. However, I found it too leafy, and the fruit mushy. I don't think it's going anywhere. 86
• Langoa Barton 1983 Alas, corked.
• Williams and Selyem 1993 Pinot Noir, California Impressive. Thin colour (but with Pinot, who cares!). Beautifully clear Pinot nose with a classy touch of toasted oak(?) - strawberries and plum skins. Lovely wine. 90
• Hermitage 1983, G. Chave Gorgeous warm Northern Rhone nose - spices and tar. Palate a bit thin though given the bouquet. 89
• Pinot Noir, Pockl 1991, Austria An extra wine cracked open. Caramel pinot nose - too soft. Not that pleasant a wine, but I've had worse from places supposedly famous for pinots. This is only from four-year-old vines - perhaps there is potential for Austrian pinot noirs. 81

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A tasting of German Rieslings 25/10/1995 (RJB)

• Gau-Bischofsheimer Hernnberg Spatlese 1988, Oberst Schultz Fullish mature nose, the colour also indicating more age than an '88. A touch oxidised and lacking acid. 80
• Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Spatlese 1988, Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Petrol nose, slight spritz, mineral flavours. Racy and with lovely acidity. Lovely now, but should keep well also. 88+
• Serriger Heiligenborn Spatlese 1983, Statliche LLVA Trier Walnut oil nose and searing 'Chenin-style' acidity. Opened out slightly in the glass - in ten years could be really good (but is the fruit there?). 84
• Hocheimer Domdechaney Spatlese 1983, Schloss Schonberg Others liked this, but it failed to please me greatly. Asparagus nose, soft and drying out. 81
• Kreuznacher Bruckes Auslese 1975, Gunther Schlink This has aged nicely, some acidity at the end (could do with more though). 86
• Krover Paradis Auslese Eiswein 1975, Beth & Co. Slightly unpleasant Linseed oil nose. The palate much better - marmalade with lovely acidity. From a half bottle. 84, but would have been more had it not been for the nose.

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- a tasting for the Cambridge University Blind Tasting team 22/10/1995 (RJB)

• Foxen Chardonnay 1993, California Impressive. Good sharp chardonnay fruit with well integrated oak. Quite Burgundian - indeed, all those tasting it blind thought it so. At least couple of years development ahead of it I'd guess, but classy now. 92 (RP91)
• Scoffitt Gewurztraminer 1993, Cuvee Caroline Rich oily wine with the usual Gewurz tones. Initially fine on the palate, but it becomes disjointed and watery, perhaps this is just a sign of its youth. 87
• The Monterey Vineyards Pinot Noir 1993 thin and insipid, rough, but it does show some Pinot flavours. 78
• Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 1991 Thought to be a reasonable Claret by most - the only thing that points to South Africa is a slightly hot finish. Rustic leathery wine with goodish structure but a touch too sweet. Will continue to improve for five years. 86
• Crozes Hermitage 1993, Graillot Colour good; nose fragrant, charming and peppery. Disappointingly thin on flavours at the moment. I'm not quite sure what to make of this wine. the colour and the nose promise much, biut the palate? 84-88

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21/10/1995 (TNB)

• Josephshofer 83 Auslese (von Kesselstadt) (J&B ~12.00) Mature riesling fruit, near peak. Quite large and sweet (for Mosel auslese) and fruity. 87.
• Riesling Kappelweg 89 (Rolly-Gassman) (J&B ~12.00) Minerally, but very rich, with good complexity, excellent acidity and very striking length. Its the combination of richness with grip that impresses me. The next day, it seemed to have opened out more. A class act. 92

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Oddbins purchases for SPC, (necessarily on the cheap side) 19/10/1995 (LJM)

• Pacherenc Moelleux, Domaine de Diusse , 8.99. A Jurancon Moelleux lookalike that has much finer acidity than usual, good fruit and tarry flavours that lends it complexity (no botrytis). For current drinking. (89)
• Messmer, Scheurebe Kabinett, 1993 , 5.99. A well balanced enjoyable Scheurebe with the usual pineapple and som mint. Good weight although not quite as fat as the Muller Catoir. Good value for current drinking. (89)
• Pouilly Fuisse Les Vergere, Barraud, 9.99. Fine, well structured Pouilly Fuisse with good balance and weight. Will benefit from a couple of years ageing perhaps. (PS90)
• Valdespino, Pedro Ximenez, 6.99. Very thick sweet chocolatey muscaty wine with extra weight. One might worry about the lack of balancing acidity but I thought all the caramel and stuff made up for it. (To be served in place of madeira.)86

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A blind tasting of 3 Northern and 3 Sourthern Rhone wines 19/10/1995 (RJB)

• Gigondas 1990 Domaine St Gayan Subdued fragrant toasty nose. Nice sweetness but looks and tastes older than expected. On first tasting not very impressed, but it seemed to be getting better later in the tasting. Difficult to make a decision. 83-88
• Clos du Papes 1986, Chateauneuf Disappointing. Dying on the nose. faintly peppery but sweetness showing through mostly. Colour made it look about 20 years old! 82
• Cotes Rotie Brune et Blonde 1985, Guigal From a half bottle. Very clearly the best of the tasting. Lovely violet fragrance - so elegant but yet so big. Nice tertiary aromas beginning to show. At its peak (in half bottle) in a couple of years? 91
• Chateau Maucoil 1985 Reserve Suzeraine much the same as my previous note (7/10/95) for this wine. Not going anywhere and not greatly pleasant now. 83
• Thalabert 1983, Crozes-Hermitage, Jaboulet Aine Bought from Adnams. I've never been a Thalabert fan. This was quite mushroomy, some liquorice and showing at peak or a bit beyond. 83
• Thalabert 1983 Yes, the same wine! This time from a Cambridge college cellar. A different wine! Much better structure and showing younger than the above - still seemed to need some time to be at its peak. These last two wines certainly show the fun of blind tasting. 87

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A tasting of the wines of Montana with one of the wine makers (Andy Pritchard), Oddbin Fine Wines Cambridge. 18/10/1995 (RJB)

• Lindauer OK for a basic fizz, refreshing acidity and creamy. 83
• Deutz Marlborough Cuvee Sharp, prickly nose, Apples and cream. 86
• Church Road Chardonnay 1993 (Montana) Golden colour, soft resinous buttery nose, too much oak - touch of sweetness and low acid. Overall rather blousy. They are thinking of reducing the oak in this wine but they say it's not what the consumer wants. 78
• Ormond Estate Chardonnay 1992 (Montana) Buttery and vegatal, goodish acidity but too sweet. The winemaker thinks this will age better than the Renwick - I disagree. 85
• Renwick Estate Chardonnay 1991 (Montana) For me the star of the tasting. Lovely balance of oak (classy) and fruit. Some mature flavours and some youth - nice acidity. Will be better with time (a couple of years?). 89
• Montana Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 1995 Usual gooseberry style - apparently a few weeks back it was very dumb. Should be a very good vintage for it. 83
• Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 1993 (Montana) Asparagus nose. This wine has aged more than I would have expected when I first had it a year back and has lost its vibrancy. Doesn't seem that good now, and the creamy oak has disappeared, but maybe it will pull through. 84
• Montana Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 With help from Cordier, Montana are trying to change the style of their red wines. This used to be a leafy style of wine, now with better quality fruit (not all from Marlborough any more) it's earthy and minty. 80
• Church Block Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 (Montana) The 1992 is eucalyptol, tarry and vegetal. 83.
• Church Block Cabernet Sauvignon 1993 (Montana) The 1993 is better structured but still hasn't really the concentration needed. 84

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Anthony Byrne at New College 17/10/1995 (LJM)

The usual mediocre plonks but also the following.

• Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste 1991 , 15.00. Lovely full claret with soft tannins and full flavour. Perhaps even reasonable value at the price. A relief after a table of characterless wines. (88)
• Ch. Ducru Beaucaillou 1992 , 15.00. Hard and closed, but good concentration. Not particularly charming at this stage; perhaps these things open up with age but I wouldnt risk it. (86)
• Pinot Blanc, Zind Humbrecht 1993 , 8.00. Full aroma with delightful zingy acidity and good balance (not as sweet as these often are). I dont usually like the monolithic nature of Pinot Blanc, but this is very good. (90)(PS91)
• Riesling Brand, Zind Humbrecht 1992 , 14.50. Very full and beautiful. Relatively soft and easy to drink even at this early stage but with considerable complexity and charm. (PS95)
• Gewurztraminer Wintzenheim, Zind Humbrecht 1993 , 8.00. Lovely very intense pure Gewurz with a bit of additional complexity. Parker describes it as a big funky exotic wine with massive old vine flavours but rather contraversial. (PS90?)
• Champagne Drappier, Cuvee Speciale Brut 1990 , 12.50. This was significantly better than NV. In balance with correct biscuity flavours. 85
• Champagne Drappier, Brut Carte D'Or NV , 14.20. A touch smoother and more pleasant than the above. 86
• Champagne Drappier, Brut Carte D'Or 1989 , 15.50. More body and structure than before and perhaps a bit more interest. 87
• Champagne Drappier, Grande Sendree 1988 , 19.00. More steely and structured again. 87
• Champagne Drappier, Rose Val des Demoiselles , 15.50. Delicious strawberry fruit. (Pure Pinot Noir.) 88

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Bibendum New World tasting - highlights and lowlights! 17/10/1995 (RJB)

• Katnook Estate Botrytis Chardonnay 1992, Coonawarra Very botrytised, deep golden colour, big flavours but too syrupy. 85
• Yeringberg Marsanne/Rousanne 1993, Yarra Valley Vegetal and grassy, not really very pleasant. 76
• Yeringberg Pinot Noir 1992 Light beetroot nose, sweetish, nice balance and quite elegant. A bit simple. 84
• Lawson's Dry Hills Chardonnay 1994, Marlborough Good limey acidity, needs some time. 86
• Waimarama Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1993, Hawkes Bay Over ten pounds a bottle and it's like sniffing cabbage through soggy cardboard. 70
• Bouchard Finlayson Chardonnay Kaaimansgat 1994, South Africa Toasty oak and citric acidity - reasonable length. 85
• Bouchard Finlayson Pinot Noir 1994 Astringent and lacking fruit quality. 79
• Agrelo Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1992, Nicolas Catena, Mendoza Shows promise - deep, warm varietal nose, spicy and good balance (but perhaps too much wood). 87

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at Oddbins Fine Wine 17/10/1995 (RJB)

• Durney Vineyard Chardonnay 1989, Carmel Valley This has aged well and shows toffee and mineral flavours. Didn't get the chance to taste very much of it - will need to it try again. 88

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15/10/1995 (TNB)

• Billecart-Salmon NV 3 years in cellar. Lovely rounded Chardonnay fruit. Elegant. Shows virtues of keeping. 88
• Mersault 88 (J. Germain) Showing quite well in its slightly "woody" austere way. 84
• Gran Coronas 82 (Torres) Fully mature, very drinkably smooth. Cherry flavours. Drink up! 87.
• Ch. Climens 80 Coconut and orange. Very elegant, great finesse and balance. Good length. A bit short on drama! 88.

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Morris and Verdin, New College 13/10/1995 (LJM)

The best of the SCR tastings so far. Even some of the plonks had character. Prices are all by the case.

• Vouvray Sec Vielle Vignes, Domaine Bourillon-D'Orleans 1994, 6.99. Very intense chenin with biting acidity but in good balance. It might take a while to become tame but lots of flavour make it an interesting drink now. (PS91)
• Gaillac Les Greilles, Domaine Causses Marines 1994, 6.40. Unusual but interesting grape (greilles) which has something of the creamyness and fruit tones of viognier. I thought it was a fine wine with good intensity and balance. (86)
• Gaillac Mauzac, Domaine Causses Marines 1994, 6.40. Another unusual but interesting grape (Mauzac). More structure than the above but less elegance and pleasure, at least at the moment. Jasper Morris assured me that with time it would be finer than the above. (85-7 depending on whether you believe JM)
• Macon la Roche Vineuse Vielle Vignes 1994 (also 1992,3), Merlin, 8.80 . Good crisp fruity chardonnay with decent structure, a vibrant acidity and pleasing vanilla oak overtones. (88). Parker describes the 1993 much as I would the 1994 and gives the non VV one less point. The 1992 in college was less vibrant, slightly peppery with good fruit but the oak was less fine and generally less intersting. Perhaps worth 86.
• Au Bon Climat Chardonnay 1994, Santa Barbara, 11.50. Pure new world chardonnay, soft and smooth after the Burgundies but with very full complete flavour. Very enjoyable. (89)
• Bonny Doon Clos de Gilroy 1994, 6.60 . This is an open knit lush grenache with good intense peppery flavours. Very enjoyable. 88
• Bonny Doon Big House red, 1994, 6.60 . This was thicker and more complex/muddy than the above. Not quite as peppery but more different fruit flavours, cherry etc. (Its a blend of several Rhone grape varietals.) Despite the extra intensity I would probably rate it at 87 although by the end of the bottle one might enjoy it more.
• Jade Mountain Cotes de Soleil 1993, 6.90 . A syrah Mourvedre blend. Less impact than the Bonny Doon, but more refinement and complexity. 89
• Qupe Syrah 1993, Central Coast, 9.00 . An upfront intense peppery syrah with striking initial impact. Very good. (90)
• Beaucastel Chateau Neuf du Pape, 1994 (cask sample), 11.50 all up, but currently overseas . This had an extra something over the American Rhone rangers with a finer balance refinement and complexity with layers of fruit. (92)
• Au Bon CLimat, Pinot Noir 1994 Santa Maria valley, 12.50 . Delicious up front soft and supple pinot noir. (88)

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12/10/1995 (RJB)

• Cartlidge & George Chardonnay 1991, California Buttery and malolactic, a bit woody. Very typical middle-of-the-range Californian Chardonnay. 84
• Bouvier Auslese 1994, Alois Kracher, Austria Bready Bouvier nose, spicy. Palate sweetish with zingy acidity towards the end. Perhaps a bit young still, needs another year to settle down - although it's not a long term keeper. 88
• Julienas Domaine du Clos du Fief 1994, Michel Tete One of the best Beaujolais I've tried for quite a while (although I do usually try to avoid them!). Vibrant earthy cherry nose, good acidity on palate with some tannin. My guess is that this will age well over the next few years. 86

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Antinori tasting with Derek Smedley at Valvona & Crolla 12/10/1995 (TNB)

Some typical, thin, characterless (particularly the whites) Italian plonks (4.99 a bottle, amazingly enough). Then:

• Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 1991 Pleasant cherry/chestnu nose. Decent fruit. Unremarkable 80 (6.69)
• Peppoli Chianti Classico 1991 (Antinori) 1991 Early maturing, easy to drink, modern style. OK for what it is trying to do. 84 (8.59)
• Tenuti Marchesi Chianti Classico 1991 (Antinori) 1991 Real wine! Chestnuts mushrooms and cherrys. Good (but not oppressive) structure. Quite long. Worth keeping 89 (10.99, and bought a few bottles of the 1990 at the same price.)
• Tignanello 1991 Deep red. Lovely combination of cherry and blackcurrent fruit. In the mouth, brambly and mouthfilling. Enough soft tannins to keep though. 91 (21.49)
• Solaia 1990 Amazingly dense colour. Mainly Cab Sauv. At the moment, a huge, dumb monster, hard to assess! 90+ (57.00)
• Tenute Marchese Vin Santo 1990 (Antinori) Not a style I've previously gone for, but this is like a fine medium sherry, with orangy overtones. Very pleasant! 88 (12.99)

And with dinner,

• Hochheimer KonigenVictoriaberg Riesling Auslese 1971 (Pabstmann) Mature riesling, but quite fat. Orangy. At peak and drinking well. 86

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With dinner at the Three Horse Shoes, Madingley 11/10/1995 (RJB)

• Pommery NV From a half bottle, medium bodied with a nutty nose. Good acidity with fullness in the mouth. 88
• Gigondas 1990, Guigal From a half bottle, lovely raspberry nose, but a bit clumsy on the palate - the fruit subdued by the wines heaviness. Probably just needs time to open up. 89

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Heyman, Barwell Jones Ltd at St Edmund Hall 09/10/1995 (LJM)

51 wines, mostly plonks at various prices. Generally dont do less than 5 cases. I only include those that one might drink for pleasure.

• Pannier Brut tradition Champagne A correct and enjoyable champagne with the usual biscuity yeasty flavours, 86. Good value. (Also a less good and more expensive Rose.)
• Meursault, 1993 Laboure-Roi A pleasant mouthfilling chardonnay that has good vanilla oak etc. The only white of theirs that would be a pleasure to drink. (The others were all harder without fruit.) (87)
• Wente Brothers Chardonnay 1993 This was a pleasant creamy soft chardonnay. Might get boring after the first few mouthfuls but seemed good value. (84)
• Wente brothers Cab Sauv 93 This had good intense (perhaps a little manufactured) cabernet flavours. Not much structure. (85)
• Laboure-Roi, Syrah d'Oc 93 Good varietal character and structure. Lacking in fat and fruit so only (84) but to get personality at this price is good.

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at Noel Young Wines 07/10/1995 (RJB)

• Thelema Sauvignon Blanc 1995, South Africa Straightforward, clean Sauvignon (85)
• Thelema Chardonnay 1994 Fruit quite tight at present and rather dominated by toasty oak. Be interesting to see how this balance is in six months time. (87)
• Zema Estate Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1993 Big warm cherry fruit - soft tannins, drink over the next couple of years. (86)
• Zema Estate Coonawarra Shiraz 1993 The Cabernet with added mint. An old-fashioned feel to it. (86)

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07/10/1995 (RJB)

• Chateau Maucoil 1985 Reserve Suzeraine, Chateauneuf-du-Pape mature wine showing some mushroomy aromas but overall quite subdued. Nothing obviously wrong with it - an OK wine that has aged gracefully I'd guess. (84)
• Chablis 1988, Charles Bailly oily, nutty Chardonnay. Slightly dirty, but all the better for that. Nice balance, but lacking concentration. (86)

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Misc. 07/10/1995 (TNB)

• Coudelet de Beaucastel Blanc 1992 Lovely apricot/peach kernel nose. Good acidity. Drinking well. (86)
• Coteaux de Layon (Baumard) 1989 Not the St. Catherine, but has a peacock on the bottle. If this is a "second wine" it is quite good. Suprising quantity of well-integrated botrytis (given the pale colour). Good concentration and length. Suprisingly evolved. (85).
• Pinot Noir Carneros 1986 (Saintsbury) Good healthy maturing colour. Red cherry and redcurrenty, slightly medicinal (in a good way) pinot fruit. Warm and mouthfilling. Probably at peak. (86)

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S.H.Jones & co. from Banbury at New College 06/10/1995 (LJM)

The focus was mostly on plonks but some excellent values.

• Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc 94 (White wine of the year) More fragrant and interesting than the other cheap SB's. Softer without too much acidity. Certainly the best SB under a fiver. (86)
• Rowlands Brook chardonnay '93 A good clean Chardonnay that seemed more elegant than the other cheapos. Improved on coming back to it. (85)
• Jackson estate Sauvignon Blanc 1995 Certainly firmer and finer than the Casablanca with better grip and more convincing gooseberry although perhaps also plainer. (86)
• Cotes du Rhone, Reserves des Muses, Roger Combe 1994 Good fruit and pepper in reasonable balance. An good bargain. (87)
• Chenin Blanc, Kapfontein South Africa Tasted at the Feathers restaurant's bar in Woodstock (not New College). It was the cheapest wine on their list at three times the above price. Very fine refreshing zingy acidity and good apple flavours. A lot of interest for less than a fiver. (86)
• Erdener Treppchen, Dr Loosen, Riesling Kabinett, 1990, Lovely riesling acidity balancing pure honeyed fruit. Unfortunately it was a bin end and I missed buying it. (90)

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06/10/1995 (RJB)

• Chablis Domaine de Manants 1989, Jean Marc Brocard Tasted from a half bottle bought three years ago to make up a case. Uncomplicated, soft aged Chardonnay just a touch maderised. (83)
• Luigi Bosca 1988 Syrah, Argentina Would never guess it as this old. Good sharp varietal flavours with structure. Nicely made and will age well. (88+)

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Syrah/Shiraz at Oddbins Fine Wine, Cambridge 05/10/1995 (RJB)

• Cape Mentelle Shiraz 1992 Soft cherryish nose (too much oak?), leathery, harsh and rather short. (8.99)
• Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude 1991, A. Graillot Light sweet cherry nose, well made, with good structure and mineral overtones. However, it lacks the concentration to be great. (10.99)
• E&E Black Pepper Shiraz 1992 Eucalyptus, big and with sweet oak. Good for this style. Easy to drink, but has it much complexity. Interesting to see whether this will age well - I tend to think it will not. (12.49)
• Les Eglantieres Syrah1993, Domaine la Remejeune, Cotes-du-Rhone Stalky syrah nose with good tangy fruit on palatte, however, it finishes too soft at the end. A shame because initially it promises more. (9.99)
• The Armagh Shiraz 1992, Jim Barry Wines Written up in the media as the poor man's Grange (!), A classier version of the E&E - quite closed, good acid, with clear aging potential and not so oak dominant. Not really for drinking now. Could be very good with time. (24.99)
• Cornas Les Ruchets 1991, Jean-Luc Colombo I've heard good reports of this wine, but both times I've had it it disappoints. The fruit is flabby and the whole wine soft and dull. (15.99)
• Orion Syrah 1989, Sean Thackrey Soft spicy nose, herby. A bit soft and mushy. Actually tasted after the Armagh - perhaps it suffered. (24.99)
• Hermitage La Chapelle 1986 The best of the French. Some maturity, good balance but a slightly harsh finish. OK but not really a top vintage. (19.99)
• Grange 1979 Yes, the star of the tasting. Maturing mint and oak nose with lovely sweetness and length. Perhaps a touch musty and lacking the power of some Granges but still a pleasure to taste. (54.99)
• E&E Sparkling Shiraz NV Good of its sort - clean fresh fruit, and not trying to be more than it is - but not a style I particularly enjoy, especially at this price. (13.49)

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Oddbins New World Tasting 04/10/1995 (TNB)

• Foxen Chardonnay 93 (California) High quality melony fruit. Really impressive length. Slightly lacking in structure, so perhaps not a keeper. (13.99)
• Chardonnay Clos du Ciel 92 (Peter Michael) Had this twice recently. Toffee plus spicy/gingery nose. Quite a lot of structure in the mouth. Seems complex. Returning to it, I had doubts about the quality and concentration of fruit. (15.99)
• Chardonnay Russian river 92 (Rutz) Seemed a bit "dirty". Definately the least good of the 3 California Chardonnays. (15.99)
• La Sophiste (Bonny Doon) Rousanne/Marsanne. Perhaps a fine wine, but it didn't really sing (at least to me). (16.99)
• Cuvee Napa Pinot Noir Sparkling red. Disgusting! (8.99)
• Alta Rangi Pinot Noir 93 (Martinborough NZ) Genuine Pinot red/black cherry fruit with decent concentration and gamey overtones. Wouldn't want to have to pick this blind as "New World"! Nice. (14.99)
• Yarra Yering #1, 1991 Odd nose with something volatile that "catches" in the throat. In the mouth, blackcurrenty but very soft. Not keen. (16.99)
• Penfolds 707, 1992 So exactly as one expects. Good concentration married well with slightly over-obvious oak. Plenty of structure, but drinkable early too. Fruit a bit leafy. Boring! (16.99)
• Orion 89 (Sean Thackeray) Rhone grapes. Very striking complex nose. In the mouth, plenty of old-fashioned structure. Very fine wine! (23.99)
• Grange 79 Young looking. Loads of structure. Impressive almost port-like concentration. Needs time still. Really good, but perhaps not one of the top Grange's? (55.00)

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03/10/1995 (TNB)

• Nuits St Georges 1987 (J. Chauvenet) Nice colour, and good red/black cherry Pinot fruit. Lacks much complexity, and has the high acidity and prominant tannins of the vintage. Good for a village wine though -- perhaps best with food.

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