Badacsony in the New York

Every year, the Badacsony wine region shows its best in the extravagantly ornate, historic New York Palace Hotel in Budapest. In previous years, it had been held the elaborately decorated New York Café, but from last year, it has taken place upstairs in the more functional Roma Hall.

While I miss the unique experience of tasting the wines from one of my favourite Hungarian wine regions among the pomp and gilt of the café, it was a pleasure to have more space for the exhibitors and the throng of visitors. Thus, you could move around more freely and taste, avoiding the heat and crush of the smaller venue.

Record number of visitors

And it was a good thing it did take place in this large venue as a record number of visitors, more than 600, turned out this year to enjoy the flavours of the wine region. 37 wineries and 13 other businesses related to tourism showed their wares. So, as well as tasting the unique mineral white wines, you could also try some local cheeses, salami and bakery products, such as cabbage strudel, and pick up some information to help you plan your next visit to the iconic region.

The Badacsony hills

This year the exhibitors were organised by ‘hill’, so visitors were orientated even more by the micro-location of the winery and its wines, although naturally some producers do have wines on more than one hill. Badacsony is not only defined by the characteristics of the region as a whole, but also by its individual hills, truncated volcanic buttes and cones, such as Szent György-hegy, Csóbanc, Szigliget, Orsi-hegy, Abráhám-hegy and Badacsony itself.

If you wanted to learn more about the differences between the hills, you could do so in one masterclass whereas in the other, you could learn about food and wine pairing.

Visitors could also vote on their favourite winery, wine and other exhibitor. Tamás Borbély scooped up the best winery award, his Karós Olaszrizling 2016 was voted the best wine and the Lábdi market the favourite among other exhibitors.

Regional wine shows like this are a great way to get a an overall feeling for what a wine region is all about, its key varieties and producers. I particularly liked the way it was organised by hill this year, so that if you had the inclination, you could take a look at what differentiates the hills from each other.

The wines

Olaszrizling, which I can usually take or leave, seems to produce lovely weighty wines with zippy acidity in Badacsony, and I also scored Tamás Borbély’s Karós Olaszrizling very highly, along with his Bács-hegy Olaszrizling 2015. Folly Arborétem also had a beautiful 2017 on offer as did 2HA Szőlőbirtok. Szászi’s Szent György-hegyi Olaszrizling 2017 was also wonderfully juicy, ripe and full-bodied.

Another variety out in force was Badacsony’s flagship wine in waiting, Kéknyelű, with attractive versions shown by Szászi, Laposa, Istvándy, Németh Pince, Folly Arborétum and again Borbély, whose wines certainly scored highly with me overall.

Modern cross Rózsakő is also producing attractive wines in the region. Watch out for Németh Pince and Bagolykő Pince’s Rózsakő. The latter’s Olaszrizling-Rózsakő blend Ketten was also a lovely zippy wine with plenty of bright fruit.

I also enjoyed a couple of Zöldveltelinis from Villa Tolnay and Büttner Borbirtok as well as a lovely Pinot Blanc, rare in Hungary from Fischer Borászat.

Rajnai Rizling, or Riesling, is also producing increasingly attractive, zippy wines here. Maybe there is something in Philipp Oser of Villa Tolnay’s remarks that the northern shores of the Balaton could produced great Riesling – they just have to try harder!  The king here is Villa Sandahl, showing five different excellent Rieslings, but I also tried beautifully balanced zesty wines from Gilvesy, Istvándy (cut with a touch of Sárga Muskotály), Baló Ambrus and Folly Arborétum.

Reds were thin on the ground, given that Badacsony is primarily white wine country, and many had run out by the time I got onto the reds, but Szeremley had a lovely crunchy, still very youthful, 2017 Pinot Noir and Fischer Borászat a bright, fresh 2017 Zweigelt, which I enjoyed.

Now looking forward to my next visit to Badacsony itself!

*Photos, except the last, courtesy of the organisers.

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Facelift for Villa Tolnay

The last year has seen a flurry of new labels for the wines of many of Hungary’s prominent wineries, often along with a tightening up of their ranges.

Villa Tolnay has joined this trend too, launching its new labels a couple of weeks ago at the Kóstolom Wine Bar in Buda.

Swiss owner and chief winemaker, Philipp Oser, and co-owner and estate manager Laszló Nagy presented the new labels and showed a few of their revamped range of wines. Of course, they also filled us in on some of the other developments at the winery, as they’ve not only been working on the presentation of the wine itself, but also on the winery itself. They’ve built a large cellar including bottling line, 700m², most of which is underground, so in line with their environmentally conscious way of thinking. They work organically, although are not yet certified, which Philipp points out is not the main thing anyway – it’s all about making the wines better. All their wines are spontaneously fermented, and they no longer use cultivated yeast or sulphur, no bentonite for clarification, only settling and gravity. The only time any sulphur comes in contact with the wines is during racking.

Along with this winery renewal, they have decided to change their whole new corporate identity. Their new labels are bold, yet elegant and simple, focussing on the terroir and place, rather than the variety. Their three-star wines (more about this later) focus on the location of the winery and the vines – Csobánc, or the older version Csobáncz, which they’ve chosen to emphasise on their labels in large, bold print. The word Badacsony, the official wine region, is nowhere to be seen and the name of the variety and the single vineyard name are only featured underneath in much smaller letters. They’ve also opted to use soft wax instead of aluminium or plastic capsules in the interest of sustainability – red or white. It’s a nice extension from the label as it reflects the fact their work is based on craftsmanship; it’s elegant and doesn’t splinter when cut.

Philipp has been here in Csobánc for the last 14 years now and decided it was time to change a few thing. One of the most important things for him was to keep things simple and to show simplicity, which is just what the labels do.

The product line will now feature three levels, which he calls their one-star, two-star and three-star wines. One-star wines will be fresh wines which focus on the variety, e.g. the yet-to-be-released Sauvignon Blanc and perhaps a Zöldveltelini, two-star wines are blends such as Tenger and Névtelen, whereas three-star wines are the top wines, usually single vineyard and single variety, although there may also be blends, depending on the vintage. They will not hesitate to downgrade wines though, if the vintage is poor. Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc are their most important reds, with Riesling, Olaszrizling, Zöldveltelini and Chardonnay their key whites. There are no plans for a pure Furmint, which, although important, is needed for their Hidden Treasures wine – Balaton – a blend of Furmint and Riesling produced for Burgenland Roland Velich. Interestingly, the new labels bear more than just a passing resemblance to the labels for this series.

Panororama Olaszrizling 2016

The Panorama vineyard is a one-hectare plateau in the middle of Csobánc with 35-year-old vines, which they keep saying they’ll grub up and replace as this old plantation, abandoned for at least a decade previously, always involves a lot of work and produces tiny berries with thick skins. However, each year they taste the wines and decide to wait another year. Philipp calls the wine Csobánc’s ambassador.

The wine shows great typicity of the volcanic terroir. Intense, yet austere and lean with beautiful lemon and almond notes and a salty, long finish.

Philipp’s favourite wine regions are Pfalz and Burgundy, so the aim is to create a style with less alcohol than the modern norm, so around 12-13%, that is lively, vibrant and light, but at the same time dense, something akin to the finesse of Burgundy, he hopes.

Panorama Zöldveltelini 2017

This wine also reflects the basalt terroir nicely with lively acidity, fresh green fruit and honey pepped up with spicy, floral and mineral notes. Lovely concentration, elegance and an attractive, long, salty finish.

Tenger 2017

A new brand for them – tenger means ’sea’ in Hungarian and reflects the fact that the Balaton is known as the Hungarian Sea and that this whole area was once also covered by the Pannonian Sea.

A blend of 50% Chardonnay with Zöldveltelini, Riesling and Olaszrizling making up the remainder. Philipp calls the wine Hungary’s answer to Chablis or Pouilly Fuissé. He uses a little oak to add some nuttiness to the blend.

The wine offers flavours of ripe autumn fruits and vanilla with zesty acidity and just a touch of grip It’s rich, creamy and complex, yet fresh and vibrant with a long saline finish. Pure Csobánc.

Panorama Chardonnay 2017

Lovely finesse, nicely integrated oak, a mouth-filling wine with crisp acidity, mineral notes and a long elegant finish.

Philipp’s philosophy is to make the best that he can, so they also source their vines from regions which produce some of the top wines from those varieties, so the Pinot Noir comes from Gevry Chambertin, the Chardonnay from Meursault, the Cabernet Franc from the Loire and the Riesling from Pfalz. Philipp has high hopes for Riesling from the northern shore of the Balaton. He just thinks they all need to try harder!

Unfiltered Cabernet Franc 2017

A crunchy red and black fruit salad of cherry, blueberry, raspberry and cranberry. Definitely more in the Loire than the Villány style. Vibrant, crisp and fresh with fine-grained tannins. Lovely to drink now but will be even better in a couple of years.

Star of the tasting for me. Philipp said the goal with this wine is that anyone who opens a bottle of his Cabernet Franc will want to finish it off themselves!

The five-year-old vines are planted on one hectare at the foot of the hill where the soil is soft, limestone sediment from the Pannonian Sea as well as the results of volcanic erosion, which helps keep the wines lean with lovely freshness, so that they will be drinking well after five or six years. Another of Philipp’s wishes is to be able to release wines a little later, which the spacious new winery will enable them to do.

’New Pannonian wine tradition’

With this slogan, Philipp hopes to build new traditions in the region, perhaps returning to the use of the hegy or ’hill’ in labelling, like with Csobánc, just as in the past. For him, origin is everything. The talk here inevitably turns to branding around the Balaton. A contentious issue currently. Brand-building in the wider region is difficult for various reasons. Csopak and Olaszrizling are already their own brand, Balatonfüred is nearer to the motorway and hence easier to reach, whereas heading to Badacsony requires more time and effort. Perhaps varieties should be more closely linked to each hegy even – e.g. Olaszrizling with Szent György-hegy or Kéknyelű with Badacsony. Food for thought….

Philipp is also aiming to start another Pannonian wine tradition – Winemakers @The Villa. The first edition of the event will take place on 5-6 April this year. It will consist of a mini winemakers’ get-together to connect western European producers with Pannonian ones, with debates on biodynamic or organic production and networking opportunities. They’ll begin with six or seven winemakers including several foreign guests from the Pfalz and Wachau, along with Tamás Kis from Somló, Zoli Heimann from Szekszárd and, of course, themselves. Over time, they’d like to grow it and turn it into an annual fair giving visitors the opportunity to taste international wines at the Balaton. However, it will be a small affair, at least this year, with a maximum of 40 guests.

Women winemakers out in force on International Women’s Day

The weaker sex? Certainly not!

Tomorrow, 8 March, is International Women’s Day, and in celebration of all women, 32 Hungarian women winemakers from 12 wine regions will present 104 wines to visitors of the Gyengébb? Nem! Cherchez la Femme wine show at the Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge.

This is the second time that the event has been organised by Edit Szabó of Borsmenta. The idea grew out of her book Gyengébb? Nem! Roughly translated, this means ’The weaker sex? No!’ It relates the stories of 26 women winemakers in Hungary and how they cope in a traditionally male-dominated industry, hence the title.

The winemakers will bring along some of their brand new novelties for curious wine lovers. For example, Katalin Toth will present their 2018 Kadarka Siller, Andrea Gere their 2017 Fekete Járdovány and Syrah, Júlia Dóra Molnár from Csendes Dűlő their 2017 premium Kéknyelű and Éva Gálné Dignisz will show their hot-off-the-press fizz. There’ll also be a couple of pet nats to try from the Szőlő Pincészet and the Heimann Családi Pincészet.

A gentleman, however, will look after the food! Alain Losbar, the Sofitel’s head chef will ensure nobody goes hungry and will delight your taste buds with fresh oysters, ham, cheeses and other French delicacies.

If you’re inspired to travel to the enchanting wine regions the ladies come from, or even beyond, three more ladies, from Wine A’more travel, are on hand to help you fulfil your inspirations with their offer of wine trips and tastings.

All in a good cause

Another reason to come along is the fact that the ladies have waived their fees for the event and thus half a million forints (around €1,600) has already been raised for charity. This total is sure to grow as visitors can also add their contributions in the collection boxes at the event. The monies collected will go to the Anyaoltalmazó Foundation, which helps 75-80 women and children in distress all around the country every year.

Chocolate and cheese-pairing masterclasses

Those who are interested in learning more about what wines to pair with various cheeses and chocolate can also attend two masterclasses. Tickets are available for these at 3,000 forints.

So, if you’ve nothing planned for tomorrow evening, head to the Sofitel to celebrate Women’s Day with a remarkably talented group of women!

When: 8 March 16:00-21:30

Where: Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge

Tickets: 7,000 HUF until midnight tonight, then 8,500 HUF on the door.

Advance tickets available online at: https://tixa.hu/CherchezLaFemme_avagygyengebb_nem?fbclid=IwAR1TaPt8VS6YXDgOuK48plDC0vgIIIKwB5Im406Hg_wDWZq8B9y5ObhEKQc

The price includes wines, nibbles on the winemakers’ tables and water.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2362393133989988/

Participating winemakers:

ANGELIKA ÁRVAY (Árvay Családi Pincészet), ZSUZSANNA BABARCZI (Babarczi Szőlőbirtok és Pince), KATA BADICS (Homoky Pincészet), EDIT BAI (Dereszla Pincészet), NÓRA BARACSKAI (Etyeki Kúria Borgazdaság), SAROLTA BÁRDOS (Tokaj Nobilis), STÉPHANIE BERECZ (Kikelet Pince), BOGLÁRKA BÖJT (Bortársaság), DOROTTYA BUSSAY (Bussay Pincészet), KRISZTINA CSETVEI (Csetvei Pince), MÓNIKA DEBRECZENI (Vylyan Pincészet), BERNADETT DUNAI (Dubicz Pincészet) TÍMEA ÉLESS (Szóló Pincészet), ÉVA GÁLNÉ DIGNISZ (Gál Szőlőbirtok és Pincészet), ANDREA GERE (Gere Attila Pincészete), SUSANN HANAUER, (Wassmann Pince), ÁGNES HEIMANN (Heimann Családi Birtok), ZITA KOVÁCS (Kovács és Lánya Borászat), ZSÓFI LAPOSA (Laposa Birtok), LILLA LATORCZAI-RÁCZ, ENIKŐ LUKA (Luka Pince), ANITA MAGYAR (Hangavári Pincészet), GABRIELLA MÉSZÁROS  (Préselő Pincészet), JÚLIA DÓRA MOLNÁR (Csendes Dűlő Szőlőbirtok), BEÁTA NYÚLNÉ PÜHRA (Nyakas Pincészet), FRUZSINA OSVÁTH (Sauska Borászat), ERIKA RÁCZ (Sanzon Tokaj), JELENA SZAVERCSENKO, (Kern Bor- és Pezsgőház), KATALIN TÓTH (Tóth Ferenc Pincészet), VIVIEN UJVÁRI (Ujvári + Barta Pince), MÁRTA WILLE-BAUMKAUFF (Tokaj Pendits), KATA ZSIRAI (Zsirai Pincészet)

Photos courtesy of Borsmenta, Ferenc Dancsecs and Gábor Vető

 

Surprising Cabernet Francs from the northern shore of the Balaton

The Borsmenta press club recently put 13 wines made from Villány’s favourite grape, Cabernet Franc, to the test, with some surprising results. Five were from its southern stronghold; however, the rest were selected from regions as varied as Szekszárd, Tolna, Balatonfelvidék, Balatonfüred-Csopak and Badacsony. The line up included a range of styles, ranging from bright, light and fruity to more oaky and dense. We even tasted an intriguing white Franc.

The results were reassuring, yet also surprising, with Villány taking top place and joint second. However, the northern shore of the Balaton also turned up some real gems, scooping up joint second, fourth and fifth places. What’s more, number five is a real best buy, at just 3,000 HUF from Bortársaság!

1. Kiss Gábor Pincészete Code 2016 (Villány)

A rich, mouth-filling, structured wine with ripe tannins and plenty of bright acidity. A chalky note, a touch of green bell pepper and some tertiary character creeping in add complexity. Nicely integrated oak and a salty, mineral thread running through it keep it fresh right till the end of its long finish.

2. Bakonyi Péter Pincészete Bakonyi Siklos 2017 (Villány)

An attractive cornucopia of raspberry and blue berries with a touch of green capsicum and violets. Crisp acidity and slightly grippy tannins but lovely varietal character. An appealing cool mineral streak balances the ripe fruit and the wines ends with a long, elegant finish.

2. Villa Tolnay Pincészet Csobáncz Cabernet Franc 2016 (Badacsony)

Beautiful ripe red and black fruit with redcurrants and cherry jam, maybe even a Mon Cheri chocolate or two. Lively, fresh acidity and fine ripe tannins give the wine a lovely framework, and it’s all freshened up by a cool, lean zip of minerals.

4. Jásdi Pince Ranolder Vörös 2015 (Balatonfüred-Csopak)

A complex wine with fresh, ripe red fruit, including rosehip, cherry and crunchy plum. It’s showing some maturity with notes of tea and tobacco but also with a fresh zip of mineral, lime and green capsicum. Ripe on the palate with judicious oaking and smooth tannins. Balanced and long.

5. Liszkay Pincészet Giuia 2016 (Balatonfelvidék)

A spicy blend of rosehip, redcurrants and sour cherries in cognac with a cool menthol note adding a breath of freshness and some complexity. There’s a pleasant green note and the tannins have a touch of grip. Bright crisp acidity and a long fresh finish.

Photos by Gábor Vető

Grape varieties – Kéknyelű

Kéknyelű is a relatively rare white variety which grows only in Hungary, principally on the volcanic soils of Badacsony on the northern shore of Lake Balaton and in the Balaton Felvidék, although there are some plantings in Etyek-Buda, Zala and Kunság. Once widely planted, indeed it was once one of the most widely planted Hungarian varieties, much of it was grubbed up in the seventies in favour of more productive and reliable international varieties.  At the end of the twentieth century, there were approximately 40ha remaining in Badacsony, although there have been some new plantings of the variety recently. It is named after its bluish stalks.

It was for a long time assumed to be the same as the Picolit variety found in Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, however this was disproved in 2006 as a result of isoenzyme and microsatellite tests.

It is not the easiest of varieties to grow and is cultivated in the ancient style with separate rows of both male and female grapevines; it needs its male counterpart, Budai Zöld, in order to pollinate as it only has female flowers. Then the wind is relied upon for pollination to ensure proper yields. It is thick-skinned, with small to medium-sized berries and relatively small clusters. It is susceptible to frost, but tolerates drought well, and thanks to its thick skins, doesn’t succumb easily to rot. It is late maturing and is generally harvested early to mid-October. In the past its relatively low yields led to local peasants calling it the ‘Gentleman’s grape’, as this meant it was rather expensive. Despite this, it was popular before phylloxera, although it was then eclipsed after WWII by high-yield varieties.

The variety responds well to both reductive and oxidative wine-making. It can be rustic and simple, but when well made, it is a unique, exciting, aromatic variety.

The wine has a pale lemon colour and can yield a savoury, smoky wine with hints of gunpowder, lemon, stone fruits, white blossom and herbs. It is generally full to medium bodied, with high acidity and high alcohol and demonstrates well the minerality of Badacsony’s characteristic basalt terroir. It is a heady, perfumed and refined wine, which shines with a sense of place. It can be drunk young but thanks to its high acidity, it comes into its own after a few years, developing an attractive honeyed nuttiness with bottle age.

Now, as many wine lovers are look for more interesting, unique wines, it is gaining in popularity again. It pairs well with grilled fish or goats cheese.

Producers to watch out for: Szeremley Birtok, Laposa Pincészet, Borbély Családi Pince, Nyari Pince and Istvándy Családi Pincészet

 

Olaszrizling around the Balaton

Next we moved into Hungary, more specifically to the Balaton, where Olaszrizling has been widely planted since the beginning of the twentieth century in most of the wine districts lying around the lake and forming the Balaton wine region: Badacsony, Balatonboglár, Balaton felvidék, Balatonfüred-Csopak, Nagy Somló and Zala.

The Balaton offers a variety of terroirs, including volcanic, basalt and tufa soils, enabling the grape to display different characteristics depending on the region.

We tasted a flight of eight wines from various points around the Balaton:

Jásdi – Csopaki Rizling 2013 (Csopak)
Figula – Olaszrizling 2013 (Csopak)
Káli Kövek – Rezeda Olaszrizling 2013 (Balaton felvidék)
Pálffy – Káli Király Olaszrizling Válogatás 2013 (Balaton felvidék)
Légli – Banyászó Olaszrizling 2012 (Balatonboglár)
Bakó Ambrus – A Rózától Olaszrizling 2012 (Badacsony)
Villa Tolnay – Olaszrizling 2010 (Balaton felvidék)
Györgykovács- Olaszrizling 2011 (Nagy Somló)
Bussay – Olaszrizling 2011 (Zala)

Top three in this case (in no particular order)

Káli Kövek

This ‘garage winery’ is sited on the volcanic Fekete hegy (black hill) in the Káli basin on the north side of the Balaton. Its first vintage was in 2008.

The wine was elegant and rounded with long, salty minerality. It also displayed the typical flavours and aromas of Olaszrizling, namely lemon, almonds and a hint of almond blossom on the nose. Lovely.

Légli

Légli’s vineyards are located on the southern shores of the lake and he was one of the first wineries to produce nice, structured Olaszrizlings. The southern side of the Balaton generally has loess soils with a high limestone content.

A creamy, complex wine with toasty aromas of vanilla and coffee, a burst of almond blossom and luscious white stone fruits. It comes from Ottó Légli’s favourite vineyard, the Banyászó dülő.

Bakó Ambrus

This winery is located in Badacsony, one of my favourite areas for white wine in Hungary. This wine district generally produces very mineral wines due to its volcanic, basalt soils. The wine was very mineral with floral and lemony notes, a complex, creamy wine with a bitter almond character. Gets my vote.

 

Sabar tasting at Secessió Café

Festival season is now over, during which time, I managed to get lounging around reading and faffing down to an art. When not at a festival, that was what I was doing. Now it’s time to get myself in hand again and be disciplined in writing up tastings and posting regularly.

So let’s rewind back to July when I went to an interesting tasting at the Secessió Café in the fifth district, close to Szabadság tér. I had been wanting to go there for ages, being a big fan of art nouveau buidlings, and this was my chance. Both a café and a museum of art nouveau, it is ornately decorated in rather an ecclectic way. Although more interested in architecture and decor than furniture, it was great to sit amongst all these treasures for the tasting.

They have regular wine-tastings on Friday nights, but seem to be taking a break for the summer. I’m not exactly sure when they’ll be starting again, but am looking forward to attending one or two more.

I first came across Sabar borház on a trip down to Badacsony in April. I went on a kind of ‘guerrilla’ wine weekend at the beginning of April, organised by VSOP Balaton-felvidék and Badacsonyi KÖR, of which the Saturday involved tasting 30+ wines from eight vineyards at five different locations (five of said vineyards) and being driven around by two car companies (no name-dropping here) promoting their cars.

Sabar was the third stop on our whirlwind tour for my group, so we were all fading a bit by then. According to my notes, still quite legible, at that point, but very brief, we tasted the Cabernet Sauvignon rosé 2013 (a lovely pale, bone-dry rosé), Olaszrizling 2013, freshly bottled (fresh and fruity, floral notes), Kéknyelű 2013 (mineral) and the Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (classic, vegetal notes). Given the brevity of my notes and my not entirely fresh palate at that point, I was glad to have chance to taste some of their wines once again in slightly more restrained surroundings.

Nádasi András, Sabar marketing, took us through the wines we were tasting. First, though, we learnt that the name comes from the hill on which the vineyard stands, that is the Sabar hegy.

Our first wine was a dry Muscat Ottonel 2013. A light, fruity wine meant for early drinking. Forward primary fruit flavours and aromas of white flowers. Ideal as an aperitif. The vines for this can be found on the Hercegföld dülő, next to Csobanc hegy.

We then moved onto a Sauvignon Blanc 2013. Classic Sauvignon Blanc on both the palate and nose – elderflowers, cut grass and nettles. Very elegant. Lovely tipple with fish.

Szürkebarat 2013 (Pinot Gris to non-Hungarian speakers) was next up. Much richer on the nose than the previous wines, it delivered up grapefruit and yellow flowers, with some vanilla, toast and nutty notes.

The final white was an Olaszrizling 2013. Yellow-green in colour, full-bodied, zesty lemon and herb notes burst on the palate, backed up by strong minerality. Well-balanced with good acidity.

On to the rosé, a Cabernet Sauvignon rosé 2013. Very pale salmon, almost onion skin in colour. An elegant wine full of strawberries, with some minerality in the background. Really enjoyed this. Still have a bottle lying in my wine-rack, awaiting my pleasure…

And the only red… Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, and indeed the only photo of a bottle of wine (taken at home later). Bordeaux style wine bursting with blackcurrants and blackberries, peppery, smokey and spicy, with some green pepper. I enjoyed it, but it could probably benefit from another couple of years in the bottle. Also enjoyed the chocolate cake served with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice-cream that accompanied it.

I had been planning to have a light snack with my imminently arriving visitor when we finished. However, most of the wines were served with something to nibble, so no room for any food after. A very good value evening with great wines and tasty snacks.