Curious Wine Tasting

Last night, Curious Wines invited to a wine tasting in the Ambassador Hotel in Military Hill. The motto of the night was 'Recession Busters' - which meant Michael and Matt chose wines below the €20. Lesley Atkins of Boutinot joined us and talked passionately about the wines and their makers.

Below the list of wines we tasted and my rating (100 point system):

1. Cuvee Jean-Paul Sec Côte de Gascogne € 7.99 (35/100) - very similar to Sauvignon Blanc, very short finish, nothing to write home about. Would only recommend if you like Sauvignon Blanc
2. Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc, South Africa € 8.99 (10/100) - no bouquet, high in acidity, no finish (was actually surprised as Chenin is normally a good grape)
3. Pasquiers Vin de Pays Sauvignon Blanc € 9.99 (30/100) - typical Sauvignon Blanc with a little spritz
4. Tabali Viognier, Chile €12.99 (40/100) - smelled perfumy and the taste was too floral for me, slight oily consistency
5. Orballo Albarino, Spain € 13.49 (80/100) - wonderful white wine with a warm velvety feel to it, slight dry finish - liked it a lot
6. Domaine de la Motte Chablis Veilles Vignes €16.99 (70/100) - not one of my favourite Chablis, slightly smokey bouquet, flavour changed in the mouth.
7. Aureus Blanc de Blanc Cremant de Loire €17.99 (80/100) - lovely sparkling wine, clean texture and dry enough to be enjoyed. Little bubbles and fresh flavour
8. Cuvee Jean-Paul Rouge Vin de Pays de Vaucluse € 7.99 (35/100) - the red brother of the first wine. A typical housewine you can expect in Pizza Houses (although this one is French). Nothing to write home about
9. Palazzi Negroamaro, Italy € 8.99 (60/100) - Negro meaning bitter - was not as mature as I would have liked it, tannin coming through.
10. Sierra Grande Cabernet Sauvignon € 8.99 (50/100) - okay..I don't like Cabernet Sauvignon (had too many bad ones). Colour was rich ruby, a typical Cabernet although this one is organically grown.
11. Quinta el Refugio Tinto, Spain € 9.99 (60/100) - the quality for this price had a good balance although it had a slight chemical smell to it, the wine was very robust (you would need strong food with it) although I wouldn't really like it due to the slight chemical smell.
12. Dignite Vin de Pays Syrah € 13.49 (90/100) - loved this wine (of course it was a Syrah) rich oaky flavour made of 50 years old grapes - and you can smell and taste the maturity of the grapes. Great price/quality ratio
13. Domaine Roland Betton Crozes Hermitage €19.99 (90/100) - rich, mature, toasty and very complex - my favourite of the night. Only 12,000 bottles are made each year.

Lesley is with Boutinot for the last 7 years and has definitely picked up some knowledge and it was a pleasure listening to her. I met lovely people like Willie who had great stories to tell about his daughter living in Munich and Richard and his charming wife who took me under her wings as I attended the tasting by myself. So thank you for an enjoyable evening and thank you also to Curious Wines who were generous with the wine. A great night.