All but the last wine here were served with a wine inclusive menu at a hotel/restaurant in the Belgian Ardennes. I have posted the retail prices of these wines where I know them which show that they would be mostly excellent QPR in the home context. (Much less so in the restaurant, however; I roughly calculated that the retail value of the wine Germaine and I consumed here was around €21 against a value of €70 included in the menu. Of course the sommelier’s salary has to be defrayed out of this generous margin, which is even bigger than it appears from those numbers when the restaurateur’s discount from retail price is considered.) Let me add that the sommelier did a great job at pairings with the food but a less good one with service temperature of the whites which were all too cold until warmed in our hands (an almost universal failing in restaurants!!!).
Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine (note no “sur lie”) Expression de Gneiss 2006 – Domaine de l’Écu (€9,66) was quite atypical of Muscadet with tender somewhat meaty aromas and a delicately supple and quite long palate with floral and even honeyed notes; not the usual crisp Muscadet to go with oysters and liable to surprise consumers without a sommelier’s guidance; 15.5/20+.
Costières de Nîmes “Cuvée Joseph Torrès” 2006 – Château de Nages, Michel Gassier (€11,45) is made from Roussanne 95% and Grenache blanc 5% http://www.michelgassier.com/eng/Cuvee- ... 04-23.html . Its aromas, body and fruit were generous, almost unctuous, peachy and spicy with enough offsetting acidity to bring some freshness though the presence of alcohol was evident in the warm finish; 15.5/20.
Mâcon-Villages 2006 – Régine & Jean Rijckaert (€9,99) was somewhat subdued aromatically but the palate was brightly focussed, citrus and mineral with, however, the frequent Rijckaert flaw of caramel touches on the finish; 15/20.
Vin de Pays du Gard Cabernet-Syrah “Cuvée Excellence” 2005 – Mas des Bressades (€9,57); the sommelier told me that Cabernet dominates but the website gives no confirmation of this http://www.masdesbressades.com/UK/nos_vins.htm . For such a modest price the wine showed excellent complexity and depth with generous body, dark fruit, sweet rose aromas with sweaty leather, smoked ham, spice and bitter marmalade touches; 16/20.
Côtes du Rhône 2006 – Domaine Auguste Clape, Cornas (€18,25) (WTN lifted from Wines Focus)
Auguste Clape is arguably the best producer of Cornas and this wine is made 100% from Syrah from his vines in that neighbourhood ; as you can see the price is much higher than for a normal CdR. This wine was served as a bonus. The colour was deep red, the aromas already well developed and the palate was savoury, smooth, rich and long with notes of dark plum, olives and spice. It is remarkable how different this wine is from nearby Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage; it is more generous but perhaps less elegant without their sharper notes of sour cherry and bacon; 16.5/20.
Vin de Pays de Gascogne Petit Manseng 2007 – Domaine Maubert was little sweeter than “demi-sec” and showed quite smooth body and “gras” with attractive citrus notes (grapefruit) and minerality; 15.5/20++.
Pedro Ximenes 79 – Toro Albalà, Montilla was deeply rich and burnished with flavours of molasses and English Christmas pudding but surprisingly little cloy; 16/20.
And upon returning home the first wine served eclipsed all those from the restaurant except the Clape. It was Madiran “Cuvée des Vieux Ceps – élevée en fûts de chêne” 1998 – Château Barréjat, Denis Capmartin and showed typical Madiran virility with sturdy body and structure, good depth and length, raspberry, leather and clay notes and, by now, just a hint of polished wood patina, which some, but not me, may feel a betrayal of Madiran’s soul; 16.5/20.