December Top Taster Revealed
Sadly We have come to the end of our 2019 Taste Like A Wine Pro Campaign with the final December Reviews having been scoured through and enjoyed by the team here at Bon Coeur. We have thoroughly enjoyed the engagement with our Panel as they have explored new and interesting wines from across the world. The feedback has been fantastic and the experience has exposed them to wines they would never ordinarily have tried. It has been a journey of discovery and we are a little sad to see the end of the campaign.
Our December Winner is Ross Tackley with his no-nonsense ,honest review below. Ross receives £100 worth of wine from Cellar 21.
Ross Tackley
Vierkoppen - The Basket Case - Merlot, 2015 - SOLD OUT
Bon Coeur have saved the best until last for my series of South African reds with this marvellous Merlot produced by Vierkoppen, a boutique wine farm nestled in the sun-soaked hills of Robertson in South Africa.
This tall, dark and handsome red displays a bouquet of ripe black cherry with raspberries and plums. The wine has been barrel-aged for 12 months and so there is just enough oak influence of vanilla and cedar to make this a well-balanced red with a long, smooth finish. The tannins are medium with good acidity.
This wine would sip perfectly with a charcuterie board or chilli beef! Show-stopper of a red that I will be talking about for a while! 5 stars.
Joseph Cattin Riesling, 2016 , Alsace
A beautiful example of Riesling, with real charm, complex yet modest, perfumed yet unassuming, and wonderfully dry.
On the nose: instant fresh lemons and limes with the aromatics of orchid fruits awaiting soon after. The acidity is generously high allowing that perfectly lean structure.
Unlike many Alsatian Rieslings, this one can be happily sipped on its own with friends, but equally has its place at the dinner table where honey-dipped sweetcorn fritters with chilli and ginger are being served.
A definite crowd-pleaser and a one to try for those unsure about Rieslings! 4 stars.
Commended for their equally entertaining reviews are:
Claire Barnes
Caro Amancaya Cabernet Sauvignon - Malbec, 2016
For Christmas this year my wife & I decided we would buy each other a trip as we have everything we could want or need and we love travelling. I thought I had done exception, I booked and planned a trip to Berlin, it is somewhere she has always wanted to go and me not so much, hat was until I opened my trip...
Christmas morning, lights on, heating on, coffee in one hand and a wrapped scroll in the other, where in the world was I going? (Literally!) She’d done it again, proved that she knows me better than I know myself, I was off to Bologna! Italy is my favourite place on Earth, it ignored my love for wine, food and travel. I love the way of the life, the people, the culture, I feel at home there. I started reading through my papers, the flights 27th December (so soon), the hotel perfectly located at the ‘Two Towers’ and a further paper a ‘sfoglia course’ at the VSB!!! I couldn’t believe it. I was incredulous. I watched a programme about a Chef/ Sfoglino called Evan Funke, movie self titled Funke. I was in awe at what he was doing, what he was accomplishing, what he went through. My wife (Katy) watched it with me (not as interested) but just absorbing my feelings and thoughts. Back story over (I promise it makes sense to have a brief understanding further down!) Christmas dinner was about to be served, we had opened the first of the 2 wines, a 2016 Amancaya Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon. We’d opened the wine and decanted it about 40 minutes before drinking, on sight it’s a nice ruby colour with a slightly darker rim, when tipped and p it to a white background it becomes a bit lighter but not much. On the noise an intense berry mixed with smoke. On taste the berry becomes more of a cherry note and the smoke decipitates into a liquorice. It’s a smooth, dry wine that’s not too acidic but maintains a bold character. We had this with turkey and it went well, it complimented the sweetness of the maple syrup glaze and the honey roast veg and reduced the acidity of the braised red cabbage. It was a perfect compliment to a perfect dinner, I would like to try it with a rich red meat to see if it would affect the notes.
My next wine was a South African white called Klip Kop, having not tried many S.A wines I was a bit disenthusiastic to open up, so I popped it in the fridge and waited for the right time. The right time came when I arrived home from Bologna with my fresh pasta I had made on my sfoglia course! It had been in the fridge for a week so was nice and chilled, I popped a pan of lightly salted water on to boil and opened the wine. I had made fresh handmade, hand rolled, hand folded ricotta and parsley tortelloni, meat tortellini and tagliatelle. Having already eat a massive portion post course with the class I knew the tortelloni was the one I wanted my wife to try with me.
On first look the wine was a light yellowish/green colour similar to a Sauvignon Blanc, the grape I had not heard of, tried or was familiar with, Semillon. On the nose it was rather underwhelming, not much to pick up, faint hint of citrus and grass. First sip I never really picked up anything or than it was cold and crisp, it cut through my mouth in a pleasantly acidic way. They wine itself not too acidic, not overpowering on any kind of taste. A hint of citrus, possibly gooseberries and a herbaceous undertone. It went perfectly with the ricotta stodgy pasta (yes it was rolled a little bit too thick, but it was my first time). I could imagine it goes well with any pasta dish that is cream/ cheese based or a white fish or poultry dish. I wasn’t blown away by the wine, nothing stood out to me but it wasn’t unpleasant. I enjoyed it with my pasta and I think it would be a perfect companion to a summer sun. Ciao Bella. X
Richard Critchlow
Cave Talmard, Macon Uchizy 2018
Turkey done. Auld Lang Sine sung, badly as usual (what are the words and what does it actually mean?), and suddenly it was all over for another year. Until we were invited to friends for a last blow-out of the festive period. It was the perfect opportunity to taste our final two Bon Coeur "Taste Wine Like A Pro" selected wines. Our friends had prepared a gorgeous posh fish and chips so we took the Talmard Macon-Uchizy round and explained we needed their thoughts. It’s the second time we’ve shared the Bon Couer love and it’s been great fun each time. Suddenly, otherwise normal friends are burying their noses deep into their glasses and sucking air in through their pursed lips saying things that they neither mean nor probably actually understand. I draw the hyperbole to a close by asking, Do you like it or not?” As the “fruity little numbers” “Melons” and “citrus notes” subside, I hear a resounding “yes”. And actually it was a very resounding YES. It turns out that this is a gorgeous Chardonnay. It’s buttery, mellony, complex and quite full bodied but we all agreed (and we don’t always agree as a group) that this is a little stunner. My wife would normally steer clear of a Chardonnay as she’s not a fan of oak ageing that so prevalent but the lack of any oak meant she’ll be leading the charge to order more. A cracker.
Origen Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Having thoroughly enjoyed the Talmard Macon-Uchizy with our posh Fish and Chips, we moved to the Origen Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon with cheese and biscuits. It’s a Chilean Cab Sauv which was intriguing as it’s probably not a wine I’d have chosen myself. That’s not a reflection on Chile – just on my limited knowledge and propensity to stick to what I know. I’d tend to head for something French, although my wife is rather partial to Chilean wine. What I’ve leaned through this process is that if your explain to Bon Coeur what you like, they seem very good and selecting wine that fits your taste. Give them a go and stray outside your comfort zone. This is a great wine. It’s not a stunner like the Talmard but it’s still a really nice wine. It’s full bodied and very fruity, playing to my wife’s taste more so than mine. But it paired well with the cheese and slipped down very nicely. It was a perfect end the the meal and the start of a very messy end to our Christmas break!
