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Wine Evening: Friday, 18 July 2014

Prosecco on arrival and then 9 bottles of 6 different wine to try (2 whites, a rose and 3 reds). Please bring a small plate of nibbles/canapés - just enough to keep us half way sober for at least the first hour.

Cost £15 per person, cash/cheque on night fine or bank transfer possible if preferred.

These are the wines from The Framlingham Wine Shop

1. Scandolera Frizzante DOC Prosecco (£12) abv 11.5%, Italy. Crisp and clean, the grapes used in this Prosecco are picked by hand and the wine has no synthetic ‘pear drop’ flavour associated with inferior sparkling wines.  The bubbles are fine and plentiful, and if you’re a slow drinker, note how well the wine retains its fizz!

2. Roc d’Opale Rose Grenache Cinsault (£8) abv 12%, Languedoc. Hints of red berry fruit undercut the crisp dryness of this rose.  Flavourful and with good length for a rose in this price range.

3. Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2013 (£9) abv 13%, South Africa. Beautiful, fruity wine with a slight pepperyness and notes of honey on the nose. A perfect bbq wine.  For a special occasion try Forrester’s masterful FMC Chenin, only £28!

4. The Cloud Factory Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (£11.50), New Zealand.  Not to be confused with NZ Sauvignon’s somewhat over-priced premium brand, Cloudy Bay, this great value Marlborough exhibits typical characteristics of the region, but smooths the rough edges.  Not overly acidic, the citrus is tempered slightly by stone-fruit aromas.

5. Bonotto Cabernet Franc 2011 (£10.50) abv 12%, Italy. The depth and structure of this surprising Cab Franc belies its relatively low 12% alcohol content (which is consistent across the Bonotto range).  The dark berry fruits on the nose and palate undercut the typical minerality of the region.

6. Scotto Old Vine Zinfandel 2011 (£12) abv 13.5%, USA. Of the five Californian Zinfandels that we stock, this is by far the most popular.  Dark fruit, chocolate, spice and vanilla combine wonderfully to create a wine that is well balanced and full-bodied.

7. Ben Glaetzer Heartland 2012 (£15) abv 14.5%, Australia. A very old-world tasting new-world wine, using Italian grapes, Dolcetto and Lagrein. The former is fruity, the latter is tannic, earthy and fragrant, and they are blended to perfection.  This wine is rich and restrained, and really opens up given time to breathe.

PDF version available here.

Wine Tasting on 8 November 2014

1. The Adnams Selection White Burgundy, Cuvée Paul Talmard - £9.99 Per Bottle

Intense lemon, melon and white peach flavours; a stunningly fresh, characterful Chardonnay.

It has to be pretty special for us to put our names to it - and this white Burgundy from the gleaming, steel tank-lined cellars of the ever-reliable Talmard family (they're based in the Mâcon town of Chardonnay, so ought to know a thing or two about the grape) truly is 'les genoux de l'abeille' (the bee's knees). Stunningly clean, fresh and characterful, with intense white peach, lemon and melon flavours, it's sophisticated and versatile, perfect as an apéritif or with chicken, fish or salads.

ABV: 13%

Bottle Size: 75.00cl

Grape Mix: Chardonnay

Region:  Burgundy

Country: France

Vintage: 2013

Closure: Cork

2. Tesco Finest Albarino 75Cl - £7.49

The wine has an intense and elegant aroma, with hints of fresh ripe apples, pears, and apricots, as well as nuances of tropical fruit. On the palate it is rich, mellow, rounded and full-bodied, with a rich tropical character and a lingering finish.

Region of Origin Rias Baixas

Wine Colour White

ABV 12.5% vol.

Current Vintage 2011

Producer Bodegas Martin Codax

Type of Closure Screwcap

Wine Maker Katia Alvarez

Country Spain

Taste Category 2 Aromatic and fruity

Grape Variety: Albariño

3. Tesco Finest Sauvignon Blanc Furmint - £7.99

A fruity, accessible wine with bright, fresh aromas of green apple and bursts of citrus

ABV 11.5% vol.

Current Vintage 2013

Producer P&F Jeruzalem Ormož d.o.o., Kolodvorska cesta 11, 2270 Ormož, Slovenia

Type of Closure Screwcap

Wine Maker Mitja Herga

Country Slovenia

Taste Category 1 Crisp & dry

Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc, Furmint

4. The Stump Jump Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Marsanne Roussanne - £10

The Framlingham Wine Shop

The Story Behind The Name

The name ‘Stump Jump’ pays homage to a significant South Australian invention – the Stump Jump plough. As well as clearing the land around McLaren Vale, it was adopted worldwide in the late 19th century because of its ability to ride over stumps and gnarled roots, saving valuable time and energy.

The Characteristics

The nose is wonderfully aromatic with vibrant tropical fruit, barley sugar and a hint of guava.

The palate is equally fresh and lively with zesty citrus characters of lemon, lime and a touch of orange. The Mar-sanne and Roussanne play a bigger role here with lovely stone fruit and honey characters coming through.

5. Prova, Portugese Wine - £7.50

The Framlingham Wine Shop

6. South African Pinotage - £9.50

The Framlingham Wine Shop but I can’t remember the exact name.

7. Nebbiolo 'Private Reserve'L A Cetto, Baja California, Mexico - £15.99

In 1834, the Dominican, Félix Caballero, founded a missionary and the first settlement here, in Guadalupe. One of the most important activities was wine making here, but the Mexican government stripped the Catholic church of its landholdings and it wasn’t until 1888 that any real, commercial production took place. It was Don Angelo Cetto who started the wine revolution in 1928, but it was Don Luis Augustin Cetto who planted the better known varietals, and who, in 1975, established the L.A.Cetto winery. Luis Alberto is the third generation of the Cetto family running this pioneering winery in northern Mexico’s Baja California region, south of San Diego and Tijuana. Aromas of tar, chocolate and liquorice with nice tertiary qualities and edgy tannins. Perfect with game stew /pheasant casserole.

ABV: 14%

Bottle Size: 75.00cl

Grape Mix: Nebbiolo

Region:  Baja California

Country: Mexico

Vintage: 2008

Closure: Cork

8. Tesco Finest Bolgheri Doc 75Cl - £10.29

Region of Origin Tuscany

ABV 13.5% vol.

Current Vintage 2010

Producer Piccini

Type of Closure Natural Cork

Wine Maker Antonella Conti

Taste Category D Full & smooth

Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot

Recommended by Victoria Moore in Telegraph recently as currently less than £8 with 25% off if you buy 4 wines:

 “As an Italophile it took me a while to come round to SuperTuscans, wines made with grapes that defy the rules of the traditional appellation, but this is a great find. Red. Made with Bordeaux varieties – cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc – yet still pulling off a sour cherries-and-furniture-polish Italian scent. Love it.” VM.

If you need to make up the  numbers to make it four from Tesco, this is the white I recommended which is incredible value at around £4.50 with relevant deals applied

 http://www.tesco.com/wine/product/details/default.aspx?id=255244194

Torres Viña Sol 75cl - was £41.94 per case, now £31.44 per case

Equivalent to £5.24 per bottle

This wine hails from the Penedes region in north-eastern Spain, and is freshness in a bottle. Made by one of Spain's most famous winemaking families, Torres, this is really zippy with lots of bright lemon fruit, and at under 12% is a lighter take on a crisp, dry white.

Serve chilled as an aperitif, or with seafood.

Brandeston Wine Society Christmas Dinner 2014

The cost should be around £30-33 to include a three course meal, Cava on arrival, two glasses of white wine and two glasses of red. All wines will be Spanish this time.

Not everyone likes port so we now suggest you organise amongst your table to bring a bottle if you want one.

If you want to be with particular people let me know, otherwise we’ll let you know who you’re with.

Dress code is black tie/smart casual.

One or two people have asked about bringing other people who aren’t regulars to the wine society. This is often possible but we need to see what numbers we have from the regulars first please. Let me know if you want to and I’ll come back to you.

The wine list can be found here

Northern Italian Wines - 7 February 2015

You can find Michael Cousens’ introductory notes for the Northern Italian Wines tasting here.

This is the list of wines tasted during the evening:

Maker Vintage Price Medal Supplier Soave Classico Imama 2013 £12.99 Silver Majestic Sauvignon Blanc Friuli Bidoli 2013 £9.00 Bronze M&S Gavi Broglia 2013 £7.99 Silver Coop Marzemino Veneto Vinicola Sartori 2013 £6.50 Commended Sainsburys Barbaresco Monde Del Vino 2011 £10.00 Commended Sainsburys Barolo Ascheri 2010 £16.50 Silver Sainsburys Barbera D’Asti Araldica 2012 £8.00 Bronze Asda Teroldego Vigneti de Dolomiti 2012 £5.99 Bronze Tesco Valpolicella Ripasso Veneto Cantina di Soave 2012 £7.49 TROPHY WINNER Morrisons Valpolicella Amarone Cantina del Negrar 2011 £19.99 Bronze. Waitrose Dolcetto D’Asti Araldica 2013 £7.00 Bronze M&S Barolo Ceretto 1982

Next wine Tasting - Martin will decide soon.

The theme for the next wine tasting will be Austrian wines.