WanderCurtis Wine

Wine tastings, corporate events, reviews and recommendations

Author Archives: WanderCurtis


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The wines of Austria spring tasting – Highgate, London

Welcome wine:

  • Domaine Wachau Terrace. Lovely, clean, crisp, minerally, excellent value. Our wine of the month in June 2011. Available from Waitrose.

Round 1:

  • Lagler smaragd Riesling/Weissburgunder/Gruner Veltliner

Subtle differences the pinot blanc, which was more acidic. The riesling slightly honeyed, ripe apricots. The gruner minerally crisp.

Round 2:

  • Emmerich Knoll – Federspiel  gruner veltliner2010 and gruner veltliner ried Loibenberg smaragd vinothefullung.

Federspiel crisp young mineral quality.The smaragd full luscious oily viscous honeyed superb.

Break for Tafelspitz.

Round 3:

  • Weingut Brundlymayer Ried Kaferberg smaragd Gruner veltliner 2002 V 2009

Both full bodied honeyed lush wines. The 2002 particularly smooth, rounded. Lacks the crispness of the young ones and not fresh but a great embodiment of the best terroir.

Round 4:

  • Lagler Eiswein Neuberger 2003 harvested christmas eve
  • Berenauslese Riesling 200 served with Birgit’s Apfel Strudel

Impressive array of wines and food 18 guests. Other great wines to mention ,which we plan to introduce to future tastings are the amazing Brundlymayer Rose Brut and the superb Brundlymayer Red Lamm 2009.


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Best tempranillos of Spain – Ribera Del Duero

There were 15 people and 13 wines. Hosted outside with jamón, tortilla, anchovies  and manchego.

Round 1: Style and category of wine 

  • Coso Viejo Reserva
  • Joven Crianza

Round 2: Cost of wine

  • Vizcarra 15 meses 2008, £7
  • Protos Crianza 2006, £15
  • Protos Gran reserva 2001, £40

Round 3:  Ageing and spot the Rioja

  • Alion 2004
  • Vega sicilia Valbuena 2002
  • Rioja Alta 1997

Round 4: Same year,  what’s your favourite

  • Protos 2006 Seleccion
  • Vizcarra Celia 2006
  • Vizcarra Torralvo 2006
  • Pesquera Gran reserva 2005

Wines of the evening:

  • Best value: Coso Viejo Reserva followed by Vizcarra Torralvo 2006
  • Adam’s favourite: Protos Seleccion, followed by Vizcarra Celia 2006
  • Kiran’s favourite: Vizcarra Celia 2006 followed by Alion 2004
  • A wine that will be great but still needs a few years: Pesquera Gran reserva 2005.

For detailed tasting notes see the blog. ‘ Wine tasting trip to the Ribera Del Duero. May 20th to 23rd’


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Kumeu River Chardonnay-Coddinton 2007

Lush, buttery, oily delicious, tropical, great balance, length, mouth feel, a bottle between two passed so lightly and graciously as the sun went down.

A truly fantastic single vineyard chardonnay to match the best of Burgundy. Kumeu wines available from The Wine Society.


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Terrunyo Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

Intense blackcurrant leaf and liquorice, deep crimson silky but full tannins. Not for the faint hearted, a powerhouse. About £18 from Corks Out.


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Craggy Range Te Muna Pinot Noir 2010

If you like pinot this is for you. Ripe, summer pudding, strawberries and raspberries, then earthy, wet fur, fantastic New Zealand pinot, single vineyard Martinborough. The full selection will be shown at Fredericks at our September Craggy Range tasting – one for the diary.


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Chateau Batailley 2005

From one of the best Bordeaux vintages full of blackcurrant leaf, cedar, later smoke,cassis, great balance many years left in it, great length and elegance.


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Sweet Agnes Riesling 2010 Siefried Nelson New Zealand

Multi gold award winner, this is made from late harvest 100% riesling. The grapes are then frozen and pressed to reveal lush sweet grape juice. The result is a rich, sweet, honeyed apricot, viscous, powerful, intense dessert wine – just mesmerising.
Was available from Waitrose wines at £13.29 a bottle. Tasted at the annual New Zealand trade tasting event at Lords recently.


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Christmas shopping at Bennetts Fine Wine – Chipping Campden, Cotswolds

It was with great delight that I fell upon Bennetts Fine Wine in the lovely town of Chipping Campden. Whilst the family were  busying themselves way buying Christmas presents and coffee drinking, I luxuriated in the fantastic collection.

One of WanderCurtis’s favorites Kumeu River was represented in abundance as one of the first importers. I tried a 2008 Kumeu River pinot noir – smokey, rich, fruity and gorgeous with Christmas day roast beef and chicken in sherry and mango! Also went for Shaw and Smith M3 chardonnay 2008 –  highly rated. This shop has a superb collection, and highly recommended to anyone passing through this truly unspoilt area of green rolling hills of our beautiful country.

Boxing Day evening was complemented by ‘The Caracal’, a South African Bordeaux blend – shared with my brother and washed down with Muga 2007. Another slightly blurry, very merry, antioxidant packed festive season.

Off to Bistro d’Aix in Crouch End tomorrow to investigate venues for our January ‘Four Decades of Bordeaux’ tasting.


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Christmas dinner at Suze Mayfair

Started with ‘The Crossroads’ chardonnay Hawkes Bay – abundance of tropical fruit – then Mt Beautiful Sauvignon Blanc, Canterbury, crisp classic NZ.

Joe brought over a taster of Yealands Gruner Veltliner, Marlborough, very aromatic, lovely balance.  NZ could do very well with Gruner. It went well with gratin of prawns and smoked haddock.

NZ fillet of lamb and sweet potato with Mt Beautiful Pinot Noir – Canterbury Cheviot hills and Willunga Shiraz Viognier Mclaren Vale. A lovely varied selection of antipodean wines.


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Rustenberg John x Merriman 2008

An abundance of ripe fruity blackcurrant, full bodied bordeaux blend, ripe and fresh with a chocolatey edge. Worth its £12.50 and a lovely one to have in for the festive season, great with Nigella’s slow braised lamb shank.