Millésime Bio 2019 – some photos from the fair

Marie et Anne Guegniard, Domaine de la Bergerie,
Champs-sur-Layon 

 

 Anne

Marie

 António Ribeiro, Casa da Mouraz, Dão

Previous post including a tasting of Mouraz wines.

Oscar and his sister Claúdia: Quevedo, Douro Valley

Claúdia

Oscar

An Englishman in Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Béatriz et Neil Joyce, 

La Célestière, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 

Neil 

Bottles from a very good tasting of the wines from 

Château de Parnay (Saumur and Saumur Champigny) 

Some standout bottles from the tasting 

Antoine Gerbelle – quel media vedette !!

Last of the 1980 Beaucastel....

1980 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel 

Last evening we enjoyed our last bottle of the 1980 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the final bottle of a case, which we must have bought in the earlyish 1980s direct from Beaucastel. This was before we bought in the Loire and used to spend our summer holidays in campsite in a pine forest a few kilometres north of Vaison-la-Romain. 

It was perfect with our plainly roasted pheasant from Billings in Sydenham – a bargain at £5.99 a bird. The 1980 had a rich, opulent nose and very soft, caressing palate. Our bottle would doubtless still have been drinkable for a number of years. However, I doubt whether it would have developed further. 

Nothing to grouse about!

We returned to London from our six week stay in the Scottish highlands on Friday bearing with us a brace of grouse – the UK grouse shooting season always opens on 12th August. The grouse were brought from George Gow, the excellent butcher in Kingussie for £5.30 each, which strikes me as very reasonable. He assured us that they had been shot locally, which I can well believe because cycling up in the hills around Newtonmore and Kingussie a few days before the 12th it was evident that there were lots of grouse around. Flocks would rise up from the heather as I passed. 

Plainly roasted on Friday the two little plump birds were delicious – the best grouse we have ever had, we decided, especially accompanied by a slice of George's Stornoway-recipe black pudding. A memorable bottle of 1979 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château de Beaucastel was a perfect match with its soft, cinnamon and spice and heady perfume. Only problem is that Kingussie is a long way to go to get some more grouse!  

 1979 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel

The hills are alive with grouse or they were before 12th August