James Bercovici - The Big Red Wine Company

Our friend from Denmark, Birger Vejrum, organised a wine tasting lunch at La Trompette sand, inevitably, I couldn't resist. On arrival at midday, there were 14 wines to taste, all from Roero producers, ranging from white wines made from the indigenous Arneis grape, through Barberas and Nebbiolos to Roero reds (also from Nebbiolo). Five producers were represented including Fabrizio Battaglino and Filippo Gallino . There were just two whites, both with the Roero designation: a 2011 from Ca'Rossa had immediate appeal whereas Fabrizio's 2010 showed more mineral complexity and potential to age and develop over four or five years. The Barbera grape was represented by Ca'Rossa whose 2009 "Mulassa" is very fruity with quite a rich nose but was quickly put in the shade by Gallino's 2007 Superiore with its structure and depth of fruit which had more complexity (undergrowth etc). Maybe this will have to be added to my next shopping list. A few Nebbiolo d'A...

At last the 2010 wines from Domaine Joblot , the greatest estate in Givry have been assembled, bottled, shipped and cracked open, this last effort completed by me. What a treat! Before getting on with the whites, we sneaked a peak at two of the reds: the non-Premier Cru "Pied au Chaume" and the Premier Cru "Clos Marole" , the only wine that had been assembled last August when I visited the estate. At that time, this had been the wine which had given me the most trouble but that is not unusual for a recently blended wine (often at Beaucastel tastings, I find the recently blended whole is not greater than the sum of its parts but after a couple of years...). I will come back to these later. So, the whites. It seemed logical to try the Vieilles Vignes "En Veau" first although, this being Burgundy, logic is not always the best measure, of course. This wine has lovely rounded Chardonnay fruit well wrapped in sweet oak, not too much of course but enough t...

For some inexplicable reason, I was invited to a tasting put together by the Primum Familiae Vinum group of twelve of Europe's leading wine families which took place in one of the ballrooms at the Park Lane Hilton yesterday. I am not complaining! This was a rare opportunity to taste wines from Joseph Drouhin, Egon Muller, Sassicaia, Vega Sicilia and Mouton Rothschild, amongst others. I did. I began with a couple of Egon Muller wines: the Scharzhofberger Spatlese 2010 followed by the Auslese. Where the Spatlese had a delicious tropical grapefruit nose and full palate with sweet fruit and tangy acidity, the Auslese was more so. Astonishing really. I am a convert! I confess to being a little underwhelmed by one or two of the wines I tasted from Tenuta San Guido until, that is, I got to Sassicaia itself. A 2008, this was inevitably too young: restrained and tight but with a promise of things to come. Chateau de Beaucastel was next door so I jumped in with the 2009 Gigondas ...

I hadn't tasted this since the en primeur  tastings back in 2010 so, the wine having arrived at last, I wanted to see how the 2009 Vinsobres "Les Cornuds" has turned out. Rather good, actually, although this was never really in doubt. Lovely black fruit (with a hint of red) and the inevitable tar/ garrigue /herb characters too. Most important, you can drink this now although it will soften and round out over the next year or so and drink well for at least five years.

Having finally finalised my order with Mauro Manzone (of Giovanni Manzone), I have done what I always do, albeit a couple of hours early: cracked open a bottle. This one is the 2006 Barolo Le Gramolere in Monforte d'Alba. This site tends to give medium-bodied but luscious wines and this is no exception. The reason for opening it so early is that I feared it would be a typical 2006, overloaded with tannins. Yes, the tannins are noticeable but they will soften in the couple of hours or so between now and my (wholly inappropriate) dinner and they don't get in the way of the sweet cherry/berry fruit and liquorice/tar characters. This wine has the ethereal quality that I want from a fine Nebbiolo. It doesn't disappoint.

Peter McCombie MW seems to like the wines of Baglio del Cristo di Campobello in the Italy 2012 supplement to Decanter - well, who can blame him? The more basic cuvees have lots to offer but it is the two prestige wines that really excite. Lu Patri 2008 : "Wide range of red and black fruit flavours, plenty of freshness and some grip; really a food wine. Very well made, will age and improve" 18/20 Lusira 2008 : "Quite ripe and berryish Syrah with nice richness and palate weight. Well crafted with smooth tannins" 17.5/20

A bit late in the day to update this but they are as follows: 26th November - Barton Mills 3rd December - Norwich Please get in touch if you want to come along and I will let you know times and locations!