Sunday 15 June 2008

Burgundy Wine Tasting - Arno's Wine Club - Edinburgh

Arno is a man who clearly knows his stuff when it comes to French wine. It's the first tasting session I have been to in Edinburgh that isn't interested in what you purchase but aims to provide you with information about the area the wine comes from (in form of OHP ), a bit of history, terroir and the grapes.
I have my Aussie mate in tow who admits she knows nothing about French wine but is a prolific drinker of Aussie wine and dabbles a little with the odd Italian. She discovers all the reds will be Pinot Noir and all the whites will be Chardonnay as this is a Burgundy wine tasting, a strange concept for an Australian.

I relish the opportunity to try £70 bottle of Burgundy and hope I am not disappointed.

The wines we tried:
The Whites
Domaine Bouchard 2004 Prem Cru £23.95
Puligny Montrachet, Domaine des Lambrays 2005 Prem Cru £52.00
Meusault-Charmes 2001 Prem Cru £70.00

The Reds
Macon Louis Latour 2005
Lavigny Les Beaune 2005 £20
Domaine Faiveley, Clos des Cortons, Grand Cru , 2000 £80

Apologies if these names aren't quite correct, but all the wines were delightful and my notes leave a lot to be desired.

The whites provide various levels of lovely toast and vanilla but it has to be said the Meusault-Charmes had an excellent balance and good length. The cheaper ones are sharper and less smooth but have great qualities at a more reasonable price. My fellow tasters were certainly from the more affluent areas of Edinburgh and it is certainly the first time I have heard the suggestion for a food match "Oh I think this wine would go beautifully with foire grois, what"

The reds are good too, lots of earthy mushroomy aromas to fill the nostrils. The grand cru is a complex mix of all things pinot, but £80? I'm not sure.

If I had to pick a favourite it would be the Domaine des Lambrays 2005 Prem Cru

All in all a fantastic evening and some great discoveries including where the Edinburgh hoy poloy hang out of an evening.

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