Valminor, D.O Rias Baixas, 2004 -Spanish

Apologies for the long gap between postings, this is mainly due to moving house and the usual lack of time in a busy schedule. But back I am and pleased to start with a lovely wine experience.
At long last Monsieur Vin and I are settled in our new abode and thought we should celebrate this by going out for a nice meal. It's a tough choice in Edinburgh, there being so many restaurants but we eventually settled on a placed called Iggs. Described as a Spanish establishment with an extensive wine list to boot. Tucked away on Jeffrey Street it's a delightful restaurant with excellent ambiance, with a tapas bar next door too.
The mainly fish based menu drew me towards white rather than red. I know very little about Spanish wine and although it's always nice to find a fruity Rioja, my whites is limited. The wine list is indeed extensive and excellent with wines priced from around £20 up into the hundreds. We were offered advice on our choice too. I chose the Valminor as it's 100% Albarino, a grape I'm pretty sure I've tasted before and enjoyed and at £25.50 the price seemed reasonable too. D.O Rias Baixas is situated in the cooler climes of north-west Spain, close to the Portuguese border.
To look at: It's a deeper yellow than I expect and looks creamy.
On the nose: It has a rich honey aroma, floral notes but an underlying freshness of peaches. It's a complex wine, each time I have a smell it develops and changes.
To taste: Surprisingly light given it's colour and aromas. The acidity is really well balanced and bursts of citrus lemon takes me buy surprise.
Coupled with the starter tiger prawns wrapped in jamon and halibut as a main it's a great match. I'm certainly going to look out for this one. They have a great website too, you can check it out at http://www.adegasvalminor.com/en_bodega.html

Chandon Vintage Brut 2003 (Australia)

Purchased direct from the vineyard in the Yarra Valley and transported across the globe by an Aussie friend who had promised me I'd be around when the cork was finally popped and I'm really pleased to say she was true to her word.

Domaine Chandon Australia was established in the Yarra Valley, Victoria in 1986 by Moet & Chandon. On the front of the bottle it states the wine is a "Classic blend of premium Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meurier."

Made using Methode Traditionale (the same as Champagne but in a different region), blended with over 30 individual base wines and aged over yeast for 30 months.

At last on a breezy but mild Edinburgh night, only hours after Scotland had been beaten by Ireland in the Six Nations by only one point (far less than expected) Monsieur Vin and I made our way over Dean Bridge to a delightful apartment on Oxford Terrace.

The flat's bathed in subdued light and is warm and cosy after our walk across town. The bottle of Brut is prised open on arrival. The mousse looks smooth and inviting, I can't wait to try it. We chink glasses. The aroma hits my nostrils and they are filled with apple, pear, biscuits, toast and melons. It's smooth and creamy to taste, the bubbles bounce off my tongue and the taste lingers.

For my Aussie friend it brings back memories of home. Being at home in Melbourne, at the beach house, family occasions and ship launches (she's ex Australian forces). This makes it a top-class wine in my books.

Sincere thanks to my Aussie friend for this opportunity.

If you would like to try this one yourself it retails in the UK under the name Green Point but it's hard to come by. They have a website but it has a few errors on it.
http://www.greenpointwines.com.au/

Varramista - Syrah 1995 (Florence)

The history of the Varramista estate is fascinating and dates back to 1300 when it was donated to Gino di Neri Capponi (1350-1421) who led the Florentine militia to victory against the city of Pisa in 1406. Gino di Neri Capponi is said to have built the Villa as a solid outpost against the Pisans. More recently in 1953 designers and manufacturers of the legendary Vespa scooter Dr. Enrico Piaggio purchased the Villa and its land from the Marquis Folco Gentile Farinola, making it his country home and hunting property. You can read more on their website http://www.varramista.it/

I chose this one from the list because it was listed under the 'super tuscan' section of the wine list, it's 1995 (a good vintage for the area), and Monsiur Vin would like a relatively light wine. The bottle appears suitably dusty and has no reverse label.
There's a little bit of sediment when poured so we ask for the bottle to be decantered.

The restaurant Osteria de la Tattoria is tucked away in a street behind Santa Croce. The food was standard Italian fayre but service was a little disappointing e.g. they forgot our starters completely.

The wine
It's savoury and peppery on the nose an added mix of ripe red fruits. After time I sense a hint of woodiness too. To taste the pepperiness is evident and the fruits have become subtle undertones. The smoothness of the tannins make it a pleasant drink and with slices of tender beef cooked rare it is a pleasure.