Gareth's wine extravaganza

GP has been educating us all in the mystical art and lore of wine. Sadly I don't remember much from our visit to Chateau Prior. I may have been slightly sloshed. For those (like the Bishop of Southwark) who don't remember much about the evening here are the Prior's notes.

Wine	Grape	Basic Info	Notes on the Night
Loosen Bros, Riesling, 2005	Riesling, Germany	Crisp, light wine with refreshingly low alcohol (you can drink it all day without feeling groggy). Perfect for sipping through a lazy summer afternoon.	Slightly sweet (but not enough to be a problem), light and a good palate cleanser. Slightly minerally (in a good way).
Gaspard de Thaumassiere, Sancerre, 2005	Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley	This one’s on the recommendation of the oddbins people and I’ve not tried it before. I’d imagine it tastes like a young gazelle leaping over the mountain streams. Either that or like a Sauvignon Blanc (normally flower/appley/sharp minerally).	People were divided between liking the crispness and thinking that it didn’t taste of anything. Definite sharp acidic edge, like biting into a cooking apple. Colder climate in this case equals less sugar and more acidity.
Vincent Girardin, Mersault, 2003	Chardonnay, Burgundy	The first of two chardonnays. Forget everything you love or hate about pureed-oak new world chardonnay – these are the genuine article. Nutty buttery – compare with the Chablis to see the subtleties of both at their best.	Bone dry but still creamy. Vanillary but not overpoweringly oakey. Much bigger in the mouth than the sancerre – viscous (look at the legs) due to higher alcohol.
Verget “Vaillons”, Chablis 1er Cru, 2002	Chardonnay, Burgundy	Dry, creamy, buttery vanilla. Magnificent – could almost turn me into a regular white drinker. Restrained oak is the key here (vanilla doesn’t get better with volume).	Buttery verging on vegetal. A definite love or hate reaction – some people didn’t like at all. Very subtle compound flavours, length & depth.
Verget “Vaillons”, Chablis 1er Cru, 2002	Chardonnay, Burgundy	Dry, creamy, buttery vanilla. Magnificent – could almost turn me into a regular white drinker. Restrained oak is the key here (vanilla doesn’t get better with volume).	Buttery verging on vegetal. A definite love or hate reaction – some people didn’t like at all. Very subtle compound flavours, length & depth.
Bouchard Pere et Fils, Gevrey-Chambertin, 2001	Pinot Noir, Burgundy	“I forget the name of the town, I forget the name of the girl, but the wine…was Chambertin” – much lighter than the Cabernet/Syrah/Merlot style of reds, this is a scaled-down (and affordable) version of [probably] the most elegant red wine on the planet. Like candle-lit sex while Beethoven’s 7th Symphony (2nd movement, naturally) plays in the background.	Some disagreement over whether or not it really did taste as described on the left (maybe Rachmaninov’s 2nd piano concerto rather than Beethoven’s 7th symphony?). Superb – still on the ascendant and slightly tannic, but beautifully rounded and smooth.
M Chapoutier “Belleruche”, Cotes de Rhone, 2004	Grenache (95%) plus 5% other permitted grapes, Rhone	Big young red with knobs on – the first of two Rhone reds. With concentration and a bit of autosuggestion you’ll probably be able to make out a distinct cherry smell. Subtly tannic but not overly astringent – hence younger-drinking than many other wines from the region.	Initially got a “wow” from many people, but quickly disintegrated into unbalanced tannins and a distinct lack of length. Personally I found this one disappointing on the night, and not much chance of ageing well either. Would make good gravy though.
Paul Jaboulet Aine “Domaine de Thalabert”, Crozes-Hermitage, 2000	Syrah (“Shiraz”), Rhone	The best example of syrah in this price bracket from anywhere in the world . A classic, full-bodied, elegant Northern Rhone red. This is the style that industrial new world supermarket shiraz gave up trying to emulate years ago.	The first wine to get a unanimous thumbs-up. I’ve drunk this many times but it never ceases to delight – could happily age for another 15+ years but wonderfully drinkable now.
Grant Burge “Shadrach”, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2000	Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia	Flagship Cabernet Sauvignon wine from one of the top Barossa Valley (Australian) producers. I’ve not tasted it before, so blame Neillsen if it’s rubbish. Should be fascinating to compare with the Merlot-dominated St Emilion (all new world Cabernets have an Oedipus complex about Bordeaux reds).	The most popular red by some margin. Fruity, big, oaky. Personally I found the oak too much, but that’s just a matter of preference, and this is nonetheless a very good example of new world C-S. Maybe I’m just exhibiting sour grapes…
Clos Canon, St Emilion Grand Cru Classe, 2001	Merlot (75%) and Cabernet Franc (25%), Bordeaux	Second wine of Chateau Canon (a top tier right bank Bordeaux). High proportion of Merlot makes for younger drinking than more CS-dominated left bank clarets (because less astringent than CS). Nonetheless, complex tannins and superb balance make for a properly interesting wine.	For some this was a let-down after the previous oomph, though a few preferred it. Had opened up nicely after 6 hours in the decanter, with balanced tannins carrying a payload of complex fruit and smoke flavours. Thumbs up.