November meeting

Meeting at Dave and Molly's we enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon, being given a taste of the Pinot Noir grape , but from two very different parts of the wine growing world Our first tasting was of a 2011 FRENCH PINOT NOIR,PAYS D'OC PRODUCED BY LE MANOIR du BARON, purchased from Asda at £6.98. This wine has balanced red berry flavours with a vanilla richness. It has a clear fresh colour, with a pleasant smell, was quite tart , but the taste did not last. The general feeling was that whilst quite pleasant, this was not too popular. However it did receive a fairly good average score of 6.8. Our second wine was from the other side of the world. This was a 2011 AUSTRALIAN RESERVE PINOT NOIR PRODUCED BY JACOBS CREEK, costing £5 from Asda. This wine from the Adelaide Hills region of Australia has a cool climate ideal for developing delicate complex flavours,colours and natural acidity. This wine has flavours of black cherry and strawberry, giving it a lingering finish. We all preferred this Pinot despite the cheaper price.It had a bright clear red colour, with tartness and a light body. Whilst both wines were from the same grape, it is interesting to note the subtle difference showing in them, when produced in different continents.This wine received an average score of 7.0 Our thanks are given to Dave and Molly for their hospitality and the good selection of cheese and biscuits were very much appreciated. Our next meeting, which will have a distinctively festive feel to it, will be held at June and Ray's on 20th December, where I've no doubt, we will be raising a glass, to wish everyone at TOTTON U3A the compliments of the Season. JOHN BENFIELD.