Held at John and Sheila’s on Tuesday 17^th May 2022 where we hope that our members enjoyed the afternoon.

 

WINE NO 1.    2020 MAR I MUNTANYA EMPORDA GARNACH SPAIN. 14.5%VOL. PURCHASED FROM LIDL AT £5.99.

This offering had a good healthy appearance with a strong red colour. The bouquet was pleasant but week. There was a strong sweetness with balanced acidity, little tannins and a medium body. Good flavour was evident with some lasting taste. This wine was enjoyed and attracted an average score of 7.5/10.

 

WINE NO 2.   2020 PONCE DE LEON TEMPRANILLO SPAIN.  14%VOL. PURCHASED FROM LIDL AT £4.99.

From Northern Spain this wine had a bright appearance, with deep ruby tones. The bouquet had a slightly musty smell with plum overtones, but was well balanced with strong tannins. It had a medium body and good fruit taste. The flavour did last and we gave it an average score of 6/10. There was a mixed reaction to this wine, which was perhaps understandable given the price!

 

                                                                                                               JOHN BENFIELD.

 

 

 Held at Molly and Dave’s on Tuesday 19^th April, where we had a great afternoon viewing Dave & Molly’s  old photos whilst being very well entertained.

 

Wine No1.   2020 Original Series Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Stellenbosch South Africa. 13.5% Vol.  Purchased from Asda at £6.50.

This blend brings a deep rich wine that has a pleasant healthy appearance appearance. With a deeply intense ruby sight, it had a pleasant bouquet with a dark fruit character  Good sweetness on the tongue allied to balanced acidity and little tannins, this wine had a medium body and good lasting fruit taste. We all enjoyed this offering.  It attracted an average score of 8/10.  Recommended.

 

Wine No2.  2020 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand.  14%Vol.  Purchased from Asda at £9.

Capturing the special cool climate of New Zealand this elegant wine has a bright medium intensity Red/Ruby appearance and has a pleasant bouquet. We found it difficult to identify the underlying character of this wine, but it had plenty of sweetness on the tongue, a tart acidity and plenty of tannins. With a medium body and a little fruit taste, it had a good length of flavour. We gave it an average score of 7/10. A pleasant wine.

 

                                                                                                                   John Benfield.

Held at Ray & June’s on Tuesday 29th March 2022, where we were treated to a lovely afternoon of good food and wine by our hosts. Wine no 1. 2020 Vall del Bio Malbec, Chile. 14% vol. purchased from coop at £8. This smooth Malbec from one of Chile’s southernmost winemaking regions offered a pleasant bouquet with a medium intensity. We all offered quite different views on fruit character. There was sweetness apparent with balanced acidity and plenty of tannins with a medium body and plenty of fruit taste, it had a good lasting flavour. One of us managed to guess the country of origin. This wine was appreciated by us all and attracted an average score of 8.5/10. Recommended. Wine no 2. 2020 Hardy’s Shiraz Mourvedre wine of Australia purchased from coop at £7.25. Made by one of Australia’s most renowned winemakers this offering had a bright, healthy appearance with ruby notes a pleasant bouquet with medium intensity, offering flavours of black cherry and mulberry, it had lots of sweetness and balanced acidity. There were some tannins evident and the wine had plenty of lasting fruit taste in the mouth. Our members gave it an average score of 7.5/10, and we enjoyed this wine. John Benfield.

 

WINE TASTING GROUP.

Held by Jenny at Pat’s on Tuesday 22^nd. February  2022  where we had a lovely afternoon and were well entertained.

Wine no 1.  2019 Graffigna Malbec Reserve, Argentina 13.5% vol. from Sainsbury’s at £7. (reduced from £10)  with a bright healthy appearance of deep intensity this purple offering has a mixed, pleasant, medium bouquet. There was some sweetness on the tongue, with a lasting fairly balanced acidity, with light tannins. The body was fairly light, and it had a good fruit taste with a lasting flavour.    This wine attracted an average score of 7/10 and had a mixed reaction.

Wine no 2. 2020  Beyerskloof Pinotage, Western Cape, South Africa. 13.5%vol.  purchased from Sainsbury’s at £6.  This wine from the Beyers Truter vineyards of the Western Cape has a bright deep intensity with ruby and purple hues. The bouquet was a pleasant medium offering with a very mixed character. Good sweetness on the tongue with a medium acidity and some tannins, gave this offering a good fruit taste, and a lasting flavour. It attracted an average score of 8/10 and was enjoyed by us all.  Recommended.

 

                                          JOHN BENFIELD.

 WINE TASTING GROUP.

Held at Molly and Dave’s on Tuesday 26^th October 2021, where we were entertained royally by our hosts.

 

WINE NO 1.  2020 ROSEMOUNT ESTATE SHIRAZ, SE AUSTRALIA. 13.5%VOL. PURCHASED FROM MORRISONS AT £6.50.

THIS DIAMOND SELECTION SHIRAZ HAS A BRIGHT HEALTHY APPEARANCE,WITH A DEEP RUBY FINISH.THE BOUQUET WAS ESPECIALY PLEASANT  WITH A MIXED CHARACTER WHICH WE FOUND QUITE DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY. IT HAD A JUICY SWEETNESS, BALANCED ACIDITY AND SOME TANNINS. A MEDIUM BODY AND GOOD FRUIT TASTE GAVE IT A LASTING TASTE WHICH WAS ENJOYED BY ALL OF US.

WE GAVE THIS AN AVERAGE SCORE OF 8.5/10.  GOOD VALUE.

 

WINE NO 2.  2020 MOST WANTED MALBEC, SWARTLAND SOUTH AFRICA.  13.5%VOL.  PURCHASED FROM MORRISONS AT £7.75.

THIS WINE HAS A VERY CLEAN HEALTHY SIGHT WITH A DEEP INTENSE RUBY COLOUR. A PLEASANT STRONG BOUQUET IT HAD A CHARACTER WHICH WAS QUITE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE, BUT WAS VERY BALANCED WITH ITS ACIDITY, SOME TANNINS AND GOOD FRUIT TASTES  IN THE MOUTH. THE FLAVOUR DID LAST WELL.

THIS OFFERING ATTRACTED AN AVERAGE SCORE OF 8/10.  RECOMMENDED.

 

                                                                    JOHN BENFIELD.

 WINE TASTING GROUP.

HELD AT JACK&JOAN’S ON 24^TH AUG 2021, WHERE WE HAD A LOVELY AFTERNOON BEING ENTERTAINED BY OUR EXCELLENT HOSTS.

 

WINE NO. 1.  2019 CASSILLERO DEL DIABLO CABERNET SAUVIGNON VALLE CENTRAL. CHILE. 13.5%VOL. PURCHASED FROM ASDA AT £6.

THIS WINE HAS A HEALTHY DEEP CLARITY, WITH A STRONG RUBY APPEARANCE, AND MEDIUM INTENSITY. WITH A PLEASANT BOUQUET IT HAS QUITE   A NUMBER OF COMPLEX CHARACTERISATIONS. THERE WAS SOME SWEETNESS EVIDENT IN THE TASTE, AND IT HAD QUITE TART ACIDITY.A FAIRLY LIGHT  BODY WITH GOOD FRUIT TASTE, THE FLAVOUR LASTED VERY WELL. WE ALL APPRECIATED THIS OFFERING AND IT ATTRACTED AN AVERAGE SCORE OF 7/10.

 

WINE NO.2.  2020 HARDY’S CREST SHIRAZ SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA. 14%VOL. PURCHASEDE FROM ASDA AT £6.

WITH A BRIGHT DEEP INTENSITY THIS RUBY COLOURED WINE HAD A GOOD BOUQUET WITH PLENTY OF SWEETNESS.THERE WAS BALANCED ACIDITY AND LOTS OF TANNINS. IT HAD A MEDIUM BODY, AND GOOD FRIUT TASTE. THE FLAVOUR LASTED VERY WELL. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE OF OUR MEMBERS WHO DIDN’T LIKE IT, THIS WINE WAS GENERALLY APPRECIATED AND ATTRACTED AN AVERAGE SCORE OF 8.5/10.

 John Benfield

 Held at John& Sheila’s on the Tuesday 23^rd Nov 2021, where we had a very pleasant afternoon.

 

WINE NO1.  2019 VIN DE BOURGOUGNE MACON FRANCE. 13%VOL.                                      PURCHASED FROM LIDL AT £9.

THIS OFFERING HAD A BRIGHT, HEALTHY RUBY APPEARANCE. THERE WAS A SLIGHTLY MUSTY BOUQUET OF MEDIUM INTENSITY. BALANCED ACIDITY ALLIED TO SOME TANNINS LEFT SOME FRUIT TASTE, WITH A LITTLE LASTING FLAVOUR. THIS WINE ATTRACTED AN  AVERAGE SCORE OF 6.6/10. THIS WAS NOT RECOMMENDED AT THE PRICE.

 

WINE NO2.  2019 TAMING THE TIGER MERLOT SOUTH AFRICA. 13.5%VOL. PURCHASED FROM LIDL AT £6.  WITH A BRIGHT APPEARANCE AND STRONG RUBY INTENSITY IT HAD A PLEASANT BOUQUET WITH A MIXED CHARACTER WHICH WE FOUND DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY. THERE WAS SWEETNESS DETECTED, A BALANCED ACIDITY AND STRONG TANNINS.THE FRUIT TASTE LASTED WELL. THIS WINE ATTRACTED AN AVERAGE SCORE OF 7.2/10 AND IS RECOMMENDED.

 

THE WINE TASTING GROUP WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF WISHING YOU ALL THE COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON.

                                                      

                                                     JOHN BENFIELD.