WINE TASTING TUESDAY 26^TH. MARCH.

The group met at John and Sheila’s for a very pleasant afternoon of tastings with cheese and biscuits.

The first wine tasted was probably one of the most complex that we have tried, in as much that it scored the highest, and lowest markings, we have had, of any wine we’ve tried since we formed this group. Such is the diversity of peoples tastes. This wine was a 2011Cabernet Sauvignon Pay d OC from Languedoc France, priced at £6.97 from Asda. This wine has a distinctive blackcurrent flavour, but such was the difference in people’s view of this wine, that there was no real agreement amongst us all, over any of its characteristics. It received a score of 9/10 down to 4/10 with an average of 6.5.

The second wine tasted was a 2012 Shiraz from the Western Cape in South Africa again purchased from Asda at a reduced price of £5. This wine has a fruity nose with a spicy finish, and was generally preferred to the first wine with much more uniformity of opinion. It had a pale appearance but was bright and clean smelling, with a medium strength taste. The smell was quite slight, yet distinctive, with some tannin but very little acidity. It was felt that the taste did not last. Shiraz is best drunk as a fairly young wine, and is produced widely in Australia and California as well as South Africa. This wine attracted an average score of 7/10.

The next meeting of the group will be at Ray and Junes on April 30^th.

John Benfield.  

WINE TASTING GROUP TUESDAY 29TH JANUARY 2013.

The Wine Tasting Group met at Brian & Pat’s for a very pleasant afternoon of tasting with a very good selection of cheese and biscuits, supplied by our hosts, to accompany the wine. The first wine we tried was a 2011 ISLA NEGRA MERLOT RESERVA from Morrisons priced at £5. This wine is produced in the Valle Central area of Chile. Isla Negra is a seaside village famous for artists and writers inspired by the ocean and the mystical landscape. I suspect that the wine must have some attraction as well! Members felt that this wine was very drinkable, but with a very unusual musty nose. Only one person did not like it, but even then it received an average score of 7.2. We felt that this was, a very clean, balanced, healthy looking wine, with a good flavour that lasted.

 The second wine was a 2012 HARDY’S BANKSIDE SHIRAZ again purchased from Morrisons at a very reasonable £3.99. This fruity wine has notes of bramble and a hint of spice in the finish. This wine comes from South East Australia and is a product of one of the countrys oldest vinyards, Hardy’s, who have been producing wine since 1853. They bought a large block of land alongside the Torrens river which is where the Bankside cellars were built. The cellars were destroyed by fire, but the name was used for this wine in memory of them. Our members quite liked this wine, which they felt was a healthy ruby coloured, pleasant fruity drink with a flavour that lasted.

 JOHN BENFIELD.

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.

October

The group met at Jack & Joan's for a very pleasant afternoon, with some interesting wines, and an excellent selection of cheese and biscuits. Wine No 1 was a 2010 French Red Burgundy Pinot Noir costing £5 from Asda. This wine had elegant cherry flavours, and was medium bodied. It was felt that this wine had a good clean, bright appearance, with a pleasant smell, a light body, with a good lasting flavour.The group gave this wine an average score of 6.5. Wine No 2 was a 2010 French Minervois from the Languedoc region, also from Asda and costing £5. This is an elegant wine full of sweet ripe fruit, and silky tannins.This wine had a hazy appearance with a deep intensity, quite a sweet taste, slightly tart acidity, and long lasting flavour. It was preferred to the first wine with an average score of 7.0 John Benfield.