Can almost taste the salt in this. Would not put it as SB blind. Nice legs, big mouth and a bit harsh. Not nasty but not my idea of SB, maybe it's 14% needs a little lie-down.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Ba.....You're on one of the newbies already

Yeah, thanks for the advice, confirms what I have done.... Ya know, I separated those off with other NZ pinot noir, and put them in the loft for the remainder of the winter, I have some '09 cheap claret up there as well for rounding out.

The white '08 burgundies go into current drinking - we know that '08 is lush now, and we know that '08 chablis at this level can be a bit fragile for the optimum d. window.

Cheers Ba - you are a sport for sure.

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Duncan

Sorry- miles off the thread topic !

we know that '08 is lush now.

Yeah I must qualify that - and to eliminate any confusion

A difficult vintage, but saved at the end. The 08's were easier in southern burgundy, Chalonnaise in particular. The unoaked white wines under £15 are at their best for drinking now. I would not keep many, for fear of loosing fruit and freshness. Beaujolais '08 not much cop at the cheap end, Nouveau best avoided, I thought

It is well known, and described as such, the '05 and '09 are of course, the lush vintages for burgundy in all areas. I shall build another collection of the '09s this time, while sampling some of my 5's

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Duncan

From what I've read about the Cartagena, including Mel & Ba's TN's, I think the wine's best suited for drinking with a meal, perhaps a good Sunday roast or a firm fish dish, Tuna or Peppered Monkfish. It doesn’t sound like a typical SB, I will be leaving mine until the time is right.

One other thing to consider, Bottle-shock? Wine fact or a load of old twaddle? Personally I wouldn’t open any wine that's just arrive after travelling for a day or two, although I would have thought modern whites are unaffected, if indeed bottle-shock does exist. Does anyone have any thoughts / experiences?

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Yep, Im still here.

Yep, I normally like to give a bottle a few days to settle but just couldn't wait after all the lead-up. Have been trying to think of something that it's "like" but am failing so far.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Finally got around to opening this last night, very spiky, brittle, there's a dry mustyness in the finish which reminds me of corked wine.

A bit of a struggle to drink alone but it went surprisingly well with my Chicken Korma dinner. I will leave the other two for a year, see what happens. Debating asking for a refund.

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Yep, Im still here.

I was curious. So I opened the Cartagena SB from Chile.
The pith on that wine has a sprinkling of Andrews liver salts on the lemon grass and green leaf (laurel bush) shoots. It may go with a bit more time.....It may not, and then, with further development, it may go flat.

I shall now work my way through it. However, Cartagena '09 at the mo, is not one to waste any shoe leather on.

Better with a fish starter perhaps, may be a fish pie of some sort, or grilled. Slightly better warmer.

Corked ......I can see that, the very 1st signs of oxidation in an SB - would give a faint bitter & musty twist, or a racking fault when siphoning off into some old washed out barrels. The early stalky Haut Poitou SB's were quite like this wine.....but were a lot cheaper, at full retail !

GK, Yeah we are all in accord, having given it a whirl on 3rd January. Mel says tart peapod, I went with laurel bush shoots that give-off a mildly bitter twist in their aromatic oils when you shear them.

Whatever, if this wine matures in the wrong way, we are all left with drain cleaner. It is definitely an oily fish palate cutter, perhaps Moule Mariniere. Acidity was quite high, I seem to remember ?? Had it been low, that tarty pith and laurel would'ave been pretty dull, and the wine would be on its way back to our high street purveyors. If it goes flat later, we also have to dump it, but then Marks may say - Well...... you've had this a long time ! Tricky.

I'll probably stay with it, cos the Chab and the St Veran reduce the price to 2.49 or less.... and the girls can drink the albarino supercooled (not really my scene) in the garden this summer as a sweety thirst quencher.

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Duncan

[quote="Duncan" and the girls can drink the albarino supercooled (not my scene) in the garden this summer[/quote]

...summer - nourishing thought, let's hope we get one. Beautiful sun here this morning. Cold but sunny.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

It is nourishing. I have some beaune, pernand vergelesses rouge, and 2 Chambolle saved for evenings under the old pear tree. Yum.... yum.... yum.

A nourishing thought, also, is that the 1er P..Verg is now double the price in two years. So I will luv it more

Ba - you did enjoy your white burg last night then ?

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Duncan

Sure did - if I remember correctly

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

I have found the solution to the Cartagena conundrum.

Mature Cheddar. Oh yes.

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Yep, Im still here.

Sounds like my kind of solution.

Cheese. Mmm.

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tribs

GK - That is excellent news and easy to achieve. I'm very fond of mature unpasteurised cheddar, with the mouldy green tinged rind and muslin outer layer left on. Otherwise, good ole west country cheddar left out of the fridge (but you need a larder), is also a fave.

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Duncan

Mrs GK & I were tired last night, neither of us wanted to cook, looked in fridge, fancy a cheese and tomato sandwich?

We had a slab of Lake District Co mature cheddar, I grabbed the other half of the bottle, picked at the cheese whilst making the sandwich's, had a sip. Hello? Heaven.

The SB 'saltyness' and firm acidity sliced through the glassy cheddar, met in the middle and did a little dance.

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Yep, Im still here.

Hopefully Cheddar will achieve Protected Geographical Indication as did Melton Mowbray pies.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.