The odd wine thread

I knew a shop where I buy a bottle or two of white colares every few years.
I once tried the red one and decided that I was not going to wait that long for it to mature.

Last week I stopped by the dealer again and they'd stopped selling the red Colares.
They still had one box though from 1983.
Which I bought. It looks like this old vinery will disappear when the owner goes.
Bottling and labelling is still done by hand.
If you fax them you have to phone first so they can take the embroidery off the fax.

I think the last vintage was 1995 but I'm not sure. They still use the grape together with Castelão in their 'Beira Mar', which they had to rename to 'Riba Mar' after some clever chaps trademarked the name.

A picture. Note the prominent display of the medals it won. In Belgrado. In 1960 or so.

Sounds expensive.

BigH, the 1983 bottles cost me 18 euros a piece. 12 pounds. Okay so that's probably underpriced. The 1957 bottle: I don't know, but I doubt if it would be that expensive on the market now. There's a market for old bottles.

munch, I hardly remember the excess tannins were gone, leaving something well balanced and well, unusual. I think it was a bit like the Bandol I've got from 1993. The Bandol took 10 years to soften up.

So one can skip waiting for decades and buy at a place like this.
Costs 125 euro there.

It doesn't occur to me to decant old wine and I don't see people around me do that either.

Rather, keep it in its inclined position, move gently, keep pouring. And I have a certain tolerance for sediment once the bottle nears the end. That may be a key factor..

Interesting thread....

I'm curious what's in the bottles in the background of your pics though....????

Also, did you drink it alone or share the experience, and was it during a meal or did the wine accompany some old stinky cheese.....although the cheese probably wasn't as old as the wine, hopefully!

Cheers,
Ali

Ali,

Those bottles must be 50 years old as well. You get a glimpse of the state the caps are in. I once opened one of the bottles and threw it away. Some cheap gueuze and ginger ale and two bottles of trappist. Good gueuze can age for 20 years and longer, but not this stuff and not with caps. I like Gueuze.

I drank the wine at the birthday of my father in law, who's been in the wine trade for many years. It was a hot day and this was one of the bottles opened late in the evening.

quote:

gueuze

Is that a dark Belgium beer? I seem to remember a beer with a similar/same name but it was over 40 years ago so memory chip may be playing up by now.

Howard

Howard,

It's a light beer, a bit more orange than Pils. It's Lambic that's been given the champagne treatment. Lambic is a sour beer of spontaneous fermentation. It's then aged, blended and bottled with added yeast for a second fermentation.

If tart cherries are added the result is the more fruity "Kriek".

OK right name wrong beer. Any idea if Belgium has a dark beer, not as dark as Guinness, perhaps more like mild or brown ale?

Leffe Brun maybe? Thats a dark beer as opposed to Leffe Blond which is a typical Belgian light beer. Both are widely available (Tesco/Sainsbury/Majestic)

I'm not necessarily going to buy any I was trying to "mend" my memories of 1963. A group of 16 year old scouts (seniors) let loose in the Ardennes towns. Trying all these "new" beers. A change from Watneys Red Barrel and the like.

On second thoughts I might just try some of those other beers.

Back on track I did have a taste of a South African red made with Pinotage grape on Saturday that was very pleasant, good fruity taste and judging by what it did to the ladies quite strong.I don't have the details,it was at a Chef and Brewer though.

Howard

I enjoy Pinotage that's made on any day of the week, not just Saturday!

Seriously folks, Marks & Sparks are doing some really scrummy Pinotage blends. 14.5% stuff. Blows your socks off!

Never short of a grammar lesson on this forum.
I looked in M & S but couldn't see any Pinotage. Is 14% high then?
I'll try to buy again at the W/E.

Sorry BigH, I don't think there's anything wrong with your grammar, just an opportunity for me to be silly!

When you're in M&S, keep your eye out for a bottle of "Knock on Wood", a South African blend of Pinotage, Cab. Sauv., Shiraz and Petite Verdot; bit pricey at about £12 but well worth it for a treat!

Thanks tonym I wasn't upset I just forgot the smilie.
I'll look out for the "Knock on Wood".

Howard, there are plenty dark beers in Belgium, including scotch, ale and stout of british inspiration. Maybe the one you discovered was a Trappist?

The pinotage should contrast nicely with the portuguese wine at the opposite end of the spectrum. In fact I doubt if many people would enjoy the Colares.

Here's the white one. Extra dry. (Next up: Klevener de Heiligenstein.)

quote:

Originally posted by AlexanderVH:
Ali,

Those bottles must be 50 years old as well. You get a glimpse of the state the caps are in. I once opened one of the bottles and threw it away. Some cheap gueuze and ginger ale and two bottles of trappist. Good gueuze can age for 20 years and longer, but not this stuff and not with caps. I like Gueuze.

I drank the wine at the birthday of my father in law, who's been in the wine trade for many years. It was a hot day and this was one of the bottles opened late in the evening.

The oldest thing I own, at the moment, is a 1985 Delaforce vintage port - which I've had a few of in the past and they are lush!!

Here's what my humble collection looked like almost a year ago, needless to say it has expanded somewhat since!



And going back to Bruges, we had a great time there and discovered a great Belgium beer - Burges Zot!

It's a blonde, double fermented, beer and it's really refreshing served chilled.......



They, the half moon brewery (only one in Bruges itself) do a dark "dubbel" version too, for those that way inclined, but I preferred the crisp blonde......

Found the pub of my dreams too - check out the menu below, the brown pages list what's for eating, the white one's what's for drinking, listed by Brewery, Beer name and description, type and percentage etc......couldn't ask for more!!!



Cheers,
Ali

Ali,

The only thing I tasted from your picture is Graham's.
I've drunk vintage 1972 and 1978 and thought, this is great stuff but it's too young
Which means, I think, that I don't get it.
As with australian wine, the intent to get well acquainted is there, it's just a matter of when and how..

Beers: you could try Duvel if you get the chance. It's widely available, so it's mass production, but still worth it.
It's over 8% though. I bought some bottles of Malheur 6% blond lately which I'd recommend.

ATB,
Alexander

Klevener de Heiligenstein

...or Savagnin Rose, is an old grape. It's a descendant of the Savagnin or its close relative the Traminer.
Gewürztraminer is a stronger variant that came later on.
Klevener only grows in Heiligenstein in Alsace. Or so they say.
The Germans call their Gewürztraminer Roter Traminer. Or they say it's just very similar.
Some Gewürztraminer is light enough that it could actually be Savagnin Rose.
In France Klevner often means Pinot Blanc or Auxerrois. In Austria Klevner or Clevner is pinot blanc.
I think I need to lie down for a moment.

So the geneology is confused. To add confusion the spelling is often mixed up as well.
For example, it's spelled genealogy, with an a.

So Klevener tastes like a light Gewürztraminer.
Because its taste is not as powerful it can be nicely combined with food.

It was interesting to taste the years 2003 and 2004 side by side. 2003 was warm, 2004 er, not.
2003 has more concentration, more body, 2004 has more acidity and is livelier.
Turn it around and you have two ways to mess up a wine
I liked them. I had a bottle of their "Réserve du Président", but I don't remember when I emptied that one.

I'm quite fond of wine from the Alsace, especially Riesling and Pinot Gris.
I've enjoyed Gewürztraminer too but it varies.
Take Mittnacht Freres(Hunawihr, not Mittnacht Klack).Some of their Gewürztraminer had good acidity.
They also had a white sediment of tartaric acid(spontaneous?).
Then other bottles didn't have enough acidity and it turned out the clients had complained about the white sediment.
Makes you want to hit them over the head with the empty bottle.
I bought some 2004 but haven't tasted it yet.
Pinot blanc lacks character a bit. There must be counterexamples though.

Having tasted some Riesling a while back(don't remember the name) that had quite some 'gewürz' taste in it
I still wonder to what extent the 'spice' is from the grape or from the soil. Is Gewürztraminer added to Riesling sometimes?

Below a picture of the Klevener 2003, functioning as beaks(see Totem Beaks) on part of my system.
Gewürztraminer has a slightly more beneficial effect on the sound than Klevener, but it depends on the vintage obviously.

They changed labels in 2004:

Had the pleasure last night of sharing this.......



My gorgeous other half's boss was over for a visit and while out for a meal he decided to treat us!!
He asked what I would like, as he was driving, and I said "just a nice red....."
It was very amusing when the waiter came back for a second time, with his thumb under the price, pointing at the wine on the list, just to be sure he had heard him correctly.....

To say it was very nice does not do it justice!

It did go down well with my steak though.

Cheers,
Ali

Got a £25 off voucher for Laithwaite's (minimum purchase £70) with my latest Amazon purchase.

hm, Talbot. I can only guess what that tastes like

Malky, if you want some uneducated advice off people who don't mind spending other's money just give the word!

Let me see. Vin Jaune.