February 2012 Meeting - Laithwaites' Bin End Wines

Mike Reeves chose the title ‘Bin Ends’ for his presentation of a selection of wines from Laithwaites Wine on 21 February.

Mike started the tasting with a bottle of Alessandro Gallici Pinot Grigio 2010 (£6.99).  Made from 100% Pinot Grigio, this pale straw coloured wine from the Veneto region in Northern Italy had floral aromas with subtle notes of apple, lemon and pear and was crisp and citrusy on the palate with hints of white peach, pear and apple.  A Fleur de Roche Sauvignon 2010 (£6.39) from the Domaine de Juglaron in the Cotes de Gascogne followed.  Another pale straw coloured wine, though with greenish hints, this 100% Sauvignon Blanc had aromas of green apple, citrus and floral notes and tasted very dry with a grassy, green apple, peach and mineral finish.  The third white wine was a Don Cayetano Chardonnay 2011 (£6.99) from the Valley Central in Chile.  100% Chardonnay, the wine was pale, greenish gold in colour, had aromas of lemon, melon and blossom and had subtle tastes of pineapple, peach and fresh citrus.

The first of the reds that Mike offered was a Les Portes de Bordeaux 2010 (£7.99) from the winemaker Cyrille Roche.  A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep ruby coloured wine had bouquets of raspberry and redcurrant and was smooth and round on the palate with flavours of lush plumy fruit.  Next up was a 70% Syrah, 30% Malbec blend from Mendoza in Argentina.  The Holdings 2010 (£7.49) from the Zuccardi cellar had a deep blackish-red hue, spicy redcurrant, blackberry and cassis aromas and a rounded deep black-red fruit palate with hints of spice tobacco.  The final red was a Saracosa 2009 Rosso di Toscano DOC (£6.99).  This mid-depth scarlet blend of 60% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet and 15% Merlot produced by winemaker Simona Barbanera had a delicious cherry, plum and spice aroma and had a silky, cherry, plumy dark chocolate taste with just a hint of spice.

On the whole, an interesting and varied selection of wines from Laithwaites Wine, which Mike rounded off with a very tasty port.