Wine Club 42 Winner!

This week saw the 42nd round of Highbury Library Wine Club. here is a breakdown of what we drank and how each wine was received across the two nights.

We started things off with a Pet Nat to refresh everyone on the warm evening and Cinciallegra 2023 seemed like the perfect tonic. This combination of Trebbiano and Garganega grapes grown near Verona in Veneto is only 10.5% in alcohol but packs plenty of tropical and citrus fruit along with subtle spice and herbal notes. It went down with some speed!

Next we went to Alsace to try one of Anais Fanti's much loved expressions of Gewurztraminer. Costa Rawa 2024 sees two weeks of skin contact and shows intense spicy aromas such as Szechuan pepper alongside lychees and other tropical fruits. Although this can be somewhat of a Marmite variety, the wine scored really highly over the two nights and drinkers enjoyed being able to taste a cuvée that always sells out quickly.

Two white bottles came next to serve as examples of how natural wine doesn't have to be strange or funky. Montcrochet 2023 is a relatively new cuvée from Loire winemaking legend Hervé Villemade which utilises Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Rose, Chardonnay and Menu Pineau grapes. 55% is aged in Amphora which is Hervé's preferred vessel for élevage now after giving up his barrels some years ago. This brings a wonderful texture to the wine which was appreciated by many in the crowd but others are still too haunted by bad expressions of Sauvignon Blanc and apparently need some time to get over this trauma. Le Même Azimut 2024 is a resulting wine from Alice & Oliver De Moor's negotiant project Le Vandangeur Masqué where grapes are sourced from other organic growers, this time in Alsace. The blend of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Muscat was enjoyed by those into more classic styles whilst others felt it lacked a bit of edge.

Onto the reds now and we poured one of each of Leisure Wine's latest releases across the two nights. Winemaker Van Moschopoulos was even on hand for the second evening to explain how the wine was made and tell the back story of the Leisure Wine project. We Danced the Cherry Tart Electric 2024 and Crushed in Dark like Soup of the Night 2024 are both made from a blend of red Regent and white Reichensteiner grapes with the former being a lighter, more chillable expression. Both wines show a darker, earthy edge which compliments the fresh red fruit wonderfully. A couple of the best red wines we have tried yet from the UK. Wine clubbers agreed and the bottles came in second place both nights in the final vote. 

To finish the evening we tasted another new arrival, this time from Les Errances in the Loire village of Rablay-sur-Layon. Made from the elusive Pineau d'Aunis grape which happens to be a personal favourite of mine, Kinhoyé 2024 displays all of the variety's best characteristics. Light in body but with subtle structure, fresh raspberries, blood orange and that signature kick of pepper. Sublime! The vote reflected my feelings and the wine won best tasting bottle across two nights. Only 48 bottles came to the country and we got 12 of them so if you want to experience this wine, you better be quick!

See you at a Wine Club soon

Happy Drinking

Andrew