Fundraising schemes continue to emerge for Wine Relief 2013. See the recently published list of Wine Relief 2013 wines that are on offer as fundraisers from the major wine retailers. (Wine Relief is the wine-related fundraising initiative that has been a substantial contributor to the biennial Comic Relief campaign since 1999.)
And now good old Farr Vintners, most successful fundraisers for Wine
Relief 2011 by farr (geddit?), are offering to donate £20 for each case of the following wines ordered between now and the end of March. I tasted them and really liked them. Some of them are even great bargains. My notes are below, in the form in which we present all our tasting notes on Purple Pages. Since this is in such a good cause, this particular tasting article is free to access. Please order copiously here!
(The image is of Farr Vintners' tasting room in the old Battersea piano factory – I think – in which they are based. It was taken at the Top St-Emilion 2005 & 2009 tasting organised last December by owner Stephen Browett, on the extreme right. Steven Spurrier's shoulder is on the left. Water bottle foreground.)
CHAMPAGNE
Pol Roger, Brut 2002 Champagne
Well balanced and slightly floral. Very fine acidity. Very similar build to the non-vintage version. (JR)
Drink
2011
–
2016
£47 Farr Vintners
17
Pol Roger, Brut NV Champagne
Deep flavoured and quite rich at first. Tense and tight. Dry savoury finish. Quite a bargain as it's almost as good as the 2002 vintage counterpart. GV (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2015
£27 Farr Vintners
16.5
WHITE
Dom Michel Mallard, Les Gréchons Premier Cru 2010 Ladoix
Not a bad price for a premier cru white burgundy! Just a hint of floral notes for this wine made within sight of the Corton-Charlemagne vines. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2017
£23.50 Farr Vintners
16.5
Dom Michel Mallard 2010 Bourgogne
Very respectable blend of correct savoury white burgundy fruit with sufficient density and a dry finish. From the cellarmaster of posh Domaine d'Eugénie in Vosne-Romanée. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2014
£11.50 Farr Vintners
16
Dom Guffens-Heynen, Tri de Chavigne 2009 Mâcon-Pierreclos
From the home farm of the owner of Verget. Tight, tight, tight with liquorice aromas and super-smooth texture. Very polished. Lightly bitter in a zesty way. Very well disciplined – just like the Comic Relief team! (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2018
£25.30 Farr Vintners
16.5
Verget, La Roche 2009 Mâcon-Vergisson
Very striking nose. Satin-textured palate. Lots of oomph and still quite tense. (JR)
Drink
2011
–
2016
£11.30 Farr Vintners
16 +
Verget, Terroirs de Vergisson La Roche 2011 Pouilly-Fuissé
Appley and a little tight. Has been on a diet perhaps. (JR)
13%
Drink
2013
–
2015
£14.30 Farr Vintners
16
Verget, Vaillons Premier Cru 2009 Chablis
Quite full and racy and lovely and lip smacking. Not at all fat like so many 2009 Chablis. Fabulous textbook Chablis. GV (JR)
13%
Drink
2013
–
2018
£14.80 Farr Vintners
17.5
Churton Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Marlborough
Opulent bouquet of tropical fruits pushes itself right up your nose! A very nose-y kinda wine. Tiny bit sweet but lots of enjoyment and masses more concentration than the Marlborough average. (JR)
Drink
2011
–
2014
£11 Farr Vintners
16.5
Kumeu River, Estate Chardonnay 2009 Kumeu
100% screwcap since 2000. Tense and lively with obvious leesiness. Racy. Bitter finish after a great whack of stone-fruit flavours. Bright fruit. Still remarkably youthful. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2016
£16.28 Farr Vintners
16.5
RED
Dom des Sénéchaux 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Yet another wine with a Pauillac connection: the southern Rhône property of the Cazes family. This wine's Syrah ingredient is raised in Ch Lynch Bages barrels (perhaps those that had that delicious Ch Lynch Bages 2009 in them?).
Lovely, round and spicy. Good balance. Fresh finish. Great stuff and GV. (JR) 14.5%
Lovely, round and spicy. Good balance. Fresh finish. Great stuff and GV. (JR) 14.5%
Drink
2013
–
2018
£24.30 Farr Vintners
16.5
Dom de Fontbonau 2010 Côtes du Rhône
Owned by director of Ch Latour in Pauillac Frédéric Engerer and Jérôme Sarda Malet of Roussillon. (FE has given up on his personal Roussillon project). Near Valréas. The Grenache is aged, sensibly, in foudres while the Syrah gets old Ch Latour barrels. This was only the second proper vintage.
Big and a little brutal. Slightly hot, tarry finish but not too sweet. A wine with a classy pedigree. (JR) 15%
Big and a little brutal. Slightly hot, tarry finish but not too sweet. A wine with a classy pedigree. (JR) 15%
Drink
2013
–
2016
£17.30 Farr Vintners
16
Ch d'Armailhac 2010 Pauillac
Dark crimson. Bit dull and unformed. Seems so angular after the 2009s! So young and chewy!!! Buy this wine from the same stable as first growth Ch Mouton Rothschild to keep. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2030
£32.30 Farr Vintners
16.5
Ch Gloria 2009 St-Julien
Sweet and thick. Rather austere. Pure though. Just a tad rigid for the moment. Not as luscious at the moment as the 2007. Buy both and see how they develop? (JR)
13%
Drink
2016
–
2026
£35.30 Farr Vintners
16.5
Ch Ducru-Beaucaillou, La Croix de Beaucaillou 2009 St-Julien
Another second wine, before Jade Jagger was given the job of repackaging it like a bottle of scent.
Relatively pale crimson. Luscious and yet dry on the end. Really well constituted. Dense and set for a great future. (JR)
Relatively pale crimson. Luscious and yet dry on the end. Really well constituted. Dense and set for a great future. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2023
£31.30 Farr Vintners
16.5 +
Ch Smith Haut Lafitte, Les Hauts de Smith 2009 Pessac-Léognan
Sweet and floral. Rich and sweet. 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet. (Their other second wine is the other way round.) Bit inky. Less fresh than Ségla 2009 but very respectable. (JR)
Drink
2013
–
2019
£22.80 Farr Vintners
16
Ch Rauzan-Ségla, Ségla 2009 Margaux
Screwcapped second wine of Ch Rauzan Ségla. Farr were the first and exclusive importers of it under this stopper. More than half of production is this second wine at this property.
Minerally. Fine and dense and upright. Real structure here. Bravo! (JR)
Minerally. Fine and dense and upright. Real structure here. Bravo! (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2022
£24.30 Farr Vintners
16.5
Ch Montlandrie 2009 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Some of the wine was aged in new oak and some in no oak. Seductive, sweet and opulent – a wine with a future made not far from Ch Thénac. (JR)
Drink
2013
–
2018
£20.30 Farr Vintners
16 +
Ch Sénéjac 2009 Haut-Médoc
A little less opulent than some 2009s. Quite tough at the moment. Sucks the juices out of the palate! One for the cellar? (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2022
£21.30 Farr Vintners
16
Ch Gloria 2007 St-Julien
Very round and fully developed. Opulent and fun. Round and pleasing, Really rather glorious. Dry finish but lots of fun. (Must be fun because I wrote it twice.) GV (JR)
13.5%
Drink
2014
–
2022
£23.30 Farr Vintners
17
Ch Les Cruzelles 2007 Lalande-de-Pomerol
Denis Durantou bought this property which you can actually see from Ch L'Église-Clinet it's so near. This bottling is from the older vines.
Fresh and quite urgent and with some structure. Chewy although there is enough fruit to drink it now with food. (JR)
Fresh and quite urgent and with some structure. Chewy although there is enough fruit to drink it now with food. (JR)
Drink
2012
–
2017
£15.30 Farr Vintners
16
Ch Sénéjac 2007 Haut-Médoc
This vintage (though not the 2009) was made by Alfred Tesseron and team from Ch Pontet Canet in Pauillac.
Easy peasy and no rough edges. Classic for bordeaux lovers. I could just imagine them loving this in clubland. Slightly inky finish but not too tough. Proof that 2007 is drinking like a dream now. (JR) 13%
Easy peasy and no rough edges. Classic for bordeaux lovers. I could just imagine them loving this in clubland. Slightly inky finish but not too tough. Proof that 2007 is drinking like a dream now. (JR) 13%
Drink
2010
–
2015
£12 Farr Vintners
16
Ch Puech-Haut, Prestige 2010 Languedoc, St-Drézéry
The Bru family own this property that's on higher ground towards Pic St-Loup. The famous Philippe Cambie of the southern Rhône consults. This was brought to the attention of a sceptical Farr by a friend of the son of the owner and is now one of their biggest sellers.
Fruit and structure so why bother with barrels?! Lively and round and juicy with great balance and lift. Persistence too. (JR) 14.5%
Fruit and structure so why bother with barrels?! Lively and round and juicy with great balance and lift. Persistence too. (JR) 14.5%
Drink
2012
–
2015
£14.30 Farr Vintners
16.5
Ch Thénac, Fleur du Périgord 2009 Bergerac
The owner has poured squillions into making the wine taste like a young Pomerol. The property is only just over the border from Castillon, after all. The magician of Ch L'Église-Clinet, Denis Durantou, is consulting.
Damn fine. Gamey, ripe and hedonistic. Giles Coren's professed best house red ever (according to Twitter). VGV (JR) 14.5%
Damn fine. Gamey, ripe and hedonistic. Giles Coren's professed best house red ever (according to Twitter). VGV (JR) 14.5%
Drink
2011
–
2015
£9.80 Farr Vintners
16
Ch Lagrange 2005 St-Julien
A great vintage just becoming ready to drink. Lovely luscious crimson. Fine, scented and energetic. Silky at first, then chewy, but well built with lots of ripe fruit. Classy stuff from a very reliable property revived by Suntory of Japan! (JR)
Drink
2013
–
2030
£41.30 Farr Vintners
17
Ch Léoville Barton 1988 St-Julien
A fully mature wine from the most popular wine producer in Bordeaux, Anthony Barton. Mid crimson and very juicy and not too hard. Fairly grippy but fine and with Médoc minerals on the finish. (JR)
Drink
2010
–
2025
£87.80 Farr Vintners
17
SWEET
Dom Gorges du Soleil 1963 Rivesaltes
Dark, sweet and sticky. Amazing how lively it is considering its age. It would be great dribbled on vanilla ice cream. (JR)
Drink
2010
–
2017
£45 Farr Vintners
16.5