See ya, 2018.

No messing around this New Year's Eve, Vinomaker and I planned on simply imbibing in our two favourite Champagnes.  The Widow is undoubtedly my go-to non-vintage bubbly, whilst the Cordon Rouge is most definitely Vinomaker's.  Sometimes it's good to stick with the tried-and-tested.
Vinomaker decided to blind-taste me on the two wines: nailed it.  Not that it mattered, I then proceeded in drinking equal amounts of each tipple.  It is no secret that I love bubbles.
The year 2018 is now history.  I'm hoping 2019 is the fabulous future.
A Happy New Year to all!

The Cuvée.

At the end of the workday, my co-workers and I gathered together to enjoy TWWIAGE's annual Champagne tasting.  On occasion, sparkling wines may be included, but this year the choices were Français all the way.  The present lineup included; Duval-Leroy Rosé Prestige, Louis Roederer Rosé 2012, Louis Roederer Brut 2012, Palmer & Co. Blanc de Blancs, Piper Heidsieck Rare Brut 2002 and, last but not least, Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2006.
By the time I had made my way around the table, unfortunately, the Duval-Leroy bottle was empty, sigh.  I did get to taste the other five wines though; I thought one was a bit funky, one was slightly corked, two were simply nice, clean examples of the fizzy stuff.  And my favourite?  Duh, the Pol Roger, of course - the other four wines, in my opinion, just paled in comparison.  On the nose wonderfully yeasty and briochey.  On the palate fabulously toasty and appley.  Rich, complex and perfectly weighted.  No wonder Sir Winston loved Pol Roger, I do too.

Trois French fizzes!

On this, the seventh day of Christmas, not wanting to bother trying to procur three French hens, and being four days late anyway, I am making do with three bottles of Champagne for my annual New Year's Eve festivities.  As one can see, The Widow is heavily featured.  Go 'ed, Mrs. Cliquot!  I hope a bubbly-filled night is ahead for all.
Have a very Happy New Year, everyone!

2016: Done and dusted.

This is the bubbly line up for Vinoland's New Year festivities.  Can't wait.
2016 was a funny old year, neither good nor bad - which is a good thing I suppose.  But time marches on and here we all are on the eve of a new year.  I, for one, am ready to embrace the next 365 days.
I hope 2017 is prosperous, safe, healthy and blessed for all those that I hold near and dear. And for some other, random folks as well. Cheers!
Have a very Happy New Year, everyone!

Monopole.

A small, but significant, successful business development of Thud's meant that a glass, or two, of bubbly was the order of the evening.  The Heidsieck, 2007 Monopole Gold Top was a delightful choice with which to celebrate.  All toasty-rich, appley goodness, the Gold Top was a suitable tipple for the occasion.  And that of my 1200th post.
I have been busy since I got home: the Vino-nieces and Vino-nephew have been on half term from school and I have been kept on the go.  I have only had one other wine in the past week. It wasn't very good, which was disappointing as I hoped it would be great.  Made from the Marzemino grape, the wine definitely had plummy characteristics, but it also had a very bad case of volatile acidity. Hate when that happens.

Give a dog a Côte de Beaune.

Tonight was week 10 of my Wines of the World class.  I got to explore wines from a rather large geographical area this evening: Champagne all the way down to the southern end of the Rhône Valley, but not before I had taken a mid-term examination - yikes! Not to worry, even by Dr. Krebs own admission the academic requirements for this class are the least of any other class in the entire Napa Vallege College viticulture programme - hic!  The mid-term taken, a Charles Heidsieck NV Brut Champagne was poured for the class to enjoy during an episode of  Hugh Johnson's Vintage: The History of Wine series titled 'The Slopes of Gold'.
Beginning with a clean, crisp Chablis my classmates and I were soon thoroughly immersed in all things Côte-d'Or.  My favourite amongst the Chardonnays was a Joseph Drouhin, 2007 (AOC Bourgogne) - a wine that by Burgundian standards is considered inferior to the Chardonnays of perhaps Meursault and the Montrachets, Chassagne and Puligny - it was simple, but delightful. Next up were the Pinot noirs, however there was not a single Romanée Conti to be had. The top wine in this flight was a Domaine Xavier Monnot, 2008 (AOC Volnay) Premier Cru.  Light-fruity-strawberryness, pleasant and innocuously drinkable there isn't too much for me to say about these wines, except one was a Brett-bomb.
And last, but not least, into the valley of the Rhône.  After a very moreish Domaine Faury, 2010 (AOC Saint Jospeh) - a fine blend of Marsanne and Rousanne - and a quaffable Chateau de Trinquevedel, 2011 (AOC Tavel) - I love a nice rosé of Grenache - we were off into the reds.  The reds included representations from the AOCs of Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côte Rôtie, all really nice and really drinkable - notable was the Grandes Serres, 2010 (AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape).
Only 19 wines tonight, but 19 good 'uns!
Next...

Goodbye Blighty.

The last day of my holiday arrived.
It was an all round good day; had a leisurely stroll in the park, watched a cricket match, ate Scouse for dinner, had some relatives stop by to say cheerio, and watched the Eurovision Song Contest. A very English day.
The main reason for my trip home was the expectant arrival of a new niece. For two weeks I asked my sister-in-law, several times a day, if she was having any twinges, but nothing...howzat! I had insisted on a fine bottle of something bubbly from Thud's cellar after dinner as I was determined to wet the baby's head, even if she was refusing to come out and meet her auntie Vinogirl, before I jetted off.
It turns out I wasn't disappointed after all. I had 45 mins with the 40 minute old little darling before I was driven to Manchester Airport.
She's a little corker!

True Wine Lover 2.

Le Petit Corporal undoubtedly quaffed a lot of bubbly after the English exiled him to the island of St. Helena.  Defeat must have been hard for the Emperor to swallow.  His trouncing, at Waterloo, when washed down with a few good glasses of champers probably made the whole ordeal seem a lot more tolerable.  I'm sure being a Corsican, of Italian descent, and supreme leader of France, predisposed him to indulge in a lot of still wines too.  I even hear that he was fond of Cognac.
Boney was probably a right plonky.  The hand tucked into his waistcoat stance? It conceals a corkscrew no doubt...look, you can even see a couple of corks in the hand behind his back.

True Wine Lover 1.

Winny loved champagne...and Pol Roger loved him. So much so that they produced special pint sized bottles (20 fl oz) just for his consumption and named a special blend (cuvée) after the great Statesman. I love the stuff too, it's just a pity it's made by the French.
"Remember gentlemen, it's not just France we are fighting for, it's Champagne."  Churchill said it best, there is nothing Vinogirl can add!