I will limit the whinging about my injury to this...I spent the week managing the problem, quite deliberately, to ensure I toe the line on 17th April. So, still 22.32 miles and four runs, 3 of them deliberately steady. I also undertook some sports massage - truly painful, the most painful I have ever experienced, however it is what is needed.
Anyway, enough already of my moaning.
Monday and Tuesday were the remaining days with our Twinners, and as I said last week, I feel like I have been on holiday in my own town. Our guests were more than guests, they were family, and we delighted in how lovely Romsey and Stockbridge are. And of course this was an excellent reason to stay off running for a bit...aaah, I did say I would not talk about that!
As compensation for this I have been ensuring that the quality of the wines tasting has been high! Two of these wines were drunk whilst the Italian Twinners were here, the other two in what has been a high-quality wine week. I recapped on the bottles with a photograph, and I can recall lovely memories. Starting from the left they are:
St. Joseph Clos de Cuminaille 2008 Dme Gaillard (Berry Bros, £30).
Pierre's first St Joseph is from a sandy and granite plot, with real complexity, weight and meatiness. On the nose, violets and spice, on the palate, lovely ripe fruit and plenty of potential.
Vosne-Romanee Grivot 2006 (Wine Society, £25) Vosne Romanée is one of the smallest wine villages in Burgundy, and even at villages level (which this is) then the wines are said to have complexity and longevity. Of course it also has the 'halo' of that most expensive of vineyards, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. This wine is vibrant in colour, not yet fading at the rim as it is young, with ripe aromas of cherries and raspberries . On the palate, there are firm tannins and quite high acidity, and a lovely length of flavour. Opens up nicely. Probably needs a few years to reach its true potential.
Bucerchiale Chianti Rufina Riserva 2004 As with all Chiantis, the grape in sangiovese, and the style medium-bodied, with strawberry and cherry fruits. Rufina is characterised by a more chompy style, with just a bit more tannic body than Classico. Of course, the rules for Chianti are now so general that almost any style can exist, once you can include international grapes such as Merlot, and local traditional grapes such as Mammolo, Colorino, and Canaiolo. This wine from Bucerchiale is at the very top of the bunch, with an intense ruby red colour, on the palate strawberry and cherry notes, and a whiff of tobacco, leather and wood. Just a great structure to the wine, integrated yet full tannins, and real body. Yummy, one for the long haul.
La Monetta Gavi (Waitrose £9.99) Clean, classic, fresh, citrussy, gorgeous. From the Cortese grape, grown in Piedmont . Lovely.
What a great week!!
Anyway, enough already of my moaning.
Monday and Tuesday were the remaining days with our Twinners, and as I said last week, I feel like I have been on holiday in my own town. Our guests were more than guests, they were family, and we delighted in how lovely Romsey and Stockbridge are. And of course this was an excellent reason to stay off running for a bit...aaah, I did say I would not talk about that!
As compensation for this I have been ensuring that the quality of the wines tasting has been high! Two of these wines were drunk whilst the Italian Twinners were here, the other two in what has been a high-quality wine week. I recapped on the bottles with a photograph, and I can recall lovely memories. Starting from the left they are:
St. Joseph Clos de Cuminaille 2008 Dme Gaillard (Berry Bros, £30). Pierre's first St Joseph is from a sandy and granite plot, with real complexity, weight and meatiness. On the nose, violets and spice, on the palate, lovely ripe fruit and plenty of potential.
Vosne-Romanee Grivot 2006 (Wine Society, £25) Vosne Romanée is one of the smallest wine villages in Burgundy, and even at villages level (which this is) then the wines are said to have complexity and longevity. Of course it also has the 'halo' of that most expensive of vineyards, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. This wine is vibrant in colour, not yet fading at the rim as it is young, with ripe aromas of cherries and raspberries . On the palate, there are firm tannins and quite high acidity, and a lovely length of flavour. Opens up nicely. Probably needs a few years to reach its true potential.
Bucerchiale Chianti Rufina Riserva 2004 As with all Chiantis, the grape in sangiovese, and the style medium-bodied, with strawberry and cherry fruits. Rufina is characterised by a more chompy style, with just a bit more tannic body than Classico. Of course, the rules for Chianti are now so general that almost any style can exist, once you can include international grapes such as Merlot, and local traditional grapes such as Mammolo, Colorino, and Canaiolo. This wine from Bucerchiale is at the very top of the bunch, with an intense ruby red colour, on the palate strawberry and cherry notes, and a whiff of tobacco, leather and wood. Just a great structure to the wine, integrated yet full tannins, and real body. Yummy, one for the long haul.
La Monetta Gavi (Waitrose £9.99) Clean, classic, fresh, citrussy, gorgeous. From the Cortese grape, grown in Piedmont . Lovely.
What a great week!!
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