Majestic £13.99
I arrived back from lunch having accrued a number of unexplained items over the previous day or so.
Apart from an excellent new handmade umbrella, and the tiringly predictable sense of icky guilt and memory blackouts, were some bottles of wine, one apparently half drunk.
I knew where I had bought them (a lovely little Majestic in Notting Hill), but had absolutely no idea how much I might have paid. Assuming of course I hadn't just nicked them for the craic.
I had an inkling that the Amarone might have been expensive as it so often is, but a couple of slick looking bottles of Crozes-Hermitage were giving nothing away.
This coquetteishness was no match for the power of the internet and Majestic's excellent webstie however. I was pleased to see they had only cost £14 a piece and, as the bumf from Majestic whetted my appetite, I could feel the wine moving rapidly up my regularly updated internal list of 'Interesting ways to get drunk in the next 24 hours.'
The nose opens with all that people love about the Syrahs from this part of the world. Lots of smoke, the faintest hint of dark fruit, some herbaceousness and a big smack of pepper.
This focus continues on the palate with cassis and dark fruit, well integrated structured tannins and intense white pepper on a long finish.
It's a cracking wine, with real intent, very poised and comfortingly typical of the Northern Rhone, it makes me sad and confused to think of what the Austalians do to the grape.
I was understandably pleased to see this wine continuing a long hot-streak of winning decision making that I am experiencing. Lump on during Majestic's 20% off Rhone.
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