To me the essence of a good wine is not just the taste, but the memories and happy images that can be conjured from the sight smell and taste of the wine, whether it be newly visited or an old friend, and this an good old friend and boy does this deliver First this is not an over heavy wine, lighter in body than previous vintages to me, no bad thing as this means It can be drunk more easier without having to resort to food to accompany. But more on that later. The glorious shiny deep red seductive body with a hint of a lighter rim just entices one to quickly take a sip, but just wait a moment and take in the warming spice and black cherry notes that waft from the glass. It does benefit from being open for a good few hours and warming to 18c to really get the best from this delight. Now is the time start the taste adventure, first sip is the sweetest as a certain songwriter once wrote and I believe that to be true, all your thoughts and images are created in those first few seconds after the wine hits the tongue and then the warmth and summer fruits hit the spot leading to a lightly spiced concoction accompanied by hints of port liqueur chocolates. And the finish is delightfully long and satisfying. I went to a food and drink festival recently and to my delight I found a supplier of Portuguese cheese in attendance , now Portuguese cheeses are like Portuguese wines still a well kept secret from the rest of the world, I love them especially the soft smelly ones, and here they were waiting for me to greedily devour. Some I knew, but a few new ones from very small producers. If you have not tried these cheese I urge you to seek them out Here was a golden opportunity to pair with the Negreiros 2010, after respectfully waiting for the wine and cheese to warm and breath the adventure began. Paired with some good examples of Serra Da Estrela and Azeito and Seia cheeses amongst others. I was transported back to the higher reaches of the Douro as the wines port and chocolate notes brought to the fore another glimpse into the versatility of the wine. It just loves cheese and chocolate, have you tried this combination, if not why not. So why the five hearts. It’s just made for me. Am I biased, yes, does it deserve this accolade, yes for me. But don’t just take my word for it, Just give it a go you won’t be disappointed, try it Naked ,try it with heavy meat dishes, try it with cheese, just enjoy. I certainly did.
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Domaine du Bouchot Terres Blanches Pouilly Fume 2020
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