Harrogate Fine Wine Journal

Belated Christmas wishes to all of customers and a happy New Year.

Here's to a great 2008

Cheers

Harrogate Fine Wine Company

Penfolds Grange vertical from 1992 to 1997 £800

The daddy of all presents for an Aussie wine lover, this is a fantastic flight of six bottles, one from each vintage.

For the man who has everything...

Please note we will not sell these wines individually they must be sold as a set

Chateau d’Yquem
We have seen a string of recent vintages of this going for £200 per half bottle and with more and more wine been sucked into the Far East we can only assume this trend will continue. We are not saying this is a bargain but it may be a price point that d’Yquem hits less and less.

Chateau d’Yquem 1996 (half bottle) £110 each
This scored a hugely respectable 96 points in the Wine Spectator. It has good botrytis character and a rather delicate edge with lovely fresh acidity, perfect with some Foie Gras or other rich pate for a totally over-indulgent evening.

Vergelegen Semillon 2004

We are thrilled to have been given the UK exclusivity to one of Vergelegen’s rarest wines, one that to our knowledge has never been sold in the UK before. It all came about from a rather boozy dinner we had with Vergelegen over the summer! We commented on where the Semillon comes from for the prestige white. Not only do they have a small section in their vineyard, they also bottle up a little under the reserve label to sell from the estate door. Six months later, here it is!

Vergelegen Semillon Stellenbosch 2004 £13.99
This is a much more focused Semillon, at this stage not showing any of the fat waxy notes this grape is known for. It is quite minerally and enhanced by some lovely French oak. This would go perfectly with some simple smoked salmon.

Portuguese Tasting with Charles Metcalfe



Friday nights tasting was a huge success, Portuguese wines have been a long time love of ours and it’s a country we feel is still greatly under appreciated.

Charles Metcalfe talked us through the wines and regions brilliantly, managing to convey just how an exciting area Portugal is perfectly.

Charles also has a new book out The Wine and Food Lover's Guide to Portugal which is a fantastic look at not only what wineries to visit but some great places to stay, as well as what excellent local cuisine to look out for. We feel this book will be invaluable to any wine lover planning on making a trip to this beautiful country.

The book is on sale from Harrogate Fine Wine Company for £16.95.