Wine Dinners and Tastings...
Dates for your diary
Welcome to our 2010 Diary of Events. We are still adding dates to the diary but here is what we have planned so far:
We are very pleased to announce a number of very exciting events that will take place in the forthcoming months. We have decided not to hold any tastings in the month of August due to holidays but tastings will re-commence in September starting with:
'Tour de France' - 9th September 2010
Description: Hosted by Simon Hore of Thorman Hunt, UK. Simon will guide us around France through a selection of key wine producing areas. There will be some great wines to taste as we go!
Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm Dunell's Tasting Room (Seated Tasting MAX 36 people)
Price: £20 per person (£10 per person for Corks Crew Wine Club Members)
Please email office@dunells.com to book your place or telephone on 736418
'Wine Wisdom' - 21st September 2010
Description: Ever wanted to learn more about the world of wine? We are thrilled to announce our very first WINE EDUCATION evening after receiving many customer requests. It will be hosted by Tim Wildman, Master of Wine. Tim recently gained his Master of Wine Qualification (the most difficult and prestigious qualification to hold in the wine industry) and also heads up his own very successful Wine Education Business called 'Winetec' in the UK (www.winetec.co.uk). We are delighted that Tim has agreed to share his passion, knowledge and expertise. He will be here to teach you the basics of how to taste wine and understand the techniques involved. A range of specially selected wines will be served during the class. We all have different taste preferences and the intention is to further your wine knowledge to the point where you'll feel confident enough to select the best styles of wine to suit your own palate. This is a fabulous opportunity to learn from one of the best in the wine industry.
Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm Dunell's Tasting Room (Seated Tasting MAX 36 people)
Price: £39.50 per person (£35.00 for Corks Crew Wine Club Members)
Please email office@dunells.com to book your place or telephone on 736418
'Iconic Wines' - 22nd September 2010 - *SPECIAL EVENT*
Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm Dunell's Tasting Room (Seated Tasting MAX 24 people)
Price: £125 per person (£115 for Corks Crew Wine Club Members)
Have you ever wished that you had the opportunity to taste some of the best wines in the world? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend our very first 'Iconic Wine' evening. It will be hosted by Tim Wildman, MW. He has (gladly) agreed to guide you through these superb wines.
As the wines we will be tasting are extremely rare and expensive, we will only be able to confirm bookings when we reach multiples of 12 people (ie if you are the 13th person to book we will not be able to confirm your booking until we have another 11 bookings).
As you can appreciate these are very expensive wines and we have calculated that to buy a bottle of each from our shop it would cost you approximately £1800 or to have the same size tasting sample in a restaurant (if that were possible) it would cost approximately £300 per person.
These are the wines we will are planning to taste, I can hardly contain my excitement!!:
COMTE DE VOGUE Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2001 - Burgundy, France
ROBERT PARKER 89-91 points 'Blackberries and a myriad of spices are found in the nose of the light to medium-bodied 2001 Bonnes Mares. Satin-textured and broad shouldered on the attack, this wine reveals outstanding depth to its blackberry and blueberry-flavored character. Its dark fruit-laden finish displays a firm, woody tannin-laced characteristic. Drink it over the next 7 years. According to Francois Millet, this famed estate's highly talented winemaker, 2001 was a vintage that wished to produce high yields. "We dropped half the fruit before veraison (when the grapes change color), yet harvested 35 hectoliters per hectare, a high yield for this domaine." Burgundy's resident poet, Millet stated that "2001's fruit is its sensuality, the acidity is its conscience and soul." While my pragmatic mind is incapable of understanding the meaning of his words, it is clear that Millet fashioned some of the finest red Burgundies produced in 2001.'
Shop price: £135.00 per bottle
PAUL JABOULET Hermitage 'La Chapelle' 1990 - Cotes du Rhone, France
ROBERT PARKER 100 points 'The 1990 La Chapelle is the sexy and opulent. I had the 1990 at the Jaboulet tasting, and again out of a double magnum three months ago. On both occasions it was spectacular, clearly meriting a three-digit score. The modern day equivalent of the 1961, it deserves all the attention it has garnered. The color remains an opaque purple, with only a slight pink at the edge. Spectacular aromatics offer up aromas of incense, smoke, blackberry fruit, cassis, barbecue spice, coffee, and a touch of chocolate. As it sits in the glass, additional nuances of pepper and grilled steak emerge. There is extraordinary freshness for such a mammoth wine in addition to abundant tannin, an amazing 60-second finish, and a level of glycerin and thick, fleshy texture that have to be tasted to be believed. Despite its youthfulness, the 1990 La Chapelle is lovely to drink, although it will be even better with another 5-6 years of cellaring; it should age for 35-40+ years. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2050'
Shop price: £375.00 per bottle
TENUTA SAN GUIDO Sassicaia 2001 - Tuscany, Italy
"A gently darker and gently more mature appearance here. Intense fruit on the nose, dark and complex, showing ripe and macerated dark fruits and liquorice, perhaps with a brawny, youthful character. It opens up to reveal these aromas in the glass, in an evocative and individual fashion. The palate carries ripe fruit, showing an elegant composition, but in combination with tannins and very firm acidity. Delicious texture and structure. Here is a wine with superb potential that requires years in the cellar, and in fact the tightly wound and aggressive tannins demand that this be done. Good length at the end. Overall, excellent, with more to come.
Shop Price: £149.95 per bottle
VEGA SICILIA Unico 1999 - Toro, Spain
ROBERT PARKER The Wine Advocate (July 2009) 97 points 'Released after 10 years aging in cask and bottle. Medium to deep garnet-brick colour. The nose is distinctly earthy with notes of loam, forest floor, leather and tobacco leaf complimenting intense fruit aromas of crushed cherries, raspberry compote and plums. The concentrated, full bodied palate reveals elegant crafting with a good intensity of dark berry fruit and savoury, meaty flavours supported by medium+ acidity and a medium level of silky tannins. Very long finish.'
Shop Price: £225.00 per bottle
CHATEAU HAUT-BRION 1ere Cru Classe 1995 - Pessac, Bordeaux, France
ROBERT PARKER 96 points 'This wine has been brilliant on every occasion I have tasted it. More accessible and forward than the 1996, it possesses a saturated ruby/purple color, as well as a beautiful, knock-out set of aromatics, consisting of black fruits, vanillin, spice, and wood-fire smoke. Multidimensional and rich, with layers of ripe fruit, and beautifully integrated tannin and acidity, this medium to full-bodied wine is a graceful, seamless, exceptional Haut-Brion that should drink surprisingly well young. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030.'
Shop price: £269.50 per bottle
OPUS ONE (Mondavi/Rothschild) 2005 - California, USA
ROBERT PARKER The Wine Advocate (Dec 1998) 95+ points ''The opaque purple-hued 2005 exhibits an extraordinary nose of violets, creme de cassis, charcoal, and spring flowers. Gorgeously pure, opulently full-bodied, with sweet tannins, superb concentration, and a low acid, ripe, tannic finish, it tastes like a top-notch vintage of ripe Bordeaux, but made in California. It can be drunk now and over the next 20-25 years. Bravo!'
Shop Price: £165.00 per bottle
HENSCHKE 'Hill of Grace' Shiraz 2004 - Eden Valley, South Australia
Tasting Notes from Henschke: Very deep crimson in colour. Perfumed, with sweet lifted spicy aromas of plum, blackberry, anise, herbs and spices. Complex, with hints of sage, pepper, vanilla and cedar. The rich, complex, textured palate is sweet, juicy and fleshy, layered with spicy velvety tannins. Elegant and powerful, with great length. Cellaring Potential : Excellent vintage, drink now to 2020. Food Suggestion: Saddle of venison with parsnips & beetroot. 99 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The flagship 2004 Hill of Grace (100% Shiraz) was sourced from vines ranging in age from 56 to 148 years. It spent 18 months in 100% new French oak. Purple-colored, it reveals a breathtaking aromatic array of violets, pepper, leather, smoked meat, game, blueberry compote, and black cherry. It splendidly combines elegance with power in a spicy, savory amalgam along with that extra dimension that can only be provided by old vines and a great site. Drink this hedonistic Shiraz from 2015 to 2040."
Shop Price: £265.00 per bottle
CHATEAU D'YQUEM 1996 - Sauternes, Bordeaux, France
This wonderful 1996 offering from Yquem is a beautiful golden yellow that speaks of home-made marmalade, candied fruits and fresh cut flowers. The wine is fresh yet intense, with beautiful balance and a sugary concentrated flavour. It has all the hallmarks of a classic Yquem and will have for a very long time!
ROBERT PARKER 95 points 'Compared with the flamboyant aromatics of the 1997, Yquem's 1996 plays it closer to the vest, although there is a lot going on. Light gold with a tight but promising nose of roasted hazelnuts intermixed with creme brulee, vanilla beans, honey, orange marmalade, and peaches, this medium to full-bodied offering reveals loads of power in its restrained, measured personality. There is admirable acidity, weight, texture, and purity in this impeccably made Yquem. However, patience will be a virtue. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2060.'
Shop Price: £184.95 per bottle
Please email office@dunells.com to book your place or telephone on 736418
Tuesday 19th October
THE WINES OF PORTUGAL AND PORT
More info to follow - pre-bookings taken
Wednesday 10th November
SIMON BARLOW of Rustenberg Wines, SA
More info to follow - pre-bookings taken
Friday 12th November
PAUL JABOULET WINE DINNER
Grand Suite, Grand Jersey
More info to follow - pre-bookings taken
Thursday 18th November
D'ARENBERG WINE DINNER hosted by Clare Scott
Feast
Please contact Feast for more information
2011
Tuesday 9th February
WINE WISDOM Hosted by Tim Wildman MW
More info to follow - pre-bookings taken
Wednesday 10th February
ICONIC WINES with Tim Wildman MW
More info to follow - pre-bookings taken
Please contact office@dunells.com or myself at neil@dunells.com or telephone us on 736418 if you would like to book any of the above events.
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