Mixed Bag Vol. 19

Beautiful expression of age - there are even cognac-like notes creeping in. Dried fruit compote, apple uzvar, moss, river water, old jam, dried peach. Medicinal notes and dry grass add complexity without making it weird. On the palate it's sweeter than the nose suggests - rounded out, with tannins that have turned soft and almost honeyed. The acidity cuts through beautifully, still very much alive. In the mouth it genuinely starts to resemble a botrytised wine, which is fascinating territory for something that started life bone-dry.

Class, as always. Tommy Ferriol just doesn't miss. There's something raw and torn about this - burst berries, noticeable VA that adds character rather than fault, loads of Nordic berries and sour cherry. The acidity is sharp, powerful, almost aggressive, but the tannins are surprisingly well-integrated for something this young. Very good wine. The kind that makes you want to buy a case and forget about it for five years, except you know you'll drink it all within a month.

Blind, I was absolutely convinced this was Portugal - some Douro thing, maybe a white from a producer flirting with oxidation. Very tasty. Great minerality, cheese notes (like baked Camembert, all gooey and rich), lovely roundness, creamy texture that coats your mouth. High acidity keeps it from being cloying, beautiful mineral edge underneath. Turns out: old Australia. Semillon that's been sitting around long enough to become interesting.

Marzipan, flowers, crab. Every wine from this producer I've tried is brilliantly, beautifully weird in the best sense. Rice liquor, sake vibes - there's an umami quality. Superb structure, killer acidity that zips through everything, long finish that keeps evolving. Very interesting and delicious - properly layered, though it's too young to fully reveal itself. Beautiful fruit, smoke, vanilla, grilled lime. The barrel work is masterful without being showy. My wine of the evening, and I'm still thinking about it the next morning.

Quince, gunpowder, sea air, chalk. Lovely, complex, multi-layered wine that keeps shifting in the glass. Great structure - you can feel the precision in how this was made. The barrel work is spot-on: present enough to add texture and complexity, restrained enough not to dominate. This is very good and very tasty. The kind of Chenin that makes you understand why people become Loire obsessives. Give it a few more years and it'll be stunning.

Zesty and electric, with green and yellow apples up front, wrapped in layers of yeast, cream, and salted nuts. There's a herbal thread running through - almost medicinal but not off-putting - and sharp minerality that gives it real edge. The high-toned acidity keeps everything buzzing, almost vibrating on your tongue. It's clearly young, probably too young, but the fruit peeks through just enough to make it drinkable now. Vibrant, structured, full of promise. A lovely, slightly wild thing that'll reward patience but doesn't punish impatience.

Blind tasting. Didn't guess it, which annoyed me because I'd been specifically wanting to try this. Very cool wine. Brioche, yellow fruit, citrus, some light red berries - classic sparkling territory. I thought it was Champagne at first, the aromatics were spot-on, but the finish is a bit smudged, a little less precise than I would love it to be. That's what threw me off. I started second-guessing myself into absurd territories. Still, it's fun and tasty. German Sekt at this level deserves more attention than it gets.

Bold and direct, but not flat - there's real depth under that richness. Opens beautifully in the glass: ripe peach, apricot jam, dried mango, and a touch of herbal dryness that keeps it from going full-on fruit bomb. Still very young, with high acidity and grippy tannins that announce themselves clearly. It's bright and intense in a way that'll either charm you or push you away - no middle ground here. Long, perfumed finish that lingers beautifully. A wine with serious presence. The kind of orange wine that makes converts of sceptics.

Black olive, marzipan, liquorice, dried cherry, chocolate - the nose is almost Port-like in its intensity and sweetness. You expect something heavy and cloying, but then the acidity surprises you: still vibrant despite the age, still cutting through all that concentration. The tannins are beautifully developed and integrated, turned soft and almost velvety. This is powerful wine - very concrete, very unapologetic about what it is. Maybe not the most interesting or intellectually challenging bottle, but... bloody delicious. Sometimes that's enough. Sometimes that's everything.