2010 Meeting April 20th

The first wine that June and Ray had chosen for us to taste was a 2009 Finca Flichman Misterio Malbec. Finca Flichman was a family winery in Mendoza, Argentina but since 1998 they have been part of Sogrape, a Portuguese vitivinicultural group perhaps more well known in the UK through the Mateus brand. The Misterio Malbec is a varietal composition of 100% Malbec, aged in oak cask for 4 months and then in the bottle for a further 3 months. With an average score from the group of 8, it was well liked. A deep red colour, with a scent of plums, well balanced, smooth and with an elegant after taste, it was one of the higher scoring wines we have tasted. It generally retails at £7.99 but was on offer at Morrisons at £4.99
The second wine was also a very popular choice receiving an overall average score of 8.1. This was a 2008 Hardys Crest, Cabernet Shiraz Merlot. Hardys is a well established Australian company with a history going back to 1853 and with vineyards across the continent. The wine is a blend of fruit from across the South Eastern Australian regions. A deep crimson in colour, elegant ripe blackcurrant and cherry fruit, the blend finishes with a long smooth and lingering fruit taste, enhanced by hints of mint and vanilla from ageing in French and American oak barrels. The wine was also purchased from Morrisons and typically retails at around £7 to £9. This particular bottle was £4.99.
As usual the wine tasting was accompanied with some excellent cheeses, good conversation, much laughter and the afternoon finished with tea and coffee