Petersons Botrytis Semillon 1995 at Kevin Ecock's School of Wine

A few years back one of my students kindly gave me this half bottle of Petersons Botrytis Semillon 1995 Hunter Valley as a parting gift. I have always assumed he enjoyed the course! I hope he did because the wine tasted bloody fantastic last night.

I am an unabashed fan of Hunter Semillon. I completely love its textural notes on the palate and its soaring nuttiness as it ages. I love the fake woody elements it throws out and I am constantly on the lookout for wee bottles of dessert styles to chuck to the back of the wardrobe for future drinking.

Last night at my School of Wine I decided on a whim to show this wine. The whim was based on me not being totally prepared! I needed a WOW wine. I got one.

I didn't stretch the photo. The bottle was very Italianesque design/cellar door gift/pencil thin sort thing. Cork was in super nick -springy and lightly moist. The pour was noticed all round as being impressively limpid and throwing out freshness with not a hint of bottle stink/damp/wetness etc. That was just brilliant. We instantly switched on our Thinking Tasting Caps.

An immense depth of golden red tawny, some chunky sediment (see top photo). Layers of botrytis affected notes on nose, nuts and very ripe apricot skin with deep overripe stone fruits. Fine balance on palate where the bouquet elements continue into a deep, luscious and grippy palate showing piercing bright notes of ripe fig. This is all well matched to an immense sugar acid ratio. Stored well this wine will go on for another twenty years.

Another fine night at the Wine School.

Lavignone Barbera d'Asti 2008 from Pico Maccario

Bought this for my wine school last night. Italy - my favourite.

LAVIGNONE Barbera d'Asti 2008 by Pico Maccario

It's on sale at Superquinn stores for €13.49 (Just before last Christmas they knocked it out at a Special for €9.99).

It's a great teaching wine.

Nebbiola will be given the most favourable sites in the 'better' areas in Piedmont. Very good (and affordable) Barbera will be found therefore on the 'better' sites in the 'less favoured' areas! Barbera d'Asti fits in to this sort of logic just beautifully. This is one such beauty.

Lavignone pours well with a medium to full ruby. Rich warming fresh summer fruits and ripe berries are energetically thrown up out of the bouquet. The palate is smooth and long with strong and definite edges. This is where Barbera shines. Rich fruit with fine but not obtrusive structure.

Food was made to be eaten with copious jugs of Barbera. Maccario has made Lavignone to be drunk with copius amounts of food!

Ornellaia and Ch. Guiraud at Kevin Ecock's School of Wine

Recently I held a One Day Wine Course at the Kevin Ecock School of Wine. I spent the morning looking at white, sweet and sparkling wine. The afternoon was an enjoyable romp through reds and fortifieds. Two wines stood out from the crowd. They were Chateau Guiraud 1er Cru Sauternes 1990 and Ornellaia 1998.

While the rest of the wines lined up for the day were superb I just couldn't help thinking that my class from that day probably won't ever see the combo of these two wines aged so well ever again. Maybe I won't! These are the special things a well structured wine course can bring to the table. These are the moments that only the wine trade, of all the visual arts out there, is capable of delivering. Magic and memories of it.

Ornellaia was as reliable as ever : a rich brick heart in a full deep ruby; layers of warm spice and cassis interweave with youthful berry elements and aged wood; light touch on the palate with delicacy to the fore and structure depth, and power waiting in the wings; tremendous poise and balance; drink now to 2025.

Guiraud had taken on a rich golden colour with lots and lots of light yellows flashing through. It was quite mesmerising to look at. Bouquet has risen to enhance a powerful botrytis effect with honeyed and very ripe figs and overripe peach skins. Exquisite palate where acidity is not lacking but then again neither are the balancing sugars. This was ripened perfection showing very well in close harmony with ageing effects on the back palate where empty honey pot hung in. My photo just doesn't do this wine justice.

As a true teaser I opened a strange bottle that day that I had been given a few years back in the Veneto. It was a 2001 Chardonnay Passito dessert style wine named Colori d'Autunno from the Tenuta Sant' Antonio in Valpolicella. Sorry I opened it now. A real cracker - I just wish I could taste it again in a few years time!