Amazingly a couple of these are from Alko!
Raventos i Blanc Silencis 2013
A 100% Xarel.lo aged on lees. A bit cloudy; very leesy nose; high acidity; Muscadetish. Brilliant stuff.
Gaia Thalassitis 2014
A 100% Assyrtiko. I don't know about this one but it sure smells like it is aged on lees. And once again, just like the Silencis, it is wonderfully structured and high in acidity and delightfully reminiscent of Muscadet. Brilliant stuff, again.
I know what I'll be drinking this summer. Except that Alko bought such small amounts of both that I'm sure they'll run out before the first hot days arrive.
August Kesseler Spätburgunder "N" 2011
This was a pretty decent Pinot for something available in Alko. I don't have a great deal of experience with Rheingau Pinot but this wasn't as confected as some can be and was instead one with a bit of savoury character in addition to candied fruit. Very drinkable despite a bit of oak.
We had a tasting of Fattoria di Bacchereto Carmignano Terre a Mano that included IIRC all that have every been made: 2002-2011. Carmignano has a long tradition of blending Cab to Sangio (which I usually dislike) and are pretty big (which I also usually dislike) but these wines worked well for me.
2011: ripe but with a genuinely harmonious mix of cherry and blackcurrant leaf aromas - it's not the sort as with some Chiantis with plenty of Cab where it completely overcomes the Sangio. I guess some know how to blend these grapes well.
2010: Even better. Same basic components but with a cooler/less ripe style so it was perfect to my tastes in all other ways except it needs age.
2009: Like the 2011 in being tasty but ripe
2008: weird; oxidative? tasty anyway, so not too badly oxidised.
2007: very ripe, raisiny even; yet amazingly fresh and light on its feet.
2006: ripe, but perfectly balanced, very refreshing yet also rich; doesn't go over the edge to become raisiny
2005: dark, perhaps a bit inky fruit, but otherwise perfectly nice with the house style of savoury fruit and elegant richness. It was a bit lacklustre compared to the others here, but still very good.
2004: beautiful balance, seems a bit cooler in style and that is just good.
2003: very ripe nose and though noticeably lower in acid than other years it was still refreshing instead of cloying. This property seems to handle the super-hot years very well.
2002: supposedly a shitty year in Toscana. Yet this was perhaps the most amazingly beautiful wine of the tasting: sour, Cantillon-like aromas, racy and palate-cleansing.
This was a strange tasting. Judging by the cover this shouldn't have been to my taste; yet every wine - even the hot years I usually dislike - were enjoyable.
Moulin Touchais Côteaux du Layon 1971
Oh my FSM this was marvellous! Served blind I was at first thinking of something Tokajish (though this apparently doesn't have botrytis). But the combination of citrus peel aromas and high acidity and genuinely refreshing character for a very sweet wine fooled me. Of course when it was revealed it became perfectly obvious this was Chenin!
Fantastic wine and the combination intensity and lightness of touch are incredible.