'Left-field' whites (TWS North London)

Another excellent and educational tasting at Must and Lees, courtesy of the Wine Society North London grouping.

There was some debate pre-tasting about what 'funky' meant, exactly, but in theory and in practice I think 'left-field' serves more accurately as a summary.

Every wine was fascinating and I can't say I disliked any of them. I was especially pleased to have brought what was almost universally considered the most 'left-field' contribution (though I fear some thought it altogether too funky).

• 2022 Antonio de la Riva Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz San Cayetano Macharnudo 90 Points

  Spain, Andalucía, Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz

  This is 100% Palomino but the youth comes through to avoid any overly sherry-like notes. A very clean nose, stony with some white pepper, followed by a buttery and rich palate with hints of green apple, olive pit and some saline character. This is luscious now and has a long way to go.

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• 2021 Domaine Courbet Côtes du Jura L'Origine 87 Points

  France, Jura, Côtes du Jura

  A fascinating nose not unlike a vin jaune, but replete with some significant red fruit aromas - strawberry and raspberry, orange and with a bit of time in the glass some marmalade. On the palate, slightly too sweet for my liking, but I can see this going down a treat if a bit colder on a warmer day - red fruit, honey and 'bruised apple'.

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• 2020 Domaine Nigri Jurançon Sec Pierre de Lune 89 Points

  France, Southwest France, Jurançon Sec

  On the nose some lime, salt and orange. This unfolded into a slightly sherry-ish palate with good acidity and freshness, hints of white peach and brioche, and a gentle tangerine note.

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• 2019 Château Climens Asphodèle 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux

  Lovely anise/fennel and herbs on the nose - perhaps thyme - followed by a luscious, medium-bodied mouthful with honeysuckle, orange blossom, and honey on toast. Much like another dry 100% semillon I had recently, this is exactly like a dry Sauternes, and a very good thing.

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• 2021 Weingut Hanewald-Schwerdt Morio Muskat 90 Points

  Germany, Pfalz

  Wow! The first really left-field wine of the night, this is full of fruit, floral, and some green vegetal character on the nose - think elderflower, plum, grape, grapefruit (becoming stronger with time) and I caught some celery as well. It develops into a lovely and light easy-going wine, with orange, grapefruit, and a honey-heather element, with some tropical notes developing. Good acidity and 10.5% ABV - great summer drinker.

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• 2019 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Monopole Clásico 86 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  This was quite popular round the table and performed creditably in the final vote, but it wasn't my thing. I found it quite monolithic in its buttery/oaky style, though enjoyed the nutty notes (hazelnut, almond). Hard for me to imagine drinking a lot of this but I can understand the popularity.

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• 1994 Tim Adams Riesling 91 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  In some ways the polar opposite of the CVNE Monopole Clasico - this has huge wafts of petrol/garage on the nose, along with some charcoal and honeysuckle. That won't be for everyone but it made me want to dive in, and you're rewarded by a fully mature, rounded experience. Almost no fruit to speak of (unsurprising given it is 30 years old) but a satisfying and balanced mix of acidic tension and burnt cream/tarte tatin character.

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• 2017 Adega Regional de Colares Colares Arenæ 90 Points

  Portugal, Lisboa, Colares

  A joy to experience a Balkan/Greek grape from very difficult/unusual terroir in Portugal - the Sintra area outside Lisbon is not known as a wine-producing area, and according to DS who brought this, there was a long viticultural process to coax the roots deep enough.
  
  Nose: sour cream, yellow apple (yes, specifically yellow), some green pear
  
  Palate: Lean and drying, appley with good freshness and a gentle nutty finish, it doesn't drip with fruit but it's got plenty of life.

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• 2007 Celler Cal Pla Priorat Mas d'en Compte Blanc 94 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Superb - this ended up second on the night, behind the other wine brought by AL, for a one-two punch.
  
  This had all the hallmarks of serious mature Spanish white, all the more interesting for being from Priorat. The ageing here was incredibly rounded. Grapes are Xarel-lo, Garnacha Blanca, and Picapoll Blanco.
  
  Beautiful walnut attack to the nose, joined by sherry-like notes: dried fruit, very ripe white peach, some fig. My notes for the palate just say "exactly where it should be", a comment from another taster. It puts you in mind of a warm-but-tolerable day in sun-baked surroundings, old Spanish stone farmhouses, and a table stacked with the best cheeses, hams and breads.

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• 2020 Ventisquero Chardonnay Tara 92 Points

  Chile, Atacama, Valle de Huasco

  This definitely suffered next to the stellar white Priorat. Having tried this wonderfully off-beat producer's NV Viognier last week and loved it, this was my contribution to our left-field whites tasting and I think it was a contender for 'most on-brief'.
  
  Produced in tiny quantities on the Atacama desert's salt plains at high altitude, this would be hard to identify as Chardonnay if served blind. Unfiltered and cloudy, it appears like a natural wine, but it's got a serious saline, chalky, slightly cheddary nose from the terroir that develops into a surprisingly clean mouthful of apple, white peach, and lychee.
  
  Not your typical Chardonnay.

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• 2020 Toreta Pošip Sur Lie 92 Points

  Croatia, Dalmatia, Srednja i južna Dalmacija, Korčula

  Having lived in the Balkans I am predisposed to the wines from that region and this Croatian grape, despite being little-known, has tremendous character. This was made on Korcula, an island very close to the Peljesac peninsula best known for its opulent red wines, but Posip is a thin-skinned, fast-ripening white grape full of fruit and acidity while retaining some of that same generosity of character.
  
  This is full-bodied with an almost sweaty, slightly reductive grapefruit nose. On the palate, there's more tropical fruit - grapefruit, ripe peach, honey blossom, and a rose note, but at the same time you get serious metallic notes of iron and blood.
  
  Fascinating and probably divisive - but I loved it.

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• 2005 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc La Crau 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  As expected, a strongly nutty, mushroomy nose but with baked apple and some curranty sweetness, perhaps raisins, followed by iron, bread, some herbs and a vegetal character on the palate - limited in fruit at this stage but some lemon and bitter orange.

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• 2001 Chateau Musar Blanc 93 Points

  Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

  This won Wine of the Night by a distance, but I didn't feel it was so far ahead of the others as the votes indicated. On the nose I initially had a startling but thankfully fleeting memory of the smell of gym bags and changing rooms, which blew away with time.
  
  Overall, this is not yet showing its age at all. It's less oxidised than you might expect, with those indigenous Lebanese varietals (Obaideh and Merwah) working their magic. Hugely rich and opulent and retaining a lot of fruit (especially baked apples and quince), but the predominant memory is butter, nuts, mellowness and enjoyment.

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• 2022 Testalonga El Bandito Sweet Cheeks 87 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Definitely left-field and a fitting end, though I did have to go back to the Musar and some others to ensure it didn't have the final say!
  
  Though marked as 'sweet/dessert' on CT, this is misleading. The nose is definitely in line with that description - tons of violet and other florals, reminding some of us of chalky purple sweets from the 90s; I also got some hay and grassy notes. But the palate was surprisingly straightforward, lean and clean with notes of drying fruit - a little bitter orange. Not at all sweet and quite a pleasant if simple dry white wine.
  
  Confusing!

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