The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | Wine writing competition

Farr Vintners offer Wine Relief

• 3 min read
Image

Fundraising schemes continue to emerge for Wine Relief 2013. See the recently published list of Wine Relief 2013 wines that are on offer as fundraisers from the major wine retailers. (Wine Relief is the wine-related fundraising initiative that has been a substantial contributor to the biennial Comic Relief campaign since 1999.) 

And now good old Farr Vintners, most successful fundraisers for WineWine_Relief_logo_RH Relief 2011 by farr (geddit?), are offering to donate £20 for each case of the following wines ordered between now and the end of March. I tasted them and really liked them. Some of them are even great bargains.

My notes are below, in the form in which we present all our tasting notes on Purple Pages. Since this is in such a good cause, this particular tasting article is free to access. Please order copiously here

(The image is of Farr Vintners' tasting room in the old Battersea piano factory – I think – in which they are based. It was taken at the Top St-Emilion 2005 & 2009 tasting organised last December by owner Stephen Browett, on the extreme right. Steven Spurrier's shoulder is on the left. Water bottle foreground.)

CHAMPAGNE 

Well balanced and slightly floral. Very fine acidity. Very...

Deep flavoured and quite rich at first. Tense and tight. Dry...

WHITE

Not a bad price for a premier cru white burgundy! Just a hint of...

Very respectable blend of correct savoury white burgundy fruit...

From the home farm of the owner of Verget. Tight, tight, tight...

Very striking nose. Satin-textured palate. Lots of oomph and...

Appley and a little tight. Has been on a diet perhaps.

Quite full and racy and lovely and lip smacking. Not at all fat...

Opulent bouquet of tropical fruits pushes itself right up your...

100% screwcap since 2000. Tense and lively with obvious...


RED

Yet another wine with a Pauillac connection: the southern Rhône...
Owned by director of Ch Latour in Pauillac Frédéric Engerer and...

Dark crimson. Bit dull and unformed. Seems so angular after the...

Sweet and thick. Rather austere. Pure though. Just a tad rigid...

Another second wine, before Jade Jagger was given the job of...

Sweet and floral. Rich and sweet. 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet....

Screwcapped second wine of Ch Rauzan Ségla. Farr were the first...

Some of the wine was aged in new oak and some in no oak...

A little less opulent than some 2009s. Quite tough at the moment...

Very round and fully developed. Opulent and fun. Round and...
Denis Durantou bought this property which you can actually see...
This vintage (though not the 2009) was made by Alfred Tesseron...
The Bru family own this property that's on higher ground towards...
The owner has poured squillions into making the wine taste like...

A great vintage just becoming ready to drink. Lovely luscious...

A fully mature wine from the most popular wine producer in...

SWEET

Dark, sweet and sticky. Amazing how lively it is considering its...

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