An Autumnal shot with a few bottles demolished at a dinner at our place a couple of nights ago, a fairly eclectic mix as befits the makeup of the guests we invited. The Rusden 2020 Driftsand (a kind gift from fellow wine connoisseur
@Rug) although young, had plenty of charms, having only heard of their "Black Guts" Shiraz previously I was curious to try out this GSM and wasn't disappointed, medium bodied and seamless, plums and cherries to the fore, far too quaffable! The 2018 Rockbare Shiraz amped up the fruit intensity a notch or two, very much a full-bodied red, blackberry and vanillin oak, as spicy and dense as grandma's rich fruit cake, the quality not quite as elevated as their Tideway Shiraz but a solid drop.
The 2019 Haselgrove Tusail Shiraz Cabernet was probably the weakest link in the line-up, which isn't to say it was inferior but it probably needs more time to develop, better after a decent decant but still somewhat closed, one to revisit. The final red was something of an enigma for me as I had never tried a Lebanese wine before, the 2012 Musar Jeune is drinking at its peak (considering these are a "drink now" offering from the producer), very generous both in body and flavour, the Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet beautifully interwoven to create a fruit-drenched raft of blackberry, cassis and cherry, I include a link for those like me who are new to this style
https://chateaumusar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Musar-Jeune-Red-2012.pdf
Finally, and by no means least, a sticky to finish off the evening (and nearly us as well), the 2004 Craigow Botrytis Reisling was really quite sublime, by no means past its prime but having developed into an amber-hued, viscous nectar, redolent of peach, honey and Meyer lemon a perfect accompaniment to Nigella's pud
Nigella Lawson's Warm Chocolate Tahini and Banana Pudding A very pleasant evening was had by all...
