Beaune 1er Cru les Marconnets - Maison Remoissenet 2009

Expect to see more good reports on this Beaune house over coming years. It changed hands in 2005, and since, a key character from Louis Jadot (Bernard Repolt) has joined the team. 2009 was a pretty good year in the region. Fruit all round is fairly concentrated and deeply coloured, and it's expected to cellar well in the short-medium term (acid is in the main a little low, so although tannins are good, long-term cellaring might not pay off so well)

This partiular one is from Les Marconnets, a sub-region of Beaune, just out of town, and carrying Premier Cru status.

Pieropan Soave 2011

There's a whole heap of Soave out there that makes it hard for any decent producerer in the region to charge a reasonable amount for their product. It's a bit like all that $5 Australian Chardonnay, in that it's created a niche for itself that is broadly "tastes OK for a cheap wine". And so, we can buy any number of Soaves off the Dubai shelf for about 30AED - they've got a little in the way of aromatics, some zing, and are always good with food (probably because they are so watery and neutral).

But just like Aussie Chardonnay, that's not what Soave is really all about. It's about a grape called Garganega, which, when made well, has an intense level of natural spice, is fragrant and floral, and has a long and flavoursome finish full of citrus and stone fruit. In the Soave Classico DOC, where this Pieropan wine hails from, the alluvial soils are less fertile than on

Martin Codax Albarino 2011

Warm straw coloured. Wow - smashing banana lollies on the nose, giving way to pineapple and herbs, very aromatic. Palate has citrus and apricot and some ever so-subtle lean grassiness. Finish is lemon pie and minerals. Slightly oily on the palate, in a good way - makes it very gluggable. Nice and dry, and an excellent alternative to give all my Sauvignon Blanc loving friends when I'm sick to death of New Zealand gooseberries and cats pee. Drink with grilled fish with a salty charcoal crust.

Drink Now
15/20
70 AED + Tax

Veuve Cliquot Demi Sec NV

This was served out of decanter in this occasion to limit bead and improve texture match with paired dessert. Sweet of course, lemon-puff and candied peel style with soft marshmallow and white peach middle. Slightly creamy, and a little honeyed/mineral. Slightly short on the finish, but that's pretty common with a dessert fizz. Partnered beautifully with dessert of yellow peaches, raspberries and cream.

From "Champagne in the Brain" a fizzy rundown of ranges of Veuve Cliquot, Joseph Perrier, Laurent Perrier, Taittinger and Bollinger, April 2013. Read more>> 

Drink Now
15/20
295 AED + Tax

Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame 1998

Gorgeous. A big yeasty nose with a slap-in-the-face character of honey and butter on hot toast. Threads of hair-thin bead trail in the glass. Lovely mineral/autolytic palate with a finish of strawberries and rhubarb laced with malt and sherbet. This wine blew me away in the lineup of several champagnes, for it's length - which just went on for minutes - and superb development.

From "Champagne in the Brain" a fizzy rundown of ranges of Veuve Cliquot, Joseph Perrier, Laurent Perrier, Taittinger and Bollinger, April 2013. Read more>> 

Drink Now
18/20
1015AED + Tax

Veuve Cliquot Vintage Reserve 2004

The Vintage Brut resents dryer and crisper than the NV, with more bready character and a concerntration on mineral and savoury characters with some reserved green apple fruit. Slightly austere in flavours, but the body makes this wine more of a mouthful than other aperitif style Champagnes. Will probably age quite nicely too.

From "Champagne in the Brain" a fizzy rundown of ranges of Veuve Cliquot, Joseph Perrier, Laurent Perrier, Taittinger and Bollinger, April 2013. Read more>>  

Drink over 5 years
16.5/20
AED 375 + Tax

Veuve Cliquot Vintage Rosé 2004

Similar fruit to the NV (strawberries, red currant) but more toasty and yeast dominated, and plenty of vanilla on the nose. There is a huge candy hit in the mid-palate that some will love (I however found it disturbed the balance a little), and makes it a great Champagne for food - Christmas turkey would be perfect. Trophy winner Decanter World Wine Awards.

From "Champagne in the Brain" a fizzy rundown of ranges of Veuve Cliquot, Joseph Perrier, Laurent Perrier, Taittinger and Bollinger, April 2013. Read more>> 

Drink Now or over 3-4 years
15.5/20
450AED + Tax