2008 vintage ale @FullersTony - beautiful beer, tasting notes here: http://bit.ly/qRHBqI

Drunk with my steak & kidney stew. It's a deep nutty brown, quite hazy and cloudy yet fairly smooth on the glass. Smells very malty and tastes so as well. It still has good fizz which pops on the tongue, and a lovely caramel sweetness which is light rather than heavy. Tastes of malt, caramel, the texture, if you swill it round your mouth, is quite foamy and overall very nice in texture and flavour. Rich, dark, yet with light sweetness and toasty flavours with dark honey lingering in the mouth. A very nice beer, I'll leave the other for a couple more years to see how it develops. My score is 89.

Red #Bordeaux #wine from France: 2001 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Canon Fronsac. Producer: J. Bussier, 33126 St-Michel-De-Fronsac, Gironde. Vintage: 2001. Appearance deep and smooth red, thick and viscous on the glass with very fruity – strawberries, red grapes, juice aromatics. The attack is light and fruity. Evolution: Very juicy, with redcurrants and grape juice with a finish which is redcurrants on swallow and in nose. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 3.5. Tannin: 2 with a texture which is sandpaper and the length is excellent and varied. As for balance, it's beautiful, but nothing like i expected: this is young, light and fruity, despite its 11 years of age. The wine has a cork closure and is 12.5% abv. Overall, this wine is: Very nice, light, refreshing, summery and young-tasting. A surprising drop but very pleasant. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 85 points.

Fortified sweet #Malaga #wine from Spain: NV : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Pedro Ximenez. Producer: Bodegas Malaga Virgen, Fuente de Piedra 29520, Malaga, Andalucia. Vintage: NV. Appearance very dark guinness brown, very thick and viscous on the glass with dark welsh toffee aromatics. The attack is it doesn't attack – it's like taking a spoonful of malt from a jar!. Evolution: A little like a good stout or dark beer, with very malty undertones and lots of non-fruity sweetness with a finish which is toffee!. Sweetness: 5. Acidity: 2. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is literally like taking a spoonful of runny honey! and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's the slight earthiness balances the sweetness. The wine has a cork cap closure and is 17% abv. Overall, this wine is: I think this is my first 5/5 wine for sweetness, it's very, very sweet. Would go well with Christmas Pudding! My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 82 points.

Sparkling White #Champagne #wine from France: NV #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Champagne Reserve. Producer: Claude Beaufort, Ambonnay. Vintage: NV (bottled 2004). Purchased from vineyard. Appearance slightly amber yellow, small-medium amount of small bubbles, thin & receding on the glass with sherbet, candy cigarettes, white grapes aromatics. The attack is quite mouth-filling and lightly prickly. Evolution: Chalk, bananas, tropical fruits with a finish which is citrus zest on swallow and in nose. Sweetness: 0.5. Acidity: 4. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is mouth-watering and prickly and the length is excellent and varied. As for balance, it's nice, perhaps a little “new world” for my taste, but this is very pleasant nonetheless. Overall, this wine is: Interesting citrus flavours mixed with other fruits make this a serious drink and very pleasant in an unusual way. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 86.

Red #Alsace #wine from France: 2009 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Alsace Pinot Noir. Producer: Domaines Jean Becker, Zellenberg 68340. Vintage: 2009. Purchased from Carrefour.

Appearance: Pale-ish browny red, medium and receding on the glass

Aromatics: Red fruits and blackcurrant skins
Attack: Quite firm and juicy
Evolution: Loads of redcurrants and other summer berries with good acidity and an interesting taste of old wood
Finish: Mouthfuls of red berries, this is really a summer drink!
Length: Excellent
Texture: Fine sandpaper
Balance: Very fresh and zingy but backed up with good body
Notes: Alsace reds seem to be getting better and better. This is much richer than the would have been a few years ago and it stood up to a chicken & stilton pie very well
Score: 84

Rosé #Hampshire #wine from England: 2010 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Row Ash Rosé. Producer: Wickham Vineyard, Shedfield, Hampshire. Vintage: 2010.
Appearance: Tizer red, medium and smooth on the glass
Aromatics: A touch of yoghurt, sweetness, a little red apple
Attack: Fresh and lively with a Sprite-like quality
Evolution: That usual rosé bitterness, with nice red apple peel flavours
Finish: Apples on swallow and in nose
Sweetness: 0.5
Acidity: 3
Tannin: 0
Length: Excellent
Balance: Lovely balance, quite light and lively and went really well with roast pork
Texture: Lively water
Notes: Really nice, quite an unusual appley flavour, tastes very English in a good way. Buy again!
Score: 84

Sweet #Pas de Calais #wine from France: 2010 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotdSweet #Pas de Calais #wine from France: 2010 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Hydromel des Dieux. Producer: LUCAS Didier, 93 Rue de Cassell, 59940 Neuf-Berquin. Vintage: 2010. Purchased from “vineyard”. Appearance pale amber, smooth and thick on the glass with honey, bark, tcp aromatics. The attack is very light, surprisingly. Evolution: Unfortunately a little yeasty, although this makes me feel better about my home-made stuff! There's an interesting flavour of TCP, which isn't necessarily a good thing! with a finish which is peppery spice in the nose, rich honey on swallow, yeasty aftertaste. Sweetness: 2.5. Acidity: 2. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is very silky and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's nicely balanced between quite a light sweetness and a good sharp flavour of honey. The wine has a synthetic closure and is 15.5% abv. Overall, this wine is: Not bad, shame about the yeast, but it almost doesn't spoil it. Certainly an interesting drink. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 79 points.

Red #Sud-Est #wine from France: 2008 #organic: http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: Autrement Languedoc. Producer: Gérard Bertrand à F 11100. Vintage: 2008. Purchased from carrefour. Appearance deep purple, medium and smooth on the glass with quite dry with a nice prune flavour and black cherries aromatics. The attack is quite dry with a nice prune flavour and black cherries. Evolution: Black cherries, black pepper, quite tannic with a finish which is black cherries in nose and on swallow. Sweetness: 0. Acidity: 3.5. Tannin: 3.5 with a texture which is very rough and the length is a little patchy. As for balance, it's could do with a little more body to match the tannin and acidity. The wine has a cork closure and is 13% abv. Overall, this wine is: Not bad but clearly a cheapy. Good for the price and at least it's orgamic. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 79 points.

Red #Niederösterreich #wine from Austria: 2006 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Appearance: Deep red, with a watery hue on the edges, thick and viscous on the glass
Aromatics: Fresh black and red fruits, quite dry
Attack: Slightly sweet, very juicy
Evolution: Good acidity makes this very mouth-watering, with black cherry juice, liquorice and Ribena
Finish: very yet sweet on the tongue, it's quite strange, with very grassy acidity
Sweetness: .5
Acidity: 4
Tannin: 1
Texture: Very rough water
Length: Excellent
Balance: A very interesting balance of quite deep rich flavours against a fresh fruity feeling in the mouth
Notes: Very interesting, when we first opened the bottle it tasted very sharp, but once it had breathed, it was very nice, juicy and refreshing in a racy way - went really well with venison steak, jerusalem artichoke
Score: 84

Sweet #Mosel #wine from Germany: 2010 : http://tinyurl.com/3qjhotd

Wine name: 2010 “Estate” Riesling. Producer: Dr. Loosen, D-54470 Berbkastel/Mosel. Vintage: 2010. Purchased from sheffield park vineyard. Appearance pale pastille yellow, thick and viscous on the glass with riesling, lemon oil aromatics. The attack is rounded yet form and with good acidity. Evolution: Loads of lemon oil, citrus flavours, a touch of candy with a finish which is green apples and lemon zest in nose and on swallow. Sweetness: 3. Acidity: 2. Tannin: 0 with a texture which is very thick and viscous and the length is excellent. As for balance, it's lovely balance between an understated sweetness and mouthfulls of green apples and lemon oil. The wine has a screwcap closure and is 7.5% abv. Overall, this wine is: Very nice, not as sweet as the chap in the shop said, but really refreshing yet soft and fruity. Buy again!. My score (which is NOT the same as Robert Parker's!) is 91 points.