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The Fine Wine Course
The Fine Wine Course covers more advanced tasting techniques, quality assessment and notemaking, based on the classic wines and wine regions of France. It differs from the Beginners Course in that its subject matter is narrower and can be explored at much greater depth; and because its best wines are much more expensive. The average price-range across the course is £10 to £100+ a bottle. A fact sheet and map are provided for each region, and 8 to 10 wines are tasted on each occasion, illustrating a range of styles, a quality cross section and France’s terroir concept.
The course is unusual in that, along with young examples, we show fully mature wines. These wines are increasingly rare and sought after in today’s market place. Seeing what they have to offer, how they develop with bottle age, and why one bothers to keep them, are fundamental to the appreciation and enjoyment of fine wine.
The courses take place at 10 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8AH (see How to Find Us). They start at 6.30pm, and run for 2 to 2½ hours.
| EVENING 1 | |
| Regions: | Alsace and Champagne |
| Tasting: |
Revision of basic technique. Tasting sparkling wines. |
| EVENING 2 | |
| Regions: | Loire and Bordeaux 1 (White) |
| Tasting: | Note-taking, general principles; acidity. |
| EVENING 3 | |
| Regions: | Bordeaux 2: Claret |
| Tasting: | Detailed anatomy of notemaking; tannin and texture. |
| EVENING 4 | |
| Regions: | Rhône Valley |
| Tasting: |
'Aroma' versus 'bouquet'. Notions of 'maturity' and 'readiness'. |
| EVENING 5 | |
| Regions: | Burgundy 1 (white) |
| Tasting: | Style versus quality. |
| EVENING 6 | |
| Regions: | Burgundy 2 (red) |
| Tasting: | Blind tasting; description versus assessment. |
Some of the fine mature bottles that have figured in the Fine Wine Course recently:
| Evening 1 |
1990 Dom Perignon 1996 Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque 1990 Riesling Frédéric Emile (Trimbach). |
| Evening 2 |
2002 Pouilly Fumé Silex (Dageneau) 1983 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 1988 and 1964 Climens. |
| Evening 3 |
1998 La Tour Figeac 1990 Clos du Marquis 1990 Pape Clément 1988 Pichon Baron. |
| Evening 4 |
1989 Châteauneuf du Pape Beaucastel 1990 Crozes-Hermitage Thalabert (Jaboulet) 1990 Cornas (Clape) 1991 Côte Rôtie Blonde (Rostaing) 1997 Hermitage (Chave). |
| Evening 5 | 1986 Chablis Preuses (Dauvissat) 2006 Puligny-Perrières (Sauzet) 1993 Meursault Pérrières (Roulot) 1995 Bâtard-Montrachet (Jean Noel Gagnard). |
| Evening 6 |
1999 Ruchottes-Chambertin (Rousseau) 1992 Charmes-Chambertin (Domaine Bachelet). |