After a whopping 36 years of teaching history, French and English, Geneviève Schockaert officially retired from teaching. Congratulations, mom! To celebrate the occasion, yours truly organized a small wine tasting party. 9 wines were on offer: 1 sparkling wine, 3 whites and 5 reds. Tasting notes after the jump.
Prosecco Brut Conti d’Arco
Veneto, Italy. 100% Prosecco. €8.95 @ De Heerlyckheid.
Light footed bubbles. Soft hints of ripe pears and peach. Delicious.
Boschendal Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Coastal Region, South Africa. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. €9.97 @ Delhaize.
As previously evangelized on this space, a sexy, zesty white wine from Boschendal. Outstanding balance and acidity. Drew the party goers like a moth to flame. Highly recommended.
Soave Classico 2007 DOC Vigneti Monteforte
Veneto, Italy. 90% garganega, 10% Trebbiano. €6.25 @ De Heerlyckheid.
Soave’s floral, crisp charm always works. Very easy to like. Ideal summertime company. Matches well with lobster, white meats and sushi.
Mâcon Villages Blanc Sec 2006
Maconnais, Burgundy, France. 100% Chardonnay. €4.69 @ Delhaize
Couldn’t get this wine properly cooled in time for the tasting, so only three people tasted this wine. The nose is promising and so are the flavors but an unassuming finish plays the role of wet blanket.
Valperga Rosso di Puglia IGT 2006
Quinzano, Italy. Negroamaro and Nero di Troia. €4.75 @ De Heerlyckheid.
A robust IGT wine from the ‘heel’ of Italy. Aroma and flavor to spare. A full bodied, spicy powerhouse for bbq or pasta dishes. Unbeatable price-quality ratio.
Hacienda Lurton Araucano Pinot Noir 2006
Colchagua Valley, Chili. 100% Pinot Noir. €9.95 @ De Heerlyckheid.
Ah, the exquisite subtleties of the pinot noir grape are not lost on this sun-soaked Chilean masterpiece. A balanced ménage à trois of aroma’s, depth and finish. Applause.
Chateau Dubois Claverie 2005
Entre Deux Mers, Bordeaux, France. Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. €4.49 @ Delhaize
A loud wine that sticks to the tongue like candy. Lacks finesse but boasts dominant tannins.
Adobe Carmenére 2007
Colchagua Valley, Chili. 100% Carmenére. €5.25 @ Colruyt.
<An organically produced, tanned bodybuilder from sunny Chili, produced by Vinedos Emiliane. A powerhouse from start to finish. Red meat lovers rejoice.>
Gille Nuits-Saint-Georges, Les Brûlées 2002
Domain Gille. Comblanchien, France. 100% Pinot noir.
This is wine for grown folks: flavor, power and length. This wine has fruit-crammed character for days and a suave, understated finish. Superb.
Tom Van Hout 
[…] ‘millenials’). There is indeed an undeniable link between describing a wine as having ‘a balanced ménage à trois of aroma, depth and finish’ and an elitist/snobbish/posh consumerist social identity. Talking wine indexes socially valued […]