Majestic Customer Tasting - Majestic, Leeds

1. Langlois Crémant de Loire Brut, £11.99 (buy 2 - £7.99) - a surprisingly complex nose for the money, pretty good value for £12 a pop
   
2. Paul Mas Sauvignon Blanc, £7.99 (buy 2 - £5.99) - pale straw in colour, nose green apples, citrus, even a touch of tropical fruit (lychee), on the palate - good acidity, length is OK, more citrussy on the palate than anything else. Alex preferred this to the Lanner Hill.
   
3. Chablis La Maladière, William Fevre, £12.99 (buy 2 - £11.99) - straw in colour, nose quite minerally with a touch of vanilla, palate green apples, good acidity but slightly thin on the mouth feel - there feels like there's a gap in the palate. Wouldn't bother with this.
   
4. Lanner Hill Sauvignon Blanc, £11.99 (buy 2 - £9.99) - pale straw in colour, pronounced asparagus nose, palate very grassy, length better than the Paul Mas but acidity not as good. Andy prefers this. Alex thinks this is the better wine, as it's more complex, but it lacks the structure given to the Paul Mas by its acidity.
   
5. Maycas Limari Chardonnay, £12.49 (buy 2 - £9.99) - straw in colour, quite a pefumed nose with a touch of vanilla essence. On the palate - tropical and stone fruit flavours. For Alex, too fat a wine - we wouldn't bother with this either.
   
6. Marco Porello Barbera d'Alba, £7.99 (buy 2 - £6.99) - ruby in colour, quite intense, nose is rich cherries and stewed rhubarb, cherries on the palate too, fab structure, good length, slightly bitter (in a good way) finish - we're both fans and this was our wine of the tasting!
   
7. Roaring Meg Pinot Noir, £17.49 (buy 2 - £13.99) - ruby to garnet in colour, quite intense, slightly vegetal nose - think bramble leaf, raspberries on the palate and another slightly bitter finish - but this time it doesn't work. Neither of us were sufficiently impressed with this wine to part was £17.50!
   
8. Vina Mayu Reserva Syrah, £9.49 (buy 2 - £7.59) - garnet, but on the ruby end, nose very similar to the Cline, palate less fruit driven, with more tannins and structure. Neither shiraz really worked for Alex.
   
9. Cline Sonoma Syrah, £8.69 (buy 2 - £6.59) - garnet, quite intense, nose - quite pronounced, very meaty, with a touch of tobacco, palate is very fruit driven, quite a mouthful. This wine didn't work for Alex but Andy preferred this to the Chilean Vina Mayu.
   
10. Premier Vin du Chateau de Pitray, £8.99 (buy 2 - £6.95) - garnet, quite intense, nose all about blackcurrants, cedar and vanilla, palate blackcurrants but with a real vegetal edge, some tannin. This was our second favourite wine of the evening.

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