Golden label ... golden wine

Decided that we could do with a warming apéro this evening (yes I know Bob that the UK is still hot compared to Alberta but all things are relatives), so selected the single vineyard 2007 Les Melleresses, Bonnezeaux from Jacques and Anne Beaujeau's Château la Varière (37.5cl) . It underlines what a great sweet wine vintage 2007 is because it has such a thrilling balance of opulent fruit – very ripe peach and apricot and and zinging, mineral acidity. This is really a wine to sip on its won either before a meal or after. Worth considering serving it instead of a dessert.

Jacques Beaujeau

Have been at Decanter magazine today at a Decanter panel tasting looking at the 2007 vintage in the Coteaux du Layon including Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume. The results will appear in the January 2010 edition of Decanter. There were some superb wines in the tasting, showing both the quality today of what can be made in the Layon and how good the best sweet wines from the 2007 vintage are – miraculously precise with a really thrilling balance of sweetness and acidity.

View from Decanter's dining room next to the tasting room

Decanter magazine is now housed in IPC's Blue Fin Building with a spectacularly sited tasting room overlooking St Paul's and the City of London with the Tate Modern in the foreground.

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Report on yesterday's lunch with Keith Prothero now finished here.

More photos from early November 2007. Starting near Bonnezeaux and heading eastwards.

Looking across the Layon towards Bonnezeaux

Looking across the Layon towards Bonnezeaux

The ruined château at Martigné-Briand and its landmark chimneys

Ripe Chenin Blanc for Coteaux de Saumur@Domaine de Nerleux

Château d'Eternes, AC Saumur

Château d'Eternes, AC Saumur