Francoise Bedel, L'Ame de la Terre Millesime

Another bottle that was better than the previous outing. It had a really unusual nose, with a waft of cheesy funk alongside matured smells of biscuit, brioche and floral honey, some tropical Chiku or Buah Selak fruit, and then just a touch of slightly oxidative browned apples. There was something almost liquered on it. The palate was really matured too. Soft, round and honeyed, still with a hint of bright acidity and energetic mousse, but with an otherwise mellow glow …

Oxidative showing the age with hint of mineral notes on the nose. Palate was disappointing light was expecting more complexity though very good but given the nose the palate should be better.

M+M's Housewarming BBQ (Malvern Springs) : An interesting Champagne – good as an aperitif, yet serious enough to sit down and think about. It had an oxidative character to it, smelling a bit cider-ish on the nose, with notes of old apples and brown pear, some kumquats and a dash of earthy minerality. The palate was round and fleshy, with a mix of sweet and salty flavours – browned pears, lemond rind, kumquats, with a small dose of gently citrus …

I really enjoyed this wine, but don't expect it will be everyone's cup of tea. I found it a really interesting wine, with a real breadth in the flavour spectrum - orange peel, apple, honey, gingerbread and real minerality. Very distinctive and enjoyable.