Linda Domas Reads This Blog......

.....and I know because she told me last night at dinner.


The background - another legendary wine tasting at the Harbour Heights Hotel,

one year from the first time I met Linda and her viticulturist partner Steve Brunato. Then it was carnage, this time we had prepared, we had over-hydrated all day and were packing neurofen and dioralyte just in case.
Ex-Boyf and I had joined the FJB Wine Club in an effort to broaden our horizens and learn more about wine and food marrying, more for my job as at the time I had my own restaurant and bar. In reality we leave each wine tasting utterly bolloxed and suffer for days after......a comparative effect - 'kid in a candy store'.

This time we summoned the support of 6 good friends to bring the average age of attendees down further towards the 40's.
As always the food was fantastic, combined with Linda's very sexy wines.

Brixham hand caught Scallops
Vis a` Vis Viognier 65% /Chardonnay 35%

West Country Beef with Braised Oxtail, Horseradish, Beetroot with a Herb Crust
Boycat Merlot

Passion Fruit Tart

Shotbull Rose

Unfortunately my mains and dessert were different, you've got to love being coeliac, so I had Quail and Creme Brulee which was to die for.

My main was 20 mins late and so were were accommodated with even more wine than usual, a situation that obviously counteracts any good that neurofen can do. The evening wound up with die hards in the bar until the early hours and another hangover from hell today.

What Did I Think?

I am not going to blow sunshine where it should not be but Linda and Steve are amazing. He the quieter calmer one (allegedly) and I would describe Linda as 'Knickers on Fire'. The girl did good, I have rarely met someone so passionate about anything, the only exception is my Father who would preach religion from park benches when I was a child.

I cannot stand most whites, chardonnay, pinot, chenin and sauvignon blanc, with the exception of Marques de Caceres Rioja Blanc which is slightly leaning towards the dessert wine end of the scale, but I am now converted to Vis a` Vis Viognier with it's blend of 65%Voignier and Chardonnay 35%. It is soft, buttery, fresh and worth buying shares in Linda Domas Wines or just moving to South Australia. For a red wine girl, I could have drunk this all night, and I tried too!

Available at Oddbins for around £10 ish, my verdict -
IT'S WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY!.

Boycat Merlot named after the vineyard cat.
I'm not a merlot fan prefering hearty pinotage and rioja but this really was amazing, soft on the palate and not overindulgent, just bloody fantastic to drink. Definately worth adding to the wine rack. Linda and Steve's aim is not to produce wine that floors you in 100mls with a raging high alcohol content, and I am glad because this wine just lovingly nourished my palate in entirety.
Good job guys.

So to the Shot Bull Rose - a very crisp and fruity wine that would be perfect for summer lunch, but sadly clashed with Creme Brulee. Interestingly those on our table who didn't enjoy the Boycat Merlot, loved this so it's either palatte or timing. I think mine was out by this stage.




I have to say that the wines Linda and Steve make are astounding and seem to breach all the rules of conventional wine making.
Slightly sycophantic? Possibly, but then you should never ignore a good thing when you drink it!

For more info go here
To buy go here
and here