nanson.ch me

Moi - December 2002

. . . looking cool circa 1982 !

Never a very interesting subject talking about oneself, however, for the record:

WHERE
Born and bred in Yorkshire, northern England. I've always worked in the chemical industry, 13 years in R&D, and the last 8 years in commercial positions. I currently live in Switzerland with my wife & two dogs, working for a Swiss chemical company.

HOW
How did I get the taste for wine? I always enjoyed a glass of wine with a meal but that was about it. Whilst visiting customers in France with a local colleague we used find oursevles quite close to Beaune, so one day we decided to pay a visit. We did the tour around the Hospices de Beaune then afterwards visited the cellar of the Marché des Vins just across the road. Being left to your own devices in a cellar with 50+ wines left for your attention was certainly a new experience - I don't think I was driving that day ! That was around seven years ago and where my deeper interests were kindled.

WHAT
So what do I enjoy drinking? Well in terms of styles, I don't really enjoy obviously oaked wines, red or white. Oak is beneficial in 'filling the palate', and adding complexity, but this is a two edged sword that must be used wisely. Too much and the wine needs to be chewed not drunk and will be no fun at all with food. I also have a personal dislike for 'high toast' oak aromas, but at least these gradually disperse from the glass and I appreciate that I'm probably in a minority here.

I drink 90%+ red wine. True enjoyment for me comes from the tertiary smells and flavours of 'older' wines. Cabernet based wines have so-far never managed to 'move' me: I love a good Pauillac, Saint Julien or Californian but have never yet had one that has 'made time stop'. I love shiraz/syrah, sangiovese from Montalcino and Merlot. But for me Pinot Noir is the pinnacle of red grapes. When it comes to whites I get most pleasure from Riesling, Chardonnay is still a mystery to me, invariably due to oak.

CRITICISM & SCORES
If you look at my tasting notes, it will be quickly apparent that I enjoy wine. I do not look to deconstruct what is in the glass or be overly critical. If I enjoy a wine, I say so - and I get enjoyment from 80%+ of the wines I drink. Obviously some wines are better than others and hopefully my descriptions will convey this, but I don't use scores. Scores can only be relevent to others if they drink the same wine, from the same source, at the same time with the same food, because all these things affect our appreciation. Apart from organised tastings, I don't taste, I drink - and I drink the wines with food, because that is their role.

That's more than enough about me.