Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Cumbria. Thursday 05-March-2026.
Our last visit to Bassenthwaite Lake Station (BLS) for their monthly wine tasting before we head back to Italy for the summer. As usual we went for the winter break deal (dinner, bed and breakfast) at The Pheasant as we were not going to be driving home afterwards, that’s for sure!
The theme was to take two different vintages of the same wine and do a compare and contrast. Sometimes literally the same wine, different vintage, sometimes different styles that required different periods of maturation. An interesting test of taste.
Wine, ABV Supplier Price
- BLS Tasting Notes
- Mary's Notes. ✱ Rating out of Three
1 Taste the Difference Cotes Du Rhone Viognier/Grenache Blanc 2024, 12.5% Sainsbury, £9.75
- An interesting comparison to start us off - two 'identical' Cotes du Rhone wines form the Sainsbury Taste the Difference range, one is 2024 and one is 2023, both priced the same and with identical descriptions (apart from the grapes varieties) and food pairing suggestions
- Nothing outstanding, ✱
2 Taste the Difference Cotes Du Rhone Viognier/Grenache Blanc 2023, 13% Sainsbury, £9.75
- BUT The 2023 wine is higher in alcohol and has named grapes of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Rousanne and Bourboulenc whereas the 2024 is showing just Viognier and Grenache Blanc. Both are described as complex & elegant and pair well with grilled fish and roast chicken
- Much more complex, fuller body. ✱✱✱
It was interesting (and heartening) to see the difference between the vintages. This means the winemaker makes the best they can with each year rather than blend to a consistent style.
3 The Ned Black Label Sauvignon Blanc 2025, 12.5%, New Zealand Majestic, £12
- Majestic's best selling white wine, this delicious Marlborough Sauv Blanc is refreshing and packed full of gooseberry and grapefruit flavours and is seriously aromatic. It would pair really well with Thai flavours.
- Typical SB, a bit over the top. ✱½
4 The Ned 'Skyscraper' Sauvignon Blanc 2024, 13%, New Zealand Majestic, £15
- A great balance of zingy grapefruit, apple and stone fruits and a balancing minerality and acidity on the palate with a long finish.
- More complex and balanced. ✱✱½
Surprisingly, I preferred the younger, tarter SB, contrary to my usual preference, whereas Mary preferred the 2024.
5 Bread and Butter Chardonnay, 2023, 13.5%, California Majestic, £16
- A lush Chardonnay with flavours of bread and butter! Full and fresh, this blend from two distinctly different regions produces understated flavours and silky-smooth citrus and vanilla notes. Great with creamy dishes and soft cheeses.
- Overpowering vanilla. Nul point
6 Bread and Butter, Reserve Chardonnay, 2022, 14.5%, California Majestic, £29
- Classically balanced and concentrated wine with aromas of melon and grapefruit, flavours of tropical fruit and toasty brown sugar from oak ageing, this bold and complex wine will pair brilliantly with grilled fish, rich creamy dishes and soft cheeses.
- Still oaked but not as much, more harmonious and balanced. ✱✱½
7 Matsu El Picaro, 2024,13.5%, Toro, Spain Majestic, £12
- Tempranillo is King in Toro and much better value than in Rioja (its more famous neighbour The fiercely hot climate produces complex and intensely-flavoured wine. This younger wine is vibrant and fresh with notes of blackberry, spice and liquorice shining through. Great with roast beef. The label features the son of the family.
- A good example of a fresh young style. ✱✱
8 Matsu El Recio, 2023, 14.5%, Toro, Spain Majestic, £16.50
- The middle wine of this series of three, El Recio tempranillo produces full-bodied, heady, intense wines with chocolate and vanilla notes that would pair really well with roast lamb or flavoursome griddled vegetables. The label features the father of the family.
- ✱½
9 Matsu El Viejo, 2022, 15%, Toro, Spain Majestic, £31
- Our 'wobbliest' wine of the evening, the extra ageing and mature vines produce intensely complex and elegant wines. Look for jammy black fruits, smoky spices and great structure. This is the Matsu flagship wine and is remarkable in its depth of flavour. The label features the grandfather of the family.
- Age and selection show through - more complex, balanced and flavoursome. ✱✱✱
A three-way comparison. Most of the crowd preferred either seven or nine. I was in a minority preferring the middle number eight.
10 Vinalba Reserva Malbec 2023, 14%, Mendoza, Argentina Majestic, £12.50
- Malbec flourishes in Argentina and the complex style of this Reserva enhances the excellent Mendoza reputation. Look for rich, chocolatey black fruit flavours. Grilled steak is Malbec's best friend and a Malbec with steak is one of life's delicious pleasures!
- ✱✱½
11 Vinalba Gran Reservado Malbec 2022, Mendoza, Argentina Majestic, £19.50
- This is Vinalba's flagship wine. It has rich, stewed summer-fruit flavours and soft vanilla notes. It is intense and smooth with soft tannins pand a long finish. A great match for a meaty steak pie. Advisable to decant!
- ✱✱½
The house style was evident but there were distinct differences between the wines. Both were good tasty wines but lacked a bit of typical Malbec character. Number 11 may have been their flagship Wine but I preferred the cheaper 2023 vintage.
At the end of the tasting there was the usual decorous stampede to finish off what was left in the bottles.
After that Diane produced a bonus bottle. A bottle of their house Malbec.
12 Hornhead Malbec 2024, 13.5%, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- Gold medal winner in the best value category of the Anivan de France Wine Awards, this is a delicious, mouthfilling, juicy French Malbec. A little softer and yet more approachable Malbec from this hidden corner of France
- A bit soft for Mary. ✱✱
Poppy, their black lab, came to join us. I think she was hoping for some of the nibbles to fall off our table. She was disappointed!
A last nightcap back at the Pheasant Inn before bed.
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