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jtl-fics · 11 months

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Fluent Freshman - Part 14

When Andrew came out of his bedroom to grab a second Allen wrench (he’s working on the frame of the dresser while Neil builds the drawers) he finds quite a few things to irritate him.

1st was the sound of his brother and his cousin arguing loudly. Andrew had been pretty clear that they needed to be quiet that morning but following Andrew’s clearly given guidelines was NEVER either of their strong suits.

2nd was the fact that there was a smell in the air that Andrew was unsure of. It wasn’t a bad smell. It didn’t smell like Nicky had left some component of the breakfast FF had bought to burn. Andrew sniffed the air again and…..lavender? It wasn’t really a smell that existed in the house of three college student boys.

3rd and most irritating was the fact that FF was not where Andrew had left him four hours ago on the couch. Again, Andrew had been pretty clear to both Nicky and Aaron that FF was to be left ALONE. FF hadn’t been able to go to sleep until Andrew had promised that nothing would happen to him while he slept.

He moves towards the kitchen table where Nicky and Aaron are eating some of the sour patch kids that FF had brought back as they argued, “He can’t be serious that Kate and I gross him out more than Andrew and Neil! I’ve seen how fast he walks away when they start getting gross.” He hears Aaron say.

“Aaron I have watched Smithy climb out a second story window because you and Katelyn started making out and he’d have to walk closer to you to go out the door.” Nicky returns. “I think you made him mad when you implied he was grossed out by Andrew and Neil. This is why I get spoon privileges and maybe, if Smithy is feeling forgiving, you can swipe your finger around the bowl.” he points at Aaron.

Andrew hangs back just out of sight.

He knows that FF does not like to be subjected to seeing PDA. A part of him feels…better at the confirmation that it really isn’t because him and Neil are both men. FF has seen them hold hands, kiss chastely, and lean on one another and been unbothered by that it was only when it started getting a little heated that they’d realize that FF had left. FF never makes a scene about it, never scoffs in disgust or squeals in delight he just seems to see where it’s going and will leave if he doesn’t want to see it.

It’s nice.

“Well he’s probably mad at you for waking him up. Andrew said to leave him alone.” Aaron returns.

“He needs breakfast! He also has to take his ulcer meds at the same time so he had to wake up and eat something. He can go back to sleep after!” Nicky defends.

Andrew scowls. Ok. Nicky could live if that was the reason he woke FF up. Still, why the hell is FF in the kitchen and more importantly what bowl and spoon are Aaron and Nicky arguing over?

Andrew tunes his family’s argument out and heads to the kitchen to find FF putting a baking dish into their oven while incense burned on the counter (Andrew now realizes that was the thin box that had been in with the rest of the candy)

He sees the bowl and spoon that Nicky had mentioned and more importantly he can see the chocolate brownie batter on them. Andrew walks over to the bowl and picks it up. He wipes his finger along the inside and…

He closes his eyes for a moment to savor the flavor of the batter. He leans against the counter and his hand brushes against….a five hour energy bottle. Andrew knows he had thrown out the two he had found in FF’s bags before (Ulcer + exhaustion + FF = bad he didn’t need to be a math major like Neil to understand that math.)

Andrew shoves the bottle in his sweatshirt pocket as FF turns around and stares at him passively. FF’s eyebrow’s raise slightly but there’s no other reaction. Andrew considers that, perhaps, FF had wanted to lick the bowl.

He offers the spoon instead knowing it is the better prize but FF is the one who bought the ingredients and mixed together this amazing batter, so he gets first dibs.

“That wouldn’t be good for my stomach.” He declines and Andrew wonders if FF had taken his meds yet or, in his tired state, he’s forgotten to.

“When did you wake up?” Andrew asks.

“Hour ago.”

He should go back to sleep after he takes his meds but also knows that FF probably won’t go to sleep until the brownies are done.

“I’ll make the pie tomorrow.” FF says and Andrew blinks out of his thoughts.

Andrew decides to go get FF’s meds for him. He’ll make it clear to FF later that the guy doesn’t HAVE to keep making amazing desserts as a thanks for being invited to Columbia. If FF just so happens to WANT to keep making amazing desserts then Andrew isn’t going to be the person that stops him.

He shoves the spoon in his mouth and heads out to go find Smith’s bag and his meds.

Aaron and Nicky see him and both let out outraged noises as their quarry had been stolen.

Andrew ignores them and gets to the bag by the couch.

Who the fuck just has 14 bottles of five hour energy sitting in their bag??

***

When Andrew handed FF his ulcer meds he could admit to feeling grateful even if Andrew had obviously gone through his bag to grab it. He swallows it dry because Andrew is standing by the sink and he knows that until Andrew eats a brownie he is not in a position to ask for favors big or small.

(He learned his lesson from that one time with Captain Neil. If he wants to do anything related to Russian he has to be in the safety of his lofted bed under the cover of night and the cover of his…covers while he reads via flashlight. He will not be caught so flat footed again! These are all necessary precautions!)

Andrew seems to very much want for FF to be in prime condition for the hunt. Part of him wonders if he’ll be released amongst other game animals and FF had never felt more jealous of the turkey who got pardoned by the president the day before. Why does that stupid bird get all the luck? Where’s his presidential pardon?

That grateful feeling evaporates into a dust cloud as Andrew lifts a plastic bag, “Stop drinking these.” Andrew hisses, “They’re going to make your ulcer worse.” He points at FF.

“I need them.” He says.

“For what?”

“Five hours of energy at a time.”

“Pull out the brownies and go back to sleep Smith.”

“They still have 10 minutes.”

“Then I’ll pull them out in 10 minutes.”

“There’s a final step that I have to do once they’re fresh out of the oven.”

“What is it.”

“Smith Family Baking secret. I don’t make the rules.” FF gestures towards where the incense continues to burn, “Great Gran’s recipe and methods cannot be shared with non-blood relatives. My mom wasn’t even let in on the secret.”

Thank god

Andrew glowers at him.

Oh God

“It’ll be just 20 more minutes.”

Andrew’s eyes narrow at him.

“They’ll be worth it.” He pleads.

Andrew rolls his eyes.

“Go to sleep when they’re done. Take Nicky’s room.” Andrew commands.

“Take Nicky’s what?” Nicky leans into the kitchen.

“Smith is going to go back to sleep on your bed.”

“Yeah you look like shit Smithy. Don’t worry, unlike Neil and Andrew’s bed mine is all safe.”

Nicky zips out of the kitchen with Andrew hot on his heels. Nicky really is a good friend.

He performs the sacred rites necessary upon the brownies when they come out of the oven and takes a small corner piece to taste test and -

He closes his eyes and clasps his hands together in prayer.

‘Thank you Great Gran.’ He prays earnestly.

‘Remember to wash behind your ears’ he thinks he hears a whisper of grandmotherly advice in return.

That was probably normal.

He extinguishes the incense.

He cuts up the brownies, finds a decently sized plate, and sets the brownies out on the counter before he starts to work on doing the dishes. Yeah Yeah he could have been cleaning while he waited for the brownies to cook! That’s what you always do right? Clean as you go?

Well have you ever been baking brownies that might be the difference between life and death? No? Well then FF is just going to have to stop you right there because he had the oven light on and his eyes GLUED to these fudgey squares.

Who knows what the cousins’ oven would do? He doesn’t know this oven. He and this oven are taking their first whirl together and it could decide to turn on him at any time. They don’t have the brotherhood that he and the oven at his Gran’s house have built over the years! This oven could be one of those ones that maintain their temperature by turning on the broiler! He felt like he could never again recklessly trust an oven after he tried to make crescent rolls in the Viking Oven at his step father’s house and had gotten them back blackened by the broiler.

That oven had been the SINGLE thing he had been excited about during the kitchen remodel which means naturally it was the thing that had betrayed him.

He lets himself think of all the ways he hates the Viking brand as he finishes the dishes and puts everything back to where they belong.

He walks out of the kitchen with the platter of brownies and sets them down on the table where Aaron and Nicky are sat. “Oh my god they smell amazing.” Nicky says and immediately his hand is shooting towards the plate and picking up a corner piece.

FF valiantly resists the urge to slap his and Aaron’s hands away. He needs these to compel Andrew into letting him live.

“Oh wow, those do smell good.” He hears Captain Neil’s voice and when FF turns around Captain Neil and Andrew are both there. It is only in that moment that he realizes that he should have bought some vanilla ice cream to go with these.

Andrew’s love of ice cream was not unknown, probably even infamous. He was the man who, during the summer training, had been so possessive over the soft serve machine in the cafeteria that anyone who wanted any had to ask Captain Neil to get them a bowl or risk being threatened.

He starts towards the door. At this point Target probably isn’t even that bad, probably just some irate people who didn’t come with the rush and are mad they missed out, maybe some officers talking to witnesses on who threw cast the first Wii remote, and workers who will hate him marginally less (unless he gets the same check out person and they remember him (unlikely))

His progress is arrested by a hand grabbing his hoodie.

“Where are you going?”

“I forgot Ice Cream.” And he could get a five hour energy to slam on the way back home.

He then finds himself being pulled down an unfamiliar hallway.

Ah, the anticipation had been killing him more than the fear of his demise. His brownies had not contained the requisite amount of grandmotherly love to save him he had been relying on extract (Great Gran’s spirit guiding his hands) instead of organic (he does not have grandchildren or children for that matter)

Maybe ice cream would have been the deciding factor? He’ll never know.

He closes his eyes and lets himself be dragged. He’s too tired to fight.

A door opens, and he finds himself sat on a bed.

Weird.

“You are falling asleep standing up. Go back to sleep. I’ll leave you at Eden’s if you fall asleep in the booth.” Andrew threatens.

What.

FF knows about Eden’s.

He has heard about it from Nicky trying to get him to agree to go but he’s pretty sure it’d be like introducing an Amazon rainforest frog to the Sahara desert in terms of survivability for him.

“We’re going to Eden’s tonight?” He manages to ask.

Andrew raises an eyebrow at him but answers, “Yes.”

“I’m not really interested in clubs. I don’t drink out in public or dance.”

“Neither does Neil. I just drink. We can stay in the booth.”

“I don’t want to interrupt your time with Captain Neil.”

“It’s fine, neither of us hate spending time with you.”

“I don’t have clothes for a place like that.”

“Nicky grabbed some for you. You’re coming tonight. Go to sleep.”

With that Andrew pulls Nicky’s curtains close, shuts off the light, and closes the door.

FF, always very much like a bird when placed into a suddenly dark environment, starts to feel some of the exceptional sleepiness that he’d been pushing off through sheer manic desperation to earn another day of life.

He lays down in Nicky’s bed and is tired enough that he can ignore the sheer amount of body glitter on the sheets (does Nicky excrete it like sweat??) and starts to let himself drift off to sleep.

Eden’s might be something completely out of his wheelhouse but-

A conversation with Nicky from when he’d been trying to get FF to go comes into his mind and he sits straight up in bed as Nicky’s words roll around in his head like stale hotdogs at a gas station.

“Eden’s is cool, even though there’s some sick shit in the basement.”

Eden’s is a Secondary Location with a BASEMENT.

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings @blep-23 @dreamerking27 @andreilsmyreligion @belodensetdust @rainbowpineapplebottle @yarn-ace @iwouldlikesometea @lily-s-world @obscureshipsandchips @booklover242 @whataboutmyfries @sahturnos @pluto-pepsi @dreamerthinker @passinhosdetartaruga @leftunknownheart @aro-manita-muscaria @hologramsaredead @Chaoticgremlinswishtheycouldbeme @tntwme @tayspots @nick-scar @crazy-fangirl2524 @blue-jos10 @stabbyfoxandrew @splishsplashyouropinionistrash @sammichly @the-broken-pen @bitchesdoweknowu @very-small-flower @ghostlyboiii @its-a-paxycab @bisexual-genderfluid-fan @cheesecookie @theoneandonlylostsock @foxsoulcourt @blueleys @adverbialstarlight @elia-nna @can-i-just-stay-in-the-corner @nikodiangel @foxandcrow-inatrenchcoat @hallucinatedjosten @satanic-foxhole-court @vexingcosmos @chalilodimun @insectsgetcooked @angry-kid-with-no-money @queer-crows @lilyndra @themugglemudperson @readertodeath @apileofpillows @mortalsbowbeforeme @hellomynameismoo @next-level-mess @youreonlylow @interstellarfig @notprocrastinatingatalltoday @percyjacksonfan3 @queenofcrazy27 @bsmr261 @ghostlyscares @spencellio @adinthedarkroom @harpymoth @sufferingjustalilbit

The requests to be added to the tag list got spread out across a few different mediums on this one so if I missed you then just ask in the replies!

As stated before if you’re up here and I spelled it right but you didn’t get a notification there might be something switched around in your settings that won’t let me tag you properly?

#Fluent Freshman AU #Andrew heads back out to try one of those brownies #Aaron and Nicky are both looking to the sky #'what the fuck did he DO to these? I would know if there was drugs in them right?' Aaron asks #'Is it straight that I want to kiss his grandma's hand?' Nicky asks #'It's his great grandma's recipe so it'll have to be her grave' - Aaron #'Fuck it. I'll dig up her grave and kiss her skeleton hand. These are divinely inspired.' - Nicky #Andrew tries one #Neil saved him two corner pieces #This is why Andrew intends to spend his life with this man #It's perfect #It's not like box brownies where it's all sugar and sweetness #it's bitter it's sweet is that a note of....spice? it's complex. It makes Andrew want to get a shovel and help Nicky desecrate a grave #He'll get in on the skeleton hand kiss #Maybe he'll take Neil and FF to the really cool speakeasy in the basement of Edens #It's quieter down there which he thinks FF would like #He doesn't have to watch out for Kevin tonight either #That's a good plan #Nicky and Aaron can dance and Andrew can show his appreciation for good baked goods to his friend #Nicky is not allowed near the Speakeasy nor is he allowed to know about it because it's suppose to be a secret #Nicky's terrible at keeping secrets!#He couldn't keep one if his or someone else's life depended on it #So Nicky thinks it's a straight swingers club down there #Which he has zero interest in #AFTG #AFTG AU #AFTG OC #AFTG shitpost #FF - Pt. 14

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wineanddinosaur · 4 years

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We Asked 10 Bartenders: Which Single-Barrel Bourbon Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck?

As bars and restaurants continue to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and reopening phases, VinePair asked the bartenders below to provide a virtual tip jar or fund of their choice. More resources for helping hospitality professionals are available here.

Widely considered as the most unadulterated expression of bourbon, the single barrel, also known as single cask, is highly sought-after. While the standard bottle of bourbon is typically made with a blend of whiskeys from multiple casks, single barrel indicates the liquor has spent its life in just one — and because the unique flavor profiles that can develop in a single barrel make these bourbons coveted products for whiskey lovers, that often means they command higher price tags.

That’s why VinePair asked bartenders around the country to share which single-barrel bourbon bottles they’re reaching for that meet both their budget and quality needs. As fall approaches and sipping spirits beckon, there are plenty of single-barrel bourbon options that won’t break the bank.

“Four Roses Single Barrel is my favorite for the price. The whiskey has a nice burnt sugar quality and has a balance with an almost rye-like spiciness, which I personally am fond of. It’s also not too expensive to make a delicious Old Fashioned with, so it’s a mainstay in my bar for sure.” — Gavin Humes, Bartender, Scratch Bar & Kitchen, Los Angeles

“Probably Knob Creek Single Barrel (which also happens to be cask-strength). It’s a go-to for Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, and is also great on its own! I like it because it packs a little more punch than some other bourbons out there, [and] balances the sweetness with some rich spice.” — Hannah Brunner, Bartender, Lost Lake, Chicago

Donate: Lost Lake Relief Fund

“Jim Beam was one of the first bourbons in the game to offer a single-barrel expression, and they’ve continued to make it super accessible in price point (under $40) and taste. It’s mixing-friendly and lovely on its own. Roasted corn caramel and vanilla hit first, along with the backbone of oak char. There’s smoky notes, some orange peel, and honey sweetness during the mid-sip, followed by a subtle, peppery spice and dark cocoa bitterness. Finally, that corn caramel sweetness comes back on the palate, finishing with some sharp spice. My dad actually turned me on to this, as it became his go-to for Manhattans.” — Maureen Shannon, Head Bartender, In the Valley, Philadelphia

“When you want a single-barrel bourbon, you’re specifically looking for unique elements of flavor, so I love Black Dirt Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon. Made in the Black Dirt Region of New York, heavily featuring locally grown corn in the mash bill, this special bottle always packs a punch. Rich, and unrelentingly deep flavors like black cherry, cacao, and toasted almond give way to a more delicate finish of honey and sweet potato. For a price tag [of] around $70, you really can’t beat the price-to-quality ratio on this one.” — Jeremy Fowler, Wine and Beverage Director, Zuma, NYC

“From the first time I tasted it, I knew the Henry McKenna Single Barrel bourbon was my favorite, and I couldn’t believe how affordable it was. This bourbon is the longest-aged bottled-in-bond bourbon available today, and although it is high-proof, it is perfectly balanced with flavors of vanilla, caramel, oak, spice, and herbaceous notes. Because it is so perfectly balanced between spicy and sweet, it is just as good on the rocks or neat as it is in a cocktail.” — Kristel Poole, General Manager, Corpse Reviver Cocktail Bar, Durham, N.C.

“Russell’s Reserve Bourbon: This is a bold, punchy bourbon with obvious char flavors that are extremely cocktail-friendly, so much so we purchased two barrels of our own. Its value as a sipper cannot be understated; it’s a great play for someone who is looking for intensity with a decent integration of oak spice flavors.” — Pete Stanton, Head Bartender, Ai Fiori at The Langham, NYC

“Henry Mckenna Single Barrel. I recently had it from a plastic cup in a park, and it couldn’t have been more enjoyable.” — Tim Wiggins, Co-owner/Bar Manager, Yellowbelly and Retreat Gastropub, St. Louis

“Evan Williams Single Barrel is nearly unbeatable for the price. It’s got all the classic hallmarks of good bourbon: oak, spice, vanilla, and marshmallow. It’s one of the best sipping whiskeys that can regularly be found for less than $30. It’s fairly low-proof, so neat is the way I take it.” — Sean Umstead, Owner, Kingfisher/QueenBurger, Durham, N.C.

“My top pick would be American Prairie Bourbon from High West Distillery. There is always a story and a creative aspect in its whiskey production that I relate to and appreciate as a cocktail creator. The American Prairie Bourbon is warm and inviting enough, with its bright caramel notes, to sip leisurely on its own, and as a bold base for a classic bourbon cocktail. I recommend it in an Old Fashioned with Demerara syrup (raw brown sugar syrup), orange, and Angostura bitters.” — Antoine Hodge, Bar & Spirits Director, Baccarat Hotel New York, NYC

“Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond is a fantastic offering for the price. The flavor profile is long and complex. The wood flavors can become slightly overbearing depending on the barrel, but this release consistently provides good density and depth of flavor — especially given the price point.” — Andrew Nichols, Head of Mixology, Atlas Restaurant Group, Baltimore

The article We Asked 10 Bartenders: Which Single-Barrel Bourbon Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/10-single-barrel-bourbons-2020-bartenders/

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isaiahrippinus · 4 years

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We Asked 10 Bartenders: Which Single-Barrel Bourbon Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck?

Donate: Lost Lake Relief Fund

The article We Asked 10 Bartenders: Which Single-Barrel Bourbon Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/10-single-barrel-bourbons-2020-bartenders/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/629422455942938624

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johnboothus · 4 years

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We Asked 10 Bartenders: Which Single-Barrel Bourbon Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck?

Donate: Lost Lake Relief Fund

The article We Asked 10 Bartenders: Which Single-Barrel Bourbon Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck? appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/10-single-barrel-bourbons-2020-bartenders/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/we-asked-10-bartenders-which-single-barrel-bourbon-offers-the-best-bang-for-your-buck

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twelvebyseventyfive · 6 years

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Interesting Marlborough: Framingham

Framingham is one of the most interesting of Marlborough’s wineries, but they tend to fly under the radar a bit. They are best known for their Rieslings – winemaker Dr Andrew Hedley is a complete Riesling freak – but their other wines are serious, too. Indeed, Riesling is only about 8% of the volume here. ‘Everyone thinks we make loads of Riesling, says Hedley, ‘but we’d be out of business if we made loads of Riesling.’ Framingham processed 650 tons of their own grapes in the winery last year, and most of this was Sauvignon. This tasting, which included a full set of the nine Rieslings from 2017, also included some very serious wines such as the F-Series Sauvignon, the F-Series Chardonnay and F-Series Pinot Gris that any winery would be thrilled to have in their portfolio. There are some real bargains in this range, considering the quality.

Dr Andrew Hedley, not just a master of Riesling

The estate vineyard, which has 18 acres of Riesling, was planted in 1981, by Rex Brooke-Taylor, and he sold his grapes to Stoneleigh, Grove Mill and even Dry River (who made a Riesling from here). Fortunately, Brooke-Taylor took the trouble to plant on phylloxera-resistant rootstock, which was unusual for the time. This meant that those 1981 plantings are still around, which makes them among the oldest vines in the region.

Framingham started as a label in 1994, and the F series started in 2008. The winery is owned by Portuguese wine company Sogrape. The estate vineyards are organically managed, but the growers’ vineyards aren’t.

This was a remarkable tasting, including nine Rieslings from 2017. As Hedley points out, there’s no other winery in the southern hemisphere where you can taste through nine Rieslings from a single vintage.

He gave me a blunt vintage report. 2017 was shit. 2018 was shit too but we’ve come through it better. There was lots of disease pressure in 2017 so only one wine in this line up didn’t have some botrytized fruit. ‘I have been working with botrytis for a long time,’ says Hedley, ‘so I’m comfortable and I know what you can pick and what you can’t. Selective harvesting is a vital part of what we do.’

We had a discussion about botrytis. ‘With botrytis. Two ways to use it: the early bloom, where it is getting going and the skin changes colour to purple, but you don’t see any spores. You have a day or two to pick: this is what a lot of people call slip skin. It’s great for dry wines: you are not building sugar but you are changing the flavours. The other is dried out botrytis, with spores. What a lot of people don’t do is actually taste the grapes. It’s rare to get ugly looking botrytis because we get the wind and sun. You have to let the sporey stuff dry out and then you get extra sugar in your grape juice. So it’s about trying to guess the degree of dehydration. This can move quite quickly. You have to taste the botrytis. We don’t get a lot of green or white mould here.’

After the tasting we wandered round the winery tasting the 2018s. There are some very interesting components and there will be some cracking wines from this vintage, including a lovely Gewürztraminer (not made in 2017) and some stunning Pinot Gris. And, of course, Riesling!

Framingham Pet Nat 2018 540 bottles. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Bottled with 16 g/l sugar out of tank, nothing added. Lovely weight here: some colour, with a bit of sweetness. Has bright fruit. Wholesome with a nice grainy structure. Really fun. 88/100

Framingham Sauvignon Blanc 2017 A really tricky vintage. I want it to be on the periphery of the mainstream rather than a mainstream style, but this is the wine in the range with commercial considerations. 11% in wood, with some acacia puncheons and old barriques. 30% of wine on lees in tank without sulfur for five or six months: the wines need this. You don’t need to be too protective with Sauvignon. 5% was fermented on skins. This is really delicate and pure with a hint of orange peel and tangerine, as well as lovely lemony fruit. Lovely precision to this wine. If we’d bottled this early we’d have been in real trouble. 92/100

Framingham F Series Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Bottled in March. All from the estate. All oxidative winemaking. Handpicked, destemmed, spontaneous fermentation, left on solids, 90% in wood with a bit of acacia. No on-skins component this year because it was too Campari-flavoured. No sulfur until bottling. Very fine and expressive. Bright citrus with tangerine and grapefruit, but also some richer pear and apple notes. There’s freshness and detail, with lovely texture and some very fine nectarine notes. Really beautiful and detailed with nice finesse. Amazing complexity and texture. Very stone fruity. 94/100

Framingham Chardonnay 2016 60% barrel fermented, with half of it wild ferment. Fresh and fruit driven with a soft, mealy, slightly buttery edge to the bright pear and white peach fruit. Brown juice, full solids, tank component stays of full ferment lees, avoid malolactic. If the barrel goes through malolactic then it’s OK. Fresh and supple and appealing. 89/100

Framingham F Series Chardonnay 2016 Leased vineyard down near Lawsons in southern valleys. Early ripening site that’s a bit frost prone. 50% in stainless steel barrels and 50% in old barriques. Just left to itself. Compact and textural with nice density. Has a bit of mandarin as well as some ripe pear, a hint of apple and a fine lemony core. Very textural with some nut and lovely taut, complex fruit expression. Very fine. Should age well, too. 94/100

Framingham Pinot Gris 2017 Picked late. No skin contact with Pinot Gris because the phenolics are all over the place. 12 g/l sugar, pH 3.6. Whole bunch pressed into stainless and wood (spontaneous fermentation). Ripe and rich with lovely bold grapey fruit, with some spice and marmalade characters. Lovely richness and balance here with a long spicy finish. Lovely wine. 92/100

Framingham F Series Pinot Gris 2017 One of the spontaneous components fermented in acacia puncheons with nothing added. Beautifully complex and textural with lovely sweetness and a broad mouthfeel. Has an incredible depth and just a hint of nice bitterness. Lovely nectarine, grape and apricot notes. Has a lovely mouthfeel and a spicy finish. Profound. 94/100

At the end of 2015 they got a gigantic frost on the vineyard, and a lot of the 2016 crop was lost. So in 2016, Hedley focused on higher-priced wine with the remaining estate Riesling, and took some Riesling from growers, which resulted in this one-off wine, the Jack Frost.

Framingham Jack Frost Riesling 2016 Has a massive botrytis component in this. Complex and multifaceted with grapefruit and marmalade hints, plus some broad apple and citrus characters and hints of apricot. Has nice weight and generosity, with a hint of sweetness. Layers of flavour here with some harmony. A real bargain. 91/100

Framingham F Series Old Vine Riesling 2017 ‘This is our GG,’ says Andrew Headly. A dry Riesling from ripe grapes. Made without sulfur until bottling, 80% stainless steel, wild ferment. Lovely concentration and freshness here with very fine citrus and pear fruit with a nice, fine grained structure and a tight spiciness. Has a transparency to it with a hint of apricot and tangerine. Lovely texture and fruit purity to this wine. So hard to spit. 94/100 (retail $45)

Framingham Classic Riesling 2017 This is the style that has changed the least, but there is a lot more lees work on this. 5000 litre tank, taken dry, then left on the lees for 7 months. Has some other components added in after the other wines are bottled, and this is 17 g/l sugar. Very bright and fruit driven with some sweetness, with lemon, mandarin and some melony richness, as well as some grapey hints. Very delicate and fine with amazing purity and focus. So delicious and bright, and quite lovely. 92/100 ($25 retail)

Framingham F Series Kabinett 2017 8.5% alcohol, 50 g/l sugar. The only parcel without botrytis in 2017. Picked at 20-20.5 brix, overnight skin contact, 15% fermented on skins for 3 weeks. The skin contact mollifies the high acid, and adds some phenolics. Blended in a tank and then aged in an acacia puncheon for 6 months. Very pure and textural with keen acidity balanced by the sweetness. Has lemon, tangerine and honey notes, with some grip to the palate. Such a complex, taut, detailed wine. Give this one time to find its feet. Has a stony, slightly honeyed finish. Very interesting phenolics. 640 bottles made. 94/100

Framingham Select Riesling 2017 9% alcohol, Spatlese style. Look to make this every year: 16 vintages have been made so far. Whole bunch pressed, and will try to use the pressings if they can. Spend a lot of time by the press tasting all the time, looking at the phenolics, looking for metallic notes. Will make a diversion and if we don’t like it we will do something else with it. Linear and fresh with nice sweetness offsetting the acid, and lovely clean citrus fruit characters, together with grapey, spicy richness. Has an interesting mouthfeel. Very ripe flavours here with smooth phenolic structure. Has a slight raspberry ripple flavour, says Andrew, and he’s right: there’s some red fruit here. 93/100

F Series Riesing Spätlese 2017 9.5% alcohol. Has a gold capsule! Has 20% botrytis in here. Comes from a spur-pruned section of the vineyard that ripens a bit earlier. Some spontaneous fermentation, and also some wood components, including fermenting in acacia. Beautifully bright and expressive with nice acidity, and complex notes of apricot, lemon and pear. Lovely weight but also has delicacy with a very fine spiciness under the fruit. Beautifully detailed and complex with lovely depth and really attractive botrytis. 95/100

F Series Riesling Auslese 2017 9% alcohol. Nicely focused nose with sweet citrus fruit and a hint of apricot. The palate has beautiful texture and ripeness with incredible richness and purity, and a very fine spicy detail running through it. Sweet melon and apricot notes, with a creamy consistency and great balance between the sweetness and acidity. Such concentration and purity, with a real Auslese personality. Sweet but balanced with some honey hints. Profound stuff. 96/100

‘These are not dessert wines,’ says Hedley, ‘they are cheese wines, or you can drink them like sorbet between courses.’

Framingham Noble Riesling 2017 9.5% alcohol, 190 g/l of sugar. Very sweet nose of marmalade, apricot and grapes, with some spicy overtones. Enticing. Viscous and delicious on the palate with lovely sweetness and complexity. Has lovely acidity countering the sweetness. Lots of weight and volume here with lovely tropical and melon fruity notes. There’s lovely richness and complexity here, with purity too. 94/100

‘We have to get to 9% with these sweeter styles to export to the EU, so there’s a lot of work getting the yeasts to produce this much without getting high VA,’ says Hedley.

F Series Riesling Beerenauslese 2017 This was a component of Noble Riesling that really stood out. 9% alcohol, 220 g/l sugar. This has amazing richness and detail with apricot, lemon, melon and honey notes. Really viscous and powerful, but also with delicacy and complexity. Has lovely density and richness. Profound with real depth and viscosity, but impeccable balance and length. 96/100

F Series Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 2017 9% alcohol, 310 g/l sugar, 10.5 g/l TA. Complex nose of spicy, grapey, melony citrus fruit. Incredible depth and sweetness on the palate. Mouth-coating, rich and sweet, but when the initial rush of sweet melon, pear, tinned peach and apricot fruit recedes, suddenly the acidity asserts some balance and there’s a lovely spicy length. Such a thought-provoking wine with many dimensions to it. Has a purity and freshness, as well as the sweetness. 96/100

Framingham Pinot Noir 2016 Little bit of Wadenswil (10/5) on the estate, but most comes from the southern valleys. 7% whole bunch (bunches in the bottom). The perceived wisdom is clay is good and everything else is shit but I don’t agree with this. Vry fresh and pure with nice delicacy to the raspberry and cherry fruit. Has a nice brightness and some savoury spiciness. Very pure and pretty with nice focus. Bright and pure and linear. 93/100

Framingham F Series Pinot Noir 2016 Southern valleys. 20% whole bunch. Lovely tension here: has a bit of grip with some nice grainy structure and delicate, transparent raspberry and cherry notes. Very fine and expressive with purity and focus. Has some grip, too, with fine herbal notes sitting under the fruit. Potential to age. I love the purity of fruit and the brightness here. 94/100

from Jamie Goode's wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/new-zealand/interesting-marlborough-framingham For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

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