Marchbanks
@uncle-marchbanks.bsky.social
Hat and beard. Grumpy old curmudgeon. Listens to music. Drinks wine. Listens to more music and drinks more wine. Likes to mend things, often those that enable him to listen to even more music. Wears waistcoats. Might be made from Lego.
#12bottlesofChristmas #10 is a #SaintCosme 2017 #Gigondas. I’ve already had the 2016, which was lovely. This is an interesting contrast - more austere, which I think I was expecting, and more tannic, which I wasn’t. In short, possibly a bit too young. But it will come round - I trust #LouisBarruol.
January 7, 2026 at 10:21 PM
#12bottlesofChristmas #10 is a #SaintCosme 2017 #Gigondas. I’ve already had the 2016, which was lovely. This is an interesting contrast - more austere, which I think I was expecting, and more tannic, which I wasn’t. In short, possibly a bit too young. But it will come round - I trust #LouisBarruol.
#12bottlesofChristmas #9. Anyone reading these posts has probably noted that I’m a sucker for great sweet white wine. This Raymond-Lafon 2015 #Sauternes is very good, but there’s a lack of acidity against the marmalade sweetness that makes it a little one-dimensional compared to the #Huet #Vouvray.
January 6, 2026 at 10:11 PM
#12bottlesofChristmas #9. Anyone reading these posts has probably noted that I’m a sucker for great sweet white wine. This Raymond-Lafon 2015 #Sauternes is very good, but there’s a lack of acidity against the marmalade sweetness that makes it a little one-dimensional compared to the #Huet #Vouvray.
Another rite of passage for a new social media user - the #catvideo! Mama Feral Cat (see earlier post) is completely at ease in my presence and was happy to let me watch her feeding her kittens Pan Tang and Pantera last summer. Spoiler alert - nothing exciting happens. It’s just a peaceful minute.
January 4, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Another rite of passage for a new social media user - the #catvideo! Mama Feral Cat (see earlier post) is completely at ease in my presence and was happy to let me watch her feeding her kittens Pan Tang and Pantera last summer. Spoiler alert - nothing exciting happens. It’s just a peaceful minute.
#12bottlesofChristmas #8. Serge has always been fond of the finest Lebanese, and Chateau Musar 2001 is certainly that. He elbowed Gaston out of the way and grabbed this. Serge and Gaston, what a coincidence, eh? Unmistakeable and glorious, my penultimate bottle before moving on to the 2003 vintage.
January 3, 2026 at 10:11 PM
#12bottlesofChristmas #8. Serge has always been fond of the finest Lebanese, and Chateau Musar 2001 is certainly that. He elbowed Gaston out of the way and grabbed this. Serge and Gaston, what a coincidence, eh? Unmistakeable and glorious, my penultimate bottle before moving on to the 2003 vintage.
#12bottlesofChristmas no.7 is squarely in my comfort zone - 2014 Clos des Papes. On the light side for a #Châteauneuf - almost Burgundian in style, in fact - possibly due a lack of #syrah in the mix. This is 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre with the rest from all those grape names we can never remember.
January 2, 2026 at 8:45 PM
#12bottlesofChristmas no.7 is squarely in my comfort zone - 2014 Clos des Papes. On the light side for a #Châteauneuf - almost Burgundian in style, in fact - possibly due a lack of #syrah in the mix. This is 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre with the rest from all those grape names we can never remember.
I’ve just realised I’ve committed a cardinal sin for a new social media user - I haven’t yet posted any photos of #cats. I’m rectifying that now. Here’s Mama Feral Cat, who has allowed me to befriend her when I’m on holiday in France, and some of her many #kittens. More info in the Alt descriptions.
January 2, 2026 at 1:24 PM
I’ve just realised I’ve committed a cardinal sin for a new social media user - I haven’t yet posted any photos of #cats. I’m rectifying that now. Here’s Mama Feral Cat, who has allowed me to befriend her when I’m on holiday in France, and some of her many #kittens. More info in the Alt descriptions.
#12bottlesofChristmas #6 is a #Swartland #syrah from #Mullineux. Very good, more than holds its own against similar entry-level offerings from e.g. Boekenhoutskloof. I’ve managed to sneak a look at Gaston’s list - he’s bottomloaded it like a #RyderCup captain. There are some heavy hitters to come!
December 31, 2025 at 9:56 PM
#12bottlesofChristmas #6 is a #Swartland #syrah from #Mullineux. Very good, more than holds its own against similar entry-level offerings from e.g. Boekenhoutskloof. I’ve managed to sneak a look at Gaston’s list - he’s bottomloaded it like a #RyderCup captain. There are some heavy hitters to come!
Reposted by Marchbanks
Chippy doing his best playing Saxophone Colossus.
March 29, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Chippy doing his best playing Saxophone Colossus.
Gaston’s namesake M. Huet provides #12bottlesofChristmas #5. A magnificent sweet #Vouvray that the latter sold me himself at his house in the early 1990s. It’s a long story that I never tire of telling. Although clearly a #cheninblanc there’s a #sauternes style marmalade end too. To absent friends!
December 29, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Gaston’s namesake M. Huet provides #12bottlesofChristmas #5. A magnificent sweet #Vouvray that the latter sold me himself at his house in the early 1990s. It’s a long story that I never tire of telling. Although clearly a #cheninblanc there’s a #sauternes style marmalade end too. To absent friends!
Scales update. I’m certain you are all waiting with bated breath! New viewers begin here uncle-marchbanks.bsky.social/post/3mabwq2... - today, after two sanding stages of eight, the tower looks like this. I put the untreated base next to it for comparison. Note the organised and efficient workspace.
December 28, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Scales update. I’m certain you are all waiting with bated breath! New viewers begin here uncle-marchbanks.bsky.social/post/3mabwq2... - today, after two sanding stages of eight, the tower looks like this. I put the untreated base next to it for comparison. Note the organised and efficient workspace.
#12bottlesofChristmas no.4 is a #Chinon from Charles Joguet. A fuller body than you might expect from a Loire #cabernetfranc .I met M. Joguet once for a tasting at his vineyard. He joined in with gusto and by the end was even more inebriated than me. My friends will say this is impossible. Bastards.
December 27, 2025 at 10:03 PM
#12bottlesofChristmas no.4 is a #Chinon from Charles Joguet. A fuller body than you might expect from a Loire #cabernetfranc .I met M. Joguet once for a tasting at his vineyard. He joined in with gusto and by the end was even more inebriated than me. My friends will say this is impossible. Bastards.
#12bottlesofChristmas no.3 is a heavyweight - Montus La Tyre 2001. Normally I‘d drink wine after meals rather than with - but even after 24 years the tannic whack here needs powerful accompaniment. Going down beautifully while listening to Peasant by the Greatest Living Englishman, #RichardDawson.
December 25, 2025 at 11:28 PM
#12bottlesofChristmas no.3 is a heavyweight - Montus La Tyre 2001. Normally I‘d drink wine after meals rather than with - but even after 24 years the tannic whack here needs powerful accompaniment. Going down beautifully while listening to Peasant by the Greatest Living Englishman, #RichardDawson.
A 5-mile Christmas day walk across the fields to #Tanworth-in-Arden as the sun was setting. This is St Mary Magdelene church, where you can find the grave of #NickDrake. And the halfway point of the walk is Far Leys, where he grew up (and died). His commemorative blue plaque can be seen on the wall.
December 25, 2025 at 5:42 PM
A 5-mile Christmas day walk across the fields to #Tanworth-in-Arden as the sun was setting. This is St Mary Magdelene church, where you can find the grave of #NickDrake. And the halfway point of the walk is Far Leys, where he grew up (and died). His commemorative blue plaque can be seen on the wall.
No.2 of the #12bottlesofChristmas is an SGN #pinotgris from Ernest Burn in #Alsace. No room to explain, but it’s a top-notch botrytis-affected wine. It’s honeyed yet acid and utterly wonderful. Francis Burn is one of the best winemakers on the planet in my eyes. I implore you to seek his wines out.
December 23, 2025 at 10:51 PM
No.2 of the #12bottlesofChristmas is an SGN #pinotgris from Ernest Burn in #Alsace. No room to explain, but it’s a top-notch botrytis-affected wine. It’s honeyed yet acid and utterly wonderful. Francis Burn is one of the best winemakers on the planet in my eyes. I implore you to seek his wines out.
Each year my trusty sommelier Gaston has the task of finding #12bottlesofChristmas from the cellar to keep me happy. I’ve noticed that the more exclusive the wine, the more samples he needs to taste before declaring it fit for me. No. 1 was an excellent #syrah, a St Joseph from the late Alain Voge.
December 21, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Each year my trusty sommelier Gaston has the task of finding #12bottlesofChristmas from the cellar to keep me happy. I’ve noticed that the more exclusive the wine, the more samples he needs to taste before declaring it fit for me. No. 1 was an excellent #syrah, a St Joseph from the late Alain Voge.
A #Christmas #renovation project. I spotted these 1950s scales on eBay and couldn’t resist bidding for them. Luckily everyone else could, so they only cost me £10 (including postage on an 11kg parcel.) They already work using an improvised weights tray, so my first step is to get them shining again.
December 18, 2025 at 7:43 PM
A #Christmas #renovation project. I spotted these 1950s scales on eBay and couldn’t resist bidding for them. Luckily everyone else could, so they only cost me £10 (including postage on an 11kg parcel.) They already work using an improvised weights tray, so my first step is to get them shining again.
There’s no point in owning a harmonium if you can’t sit down at this time every year and pedal your way through #MerryXmasEverybody by #Slade - even if Scrooge is effectively your middle name.
December 16, 2025 at 9:42 PM
There’s no point in owning a harmonium if you can’t sit down at this time every year and pedal your way through #MerryXmasEverybody by #Slade - even if Scrooge is effectively your middle name.
A double-header of single-vineyard Chenin Blanc from #AABadenhorst for the last two nights, both lovely but quite different. The Klip Kop was quite acidic (in a good way), and felt almost petillant, whereas the Kelder was more laid-back and honeyed. Note Adi’s very sensible advice on the rear label.
December 14, 2025 at 4:37 PM
A double-header of single-vineyard Chenin Blanc from #AABadenhorst for the last two nights, both lovely but quite different. The Klip Kop was quite acidic (in a good way), and felt almost petillant, whereas the Kelder was more laid-back and honeyed. Note Adi’s very sensible advice on the rear label.
I’m currently ploughing through #RobertRankin ‘s #BrentfordTrilogy, just a few decades behind everyone else. It’s pleasingly meta for an old inebriate whose favourite hobby is to sit with glass in hand to do so while reading about two inebriates whose favourite hobby is to sit with glass in hand.
December 10, 2025 at 8:30 PM
I’m currently ploughing through #RobertRankin ‘s #BrentfordTrilogy, just a few decades behind everyone else. It’s pleasingly meta for an old inebriate whose favourite hobby is to sit with glass in hand to do so while reading about two inebriates whose favourite hobby is to sit with glass in hand.
I’ve belatedly got round to following @james-herr21.bsky.social. It might seem unlikely that he inspired an elderly Brit to keep exercising, but it’s true. At first sight I misjudged you badly, James. Sincerest apologies - you are clearly one of the very good guys. I hope you enjoyed your holiday.
December 9, 2025 at 4:07 PM
I’ve belatedly got round to following @james-herr21.bsky.social. It might seem unlikely that he inspired an elderly Brit to keep exercising, but it’s true. At first sight I misjudged you badly, James. Sincerest apologies - you are clearly one of the very good guys. I hope you enjoyed your holiday.
Yesterday I visited a spot that I imagine inspired Bayley Cooke to change his name to #BlazeBayley. After he joined #IronMaiden of course, he in turn inspired a man in America to change his name to Blaise Bailey Finnegan III, interviewee of #GYBE. Odd to think it all began here in Gloucestershire.
December 9, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Yesterday I visited a spot that I imagine inspired Bayley Cooke to change his name to #BlazeBayley. After he joined #IronMaiden of course, he in turn inspired a man in America to change his name to Blaise Bailey Finnegan III, interviewee of #GYBE. Odd to think it all began here in Gloucestershire.
Haircut day. I decided to go down a setting. Only one more level left before direct contact between blades and skull. Maybe one day. I thought it looked OK, so I took a photo with the two most valued members of my retinue. Shame neither of them saw fit to tell me about the straggling beard hair.
December 7, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Haircut day. I decided to go down a setting. Only one more level left before direct contact between blades and skull. Maybe one day. I thought it looked OK, so I took a photo with the two most valued members of my retinue. Shame neither of them saw fit to tell me about the straggling beard hair.
A bottle from #Morocco. It’s a #syrah and is a collaboration between Alain Graillot of Crozes-Hermitage and the Ouled Thaleb winery near Casablanca, which Alain found on a cycling tour. Hence the name and lovely label. The wine is lovely too, lighter than a French syrah but still full-bodied enough.
December 4, 2025 at 8:33 PM
A bottle from #Morocco. It’s a #syrah and is a collaboration between Alain Graillot of Crozes-Hermitage and the Ouled Thaleb winery near Casablanca, which Alain found on a cycling tour. Hence the name and lovely label. The wine is lovely too, lighter than a French syrah but still full-bodied enough.
My 30-year-old boiler was repaired today. The engineer cleaned the photocell. ‘I hope that’s it, every part here is obsolete’ he said. Just like me, I thought. I held my breath - it fired! No lockout light! Joy, after coaxing my woodburner into life each day for a week with my Scrooge-era bellows.
December 2, 2025 at 7:45 PM
My 30-year-old boiler was repaired today. The engineer cleaned the photocell. ‘I hope that’s it, every part here is obsolete’ he said. Just like me, I thought. I held my breath - it fired! No lockout light! Joy, after coaxing my woodburner into life each day for a week with my Scrooge-era bellows.
My central heating boiler is on the fritz, but that’s almost a positive when you have a woodburner as backup. Or maybe this excellent Ribera del Duero has put me in a good mood. It certainly isn’t my new specs. I thought I was naturally soft-focused. Turns out my wrinkles are sharp and well-defined.
November 26, 2025 at 8:08 PM
My central heating boiler is on the fritz, but that’s almost a positive when you have a woodburner as backup. Or maybe this excellent Ribera del Duero has put me in a good mood. It certainly isn’t my new specs. I thought I was naturally soft-focused. Turns out my wrinkles are sharp and well-defined.