keskiviikko 27. helmikuuta 2008
Older French - and some interesting blinds
Tacama Salvaje 2002 - Peru
A bit funky nose, rather red toned in fruit, autolytic, reminds of Sémillon in its aromatics. Rather inelegant bubbles, but the taste is both interesting and nice with tart acidity, but weighty fruit. More than a curiosity, this is very drinkable.
Tacama Blanco de Blancos 2006 - Peru
The nose is rather sweet, fruit forward and full of pear. The palate is also fruit forward but not heavy. A nice, easy drinking wine.
Tacama Tannat Don Manuel 2006 - Peru
Very oaky, sweet, young, jammy. Lively structure, fairly strong tannins, juicy fruit, lots of oak. Too oaky for me, I found the other Peruvians tonight more interesting.
Then we had a set of mature and maturing French reds, half-blind with one fully blind joker thrown in to mess us all up:
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 1986
Old colour. The nose took some time to open up, but when it did it was a charming, aged Burgundy with the typically spiciness for the vineyard, vegetation and red toned fruit. Lively structure, red and bright fruit, drying tannins. I thought it was lovely, but some might find the palate a bit hard.
E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque 1986
Sweet red fruit, almost jammy, strawberries; this took some time before the Rhone aromas started showing, but it ended up meaty and herbal (thyme). Very sweet and strawberried attack, but it turns savoury, spicy and acidic towards the finish. A very nice drink and the oak has integrated.
Château Cos d'Estournel 1964
Light red, orange rim, fully mature colour. The nose was that of an old wine, with a lovely brettyness and lift to the red toned yet cedary aromas. The palate was fully resolved, but lively: this had no fruit, but everything was just right with it. Lovely!
Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe 1982
What a lovely wine! It has more ripeness to the fruit than I perhaps would ideally want, but otherwise it is such a beautiful and classic Pauillac aroma of blackcurrant leaves, cigar, cedar, lead and dark, savoury fruit that I don't mind the slightly high ripeness. Lively, leafy, classical and classy. Lovely.
Château Margaux 1979
A strange bottle. The colour was deep and healthy, but the nose seemed like that of a dying wine: rye-bread, oxidative, pleasureless. The palate was better as there was a lively structure still, but the nose wasn't too nice. I like my wines on the dead side, but not anymore when the rye-bread aromas are so dominant.
Château Beychevelle 1979
The fully-blind joker: Red toned, lifted, herbal, with lovely aromas of blackcurrant leaf and tea. Refreshing, quite tannic still, has perhaps a touch more acidity than I usually find with Bordeaux - very lively and very long. And at least this bottle was more substantial than "luncheon" Claret! Lovely.
Château Talbot 1982
A very big wine for Bordeaux, very sweet, almost jammy, dark fruit, leathery, yet with typical left bank cassis and herbs and lift also. I don't see even the tiniest hint of Brett, though apparently Cordier's wines often have it. Big, dense, dark fruit, lively though very ripe, still a bit tannic. Nice, but riper than I would hope.
For dessert, we had a nice but thick Banyuls:
N.V. Domaine du Mas Blanc (Docteur Parcé) Banyuls Cuvée Dr André Parce
Solera, bottled 1995. Herbal, raisiny like a PX except more refreshing/less cloying. Sweet and raisiny but with some very attractive herbal and slightly rancioed counterpoints to the sweetness. Nice!
maanantai 25. helmikuuta 2008
Funky Wine Imports
Champagne José Michel & Fils, Moussy was an interesting Champagne house, that I hadn’t even heard of before! I’ve been missing something very interesting. Though these are a weightier style than I usually like in Champs, these were exciting and interesting in that Meunier brought such a unique character to these wines.
Brut Carte Blanche NV is a mix of 70% Pinot Meunier and 30% Chardonnay. It is a rather generous style of Champagne with much earthy fruit, but good supporting structure. Very nice, though it is a heavy style (I tend to prefer Bl de Bl).
Pinot Meunier NV smells of red apples and earth – a rather unique profile for Champagne in my experience, but I guess that’s because I have hardly ever before tasted so many where the Meunier is the dominant force. The wines don’t go through malo, which I am sure partly explains how such a full bodied, and potentially even cumbersome wine stays so crisp and manages keeps the exuberant fruit in check.
Extra Brut NV 60%PM, 40%Ch; 2g/l dosage. The nose is one of the earthiest I have smelled in a Champagne (but not mushroomy in the way that old Champagne can be) with lots of red fruit. This is again a very full bodied wine but is also very lively. It seems to be true of all the Champagnes on show, that they provide a very exciting drinking experience because they bring together opposites into a very harmonious package.
Blanc de Blancs 2001 is, as seems to be the house style, a very weighty wine and though it is crisp I don’t find it elegant and understated as the best BdBs are, but rather a sweetly fruity and opulent wine. I’m glad this didn’t go through malo as I imagine that would have been too rich for me.
Brut Rosé NV 50/50 PN/PM – is this the only Champagne of Michel’s that uses Pinot Noir? This is attractively earthy and opulent like all their wines, but very clean and floral (I just love the paradoxes of having a clean and earthy scent, lol, but I guess such paradoxes are what makes the most interesting wines!). This was also a very palatable Champagne, but I do find that the dosage might have been a bit high as there was a faint touch of sweetness which I felt would ideally have not been there. But I’ll never turn down a glass of this if someone wants to give me one!
Millésime 1998 60% Ch + 40% PM. Something was a bit off, but it was too fruity to have been cork. Nice structure, though. I’ll have to try a good bottle some day.
Spécial Club 2000 PM/Ch 50/50, from over 70yo vines. A deep, red toned and earthy nose with some nice nutty and citrussy aromas – the PM doesn’t overwhelm the Chardonnay elements. Weighty but lively, this is a delightful drink.
Etienne Loew, Westohoffen, Alsace is also a new name for me and I fell in love with the wines. I think I like this importer!
Riesling Muschelkalk 2006 was a very pure style, floral, ripe but citrussy, elegant. Dry but with good fruit, pure and long. Very nice!
Muscat Les Marnes Vertes 2006 was true to the grape, but it was a very elegant and mineral variant of the theme and not as weighty as some can be. Dry, mineral, delightful.
Pinot Gris Cormier 2006 is spicy and glue-like, red toned and mineral. It might have a touch of RS but I still think it would be versatile on the table. Great stuff if you like PG!
Pinot Gris Bruderbach Clos Marienberg 2006 was a more elegant, more poised, drier seeming variant of the Cormier. Wonderful.
Yannick Amirault, Bourgueil & St. Nicolas de Bourgueil, Loire
La Mine 2006 was a delightfully vibrant yet ripe wine, juicy and very true to the grape.
Le Grand Clos 2006 smelled a bit barriquey (is it really?) but not even that could destroy the lovely Cab Franc aromatics. Not bad, but I’d go for La Mine right now as I didn’t sense new oak in that one.
Cosimo Maria Masini, San Miniato, Toscana
Annick 2006 is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The SB dominates the nose now, with a grassy freshness. The palate is a bit more plump than SB might make but is still very refreshing. No oak. Attractive!
Nicole 2005 is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cab Sauv. This is delightfully red toned in fruit, with a warm Sangiovese character, a bit rusty, but lively and juicy. Very enjoyable.
Nicolò 2004 is almost totally Cab S, with a tiny bit of Cab F mixed in. It smells of Barrique and ripe fruit with a touch of herbaceousness. Nicely tannic, but I’m not sure why all that oak and why make Cab in Tuscany? It is a well made wine, but I find it a bit pointless for my tastes.
Čotar, Gorjansko, Kras, Slovenia
Dražna 2005 is 40% Malvazija, 30% Vitovska and 15% each of Sauv and Chard. It is quite an intriguing wine, a bit cloudy (”natural” winemaking), with a rather wild character despite a great purity of fruit. Vibrant, acidic, a bit tropical but very refreshing. Great stuff!
Malvazija 2003 is again a pretty wild wine, funky but with a deep yet savoury scent of rose-water. Minerally and vibrant and shows little signs of the overly hot summer. Quite wonderful.
Sauvignon Blanc 2004 is a touch tropical, but earthy and funky, yet paradoxically very clean and pure in its aromas. It is hard to find much Sauvignon character in it, but it is a unique wine that I find immensely interesting and satisfying. I wish all SB were as interesting as this!
Teran 2006 is the name for Refosco. This smells like wet earth, tobacco, herbs and dark fruit. Juicy, lively, exhilirating, life reaffirming. Low alcohol (11,5% iirc), too, which is nice.
Terra Rossa 2000 40% each of Teran and Merlot, 20% Cab S. Aged in big barrels for many years, this smells delightfully oxidative like an old style Rioja, yet is darker in fruit (in fact seems rather Merlot-dominant just now). Like their other wines, it is vibrant and juicy and cries out for food and is very moreish.
What a fun tasting, and great to see someone import such marginal but genuinely interesting stuff.
Barbaresco, Crémant de Loire, Morgon
I also opened up a Domaine du Landreau Crémant de Loire NV, a 100% Cabernet Franc. Very light pink. Leafy, mineral, herbal, red berried. Elegant mousse. Very moreish, attractively high in acidity, juicy fruit. It seems to have a rather high dosage, but is very refreshing. Very nice at 13€!
And my last bottle of Bouchard Père et Fils Morgon 2005. Raspberried, meaty and dark toned in fruit for a Beaujolais, but with an attractive wet earth/cigar note. It is perhaps a touch sweeter/riper than I remembered, but with good structure. Moderate finish. Very enjoyable. (Oddly enough, it reminds me more of a N. Rhône Syrah than a Burgundy.)
sunnuntai 24. helmikuuta 2008
The Story of 1
lauantai 23. helmikuuta 2008
perjantai 22. helmikuuta 2008
Maturing Bordeaux
A slightly petrolly, attractively ripe yet typical Mosel Riesling aroma, some red tones to the fruit. Pleasantly tart, slightly sweet yet enough acidity to be refreshing and bright, fairly weighty - a good Spätlese! ;-)
1982 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru)
A lovely wine, showing some mature elements, yet surprisingly with a rather primary and fruity nose. Lifted, leafy yet sweet. The palate is more acidic than I expected from such a hot year, but it is more of the fruit than of secondary nuances. A joy to drink now, probably a joy for some time still.
1990 Château Giscours
Dark and primary, very fruity, even a bit raisiny. It got better with air and gained some redder tones that I expect in Margaux, but the raisiny notes still annoyed me. Tannic but the acidity isn't very lively, opulent in fruit. A good wine, even though it was the least favourite tonight!
1990 Château de Fieuzal
A very sweet nose at first, but it gained some earthyness and vibrancy with time. Sweet but attractively structured palate, very open and voluptious, yet still attractive. Nice!
1990 Château Cos Labory
A very harmonious wine with a more classic profile than the two other '90s tonight: cassis, dark fruit with some red high notes, slight earthy and aged notes are starting to develop but it is still a fruit forward wine. Strong tannins, but equally strong fruit - this is a rather masculine style, a bit foursquare even, but I liked it very much.
1993 Château Pontet-Canet
A classic Pauillac style: cassis, leafy, elegantly herbaceous. A lighter style, elegant and very lovable for me. Not a fruity wine at all. Lovely!
1995 Château Pontet-Canet
Vastly different from the '93, this was a modern styled wine with dark, glossy fruit, oak but with some attractive cassis and herb aromas underneath. Soft palate, oaky, not so much a personality as the '93 but nice enough.
1994 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
Dark, jammy, blackcurrant (as opposed to blackcurrant leaves as I hope to find in Cab Sauv based wines), oak. Fair structure, but very sweet and jammy and un-nuanced when compared to all others tonight. Good in its style, but I seem to care less and less for this style as time goes by.
1995 Château Poujeaux
A rather tough and masculine wine, with a strange citrussy and almost chemical note to it. Yet it also had an attractive herbaceousness and classically dark and savoury profile underneath. Tannic and dark, masculine and ungiving. Possibly nice, but this bottle wasn't in a good spot now. I wouldn't mind trying it again in a few years.
keskiviikko 20. helmikuuta 2008
Vinho Verde Ponte de Lima, VdP d'Oc, Quarts de Chaume
Char-grilled salmon salad was pretty nice with Quinta do Ameal Loureiro Vinho Verde Ponte de Lima 2006, but maybe such a gresy fish would have needed a more robust wine? A delicate nose of pear, minerals and some herbaceousness. Dry, light but forceful, very lively and mineral, almost metallic. A fantastic wine for the price (13 or so € here, so probably a fraction of that elsewhere).
With a rustic stew of beef in red wine, herbs and black olives we had Pegovino Sélectionné par Laurence Féraud 2006 a Grenache + Syrah from VdP d'Oc. Usually I'm not much of a fan of Grenache based wines, but at just under 10€ I must admit that I might get a few more bottles of this. A bit of spice and garrigue, lifted and bright but with dark and even honeyed low notes. Primary and a bit chemical now, but with refreshing tannins boxing in the copious fruit and a lovely tartness bringing freshness.
For dessert we started on a bottle of Domaine des Baumards Quarts de Chaume 2004 which was just stupendous. A lovely, pure Chenin nose of quince, quinine, peas/greenness/vegetation. Sweet but refreshingly acidic, very lively and pure. The mineral-water aftertaste lasts forever. Lovely; and very moreish despite being a dessert!
tiistai 19. helmikuuta 2008
Documentaries
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=kam200+site%3Avideo.google.com&num=50&so=1&start=0
Oregon & Washington
Very light pink. The nose initially was like mineral water, but soon became ripely fruity with strawberry, floral and vegetal notes - it has much pinosity. Small and elegant mousse. Much sweet fruit, refreshing finish. Pretty nice!
Eyrie Vineyards Muskat Ottonel 2004 - USA, Oregon
A very perfumed nose of Turkish Delights/rose water and grapes. Despite not being a high-acid wine, it stays together and has some grip to it. It is a very fruit-forward wine, and I miss some mineral tones. Decent, but rather obvious.
L'Ecole No. 41 Sémillon 2005 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
The nose has a green and lifted aroma - the 14% Sauvignon Blanc was very obvious upon opening. With air the pungnecy calms down and some bright, citrussy and honeyed notes appear. The palate, surprisingly considering how little oak was on the nose, is extremely oaky: fat fruit, barrique and a Chardonnay-like weight. How strange to have such a different taste. Pretty nice if you can handle oak better than I can.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc Horse Heaven Vineyard 2002 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Light gold colour, so the nose was a surprise: oxidative, orange-like aromas, earthy - smells more like an old wine than of any particular grape or area. The fruit is still showing well despite the oxidative aromas and it has attractive acidity. I like old wine, so I enjoyed this - but I think most people will find this dead.
Argyle Chardonnay Nuthouse 2005 - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Very perfumed, sweet, rose-watery nose - doesn't show much Chardonnay character, nor much savoury ntoes to counter all the sweetness. The palate is relatively light, oaky, but not a butter-bomb like so many American Chardonnays are, has adequate acidity and length. Not bad, but I really would require more savoury notes on the nose.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Cold Creek Vineyard 2006 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Obviously Riesling with its lime/citrus aromas, but it also was rather perfumed and even a touch tropical despite having a rather delicate nose. The blackcurrant leaf aromas reminded me of Piesporter Goldtröpchen. Off-dry, fair acidity, moderate intensity and all in all a very attractive wine despite lacking in minerality.
Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Riesling Eroica 2004 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Very Mosel in style: pungent, aromatic nose, with a strawberried sweetness. Off-dry, grippy, refreshing but fruity, fairly intense and long. Nice!
Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Meunier 2003 - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Light red. A very perfumed and rose-watery nose, with an attractive earthiness and vegetality underneath - but ultimately a bit too candied. Sweet but relatively light, high in acidity. A refreshing and personality imbued wine, yet not convincing for me because of its candied note.
Argyle Pinot Noir Spirithouse Reserve Series 2004 - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
Chocolatey oak, some vegetative character underneath. Sweet, even a bit candied, not very refreshing, but very oaky and alcoholic. Others enjoyed this more, I found it rather dull.
Columbia Crest Merlot Grand Estates 2003 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Bell pepper, cranberry, rhubarb - very bright and red, but also a bit chemical. Sweet, darker toned than the nose implied, some savouryness. Oak is evident, but it isn't as strong as expected. A bit harsh, but decent.
Northstar Merlot Walla Walla Valley 2003 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Dark and chocolatey, some lifted aromas, but mostly all about dark fruit and oak notes. Tannic, masculine, yet jammy at the same time. Not bad if you don't mind oak.
Northstar Red Wine Stella Maris 2003 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Leafy and dark toned, the Merlot is more forward than the Cabernet at this moment with its dark and even meaty tones. Sadly there the oak aromas are too obvious. Big and juicy, decent tannins, too oaky.
Columbia Crest Syrah Reserve 2004 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
This smells of tar, barrique and toffee. Dark, heavy, concentrated and chocolatey. Not to my taste.
Hedges Cellars Syrah Family Estate Bel Villa North Block Single Vineyard 2003 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Leafy, bloody, meaty, dark toned and rather oaky. Vibrant, yet concentrated and fruity with true Syrah character. Quite nice (broken record: if only there would be less oak...)
Zefina Zinfandel Alder Ridge Vineyard 2003 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
The nose is rather interesting with a vibrant red toned fruitiness and some green tea aromas, peachy - savoury despite its huge sweetness. Sadly the palate is hot, flabby and sweet.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Chenin Blanc Late Harvest 2005 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
It started out with some pea and grass aromas which I thought were typically Chenin-like. But I guessed it was Riesling because with air it became very limey. There is some botrytis, but it isn't as strong as I expected from 40% grapes being rotten. Very sweet, a bit too soft, but attractive anyway.
torstai 14. helmikuuta 2008
Bordeaux 2004, blind tasting
1990 Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Degorgement Tardif
Greenish, very young. The nose is very citrussy and takes time for the fruit to open - seems like a Bl de Bl. It is a rather extreme wine at first with extreme intensity and citrussiness and minerals; the elegant fruit shows only with a bit of air. I loved it.
1996 Krug Champagne Brut
A voluptious, fruitbasket nose, but with some attractive bread and apple scents also. Very intense, pure, high acidity yet concentrated fruit also. A rather full and oaky style of Champagne, but very good in its style.
2004 Château La Fleur-Pétrus
This was an attractive wine. It started out rather oaky, but calmed down to a red toned, vibrant, more classically styled wine - yet when served blind, I thought it Graves rather than right bank! Fruity, but earthy and bright also. A vibrant and lively wine. Nice!
2004 Château Palmer
Initially this showed much coco-powder/oak. With air it ended up a rather dark toned, un-Margaux-like, yet with some savoury herbaceousness beneath the dark fruit and oak. Dark, tannic and even a bit brutish. When revealed, I was very surprised as I had enjoyed this much more on a previous taste.
2004 Les Forts de Latour
Dark, spicy, glossy, lifted; sweetly fruity, dark toned, pleasantly tannic but still an "easy" wine and very forward. Somewhat lacking in acidity and refreshing qualities. Not bad, but a rather "new world" style.
2004 Château Le Dome
A freakish wine! Served blind: bacon, animal, some attractive red fruit, but huge toffee and oak. Sweet, full bodied, meaty, smoky - but also lively acidity. It's not bad (if you happen to be more oak tolerant than I am) but I thought this was a LaLa or some other oaky N. Rhone syrah!
2004 Château Margaux
This was an ethereally beautiful wine. It was a bit flamboyant, spicy and oaky upon opening, but not overly so. This was more in the red fruit spectrum and had a great elegance about it. Perfectly delineated, refreshing, vibrant and with almost a Burgundian elegance and purity, except for the obvious left-bank aromas. Lovely.
2004 Château Haut-Bailly
I have usually loved this property, but I had one bottle before that I thought too oaky. Now served blind, I thought so too. But this did have some nice earthy and savoury aromatics, too. The palate, however, was vibrant and refreshing and has almost juicy tannins. I don't know what to think of this: I have loved most vintages, yet this leaves me rather cool simply because the oak is more obvious than I remember previous vintages to have been at this infant stage.
2004 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
Served blind: Oaky, flamboyant, toffeed, SWEET nose - very "new world" in style. It even shows some banana-like aromatics. Soft, low acid/flabby, lacking in liveliness - it's not so over-the-top as to be offensive, but it is in a style that I don't appreciate. I fully understand that many will love this.
2004 Château Lynch-Bages
A very burly and masculine style, darkly fruity, yet very Pauillac. Delineated palate, but in a masculine way, perfectly proportioned, long and refreshing. Magisterial rather than lovable. I wouldn't mind a bottle or two in my cellar.
2004 Château Angélus
This property has a reputation for being a rather modern style. Yet it didn't seem any more so when served blind than most tonight! It was darkly fruity, a bit sweet, rather oaky but still pleasantly lifted - seems more a Pomerol than St. Emilion style to me. Full bodied, sweet fruit, leafy, refreshing acidity - quite nice, but the oak needs to calm down.
2004 Château Trotanoy
This wine went through an astonishing transformation during the tasting. It started out as a flamboyant and even slutty, red toned wine; but it calmed down to a dark toned, ripe but classic plummy Pomerol! Ripe, but with lifted acidity, it manages to remain refreshing despite a sweet touch to the dark fruit. The oak isn't obtrusive; the tannins are ripe but young and noticable. I might buy one to cellar.
2004 Château Latour
Coco-powder oak, mustard yet very perfumed and sweet at the same time. A very weird nose. It does have depth and promises complexity, but it is very different from what I remember other young Latours to have been like - I have never had such a sweetness/candiedness before. Soft, smooth, smothered in oak; the acidity only shows up on the finish. I found it quite unbalanced and lacking in delineation.
2004 Château Mouton Rothschild
Coco-powder oak, dark fruit - rather anonymous and modern in this company. Full bodied, low acid, soft almost flabby. Not bad, but I find it hard to get excited.
1993 Disznókó Tokaji Eszencia
Under 5% abv, over 400g/l RS, and c.14g/l acidity! This is brown. Oxidative, apple-like, yet endlessly fascinating. Supremely sweet and intense yet refreshing despite being like olive oil in consistency. Endless aftertaste. I love it!
1993 Pincészet Borház Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos
A very strange, yet strangely compelling scent of peas and chlorine! It certainly divided opinions but I loved the hypothetical mix of botrytised sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc! Sweet, intenense and acidic - freakish but I loved it!
sunnuntai 10. helmikuuta 2008
lauantai 9. helmikuuta 2008
Edward Current
http://www.youtube.com/user/EdwardCurrent
:)
torstai 7. helmikuuta 2008
Barolo, Barbaresco, Ljutomer-Ormož, Saints Julien & Joseph, Amarone
This is a very attractive Barolo, but surprisingly forward for such a young one. A nose of tar and rust with a rather dark and sweet tone to its fruit. Tangy, very ripe and masculine, good grip and gladly I don't find any sign of the dreaded barrique. Moderately long and very refreshing aftertaste. Palate cleansing. A very decent drop!
Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Martinenga 1999
I keep on being perplexed by this wine. There are hints of barrique, yet also much typical Nebbiolo-aromatics on every other sniff. At best, this has a lovely red toned, rusty nose; but it also has some oaky notes. The palate is rather soft and sweet for a young Nebbiolo, yet is refreshing. A very perplexing wine: on some sniffs and tastes very lovable; on others, too modern.
Jeruzalem Ormož Beli Pinot 2005 Ljutomer-Ormož
11,5%, plastic "cork". Appley, rather spicy, ripe but sadly lacking in minerality. It is still a refreshing and varietally true drink and is fun. But the Sivi Pinot (Pinot Gris) was more interesting, IMO.
Jeruzalem Ormož Sivi Pinot 2005 Ljutomer-Ormož
12% abv; plastic "cork". True to the grape: spicy, glue-like, yet mineral and more elegant than Pinot Gris often is. Lively, acidic yet fruity and ripe. Refreshing, mineral. Very enjoyable.
Château Gruaud Larose 1999
Though young, this is aromatically open and has some nice dark fruit, cassis, strong earthyness and perhaps the slightest hint of funk - brings more to my mind Pauillac than St. Julien (but the differences are small, I admit). Full bodied, fruity, still strong but ripe tannins. Long and refreshing aftertaste. I enjoyed it, but ideally should have been cellared longer.
M. Chapoutier St. Joseph Deschants 2004
Lactic and reductive upon opening, but a few hours onwards it smells of classic Syrah. Black olives, slightly meaty/animal black fruit, some leafyness and minerality. Ripe and rather full bodied palate, with ripe tannins and enough acidity to be refreshing. Nice! Needs a few years.
Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico BG 2004
This started out very dark toned and plummy, dusty and inky and sweet and slightly raisiniy - typical Amarone. With air it developed some brighter tones like peach kernel and some red fruit hints to counter all the darkness. It is sweet and not big, but enormous bodied. But it does have plenty of tannins to keep it all together. The aftertaste is a bit warm, but it certainly doesn't seem like the 16,5%abv the label indicates. A good wine in its style, but the style is too far away from my preferences for me to enjoy other than as an intellectual excercice.
keskiviikko 6. helmikuuta 2008
Madiran
Château Bouscassé Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh 1999
A strong scent of pineapples, pears and minerals. Full bodied, fat even, but with some nice citrussiness. An almost Rhone-white-like weightiness and oilyness. Nice!
Château Montus Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec 2001
This smells very anonymous/international - the Barrique treatment has destroyed any sense of grape or place. Limpid fruit, toffee, lots of oak, some citrussy acidity to keep it refreshing. Not flawed, but for me not interesting either.
Then we continued with, mainly, a theme of 2000 reds:
Château Montus Madiran 2000
Very oaky, meaty, dark fruit. The oak nearly manages to mask the Madiran-aromas underneath. The palate isn't so overoaked: vibrant, dark, masculine, brutishly tannic, wild. I like parts of it, but really would require less oak to be able to enjoy it thorougly.
Château d'Aydie Madiran Odé d'Aydie 2000
This is meaty and red toned and also has the blue floral notes of the basic Madiran, but this sadly shows sings of Barrique on the nose. The palate is fairly low in acid, not as vibrant as the basic Madiran, but with much ripe tannin and some attractive red fruit - again it is a more feminine style of Madiran. Sadly the aftertaste is both oaky and abrupt.
Château d'Aydie Madiran 2000
An earthy and meaty nose, with lots of blue flowers and red berries, elegantly animal. Lively, vibrant, red toned but tannic. This seems very natural and perfectly delineated, though it is perhaps a "feminine" style for Madiran. A lovely wine.
Château Bouscassé Madiran Vieilles Vignes 2000
The oak is overwhelming. Very strange for Bouscassé VV. Undrinkable, modern, anonymous - very different from the early-mid-'90's VVs I've had recently.
Château Montus Madiran Cuvée Prestige 2000
Blueberry oak, tarry like a Barossa Shiraz(!), yet with a wild meatiness and a very attractive cigar aroma underneath the oak and over-ripe black fruit. Flabby/almost acidless, yet very tannic, lifeless fruit, too oaky. One of the weirdest and un-Madiranny Madirans I've ever tasted. I'm not convinced.
Château Montus Madiran La Tyre 2000
This was made in an international/anonymous style, yet it is very, very well made if one doesn't mind a modern bent: much fruit of great, dark depth, unnaturally soft (yet copious) tannins for Madiran, fairly low in acidity yet still lively. It may not be my preferred style (too much oak), yet here I can see what the fuss is about.
Château Bouscassé Madiran Vieilles Vignes 1998
Meaty, some red tones to the dark fruit, animal, herbal, leafy - quite a wonderful nose! The palate is a bit disappointing: slightly sweet red fruit, short in length and in structure. Compared to another recent bottle this was disappointing on the palate, yet I couldn't find any outright flaws.
Château Bouscassé Madiran Cuvée Alban Brumont 1998
This is apparently a one-off cuvée in memory of Alban. A beautiful nose of sous-bois, leafyness, vibrant red fruit, meaty and floral. The oak seems to have integrated fully. Elegant for a Madiran, but still with a great tannic structure and lively acidity and enough fruit to promise an elegant future. Lovely.
Michel Carrier / Domaine du Miralie Madiran 1996
There is some nice red, lingonberry-like fruit and earthiness, yet an unattractive scent of rhubarb also. The palate is too much like a tart, sugarless juice to be much fun. I'll pass.
We finished with a few sweets:
2002 Château Barréjat Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh 2002
A very pure and refreshing nose of wet rock and crystallised fruit. Vibrant, moderately sweet, citrussy acidity, refreshing - light yet moderately intense. A very charming dessert. I like it very much - especially for the 10€ or so that it costs!
Alain Brumont Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Octobre 1999
Oaky, some refreshing aromas, elegant botrytis. Sweet, moderately light for a dessert wine, yet oaky. Competently made, but not really to my taste.
Alain Brumont Madiran Doux Brumaire Novembre Pacherenc-du-vic-bilh 2000
Very oaky, botrytised nose - smells like an oaky, heavy styled Sauternes (à la Rieussec). Intense, heavy palate, oaky, creamy. Probably very good, but a bit too much for me.
Château d'Aydie Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh 2000
A very interesting wine as its spends 10-12 months in acacia barrels. It is oxidative and appley, not too woody, sweet and refreshing. I like it!
Château d'Aydie Vin de Liqueur Maydie 2000
Dark, inky, brooding, herbal and medicinal - almost like a Barolo Chinato! Sweet and tangy, wild and dark. Quite wonderful in a freakish way!
sunnuntai 3. helmikuuta 2008
Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico BG 2004
This started out very dark toned and plummy, dusty and inky and sweet and slightly raisiniy - typical Amarone. With air it developed some brighter tones like peach kernel and some red fruit hints to counter all the darkness. It is sweet and not big, but enormous bodied. But it does have plenty of tannins to keep it all together. The aftertaste is a bit warm, but it certainly doesn't seem like the 16,5%abv the label indicates. A good wine in its style, but the style is too far away from my preferences for me to enjoy other than as an intellectual excercice.
Tulloch Hunter Valley Semillon
The Tulloch Semillon Julia Limited Release 2005 (10%) seems flabby in comparison. The nose is lovely, not as strongly red toned or as muddy as the '04, with the citrus more prominent and a waxy note holding the bass line. This lacks the intensity and electricity of the '04 but is still moderately acidic and tannic. If the '04 was Palestrina, I guess this would remind me of Clemens non Papa - a bit similar in style, but just not as interesting! (Dons tin helmet, in case David Bennett happens to read this, lol!)
