Then & Now - 1964 & 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Ogier

I recently bought a handy three pack of 1964 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Ogier. Interesting enough it is two different bottles shapes...two of the bigger and one of the smaller bottle.

And on the state monopoly there was the 2010, so why not pair the two vintages, 46 years apart, together over Saturday dinner!
Info here.

1964 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve, H. Ogier & Fils
Poured right out of the bottle it looks very pale, but the scents that rise from the glass are anything but fragile. A big, brawny, sweet nose with notes of dried strawberries, muscovado sugar, wet pipe tobacco, dried flowers and a touch of wet dog. After a while a whole autumn forest oozes up from the glass.
The taste is big, warm and spicy with lots of dried berries, cold coffee, autumn forest, old chocolate and tobacco. A very long, warm, fine finish. The tannins have all melted away. Not that complex but a yummy mouthful of mature Châteauneuf.
87p   (tasted 2013/06)

2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos de L´Oratoire des Papes, Ogier
And now for something completely different - A young, upfront, fiery, in your face kind of nose with notes of hot blueberries, rosehips, warm rosemary, white pepper and meat stock. After an hour in a decanter the same autumn forest aromas as in the 64, albeit younger, emerges - interesting! A fine warm spicy scent. Deep. This needs time. The nose is very good.
The taste is on the other hand a bit unbalanced with fiery, dry tannins, a big, strapping fruit and a long, hot finish. Lots of cooked dark cherries, blueberries, rosemary and dark chocolate. Very, very long. Ends with a alcohol stick. Needs plenty of time, and it will hopefully become more integrated. It have been standing in a open decanter since last night - will get back to it in a couple of hours and see what have happened, but for the showing last night it gets
82p   (tasted 2013/06)

Yet Another Bargain - NV Graham Beck Brut Rosé

This was handed out to me by Prime Wine as a tasting sample. I opened it tonight when we was having a shrimp cocktail as appetizer, and while not being a grand vin it behaved very nice with that dish.

NV Graham Beck Brut Rosé
The nose needs some coaxing of the glass to get some aromas of wild strawberries, not yet ripe raspberries, rhubarb and a hint of cap gun smoke. Not that deep but with a nice character.
The taste is smooth, pure and cool with notes of lingonberries, raspberries, blood oranges, earth and some steely flavours. There is a fine dryness at the end of the taste, that in all honesty is rather short. But with the shrimp cocktail it performed without complaint, especially after that I had mixed in a few drops of blood orange juice into the shrimp cocktail. Then in was a great match. And for approximately 12  Euro it is definitely a bargain.
85p   (tasted 2013/06)

A Fine White Bordeaux - 2010 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion

Many talk about them, almost everybody agrees that they are great wines, but nearly nobody seems to drink them. I am of course talking about white (dry) Bordeaux. I scan lots ot wine blogs, wine forums etc and it is seldom that you see notes of white Bordeaux. And it is the same here...
But here is one, and a great one at that! :)

2010 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion
A big, tight and focused nose with gorgeous notes of tangerines, dried lemoncello, a bit of Tahiti vanilla, smoke and a fine earthy aroma. Very deep and complex. A touch of band-aid, in a positive sense. Oily yet refined. Very, very fine.
The taste is a big mouthful of pure, concentrated Semillon (40%) and Sauvignon Blanc (60%) fruit with lovely notes of lemon cream, white peaches, apricots, fudge, lemoncello and a touch of matchbox. It has an oily touch and flows fine over the tongue. A long, long finish with warmth, structure and a fine acidity at the very end. Very young and very promising. And impossible to resist today. Striking!
93p   (tasted 2013/06)

Metal & Miscellaneous Bottles

Again, home from four heavy days at Sweden Rock Festival, the best Metal festival in Sweden, and possibly the world. Among the 33.000 big crowd there were visitors from 56 different countries.
And yet again, there was mostly American, Belgian and Swedish beers and whisky that made up the liquid diet...

Some of the highlights of the 80+ concerts were:
Demon - my old favourites, they performed a solid concert with a lot of old stuff, like this one from their debut album from 1981 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY57GGvON50

Huntress - a new acquaintance, but what a voice Jill Janus had live, impressive! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SKELDVRJDY

Five Finger Death Punch - without a doubt the best band/public interaction, will see them again in November! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-2yuGgp_U8

Amon Amarth - these Swedish Vikings really put on a big show in the dark Swedish night - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPRt6Tt6RyM

Asia - some 80´s AOR is never wrong and Asia performed lots of the good old stuff - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OubZVZyl2ww

Saxon - we had to wait until the end of the concert, but then the best song came - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKrUz45icE

Accept - it is really a Metal disease, and I got it bad... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJxS1Bpnkl4

Rush  - the power trio from Canada is always perfect live, this time with an (even more) amazing show - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYYdQB0mkEU


But this is apparently a wine blog, so over to some miscellaneous bottles tasted over the last weeks.

2010 Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Chardonnay
This usually performs well in every vintage, and this is no exception. The nose is medium big with notes of ripe red apples, butter biscuits, summer flowers, fudge and some smoke. Nice but without much depth.
The taste is creamy, fine and nicely structured with notes of grilled lemons, yellow apples, smoke and sweet summer flowers. Fairly long. Very good. Should be drunk sooner than later though.
87p   (tasted 2013/05)

2012 Château Bonnet
Event though I have had multiple vintages of the Au Bon Climat above, I must have tasted around 20 vintages of the white Château Bonnet. It has always been a wine that have performed above its price (it now cost about 10 Euro), but I think that this vintage is the best I have ever tasted.
The nose is pure, crisp and salivating with notes of chives, gooseberries, white currants, freshly cut grass and a touch of licorice. Very, very fresh and immediately likable. Very, very good.
The taste is cool, fresh and light, but with lots of fine notes of white flowers, gooseberries, white chocolate and grass. A fine, fresh acidity. This is sooo gulpable!
87p   (tasted 2013/05)

2001 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese, Joh. Jos. Prüm
A very fine, elegant, pure nose with some maturity and lovely notes of white peaches, William pears, sweet hay and lots and lots of minerals. A gorgeous purity. The fine after-the-rain scent that signals great, maturing Riesling. Very deep.
The taste is fine, elegant and semi dry, with notes of ripe pears, yellow apples, smoke and crushes rocks. A finely tuned acidity. Long and refined. On its way to maturity which it should reach in 5-8 years.
92p   (tasted 2013/05)

2010 Rosso di Montalcino, Campi di Fonterenza
A young, fresh nose with notes of lingonberries, blueberries, cherry pips, licorice and some herbal scents. Upfront and juicy, but without much depth. Cool and nice.
The taste is young, tight and juicy with notes of lingonberries, red cherries, mixed herbs and licorice. Uncomplicated but very gulpable - the whole bottle just vanished! Should get even better with 2-3 years in the cellar. But at 27 Euros it is, at least today, too expensive.
86p   (tasted 2013/05)

15 Magnum Bonanza!

A couple of weeks ago, Peter sent a mail to a bunch of wine geeks and asked if there were any interest in a BYOM - Bring Your Own Magnum - get together. Of course there was!

And then, on a Thursday evening, 14 wine aficionados met up at a MFW, bringing 15 magnums to the table. The set up was easy enough, three flights - the first with four Champagnes, then two flights with red wines.
It became a fun night with a lot of interesting wines! And besides all Freudian slips, there are something extra with a wine out of a magnum...
All tasted double blind.

Flight 1
NV Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs (magnum)
Bought in 2005 according to the bringer, probably based on vintages between 1996 and 2000. The nose is fine, cool and elegant with notes of starfruit, butter biscuits, tangerine and a touch of vanilla. Very good.
The taste is pure, elegant and with a hint of maturity. A fine sweetness to the fruit. Fine notes of lemon cream, dry fudge and wet rocks. A fine acidity. A medium long finish. Drinking great today but could surely be kept for 10+ years.
89p   (tasted 2013/05)

1996 Palmer & Co (magnum)
An open, sexy, creamy nose with lovely notes of freshly baked bread, red currants, cap gun smoke and a touch of rubber. Very, very fine. A touch of maturity.
The taste is tight, intense and creamy with notes of red and white currants, toasted bread, crushed rocks and lime cream. A long, fresh finish with a fine acidity. This should turn out even greater with 4-6 years in the cellar, but it is a gorgeous mouthful of Champagne today.
93p   (tasted 2013/05)

1996 Henriot (magnum)
Bottles of 1996 Henriot have been a hit or a miss, it is irritating with that kind of bottle variation, keeping in mind that don´t come that cheap. This magnum is somewhere in the middle of those previous ones - not great but not bad either. The nose is cool, creamy and medium deep with notes of red apples, warm grass and smoke. Good but uncomplicated.
The taste is better with a fine mousse and notes of toasted bread, red apples, dry fudge and warm gravel. The finish is medium long and rather fresh. Good but that´s it.
85p   (tasted 2013/05)

NV De Venoge Rosé (magnum)
This was an interesting bottle, a NV Rosé bought in 1985 and probably from the late 70´s. This one divided the crowd, those who thought it over the hill and those, me included, that thought that it was a fine example of mature Champagne.
The nose is open, warm and just stunning with its aromas of mature, autumn apples, almond paste, wet asphalt, root vegetables and pine nuts. Fascinating. Very, very good.
The taste is big, warm, round and mature with notes of apple pie, dry cookies, almond paste, autumn leaves and a hint of dried strawberries. The finish is long, ripe and velvety. A treat to drink.
90p   (tasted 2013/05)

Flight 2
2001 Imperial Gran Reserva, CVNE (magnum)
A big, open, fruity nose with notes of black fruit, a touch of pepper, some smoke and eucalyptus scented wood. Medium deep. Lacks focus. Good fruit though.
The taste is big, warm and mature with notes of blueberries and black cherries that have been sprinkled with vanilla powder and toothpaste. Even though Rioja was one of the things that got me started 20+ years ago, the modern ones can´t get my taste buds to salivate. Nothing wrong, but nothing right either.
80p   (tasted 2013/05)

2001 Kurni, Oasi degli Angeli (magnum)
This 100% Montepulciano opens with a fine, deep, seedy nose with notes of black cherries, rosehips, violets, balsa wood and blueberry bushes. A fine depth. Very, very good.
The taste is young, tight and focused with notes of sweet dark cherries, rosehips, warm gravel and a touch of dark chocolate. The finish is long and warm. This is still young and will surely evolve nicely over the coming 6-8 years.
90p   (tasted 2013/05)

1997 Barolo Bussia, Prunotto (magnum)
This was my contrubution and there were instantly some remarks of "aged Nebbiolo"...The nose is a tad mature with notes of dried cherries, rose petals, undergrowth, dried mushrooms and rosehips. A nice spiciness to it. Medium deep. A fine sweetness to the fruit. Very, very good.
The taste is tighter and more seedy than the nose with notes of red beets, dried cherries, mushroom forest and licorice. A fine, taut structure. Somewhat mature, but this should still evolve with age, for at least 6-8 years.
90p   (tasted 2013/05)

2000 Domaine de Courteillac (magnum)
This predominantly Merlot wine opens with a shy nose of red currants, grass and gravel, leading me to a Cabernet Franc based wine. But with air the fruit thickens and some plums and blueberries show themselves alongside notes of autumn leaves, cigarette ashes and old leather. A medium bodied nose that is nice but without depth.
The taste is structured and linear with notes of red currants, blueberry bushes, old leather and warm earth. The finish is medium long and with a nice warmth. A good wine but it lacks charm.
84p   (tasted 2013/05)

1996 Château Kirwan (magnum)
What a classic Bordeaux nose! From the glass aromas of ripe black currants, coffee, grapthite, leather and freah stables oozes up. Semi mature with a fine coolness to the fruit. Very classic and fine.
The taste is full of the classic markers - black currants, pencil shavings, ceder and stables. A long, elegant finish with a glimpse of still juicy tannins. Very, very fine. Should still evolve (at least inn a magnum) for 5+ years.
92p   (tasted 2013/05)

1997 Ben Glaetzer Shiraz (magnum)
This is the predecessor to Amon-Ra, a wine that I have tasted on a few occasions. Although not a big favourite of mine, the Amon-Ra is miles ahead of this train wreck.
The nose is overly sweet and all over the place with notes of cherries and blackberries cooked in hard liquor with vanilla pods and toothpaste... Lots and lots of VA. Sounds good, huh? Nope.
The taste is big, sweet and overpowering with the fruit, acidity and tannins all playing different instrument, just like impromptu jazz, totally incomprehensible, or in this case, totally undrinkable. The finish goes on for long (too long) and is cloying, hot and with drying tannins. Almost sickly.
58p   (tasted 2013/05)

Flight 3
2003 l´Esprit de Font Caude, Alain Chabanon (magnum)
This blend of 55% Syrah, 37% Mourverdre and 8% Grenache has a cool, deep, tight nose with notes of ripe blueberries, dark cherries, meat stock and a touch of cocoa. Warm but not overly so. Deep and fine. Still young.
The taste is young, warm and intense with notes of ripe blueberries, lingonberries, thyme, warm gravel and old leather. A long, warm finish with a lot of oomph. Still young, this needs another 4-6 years in the cellar. Very, very good.
89p   (tasted 2013/05)

2004 Prado Enea Gran Reserva, Muga (magnum)
A warm, fruity, somewhat anonymous nose with notes of red and black fruit, licorice, black peppar and lavender. A good sweetness to the fruit.
The taste is also anonymous - there is fine, sweet fruit here and the tannins does a fine job holding it together, but where is the character, the personality? Qualitywise a good wine but it is bland.
83p   (tasted 2013/05)

2004 Mas de Daume Gassac (magnum)
This old acquaintance has a fresh, seedy, herbal nose with notes of red currants, cherries, mushrooms, undergrowth and some spicy sausages. Not that deep but very good in a traditional way.
The taste is big, warm and mouthfilling with sturdy red fruit and notes of earth, dry chocolate and fried herbs. The tannins creep up in the finish and leaves the mouth dry. This needs some more time. But very good in a old fashion style.
87p   (tasted 2013/05)

2006 Château Lanessan (magnum)
A cool, elegant, fairly light nose with some interesting aromas of sweet lingonberries, red currants, graphite, road dust and some smoky notes. Not very expressive, but elegant and poised. Very young.
The taste is cool, tight and seedy with notes of red currants, lingonberries, herbs, leather and a touch of iodine. It has a nice flow about it. Very drinkable albeit very young. This should turn out nicely with 5+ years in the cellar.
89p   (tasted 2013/05)

2008 Don Maximino Founder´s Reserve, Errazuriz (magnum)
Lo and behold! If anyone would have said beforehand that I would put a Chilean wine in top at this tasting (alongside the 96 Palmer), I wouldn´t have believed it. But that´s blind tasting for you...
The nose is deep, powerful and yet very polished with gorgeous notes of ripe black currants, raspberries, dark chocolate, fresh rosemary, new leather and some expensive new oak (it gets 22 months in french barrels, of which 81% is new). Very deep and yummy!
The taste is intense, broad and great, with lovingly sweet, decadent but firm fruit, in the shape of black currants, blackberries and notes of dark chocolate, graphite, warm herbs and cigarr smoke. Concentrated, pure and just lovely!
93p   (tasted 2013/05)

As an extra wine to close the eveing, Niklas presented this beauty.
1987 Sercial "Canteiro", Artur de Barrose e Sousa
A piercing, intense, gorgeous nose with notes of decaying apples, orange peel, band-aid, green bananas, dried flowers and stale coca-cola - very complex and utterly captivating.
The taste is intense, laser focused and very, very long with notes of nuts, wet tea bags, dried flowers and some rubbery notes. A fine dry sweetness. Very, very good. A perfect ending of this evening!
91p   (tasted 2013/05)

Then & Now - 1961 & 2010 Mercurey, Faiveley

The 1961 came from a mixed case with a wide range of old and odd bottles. The 2010 was bought just last week from the state monopoly. If I average the cost for the mixed case, I paid 25 Euro for the 1961. The 2010 cost me 20 Euro. 5 Euro - not much for 49 years of cellaring...:-)

Mercurey is the largest (with over 600 hectares of vines) village of the Côte Chalonnaise, and regarded by most as the most important too.
Faiveley don´t need an introduction, the old estate that have made a great comeback with some stunning wines in the last couple of vintages, as this tasting is a testament too. Info here.

1961 Mercurey, J. Faiveley
This modest village wine has really stood the test of time. Freshly poured it has a bit of bottle stink to it, but it only needs 10-15 minutes in the glass to show some fine mature Pinot aromas, in the shape of dried strawberries, undergrowth, fried mushrooms, mocha (see the linked tasting above...), dried orange peel and rotten vegetables. A fine maturity. Not that deep, not that complex, but very enjoyable. Poured from the bottle during a couple of hours it didn´t budge at all.
The taste is mature, round and nice with some dried red fruit, lingonberries and raspberries, with notes of dried mushrooms, undergrowth, dried flowers and a touch of black tea. The finish is a bit short. But it hasn´t dried out, the end of the finish is round and fine. Has kept very well.
87p   (tasted 2013/06)

2010 Mercurey, Domaine Faiveley
This is another creature all together. A young, springy, fresh nose with notes of blueberries, lingonberries, balsa wood, licorice and a touch of tobacco. Very upfront fruity. Needs time.
The taste is young, tight and seedy with notes of linonberry bushes, dried raspberries, earth and the same touch of tobacco as on the nose. Medium long. A fresh acidity. This could turn out fine, but for know it is a bit ungainly.
83p   (tasted 2013/06)

Just Bought

Another bottle from the great 1990 vintage has arrived. Maybe one more 1990 Barolo Dinner in the planning process...? Or a 1990 Barolo Tasting...? :-)

The First Rosé of Summer

Almost a year ago, the 2011 of this wine really made me smile. When I saw the new vintage on the shelf I grabbed a bottle. But...

2012 Sancerre Les Baronnes Rosé, Henri Bourgeois
The nose is young, fresh and pure with notes of rhubarb, red currants, raspberry candy and a touch of white peppar. Nice, upfront and fine.
The taste on the other hand suffers from lack of juicy fruit; it has a rather course character with notes of unripe lingonberries, red currants and a touch of gravel. It ends dry with a astringent note. With a warm pasta salad it fears well, but on its own its to narrow. The 2011 vintage was much better.
84p   (tasted 2013/05)

In Search of Brunello di Montalcino´s Soul - Chapter XXVI

What to open with Sunday dinner? The roast is in the oven, the Madeira sauce is simmering and the root vegetables are ready to join the roast.
Well, the Brunello project is almost coming to an end, only a few chapters left, and I have some odd bottles left, among them these two. The Consorzio gives both 1979 and 1980 a 4 star rating.

Fattoria dei Barbi is one of the most historic estates in Montalcino. The Colombini family acquired it in 1790. It is one of the largest estates in Brunello, consisting of 338 hectares, of which 42 hectares is Brunello. Their first Brunello vintage was the 1892, sadly I haven´t got hold of that one...:-) The only previous vintage I have tasted from Barbi was the 1997 Riserva. More info here.

CastelGiocondo is the second largest Brunello producer with 152 hectares devoted to Brunello. The Frescobaldi´s bought the estate in 1989, so this bottle was made by the previous owners, a group of European investors that bought the estate in the 70´s and the 1975 was their first vintage. The estate itself is (also) one of Montalcino´s most historic ones, dating from 1100. I have the 1975 as well, will be back with a note on that one soon. Previous tasted vintages have been the 1994 & 2006, the 1995 and the 1997. More info here.

1980 Brunello di Montalcino, Fattoria dei Barbi
This opens a tad shy and restrained with some dusty red, mature fruit. But things really happens with a couple of hours in a decanter. The fruit flesh out into lingonberries and red currants with a fine dried up sweetness to them, with additional aromas of dry leather, gravel, licorice and some undergrowth. Fully mature with a fine, mellow character.
The taste is mature, dry and interesting with notes of dried rosehips, lingonberries, road dust and cigarette ashes. As with the nose, it becomes better with air. But there is a dry note in the end that tells me that this should have been drunk some 10 years ago. With the food it behaves nicely, and the nose is fine, but on its own it is a tad to dry on the palate.
86p   (tasted 2013/05)

1979 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, CastelGiocondo
Just wow! I really didn´t expect greatness from any of these two bottles, just hoping that they would fair well with the sunday steak. But from the get go until the last drop this bottle behaved brilliantly!
The nose oozes up from the glass with gorgeous aromas of muscovadosprinkled cherries, dried flowers, licorice, moist mushrooms, violet pastilles, sweet cranberries and lots of rosehips. The sweetness of the fruit is amazing given that this is 34 years old. Given this blind, I would have guessed it to be from 1990. Just stunning!
The taste is as fresh as the nose, with a lovely purity, freshness and bucketfuls of sweet red and black cherries. Notes of licorice, violet pastilles, rosehip powder, sugared coffee and lots and lots of fresh mushrooms. There is some maturity here but this is amazingly fresh for its age. A long, intense finish with a beautiful creamy structure. Really, really fine. And I bought this for 25 Euro...:-)
94p   (tasted 2013/05)

A Sunday Luncheon

Sunday last week - me and C were invited to Sunday lunch at Å & N´s place - as usual, a wonderful get together - great wines, a kick ass rabbit pasta and table tennis! :-)
All wines tasted double blind.

2001 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese, Robert Weil
The sipping wine, whilst playing table tennis mind you, was this beauty. A open, pure, deep and gorgeous nose with notes of yellow pears, lemon peel, chives, rubber and lots of sweet minerals. A lovely sweetness. Deep and elegant. Really fine.
The taste is seamless, pure and racy with beautiful yellow fruit, high acidity and a minute long finish. Fine notes of dry lemoncello, melon, yellow pears and slate. Very, very fine. Starts of almost semi sweet but ends bone dry after the long finish has ended. A lovely wine.
93p   (tasted 2013/05)

2009 Guru, Wine & Soul
This Portuguese beauty is made of the local grapes Viosinho, Rabigato, Codega and Gouveio - not the ones I usually drink, but this bottle could make me do that more. The nose is young, fresh and pure with lots of stony aromas with some additional notes of lime peel, licorice, chlorophyll (a fine green note) and a touch of detergent (in a complex way). Very fine.
The taste is young, fresh and gulpable with notes of lemon and lime peel, green apples, crushed rocks and a salty, tangy note that is very refreshing. A medium long, fresh finish. A very interesting wine.
Info here.
90p   (tasted 2013/05)

2004 Camarcanda, Gaja
A lovely warm, semi mature, herbal nose with notes of red and black currants, coffee powder, autumn leaves and a fine green note, just like ripe Cabernet Franc. Very, very good. There is a delicious green sweetness to the fruit, if that make any sense?
The taste is tight, semi broad and with a hint of maturity. Fine notes of ripe red and black currants, burning autumn leaves, cold coffee and hard cherry candy. Lovely integrated tannins. A long, warm finish that ends dry. Very, very good. Should hit its peak in 3-5 years.
Made out of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.
91p   (tasted 2013/05)

2001 Barolo Arborina laFoia, Marco Curto
Fun! A new Barolo producer for me. And one that has land in that hallowed place on earth that is Arborina. Marco Curto and Elio Altare is obviously cousins. The nose is a Nebbiolo lovers dream - gorgeous notes of lingonberries, rosehips, licorice, cranberries, rose petals and a whole mushroom forest. Very flowery. Deep and intoxicating. This is really fine. Ethereal. And with a hint of maturity.
The taste is tighter than the nose leads on, with strapping tannins supporting the fresh fruit in shape of lingonberries, red currants and rosehips. In the very long finish there are notes of licorice, cigarette ashes and dusty earth. A very fine acidity. This is a delicious bottle of wine, I would love to taste more bottles from this producer.
93p   (tasted 2013/05)

2007 Barbera d´Alba Scarrone, Vietti

I opened this with Wednesday dinner - grilled chicken fillets and grilled mixed vegetables and a cold herb sauce. I´m usually very found of the Scarrone from Vietti, and the Scarrone Vigna Vecchia even more so, but this bottle didn´t get me going like it use to. This was my first taste of the 2007, and it didn´t leave me wanting more.

2007 Barbera d´Alba Scarrone, Vietti
An upfront, young, pushy nose with notes of cherry jam, raspberry chocolate truffles, licorice, sherry vinegar, warm earth and a touch of banana peel. In short, all over the place. There is some depth here but the overall impression is of a unbalanced wine. Maybe it will calm down with some more age?
The taste is tighter and leaner than the nose, with notes of ripe raspberries, licorice, sun warm tiles and some warm herbs. The finish is medium long and warm. Nothing wrong with some warmth in your Barbera, but I expect more structure and fresh acidity from Vietti. A good wine but a bit of a let down all the same.
84p   (tasted 2013/05)

A Barbeque With Some Decent Wines...

When M & J invites you to dinner you know you will drink great wines, and this night was no exception. Thanks!

All wines served blind, except for the Port at the end. There was some hints beforehand of a Brunello theme, but knowing M I always keep an open mind when the wines are poured...:-)

2008 Lower Rim Chardonnay, Stonestreet
This beaty opens a bit shy with notes of crisp pears, cold butter and some crushed rocks. But when it gets some air and warmth it unfolds like a peacock tail with notes of summer flowers, fudge, melon and cap gun smoke. Very intense and fine.
The taste is big, ripe, and yet elegant with buttery fruit and a lovely refreshing acidity. In the long finish there are notes of lemon cream, butter ccokies and ripe melon. Mouthfilling in the best sense of the word. As good as some eight months ago.
94p   (tasted 2013/05)

2010 Booker White
This should, according to M, have been a treat, but there was something wrong with this bottle. The wine was cloudy and the fruit was compressed and weird.
No rating   (tasted 2013/05)

2003 Riesling Spätlese, Robert Weil
This perennial favourite was not as great as it can be, but there was no complaining at the table over its elegant nose with notes of white currants, lemon peel, spices and a touch of rubber.
The taste is tight, concentrated and very long with notes of peach, crushed slate, lemon peel and warm grass. Again, really fine, but this bottle wasn´t as ethereal as it has been in the past.
92p   (tasted 2013/05)

2002 Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese, Dönnhoff
Can there be such a thing as too beautiful, too perfect, too pure? Well, maybe this bottle. Every tiny molecule is in the right place, it oozes elegance, purity and structure. And yet, I find it lacking somewhat in personality. Don´t get me wrong, this is some really classy Riesling in the glass, but there is just something about it.
Both the nose and taste is pure, a tad restrained with lots of wet rocks, white flowers, white currants, minerals, minerals and minerals. A gorgeous wine, maybe a bit much so...
92p   (tasted 2013/05)

1997 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso, Ciacci Piccolomini d´Aragona
A deep, fine, mature nose with mulberries, cherry jam, pipe tobacco and some moist undergrowth. A very fine maturity. Lovely sweet fruit. With air there are a fine note of black tea.
The taste is deep, tight and intense with notes of red and black cherries, violet, gravel and some dusty cocoa notes. The finish is long, warm and caressing. As with previous tasted vintages, the Pianrosso is a fine bottle of Brunello.
92p   (tasted 2013/05)

2006 Brunello di Montalcino La Cerbaiola, Salvioni
I can just refer to my previous note on this stunning wine. On this night it was a bit more shut down, but still expressed (future) greatness.
94p   (tasted 2013/05)

2000 Grandes Añadas, Artadi
And then we were thrown a curve ball...The nose is medium deep and nice with notes of red cherries, cranberries, leather, dry tobacco and a touch of dog fur. Has a nice warmth. Very good.
The taste is tight, seedy and more impressive than the nose with lots of sweet, juicy cherries and notes of tobacco, leather and earth. The finish is long, broad and fine. I did not peg this as an Spaniard...
89p   (tasted 2013/05)

2006 Brunello di Montalcino, Cerbaione
A Brunello producer I have been looking forward to taste - and what a wine! A cool, elegant and a touch restrained nose with fine notes of cherry pips, tobacco, gravel, violets and a fine smoky note. Very poised and full of finesse. Evolved beautifully in the glass. Real class.
The taste is young, tight and seedy with notes of rosehips, violets, hard cherry candy and cigarette ashes. There are some big tannins here but they are neatly polished. The finish goes on and on and on. I would love to taste more vintages from this producer!
95p   (tasted 2013/05)

1996 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra, Domenico Clerico
After we put our noses in the glass when this was poured, we immediately shouted "we are home"!! A beautiful Nebbiolo nose with notes of lingonberries, mushrooms, rose petals, bay leaves and a touch of freshly grounded coffee. This has depth, charm and grace. Still young but there is some evolvement here. 
The taste is tighter with lots of ripe red fruit and notes of mushrooms, rosehips, leather and bay leaves. The tannins are still on the perky side and come through in the finish. Very, very fine and should evolve gracefully over the next 6-8 years.
93p   (tasted 2013/05)

1999 Barolo Percristina, Domenico Clerico
Aaaaaaaah, what a stunning wine! I just love the Percristina from Clerico. Again and again it proves to be a truly world class wine. As good as this is though, it doesn´t reach the heights of the 1996...
The nose is elegant, finely tuned, deep and just stunning with gorgeous aromas of sweet lingonberries, wet asphalt, porcini, licorice and rose bushes en masse! So, so, so fine.
The taste is tight, pure and complex with notes of red cherries, lingonberries, rosehips, licorice and a touch of dark chocolate. The tannins take a firm grip around your tongue in the finish, which goes of forever it seems. Stunning juice!
97p   (tasted 2013/05)

1997 Brunello di Montalcino Pertimali, Livio Sassetti
This bottle was almost as good as the one opened two months ago and behaved in the same manner. A very fine bottle of wine.
94p   (tasted 2013/05)

1990 Vouvray Moelleux 1er Trie Clos du Bourg, Huet
This, on the other hand, outperformed a bottle opened by M last September. An intensity of the charts, a purity that need to be tasted to believed and a length that could be counted in several minutes. But it is no 1990 Le Mont... :-) Just...
99p   (tasted 2013/05)

1995 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port
A deep, sweet, hedonistic nose with notes of figs, pan fried nuts, milk chocolate, green raisins and some moist undergrowth. Upfront and fine, although not that deep.
The taste is big, sweet and warm with notes of raisins, assorted nuts and lots of chocolate wafers. Some alcohol warmth in the end. Very good.
88p   (tasted 2013/05)

And, unfortunately, two corked wines - the 1996 Cuvée el Campanario, Abadia Retuerta and 1997 Finca Dofi, Alvaro Palacios - too bad!

A Bottle of Bubbly - NV Leclerc Briant Les Crayères Brut

Tired after a great barbeque dinner yesterday at M & J (with some stunning wines from Stonestreet, Dönnhoff, Salvioni, Cerbaione, Clerico, Huet and more...post coming soon) I needed something to pick me up this evening, and a bottle of Champagne is the perfect drink too start with!
What to open next...?

NV Leclerc Briant Les Crayères Brut
This has a open, extrovert, fine nose with lots of ripe yellow apples, peaches, some toast, chalk and lots of sweet minerals. Not that deep but very upfront and yummy.
The taste is fresh, fine and gulpable with fine notes of yellow and red apples, dry fudge, chalk, oyster shells and some grassy notes. The finish is medium long, fresh and crispy. A very nice drinking Champagne. I´m back!
88p   (tasted 2013/05)