Vacation Wine Diary - Day 22 - 2010 Bell´Villa Vineyard Syrah, Goedhart Family

Dear Diary

Another hot day in the sun. When the sun sets its time for some food and wine. Barbeque, meat and vegetables, a tomatoe and garlic sauce and a bottle of wine - life is easy.
Thanks for the tip!

2010 Bell´ Villa Vineyard Syrah, Goedhart Family
This Washington Syrah delivers the goods from the first pour until the bottle is drained, with a gorgeous nose full of notes of blueberries, lightly peppered meat, dark chocolate and a hint of cinnamon. Young, upfront and very, very good.
The taste is young and juicy with lots of fresh Syrah fruit in the shape of ripe blue- and lingonberries with additional tobacco, black pepper and rubber notes. A fine acidity. The mid taste is a tad weak I think, but otherwise this is a really delicous young bottle of Syrah. Should evolve with 2-4 years in the cellar.
90p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 21 - 1994 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant,Nicolas Joly

Dear Diary

We are eating a lot of fish on our vacation and todays dish was to be a creamy soup with swordfish, salmon and prawns with lots of vegetables and a lime aioli.
There is always with some anticipation I open a Clos de la Coulée de Serrant. Mr Joly delivers most than often, at least in my experience, a real hit or a real miss. The bottles that are a hit are usually fantastic - the 2002 was one of 2012's best wines and the 1997, 1990 and 1982 have been equally great. Then there have been vintages best left to memory oblivion.
Lets see what 1994 offers.

1994 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant, Nicolas Joly
Aaaaah, what a nose! A deep, intoxicating, ethereal nose with notes of dried apricots, oil cloth, pickled ginger, sweet yellow flowers, oyster shells and a hint of gun powder. This is as good as it gets. Fresh as a daisy. Very complex - some banana peel and orange peel show themselves after a while. Really great.

The taste is laser focused, taut and elegant with notes of lemon peel, ginger, wet stones, oil cloth, clay and some hints of botrytis. Just wonderful. The finish goes on for over a minute. The acidity is high and mighty and just great. As fresh on the taste as on the nose. This is goooood!
96p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 18 - 2008 Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay, Brewer-Clifton

Dear Diary

This afternoon we passed a fish shop and they had some nice shellfish lying there on ice, just waiting for us to take them home and devour them with some bread and a lime aioli.
I needed a wine to go along. 

I tasted the 07 Sta Rita Hills some weeks ago and while very good it was very "American" in style - big, sweet and bold. I had heard that the 08 was more "European" in style. Just one way to find out - pull the cork!

2008 Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay, Brewer-Clifton

What I have heard was right! Much more laid back and elegant than the 07, this displays fine aromas of grapefruit juice, orange peel, cold butter, ginger and a hint of coconut milk. Interesting and complex. Very, very good.

The taste is medium bodied and ripe with notes of apricots, orange peel, sweet lime and milk chocolate fudge. A very good acidity. Long and fine. This is good. Maybe a tad warmer in the mouth than on the nose but this definitely more "European" than the 07. And a little bit better.

92p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 17 - A Bottle Of Wine & A Book From The Greatest Vintage Ever

Dear Diary

We found some different kind of mushrooms in a store nearby and we bought fine fillets of lamb. I thought that a mature bottle of Bordeaux would go along nicely. It sure did!

1964 Château La Tour du Pin Figeac

This only needs a half hour in the decanter before it starts to display beautiful aromas of black currants leaves, clean stables, ceder, autumn leaves and some complementary dog fur notes, which adds to the complexity. A very fine maturity. Low keyed but very fragrant. Very, very good.

The taste is round, mature and silky with notes of red and black currants, graphite, stables, moist earth and dry tobacco. The finish is not that long but has a nice warmth and a lovely mouth feel. This has kept very well over the years.

89p   (tasted 2014/07)

During our vacation I have been reading The Complete Imbiber 7, published in 1964. The Complete Imbiber´s first edition was published in 1957, and is described as a "compendium of entertainment and information to all amateurs of wine and good living". Right up my alley! :-)

There are very interesting chapters with titles as "Drinking for Thrills", Mosel Master (with an interview with Sebastian Prûm-Erz), "Between the Wine and the Glass - the Story of Cork (see an illustration below), "Four Thousands Years of Wine in Art" and the last chapter " What to Buy and Drink in 1965".

And that last chapter is especially a interesting one. This is one qoute that make you wish that there was a time machine handy - "the 1961 clarets, which will generally be available for the first time as this book is published".
And the really astonishing qoute, with todays prices in mind is "the very expensive 1961s" / "the opening prices...to over 60s a bottle for Ch. Mouton-Rothschild" and it goes on to say that even though those price will make the reader decide to sit this vintage out, it would be wrong to do so.

If I have done my homework correctly by checking different websites for translation for money over the years, 60 shillings in 1965 was equal to about 53 Euro in 2005. I haven't bought Mouton- Rothshild in years but I can safely say that it no longer cost 53 Euro on release...

The book ends with a perfect reference to the wine drunk tonight - "More good wine is drunk too young than is poured down the kitchen sink as undrinkably old". I´ll drink to that!

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 15 - Rosso di Montalcino

Dear Diary

It is hot. Really hot. 28 degrees Celsius today, and it has been like this for a couple of days.Some nice beers have been gulped down, but I need some wine too. Later in the evening it is time to open a bottle to along some cheese. I need this.

2001 Rosso di Montalcino Vigna della Fonte, Ciacci Piccolomini d´Aragona
A mature, warm and spicy nose with notes of crushed black currants, dry tobacco, hot gravel, dried rosenmary and some dark chocolate. Very good. It becomes more velvety on the nose with air. Still fresh. This has matured nicely.
The taste is big, warm and round with notes of sweet black cherries, burned meat, balsamic vinegar, dried herbs and a hot gravel road. It has a fresh acidity and some fine cherry bitter tannins. Long and warm. Very good. Fully mature and should be drunk sooner than later.
88p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 12 - Chassagne-Montrachet & Châteaneuf-du-Pape

Dear Diary

It has been one day of outdoor activities yesterday - hiking, cykling and swiming in the ocean, and I was, believe it or not, too tired to open a bottle of wine when we got home...just lots of water!
Well, I have to compensate myself with opening two bottles tonight! :-)

2008 Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanée, Morey-Coffinet
Aaaah, my kind of white Burgundy! This beauty has a deep, concentrated, refined nose with notes of candied lemon peels, lemon cream, Gaia melon, a fine smoky note, some coconut flakes and a gorgeous salty scent. Just stunning!
The taste follows the nose through with sweet yellow fruit, lots of lemon cream with a twist of saltiness, cap gun smoke, and a long, long finish with a fine acidity. This is drinking great now but I would love to get back to it in 5+ years.
93p   (tasted 2014/07)

2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Côtes Capelan, La Ferme du Mont
After an hour in a decanter the nose soars out of the glass with notes of blackberries, black cherries, wood smoke, a lot of bay leaves, licorice and a touch of lavender. Big, bold and very yummy. Hedonistic down to the core. Very young still.
The taste is young, potent and warm with notes of ripe blueberries, blackberries, resin, licorice, fresh herbs and some smoke. A long, warm, tough finish with some perky tannins. This would need some 6+ years to come together and add some maturity to the complexity.
Thanks Ulf for this experience!
91p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 10 - 1964 Château Bellevue

Dear Diary

Today I was craving a mature Bordeaux and what better way to accommodate my desires than to open a bottle of...

1964 Château Bellevue
This mature charmer has a deep and still lively nose with notes of red currants, dry tobacco, red plums, clay and dry earth. Very good. This has matured into one (or five...) fine glass of wine.
The taste is ripe, mature and velvety with notes of sweet red currants, dried plums, autumn leaves and some fine earthy flavours. The finish isn´t that long but it has a nice warmth. The end of the finish has a nice dry twist. Very good.
89p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 9 - Vino Nobile di Montelpulciano

Dear Diary

One day of travel and no wine - poor me...:-) But here in the south of Sweden we had some various delicatessen and I opened this bottle.

1998 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Fattoria Le Casalte
This is in a perfect drinking stage. It opens with a cool, elegant, fresh nose with notes of sweet/sour cherries, red currants, dry rosemary, a hint of chocolate and a whole Tuscan gravel road. Not that deep but very poissed and with a fine maturity.
The taste is medium bodied with fine notes of red currants, red cherries, dry tobacco leaves, gravel and a some chocolate flavours. Pure. This is, as said above, in a perfect drinking stage. Not a great wine per se, but it performed great on this evening.
90p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 7 - 1993 Chianti Classico Vigneto La Casuccia, Castello di Ama

Dear Diary

My backside hurts! Today we been cykling for 40+ kilometers and my backside isn't use to that. To comfort myself I open a mature Chianti to go with some Italian delicatessen.

1993 Chianti Classico Vigneto La Casuccia, Castello di Ama
This mature specimen has a big, dark, tight nose with notes of black cherries, sweet pipe tobacco, tarred fishing boats and some dark, rotten flowers a la Baudelaire... I like this nose!
The taste on the other hand has a problem. It has the same dark cherries and tobacco as on the nose, and even some of those dark, evil flowers, but also a big dollop of dry wood tannins. This has seen some serious wood and all has not been absorbed. Too bad, there is good fruit here still.
86p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 6 - 1964 Château Palmer

Dear Diary

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have a kind of wine epiphany. Tasting as much as I do (and that is little compared to others!) from time to time you get a little jaded. Great wines comes along but sometimes you need a real eye opener to get you to really appreciate the magic that wine is.

Yesterday was such a moment.

I went to my stock of 64´s and took out a single bottle of Château Palmer. Even though Palmer picked before the famous rainfall of the 8th of October it have never had a great reputation, Broadbent and Parker dismisses it, while Coates and Durand thinks it is a fine 1964 but that it should have drunk long ago.
This bottle had a high shoulder level, good for it is age but not great. So all in all, I had no high expectations.

1964 Château Palmer
It opens, as usual with old bottles, a bit closed and murky. But with only some time in the glass this caterpillar turns into a butterfly.
What flows up from the glass is beautiful aromas of dried rowanberries, dried flowers, owen baked beet roots, gravel, old leather and the finest tobacco money can buy. Aristocratic down to the core. A very fine warmth. There is a silky yet penetrating scent that is hard to describe and that only can come from a perfect aged wine. And this bottle has that in spades. Really, really fine.
The taste is round, mature and silky with fully integrated tannins and lovely notes of red currants, dried flowers, leather, some pencil shavings and again, the best tobacco there is. The finish isn´t that long but oh so seductive and refined. Like an grand old lady that with just wink of her hand or a raised eye brow can get her message through. And there is no arguing! Not the best wine so far this year but a privilege to drink and definitely one of the most memorable. Grand Vin!
94p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 5 - 17 Bottle Tasting

Dear Diary

Yesterday I ate and drank well, as usual, at Mikke´s place. There were seven of us that tasted and drank the 17 bottles below. All were presented blind and we nailed everyone of them - we drink enough of 1926 Chambertin to know those bad boys by heart...:-)
Thanks Mikke!

1985 Deiedesheimer Kalkofen Riesling Spätlese, Dr, Bürklin-Wolf
This mature Spätlese has a fine, laid back nose with notes of dried apricots, wet suit, glue remover and grass. It doesn´t sound that nice but when mixed together, it is!
The taste is medium bodied, elegant and good with nice apricot fruit, grapefruit juice and wet rocks. A fine acidity. Fully mature. Good but lacks a little bit of oomph.
85p   (tasted 2014/07)

1966 Hospices de Beaune Meursault Cuvée Foppin, M. G. Lafite
DOA.
50p   (tasted 2014/07)

2007 Meursault Les Charmes, Olivier Bernstein
This was brought by one of the guests. And this is a stunner! A deep, cool, beautiful nose flows up from the glass with aromas of lemon cream, cold butter, white currants, hazel nuts and a wonderful smoky scent. Just lovely.
The taste is young, refined and steely with a great acidity and notes of butter fried nuts, white and red currants, summer flowers and cap gun smoke. The finish is over one minute and ends on a high note. Very, very fine. Aristocratic.
95p   (tasted 2014/07)

1926 Chambertin, J. Salmon Barre
What can you say - a 88 year old Burgundy steals the show (except for the Meursault above). It starts out a bit musky on the nose, but soon turns into an old charmer, with notes of roasted beetroots, shoe polish, muscovadosugar, moist undergrowth and varnish. Very interesting and complex. Deep. Very much alive.
The taste is big, tight and dry with notes of dried raisins, wet undergrowth, autumn leaves, cooked root vegetables and some cooked meat. A very fine warmth. A lot of structure. Very, very good. Holds up well in the glass.
92p   (tasted 2014/07)

1976 Vosne-Romanée Les Chaumes, Rion
This V-R has a ripe, round, sweet nose with notes of freeze dried raspberries, assorted spices, forest floor and some furry scents. Good in a kind a narrow way.
The taste is mature, tight and warm with notes of lingonberries, red currants, earth, licorice and old wood. A bit sturdy. Fully mature. Becomes sweeter on the palate with some air time. Very good.
87p   (tasted 2014/07)

1964 Savigny Dominole, Chanson
This bottle from the best vintage ever has a big, mature, meaty nose with notes of crushed raspberries, old tobacco, root vegetables and moist earth. A fine maturity. Maybe a tad one dimensional.
The taste is big and ripe with lots of sweet red fruit and a medium long, dry finish. There is things to like here, but as on the nose, a bit one dimensional.
83p   (tasted 2014/07)

2007 Monte Bello Chardonnay
This was really two different types of Chardonnay, the Ridge very taut and crisp while the Brewer-Clifton showed more of a decadent, voluptuous style. And both was yummy!
The Ridge showed of notes of green apples, grass, minerals and lemon cream on the nose. Pure and fine. Still young.
The taste is young, fresh and racy with notes of green apples, lime peel, dried flowers and a touch of milk chocolate fudge. A medium long, fin finish with a nice acidity. Very good.
90p   (tasted 2014/07)

2007 St Rita Hills Chardonnay, Brewer-Clifton
The Brewer-Clifton´s nose on the other hand, shows notes of sweet melon, melted butter, bonfire and butter cookies. Expressive, big and really good.
The taste is big and steady with notes of ripe yellow apples, melon, butter cookies and cap gun smoke. Has a good acidity that prevents it to be to overpowering. Very much a different style from the Ridge, but I like them both very much.
90p   (tasted 2014/07)

1955 Château Cambon La Pelouse
The next flight of mature Bordeaux bottles proved for the xx time that Burgundy age much better than Bordeaux and that there is a very much higher ratio for good bottles when you buy old Burgundy than old Bordeaux.
This one has gone to meet its maker. DOA.
50p   (tasted 2014/07)

1964 Château Beychevelle
This one wasn´t dead, but corked...:-(
Not rated   (tasted 2014/07)

1975 Château La Tour Martillac
This had a deep, mature, lovely aroma, buried down under the corked nose...:-(
Not rated   (tasted 2014/07)

1970 Château Potensac
What! A sound bottle! A medium deep, mature, fine nose with notes of fresh stables, red and black currants, old wood and tobacco leaves. Very good.
The taste is cool, mature and dry with notes of black currants, pencil shavings, forest floor and dry tobacco. There is still some tannins in the background. Very good.
87p   (tasted 2014/07)

1997 Hermtage, Tardieu-Laurent
Now it was a change of pace with these two Syrah wines. The Tardieu-Laurent showed off a still young, seedy, warm nose with notes of sweet blueberries, ski wax, violet pastilles, rubber tires and black pepper. This has character. Very, very good.
The taste is tight and intense with notes of black peppered meat, rubber, dark chocolate and a fine perfumed note. The tannins are well integrated. A high, fine acidity. This is for drinking now and the coming 8+ years.
91p   (tasted 2014/07)

1997 Hermitage Les Bessard, Delas
The Delas nose is on par with the previous wine, with notes of lightly peppered meat, soya sauce, rubber, a touch of vanilla pods and warm rocks. A bit of VA. A big nose. Very, very good.
But the taste is not as fine - it is almost brutal in its intensity and the acidity is off the charts, which cover the good fruit that is buried beneath the acidity. You get glimpses of bloody meat and pepper now and then. Maybe it will come around but it is not a harmonious wine today.
86p   (tasted 2014/07)

1969 Fleurie Grille Midi, J. Mommensin
A request for a Beaujolais was made at the table. It will take Mikke to then present a 45 year old one...
The nose is round and mature with notes of assorted red berries, dried up balsam vinegar, touch of banana peel and earth. Still alive and kicking. Good.
The taste is tight and mature with notes of lingonberries, dry liquorice, dried herbs and forest floor. A medium long, rather fresh finish. This is fully mature but in no real danger to collapse. Impressive without being great.
86p   (tasted 2014/07)

1983 Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Kronenberg Auslese, Karthäuserhof
A deep, fine, sweet nose with a wonderful nose full of ripe tangerines and additional notes of ginger, pears, dry rubber and hay. Intense and interesting. This is good.
The taste is mature, round and semi dry with notes of dried apricots, tangerines, almond paste, ginger and dry grass. A fine balance between dried up sweetness, acidity and structure. Very, very good.
91p   (tasted 2014/07)

1983 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Auslese, Ziliken
A cool, withdrawn, fine nose with notes of dried apricots, acetone, a hint of saffron and old rubber. Good but lacks a bit of body.
The taste is mature, laid back and good with notes of dried apricots, almond paste, ginger and some saffron. A good acidity. Medium long. It ends drier than the Karthäuserhof. Good.
85p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 4 - Periquita

Dear Diary

Yesterday we had company over. I thought it could be time to open a magnum of Perquita which I "found" in the cellar, forgotten. I bought these (I have one more) in 1998 for the staggering price of 14 Euro per magnum!

Coincidentally everyone was either driving, pregnant or didn´t felt like drinking wine (wanted beer instead), so the whites was left uncorked in the fridge. I had already opened the magnum, so the whole bottle was for me - but you know what they say - "a magnum is perfect for two, if one isn´t drinking"...:-)

1995 Periquita, José Maria da Fonseca (magnum)
A light, mature and a bit fragile nice nose with notes of rowanberries, red currants, rubber bands, dry chocolate biscuits and autumn leaves. Not that deep but nice all the same. With air a nice aroma of dried strawberries flows up from the glass. Good.
The taste is medium bodied and mature with notes of lingonberries, red currants, autumn leaves, tobacco leaves and dried herbs. A medium long, dry finish with soft tannins and a nice warmth. I had feared that this would had gone to meet its maker but not so. Still alive and (mildly) kicking and gave a lot of  pleasure to an array of hand made sausages. Very good.
85p   (tasted 2014/07)

 

 

Now, what will tonight's tasting bring?

 

 

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 3 - Chassagne-Montrachet

Dear Diary

It was with some anticipation I pulled the cork out of this bottle last night. I bought three of these for some years ago and the one I opened last year was clearly oxed, even though it was passable.

But as soon as I poured the first centilitres into the glass I knew that this was to be something completely different.
And it was. Glad to have one bottle left, if it is going to behave like this...
With a perfect piece of cod, scallops and a carrot vinaigrette it was the best suitable complement.

1996 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets, Jean Noël Gagnard
A wonderful, sprightly, fresh nose with notes of sweet/sour lemons, candied lemon peels, warm hay, butter fudge, hazel nuts and butter cup flowers. Just extraordinary fresh. A lovely flinty note comes after some time in the glass. This is on the highest Grand Cru level. Depth, power and finesse.
The taste is liquid gold with stunning freshness and notes of lemon cream, dried tropical fruits, assorted nuts and dried flowers. The acidity is high and stringent. A beautiful purity. Yet again, on Grand Cru level. From the first drop until the last this beauty delivered pure pleasure. In a perfect drinking window. Fresh as a daisy. I would never guessed it to be from 1996 if I was given this blind. Grand Vin!
97p   (tasted 2014/07)

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 2 - Barolo

Dear Diary

Yesterday was really hot, mid day it was 32 degrees Celsius. Nothing more to do than sit in the shadow reading and once in a while take a dive in the sea.

But you have to eat. And drink. Later on, in the evening, when a breeze had cooled down the air somewhat I opened a bottle of Barolo - a perfect drink on a warm summers evening! :-)
It went like a dream with assorted barbecued meats and vegetables and a cold garlic sauce.

2004 Barolo Rocche dell´Annunziata, Fratelli Revello
After a few hours in a decanter this is firing on all cylinders with gorgeous notes of ripe red cherries, rosehips, Finnish liquorice, fresh mushrooms and a damp forest floor. Multidimensional and really, really fine. Still young though.
The taste is young, taut and impressive with some steady tannins and fine notes of hard cherry candy, rosehips, rosemary, mushrooms and a hint of dark chocolate. The finish is over one minute long. This has the potential to become really great, but with the meat tonight is was just already stunning. For the other 2004 vineyard Barolis from Revello tasted, se below.
94p   (tasted 2014/07)

 

The 2004 Vigna Giachini
The 2004 Vigna Gattera
The 2004 Vigna Conca

 

 

Now, what to open tonight...?

 

Vacation Wine Diary - Day 1 - Champagne & Barbaresco

Dear Diary

Today is the first day of my summer vacation. So last night I had to celebrate the fact that for the coming 5 weeks I don´t have to occupy my days with meetings, budgets, papers etc etc.

I felt like drinking some mature wines. For starters, with a nice slab of foie gras de canard I opened a bottle of
NV Brut Réserve, Mercier
This bottle comes from a mixed case bought a while back. According to the info this bottle is from the 80´s. And that would have been my guess as well.
The nose is big, mature and soft with notes of old shrivelled yellow apples, almond paste, pickled ginger, decaying flowers and old milk chocolate. Not bursting with life but a nice, mellow, mature nose.
It still has some tiny bubbles that tickles the tongue, and notes of yellow apples, almond flakes, gravel and dried flowers. A medium long finish that ends on a fine dry note. Nothing special but it suited me fine last night.
85p   (tasted 2014/07)

1964 Barbaresco Cru Montestefano, Alfredo Prunotto
To go with a grilled entrecote and a new very good sauce made out of leeks, bacon, mustard and cream, I opened this beauty. The first sniff was that of decay, but since I have had some practise over the years with mature bottles from the Piedmont hills..., I know it has to have some time in a decanter.
And sure enough, one hour breathing time later it is a whole other creature. The nose then shows beautiful mature Nebbiolo aromas in the shape of dried ceps, rose petals, red cherries, root vegetables and a touch of paint. Very, very fine. Laid back and refined. Perfectly mature.
The taste is long, structured and pure with a lovely mature feel in the mouth. Notes of red cherries, mushrooms, rosehip and beetroot. The tannins are sandy and fine. Didn´t budge all night. Great!
92p   (tasted 2014/07)

 

 

Now, what to open tonight...?

 

Reminiscences From A Photo

While cleaning out a drawer in my writing desk I found a photo. A photo from the time before I started to take pics of the bottles we used to drink. I think that a friend took this photo. We did this tasting in march of 2001.

It was a very nice tasting with 8 vintages of Bouchards Beaune 1er Cru, Les Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus. Or Baby Jesus as it is called among us wine nerds.

The 1969 was very much alive and kicking and on that it delivered a great moment (91p). The 1979 appeared more mature than the 10 year older sibling but was very nice all the same (86p). Then came the 1982 that was a bit compressed and lacking stuffing (84p).
1985 is a great Burgundy vintage and Baby Jesus showed why with depth, weight and energy (92p). The 1988 was good and earthy and appeared young still (88p).
We had high hopes on the 1989 but sadly, the half bottle was corked. 1992 is not a stellar Burgundy vintage and this bottle didn´t perform out of the ordinary (82p). Finally, the young 1996 was a very young but showed class and potential (89p).

We also managed to gulp down bottles of 1996 Meursault Blagny, Joseph Matrot (91p), 1982 Château Rauzan Gassies (89p), 1996 La Poja, Allegrini (89p) and 1995 Brunello di Montalcino, Val di Suga (87p).

It is fun walking down memory lane!

Antica Terra & Sine Qua Non For Lunch

Yesterday we were invited to A & M for lunch. Luckily the weather permitted us to barbecue outside and these stunning wines were generously poured.

2011 Ceras Pinot Noir, Antica Terra
This Oregon Pinot combines powers and grace with lovely aromas of ripe raspberries, red currants, Asian spices, a hint of tobacco and bay leaves. Deep and fine. This is good!
The taste is big and creamy but with a fine acidity. There are gorgeous notes of raspberry truffles, forest floor, red currant jam and some tobacco leaves. A long, balanced finish with a dry ending. A very fine warmth. Drinking great, sitting in the shade waiting for the barbecue to hit the right temperature.
93p   (tasted 2014/07)

2011 Dark Blossom Syrah, Sine Qua Non
With some thick slices of entrecote this beauty shined. A very deep, concentrated, tight nose with notes of sweet/sour cherry compote, sweet violets, freshly peppered meat, dark chocolate and old balsamic vinegar. Really, really focused and fine.
The taste is big, broad and potent, yet refined and balanced with notes of sweet black cherries, grilled meat, dried figs, dark chocolate and lots of fresh violet pastilles. The finish goes on for minutes and ends dry and fine. This is a great wine in the making, albeit young now.
95p   (tasted 2014/07)

Some Luncheon Wine...

Notes to follow...