2008 & 2009 Las Flors, La Pèira

I tasted the 2009 Las Flors at Bristly Wine´s trade tasting a couple of weeks ago (tasting notes will come) and was floored by it. I immediately ordered a couple of bottles of the 2008 and 2009.
Time to check them out at home. I opened them at three o´clock in the afternoon, decanted them and followed them during the evening.

2008 Las Flors, La Pèira
This Mourvedre, Grenache and Syrah blend shows of a big, deep and tight nose with notes of ripe black cherries, plums, raw meat, dark fudge and a hint of that special smoky scent that comes from a good Islay whisky. Deep and very fine.
The taste is young, tight and focused with notes of ink, dark plums and cherries, asphalt, meat stock and a black peppery note. A very long, warm, finely tuned finish. This will need 5+ years to reach some stage of maturity.
92p   (tasted 2014/11)

2009 Las Flors, La Pèira
The 2009 is turned up to eleven, compared to the 2008. The fruit is blacker and denser, yet with lighter feet and with more focus, if you could imagine that. Sweet liquorice, dried flowers, freshly grounded black pepper, hand pounded meat, a bonfire in the distance and very expensive perfume is just a few scents that rises from the glass when you swirl it. Just stunning!
The taste is the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove with waves of dark ripe cherries and notes of Christmas spices, raw meat, veal stock, liquorice and dried flowers. The finish goes on for several minutes. This is brilliant and will become even better with 5+ years in the cellar. Get as much as you can get hold on - I will!
96p   (tasted 2014/11)

Barolo Boys Does 1964 Barolo & Barbaresco

Flight I

Flight II

I had saved the crème de la crème of my Barbaresco and Barolo bottles from the greatest vintage ever, for this get together with the Barolo Boys. It became a night to remember.
The red wines were tasted single blind for all at the table.

1964 Dom Perignon
This has reached a fine state of maturity. A creamy, mature nose with lovely notes of strawberry fudge, red ripe apples, a touch of mushroom cream and coffee powder. Very elegant.
The taste is pure and mature with notes of toasted bread, dark fudge, dried strawberries and a very fine acidity. Long and fine. Drinking perfectly on this night.
94p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barolo Riserva, E. Pira
A medium deep, mature nose with a lovely autumn scent and notes of veal stock, old leather, rosehips and dried cherries. Very, very good.
The taste is mature and a tad linear with notes of dried up cherry jam, old leather, undergrowth and mushrooms. The taste is, contrary to the nose, a bit burly. Very good.
87p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barolo, Aldo Conterno
A deep, concentrated nose with notes of cooked red cherries, rosehips, warm herbs, tobacco and some fresh stable scents. A lovely maturity.
The taste is big and bold with notes of forest floor, ripe red cherries, tobacco leaves, leather and warm herbs. The finish is very long and sumptuous. This is a fine bottle of mature Barolo.
92p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barolo, Vietti
The Vietti has the lighest colour in the line up, but what a nose that greats you when you put your nose in the glass! A deep, focused, concentrated nose with notes of warm tiles, undergrowth, milk chocolate biscuits, dried cherries and some veal stock. Very, very refined. So, so fine.
The taste is mature, medium bodied but makes a strong impression in the mouth with notes of sweet/sour cherries, dried mushrooms, forest floor and dried wild strawberries. A very fine dried up sweetness. This is a stunning piece of mature Nebbiolo.
94p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barolo, Francesco Rinaldi
This has obviously been in some sort of time warp. I would never have guessed this to be 50 years old. Maybe 20-25, tops. The colour is darker than the others and the nose is deep and brooding with notes of sweet black cherries, cold coffee, fresh mushrooms, rosehips, leather and some stable aromas. A complex scent of burnt rubber emerges with air. This is good! And young!
The taste is tight and concentrated with notes of red and black cherries, mushroom forest, liquorice, sugared coffee and rosehips. Some perky tannins in the long finish. This time warp wine needs another 10+ years, amazing!
93p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barolo Riserva, Giuseppe Mascarello
When I turned 40 we drank 30 bottles of 1964 Barolo, and the best of the bunch back then was the Riserva from Giuseppe Mascarello. So I had high expectations on this bottle. And while very good, it didn´t reach the heights of the previous bottle.
The nose is a touch volatile with notes of freeze dried raspberries, herbs, warm earth, coffee powder and a touch of detergent. Medium deep and rather complex.
The taste is deeper and more concentrated than the nose with notes of warm tiles, forest floor, lots of mushrooms, rose petals and dried raspberries. A long, long, focused finish with a nice dry ending. Very, very good.
90p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barolo Riserva Speciale, Cavallotto
Too bad, the bottle looked fine, a good level and colour of the wine but the nose is full of yeast, moist earth, unfresh stables and iron.
The taste is foursquare and dry with lots of unripe lingonberries, canned mushrooms and a yesty finish. No thanks.
58p   (tasted 2014/11)

The second flight got all of our juices flowing, the line up looked stunning! And, with one exception, it proved to be just that...

1964 Barolo, Giacomo Conterno
The third bottle from the same stash, this performs great. The nose is deep and intense with notes of ripe black cherries, plums, forest floor, rose petals and some dry, expensive leather. A very high, pure and fresh nose. Very, very deep. Almost mature but still has a long time to go.
The taste is finely tuned, has a high definition and a gorgeous structure, full of ripe black cherries, rose petals, forest floor, ceps and old leather. The finish goes on for minutes and has a wonderful warmth. A great wine 6 years ago, a great wine tonight and surely a great wine for years and years to come.
96p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barbaresco, Gaja
¤#%&/&%¤#"=)(/&%!!! As with the Cavallotto, the bottle looked fine but this must have been standing on a Italian wine shop shelf in the summer heat for 20 years - cooked and completely dead.
50p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barbaresco Riserva Speciale, Bruno Giacosa
The next wine made up for the loss of the Gaja, and then some! A hauntingly beautiful, pure and refined nose with notes of cool cherry fruit, cigar ash, warm herbs, rose petals, ceps and hard cherry candy. Intensity and purity in the glass. This is awesome stuff. Entering maturity, but still on the young side of things.
The taste is fresh and cool with notes of ripe red cherries, rose petals, ceps, liquorice and leather. More forest floor notes after a while. An immense depth and focus. The taste lingers on and on and on. Very, very pure. A perfect mix of tannins and acidity. Greatness.
97p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barolo Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno
Again, tasted single blind, but everyone guessed it to be Monfortino and everyone had this as their favourite in flight 2. And here is a tip, don´t decant a old Monfortino for 2 hours, like we did, decant it for 24 hours.
I saved about 6-7 cl to the next day in the bottle with the cork pushed in. It blew my mind the day after, I just...had it at 98p on day one. Day two it was a easy 100p - one of the best wine ever.
I could just sit a whole night through, sniffing this beauty, with its notes of a mix of cherries and raspberries, dried flowers, ceps, rosehips and a pine forest on a moist autumn day. Very floral. This wine could be a poster child for an ethereal nose. Hard to describe, it has to be experienced.
The taste is a weightless beauty, with notes of sweet/sour cherries, liquorice, rose petals, violets, expensive leather and ceps. The finish goes of for two minutes and has silky smooth tannins and a gorgeous acidity. We were in the presence of perfection.
100p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Taylor´s Special Tawny
Flight II was a tough act to follow but this old tawny from Taylor was the perfect wind down wine after the Barolo and Barbaresco´s. The nose is deep and soft with notes of balsamico marinated strawberries, plums, fried nuts and some rubbery aromas. Very good and yummy.
The taste is sweet and a touch fiery with notes of cherry jam, plums, dates, assorted nuts and the same rubber note as on the nose. Fully mature, and maybe a tad much so, but easy to drink and a great match with some 70% Venezuela chocolate.
87p   (tasted 2014/11)

What To Open Tonight...

Lets see - we are three - and it is wednesday - nine bottles seems about right.
And who would like to guess the vintage...? :-)
Notes to follow!

2008 Red Mountain Bell´ Villa Vineyard Syrah, Goedhart Family

After tasting the 2010 version of this wine I noticed that the state monopoly also had the 2008. Some keystrokes later I had ordered a few bottles. Time to pull a cork!

2010 Bell´ Villa Vineyard Syrah, Goedhart Family
This has a fine, medium deep, creamy nose with notes of veal meat, plums, white pepper, lavender and some wild raspberries. Some smoky note after a while. The 2010 had a bit more nerve and structure, but this is very good.
The taste is cool, tight and a bit seedy with notes of white peppered meat, red currants, plums, rubber and dried flowers. The finish is medium long, nicely balanced and with a good acidity. The mid palate is a bit thin though. Drinking fine, but I don´t think it will get any better. The 2010 will, and I just bought some more bottles of that one.
88p   (tasted 2014/11)

Taylor´s Single Harvest 1863 & Other Goodies From The House Of Taylor´s

I got an invitation from Vinunic to taste the 1863 Single Harvest from Taylor´s alongside some other bottles, and I of course gladly accepted.
Jorge Ramos from Taylor´s made a captivating and interesting presentation of the wines we tasted and of the house of Taylor´s.

2009 Late Bottled Vintage
A young, cool, seedy nose with notes of raisins, tires, asphalt and dried blueberries. Somewhat dusty on the nose.
The taste is warm and good with notes of dark fudge, figs, asphalt and sugared coffee. Medium long and fine. Better on the palate than on the nose.
85p   (tasted 2014/11)

10 Year Old Tawny
A medium big, open nose with notes of cooked red apples, milk chocolate, white raisins and saw dust. Sweet and good.
The taste is big and a bit fiery with notes of white raisins, nut chocolate, dates and wood. A medium long, sweet finish with a hint of alcohol in the end. Very good.
87p   (tasted 2014/11)

20 Year Old Tawny
A soft, deep nose with notes of milk chocolate covered cherries, dried strawberries and a hint of aged balsamic vinegar. Complex and very, very good. A big step up from the 10 year old.
The taste is big and intense with lots of cherry compote, dark raisins, dark chocolate and some burnt rubber. Very long and very nice. This I want for Christmas! :-)
92p   (tasted 2014/11)

1997 Vintage Port
A tight, focused, seedy nose with notes of dark chocolate, lots of walnuts, figs and a hint of detergent. Ripe and complex, but still very young.
The taste is big and mouth coating with notes of sugared blueberries, damsons, dark chocolate and some blood & iron in the long, long finish. Lots of structure. This will need another 10 years in the cellar. Good stuff!
93p   (tasted 2014/11)

2000 Vintage Port
The only really approachable bottle of the Vintage ports. The nose is stunning with its dark, brooding notes of Christmas spices & Christmas cake alongside scents of figs, fried nuts and Valrhona chocolate. Gorgeous!
The taste is big and steady and somewhat mature. It has both power and balance and lovely notes of dark cherries, chocolate cream, warm spices and walnuts. Very long and very yummy! Will go on for years and years.
95p   (tasted 2014/11)

2003 Vintage Port
A still very adolescent nose with notes of crude rubber, ink, black cherries, raisins and asphalt. A bit closed. Very, very young, but promising.
The taste is big, tight and fiery with all the elements for something great in 20+ years time. Lots of tough tannins, concentrated black fruit and a minute long finish. Wait, wait and then wait some more.
93p   (tasted 2014/11)

2007 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha
A very young, potent, dark nose with notes of ripe blueberries, asphalt, bakelite, figs and dark coffee. This will need time but the components for a future great wine are there.
The taste is very tight, seedy and intense with notes of graphite, asphalt, hard cherry candy, spices and concentrated blueberry juice. Lots of broad shouldered tannins. Long, long and long. Wait at least 15 years.
The best memory of Quinta de Vargellas I have is drinking the 1964 from Duralex glasses in a London hotel room after we bought it for a song in a wine shop after the cork dropped in to the bottle just when we were in the process of buying it. :-)
94p   (tasted 2014/11)

2011 Vintage Port
Boy, oh boy. I will not buy this, because I will be six feet under when this will be mature. But I envy those who will be around then, for this is a perfect wine in the making.
The nose is hauntingly deep and profoundly sweet and intense with a light, flowery note while the aromas of ripe blueberries, graphite, violets, green raisins and blood & iron take hold of your olfactory organs. This is the real thing.
The taste is the proverbial Muhammad Ali of wines - "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" - immensely intense, yet light and elegant, and then waves of sweet dark fruit rolls over the tongue, leaving a distinct mark. The tannin are ripe, sweet and polished. A masterpiece in the making. Just wait 30 or 40 years...
98p   (tasted 2014/11)

1965 Single Harvest
On the other side of things - this you don´t have to wait for. Just gulp it down, for this is good. The nose is open wide with yummy notes of autumn apples, chocolate truffles, bay leaves, caramel and a touch of iodine. Very, very good.
The taste is velvety and mature with notes of ripe apples, dry fudge, earth and white raisins. A medium long finish with a very nice warmth. Fully mature and drinking great.
90p   (tasted 2014/11)

1863 Single Harvest
What can one say when tasting a 151 year old wine? Impressed? Yes, but this won´t make the most memorable wines of the year. Don´t get me wrong, it is good, but it is more fascinating than great.
The nose is deep, intense and a bit volatile with notes of old wrinkled red apples, a touch of liquorice and some earthy aromas. Even ethereal. There is something extra with that long time in wood.
The taste is smooth and intense with notes of white raisins, banana peel, moist earth and old wood. A long, soft finish with a high acidity. Again, more impressive than great.
88p   (tasted 2014/11)

Looking Forward To Tonight...

...when Barolo Boys will be drinking these bottles...
Plus a few other bottles not shown in this pic - but rest assured, all are from the greatest vintage ever!
Notes to follow!

1999 Brunello di Montalcino, Fanti Tenuta San Filippo

Almost 1,5 years ago I drank this beauty, and after tasting it, I got hold of some bottles. Time to check one out.

1999 Brunello di Montalcino, Fanti Tenuta San Filippo
Upon opening it is fairly muted, but after 2 hours in a decanter, it really blossoms in the glass. A deep, dark nose with notes of ripe black cherries, butter fried rosemary, lots of warm tiles and some new leather. Really fine and complex. Fresh violets after a while. Still young.
The taste is taut and impressive with a great mouthfeel and notes of red and black cherries, warm gravel, sweet flowers, rosemary and a touch of bonfire. A very long, intense finish with plenty of well mannered tannins. This will benefit from 3-5 years in the cellar, if I can hold my corkscrew away for that long...
94p   (tasted 2014/11)

Tasting Dinner With Cristal, Cullen, Echezeaux, Clos Vougeot, Tokaji & More!

"In the midway of this our mortal life,

I found me in a gloomy wood, astray"

                      (Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy)

I am almost there...turning 50 soon. I am also midway in the daunting project of drinking all my 1964´s. :-)
After this night and the wines below I am halfway there - 93 out of 186 bottles down the hatch!
Gotta turn up the pace!

On this night is was time for our annual tasting dinner in our tasting group.
All wines tasted double blind except for the ones I brought.

With the bubblies we first got some foie gras and then a perfect, succulent Coquilles St-Jacques.
2004 Louis Roederer Brut
It opens with a bang! This winner has a fine, elegant nose with notes of fresh bread, ginger, steel, smoke and a salty scent that is salivating. Very, very good.
The taste is tight and refined with notes of lemon cream, licorice, toasted bread and gravel. A long, balanced finish with a creamy acidity. Still young, this will be even better in 3-5 years time.
92p   (tasted 2014/11)

 

2002 Moet & Chandon Brut
When I tasted this vintage three years ago I thought much better of it. Tonight is shows of a rather narrow, flat nose with notes of warm bread, red ripe apples and earth. Good but short.
The taste is fresher and displays some fine red apple notes as well as warm gravel and dried flowers. A medium long finish with a hint of bitterness. Fairly good but in a awkward stage?
83p   (tasted 2014/11)

2004 Cristal
This is a show stopper! Still young of course, but there is so much to enjoy! A deep, beautiful, fresh nose with notes of lemon peels, sea weed, shellfish, cap gun smoke and a hint of toast. So, so refined and complex. A treat.
The taste is pure like a mountain river and displays notes of sweet/sour lemons, hard lemon candy, wet rocks and sea weed. The finish goes on for minutes. I would love to drink this is 6-8 years time, please invite me those who have a stash of these! :-)
96p   (tasted 2014/11)

2002 Dom Perignon
This is a very good wine but still I got a little disappointed when it was revealed, I expect more from Dom Perignon. The nose is deep, open and spicy with notes of lemon cream, freshly washed clothes, yellow apples and a hint of butter cookies. Very, very good. Yummy but not overly complex.
The taste feels younger than the nose with notes of lemon peel, ripening yellow apples, toast and assorted spices. A long, fresh finish. Very good.
Where is the cofffe notes? Go figure. Still young, this could evolve into a swan, wait and see.
90p   (tasted 2014/11)

For the first course we were served a moist cod with a pumpkin sauce, a great dish for these wines.
1995 Corton-Charlemagne, Bonneau de Martray
A big, mature, fine nose with notes of dried tropical fruits, coconut flakes, almond paste, melted butter and mosquito repellent. Very complex and interesting. Even a hint of botrytis buried deep down. Great.
The taste is intense and mature with notes of dried apricots, rubber, cold cream and dried flowers. A very, very long finish with a fine warmth. Lots of minerals in the finish. Fully mature and drinking great.
92p   (tasted 2014/11)

1999 Bienvenues Batard Montrachet, Jean-Claude Bachelet
And things got even better! The nose is deep and creamy with stunning notes of yellow apples cooked in cream and honey, cap gun smoke, butter fudge and summer flowers. Very old viney ripe. Just beautiful.
The taste is very intense, pure and hedonistic with notes of candied lemon peel, minced ginger, iron, Lemoncello and a hint of fine vanilla. The finish goes on for over a minute. Just entering its maturity level. Great wine!
94p   (tasted 2014/11)

2002 Cullen Margaret River Chardonnay
Shame on me! I thought that this and the previous wine came a rock throwing distance from each other. But you have to have a Superman arm to throw this distance...
One of the finest wines of the evening, this beauty displays a utterly gorgeous nose with notes of sweet lemons, candle grease, sweet minerals, bonfire in a distance and a hint of milk chocolate. A lovely purity and intensity. As the above, just entering its maturity.
The taste is stunning with a creamy yellow fruit and additional notes of candied orange peel, elderberries, a sweet minerality, butter biscuits and a touch vanilla. Very, very, very long.
95p   (tasted 2014/11)


For main course we had deer fillets with a truffle risotto and onions cooked in port. I brought the wines for this flight, so I knew what we were tasting.

1964 Echezeaux, Guy Leblanc
A wonderful, sweet, hedonistic nose with notes of dried strawberries, forest floor, cooked root vegetables, pipe tobacco and a hint of balsamic vinegar. A lovely nose with depth and definition.
The taste is round, sweet and structured with notes of dried raspberries, undergrowth, beetroot juice and pipe tobacco. The finish is long and balanced. This is a great bottle of mature Burgundy.
92p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Echezeaux, Domaine Lafont
A deep, sturdy, ripe nose with notes of morello cherries, dried raspberries, espresso coffee, warm earth and a hint of truffle. Sweet and fine. A lovely maturity.
The taste is sweet and fine with notes of chocolate covered strawberries, Earth, old leather and mushrooms. A fine acidity. A long, soft finish. This is in a fine state of maturity.
90p   (tasted 2014/11)

2012 Echezeaux Les Loachausses, Anne Gros 
A different creature altoghether compared to the previous two glasses. A young, fresh and tight nose with notes of red cherries, forest floor, thyme and some new leather. Very pure and focused. In 10 years time this will be a stunner!
The taste is young, tight and promising with notes of hard cherry candy, root vegetables, forest floor and new leather. The finish is very long and intense. Needs a lot of time but boy, this will be good!
93p   (tasted 2014/11)

2012 Clos Vougeot,
This is even more backward than the 12 Echezeaux. A tight, tight nose with notes of blueberries, wild strawberries, moist earth, rosehip and a touch of licorice. Dense and structured. Will need plenty of time.
The taste is young and impressive with masses of sweet red cherries, rosehip, dusty earth and dry licorice. Some intense tannins and a high acidity. More impressive than enjoyable today. Wait at least 12 years!
90p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Clos de Vougeot, Lamuriére
A big, sweet and somewhat clumpsy nose with lots of sugared coffee, overripe raspberries, moist earth and fried mushrooms. Very sweet. Some dog fur. Fully mature.
The taste is round and sweet with notes of cooked raspberries, moist undergrowth, licorice and old leather. A medium long, good finish that ends dry. This is on its way down but is drinking well on this night.
87p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Clos de Vougeot, Marquis de Villeranges
Aaaah! What a wine! This beauty sports a deep, decadent nose with notes of wild strawberries, Christmas spices, milk chocolate, cooked parsnips and the scent of a perfect walk in a autumn forest. Just stunning!
The taste is perfectly mature with notes of ripe strawberries, forest floor, warm herbs, beetroots and some bonfire notes. The finish is long, structured and aristocratic. A beautiful wine.
96p   (tasted 2014/11)


A creamy soufflé makes up dessert with three bottles of sweet wine.

2009 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos, Chateau Derezela
A young, seedy, medium sweet nose with notes of ripe peaches, roasted nuts, minerals and a touch of resin. Candied lemons after a while . Very good.
The taste is tight, young and concentrated with notes of vanilla dusted peaches, sweet minerals and resin. A medium long finish with a good acidity. Young but drinking fine.
88p   (tasted 2014/11)

2002 Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos, Disznókó
A big, creamy, sweet nose with notes of canned apricots, sweet almond paste, rubber, botrytis and detergent. Complex and very fine. I definitely hade this pegged as a Sauternes...
The taste is big, sweet and lovely with notes of saffron spiked apricots, fried nuts, detergent and over ripe peaches. A very fine warmth. This is good!
92p   (tasted 2014/11)

1998 Pinot Gris SGN Quintessence, Léon Beyer
A medium bodied, deep, mature nose with notes of sweet white currants, oil cloth, almond paste and some rubbery notes. Very, very good.
The taste is tight and intense with lots of body and structure combined with a very high acidity. Sweet apricots, warm hay, rubber and pine nuts. Very long and yummy. This is good.
90p   (tasted 2014/11)

2000 Château Palmer

Being on conference, I glance through their wine list, and lo and behold, this bottle jumps out of the page. And only 100 Euro! I´ll take one!


2000 Château Palmer
It needed some time in a decanter to really show of, but then - oh boy! A deep, decadent nose with lovely notes of sweet blueberries, plums, graphite, expensive tobacco and a hint of animal fur. Complex and very, very fine. Starting to mature ever so slithtly.
The taste is velvety yet with a firm backbone, with notes of black currants, plums, pencil shavings and tobacco. The tannins are perfectly integrated but leave a mark at the end of the long finish. Still needs 3-5 years. Great wine!
94p   (tasted 2014/11)

Chianti Classico - Three Bottles From 1964

Continuing my 1964 mission I open three bottles of Chianti. Up until now I have been lucky with these bottles (so far 89 bottles tasted), only two corked wines and a couple of tired ones.
Not so on this night, one corked bottle, one cooked and one decent.
Well, on to the next ones! :-)

1964 Chianti Classico di Santa Cristina, Antinori
It started ok. This has a light, mature and medium deep nose with notes of dried red fruits, gravel, dried rosemary and worn leather. Fully mature, and maybe a tad much so, but still enjoyable.
The taste is better than the nose with more warmth and fresher notes of red cherries, dried rosemary, warm gravel and violets. The finish is a bit short and ends dry. Good with food but on its own it is a tad dull, even though the taste is better than the nose.
82p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Chianti Nipozzano, Frescobaldi
This one was horribly corked!
No rating   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Chianti Classico Riserva, Castello di Verrazzano
This one was cooked. It must have been stored under the wrong conditions, even though there were no signs of any manhandling, label, level and cork looked good, but alas...
Dark sherry on the nose and very dry and liveless on the palate. Not completely dead but pretty close.
52p   (tasted 2014/11)

After this strong... showing of mature Chianti I had to go and get a bottle of Brunello that performed excellent!