New Vintages From Wine Affairs - Part One

I had the opportonity to taste through some new releases from Wine Affair the other day.

Here are some brief notes of the white wines tasted. To be contiuned...

2019 Sparkling Rosé, Mulderbosch
A light, fresh, stony nose with  a fine wild strawberry and earthy character and a lively taste with a fine acidity and a plethora of red fruits. Very good.
87p   (tasted 2020/04)

2016 Chablis Dame Nature, La Chablisienne
A salty, spicy nose with some oyster shells, chrushed rocks and minerals. A light, pure taste with salt, wet stones and lemon peels. Racy.
88p   (tasted 2020/04)

2014 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, La Chablisienne
A very stony, intense, lovely nose with minerals, grilled lemons, flint and a hint of licorice.
The taste is restrained yet aristocratic and racy with lovely yellow fruits, flint and smoke. 10+ years.
94p   (tasted 2020/04)

2018 Il Fiore, Braida
A low keyed, herbal nose with notes of white peppar and stony fruit with a spicy taste with dried apples and chrushed rocks.
87p   (tasted 2020/04)

2017 Chenin Blanc Block W, Mulderbosch
A handsome, balanced nose with a touch of wool, grilled lemons, white pepper and sage. Complex.
The taste is high pitched and lovely with grilled pine apple, asparagus and flint. A very fine acidity.
91p   (tasted 2020/04)

2017 Chenin Blanc Block S2, Mulderbosch
The Block S2 is more restrained, more spicy and with notes of wet wool. Very good but more subdued than the Block W.
The taste is high and fine with dark yellow fruit and with a fine acidity.
89p   (tasted 2020/04)

2018 Southend Chardonnay, Newton Johnson
A fine, lightly oaked nose with notes of butter biscuits, grilled lemons and assorted nuts. On the palate it is textured and fine with sweet lemons and smoky notes.
90p   (tasted 2020/04)

2018 Family Vineyards Chardonnay, Newton Johnson
A very deep, sandy nose with notes of blood oranges, smoke and lemon fudge. Very, very fine.
The taste is luscious and very fine with notes of tangerines, smoke, slate and ripe lemons. Looong.
92p   (tasted 2020/04)

2017 Justice Vineyard Chardonnay, Walter Scott
This Chardonnay shows of a big, ripe nose with notes of mango, quince and rubber glue. A bit all over the place.
The taste is big and structured with notes of ripe yellow fruits, rubber and dry lemon candy. The acidity isn´t really integrated in the fruit. Impressive yes, but...
85p   (tasted 2020/04

2015 Hermitage Blanc, Guigal
A large scaled, old fashioned nose with dried yellow fruit, a hint of VA, dried flowers and spices. Very deep.
The taste is long, deep and structured with warmth, generous dried fruits and a long, long finish. Drink now or in 30+ years.
89p   (tasted 2020/04)

1982 Barolo, Valerio Alfero

1982 Barolo, Valerio Alfero
Not a excisting producer according to Masnaghetti, this 1982 displays - with a two hour decanting - a warm, mature nose with notes of worn Chesterfiels chairs, dried strawberries, sun warm asphalt and old chocolate wafers. Ripe, mature and interesting.
On the palate, it is compressed and a tad hollow in the middle, but still has fine notes of cranberries, rosehips, dried black currants and gravel. Long enough, with a fine warmth and a sandy texture. The nose is the better part of this wine.
85p   (tasted 2020/04)

2016 Barbera d´Alba, Mauro Molino

2016 Barbera d´Alba, Mauro Molino
A open, spicy nose with notes of wild raspberries, shoe cream, chestnut purée and a fine meaty scent. A sweet/salty touch. Very, very good.
The taste is young and lively with notes of ripe raspberries, sage, leather and gravel. Highly gulpable. A fine acidity and structure. 3+ years. I had a great time visiting Mauro Molino last year.
90p   (tasted 2020/04)

1988 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Marconnets, Simon Bize

1988 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Marconnets, Simon Bize
A fine, soft yet expressive nose with a lovely maturity and notes of warm tiles, forest floor, dried raspberries and a hint of tobacco. Very balanced. An understated elegance. Very fine.
The taste is handsome and nicely dry with notes of red beets, red currants, forest floor and tobacco ash. Medium long. Again, balanced. Perfectly mature. Lovely. Much better than four years ago.
92p   (tasted 2020/04)

2015 Spätburgunder Réserve, Stefan Bietighöfer

2015 Spätburgunder Réserve, Stefan Bietighöfer
A wilful, finely tuned nose with notes of rhubarb, pomegranate, wild raspberries, violets and sage. Very, very good. Gravel. Complex.
The taste is handsome and silky with a very good acidity and notes of dried raspberries, violets, flower water and some dry chocolate wafers. A very fine sweetness to the fruit. Drink now and the coming 6+ years. Very interesting.
90p   (tasted 2020/04)

1978 Barolo, Stefano Marengo & 1998 Barolo Marialunga Cascina Bruni, Giuseppe Veglio

1978 Barolo, Stefano Marengo
A very fine mature nose with lovely notes of dried strawberries, melted licorice, autumn leaves, dried up ketchup, furniture polish and lots and lots of mushrooms. Very complex and fine. Perfectly mature.
The taste is tight and dry with notes of rosehips, dried mushrooms, herbs and tar. A long, dry finish. A fine balance. Not as expressive on the palate as on the nose. Very fine.
92p   (tasted 2020/04)

1998 Barolo Marialunga Cascina Bruni, Giuseppe Veglio
A deep, restrained nose with notes of black cherries, asphalt, rosemary and earth. Very Serralunga in character, stern and tight. Even with 8 hours of air it doesn´t really open up. Has character.
The taste is stern and focused with notes of ripe black cherries, violets, sun warm rocks and rosehips. Very long and handsome. Some taut tannins in the finish. 6+ years. Info here.
91p   (tasted 2020/04)

2018 Chardonnay, Far Niente

2018 Chardonnay, Far Niente
A young, deep, potent nose with lovely notes of melted lemon ice cream, butter biscuits, slate and matchbox. Very, very good.
The taste is broad and luscious with notes of dried up lemomcello, grilled lemons, chrushed rocks and smoke. Long and lingering. 5+ years. Very fine.
92p   (tasted 2020/04)

1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel & 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Reseve, Fox Creek

1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel
Here is a prime example of the merits of cellaring a bottle for 18 years...
Dull, so desperately dull, tidious and stuffy, it is almost cooked, even though it has spent the last 18 years in my cold cellar. Not even passable for cooking, just down the drain.
58p   (tasted 2020/04)

1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Reseve, Fox Creek
This is more like it! Just like the 1996, tasted seven years ago, it sports an outgoing, deep, spicy nose with notes of just laid asphalt, ripe blackberries, bonfire, graphite and violets. Very fine.
The taste is deep and compact with lovely notes of bluberry pie, fried herbs, sweet violets and bonfire smoke. More Syrah notes than Cabernet ones, but still, a great wine. Mature but still have plenty of life.
92p   (tasted 2020/04)

My Easter Egg!

Its that time of the year again, this year kind of crazy, but I still planning to drink some (hopefully!) great wine.
This year with a vintage theme, all ends with a "8" - 1978, 1988, 1998 & 2008.

Happy Easter!

My Easter Egg of 2019

My Easter Egg of 2017

My Easter Egg of 2016

My Easter Egg of 2015

My Easter Egg of 2014

My Easter Egg of 2013

My Easter Egg of 2012

2003 Château Du Domaine De L´Eglise

2003 Château du Domaine de L´Eglise
Opens up rich and barnyardy but evolves into a soft, almost mature, warm wine with fine notes of plums, melted asphalt, pipe tobacco and candle grease. Very good.
The taste is warm and dry with notes of plums, blueberry pie, leather, violets and undergrowth. A good warmth but a tad short finish. For drinking now and the coming 5+ years.
87p   (tasted 2020/04)

2012 Barbaresco Albesani Vigna Borgese, Piero Busso

2012 Barbaresco Albesani Vigna Borgese, Piero Busso
Third bottle tasted. The first one was three years ago, when Pierguido visited Stockholm. A year after, I tasted a bottle to check out its progress. Now it was time to open another bottle.
The nose is still young and vigorous with notes of spicy red cherries, rosehips, dry licorice and a fine smoly note. Very elegamt. Still young.
The taste is luscious and focused with notes of hard cherry candy, gravel, hebs, cool tobacco and rosehip. A very fine finish. Silky tannins. Great wine. 5+ years. Glad I have more.
94p   (2020/03)

2012 Langhe Nebbiolo, Burlotto

2012 Langhe Nebbiolo, Burlotto
A handsome, somewhat mature nose with notes of a damp forest floor, red cherries, dried roses and a fine incense aroma. Very, very good.
The taste is medium bodied and open for business with notes of ripe red cherries, earth, asphalt, tobacco and dried herbs. A fine acidity. A tad more sturdy than the previous bottle.
90p   (tasted 2020/04)

1958 Barolo Riserva, Castellana

1958 Barolo Riserva, Castellana
A very light, fragile colour. But colours can be deceiving when it comes to really old wines. A 1964 Vietti tasted five years ago had almost the same colour and was great!
The nose is deep and interesting with notes of dried apricots, band aid, wet rocks, old yellow apples and bucketloads of mushrooms. A fine dried up sweetness. Very good.
The taste is more linear and dry with notes of dried mushrooms, hay, dried apricots and old herbs. Medium long. A dried up sweetness. Not as good on the palate as on the nose.
82p   (tasted 2020/03)