Saturday 29 September 2012

On The Road - Part 2

Still on the road in the south of Sweden - tonight I'm popping a young one - last tasted here - http://barolista.blogspot.se/2011/12/2007-vigna-del-sorbo-rancia-final.html

2007 Chianti Classico Rancia Riserva, Berardenga
A fine, complex and utterly elegant nose with sweet, laid back cherry fruit, paired with smoke, dry resin, pan fried nuts, warm grass and a fine note of expensive leather. Very, very good. Some warm Tuscan road dust as well. Gorgeous!
The taste is young and satistying with tight, fresh, sweet cherry fruit, pretty tannins and a salivating acidity. This is drinking extremely well. Still very young, but I'm glad a bought plentiful of this gorgoeus Sangiovese.
93p   (tasted 2012/09)

Picture will be published later

Friday 28 September 2012

On The Road

Me and my better half is on the road and in the south of Sweden. But you have to have some good wine all the same and this bottle really got me going...

1990 Flaccianello, Fontodi
A lovely sweet, soft, mature nose with gorgeous notes of red and black cherries, milk chocolate, sweet pipe tobacco, rose hips marmelade and a lovely smoky note. This is mature, gorgeous and complex.
The taste is really fine with soft tannins, velvety fruit and a long, caressing finish. There are notes of sweet cherry fruit, pipe tobacco, autumn leaves and rasberry chocolate coulis. A long, soft, sweet, yummy taste. This is drinking perfectly and won't get any better.
91p (tasted 2012/09)

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Three More Americans + One Bordeaux



These bottles were tasted last week at one of our tasting groups get together - thanks Jacques!
All tasted double blind.

2002 Fantesca Cabernet Sauvignon
A new acquaintance for me, and apparently their first vintage. And a good result! The nose oozes out of the glass with big, sweet black currant and blackberry fruit alongside notes of new leather, fried herbs, violets and a warm grassy note. Big and bold but just on the right side of things.
The taste is also big, warm and nicely structured with notes of black cherries, black currants, dark chocolate, warm herbs and forest floor. A long, warm finish. Not that much maturity, this premier vintage holds it all together very well.
92p   (tasted 2012/09)


2001 Napanook
A big, concentrated, fine nose with notes of chocolate covered cherries, herbs, dried flowers and corinthians. With air lots of freshly grounded coffee emerges. A very nice warmth. Open and ready for business.
The taste is steady, warm and complex with velvety cherry and black currant fruit paired with notes of old leather, autumn leaves and chocolate. A long, balanced finish. Very, very good. More mature than the Fantesca.
91p   (tasted 2012/09)


1996 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon
A very deep, mature, decadent nose with gorgeous fruit in the shape of black currants, red cherries, rasberries and mulberries. Then there is notes of pipe tobacco, old leather, burning autumn leaves and a touch of eukaluptys that rises from the glass. A lovely, luscious fruit. Perfectly mature. This is stunning!
The taste is a great combination of mature, velvety, sweet fruit and a firm backbone which melts together in harmony when it flows over my palate. Notes of black cherries, chocolate, warm herbs and expensive leather. Very intense and utterly delicious.
95p   (tasted 2012/09)


1995 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
A deep, intense, moderately mature nose with notes of red and black currants, sweet undergrowth, balsa wood, dried flowers and som dry resin notes. The fruit isn´s as sweet as the previous glasses, but did I guess correctly anyway? - we all know the answer... Lots of cold coffe notes after a while. Very, very good.
But it is the taste that takes the medal - tight, sweet and with a great structure. There are notes of ripe black currants, leather, a touch of barnyard and cigarette ashes. A long, elegant finish that ends more dry than the others. In a fine drinking stage but with stuffing to last another 10+ years.
92p   (tasted 2012/09)


And now of to another tasting of American wines tonight - I´ll soon change this blogs name to Californista...:-)

Sunday 23 September 2012

The Perfect Ones - Drinking Part 17


Last night I drank one of my perennial 100p wines - now tasted 4 times - 3 times a perfect wine and one of bottle. One of the top Barolis in every vintage, regardless of producer.

2001 Barolo Cannubi Boschis, Sandrone
A nose that that fires on all cylinders right from the get go. The sweetest red cherries, a touch of rasberries, licorice, ceps, sun dried tomatoes, cold coffee and a some burning autumn leaves - all is there in this bottomless deep nose. The fruit is sooo sweet. Masses of rosehips  and dried flowers after a while. Just brilliant.
The taste is as perfect as the nose. At first the structure is rather firm, although the sweet fruit is abundant, but after two hours in the decanter, this perfect specimen is like drinking silk. Notes of red currants, red cherries, hard cherry candy, licorice, dried mushrooms, violets and coffee oozes over the palate. The finish goes on for minutes and it ends with a stunning drý twist. Perfect six years ago, perfect two years ago and perfect last night. I´m glad to have more bottles of this nectar.
100p   (tasted 2012/09)

The 1990 Cannubi Boschis is also a Perefct One.

Friday 21 September 2012

Drinking & Eating Tonight - Burgundy & Crabs


With some plump crabs, lime aioli and nice cheese - gruyère, tomme and pecorino - the table was setted for a great friday dinner. And I just love a great Chardonnay to go along the moist crab meat.
And this Fontaine-Gagnard really made this night. I tasted the generic Chassagne-Montrachet while back, and as good as that was, this premier cru was really a step up the quality ladder.

2008 Chassagne-Montrachet La Grande Montagne, Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard
A deep, full-flavoured, intense nose with notes of lemon cream, peach ice cream, cold butter, dry honey, candied lemons and lots and lots of sweet minerals. This is profound in its concentration and hedonism. Really, really fine.
The taste is tight, young, concentrated and lovely with notes of lemon cream, dried lemoncello, bergamot, cap gun smoke and a gorgeously perfumed note. The finish just lingers on with a sweet and sour lemon taste. I could drink this nectar every day of the week!
95p   (tasted 2012/09)


Thursday 20 September 2012

Then & Now - Chianti Classico, Terreno



The Terreno estate in Chianti is since 1988 owned by a Swedish family. Who made the 1975 below I don´t know, but the 2009 is of course made by the new regime, that for over 20 years, in their own words "have committed themselves to improving the quality of Terreno’s products" - http://www.terreno.se/wordpress/?lang=en.
Ok then, two vintages, 34 years apart, how do the new and old regime compare?
Both bottles popped and poured.

1975 Chianti Classico, Terreno
The 1975 opens with a soft, mature and sweet nose with notes of dark fudge, cherry jam and candy, resin, milk chocolate, old leather and burning autumn leaves. Interesting enough it puts on structure with air, the sweetness decreases and more earthy, stony notes emerges. Fully mature but not in the least over the hill. Very good.
The taste is mature, rounded and warm with notes of sweet cherry fruit and notes of balsamic vinegar, autumn leaves, white raisins, forest floor and cold coffee. A medium long, fine finish that ends dry. This is in a very good shape. Drinking really well, silky, smooth and yummy
I filled a smaller bottle up to the rim with the remains and drank it the next day, but then it had become more dry and foursquare, both on the nose and on the palate.
86p   (tasted 2012/09)

2009 Chianti Classico, Terreno
34 years younger and it shows. A seedy, tight and closed nose with cool red cherry fruit and some notes of dry licorice, a touch of smoke, rowanberries and balsa wood. But with air it fleshes out with sweeter cherry fruit and that wonderful Tuscan gravel road scent.
The taste is young, tight and a tad compressed but opens up nicely with air with notes of lingonberries, hard cherry candy, warm gravel and new leather. The finish is medium long and a little thin at the end.
I left the remains, about 1/3 of the bottle, in the bottle and just inserted a cork. Day two it has made a kind of metamorphosis - deeper, sweeter and with more structure - I had much more fun with this day two. And then it became a bargain, 10 euro at the state monoploy (I also paid around 10 euro for the 1975...:-)). Just give it plenty of air.
86p   (tasted 2012/09)


Tuesday 18 September 2012

A Hedonistic Night With American Beauties

I was invited to M & J a couple of days ago with a promise that we were going to drink some good wines. And that we really did! Great food, wine and company - thanks!!
All wines tasted blind.

This starter was poured while we were helping out with the food preparations.
2002 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese*, Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben
A very fine, deep, maturing nose with notes of lemon cream, dried apricots, mango and some gas station aromas. After a while notes of warm spices and elder berry emerge. Very fine.
The taste is smooth, fine and gentle with notes of wet stones, dried apricots, lemon candy and hints of rubber. A long, nice finish. Not that high acidity. This is drinking extremely well at the moment.
90p   (tasted 2012/09)


Then we were served some antipasti with two great bottles of Champagne.
2005 Avizoise Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Agrapart
Aaaaah, what a elegant, precise and deep nose that greets you when you put your nose in the glass. Stunning aromas of stone baked bread, warm hay, fennel, sea weed, freshly washed clothes and madeleine cakes. Just wonderful. Very, very elegant.
The taste is young, tight and expressive with pure scents of lime, lemon, star fruit, licorice and freshly baked bread. The acidity is high pitched and truly great. Lots and lots of minerals and rocks in the long, long finish. Great wine.
95p   (tasted 2012/09)


1996 Cuvée Nicolas Francois, Billecart-Salmon
A fruity, open, fine nose with notes of yellow apples, almond paste, dried fruit and flowers, and wet rocks. A nice touch of maturity. Very clean and good. Lots of sweet fruit.
The taste is cool, fresh and with a gorgeous purity with notes of red and yellow apples, almonds, warm grass and a touch of dry licorice. The finish is long, dry and very nice. Very balanced.
92p   (tasted 2012/09)


With a yummy Jerusalem artichoke soup with prawns we were served what we thought were three different grapes...enough said.
2010 Hamon Chardonnay, Diatom
My experience with the wines from Diatom have been up and down, but it has on those two occasions at least behaved like a Chardonnay. This one didn´t...
The nose is deep, elegant and a tad withdrawn with notes of lemon peel, smoke, wet rocks, rubber and a touch of wet dog fur (in a positive way!). I was gravitating towards a Austrian Riesling.
The taste is tight, energetic and vibrant with lots of sweet lemon fruit, lots of rocks and slate, and a fairly high acidity. Very long and fine. I like this a lot, but a Chardonnay from Diatom?? The problems with miss-labelling keeps on increases...
92p   (tasted 2012/09)

2002 Mount Carmel Chardonnay, Brewer-Clifton
I think this bottle have not been properly handled somewhere up to this night. The nose is big, open, mature and round with lots of warm fruit, red apples, almond paste, grass and some oaky notes. Good but somewhat suppressed.
The taste is big, mature, warm and a touch monolithic with notes of dried apricots, mature red apples, earth, and smoke. Big and warm. I think this is heat damaged. But funny enough it was the best match with the soup.
76p   (tasted 2012/09)

2008 Lower Rim Chardonnay, Stonestreet
This on the other hand is the real thing! A wonderful pure, big, tight and concentrated nose with notes of melon, cold butter, summer flowers, lime peel and a whole herbal garden. Very impressive. Dried strawberries after a while. A lovely sweetness and raciness.
The taste is as good as the nose promises, with beautiful yellow fruit, clear as a whistle acidity and a long, intense finish. Notes of matchbox, honey candy, almonds and lemon cream. Just beautiful. Reminded me of the Varner Chardonnay´s that I have tasted before.
94p   (tasted 2012/09)





Next up was a trio of American Pinot´s and this turned out to be an awesome line up!
2005 Little Hill Block Pinot Noir, J. Rochioli
A gorgeously pure, fresh and complex nose with oodles of the sweetest lingon- and strawberries mixed up with notes of red licorice, rosehips, milk chocolate and herbs. Utterly delicious. This has a hint of maturation but still has a long way to go. Lovely fruit. Moist forest floor.
The taste is younger and tighter than the nose with beautiful sweet rasberry- and strawberry fruit alongside notes of burning autumn leaves, rosehips, leather, herbs and some cold coffee. The finish goes of for minutes. A stunning structure adds to the complexity. Great, great wine.
96p   (tasted 2012/09)


2007 Mount Carmel Pinot Noir, Brewer-Clifton
A big, fresh, impressive nose with notes of rasberries, warm wet earth, red licorice, fried herbs and a touch of veal stock. More outwardly than the Rochioli but it has depth, character and very fine fruit.
The taste is tight, warm and mouthfilling with lots of sweet lingonberries, leather, bakelite and warm herbs. Still very young. There is a lot going on in the glass but it´s not really coherent today. Give this 3+ years and I´m sure it will be really fine.
90p   (tasted 2012/09)


2009 Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir, Littorai
A very intense, deep and concentrated nose with notes of sweet lingonberries, rosehips, hard cherry candy, licorice, milk chocolate and some nice rubbery notes. Very deep and captivating. A lovely sweetness to the fruit. Still very young, but what a wine!
The taste is young, tight and focused with a great harmony between the fruit, acidity and tannins. Notes of lingon- and blueberries, dry chocolate, leather, warm herbs and pan fried root vegetables. A long, fine finish with a great grip. This has a splendid future!
95p   (tasted 2012/09)


With some nice fillet of beef and oven baked root vegetables we were served three big brutes of the Syrah origin.
2009 Upslope Syrah, Jaffurs
A deep, peppery, fine nose with notes of blueberries, raw meat, violets, beef broth, dried flowers and dark chocolate. A very fine depth. After a while there is a gorgeous perfumed note together with the sweet fruit. Complex and yummy!
The taste is big, warm and full of extract with notes of blueberry pie, dark chocolate, black peppered meat and moist forest floor. The finish goes on for two minutes. Very, very impressive.
94p   (tasted 2012/09)


2002 Castelli Knight Ranch Syrah, Pax
A hedonistic, deep and complex nose with notes of overripe rasberries, bay leaves, black peppered meat, beef broth, asphalt and eraser rubber. Waves and waves of sweet red and black fruit oozes up from the glass. Sooo sweet and fine.
The taste is big, sweet and tight as a brick with lovely notes of blueberries, rasberries, rosehip marmelade, licorice, dark chocolate and wet asphalt. A long, long finish. Compact and concentrated. Lovely stuff!
94p   (tasted 2012/09)


1998 Reva Syrah, Alban Vineayrds
Yes! This is it! Every time I taste the 98 Reva it sends shivers up my spine. The nose is to die for, with its gorgeously sweet fruit in the shape of wild rasberries, blueberries and some blackberries. The there is bay leaves, licorice, hand pounded meat, root vegetables, leather and herbs to add to the complexity. Sooo stunning! An still very young.
The taste is the quintessential "iron fist in a velvet glove", with a glorius sweet fruit wrapped around a tight, intense structure. Notes of violets, rasberries, rowanberries, licorice, warm herbs and peppery aromas flows over the palate. This is really strutting its stuff!
97p   (tasted 2012/09)


There were two sweet wines to finish this sweet night of.
1994 Taylor´s Vintage Port
A young, deep, concentrated nose with notes of pan fried nuts, dried figs, dark chocolate, old leather and some candied orange peel. Very deep and powerful. This needs time in the decanter and glass to really come forward, but when it does - yummy stuff!
The taste is big, sweet and fills every crane and nook in the mouth with sweet black fruit, nuts, chocolate and leather. The finish is of the +2 minutes kind. Still very young, this needs another 10 years in the cellar.
93p   (tasted 2012/09)

1990 Vouvray Moelleux Clos de Bourg, Huet
A deep, sweet, balanced nose with lovely notes of dried fruit, banana peel, oil cloth, dried honey and orange peel. Very, very deep. Some warm grassy notes after a while. A marvelous sweetness.
The taste is profound in its complexity with every yellow fruit there is mixed in with honey, oli cloth, hay and slate. The finish goes on forever and ends semi dry. Great acidity. Very complex and fine. This has been on this level of maturity for 10 years, will it ever budge? Great wine!
95p   (tasted 2012/09)


Saturday 15 September 2012

Just Bought

A case with assorted goodies was delivered yesterday. Two more Brunello´s to add to the stack of other Brunello´s - the Brunello project is starting to come together! Will be back later this autumn with that interesting tasting project, see also http://barolista.blogspot.se/2012/01/just-bought.html

Thursday 13 September 2012

Wedding Wines

As I mentioned in a previous post I was invited to the wedding of M & J, with the following wedding party with great food, wine and nice people.
My better half banned me from bringing my note book...:-) so the following recollections is from memory and are just snapshots of the many great bottles.
The groom said he didn´t have time to sample that many wines, so I did it in his place, which the following day was a witness too...

While the rest of the guest were occupied taking pictures of the happy couple, I took pictures of bottles... And yes, I have to buy a real camera!



Of the two Champagnes I preferred the Terroirs, not just because it was served from magnums :-), but I thought that the Minéral was a bit withdrawn and chalky at this stage. The Terroirs was full of sweet yellow fruit, a soft mousse and just oozed drinkability.

There were some white wines present from the usual suspect, Dönnhoff, Schaefer etc but I focused on the reds.




Of the two 2005 Barolis from Sandrone, Le Vigne and Cannubi Boschis, I actually preferred the Le Vigne on this night - sweet, decadent and on the verge of being fully drinkable. The Cannubi Boschis was more adolescent and behaved that way. Will turn out great though, in 5+ years time.
The 2004 Rupestris was with the 2006 Brunello from Fuligni, see below, the best wine of the evening. When Cappellano is behaving like this, there isn´t much that is more tasty!
The 2007 Brunello on the picture above (producer?) was a new acquaintance but one that I would like to get to know better, big, warm and structured, this was drinking great.
I have tasted the 2007 Barbaresco from Giacosa before and it behaved beautifully this evening as well.



The 2010 Nebbiolo d´Alba from Marengo was served out of a magnum and was a young, strapping Nebbiolo that craved some food to show of itself. Of the two vintages of Brunello from Il Poggione, the 2006 the shining star. The 2007 was good on its own but a tad warm when compared to the 2006.




The 2006 Brunello from Fuligni was, with the 04 Cappellano, the wine of the night for me. Utterly delicious with stunning Sangiovese fruit, caressing tannins and a long, long finish. Delicious! But if you have a chance to taste the 2004 Riserva from Fuligni do - that is one marvelous wine!
The 2006 Brunello from Querce Bettina was really nice with an elegant structure and great drinkability.
And there were more bottles on the table, but luckily, I didn´t manage to taste them all...

And no, I didn´t take pictures of just bottles. Here are the happy couple. Thanks M & J for a wonderful and generous day!



Wednesday 12 September 2012

Chanterelles & Barolo!

            
Hand picked chanterelles. What to go with them? Well, there are two obvious choices - Burgundy or Barolo - this night I go for the latter.
First course - a toast with pan fried chanterelles. Second course - pork filets with a creamy gratin Dauphinios and a chanterelle sauce. A yummy dinner!

2001 Barolo Marcenasco, Renato Ratti
A fine, precious nose with notes of mature red cherries, rasberries, pipe tobacco, dried mushrooms, rose petals and autumn leaves. A very classic, nice nose. This has started to mature and is really open for business today. A very fine sweetness to the fruit.
The taste is pure, cool and velvety with red cherries in the shape of both a creamy pie and hard candy. With that cherry fruit there are notes of tobacco, undergrowth and rosehips. Pretty soft tannins. Drinking very well tonight. Not heaps of complexity, just a very fine drinking Barolo.
89p   (tasted 2012/09)

Monday 10 September 2012

Lots of Goodies!

A couple of weeks ago we sent a friend of to, in his case, 47 and Life (aka marriage..:-)) We thought a bunch of nice bottles would be a nice send of, so we gathered togehter at a friends house, kidnapped M and forced him to guess every bottle double blind. He did great!

It was a splendid evening of food, wine and talk about different stages in life. A week later we attended M and J´s marriage, a beautiful ceremony and a great party all night long with stunning bottles of wine - that will be a separate post.

We opened, of course, with a bottle of bubbly!
2006 Deutz Rosé
A fine, cool, nice nose with notes of wild strawberries, almond paste, red licorice, moist gravel and minerals. Very elegant and poised. Still young. Very, very good.
The taste is young and taut with fine red currant, rasberry and strawberry fruit. The finish is medium long with fine acidity. A very elegant note of sweet minerals. This needs a couple of years in the cellar but is drinking great on this night.
90p   (tasted 2012/08)


2011 Piesporter Schubertslay Riesling Kabinett, Julian Haart
A young, fine sweet and sour nose with notes of lemoncello, asparagus, rubber and grass. With air the scent of ripe pears emerges. Very good.
The taste is young and broad with notes of dried fruits, lime peel, wet rocks and grass. The initial sweetness is somewhat high but there is lot of acidity in the finish. Will surely come together with a few years in the cellar.
86p   (tasted 2012/08)

2002 Riesling Priva, Nigl
A cool, earthy, dry nose with notes of dried apricots, oilcloth, lemon peel and blood orange juice. Very elegant and fine. Initially I leaned towards a Chenin Blanc but with air more Riesling tags arised.
The taste is cool, intense and dry with lots of lemon peel, dried grass, slate and a touch of oilcloth. A very long, fresh finish with lots of finesse. This has character. Very fine.
89p   (tasted 2012/08)


2011 Schiefergeisten Bockenauer Riesling Kabinett, Schäfer-Fröhlich
A very young, fresh nose with lots of pear ice cream, lemon peel, elder berries and slate. A sweet minerality. Young and invigorating.
The taste is young, fresh and pure with notes of grey pears, lemon peel, grass and minerals. A very salivating acidity. Very promising, but need to peel of some baby fat, just like the next bottle has done.
87p   (tasted 2012/08)

2008 Bockenauer Riesling Kabinett, Schäfer-Fröhlich
A deep, elegant and pure nose with lots more of earthy notes than in the 2011, with added complexity in form of lemon peel, capers, slate and that gorgeous scent of freshly washed clothes drying in the wind. Deep and really, really fine.
The taste is still young, racy and fresh with intensity and elegance. Notes of lemon peel, elder berries, wet asphalt and ripe pears. A long, persistent finish. A lovely combination of sweet and sour and salt.
93p   (tasted 2012/08)


2011 Scheurebe, Keller
A young, deep, oily nose with notes of tropical fruits, summer flowers, moist earth and a touch of smoke. Very deep. A lovely sweetness with a fine nerve.
The taste is big, tight and promising with the same tropical fruit and wet earth that on the nose, with a additional complexity in the shape of burnt rubber! Long, warm and youthfully plump, but with enough of acidity to keep everything in balance. Very fine.
90p   (tasted 2012/08)


1996 Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts, Etienne Sauzet
A deep, gorgeously mature nose with notes of butter fried root vegetables, lemon cream, sugared water, a touch of coconut and a fantastic minerality. Perfectly mature. Round, sweet and hedonistic.
The taste is deep, mature and complex with notes of lemon cream, butter fried nuts, banana peel and a touch of matchbox. A long, structured, wonderful finish. A fine warmth. Perfectly mature and drinking great.
94p   (tasted 2012/08)



2001 Saffredi, Le Pupille
This beaty was poured from a magnum (shouldn´t all great bottles be? :-). It opens with a fantastic scent of maturity with ripe cherries and chocolate - just stunning! Then there is autumn leaves, almonds and a touch of dríed flowers. Mellow in the best sense of the word. Not the most complex wine but what a joy to sit and sniff this wine!
The taste is like drinking velvet, the fruit is sweet and soft but still has tannins to match. Lots of red and black cherries, black currants, leather, chocolate biscuits and autumn leaves. The balance is wonderful. This is sooo drinkable right now. Gorgeous!
94p   (tasted 2012/08)


2000 Château Malescot St Exupery
A fine, expressive, tight nose with notes of fresh blueberries, black currants, fresh stables, new leather and some salty chocolate. Very good. It becomes sweeter with air and after a while the glass is full of yummy blueberry pie with whipped cream!
The taste is tighter and more dry than the nose leads on. Very fine, ripe red and black currants, dark chocolate and cold coffee. The tannins are polished with fine grain sandpaper. The finish is medium long and ends with a nice dry twist. This still has some maturing to do. A great bottle of Bordeaux.
92p   (tasted 2012/08)



2009 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido, Ojai
A fine, low keyed nose but with nice intensity and notes of red cherries, warm gravel, root vegetables, warm herbs and dried flowers. Very likeable. It doesn´t have the minerality of a good Burgundy, but it has lots of other stuff to like.
The taste is tight and pure with lots of strawberries, mostly in the shape of dried ones, but also with the taste of freshly sliced strawberries in a balsamic vinegar marinade. There is some dark chocolate, herbs and resin notes to add to the complexity. A very fine wine.
92p   (tasted 2012/08)

2003 Barolo Pie Rupestris, Cappellano
A big, firm, deep nose with notes of warm lingonberries, dried rose petals, chocolate biscuits, licorice and a nice floral note. It has a touch of the warmth of the vintage but on the right side of things. Very good.
The taste is big, warm and fruity with lots of sweet lingonberry fruit with some dry chocolate, rosehips and dried mushrooms thrown in. A long, warm finish. The tannins in the finish is a tad dry. I would guess that is for drinking sooner than later.
Since the late Theobaldo didn´t want his wines to be scored, I never do.   (tasted 2012/08)


2009 Château Pontet-Canet
A Parker 100 pointer! Well, is it? Nope, not yeat anyway. But regardless of points, this is a stunning bottle of wine. The nose just explodes from the glass with notes of blueberries, black currant jam, Disney crackers, licorice, vanilla oak notes, and all over the sweet fruit, a gorgeous floral scent floats. Not a molecule in the wrong place. Very intense and impressive, but on the nose, a tiny tad over the top for me this night.
The taste is on the other hand, right on the money. The sweet black currants is of the luxurious kind, the notes of tobacco, earth, leather, chocolate and vanilla biscuits is what dreams are made of. Lots and lots of impressive but, just, tamed tannins. The finish goes on for several minutes. It if was only for the taste, this would be a 100 pointer, but today it doesn´t reach that heights. Would love to taste this in 10 years time!
97p   (tasted 2012/08)



2005 Enchanted Path, Mollydooker
This brute consists of 66% Shiraz, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and and undisclosed amounts of steriods... The nose is voluptuous, sweet and almost over the top, but manages to walk the edge with great amounts of black- and blueberries, vanilla pods, banana peel, muscovado sugar and decaying flowers. Really impressive. Very, very deep.
The taste is extremely intense and concentrated with notes of blueberry pie, sweet earth, rubber, balsa wood and vanilla pods. The finish is warm, long and with a really good structure. This isn´t usually my cup of tea, but I have to admit, this is great!
91p   (tasted 2012/08)

2001 Viña El Pison, Vinedos Lacalle Y Laorden
A deep, elegant, spicy nose with notes of sweet lingonberries, ripe red apples, cloves and dark crayfish stock. Very interesting. A touch volatile, that adds to the complexity. Very, very good.
The taste is tight and focused with lots of sweet lingonberries, herbs, cloves and road dust. The tannins are cool and finely polished. The finish is long and ends with a fine dry note. A very fine high note in the lingering taste. Very, very fine.
92p   (tasted 2012/08)


1983 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Gran Riserva, Giuseppe Quintarelli
How about saving the best for last? Ok, by me! The nose is to kill and die for with absolutely stunning scents of rasberry truffles, muscovado sugar, resin, old leather, forest floor, dried flowers and just about everything else... The intensity is breathtaking. And at the same time it is light as a feather - the Muhammed Ali of wines! Bottomless deep.
The taste is tight, concentrated and just adorable with notes of rasberry jam, dark chocolate, dried flowers, old leather, licorice, rosehips and a touch of asphalt. The finish goes on, seemingly for ever. Sweet and sour red cherries in liquor. This is as good as it gets. A fascinating wine!
98p   (tasted 2012/08)