VinUnic Pours Some Fine Wines

I cannot resist an invitation when it comes from VinUnic, because there always will be great wines poured. Yesterday was no exception. Thanks Claes, Stefan & Cattis!

NV Louis Roederer Brut Premium
Out of a magnum this is upfront, juicy and shows a fine nerve. Notes of grapefruit, flowers and freshly baked bread. Very good.
The taste is young, fresh and elegant with notes of lime, yellow apples and gravel. A nice acidity. This is for drinking mouthfuls of!
88p   (tasted 2013/10)

2006 Selección de Ãnada, Pazo de Senorans
This 100% Albarino has a fine, oily, flowery nose with notes of dried peach, licorice, a lot of crushed rocks and a touch of petrol.
The taste is light, nice and fresh with notes of lemon peel, elderberries, slate and a touch of licorice. A high, refreshing acidity. Very nice.
86p   (tasted 2013/10)

2007 Contours Riesling, Pewsey Vale
A deep, complex nose with notes of tangerines, sweet/sour lemons, dried flowers, rubber and a whole petrol station. Very interesting. Refined. Really, really fine.
The taste is tight, fresh and upright with notes of lemon and lime cream, dried apricots, dried flowers and a elegant smoky note. A very fine acidity. Long and pure. Lovely! This is a bargain for 21 Euro.
91p   (tasted 2013/10)

2012 Rossj-Bass, Gaja
A big, flowery, open nose with notes of melted butter, candy, warm grass and wet rocks. A bit overblown on the nose. Smells like a Viognier, which isn´t high praise in my book...
The taste is better and more structured with sweet yellow fruit, some wood notes and a fine spicy character. Notes of summer flowers, lemon cream and crushed rocks. A long, warm finish. A fine taste but that nose doesn´t do it for me.
86p   (tasted 2013/10)

2011 Ridge Estate Chardonnay
I tasted this a few months ago when Paul Draper visited Stockholm. This bottle was almost identical, albeit a tad warmer in the fruit. But a fine wine yet again.
90p   (tasted 2013/10)

2010 Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay
The Monte Bello Chardonnay oozes up from the glass with notes of cold butter, summer flowers, white peaches, lemon cream and a touch cap gun smoke. Deep, tight and elegant. This is good!
The taste is big and structured with a fine intensity and a long, refined finish. Notes of lemon cream, parsnips, butter fried nuts and summer flowers are noticeable. Even at 14,5% alcohol it doesn´t show any warmth, even when the temperature rises. Great wine!
93p   (tasted 2013/10)

2009 Barbaresco, Gaja
I tasted this one earlier this year. On this night it behaved in the same way - reserved, withdrawn and elusive. This will need 8+ years to reveal itself. But I think there can be interesting stuff here, well worth the wait.
87p   (tasted 2013/10)

2008 Sperss, Gaja
This on the other hand jumps out of the gates with gorgeous notes of red cherries, Christmas spices, rose petals, licorice and a whole mushroom forest. A fine, high nose. With air some dried strawberries emerge. Very, very elegant.
The taste is young, tight and intense with notes of red cherries, licorice, mushrooms and some truffle aromas. Built like a super model, this is a beauty! Some steady tannins in the finish. Give this 10 years and it will be flirting with perfection.
94p   (tasted 2013/10)

2010 Ridge Monte Bello
Another stunning Monte Bello! The 2010 wasn´t present at the above mentioned tasting, so it was great to have an opportunity to taste the new vintage that will be released here in December. And I will be buying!
The nose is ripe, rich and focused with notes of sweet black currants, graphite, dark chocolate, new leather and a touch of flower water - in a positive sense! Cherry truffels and dark coffe after a while. Gorgeous.
The taste is concentrated, tight and impressive with notes of black currants, black cherries, dark chocolate, minerals and a fine perfumed note. The finish goes on and on and on. Very complex. This will need 5+ years in the cellar. Great stuff!
94p   (tasted 2013/10)

2009 Catena Zapata Nicasia & Adrianna Malbec
I had a hard time to get something out of the two offerings from Catena Zapata. With some vigorous coaxing I can detect some blueberries, licorice and road dust. The taste is very young, very tight and potent. They were very much alike, but maybe time will tell the two cuvées apart?
87p   (tasted 2013/10)

2009 Nicolas Catena Zapata
The star wine - the Nicolas Catena Zapata - is another creature all together. Also very young, but the quality oozes out from the glass, with notes of blueberries, blackberries, dark fudge, cigarette ashes, leather and minerals. Very concentrated but very cool at the same time. Very, very fine.
The taste is immense and ripe with a lovely blueberry and blackberry fruit paired with notes of cigarette ashes, dark chocolate and minerals. Very, very young still. This has potential, but wait at least 6-8 years.
92p   (tasted 2013/10)

2009 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline, Guigal
By all standards this should have been a stunner. But it wasn´t. I can´t call me an expert of young La Mouline´s, but I have had my share, and this isn´t how they have behaved in the past, even taking into consideration vintage variations. Maybe it should have been decanted the day before? :-) It slowly, slowly, slowly evolved during the evening, but it is hard as nails and doesn´t show much except some white pepper aromas, some lingonberries and some earthy notes. Judgement referred.
??   (tasted 2013/10)

2007 The Armagh, Jim Barry
I know that I usually like these kind of wines - when they have had 15+ years in the cellar. But in their youth? Maybe I´m too weak for these wines, but they are too much for me.
The nose explodes up from the glass with overly sweet blackberries, raspberry jam, toothpaste and mint galore. Very deep and concentrated but the sweetness is to high.
The taste is enormous with masses and masses of sweet blackberries, raspberries, eucalyptus, sweet oak and toothpaste. The finish is two minutes long. I know that there is quality here, I have tasted older vintages of The Armagh - the 1998 was excellent (and probably still is). Any volunteers who will buy it and surprise me in 15 years time? :-)
89p   (tasted 2013/10)

2007 Louis Roederer Brut Millésime
What better way to end a tasting than with some bottles of Champagne? First up is the 2007 Brut from Louis Roederer that shows young, fresh scents of grass, hazel nuts, red apples and dry fudge on the nose. Very good.
The taste is young and elegant with notes of sweet lemons, red apples, dry fudge and some grassy notes. A fine acidity. Should evolve well over the coming 3-5 years. 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay.
89p   (tasted 2013/10)

2008 Louis Roederer Brut Rosé
The 2008 Rosé is a stunner! The nose is utterly charming with its notes of dried raspberries, wild strawberries, flowers, gravel and a touch of smoke. Deep and refined. Just lovely.
The taste is young but oooh so fresh and lively with notes of wild strawberries, raspberry cream, summer flowers and lots of minerals. This is some yummy stuff! This will go into the cellar, for drinking now and the upcoming 6+ years.
92p   (tasted 2013/10)

2006 Cristal
And some Cristal to close the evening? Yes, please! This is a youngster, but a beautiful one at that. The nose is cool, elegant and pure with notes of unripe yellow apples, elderberries, white currants, milk chocolate fudge and lots of minerals. Lots of potential in this one. Very, very fine.
The taste is young, tight and refined with notes of white currants, dried flowers, red apple peel, fudge and sweet minerals. The finish is long and balanced. This will need some time to unravel but I´m sure it will turn into a beauty in 5-7 years time.
93p   (tasted 2013/10)

More impression here (in Swedish).