I was responsible for the bubbly section and I had collected three different versions of Krug Grande Cuvée. It was a good start...:-)
MV Krug Grande Cuvée
A very mature, rich, malty nose with notes of burned sugar, old sponge cake, cold coffee, moist earth and old wrinkled red apples. Smells like a (really) old white Burgundy. Very deep. It revives itself somewhat with air, but it is still past its prime.
The taste is still intense and focused and feels younger than the nose. Fine notes of dry fudge, ripe red apples, caramel nuts and earth. Very, very long with a fine acidity. Maybe a tad old on the taste also but it has a lovely vigour and charm. Give me another bottle anytime.
92p (tasted 2015/14)
MV Krug Grande Cuvée
Is this what a mature Grande Cuvée should be like? Heaven that is. The nose is a dream with its depth, complexity and joyfulness. Lovely notes of sweet/sour lemons, freshly grounded coffee, white peaches, vanilla ice cream and a hint of soap are some of the things your nose detects when you sniff this nectar. The ripeness of the fruit is amazing. Some nutty aromas with air. Just striking.
The taste is structured, layered and intense with notes of summer flowers, peaches, white pears, vanilla fudge and some chalky notes. The finish goes of for two minutes. I guess that this bottle is entering perfect maturity. I am glad we caught it at this time.
97p (tasted 2015/04)
MV Krug Grande Cuvée
The young one is also a beauty. With the system of ID numbers that Krug now have we can easily find out that this bottle is based on the 2006 vintage, and that the oldest vintage is the 1990 and that there are a total of 11 vintages and 142 wines in the blend. Impressive!
And the finished product then? Oooh, it is good! The nose is like a freshly opened flower with gorgeous notes of lavender, grass, tangerines, sweet lemons, chalk and some smoke. Very deep and pure.
The taste is very young, racy and focused with notes of buckthorn, tangerines, warm grass, chalk and butter biscuits. The acidity is high and mighty and are very noticeable in the long, long finish. The structure, the structure; this is built for the long haul. And what a wine it is going to become, I have to get me some of these.
95p (tasted 2015/04)
It is not that easy to comprehend all the different versions of Grande Cuvée, but we who read Swedish can just go here for all there is to know about the subject.
For first course we had a very interesting chicken dish from Indonesia. Perfectly succulent and spicy to go with the fine Riesling´s.
2002 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Fritz Haag
A fine, restrained nose with notes of wet stones, sweet/sour lemons and a touch of dry honey. Some maturity in the shaped of dried fruits and a dried up sweetness. Very good.
The taste is medium bodied and somewhat mature with notes of almond paste, lemon candy and crushed rocks. A medium long finish with a fine acidity. For drinking now. Very good.
88p (tasted 2015/04)
2003 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese, Willi Schaefer
A intense, deep, finely tuned nose with notes of dried flowers, lavender honey, ski wax and a rubber suit. A bit steely in the middle. Subtle. This is fine.
2003 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese, Willi Schaefer
A intense, deep, finely tuned nose with notes of dried flowers, lavender honey, ski wax and a rubber suit. A bit steely in the middle. Subtle. This is fine.
The taste is tight and concentrated with notes of sweet lemons, sea food shells, warm grass and a lot of slate. Very, very nice. Long and fine. Could still develop some. Great.
92p (tasted 2015/04)
2003 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Selbach-Oster
A light, cool, fresh nose with notes of ripe pears, cap gun smoke, sweet minerals and some rubber. Very elegant. Medium deep. Some maturity.
2003 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Selbach-Oster
A light, cool, fresh nose with notes of ripe pears, cap gun smoke, sweet minerals and some rubber. Very elegant. Medium deep. Some maturity.
The taste is fresh and light with notes of lemon peel, mussels, dried apricots and crushed rocks. The finish is medium long, balanced and fine. Very, very good.
90p (tasted 2015/04)
2002 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Joh. Jos. Prüm
This beauty shows beautifully today. The nose is still young with notes of sweet lime, matchbox, dry rubber, liquorice and white peppers. Very complex, almost electric. Stunning. Very, very deep.
2002 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Joh. Jos. Prüm
This beauty shows beautifully today. The nose is still young with notes of sweet lime, matchbox, dry rubber, liquorice and white peppers. Very complex, almost electric. Stunning. Very, very deep.
The taste is refined and pure with notes of ripe lemons, elderberries, nutmeg and sunwarm rocks. The finish goes on and on, with a high and balanced acidity. Will go for many, many years.
93p (tasted 2015/04)
Due to the above mentioned absence causes, I also managed the main dish. We had three versiosn of veal - filet, sweetbread and a home made veal sausage with a Jeruslam artichoke purée and a Madeira sauce.
1991 Dominus
The 91 Dominus have been great from my first tasted bottle in 1997 to this, alas my last bottle. The nose is deep and gorgeously mature with notes of ripe black currants, fresh stables, dark leather and fine tobacco. A dead ringer for a mature Bordeaux, as everyone around the table pegged it as.
Due to the above mentioned absence causes, I also managed the main dish. We had three versiosn of veal - filet, sweetbread and a home made veal sausage with a Jeruslam artichoke purée and a Madeira sauce.
1991 Dominus
The 91 Dominus have been great from my first tasted bottle in 1997 to this, alas my last bottle. The nose is deep and gorgeously mature with notes of ripe black currants, fresh stables, dark leather and fine tobacco. A dead ringer for a mature Bordeaux, as everyone around the table pegged it as.
The taste is velvety yet firm with earthy black currants, tobbacco leaves, warm tiles and worn leather. Long, intense, harmonious and sooo delicious. On top of its game, it will surely keep for another 7+ years, but I don't think it will get any better.
95p (tasted 2015/04)
1991 Cullen Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot
Bought just a while back, this fitted the line up perfectly. The nose tells you that this is a different creature than the Dominus. More fleshy and voluptuous on the nose with notes of blackberries, plums, dark chocolate and a hint of toothpaste. Deep and warm, but with a fine firmness to the flashy fruit.
The taste is big, warm and steady with notes of black currant jam, plums, violets, tar and dark earth. The finish is very long, broad shouldered and really yummy. Not overly mature, this will go on for many years to come.
93p (tasted 2015/04)
1990 Château Palmer
Well, the classics are the classics for a reason - a gorgeous nose with notes of cool black currants, lead pencil shavings, dry tobacco and even some floral notes, graces your olfactory senses when you stick your nose in the glass. Just beautiful. A clean stable in the distance. I could sit and sniff this all night.
1990 Château Palmer
Well, the classics are the classics for a reason - a gorgeous nose with notes of cool black currants, lead pencil shavings, dry tobacco and even some floral notes, graces your olfactory senses when you stick your nose in the glass. Just beautiful. A clean stable in the distance. I could sit and sniff this all night.
The taste is perfectly mature with a perfect balance between ripe fruit, mature features and a creamy balance. Lovely notes of red and black currants, autumn leaves, worn leather and a hint of animal fur. Great balance and mouth feel. Great wine.
95p (tasted 2015/04)
1991 Heitz Martha´s Vineyard
Aaaaah, a liquid dream. The nose is a masterpiece with its tell tale sign of eukalyptus and additional notes of plums, black currants, Valrhona chocolate, scorched earth and autumn leaves. A wonderful sweetness to the fruit. In a perfect time and place.
1991 Heitz Martha´s Vineyard
Aaaaah, a liquid dream. The nose is a masterpiece with its tell tale sign of eukalyptus and additional notes of plums, black currants, Valrhona chocolate, scorched earth and autumn leaves. A wonderful sweetness to the fruit. In a perfect time and place.
The taste is ripe, mature and concentrated with notes of red and black currants, plums, red liquorice and eukalyptus. So long, so elegant and so, so, so great.
97p (tasted 2015/04)
Dessert - a perfect Chocolate fondant with fresh berries - yummy!
1956 Riversaltes, Domaine de Rombeau
This was a new acquaintance, and I am impressed! The nose is deep, very deep, with a hedonistic dark sweetness in the shape of walnuts, damsons, raisins, fire smoke and band aid. Very complex. A refined dry sweetness that comes with long aging in wood. Great stuff.
The taste is big and intense with notes of toffee, dusting sugar, assorted nuts and sugared cold coffee. Very long with multi layered tastes. This is good! Would love to get me some.
93p (tasted 2015/04)
1980 Bual, Blandy´s
In almost any other context a bottle from 1980 would have been a mature wine, but with Madeira, this is a youngster. And a adolescent youngster at that. The nose is upfront and fiery with notes of paint, dry nuts, green raisins and rubber. Somewhat foursquare. Needs more bottle age, say 50 years (slower than in wood, I know, but still...)
The taste is seedy and tight with notes of stems, green raisins, band aid, old nuts and dark plums. A very high acidity, as expected, but not that nicely integrated. A bit angular. Good with the dessert though.
86p (tasted 2015/04)
Dessert - a perfect Chocolate fondant with fresh berries - yummy!
1956 Riversaltes, Domaine de Rombeau
This was a new acquaintance, and I am impressed! The nose is deep, very deep, with a hedonistic dark sweetness in the shape of walnuts, damsons, raisins, fire smoke and band aid. Very complex. A refined dry sweetness that comes with long aging in wood. Great stuff.
The taste is big and intense with notes of toffee, dusting sugar, assorted nuts and sugared cold coffee. Very long with multi layered tastes. This is good! Would love to get me some.
93p (tasted 2015/04)
1980 Bual, Blandy´s
In almost any other context a bottle from 1980 would have been a mature wine, but with Madeira, this is a youngster. And a adolescent youngster at that. The nose is upfront and fiery with notes of paint, dry nuts, green raisins and rubber. Somewhat foursquare. Needs more bottle age, say 50 years (slower than in wood, I know, but still...)
The taste is seedy and tight with notes of stems, green raisins, band aid, old nuts and dark plums. A very high acidity, as expected, but not that nicely integrated. A bit angular. Good with the dessert though.
86p (tasted 2015/04)
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