Monday 29 June 2015

Exploring The Forgotten Side Of Bordeaux - Chapter VII

These were poured as starters at Peters 2012 Bordeaux tasting.
Forgot to take any pics of the bottles.

2012 Château Brown
The first one has a rather dense, deep nose with notes of grapefruit peel, linoleum, road dust, candle grease and dried peach. Very good. A fine creamy character.
The taste is young and fairly elegant with lots of sweet yellow fruit and notes of lanolin, gravel and some nuts. The finish is medium long with a balancing acidity. This is very good and will need some years in the cellar.
89p   (tasted 2015/06)


2012 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion
A wonderful spicy, deep nose with notes of ripe peaches, candied orange peel, thai basil and some cap gun smoke. Very intense and complex. Some warm chalk after a while. Really fine.
The taste is young and seedy with notes of peach, lemon cream, candle grease, fudge and warm hay. The finish is very long, powerful yet balanced. Needs time. This will be really fine with 6+ years in the cellar. The 2010 tasted earlier.
93p   (tasted 2015/06)

Saturday 27 June 2015

One & A Half Bottle Of Burgundy

I opened these to go with Friday dinner last night.

2013 Saint-Aubin La Princée, Hubert Lamy
From a half bottle. A young, laid back, stony nose with notes of lemon peel, dry grass, minerals and dried flowers. Medium deep and fine. Some tangerines after a while. Very good.
The taste is young and crisp with notes of dry peaches, unripe melon, lots of lemon peels and a bit of road dust. Young and perky. Needs time.
88p   (tasted 2015/06)


2011 Ladoix 1er Cru Hautes Mourottes, Jean-Claude Boisset
A deep, somewhat meaty and mature nose with notes of dark raspberries with a few blueberries in the mix, sandalwood, rowanberries and beetroot juice. This is good.
The taste is tight and restrained with notes of raspberries, veal stock, forest floor and a hint of dark chocolate. A long, sturdy finish with a good mouth feel. Needs another 3-5 years in the cellar. Very, very good.
90p   (tasted 2015/06)


Friday 26 June 2015

Antica Terra & Lilian Seminar With Maggie Harrison


Maggie Harrison was in Stockholm a few days ago and I got an invitation from Divine to meet her and taste her wines. It was a fantastic tasting with a energetic, passionate and fun Maggie.
It is no secret that I like oak and it was fun hearing Maggie describe her oak regime - "9 different coopers, 12 different barrel sizes, from 6 different forests and 7 different toast levels"...:-)

2012 Aurata Chardonnay, Antica Terra
A cool, refined nose with notes of white peaches, caramel, cap gun smoke, lemon cream and some sun screen. Deep, balanced and very, very fine. This is goooood!
The taste is young and tight with power and refinement in a beautiful package, with notes of peaches, melon, smoke, fudge and summer flowers. Very long and velvety. A fine acidity. A lovely bottle of Chardonnay.
95p   (tasted 2015/06)



2012 Roussanne, Lilian
A deep, creamy, voluptuous nose with notes of apricots, lemon cream, almond paste and a touch of old books in a second-hand bookshop. Complex and fine.
The taste is big and mouth filling with notes of almond paste, dried apricots, (over)ripe peaches and warm gravel. A long finish with a fine warmth. I crave acidity and this is a tad low, but it works. Very, very good.
91p   (tasted 2015/06)

2011 Erratica Rosé, Antica Terra
The 2011 Rosé doesn´t display a single trait of maturity, it is still very young, with notes of lingonberries, almosr ripe raspberries, sun warm rocks and freshly washed clothes. Very elegant. A touch strict, in a positive sense.
The taste is tight and fresh with notes of dried raspberries, gravel, lingonberries and a touch of rhubarb. A long finish with a nice dry ending. Seedy and fine. Really good.
92p   (tasted 2015/06)


2013 Angelicall Rosé, Antica Terra
The best Rosé I have ever tasted! This is a beauty, with a intense, deep nose with notes of cool strawberries, gravel, raspberry liquorice and a touch of chocolate biscuits. A wonderful purity and structure. Great!
The taste is lovely with its freshness, purity and intensity, displaying notes of wild strawberries, liquorice, gravel, smoke and dry raspberry pie. Very delicate and yet hearty in the long, long finish. Utterly delicious and complex. Would love to drink this often...
96p   (tasted 2015/06)

2012 Ceras, Antica Terra
The first of the three Pinot´s (I know, the Rosé´s are Pinot!) has a lovely, clean, elegant nose with notes of lingonberries with some blueberries tossed in, forest floor, warm herbs and gravel. Very, very good.
The taste is tight and pure with a taste of mixed blueberries and raspberries with additional notes of dark fudge, Christmas spices and forest floor. The finish is long and seedy. This is good. A fine acidity. A fine wine.
92p   (tasted 2015/06)


2012 Botanica, Antica Terra
The Botanica is a step up from the Ceras in my opion. The nose is deeper and more fruity with notes of wild strawberries, moist earth, rose petals and root vegetables. Deep and a tad funky. A very fine balance though. Lovely.
The taste is intense and tight with gorgeous notes of sweet raspberries, strawberries, pine sap, dark earth and beetroot. The finish goes on for a minute with a fine acidity and concentration. Very, very fine.
94p   (tasted 2015/06)


2012 Antikythera, Antica Terra
And things are getting even better! The Antikythera is a love or hate wine, with its very own signature in the shape of a deep, salty nose with notes of a mix of red and blue berries, iron/blood, some smoked meat and Asian spices. Very deep and complex. Stunning.
The taste is big and intense with notes of iron dusted strawberries, moist forest floor, red cherries and dark flowers. Very, very long and with a lot of tannins for a Pinot. Definitely a very own character, and I´m loving it!
96p   (tasted 2015/06)

2010 Syrah, Lilian
The 2010 Lilian Syrah shows a deep, peppery nose with notes of blueberries, ink, sun dried tomatoes, bonfire and bakelite. Deep and fine. Still very young. Very, very good.
The taste is young, tight and intense with notes of ripe blueberries, dark chocolate, black olives, plums and blood. Very concentrated. The finish is very long and ends with a fine dryness. This is very, very good, and will get even better with 3-5 years in the cellar.
93p   (tasted 2015/06)

2012 Syrah, Lilian
As good as the 2010 is, the 2012 overshadows it. This is the real thing. The nose is to die for with its freshness, intensity and purity, with stunning notes of ripe blueberries, black pepper, veal meat, damsons, iron and earth. More refined that the 2010, and the intensity is of the charts.
The taste is racy, intense and focused with notes of ripe blueberries, black cherries, green raisins, meat stock, green and black peppers and violets. The finish goes of forever. Dried flowers in the finish. Wonderful. Still young, this will need at least 6+ years in the cellar, and then it will surely be as close to perfect as you can get. A wine to remember.
97p   (tasted 2015/06)



Thursday 25 June 2015

Some Short Notes On The Wines Of Midsummer

Here are some short reminiscences from Midsummer Eve. I didn´t take any formal notes so the comments are from memory and from the day after when I retasted most of them.

Missing from the pics are a 50 cl bottle of 1964 Tokaji Szamorodni that was stunningly fresh and sumptuous (~94p), and a 1964 Chassagne-Montrachet from an unknown producer that was behaving at least 20 years younger (~87p).

Very fresh, fruity and velvety. A multi vintage consisting of 2002 and 2006. Great wine. (~94p)

Almost fully mature, very complex and concentrated, just gorgeous. (~94p)

Already out of focus... A fine blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc with lush fruit and some oak, very, very good. (~90p)

A 2013 barrel sample that was much better than when tasted a while back. Ripe Pinot fruit and a long, long finish. (~92p)

A very fresh, earthy and peppery Crozes with a fine potential. Gonna get me some. (~88p)

70 years old but still hanging in there although it was rather feeble and on its last leg. (~75p)

A lovely old school Rioja with lots of charm and grace. (~90p

The best of the bunch for me, a beautiful, perfectly mature, sweet and savoury Burgundy (~95p)

A what to close with? A 1964 Barolo from magnum of course. Needed a lot of air to come together, but when it did it showed all the treats of a traditional Barolo, very fine. (~92p)

Monday 22 June 2015

Two Bottles Of Brunello

Ever since my Brunello project I get from time to time the urge to open a bottle of Brunello, or as in this case two bottles.

2010 Brunello di Montalcino Val di Suga, Tenimenti Angelini
I have bought some bottles from this the "best-vintage-ever" (have we heard this before?), but this is the first bottle opened. The nose is warm and a bit dusty at first, but soon opens up with notes of red and black cherries, Tuscan road dust, pinewood sap and a hint of bonfire. Very good and with a fine character.
The taste is young and firm with notes of cool cherry fruit, raspberry liquorice, rosemary, violets and warm gravel. A good length with a fine warmth. Needs time. Very good.
90p   (tasted 2015/06)



2008 Brunello di Montalcino, Poggio Nero
I had read that this was a price worthy Brunello (18 Euro) so I got one bottle for a check up. It opens a bit shy on the nose with notes of sour cherries, gravel and dried mushrooms. With air it opens up a bit more but it remains a rather backward, old school type of Sangiovese. From time to time you could confuse it with a traditional Barolo.
The taste is young, tight and dry with notes of cherry pips, dry liquorice, gravel and dry rosemary. Good in a backward style. Needs a lot of air. But will I buy more of it? I don´t think so. It doesn´t really speak to me.
85p   (tasted 2015/06)

Sunday 21 June 2015

A Serious Glimpse Of The 2012 Bordeaux Vintage

Peter arranged this great tasting and I was lucky to get a seat at the table.
Tasted double blind.

2012 Château Poujeaux
A fine, cool cassis nose with additional notes of dried blueberries, wet earth and hint of coffee. On the light side of things. Good.
The taste is cool and seedy with notes of red and black currants, bakelite and gravel. There is a hint of grass in the middle taste. Good, but a bit uncomplicated.
84p   (tasted 2015/06)



2012 Château L´Arrosée
A deep, earthy, warm nose with notes of ripe plums, black currant jam, sweet tobacco and fir forest scents. Very, very good.
A finely tuned, refined taste with notes of black currants, warm tiles, earth and tobacco. A long finish with a fine warmth. This is good. Obviously the last vintage of this fine old Château, the 1964 was a treat to drink a few months ago.
90p   (tasted 2015/06)

2012 Château d´Issan
A fine, rather discreet nose with notes of cigarette ashes, barely ripe black currants and some charcoal. Opens up a bit with air but remains restrained.
The taste is tight and withdrawn with notes of black currants, moist earth, plywood and coffee. A medium long finish with a hint of bitterness. This is either in an awkward stage or its lacks the stuffing for a good evolution.
82p   (tasted 2015/06)



2012 Château Lafon-Rochet
The Lafon-Rochet displays a very classic young Bordeaux nose, with notes of ripe black currants, blueberry bushes, lead pencil shavings and some ink. Very, very good.
The taste is young, tight and seedy with notes of black currants, sugared coffee, tobacco and forest floor. The finish is long and structured. This is really fine. Should develop well.
92p   (tasted 2015/06)

2012 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
This is a winner with its lovely nose of ripe black currants, sandalwood, expensive tobacco and new leather. Deep and refined. Very, very good.
The taste is structured and racy with notes of tobacco leaves, black currants, leather and bakelite. Very long and focused. This will need 6+ years in the cellar to really unfold. Great quality.
94p   (tasted 2015/06)



2012 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
A big, juicy nose oozes up from the glass, with notes of spicy black currants, blueberry jam, scorched earth and liquorice. Feels a bit New World in its opulence. Deep though. Good fruit.
The taste follows the nose with lots of sweet black fruits and additional notes of graphite, sweet tobacco and moist earth. Long and warm. There is a bunch of tannins behind the sweet fruit. Could evolve more typical distinction with time.
89p   (tasted 2015/06)

2012 Château Clinet
My shared number one (with the Leoville-Poyferré below) in this line up was this gorgeous Pomerol. The nose is a dream with notes of plums, warm flowers, expensive leather, cedar and tobacco. Velvety and refined. This is a stunner.
The taste is tighter and more structured than the nose leads you to believe, with notes of plums, graphite, sandalwood, red currants and tobacco. The finish is long and balanced. Lovely. Give this 5+ years and you will have a beauty in the glass.
95p   (tasted 2015/06)



2012 Château Troplong-Mondot
A fine, deep, clean nose with notes of blueberries, plums, pine wood, graphite and ink. Dark and broad. Very, very good.
The taste is young, tight and structured with notes of black currants, plums, graphite, earth and ink. Lots of warm earth. Long and fine. This will turn out great, just give it 6+ years.
92p   (tasted 2015/06)

2012 Château Haut-Bailly
A deep, cool nose with notes of just ripening red and black currants, graphite, warm tiles and warm grass. A lovely laid back character. Very, very good.
The taste is tight and racy with notes of cool black currants, dry plums, tobacco and coffee powder. A long, classy finish. A lovely wine to drink in 3+ years time.
92p   (tasted 2015/06)



2012 Château Leoville-Poyferré
A very deep, focused, beautiful nose with notes of ripe black currants, warm flowers, cedar, cold coffee and forest floor. A tiny touch of mint. Just great.
The taste is very intense and concentrated with notes of chocolate covered black currants, lead pencil shavings, plums and tobacco. The finish goes on for over a minute and in the end the perfectly polished tannins are noticeable. A very fine wine indeed.
95p   (tasted 2015/06)

Friday 19 June 2015

Preparing For Tonight

It is Midsummer in Sweden - cold and rainy! :-)
Tonight some friends are coming over for dinner - and we will be dining indoors...

I am in the midst of preparing the food and have just pulled the corks of the red wines below.


From left to right:
MV Les Aventures, AR Lenoble
1964 Tokaji Szamorodni, Tokaji Kereskedöhaz Rt.
1945 Château Belgrave
1970 Royal Tête de Cuvée, Bodegas Franco-Espanolas
1976 Pommard Grands Epenots, Michel Gaunoux
1964 Barolo Riserva della Meridiana, Bersano

Should be good! I wonder what the others will bring...

Thursday 18 June 2015

Two Times 2012 Kiwi Chardonnay

I opened these two to go with a big shrimp sandwich with lettuce and a home made lime mayonnaise.

2012 Chardonnay, Greywacke
Kevin Judd´s 2012 has a medium deep, smoky nose with notes of ripe yellow apples, banana peel, lemon cream, warm grass and hints of sun cream. Very good and of course young. A nice addition of oak.
The taste is big, upfront and yummy with notes of yellow apples, smoke, melon and toasted bread. The finish is long and warm, but the 14,5% are noticeable in the end. A candid wine that will need some bottle age.
87p   (tasted 2015/06)


2012 Mate´s Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu River
A bit restrained nose at first but with some air this blossoms into a beauty, with notes of wet stones, chalk, white currants, lemon peel and a touch of smoke. Laid back, deep and refined. Very, very good.
The taste is cool, focused and structured with notes of lemon peel, white currants, cold butter and a touch of cap gun smoke. The finish is long and persistent. Has a lovely balance. This is really good. And it should get even better with 3-5 years in the cellar. Just to compare, this has 13% alcohol.
92p   (tasted 2015/06)

Wednesday 17 June 2015

Four Expressions Of Pol Roger


It was time for our final tasting group get together for the season, and as usual Jacques offered up a nice tasting with a solid performance from Pol Roger.
Tasted double blind.

NV Rèserve Brut, Pol Roger
A young,cool, somehat restrained nose with notes of lemon peel, fresh mushrooms, gravel and fresh bread. Very nice. With air a fine aroma of fudge emerge.
The taste is elegant and a touch yeasty with notes of toasted bread, lemon cream, yellow apples and some grass. Long and fine with a good intensity. This is a very good NV that should age well.
91p   (tasted 2015/06)

2002 Brut Pol Roger
A cool refined, deep nose with notes of red currants, smoke, toasted bread and newly washed clothes. Very fine. Some elderberries. This is good!
The taste is racy and spicy with notes of gravel, red currants, cookie dough and some soapy notes. The finish is long, pure and creamy. Very, very good. Feels young and should age beautifully.
93p   (tasted 2015/06)



2002 Blanc de Blancs, Pol Roger
A deep, tight, focused nose with notes of toasted bread, red lemons, lme peel, fudge and a touch of mint. Very fresh and pure. A lovely nose. Still young.
The taste is young, tight and creamy with notes of buttercup flowers, butter cookies, sweet/sour lemons and gravel. The finish is long with a high, fresh acidity. Needs some more bottle age. Really good.
93p   (tasted 2015/06)

2002 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, Pol Roger
A pure, intense, beautiful nose with notes of sweet/sour lemons, rhubarb, almond paste, thai basil and gravel. This is gorgeous. Depth, focus and refinement. Still young though. Just lovely.
The taste is pure, intense and concentrated with notes of sweet/sour lemons, red currants, dry fudge, gravel and some smoke. A lovely mouth feel - power, refinement and class. This needs 5-8 years in the cellar and then it surely will be close to perfect.
96p   (tasted 2015/06)


Monday 15 June 2015

Just Bought


Some 1975 Chianti bottles have arrived. I have in the past had good experiences of Chianti´s from
this vintage, and these bottles from Castello dei Rampolla, Riecine and Montevertine should hopefully give me some more nice moments.

Saturday 13 June 2015

A Bottle Of Bubbly - 1998 Collection Millesimes, Georges Vesselle

Opened this bottle tonight for some pre dinner snacks for the guests and for some glasses for the cook, aka yours truly.

1998 Collection Millesime, Georges Vesselle
Degorced april 2015. The nose is open for business with lovely notes of mature red apples, roasted nuts, dry dark fudge, cigarette ashes and some mushrooms. Deep and very fine. Mature, round, ripe and beautiful. I love a mature Champagne nose like this one.
The taste follows the nose with a round, creamy character and notes of red apple juice, hazel nut cream, red liquorice, candied lemon peel and lots of warm gravel. The finish is long and dry with a fine acidity. It is easy to take big mouthfuls of this perfectly mature Champagne. Great stuff! Made up of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, but if I had gotten this blind I would have guessed a 50/50 blend.
93p   (tasted 2015/05)


Friday 12 June 2015

The Somewhereness Of Spottswoode - A Vertical Tasting Of Estate Cabernet Sauvignon


A have stolen the title above from a brochure that Beth Novak Milliken brought with her when she visited Stockholm some weeks ago. Divine invited and I really enjoyed the passion and honesty that Beth Novak dispalyed.
Info here.

2013 Sauvignon Blanc
First up, two vintages of their Sauvignon Blanc. The 2013 has an easy going, grassy nose with notes of elderberries, white currants and a hint of matchbox. Very good.
The taste is cool and fairly elegant with notes of grass, nettles and dried papaya. A fine acidity. A medium long, cool finish. For early consumption.
86p   (tasted 2015/05)


2014 Sauvignon Blanc
This is a different creature. The major components are the same but there is added depth and refinement. And a very fine creamy character. Very, very good.
The taste is more concentrated than the 2013 and the acidity is high and salivating. This is a fine bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that surely can develop over the coming 3+ years, although it is hard to resist today.
90p   (tasted 2015/05)

Then we had an impressive flight of the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, ranging from 1991 up to 2012.
1991 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Two bottles were opened. From the one I tasted first it showed a soft, mature nose with notes of plums, Christmas spices, dried up black currant jam and some chocolate aromas.
The taste is mature and warm with notes of red and black currants, dry earth, Christmas spices and leather. A tad short on the finish. I would have scored this bottle 85p, but then I got the chance to taste the second bottle and that displayed a fresher fruit, a better mid palate and a longer finish. But it is still a wine that have seen it best years.
88p   (tasted 2015/05)

1996 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
The 5 year younger Estate shows more vigour in the form, on the nose, of ripe black currants, expensive leather, graphite and tobacco. A very fine warmth and a nice depth. Very, very good.
The taste is almost fully mature with lots of fresh, ripe black currant fruit and additional notes of cold coffee, leather, plums and some smoke. A long, intense finish. This is good. Very drinkable now but will surely stay on this level for 5+ years.
91p   (tasted 2015/05)


2000 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
This 15 year old wine displays an impressive nose with notes of ripe black currants, graphite, fne tobacco, scorched earth and a hint of eukalyptus. Deep and complex. Really fine. Has begun its maturity but has a long way to go.
The taste is tight and focused with a fine core of sweet black currants and additional notes of blueberries, clay, lead pencil shavings and leather. The finish goes on for over a minute and ends with a dry twist. Drinking very weel today but I guess it will become even better with 5+ years in the cellar.
93p   (tasted 2015/05)

2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
A deep, warm and somewhat meaty nose with notes of sweet black currants, plums, hot earth and warm herbs. Good and deep but a bit chunky.
The taste is warm, open for business and fruity with notes of plums, asphalt, hot coffee and leather. Some maturity. A rather warm character. I would not gamble on this becoming better with age. The least impressive wine in the line up.
88p   (tasted 2015/05)

2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
And then the winner is poured. This beauty showcases a deep, refined nose with notes of just ripening black currants, blueberry bushes, graphite, sun warm rocks and a hint of expensive tobacco. Very, very fine. A perfumed note of cedar and gravel.
The taste is velvety yet firm with fine notes of ripe black currants, graphite, leather, spices and a hint of mint. Firmly polished tannins. Long and fine. This is really fine, and will become even better in 5+ years. Great wine!
95p   (tasted 2015/05)


2010 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2010 has obviously got a perfect score from Parker. Not from me, and that is what counts :-) But make no mistake, it is a really fine wine. The nose is deep and focused with notes of lead pencil shavings, black currant jam, spices, expensive leather and warm gravel. Intensity and refinement combined. Very, very good.
The taste is young, taut and concentrated with notes of ripe black currants, red liquorice, dark chocolate and warm spices. Velvety yet virile tannins. A long, long finish. This will become even better than today with 6-8 years in the cellar. But will it become a perfect wine? I doubt it. But who cares (except speculators), it is, as someone would say, an awesome wine!
94p   (tasted 2015/05)

2011 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
A young, fruity, open nose with notes of plums, Christmas spices, warm earth, a touch bonfire and some dark chocolate. Very good. A fine sweetness to the fruit. Should develop nicely over the years.
The taste is young, tight and focused with lots of ripe black currants, chocolate covered blueberries, black olives and tobacco. Fine, sandy tannins. Long and really fine. This is very, very good.
92p   (tasted 2015/05)

2012 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
The newest kid on the block displays a young, tight nose with notes of black currants, cigarette ash, bakelite and new leather. Very, very good. A fine coolness to the fruit. A bit restrained though, in a good way. Needs time.
The taste is young, tight and seedy with notes of red and black currants, gravel, tobacco and a touch of cinnamon. The finish is long and savoury. A nice, young mouth feel. This will surely turn out fine, just wait 6+ years.
91p   (tasted 2015/05)


Thursday 11 June 2015

The First Rosé Of The Season

Well, you could not say that summer is here. You can sit outside, if you have the proper thermo clothes on...
Still, I thought that a rosé would go well with the salmon I grilled, together with some aspagarus and a light mushroom cream, so this bottle became the first one this year.

2014 Bannockburn Pinot Noir Rosé, Domaine Road
The nose is light on its feet but persistant with notes of rhubarbs, red currants, rose petals and a hint of white pepper. A fine gravelly feeling about when it gets warmer. Very good.
The taste is medium bodied with a nice acidity and notes of red currants, rosehips, gravel and red liquorice. The finish is warm, it ends dry and works very well with the mushroom cream that compliments the grilled salmon. I could easily open another bottle of this wine. And I will.
88p   (tasted 2015/06)


Wednesday 10 June 2015

1997 Rosso di Montalcino Val di Suga, Tenimenti Angelini


The 1999 was really good lately, so I opened a 1997. They seem to have changed labels between 97 and 99, I prefer the old fashioned style of the label above.

1997 Rosso di Montalcino Val di Suga, Tenimenti Angelini
A mature, leathary nose with notes of dried plums, warm rosemary, veal stock and red liquorice. A very fine warmth. Fully mature. Big and a bit brawny, but very good all the same. Dried flowers after a while.
The taste is broad and ripe with notes of black currants, plums, violets, rosehips and old leather. A long, warm, structured finish. This is very good and drinking perfect with a roasted chicken. 
I don't know how many times I have heard that the 97's from Tuscany are long gone and equally many times the wines have proved those comments wrong. This is another one of those bottles.
88p   (tasted 2015/06)


Tuesday 9 June 2015

Ten Bottles Of 2008 Puligny-Montrachet, Etienne Sauzet


Sverker invited to a check up of the 2008 Puligny-Montrachet´s from Etienne Sauzet. A couple of years back he poured the 05´s. Thanks again!

Etienne Sauzet makes an impressive range from Puligny-Montrachet, they own land in six Premier Cru´s and buy grapes from a further three, so it was a real threat to taste through all of them and get a sense of the different terroirs.

2008 Puligny-Montrachet, Etienne Sauzet
The village wine has a light, cool, floral nose with notes of spicy lemons, cucumber and grey pears. Clean and subtle.
The taste is young, cool and elegant with notes of lemon peel, summer flowers and smoke. A high, salivating acidity. Fresh as a daisy. Very, very good.
90p   (tasted 2015/05)



2008 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain, Etienne Sauzet
The Champ Gain is a charmer with its refined nose, displaying notes of cold butter, melon, summer flowers and smoke. Deep and racy. This is really fine.
The taste is young, taut and polished with notes of sweet/sour lemons, star fruit, butter biscuits and tons of sweet minerals. A long, balanced finish. A very handsome wine that will age with grace.
From bought grapes.
93p   (tasted 2015/05)

2008 Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne, Etienne Sauzet
The La Garenne is stonier and more withdrawn with notes of lemon peel, earth, dried flowers and a touch of cinnamon. Warm gravel after a while. Deep. Very, very fine in its stony/earthy way.
The taste is chalky and racy with notes of white currants, gravel and dried flowers. A high acidity and a hint of warmth in the long finish. Will need time. Very, very good.
91p   (tasted 2015/05)


2008 Puligny-Montrachet Hameau de Blagny, Etienne Sauzet
The Hameau de Blagny shows it muscles with notes of pear ice cream, some tropical fruit, cookie dough and a hint of resin. Dense, in a very good way. A very fine fatness to the fruit. Deep and fine.
The taste is taut and structured with notes of lemon cream, lavender soap, butter biscuits and dried pineapple. A long, rich finish. A real charmer. Upfront fruit and a strong character. Great wine.
From bought grapes.
93p   (tasted 2015/05)

2008 Puligny-Montrachet La Truffière, Etienne Sauzet
Here´s a beauty! The nose is a dream with its notes of ripe yellow apples, Williamine pears, chalk, cold butter and a gorgeous smoky scent. Sooo elegant. A great depth and focus. Just stunning.
The taste is pure and concentrated with a lovely texture and notes of melon, yellow apples, smoke and milk chocolate fudge. The finish goes on for over a minute. A stern acidity. Will need some bottle age. This will become a real stunner.
From bought grapes.
95p   (tasted 2015/05)


2008 Puligny-Montrachet Les Perrières, Etienne Sauzet
%¤#"&%¤&#"¤ The only corked bottle thankfully but so frustrating all the same!

2008 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières, Etienne Sauzet
A deep, finely tuned nose with notes of lemon cream, shellfish, dried flowers and some fudge scents greats the nose when you sniff this neat wine. A fine smokiness evolves with time. Very, very good.
The taste is young, tight and chalky with notes of peach, lemon peel, dried flowers and smoke. A high, intense acidity. Long and fine. A bit on the structured side today but all the ingredients for something really fine are here.
91p   (tasted 2015/05)



2008 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet, Etienne Sauzet
A fine, deep nose with notes of dried apricots, birch sap, green tea, summer flowers and melted butter. A fine framework. Lots of intensity and depth. Lovely.
The taste is tight and structured with notes of sweet/sour lemons, almond paste, birch sap and a hint of a vanilla pod. A long, warm and pure finish. A lovely mouth feel. Could be drunk now but even better things will come with some cellar time. Great wine.
93p   (tasted 2015/05)

2008 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes, Etienne Sauzet
The Combettes shows of a deep, wilful nose with notes of almond paste, grey pears, bonfire, warm grass and melted butter. A lovely purity of the fruit. Very fine.
The taste is tight, pure and complex with notes of lemon cream, grey pears, almond cookies, smoke and dried flowers. The finish is long, long and beautifully structured. Great acidity. A beauty in the making.
94p   (tasted 2015/05)



2008 Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts, Etienne Sauzet
The best doesn´t always come last in line ups, but this time it was the case. The nose is a work of art, with stunning notes of ripe peaches, summer flowers, milk chocolate fudge, gravel and a hint of coconut. Truly great.
The taste is tight and seamless with notes of ripe red apples, sweet minerals, smoke, butter cookies and lemon cream. The finish goes on and on and on. It fills every nook and cranny in the mouth. Give this time and you will encounter perfection. Grand Cru level.
97p   (tasted 2015/05)