Saturday 31 October 2015

A Bottle Of Bubbly - 1995 Comtes de Champagne

At yesterday´s Montrose debauchery we started things of with this nectar. Almost as good as the 1996.

1995 Comtes de Champagne, Taittinger
The nose is deep, complex and multi layered with gorgeous notes of oyster shells, red apples, dry fudge, a touch of iron and floral aromas. Very, very fine. The scent of gravel after a rain. Very refined. And still young. Impressive.
The taste is taut and concentrated with ripe red fruits in the shape of currants and apples, with additional notes of chalk, grapefruit, iron and flowers. A racy acidity. Lot of nerve and finesse. Just lovely, this beauty will deliver pleasure for another 10+ years. Great wine!
96p   (tasted 2015/10)

Thursday 29 October 2015

What We Will Be Drinking Tonight - 100 Years Of Château Montrose

Sometimes a picture says more than a thousand words:


We will be drinking the following vintages, from left to right:
1911
1920
1928
1937
1945
1947
1949
1952
1959
1961
1970
1971
1975
1986
1989
1990
1996
2000
2003
2011

Notes to follow...

Wednesday 28 October 2015

2013 Pas Petite, Landin

Erica Landin, a Swedish wine journalist, can now also add winemaker to her business card. In 2013 she was able to pick grapes - 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Zinfandel - and do all those winemaker things that ended in the creation of one barrel of this wine (ca 300 bottles) at Kunde.

2013 Pas Petite, Landin
The nose is very young, upfront and frisky with notes of dark cherries, blackberries, grilled red bell peppers, ink and some asphalt. Very good. Still young of course, but has potential.
The taste is inky, juicy and highly drinkable despite its 14,5% alcohol. Lots of ripe blackberries, dark chocolate, aspahlt and lightly peppered meat. Fine, sappy tannins. A medium long finish. This will surely be even better with 3-5 years in the cellar. I bought some so I will find out. A very good first effort.
88p   (tasted 2015/10)


Saturday 24 October 2015

Drinking Tonight - 2008 Heytesbury Chardonnay, Vasse Felix


I needed a good Chardonnay to pair with the creamy fish soup I had prepared for tonight. I thought that this bottle would work. It did.

2008 Heytesbury Chardonnay, Vasse Felix
The 08 Heytesbury displays a deep, ripe, smoky nose with notes of lemon cream, summer flowers, sweet minerals, butter cookies, banana peel and lots of autumn leaves burning in the wind. Very, very good. A hint of maturity. Lovely yellow fruit. Great.
The taste is taut, structured and somewhat mature with fine notes of candied lemon peel, gravel, dried flowers and a hint of a Tahiti vanilla pod. A very fine acidity. A long, long fine finish that ends dry. This is a really fine bottle of Chardonnay. Will probably stay on this level for 5+ years.
93p   (tasted 2015/10)

Other vintages of Heytesbury Chardonnay tasted:
2009
2011
2012

 
 

Friday 23 October 2015

1993 Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Lechet, Domaine Jean Defaix


To go along with some nice spider crab I opened this mature Chablis.

1993 Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Lechet, Domaine Jean Defaix
A mature, round, chalky nose with notes of dried apricots, burnt butter, soap and moist earth. Very good. A fine maturity with some dried up sweetness.
The taste is dry and mature with notes of lemon cream, almond paste, caramel and minerals. A good backbone. Medium long. Very, very good. In a perfect drinking stage.
88p   (tasted 2015/10)

Tuesday 20 October 2015

The Ninth & Final Costa Brava Dispatch

Where I bought all my wine during our vacation...
Better late than never, right? About the time when you are planning the next summer vacation, here comes the last report from our weeks in Spain this summer.

These are the grapes allowed in the Empordà DO:
White: white and grey Garnatxa Blanca, Macabeu, Muscat à Petit Grains, Muoscatell d´Alexandria, Chardonnay, Gewûrztraminer, Malvosie, Piqpoul Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Xarel-lo.

Reds: Samsò, Garnatxa Tinta, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Monastrell, Tempranillo, Syrah and Garnacha Peluda, (or as it is called "hairy" Grenache!).

If I were to pick one grape that really made an lasting impression this summer it would be Samsò, or more known over the world as Carignan.
Planted in this north of Spain it proved again and again to produce, when the grower let it, world class wines.
This late post highlights two of these world class wines but also includes a Cabernet Sauvignon from Celler Santamaria, the oldest cellar still in business in Emporda.

2009 Vd´O2 Samsò - Morra, Vinyes d´Olivardots
This wine comes from a plot planted in 1909 and it consists of 100% Samsò. And it is a stunner! A deep, tight and concentrated nose with notes of sweet blueberries, violets, asphalt, rosé pepper and sugared coffee. Power, elegance and a hint of decadence! Great wine.
The taste is firm and steady with notes of blueberries, damsons, scorched earth, smoke and some dark chocolate. A very long, intense and balanced finish. Just brilliant. This I would like cases of! I paid 28 Euro for it in L´Estartit where we stayed for a week. More info here.
94p   (tasted 2015/07)



2008 Camí de Cormes, Roig Parals
Another 100% Samsò, this beauty shows of a deep, concentrated nose with notes of ripe blueberries, old, expensive balsamic vinegar, dried strawberries, smoke and undergrowth. Very fine and old fashioned.
The taste is tight and focused with notes of dried blueberries, cigar smoke, earth, spices and warm tiles. Restrained in a stunning manner. Lots of acidity. A long, complex finish. A lovely wine. The oldest part of the plot is from 1896, more info here.
93p   (tasted 2015/07)

2002 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Celler Santamaria
This is a whole another creature from the two above. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon but it behaves like a old fashioned Rioja from on one of the more traditional houses like Marqués de Riscal, Contino, Rioja Alta or CVNE. It has a big, somewhat mature, beautifully spicy nose with additional notes of dill, red currants, chocolate biscuits, dried strawberries and some red peppers. Very, very good.
The taste is tight, somewhat mature and distinct with notes of red currants, dried dill, some saw dust and old leather. A long, fine finish with a fine dried up warmth and smooth tannins. Very good! Info here.
91p   (tasted 2015/07)


A Tasting Session In Our Tasting Group - Sherry!


I have said it before and will probably say it again, and again - I drink way to little Sherry. Mikke poured these six examples a couple of weeks ago. Thanks for the reminder!
Four bottles were from Bodegas Tradicion, one was from Lustau and the last one was a auction find.

NV Fino Tradicion, Bodegas Tradicion
A young, upfront, nutty nose with notes of tangerines, birch leaves, pine nuts and green tea. Very fresh and salivating.
The taste is cool and a touch linear with notes of detergent, nuts, lemon candy and dry grass. Good but a bit angular. The nose is better. (Bottle no 2.844 out of 3.000 made).
85p   (tasted 2015/09)


NV Amontillado Tradicion 30 Anos, Bodegas Tradicion
A deep, intriguing nose with lovely notes of dried apricots, smoke, diesel oil, assorted nuts and band aid. Complex and fine.
The taste is big and steady with a fine dry character and notes of dried plums, band aid, sake and smoke. Long and refined. Very, very good. (Bottle no 5 out of 1.750 made).
91p   (tasted 2015/09)


NV Palo Cortado Tradicion 30 Anos, Bodegas Tradicion
A deep, ethereal nose with fantastic notes of decaying leaves, iodine, dry milk chocolate, nut cream and moist earth. Very complex and fine.
The taste is intense and multi layered with notes of dried orange peel, milk chocolate covered nuts, band aid and autumn leaves. A lovely balance between power and lightness. Very long and very, very fine. (Bottle no 681 out of 1.400 made).
93p   (tasted 2015/09)


NV Oloroso Tradicion 30 Anos, Bodegas Tradicion
A big, outgoing, intense nose with notes of ski wax, nougat, detergent, stale nuts and a hint of tar. Very complex and utterly gorgeous.
The taste is forceful yet light on its feet with a stunning balance and notes of dried apricots, linoleum, pan fried nuts, soap and dried flowers. The finish is counted in minutes. A beautiful wine, I got the get me some of these. (Bottle no 884 out of 1.650 made).
94p   (tasted 2015/09)

NV Amontillado El Carro Single Cask, Lustau
A mature and a touch foursquare nose with notes of dried yellow fruit, hay, soaked wood in a kind of Grappa way. Some thought is was lightly corked, but I didn´t, it is just not that good.
The taste is better than the nose with a nice intensity and notes of dried apricots, old chocolate, fire smoke and tar. Very, very long finish. A very good taste but not so good on the nose. (Bottle no 311 out of 600 made).
86p   (tasted 2015/09)




NV Old Sherry, Williams & Humbert
Believed to be from the 1930´s. The nose is big, deep and sweet with notes of plum liquor, ripe apricots, smoke, oilcloth, dried honey and hay. Very, very deep. A lovely maturity. Good!
The taste is sweet, long and concentrated with notes of plum jam, nougat, moist earth, ripe oranges and a touch of detergent. Very, very good.
90p   (tasted 2015/09)

Saturday 17 October 2015

Cleaning Out My Closet - Those Empties Has To Go!

Have you ever got that question - "why do keep those empty bottles"? Because I can! And because they are reminders of great dinners, tastings and friendship.

But now we had to make room for other (less important...) stuff, so today I emptied a great portion of my saved bottles. 28 bottles of Mouton... I could have filled them up, Rudy Kurniawan style and made a fortune! :-)











Friday 16 October 2015

Friday Dinner Barolo - 1993 Barolo, Valfieri


It was quite some time since I opened a Barolo for Friday dinner. That sort of ignorance can´t go on forever, so here is a Barolo for Friday dinner!

1993 Barolo, Valfieri
Popped and poured, and it needed some time in the glass to come around. But when it did, fine notes of sweet/sour cherries, hard cherry candy, dry liquorice, birch sap and a moist forest floor emerges from the glass. Mature but not overly so. Medium deep and fine.
The taste is dry, mature and structured with notes of dried cherries, bonfire, rosehips, dried flowers and undergrowth. Some dry tannins that effectively cleans the palate. Long and with a fine warmth. This I like.
88p   (tasted 2015/10)

Some previous Friday Dinner Baroli:
http://barolista.blogspot.se/2013/01/the-friday-dinner-barolo-1997-vigna.html
http://barolista.blogspot.se/2013/02/friday-dinner-barolo-1978-moscone.html
http://barolista.blogspot.se/2013/02/friday-dinner-barolo-19-giuseppe.html

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Two More 1997´s From Tuscany

I keep diminishing my stash of bottles from this fine vintage. These went well with a grilled steak, owen roasted root vegetables and a red wine sauce.

1997 Chianti Classico Riserva, San Giusto a Rentennano
An ample, mature, round nose with notes of boiled black cherries, undergrowth, old leather and heaps of pipe tobacco. Very good but a bit in-your-face. A fine warmth though.
The taste is spicy, warm and mature with notes of ripe black cherries, mushrooms, liquorice and sweet tobacco. A long, warm finish. A bit loose around the edges but holds up nicely over the evening.
87p   (tasted 2015/09)


1997 Vigneto Le Contessine, Le Macchiole
This Bolgheri bottle displays all the great things that I associate with the 1997 vintage (that so many have wrongly labeled as fast maturing, over the top wines, see links below for an array of great 97´s).
The nose is deep, pure and fascinating with its still vibrant cherry fruit and additional notes of rosemary, violets, Tuscan gravel and a tiny, complex scent of cow feces in a distance... Very, very fine. Some maturity but this has a long way to go.
The taste is tight, warm and inviting with notes of perfectly ripe cherries, violets, dried herbs, raspberry liquorice and sunwarm gravel. A long, velvety finish with a fine acidity and a lovely dry ending. A very fine wine indeed.
94p   (tasted 2015/09)

Brunello´s from 1997
Tuscan greats from 1997

Monday 12 October 2015

Exploring The Forgotten Side Of Bordeaux - Chapter XII

Well, this was not much fun. Carbonnieux can be very good, as the 1982 showed a while back. But this...


1979 Chateau Carbonnieux
Corked!

1989 Chateau Carbonnieux
A ripe, over mature nose with notes of old wrinkled red apples, dusty earth, a touch of sherry and some plastic. A bit flat. Alive, but not good.
The taste is better than the nose with more structure and cleaner, with notes of a dry apple pie, autumn leaves, balsa wood and lemon cream. A medium long, good finish.
76p   (tasted 2015/10)

1999 Chateau Carbonnieux
The 99 is by far the best and even very good, but it is not a great wine. The nose is medium deep and slightly mature with notes of lanolin, sweet lemons, dry honey and some glue. Very good.
The taste is youngish and tight with notes of oilcloth, candied lemons, gravel and a hint of oyster shells. A medium long, dry finish. Very good.
86p  (tasted 2015/10)


Thursday 8 October 2015

This Is What A Dinner Should Be Like - The Follow Up

This was a follow up dinner to this fantastic dinner. Same guests, a few (hopefully) fine wines and some nice things to eat.

1989 Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Trocken, Georg Breuer
A cool, mature, slate dominated nose with some additional notes of dried apricots, wet suit and dry grass. Good.
The taste is mature, dry and nicely salty with notes of dried yellow apples, rubber and crushed rocks. A fine acidity. Fine with the food but a tad too dry on its own.
86p   (tasted 2015/09)


1999 Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Tocken, Robert Weil
#¤%&!#!%&¤ Corked!

1997 Dürnsteiner Kellerberg Riesling, F.X. Pichler
This was a replacement for the corked Weil bottle. And what a replacement! The nose is deep, hauntingly beautiful with a hint of maturity and notes of dry mango, spices, yellow plums, candied lemon peel, matchbox and lavender. Very complex and fine. Great wine.
The taste is big and steady yet with a ballerinas balance and refinement. Lovely notes of sweet/sour lemons, spices, banana peel, summer flowers and chalk. Very long and intense. A great cleansing acidity. The guesses were on a 10 year younger wine. I need to find more of Pichlers wines.
93p   (tasted 2015/09)


1989 Meursault Le Clos de Tavaux, Francois Gaunoux
A mature, rich, fine nose with notes of old wrinkled yellow apples, melted butter, plastic, hay and some smoke. A ripe, interesting nose with a fine maturity.
The taste is big, round and warm with notes of dried yellow plums, lemon candy earth and smoke. A medium long finish with a nice balance and warmth. In a perfect state of maturity.
90p   (tasted 2015/09)

1985 Pommard Les Epenots, Francois Gaunoux
"=%¤(&!%¤#" Corked! A second bottle! Well, another replacement hits the table...

1993 Gevrey-Chambertin La Perrière, Domaine Heresztyn
And yet again, what a replacement! This Gevrey dispalys a cool, refined nose with some maturity and fine notes of raspberries, sweet lingonberries, forest floor and perfume. Very fine. A restrained beauty.
The taste is tight and finely tuned with notes of lingonberries, forest floor, dried flowers, herbs and a touch of liquorice. A very fine acidity. Long and eleagnt. Really, really good and on top of its game. A handsome wine.
92p   (tasted 2015/09)



1989 Pommard Les Rugiens, Francois Gaunoux
The other Pommard from Gaunoux is luckily not corked. A deep, sweet, somewhat murky nose arises from the glass with notes of dried raspberries, cooked root vegetables, stale Coca-Cola, rosehip and meat stock. A nice complexity but it feels older than a 89. Very good though.
The taste is big and earthy with lots of dried up raspberry sweetness and notes of old chocolate, forest floor and beet root. A old fashioned structure. I like it, although I imagine that other bottles could be more in line with a 26 year old Pommard. I have more, so I will find out in due course.
89p   (tasted 2015/09)


1989 Château Lafleur
Well, well, the second Lafleur in a months time - life is good! Especially since this bottle rocked the world. The last bottle of 89 Lafleur I opened was corked...:-(
This fantastic creature has a deep, profound, still tight nose with notes of dark plums, corinthians, graphite, black currants, moist earth and sunwarm rocks. Ethereal in the purest sense of the word. Just beautiful and stunningly great. And still on the young side of things.
The taste is tight, concentrated and pure with notes of red and black currants, plums, charcoal, earth and a hint of veal stock. The finish is counted in minutes and every molecule is in the right place. There are some velvety tannins that pokes through in the end of the finish. In a perfect world, wait another 6-8 years, but hey, it is almost perfect now.
98p   (tasted 2015/09)


1989 Château de Sales
1964 de Sales was in fine shape earlier this year. Lets see what the 89 delivers. The nose is big, warm and mature with notes of ripe black plums, smoke, Christmas spices and earth. Very good. A bit rustic but in a good way.
The taste is big and creamy with ripe black fruit, soft tannins and a long, warm finish. Some black plums, some asphalt and some dusty chocolate. A very good mouth ful of mature Pomerol.
90p   (tasted 2015/09)


1989 Vieux Château Certan
Aaaaah, what a hedonistic, gorgeous nose, full to the brim with notes of mucovado sugar dusted plums, moist undergrowth, leather and pipe tobacco. In style, just between the two wines above, but with the concentration turned up to eleven. Stunning wine and in a perfectly mature stage.
The taste is very deep, warm and concentrated with notes of ripe black plums, candle grease, some barnyardy notes, tobacco and liquorice. Very, very long and focused. Great wine!
96p   (tasted 2015/09)

1989 Quarts de Chaume, Domaine des Baumard
A wonderful, deep, concentrated nose with notes of lavender honey, sweet/sour yellow plums, smoke, olicloth and a touch of hay. Layers upon layers. Very complex. Utterly gorgeous.
The taste delivers what the nose promises, with stunning notes of candied orange peels, oilcloth, honey and a sliver of iron. The acidity is perfect. Long, long finish with a lovely intensity. Verging on mature, this has a long way to go. Impressive!
95p   (tasted 2015/09)



Tuesday 6 October 2015

Two Bottles Of 2010 Brunello

Is this really the heralded great vintage everyone is talking about? 
Lets find out by taking two bottles for a test drive. More bottles to follow.
Both popped and poured and followed for an evening and the day after.

2010 Brunello di Montalcino Val di Suga, Tenimenti Angelini
Val di Suga usually delivers a nice Brunello in the more affordable price segment. 
The nose is open, warm and spicy with notes of cherries, asphalt, violets and sweet minerals. Some wood in the background. Medium deep. Very good. A touch warmer and denser the second day. Should develop nicely with 3-5 years in the cellar.
The taste is young, tight and warm with notes of sweet/sour cherries, gravel, dried herbs and violets. Lots of firm tannins in the long, warm finish. On the following day it is a tad more restrained. Very good.
89p   (tasted 2015/10)


2010 Brunello di Montalcino, Uccelliera
This beauty has a deep, refined nose with notes of ripe cherries, raspberry liquorice, damp earth, expensive leather and a gorgeously perfumed scent. Really, really fine. But you can sense that there is a firm structure behind all the sweet fruit.
The taste is young, tight and pure with lovely notes of black cherries mixed with rosemary and a touch of balsamic vinegar. Sweet gravel and leather is also present. The finish goes on for minutes and the tannin structure peeks through at the very end. Very, very fine. This is a keeper, great now but will be brilliant in 5-7 years time. I´m buying.
94p   (tasted 2015/10)

Saturday 3 October 2015

A Bottle Of Bubbly - NV Instant Brut Blanc de Blancs, Pertois-Lebrun


A tasting sample from Selected Champagne. Pertois-Lebrun is a small (15.000 bt/year) producer based in Cramant. They own land in five Grand Cru villages - Cramant, Choilly, Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger, Oiry and Oger.
This wine is made from grapes from Choilly, Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger and Oger. The base is 2008 - a great vintage! - and was bottled in July 2009 after malo. It was degorced in December 2014 and has a 6 gr dosage.
More info here.

NV Instant Brut Blanc de Blancs, Pertois-Lebrun
A young, fresh, distinct nose with notes of yellow apples, lemon zest, white flowers, fudge and a hint of coffee latte. A salivating nose. Crushed rocks. Very, very good.
The taste is young and focused with notes of white currants, lemon cream, mineral, dry fudge and warm grass. A long and fresh finish. A fine acidity. This is good. For drinking now and the upcoming 6+ years. I will be ordering some. It works great with some truffle potato chips before dinner.
91p   (tasted 2015/10)

Another point of view (in Swedish)

 

Friday 2 October 2015

Drinking Tonight - 1996 Pommard Les Perrières, Domaine Raymond Launay

To go along a pasta dish with chicken, tarragon, mushrooms, mustard and a generous amount of cream and parmesan cheese, I opened this (hopefully) mature Pommard.

1996 Pommard Les Perrières, Domaine Raymond Launay
Popped and poured. A bit funky at first, but it opens up nicely in the glass, with notes of dried strawberries, warm herbs, tobacco and the fine aroma of a forest floor after a autumn rain. Medium deep. A hint of bonfire and veal meat. A fine sweetness to the fruit. Very good.
The taste is warm, dry and mature with notes of dried red berries, dry tobacco, herbs, tobacco and earth. A bit rustic in the end, in a good way. A very good acidity. Worked really well with the food. A fine maturity. A nicely aged Pommard on this Friday evening. Too bad this was the only bottle I had.
88p   (tasted 2015/10)
 

 

Thursday 1 October 2015

Drinking Tonight - 2002 Volnay Les Petits Poisots, Patrick Clémencet

Work has been hell lately, so tasting notes have been piling up. But here is a quick note of what I opened tonight.

2002 Volnay Les Petits Poisots, Patrick Clémencet
A nicely matured nose with notes of a damp forest floor, dried raspberries, rhubarb, smoke and a touch of veal stock. A bit old fashioned in a nice style. Very good.
The taste is velvety and mature with a fine acidity and notes of lingonberries, dried raspberries, smoke, Christmas spices and dry chocolate. A medium long, dry, fine finish. Not heaps of complexity but a very nice aged Burgundy for a Thursday evening.
87p   (tasted 2015/10)