Wednesday 31 August 2016

A 2007 Henri Boillot Vertical & Some Additional Rieslings


S invited to a vertical of Boillot - how could I refuse!? :-)
We knew that the theme was 2007, other than that the Boillot were tasted blind. The other wines tasted double blind.

2015 Riesling Von Der Fels, Keller
Some young, fresh Riesling started the evening. The nose is cool and elegant with notes of lemon peel, white peach, spices and some flinty aromas. Focused and fine.
The taste is young and spicy with notes of grey pears, grass, peach and minerals. A touch of matchbox in the long finish. Excellent acidity. Will turn out great.
91p   (tasted 2016/08)

2007 Puligny-Montrachet, Henri Boillot
The village P-M started the line up, with a fine, creamy nose with notes of yellow apples, melon and smoke. Very good. There are some green notes here and there. Still young.
The taste is tight and fine with notes of melon, lemon cream and some dried apricots. A medium long, balanced finish. Very, very good. Could/should still be cellared.
89p   (tasted 2016/08)

2007 Meursault Genevriéres, Domaine Henri Boillot
The only Meursault shows a big, smoky nose with notes of warm gravel, ripe yellow fruits, summer flowers and a hint of roasted nuts. Very, very good. A fine purity, like newly washed clothes, drying in the wind.
The taste is tight and concentrated with notes of candied lemon, ripe melon, spices and lots of sweet minerals. A hint of oak in the finish, which is long and structured. A hint of grapefruit bitterness. This is good!
92p   (tasted 2016/08)


2007 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières, Henri Boillot
A forward, intense nose with notes of grilled lemons, almond paste, dried flowers and pine nuts. Rich and handsome. Dried flowers after some time in the glass.
The taste is seedy and warm with notes of lemon cream, matchbox, warm grass and chalk. Very long and broad. A fine warmth. There is lots going on here and it is goood!
93p   (tasted 2016/08)


2007 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchere, Domaine Henri Boillot
One of my all time favourites, going back to the mid eighties, is showing fine on this night. The nose is spicy and rich with notes of ripe lemons, warm sand, dry fudge and smoke. Very deep and fine.
The taste is stony and intense with notes of grilled lemons, summer flowers, minerals and a fine weighty feeling in the long, long finish. Me like!
93p   (tasted 2016/08)

2007 Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets, Henri Boillot
The Caillerets is a masterpiece. The nose is deep and refined with stunning notes of ripe melon, candied lemon peel, cucumber and rich clay. Powerful yet light on its feet. Really fine.
The taste is tight, focused and precise with notes of grilled lemons, clay, some nutty aromas and lots of summer flowers. Long, long, long. Beautifully crafted. Still young.
96p   (tasted 2016/08)


2007 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles, Domaine Henri Boillot
This doesn´t hold the class of the others, and there are guesses of another origin than Burgundy. The nose is big and a bit clumpsy with notes of warm grass, soap, toasted bread and bakelite. Warm. Medium deep. Good but not more.
The taste is big and warm with notes of apricots, warm grass, earth and butter cookies. Long and warm. Doesn´t have the finesse of the others, although its not a bad drink.
85p   (tasted 2016/8)

2008 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchere, Domaine Henri Boillot
This was opened as an encore, after we finished the flight. The nose is cool and creamy with notes of smoke, ripe lemons, cold butter and matchbox. Very refined. Very young. A really fine after-the-rain kind of scent. This is going places.
The taste is seamless and spicy with notes of grilled lemons, grass, star fruit and smoke. Long. long and rewarding, with a high acidity. More complete than the 07. A truly great wine in the making.
95p   (tasted 2016/08)


2015 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Schloss Lieser
To wind us down, some Riesling´s were poured. This Kabinett has a light, fresh nose with notes of pears, earth, basil and mineral. A bit ascetic, but very good.
The taste is seedy and tight with notes of grapefruit, lime and minerals. A very high acidity. Needs time. Very, very pure.
89p   (tasted 2016/08)



2004 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spätlese, Dönnhoff
A deep, medium dry, intense nose with notes of ripe peach, diesel oil and earth. Very pure and fine. Some apricots after a while. Racy. Very, very good.
The taste has entered maturity with fine notes of grey pears, lemon juice, minerals and grass. A long, long, aristocratic finish with a fine cleansing acidity. Really fine.
93p   (tasted 2016/08)

2001 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Joh. Jos. Prüm
A deep, gorgeous, ethereal nose with notes of candied lemons, elderberries, smoke, grey pears and spices. A touch of maturity. Very, very deep. Just stunning.
The taste is brilliant with purity and freshness, with notes of ripe pears, moist earth, sage, spices and a hint of petrol. A one minute long finish and a racy acidity. Has just entered the first stages of maturity, this will go on forever. Glad I have some.
95p   (tasted 2016/08)



Monday 29 August 2016

Two Mature Montepulciano's

These were opened a couple of days apart to go with dinner - one evening with a rich veal pasta & one evening with some truffle salami and a long aged Serrano.

1995 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Tenuta Trerose, Tenimenti Angelini
This has a mature, deep and forward nose with notes of ripe black cherries, sweet liquorice, dusty earth and some milk chocolate scents. A very good, warm nose.
The taste is warm, soft and expressive with notes of chocolate covered cherries, undergrowth, rosemary and tobacco. Long and warm. Drinking great today. Very, very good.
88p   (tasted 2016/08)


1996 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Cerraia
A big, ripe, mature nose with notes of dried cherries, herbs, dry chocolate and some tobacco aromas. A bit angular, although good. Nice enough. A fine warmth.
The taste is tight, seedy and warm with notes of ripe cherries, dry liquorice, herbs and gravel. The finish is long, sturdy and warm. Not for keeping, just for drinking.
86p   (tasted 2016/08)


Sunday 28 August 2016

Five Bottles Of Spanna & One Bottle Of Inferno From The Greatest Vintage Ever...


...which, as everyone knows, is 1964!
It was my turn to host our tasting groups monthly tasting. I opened these.

Spanna is the local name for Nebbiolo in the eastern Piedmont, where the DOCG Gattinara is situated. Gattinara is known for producing wines that can age for decades, and judging from these bottles, surely as long as the more celebrated wines from Barolo. And these can still be bought for a song.
All decanted 1,5 hours before the first pour.

1964 Spanna, G. Troglia
A deep, spicy nose with notes of dried cranberries, Asian spices, dried strawberries and lots and lots of rose petals. A very fine dried up sweetness. Very, very good. Kept on evolving for the couple of hours we had them in our glasses.
The taste is tight, mature and dry with notes of lingonberries, sand, undergrowth and mushrooms. A medium long, balanced finish. Very good. Not a bit dried out.
89p   (tasted 2016/08)


1964 Spanna, Fratelli Berteletti
A stunner from the first pour until the last sip. The nose is big, mature and velvety with notes of dried black cherries, liquorice, asphalt and dried flowers. Very deep. Some coffe ground notes after a while. Very much alive and kicking.
The taste is broad and steady with notes of black olives, dried mushrooms, rosehips and warm gravel. Long and rich. This is really good. Given this blind I would have guessed it to be from the 80´s. Will go on for another 20 years.
93p   (tasted 2016/08)


1964 Spanna Santachiara, Mario Antoniolo
On paper, the best of the bunch. Antoniolo is a well known producer of high quality Spanna, but unfortunately, this bottle have probably spend part of its life in a very warm place - big, blowsy, with detergent, moldy and cooked notes. The taste is dry, dark and rather hollow. Tasteable but not really drinkable.
63p   (tasted 2016/08)


1964 Inferno, Enologica Valtellinese
The dark horse in the line up. Made from the same grape, Nebbiolo, although in Valtellina it is known as Chiavennasca. I, who knew the order, thought it had a slight different character. The nose is light, mature and finely perfumed with notes of red currants, dried strawberries, gravel and some cigarette ashes. A high, pure nose. Perfectly mature.
The taste is cool and elegant with fine mature red fruit and stony notes. A medium long, balanced finish with velvety tannins. As with the others, has held up great over the years. Very, very good.
89p   (tasted 2016/08)


1964 Spanna Riserva, Umberto Fiore
My second favourite in the line up. This Spanna shows a deep, warm nose with notes of ripe red cherries, liquorice, spices and beet root juice. Some soapy aromas comes through with air. Complex and fine. Mature of course, but wears its 52 years with ease.
The taste is broad and tight with notes of dried red and black cherries, forest floor, spices and tobacco. A long, warm finish with still a good punch. Drinking great on this evening and bottles like this would go on for another 10 years.
91p   (tasted 2016/08)


1964 Spanna, Cantine Curti
The last bottle in the line up displays a mature nose with notes of dried red fruits, warm gravel, dried flowers and some detergent scents. A touch of VA. A little loose around the edges. Good though.
The taste is cool, mature and seady with notes of lingonberries, gravel, moist earth and band aid. A medium long finish that ends dry. Has past its prime but still has some vigour. Went well with the food.
82p   (tasted 2016/08)




Friday 26 August 2016

Lots & Lots Of Bubbles!

These have been tasted/drunk over the last month or two, at tasting or on their own.

NV Exaltation Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, Pertois-Lebrum
This bubbly shows of a deep, refined notes with lots of fresh green apples and additional notes of ginger bread cookies, dry fudge, crushed rocks and some grassy notes. Complex and very fine.
The taste is young, concentrated yet snappy with notes of white currants, butter cookies, green apple sorbet and minerals. Long and focused. Very, very good.
92p   (tasted 2016/07)


2007 Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, Pertois-Lebrun
A fine, creamy nose with notes of white and red currants, matchbox, lime peel and summer flowers. Elegant and fine. A hint of white chocolate after some time in the glass. Really good.
The taste is racy and tight with notes of white flowers, crushed flint, lime peel and a hint of vanilla fudge. A long, stony finish with a fine acidity. This is goood!
92p   (tasted 2016/07)



1964 Brut, Réne Brisset
Old, a bit cranky, but still hanging in there. Notes of old wrinkled apples, pecan pie and moist earth pushes up from the glass. Good.
The taste is soft, mature and earthy with notes of a cold Tarte Tatin, overripe melon and decaying flowers. This must have rather "sweet" in its youth. There is a tiny sparkle on the tongue from the last surviving bubbles.
76p   (tasted 2016/08)

2010 Brut Rosé. Louis Roederer
I have drunk this beauty on three occasions and it has performed splendidly every time. The nose is deep, ethereal and beautiful with notes of rose petals, ripe blood oranges, mineral, sea buckthorn and wild strawberries. A true deligth.
The taste is young, intense and wonderful with notes of red currants, blood oranges, dried strawberries and a lovely salty touch. A long. long finish with a fine acidity. A truly fine wine now, and the coming 10+ years.
95p   (tasted 2016/07)


NV Special Cuvée, Bollinger
This almost always shows its class with a deep, forceful yet refined nose with notes of raspberries, smoke and a touch of wood. I like it.
The taste is a fine balance between power and finesse with notes of red apples, smoke and red liquorice. There is a fine acidity piercing through the finish. This will get even better with cellaring.
90p   (2016/06)



NV Rosé, Bollinger
Aaah, this is a stunner! The nose explodes from the glass with notes of ripening strawberries, moist earth, gravel and a touch of smoke. Very complex and lively. Gorgeous!
The taste is young, tight and compelx with notes of cinnamon dusted strawberries, red liquorice, warm gravel and smoke. Long and fascinating, Really fine.
92p   (tasted 2016/06)

2005 La Grande Année, Bollinger
The 05 La Grande Année is a big wine! Maybe a tad so. There is no denying its qualities, with a deep, broad nose with notes of ripe blood grape, smoke, banana peel and candle grease. It may lack some in the elegance compartment. Very, very good though.
The taste is big, broad and forceful with notes of ripe yellow fruit, chrushed rocks, undergrowth and smoke. The end is rather heavy but it holds everything in place, I guess that this need a couple of years in the cellar to come together.
90p   (tasted 2016/06)



2005 La Grande Année Rosé, Bollinger
As with the NV, the Rosé is the superior wine, The nose is deep and refined, with notes of wild strawberries, cool red cherries, freshly washed clothes and some sandy scents. Deep, restrained and gorgeous.
The taste is tight and focused with notes of ripe lingonberries, wild strawberries, cigarette smoke and blood orange jam. It is long, complex and soooo yummy!
93p   (tasted 2016/06)

2002 R.D., Bollinger
The 2002 R.D. is a work of art. The nose is a melange of notes, consisting of raspberry liquorice, earth, butter cookies, wood smoke, sweet rosemary and gravel. It is a lightness to its heavyness. Just great.
The taste is big, concentrated and really focused with notes of sweet red berries, grape fruit, red liquorice, warm gravel and smoke. Long abd fascinating. This is great now, will be great in 5 years time and surely in 15 years time.
95p   (tasted 2016/06)


2002 Brut, Paul Bara
A fine, open, creamy nose with lots of red apples and additional notes of cake dough, mushrooms and a hint of cinnamon. Deep and complex. It got a fine roundness to it. A hint of maturity.
The taste is younger than the nose with notes of a dry Tarte Tatin, undergrowth, dried flowers and smoke. A long, lingering finish. Very, very good.
91p   (2016/07)

NV L´Accomplie, Savart
This 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay blend shows of a fresh, pure nose with notes of white peaches, ripening red apples and gravel. Cool and fine.
The taste is young and tight with notes of red grapefruit, warm grass, dark fudge and crushed flint. still very young, needs time.
88p   (tasted 2016/06)



2008 Brut, Palmer & Co
Another really fine 08, with a young, creamy nose, with notes of ginger, crushed rocks, sandel wood and dried up lemon curd. Very, very fine. Still very young of course.
The taste is young, tight and mineraly with notes of lemon cream, pickled ginger, gravel and dried flowers. A fine, steely acidity. In 4-6 years this should be great.
91p   (tasted 2016/06)

Wednesday 24 August 2016

2011 Dead Arm Shiraz, d´Arenberg

Sometimes you just have to indulge yourself in a upfront, juicy, in-your-face kind of wine. And the Dead Arme rellay fit the bill. The 2008 tasted here.

2011 Dead Arm Shiraz, d´Arenberg
A big, spicy, warm but yet seedy nose with notes of ripe blackberries, blueberry pie scents, sweet tobacco and shoe polish. A bit of VA, in a nice way. Very likable if you are in to these kind of wines - as I am from time to time, again and again...
The taste is warm, ripe, focused and intense with notes of dark cherries, liquorice, chewing tobacco and some green peppers at the end. Big and bold, but it carries a cooler character than some previous vintages. Me like!
91p   (tasted 2016/08)

In between phones - I lifted this pic from the d´Arenberg website

Sunday 21 August 2016

A 23 Bottle Evening With Some Great Surprises

The tasting season started with a bang. M invited and the weather was on our side, so we could sit outside all evening long, with the grill working in the background, eating and talking about wine!
All wines tasted double blind, except for the one I brought.

NV Prestige Blanc de Blancs, Pierre Gerbais
A new producer for me, this bottle delivers the goods, with fine notes of assorted nuts, white currants, oyster shells and some smoky aromas. Very fine.
The taste is tight and fresh with juicy yellow fruit and notes of freshly cut chalk, lemon peel and flowers. A fine acidity. Really good.
91p   (tasted 2016/08)


2015 Riseling Trocken, Keller
A young, upfront nose with notes of kaffir lime leaves, grey pear and gooseberries. Light and perky.
The taste is young, dry and sprightly with a high acidity and notes of pears, mineral and lime. Very good.
87p   (tasted 2016/08)

2015 Scheurebe Trocken, Keller
A very fine, interesting nose with notes of lime cream, chalk, grapefruit and dried flowers. A very handsome nose. Racy.
The taste is young and dry, and you could almost imagine that this is made out of pressed rocks, not grapes, very stony, chalky and mineral driven. And very, very good. Gonna get me some.
91p   (tasted 2016/08)


2015 Limestone Riesling Kabinett Goldcap, Keller
This beauty displays a focused, intense nose with notes of dry mango, some diesel oil, yellow pears and star fruit. Very complex. Deep and lovely.
The taste is tight and concentrated with notes of lemon peel, flint, pears and a hint of matchbox. A long, racy finish with a high acidity. Gorgeous, and will get even better with 3-5 years in the cellar.
92p   (tasted 2016/08)

2005 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Willi Schaefer
A somewhat mature, broad nose with notes of dried apricots, petrol, earth and a whiff of dried strawberries. Very good.
The taste is mature, dry and fine with notes of dried up orange jam, resin, warm rocks and some grassy notes. Drinking fine tonight, but shouldn´t be cellared longer.
89p   (tasted 2016/08)





2004 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese, Dönnhoff
A big, mature and a bit foursquare nose with notes of dry honey, varnish and dried pine apple. A bitt odd.
The taste is dry and mature with notes of almond paste, blood orange peel, diesel oil and dried flowers. We guessed it to be much older than a 04. Not an ok bottle?
82p   (tasted 2016/08)

2011 Abtserde Riesling Spätlese, Keller
What a wine! A deep, complex nose rises from the glass with stunning notes of spice, sweet lime, lemon curd, chive and chalk. Just lovely. A long, lingering smoky scent comes and goes.
The taste is young, tight and concentrated with notes of ripe lemons and lime, cucumber, summer flowers and sweet minerals. A steely acidity. Great wine!
95p   (tasted 2016/08)



2009 Huber Chardonnay, Diatom
These Diatom´s have been hits or misses through the years. Sometimes they can controle the richness and alcohol into a fine California Chardonnay. Other times it is a alcoholic mess with over sweet fruit. This was however somewhere in between.
The nose is big and blowsy with very ripe yellow fruit and notes of sour milk, sun warm rocks, butter cookies and smoke. A bit of a mess, but not a total one.
The taste is big and broad with notes of cooked parsnips, lemon cream, decaying flowers and warm rocks. The finish is long and very dry, almost like licking on blotting paper. Not my kind of wine.
76p   (tasted 2016/08)

After the whites followed flight after flight with reds - it was a tough work - and the first three was an interesting comparison of styles.
2002 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux, Comte Armand
We had this at a vertical of Clos des Epeneaux six years ago, and then I thought it needed just 5-7 years more. Here we are, 6 years later, and what happened? It has entered a dormant stage - according to this bottle anyway - with a deep, warm but restrained nose with notes of root vegetables, moist forest floor, dark liquorice and some wood scents. The nose shouts "wait for me another 5 years". I will.
The taste is tight and seedy with notes of dried cherries, beets, earth and rosehips. The finish is long an promising but rather locked up. Judging from this bottle, give this another 5-7 years in the cellar, but I would venture that it will need even more time. Today, a bit angular.
85p   (tasted 2016/08)



2000 Barbaresco Bric Balin, Moccagatta
Aaaaah, right after I dipped my nose in the glass I made one of the foolish promised one could give - "if this isn´t Nebbiolo I am giving up wine drinking"..... fortunately it turned out to be a fine bottle of Nebbiolo :-)
The nose is just entering maturity with lovely notes of red cherries, rose petals, a moist mushroom forest and some dry leather scents. Very, very fine.
The taste is dry and mouth coating with notes of red and black cherries, rosehips, rosemary and asphalt. A long, long, lingering finish with a fine tannin structure. On the verge of maturity, this Barbaresco is a fine bottle to drink now and the coming 10+ years.
92p   (tasted 2016/08)

1995 Tinta Crianza, Teofilo Reyes
This was a curve ball, no one was even close to guessing its origin. The nose is big and outgoing with notes of cooked cherries, sweet liquorice, smoke and lots of warm earth.
The taste is warm yet seedy and rather tight with notes of liquroce, black cherries, warm spices and scorched earth. Long and warm. Very good.
88p   (tasted 2016/08)


The next flight really caught us of guard. Double blind, all of us were sure that we were deep inside Rhone territory, the only thing we were arguing about were if it was 100% Syrah or if all or some were blends...
2013 Saperavi Premium, Askaneli Brothers
Oh yes, I should have noticed the tell tale signs of Saperavi... Anyway, the nose shows a fine, cool, seedy character with notes of freshly pressed blueberries, sun warm rocks and some smoke. Not that deep or complex but very, very nice in a juicy kind of way.
The taste follows the nose nicely and this is a fresh, upfront bottle of wine. Fine notes of crushed black peppers and a hint of rubber in the finish. Very good indeed.
87p   (tasted 2016/08)


2012 Kataro Reserve, Domaine Avetissyan
Lots of letters on this label that I don´t understand...but besides that, this is a serious wine. The nose is broad yet focused with notes of ripening blackberries, dried blueberries, forest floor and a complex note of green peppers. Deep and fine. Really good.
The taste is young, tight and seedy with notes of ripe blueberries, meat stock, undergrowth and a hint of bakelite. The finish is long and balanced. Very, very good.
90p   (tasted 2016/08)

2010 Karas Reserva, Armavir
I had this pegged as a Hermitage... The nose is deep, warm and concentrated with lots of ripe blueberries and raspberries and additional notes of charcoal, warm herbs and some dark chocolate scents. Sturdy. Really fine.
The taste is big, intense and warm with notes of ripe blueberries, sun warm rocks, herbs and sweet violets. Very earthy in the finish. A very fine structure, this is built to age. Would love to have some bottles of this.
93p   (tasted 2016/08)


After the previous flight we were on our toes - what would come up next? Could it really be a...
1996 Côte-Rôtie, Jamet
A perfectly mature nose with lovely notes of grilled meat, dried blueberries, violet pastilles and old leather. Very deep. Some dark earthy notes. This has matured gracefully. Very, very fine.
The taste is broad, structured and dry with notes of meat stock, blueberries, earth and wood smoke. A long, peppery finish. This is really, really good.
95p   (tasted 2016/08)

2001 Shiraz, Barossa Class
This is obviously made by the students of a Barossa wine school, and they have made a good effort. The nose is large and meaty with notes of blackberries, very ripe flowers, soya and burning table tennis balls (believe me, I know that smell...). Very big but hold things together. Very good.
The taste is mouth coating and almost fiery but there is also a warm, distinct blackberry fruit that are very nice. Pipe tobacco and dried flowers are also noticable.
89p   (tasted 2016/08)


After this pic my phone died so no pis on the bottles that followed
1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reservé, Domaine de la Vieille Julienne
A deep, dark, somehat mature nose with notes of cooked meat, resin, damsons, undergrowth and blood & iron. There is lots to like here. A fine depth.
The taste is entering maturity with a tight core of black fruits and notes of warm herbs, blueberries, dried strawberries and lots of moist fir forest. Long and warm. Very, very good.
91p   (tasted 2016/08)

After the structured flights above, the more hedonistic part of the evening began, with bottles being opened left and right. With lots of food and laughter, my notes on the wines below are sketchy at best.
2001 Vigna d´Alceo, Castello Dei Rampolla
Vigna d´Alceo is a perennial favourite of mine, the 1999 making the most memorable list of 2015. The 2001 is still on the young side of things and showing of ripe, sweet cherry fruit and a long seamsless finish. Great wine.
93p   (tasted 2016/08)

1998 Côte-Rôtie La Turque, Guigal
Strange and sad, second time this year that the 1998 La Turque has been not-what-one-expects. Last time it was a really good bottle of wine, but not up to La-La standard. This one was just weird, drinkable but with so many great bottles on the table, why should one. Too bad.
?   (tasted)

1998 Messorio, Le Macchiole
Drinking Merlot is always great, when it comes in this kind of package! A stunning bottle, on par with the same wine, tasted three years ago.
95p   (tasted 2016/08)

2010 Private Cellar Shiraz, Hewitson
I brought this one, just bought from a day spent in Copenhagen this summer. A big, steady Barossa Shiraz that keeps everything in check and delivers hedonism, pleasure and some intellectual challenge in one glass. Why did I  only buy one bottle??
93p   (tasted 2016/08)

2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Poggio Salvi
The tasting buds are getting quite jaded at this point, but who could resist a fine bottle of Brunello - not me! Bright cherry fruit, lots of sweet rosemary, the haunting smell of warm Tuscan gravel and a velvety mouth feel with lots of polished tannins that show themselves at the end of the looong finish. Really, really fine.
92p   (tasted 2016/08)

Then there was a sweetie from Dönnhoff but to be honest, my notes looks like a drunken ant have crawled over my notebook page, so I refrain from trying to decipher those scribblings...

Friday 19 August 2016

1990 Barbaresco Serraboella, Fratelli Cigliuti

After four days on the new work, I have to drink something nice to wind down (I should have waited to tomorrow but then its time for a major Boillot tasting - tough work!)

1990 Barbaresco Serraboella, Fratelli Cigliuti
This is just perfectly mature with loving notes of dried mushrooms, violets, soft red cherries and lots of red liquorice. Some fir wood scents. Really fine. Refined, with a medium firm backbone. Just gorgeous.
The taste is mature, tight and seedy with notes of dried cherries, rosehips, forest floor and some smoke. Even a hint of dried sweet strawberries. Long, dry and aristocratic. This is in a perfect drinking stage. Great wine.
93p   (tasted 2016/08)



Thursday 11 August 2016

Vacation Wines - Number Twenty - 1997 Barolo, Vecchio Piemonte

Its seems like this bottle comes from a Coop which I haven´t seen or heard of before. Bought for a song, I thought I would give it a try on this, one of the last days of this years summer vacation.
Summer and summer - when we went out running this morning it was 9 degrees Celsius outside...

1997 Barolo, Vecchio Piemonte
It opens a bit funky but with one hour breathing time the nose is much better with notes of dried cranberries, crumbling rose petals, a hint of wood smoke and a touch of cocoa. Not bad. It shows some treats of this hot year, but in a good way. Keeps on evolving throughout the evening.
The taste is initially a bit hard and rustic but with time it soften up and displays notes of dried mushrooms, red currants, rosehips and a some wood. There is still some supporting, rugged tannins in the finish. Maybe a tad hollow in the middle, but this is better than I had expected.
86p   (tasted 2016/08)


Tuesday 9 August 2016

Vacation Wines - Number Nineteen - 1994 Chateau de La Riviere

One notice on returning home after four weeks vacation that the care that the son should have taken over the herbs in the window (five pots) have been somewhat neglected...
One comfort oneself with a mature Bordeaux.

1994 Chateau de La Riviere
This is a classic Bordeaux from the get go. It displays a medium deep nose with fine notes of driep up black currant jam, warm tiles, cigarette ashes and some not-that-fresh-stables-but-very-interesting-all-the-same aromas. Very good. A lovely soft feeling.
The taste is light on its feet and mature but still shows a fine black currant fruit and additional notes of graphite, dusty earth and dry leather. The finish is a bit short but not dry at all. Dirinking fine tonight but any additional bottles should be consumed sooner rather than later.
86p   (tasted 2016/08)

More vintages tasted from Chateau de La Riviere - 1985, 1986, 1989 & 2005 and the 1990.

Sunday 7 August 2016

Vacation Wines - Number Eighteen - 2010 Suisassi, Duemani

Another Copenhagen steal, this new estate - first vintage 2004 - has produced a wonderful 100% Syrah wine. I will look out for more bottles from this producer.

2010 Suisassi, Duemani
It needs some time to open up, but when it does, oooh boy! The nose is ultra deep and focused with gorgeous notes of ripening blueberries, bay leaves, charcoal, raw rubber and dry liquorice. Multi layered and finely polished. Very, very fine.
The taste is young, tight and concentrated with notes of black cherries, ink, rosemary and violet liquorice. Very long and balanced. Some juicy, polished tannins in the finish. There is lots of potential here, just give it 6+ years. Already, a lovely bottle of wine.
94p   (tasted 2016/08)



Saturday 6 August 2016

Vacation Wines - Number Seventeen - 2012 Barolo Castagni, Reverdito

Always fun too taste something new. I have not tasted anything from this producer, of which I found a bottle in a Copenhagen shop recently. They don't seem to have a website, but I read somewhere that they were a more of a modern producer. If so, they have changed something for the 2012 vintage, or they choosed a more traditional approach to this cru, for this bottle is anything but a "modern" one.

2012 Barolo Castagni, Reverdito
Aaaah, what a beautiful, pure, young nose with noted of cool red cherries, lots of rose petals, red tea, wet asphalt and some cigarette smoke. Not that deep or stunningly complex, but oh so lovely on this evening with some truffle salami, Serrano ham and Tomme cheese. 
The taste is young, tight and medium bodied with notes of red cherries, cranberries, rosehips, betroot and dry tobacco. A long, tight finish with some rugged tannins. Will evolve well over the next 8+ years. A handsome wine, but more in a jeans and not a Zegna kind of way.
90p   (tasted 2016/08)

Thursday 4 August 2016

Vacation Wines - Number Sixteen - 2006 La Ricolma, San Giusto A Rentennano


This bottle was a find I made when I had a few hours for myself in Copenhagen lately. I opened it to go along a tender fillet of veal with a chanterelle sauce and some fried root vegetables.

2006 La Ricolma, San Giusto A Rentennano
Ooooh boy! What a nose! It explodes from the glass with stunning aromas of ripe plums, incence, cocoa, black currant leaves and a refined note of green peppers. Very complex, lively and intense. There is a ever so slight touch of maturity, but this is still young. Very harmonious. Just awesome.
The taste is still tight and a bit seedy, but the fruit is velvety, ripe and sweet, with notes of plums, red currants, chocolate covered cherries and spices. The finish is over one minute long and ends seamsless. Like liking on a sun warm rock in the finish. A great wine now and for sure for the coming 10+ years. This I will get more of.
97p   (tasted 2016/08)

Wednesday 3 August 2016

Vacation Wines - Number Fifteen - 2007 Beaune Grèves Le Clos Blanc, Louis Jadot

I opened this beauty this evening and thought it would work with some assorted shellfish, bread, aioli and a big chunk of aged Gruyère. It did.

2007 Beaune Grèves Le Clos Blanc, Louis Jadot
The nose oozes up from the glass with lovely aromas of apricots, grilled lemons, grass and almond paste. With air a striking smoky scent evolves. This is a stunning bottle of Chardonnay. Deep and lively. Just entering the first stages of maturity, it shows lots of nerve and future promise.
The taste is tight, creamy and structured with notes of pickled ginger, lemon cream, butter cookies and a hint of white chocolate. A long, intense finish with a fine acidity and a beautiful presence. Some grassy notes in the finish. Great wine.
94p   (tasted 2016/08)



Monday 1 August 2016

Vacation Wines - Number Fourteen - 2007 Hermitage Arena Mica, J. Boutin

I have previously tasted a 2007 Saint-Joseph and a 2007 Côte-Rôtie from J. Boutin, but this was my first bottle of their Hermitage. I hope its not my last...

2007 Hermitage Arena Mica, J. Boutin
The nose is wonderful from the first pour until the last, three hours later; full of smoked sausage, blackberries, sweet violets, dried flowers and red liquorice. A great prescence in the glass. Deep and refined. A solid backbone of chrushed rocks. Really, really good.
The taste is tight, multi layered and intense with notes of ripe blueberries, flint, violet pastills, bay leaves and a hint of dark chocolate. Long, long and long. Ripe, steady tannins, promising a long life ahead of it. A very fine, taut structure. Great wine.
93p   (tasted 2016/07)