Wednesday 12 April 2023

An Evening With Great Bottles - Abtserde, Cristal, Montrachet, Ornellaia, LCC, Grange & More

The concept was simple, a BYOB with the added clear and concise instruction - bring a bottle of really good juice. All did.
Tasted double blind.

2018 Abtserde, Keller
A cool, refined, laid back nose with notes of chalk, lemon zest, dry mango and smoke. Very, very fine.
The taste is high and tight with an almost electric nerve, a cleansing acidity and lots of grape and lemon fruit. Very long. Very young, 8+ years.
94p   (tasted 2023/04)



2008 Cristal, Louis Roederer
A deep, intense, layered nose with notes of sweet lime, fudge, strawberries and moist earth. Very complex and fine.
The taste is rich and refined with notes of toasted bread, fudge, chrushed rocks and lime. A finish that goes on and on. Just brilliant. 6+ years.
98p   (tasted 2023/04)

2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Gain, Lucien Le Moine
A big and bold nose with notes of melted butter, lemoncello, dark fudge and glue. Deep and intense.
The taste is very focused and rich with notes of white peach, milk chocolate fudge and ripe flowers. Very long. 6+ years. 
94p   (tasted 2023/04)



2007 Montrachet, Moret-Nominé
A very deep, mature nose with notes of dried apricots, matchbox, earth and sweet minerals. Heavy in a positive sense.
The taste is elegant and mature with notes of yellow plums, smoke and dried flowers. An oily, old viney feeling. 
93p   (tasted 2023/04)

1997 Ornellaia
An almost fully mature nose with gorgeous notes of blueberries, cigarr smoke, herbs, ink and dry leather. Very deep and fine with a dried up warmth.
The taste feels younger than the nose with still some juicy tannins alongside notes of dried blackberries, tobacco, fried herbs and warm tiles. Very fine.
95p   (tasted 2023/04)


2000 Château Leoville-Las-Cases
Last tasted in September 2021 and this bottle behaved almost identical, maybe with a slight more adolescent impression. A stunning Bordeaux that will go on for 10+ years.
96p   (tasted 2023/04)

2020 OH, Sami-Ode
Only 815 bottles made of this beauty. Also the first vintage of OH (our hill). The nose is elegant, spicy and open with notes of asphalt, ripe blueberries, grilled meat and bay leaves. Very handsome.
The taste is tight and concentrated with velvet blueberry- and cherry fruit, lots of fresh herbs, some meaty notes and black pepper. Very long. The vines were planted in 2017, a really impressive wine from very young vines. 8+ years.
95p   (tasted 2023/04)



1991 Grange, Penfolds
My offering. The cork crumbled to pieces but the wine poured was stellar. It displays a big and bold nose with gorgeous notes of dark plums, fried herbs, violets, dried tomato and salt licorice. Very, very deep. A touch of maturity.
The taste is massive and structured with notes of soya, plums, pipe tobacco, asphalt and violets. The finish goes on for minutes. Ends very dry and fine. Will go on for another 10+ years. Great wine.
97p   (tasted 2023/04)

2001 Châteaneuf-du-Pape Reserve, Le Clos de Caillou
A large scaled, somewhat mature nose with notes of damsons, sweet lingonberries, coffee powder and cigarr smoke. A very fine sweetness to the fruit.
The taste is tight and rich with lots of ripe black fruit, scorched earth, smoke and sweet herbs. Very, very long. 5+ years.
93p   (tasted 2023/04)



2017 Valbuena 5o, Vega-Sicilia
A young, deep, spicy nose with notes of black cherries, violets, lightly peppered strawberries and rhubarb licorice. Very fine, albeit young.
The taste is taut and broad shouldered with a high intensity, lots of black fruit and a long, long distinct finish. Very promising. Needs 8+ years.
93p   (tasted 2023/04)

1994 Dow´s Vintage Port
A very deep, lifted nose with notes of plums, dark chocolate, quinine, iron, fried nuts and bakelite. Still on the young side of things. 
The taste is intense and focused with notes of salt licorice, plums, iron, damsons and chocolate covered cherries. Very, very long. Still needs 10+ years.
95p   (tasted 2023/04)


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