WTN: Bouchard, Pegau, Ornellaia, Lagune, Las Cases, Cos

Notes from the Christmas blind tasting lunch.

NV Luis Pato Vinho Espumante Bruto – a Portuguese bubby made from Maria Gomez grapes. Dried fruit nose, yeasty, with a short finish but clean and pleasant. had us wondering as it clearly wasn’t Champagne but the varietal clues for anything else were absent.

2005 Lucien Crochet Sancerre – lemon, cheese and pear in the nose, clean, with a soft fruity entry and good length. Very tasty.

1995 Bouchard Pere Montrachet – obviously a totally different ball game here, with darker colour, a creamy vanilla nose, sweet vanilla on palate and complex with excellent length.

1996 Chapoutier Ermitage de L’Oree – I had never tasted this top white Hermitage from Chapoutier before. It was showing a slight oxidative note in the nose, but tat abated somewhat with tim. Otherwise, it was as I expect good white Rhones to show – not quite as complex in general as white Burgundies, but pretty interesting. This one was darker than the Montrachet with more coconut in the nose, not as complex as the Burg but nice honey on palate and very good length. Another winner.

1990 Dom. Pegau Cuvee Laurence – I hadn’t opened one of these before, preferring patience over curiosity (and having misplaced it until recently). I was very impressed by it. Great Rhone nose, which I identified right off (we were tasting double blind so I didn’t know this was my wine, but once I figured it was a classy Rhone, I shut up and listened to the others). Still showing quite a bit of tannin, but also great levels of fruit. It mellowed over 3 hours or so, and I don’t think it will ever drink better than it does now, but it is on plateau and will cruise there for many years. They give this more wood than the Reservee with the intention that it will develop and drink earlier. This was still pretty darned firm! Best CNduP I’ve tasted in some time.

2001 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah – one of the best South African Syrahs (certainly the best I’ve tasted) and not an easy one to identify. We were thinking pretty seriously about the Northern Rhone (the syrah part was obvious) and the other contender was California but it didn’t quite convince us it was either. Sweet in mouth with soft tannins and lengthy finish. We were really bringing out the winners today.

1988 Ornellaia – this supertuscan fooled us all into thinking it a Bordeaux as the nose was dead ringer and the terminal acidity wasn’t high enough to scream Italy. Now fully developed, it is showing wonderful levels of fruit and excellent length. Bright and very tasty.

1986 La Lagune - nice colour, floral nose, high acidity, drinking well and holding, and not showing the same slightly rough tannins I recall from the last time I tasted it. Drink now as I doubt it will improve (it will last, however).

1988 Talbot – acid showing in the nose, good fruit but a touch of green and lots of acid. Not what I’d have hoped for this wine, but decent drinking.

1982 Cos d’Estournel – wow, what a nice claret! Smooth cocoa/mocha nose with some cassis, smooth on palate with not much tannin and sweet fruit and a long gliding finish.

1966 Leoville Las Cases – colour was paling a lot on this, and there was a very good Bordeaux nose featuring coffee (not mocha), sooth, very elegant, but ending a little awkwardly with high acidity and medium length. Best part was the nose. Probably bottle variation as others have been better.

Quady Batch 88 Starboard Port – a hot sweet fig nose and like liquid figs in the mouth. We knew it wasn’t Port, but were surprised to see it was made from Port varietals.

1977 Kopke Colheita Port – colour like a pale Madeira – the tawny character really showing. Slightly Maderised oxidised nose, but otherwise very decent with nuts and slight heat at the end.

[David M. Bueker]

That's a really nice lunch!

[Jenise]

[quote="Bill Spohn"]Notes from the Christmas blind tasting lunch.

NV Luis Pato Vinho Espumante Bruto – Nose of Palmolive dishwashing soap, plus a white flower. On the finish, more soap. I didn't find the fruit or the yeast. Drinkable, but not much fun for me.

2005 Lucien Crochet Sancerre – my first whiff of this had a pronounced coconut flavor which made me think and suggest riesling before I ever tasted it, much to Ken's amusement. It took me a second to shift gears then, and accept that on the palate I could be tasting nothing but sauvignon blanc. I agree, very tasty.

1995 Bouchard Pere Montrachet – what you said. Excellent condition for it's age, too: no whiskers on this one.

1996 Chapoutier Ermitage de L’Oree – I think your notes are overly kind. But then, since this was my bottle, I was expecting a wine that would taste like this note I read on cellartracker, posted just two weeks ago: "Medium golden yellow color; sexy, creamy, floral and floaty lemon nose; very tasty, poised, tart lemon, lemon oil and mineral palate with light oily texture; medium-plus finish 97+ pts" but with also perhaps more of the apricot character I remember from earlier bottles. Between 2003 and 2005, we'd shared two or three prior bottles with the owner of this bottle, who finally decided she just didn't like aged white wines at all and gave me this, her last one. At which point I put it in my cellar and inventory, marking it down as a 1998 and continuing under that delusion until Manny corrected me yesterday about the actual vintage of the wine. How stupid is that? Anyway, though the fruit filled out a bit and helped mask the effect, for me this wine never lost the initial sour vinegar hit on the nose and obvious maderized flavors. The only pleasure I got from this wine was the way it paired surprisingly well with the lobster ravioli.

1990 Dom. Pegau Cuvee Laurence – Exceptional! Can't believe you've successfully hidden these from yourself, but I'm sure now that you've unearthed them the rest won't hide for long. Classic Pegau nose.

2001 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah – We were thinking pretty seriously about the Northern Rhone (the syrah part was obvious) and the other contender was California but it didn’t quite convince us it was either. Hm...my notes say ripe, almost jammy fruit, violet, pepper, great acidity. Interesting discussion around this wine: you guys drink more French syrah than I do, so you were more prepared to think it Californian. I drink more California syrah than you do, so I was more prepared to think it French, albeit from a warm vintage (California syrahs just don't have that kind of acid). Thinking back, I'm even more confused today than I was yesterday about getting shot down for suggesting, before it was unveiled, that this might be South African.

1988 Ornellaia – Expectations play an interesting role in what we taste, don't they? The acidity that didn't stand out to you is exactly what suggested to me that this might be my Italian. This is older than the oldest Ornellaia I've had by about ten years, so had no way of recognizing any other feature about it. Too, I found the nose rather sweet and linear in a California-like way; it was more California to me than Bordeaux. But I was nonetheless impressed by the way you guys zeroed in on the vintage.

1986 La Lagune - Great nose, very Bordeauxish. Very impressive performance for a Lagune! (Served in a typical Bordeaux/Cabernet glass.)

1988 Talbot – There was a bit of a green note here that really threw us off. High acid masked the classic Talbot perfume. Served in the tulip shaped Riedel Vinum Magnum.

1982 Cos d’Estournel – Outstanding Bordeaux. What you said: Smooth cocoa/mocha nose with some cassis, smooth on palate with not much tannin and sweet fruit and a long gliding finish. Served in a Burgundy glass.

Did you notice I mentioned the glassware? Have to throw in something here: I use the Riedels the Talbot was served in for wine tasting glasses, you know, the ones all geeks have that they drag to any place where extra glassware's required. And I have to tell you that I'm not so crazy about them--that shape tends to flatten out fruit aroma and push acidity right under your nose--they're terrible for pinot noirs and chateneufs. Hence, I'm using them at home nowadays more for new world whites and big young reds because in that line of work they actually do me a service. But for older wines? Not so good. So my point is that put almost any two BDX's in the Riedel and the burg bowl, and the burg bowl is going to win. I have to wonder if the Talbot, which Ken commented wasn't as good as other recent bottles, was in fact more a victim of glassware than anything else, clever as it was for our host to serve the wines this way to fool us.

1966 Leoville Las Cases – What you said.

Quady Batch 88 Starboard Port – again, can't improve on your description. Liquid figs indeed!

1977 Kopke Colheita Port – I truly enjoyed this port which, like you said, had a lot of date and lemony aromas much like Madeira. (Which I love.)

[Jenise]

NV Luis Pato Vinho Espumante Bruto – Nose of Palmolive dishwashing soap, plus a white flower. On the finish, more soap. I didn't find the fruit or the yeast. Drinkable, but not much fun for me.

2005 Lucien Crochet Sancerre – my first whiff of this had a pronounced coconut flavor which made me think and suggest riesling before I ever tasted it, much to Ken's amusement. It took me a second to shift gears then, and accept that on the palate I could be tasting nothing but sauvignon blanc. I agree, very tasty.

1995 Bouchard Pere Montrachet – what you said. Excellent condition for it's age, too: no whiskers on this one.

1996 Chapoutier Ermitage de L’Oree – I think your notes are overly kind. But then, since this was my bottle, I was expecting a wine that would taste like this note I read on cellartracker, posted just two weeks ago: "Medium golden yellow color; sexy, creamy, floral and floaty lemon nose; very tasty, poised, tart lemon, lemon oil and mineral palate with light oily texture; medium-plus finish 97+ pts" but with also perhaps more of the apricot character I remember from earlier bottles. Between 2003 and 2005, we'd shared two or three prior bottles with the owner of this bottle, who finally decided she just didn't like aged white wines at all and gave me this, her last one. At which point I put it in my cellar and inventory, marking it down as a 1998 and continuing under that delusion until Manny corrected me yesterday about the actual vintage of the wine. How stupid is that? Anyway, though the fruit filled out a bit and helped mask the effect, for me this wine never lost the initial sour vinegar hit on the nose and obvious maderized flavors. The only pleasure I got from this wine was the way it paired surprisingly well with the lobster ravioli.

1990 Dom. Pegau Cuvee Laurence – Exceptional! Can't believe you've successfully hidden these from yourself, but I'm sure now that you've unearthed them the rest won't hide for long. Classic Pegau nose.

2001 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah – We were thinking pretty seriously about the Northern Rhone (the syrah part was obvious) and the other contender was California but it didn’t quite convince us it was either. Hm...my notes say ripe, almost jammy fruit, violet, pepper, great acidity. Interesting discussion around this wine: you guys drink more French syrah than I do, so you were more prepared to think it Californian. I drink more California syrah than you do, so I was more prepared to think it French, albeit from a warm vintage (California syrahs just don't have that kind of acid). Thinking back, I'm even more confused today than I was yesterday about getting shot down for suggesting, before it was unveiled, that this might be South African.

1988 Ornellaia – Expectations play an interesting role in what we taste, don't they? The acidity that didn't stand out to you is exactly what suggested to me that this might be my Italian. This is older than the oldest Ornellaia I've had by about ten years, so had no way of recognizing any other feature about it. Too, I found the nose rather sweet and linear in a California-like way; it was more California to me than Bordeaux. But I was nonetheless impressed by the way you guys zeroed in on the vintage.

1986 La Lagune - Great nose, very Bordeauxish. Very impressive performance for a Lagune! (Served in a typical Bordeaux/Cabernet glass.)

1988 Talbot – There was a bit of a green note here that really threw us off. High acid masked the classic Talbot perfume. Served in the tulip shaped Riedel Vinum Magnum.

1982 Cos d’Estournel – Outstanding Bordeaux. What you said: Smooth cocoa/mocha nose with some cassis, smooth on palate with not much tannin and sweet fruit and a long gliding finish. Served in a Burgundy glass.

Did you notice I mentioned the glassware? Have to throw in something here: I use the Riedels the Talbot was served in for wine tasting glasses, you know, the ones all geeks have that they drag to any place where extra glassware's required. And I have to tell you that I'm not so crazy about them--that shape tends to flatten out fruit aroma and push acidity right under your nose--they're terrible for pinot noirs and chateneufs. Hence, I'm using them at home nowadays more for new world whites and big young reds because in that line of work they actually do me a service. But for older wines? Not so good. So my point is that put almost any two BDX's in the Riedel and the burg bowl, and the burg bowl is going to win. I have to wonder if the Talbot, which Ken commented wasn't as good as other recent bottles, was in fact more a victim of glassware than anything else, clever as it was for our host to serve the wines this way to fool us.

1966 Leoville Las Cases – What you said.

Quady Batch 88 Starboard Port – again, can't improve on your description. Liquid figs indeed!

1977 Kopke Colheita Port – I truly enjoyed this port which, like you said, had a lot of date and lemony aromas much like Madeira. (Which I love.)[/quote]