Notes from a recent dinner.
1999 Pol Roger Brut Extra Cuvee de Reserve – medium bodied fresh wine without too much yeastiness, but with good fruit and notes of nuts and fruit. Nice lengthy finish. Very early days yet, but could become very good with time. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
2002 Louis Michel et Fils Chablis Grand cru Les Clos – citrus and floral nose, fairly full bodied with very good length. Very good!
2001 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl – a very interesting wine that we wisely opted to have without food as an intermezzo. Apricot colour with a pink tint typical of pinot gris, a big sweet nose with more of the said apricot and some honey, a thick viscous feel in the mouth, and seemingly low in acid but I expect that the acidity is just fine and the high RS gives the impression of softness. This has the RS of a vendage Tardif wine. Sadly, there is none of this wine in my cellar….. It should have a very long life.
1986 Ch. La Dominique – I brought this St. Emilion as a preface to the other weightier wines. I thought that someone should inject some maturity to the event! It showed well with a classic nose with a hint of green pepper, some light tannin, and what was a fairly short finish at the beginning but this seemed to lengthen as the wine opened up in the glass. It ended with an impression of cocoa. Mature and ready.
1986 Ch. Talbot – I was favourably impressed with this wine. The last time I’d tried it I saw signs of coming around (the previous few times it was hard and unyielding). This time it showed as still very dark, but had a nice nose of good fruit with some deep dark notes that reminded me of a Rhone. In the mouth is was a big wine, brawny and still significantly tannic, but also pleasurable and showed bags of fruit on palate and a long, long finish. Ready for early enjoyment but absolutely no rush. My small stash will stay stashed for another few years (I like ‘em mature).
1986 Ch. Gruaud Larose – also a classic nose with tons of dark fruit and sweet cassis, and huge in the middle with more than mild tannins. Great length, a very good wine in the making, but for other than oenological pedophiles, one to be left alone for several years yet. We nicely bracketed the full range of readiness with these three wines.
1989 Ch. Bastor Lamontagne – I pulled a couple of early maturing Sauternes that had become sidetracked in my cellar and had recently surfaced in a massive dung-out and reorganisation. This was soft, simple and had a varnish nose. RIP.
1989 Ch. D’Arche – this wine had shown quite well for me recently but this bottle wasn’t as good. A rancio nose I hadn’t seen in the last bottle and an interesting middle. Decent botrytis and much better than the Bastor.