Domaine de l'Arlot Nuits Saint Georges Clos des Forêts St Georges 1998
From half bottle. Relatively pure for a 1998, but rather fruitless and light, with an emphasis on burnt forest undergrowth ash, plus mild red beet and raspberry. Mild and round wine that lacks concentration and intensity. Medium length at best. Rating: 84-/83
Jean-Yves Bizot Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes 1996
Thanks to my parents. Medium ruby with a pink-orange hue. A slightly more lactic, smoky, raspberry jam based bottle this time, the least convincing so far. A somewhat mature 1996, but not too light or high-acid for its own good. Rating: 86-/85?
Calvet-Thunevin Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Cuvée Constance 2005
Tasted in passing at a local wine store. From 45-years-old vines, 60% Grenache 30% Syrah, 10% Carignan. Aged nine months in cement tank. Lightly purple ruby. One of those wines that is not bad but that one needs to take another sip from time to time simply to remind oneself what it tastes like, then, seconds later, one forgets. Some meaty jam, perhaps raspberry, cranberry and cassis with a touch of bitter chocolate, and a suggestion of thyme? Medium length. The sales assistant’s favourite, I thought this lacked a little freshness. It is oak-free after all, almost made me feel guilty for not liking it better. But another superficially/technically well-enough-made wine for little money, hard to complain. Not easy to tell if a little bottle age would improve it. Rating: 84(+??)
Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005
A blend of 82% Grenache, 8% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Vaccarèse. From half bottle. Evolving very nicely since release, round, balanced and quite harmonious, with smooth Grenache-based fruit and well-integrated roasted Provençal herbs and very finely grained tannin. Lovely texture. Quite long and nicely balanced on the finish. Not one of the top handful Charvins (1998, 2000, 2001), but the 2005 is really starting to grow on me now. Rating: 90(+?)
Clos Château Ravire (Michel Savioz) Petite Arvine 2002
Thanks to my parents. Pale strawy gold colour. Livelier and more floral, and noticeably less watery (albeit still too light) than the Humagne Blanche from the same vintage. Again that strawy-grassy-herbaceous complexity on the palate, just a bit more floral and refreshing. Rating: 82
Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2006
Thanks to Remo. From half bottle again. Full ruby-red with a purple hue and minor watery rim. More open now (drinking very well in fact), with the 15.2% alcohol suddenly very well integrated. Very good density of sweet Kirsch and redcurrant fruit, integrated roasted Provençal herbs, softly peppery tannin, balanced and quite long on the finish. My favourite 2006 CdP thus far (and I am not sure I am a great fan of the vintage, although it is by no means bad – seem to prefer it in overall character to 1999 and 2004 among recent vintages, with most 2006s I have tasted being lightly Pinot-Noir-like). Rating: 93+/94?
Cockburn's Vintage Port Quinta dos Canais 1992
From half bottle. Full pruney ruby-black colour. Cockburn-typical despite the fact that this is a single vineyard selection. Lightly heavy cocoa powder and macerated grape peel on the nose, black licorice, dried prune. On the palate curranty chocolate, a bit waxy cedar, candied pepper, sweet and fairly viscous, but a bit short on the finish, leaving behind suggestions of chamomile and caramel on the aftertaste. Very pretty, delicious Port. Rating: 89-/88
Domaine des Chênes Côtes du Roussillon Les Grands-Mères 2006
Tasted in passing at a local wine store. A blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Medium ruby-black colour. Very inexpensive wine from old vines, with little or no oak, but with a grapefruit-like sourness-bitterness to the barely medium prune/red plum fruit. Balanced, medium short finish. Rating: 79+/80?
Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Howell Mountain 2004
Thanks to Remo. Same as last time, perhaps closing up fractionally. Deep, nearly opaque purple-ruby, pink-red at the rim. Slightly firmed-up sweet blackcurrant and tannin, marzipan oak and quite strong minerality, albeit again with a softer iodine metal top note than in the “classic” Dunn vintages. The additional tightness does not hurt. Added a touch of Port-like violet with airing. An unusual young Dunn, did not think I would one day come to the following verdict on a recent release: drink or hold. I for one am going to miss the old Dunns (Patrick and Remo much favour this), but this seems a success as far as stylistic compromise goes. Rating: 93+/94?
Foucault Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg 1995
Our last bottle. Again, I liked it despite the slight underlying camphor- if not rhubarb-like greenishness/bitterness (oxalic acid?). The medium ruby-red colour with soft black reflexions, the smoky graphite-like minerality, reasonably sweet and mature, quite sharply-etched fruit, inoffensive and typical Cabernet Franc leafiness, medium body and length, finely grained but not particularly flavourful tannin – it all adds up to a wine whose undeniable (to me minor) flaw bothers me less than most people I serve it to. Rating: 89-/88(-?)
Josmeyer Gewürztraminer Les Folastries 2008
Apparently not the name of a site, but a plot in the Herrenberg Cru. Rather pale golden green. Medium-plus intensity of rose water and lychee florality for a Gewürztraminer, medium body and length. But typical and pretty enough. Rating: 85
Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2006
Thanks to Remo, who does not like this (was given the remaining other half of the bottle to take home). Full ruby-red with a purple hue and soft black reflections. Fairly concentrated and tannic, semi-closed and a bit high-acid (at least for Remo’s taste – I find this very well-balanced for a 2006, but sure, one can tell it is from a solid rather than great vintage). Lightly Burgundian red fruit without the florality of the 2005, racy Amarena cherry, better alcohol integration than the Clos des Papes from the same vintage, but also a fraction less ample, virtually none of the floating/lively Kirsch Schnaps. Above medium complexity, but not captivating as e.g. the 2005 and especially 2003 here. Some garriguey pepper. Soft minerality. The tannin tastes quite refreshing, but shows a slight peppery sour drop like bitterness (that should not hurt anything in the long run). Good grip on the back end, fairly long, if not especially so, on the finish. A (more than?) solid effort, this could use a little time in bottle. Also, but this is the old wisenheimer in me speaking up now, there have been scores of vintages that were tight(er!) and less overtly flattering in their youth, nothing out of the ordinary here at all. Rating: 90+/91(+?)
Tokaj Pendits (Márta Wille-Baumkauff) Muskotály-Hárslevelü Cuvée Szellö 2005
A half litre bottle I took to Patrick’s pool hall. “Szellö” means breeze, this fairly priced wine is a blend of Hárslevelü and Muscat Lunel with 50 g/l residual sugar. Despite no more than 10% alcohol, this tastes a bit like a fuller-bodied German Spätlese, or not too sweet Alsatian Vendanges Tardives. Not especially minerally, and really a bit light, this is nevertheless a nicely balanced, medium-sweet and medium-firm, quite floral and lightly lime blossom, camomile and apple tea like wine with sufficient acidity for balance. Falls a bit short in terms of terroir expression (barely recognizable as Tokaj), not a brainy wine, but pretty enough, and easy to enjoy (in quantity, too). In terms of evolution, this has come together nicely some time after bottling, and since then has not really been going anywhere. Rating: 86-/85
Pesquera Ribera del Duero Crianza 2006
Tasted in passing at a local wine store. Fairly deep plummy ruby. Not nearly as thick and juicy (let alone as sweet, fruity and oaky at this early stage) as the 2004, nor as long on the finish. Medium-plus complexity, softly meaty-curranty, plummy, walnutty dried pear and Rooibos tea-like Tempranillo, with sufficiently ripe but not very flavourful tannin, medium body and length. Remains a fair QPR buy for Ribera del Duero (barely 15% more expensive than the 1994 at release). Rating: 87+/88(+?)
Pesquera Ribera del Duero Crianza 2004
Thanks to my parents. This is really too young to pull corks, but my mother suggested we open one after she claimed this is just as good as the 1996 Unico of which I brought along the remaining third of the bottle Christian opened on Good Friday. She is right, although completely different, less big, evolved and aristocratic, as well as less ageworthy (in the long run, that is, the 2004 Pesquera should evolve handsomely for quite a few years), this altogether more primary plum and currant fruited, somewhat vanilla- and clove-oaked pleaser comes qualitatively closer than one might think. Nice purity of fruit, lightly marzipan oak tinged but pretty tannin, balanced and quite long. More strawberry jam with airing, longer, too. This needs and deserves more bottle age. Rating: 91+/92
Sandeman Vintage Port 1963
Berry Bros. & Rudd bottling (green glass, straight neck, pretty historic label, yellow capsule). Perfect into neck fill level and cork (that nonetheless broke despite my best efforts). Best Sandeman VP I have ever had, this not only (easily!) beats every bottle of e.g. the 1966 and 1970 I have had, but is really only surpassed by the top four (the usual suspects) in the 1963 vintage – it is that good! Medium-light amber-ruby with a wide watery-orange rim, very nice luminescence and gloss, I was really impressed with the still fresh-looking ruby center. Lovely sweet fruit, an impeccably balanced wine, typical 1963 with relatively low acidity but still firm (wholly unobtrusive and integrated!) tannin. Dry yet glyceric. Extremely well-integrated alcohol, but fairly full-bodied, a pleasingly warming and harmonious Port to cozy up to. Fig, baked strawberry, pretty (soft) cedar cigar box and lovely aged bee’s wax. Very long on the finish. This went through a stage a few hours later when it suddenly seemed more honeyed and cedary but also slightly alcoholic, and a fraction less complex, but concentration and grip then started to make themselves feel in a most positive way again the next day, when this added just the slightest Malaga blood orange (= oxidation) top note. Even without quite the structure, complexity and ageworthiness of the top handful 1963s (I would really rate this fifth-best of the vintage!), this could no doubt be cellared for another decade plus in such pristine condition, although I fail to see what for. Rating: 94-
István Szepsy Tokaji Hárslevelü Király Dülö 2005
13.5% alc. Strawy golden colour. It is really easy to see why my friends Albino (who finds these “new-age” Szepsy dry whites bone-dry, fruitless and alcoholic) and Rainer (who finds them quite admirably structured and intense) cannot agree on a wine like this. In a wine of this size, Hárslevelü is almost completely devoid of the low-acid linden flower florality, the characteristic that gives it its charm (if any), but instead offers (per se still attractive enough) firm, lightly tannic and oxidative, strawy partly aged apple (or pear, or so) flavours that remind me of traditional-styled Loire Chenin Blanc. Goes well with food, as it has got sufficient body and dry extract to belie its relatively low acidity (which, I have little doubt, may have been higher in 2005 than most vintages to begin with). Medium complexity at best, fair enough length. Rating: 88(+?)
Tardieu-Laurent Côtes-du-Rhône Villages “Les Becs Fins” 2007
Tasted in passing at a local wine store. Deep ruby, soft black hue. A nicely concentrated, firm, thoroughly ripe yet also quite fresh young wine, intense lightly inky fruit and softly roasted Provençal herbs, a touch of pepper, suggestions perhaps of vanilla and nutmeg oak (although I was told this is made from tank-aged Grenache and Syrah, about 50/50). Complex and serious for a wine in this price category. Youthful if not much tannin with some cut to it, too. This will even profit from a little cellaring, and should drink well for at least three to five years. Exceptional QPR buy. Rating: 87+/88
and:
Brought my parents a bottle a couple of days later, every bit as good, my dad loves all wine that is good and inexpensive, as does my auntie Cathérine, only my mom kept griping about the (relatively subtle) new oak influence, and I agree, it invariably seems out of place in Southern Rhône (especially Grenache-based) wine. But the concentration and density of fruit (despite minor jamminess), the integrated Provençal herbs and pepper, the nice medium-plus body and fine length, the tannin quality (despite the vanilla and nutmeg oak touch), the overall balance, cut and relative freshness that may be trademarks of the vintage rather than the bottling, are most impressive given the price tag. Great QPR buy! Rating: 88
Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste Hune 1993
Medium yellow-green. This is indeed becoming blander and more Pinot Blanc like with age, even if it is still a very pretty wine. The reason is that this accidentally underwent malolactic fermentation (got a confirmation, by the way: „Cher Monsieur, Nous avons bien reçu votre mail après notre retour de vacances et vous en remercions. Notre Clos Ste. Hune 1993 a effectivement naturellement fait sa malolactique. C'est chose très rare mais cela peut arriver...c'est le premier, et dernier à ce jour millésime de CSH à l'avoir faite. Merci pour votre confiance. Jean Trimbach.”) and thus does not behave in bottle as CSH normally does. There is less and less spice and minerally depth, and less cut to softer lime here, less forest floor, pistachio, sea salt and chalk – in short, this was better ten years ago than it is now, a most unusual development for CSH. At its best, relatively speaking raciest, the following day, if still a fraction buttery from the malo. Ironically, it neither looks nor tastes old, it just does not appear to be going anywhere. Drink up! Rating: 88-
Viña Errázuriz The Blend 2006
Tasted in passing at a local wine store. 40% Sangiovese, 25% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Carmenère. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is what it says on the bottle – maybe they have a point? A modern, polished style of wine no doubt, but interesting insofar as the different aspects/component parts, such as the walnut and cigar box cedar oak spice, that lightly gamy duck- or pheasant-like quality of the Petit Verdot, the lightly leafy-smoky blackcurrant and cherry of the Cabernet Franc etc. are perfectly amalgamated into an easy-to-understand and -appreciate, soft and round, and quite big wine without rough edges, and a fairly long finish, a wine I bet many people will guess is significantly more costly (whether for the same reason fine wine addicts like me would really pay top dollar for is another matter, but: a wine for stingy braggards, imposing bottle and label all included – note this says “Limited Edition” there, too). Rating: 89
Domaine les Yeuses Merlot Les Grains Noirs 2007
Tasted in passing at a local wine store. Full ruby-black colour. Very oaky on both the nose and the palate (vanilla and burnt toast), although the good news is, the cherry and blueberry fruit does not taste compressed as a result of it. Just unexceptional modern gastronomic wine, technically irreproachable and otherwise (that is, apart from the oak) balanced, at a fair price. Honestly, as long as wines like are this inexpensive, I find it hard to gripe about style. Rating: 83(+?)
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
