2006 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 'Montmains' 1er Cru
Very clear, pale yellow-green colour with lovely, gentle aromas of chalk, lemon peel, pear and seawater. Dry and focused in the mouth with bright acidity and flavours of green apple and citrus fruits layered over chalky minerals and a faint woody note. Finishes clean with medium length, very refreshing.
2005 Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir (Marlborough, NZ)
Much bigger and riper than what I'd expect from a Marlborough Pinot; very deep red with intense aromatics of violets, rose petals, cinnamon and red fruited flavours. Feels quite extracted and dense in the mouth with candied cherry and strawberry flavours over spices and smoky oak notes, finishing with some heat on the back end. Quite a frustrating wine; I loved the aromatic profile here and kept thinking with every sip that if the ripeness/oak in the mouth was dialed back a bit, I'd have enjoyed this so much more.
2007 Steve Bird 'Big Barrel' Pinot Noir Old Schoolhouse Vineyard (Marlborough, NZ)
This on the other hand did it just right - pretty floral notes, cinnamon and red fruits on the nose like the Nobilo, but here it's all presented in a silky, elegant package with bright acidity giving it lift and absolutely no sign of the 14.5% alcohol indicated (the Nobilo was 13.5 but felt a bit hotter). And it's under screwcap, and really reasonably priced.
2003 Château Fleur de Bouard Lalande-de-Pomerol
Really elegant and well balanced, with none of the jamminess or other signs of massive ripeness I feared considering the vintage. Lovely flavours of dark fruits, cedar wood, graphite, herbs and leather on the nose and palate, very rich and concentrated in the mouth but lifted by surprising acidity with fairly firm, chewy tannins underneath. Finishes with good length; very enjoyable both on its own and with food.
2003 Château Prieuré-Lichine
This on the other hand... oh god. Tiring and unpleasant to drink with roasted black fruit flavours, copious oak and softer notes of caramel and plum jam. Flabby and dense in the mouth with almost no acidity to provide balance and an awkward finish with the oak and some alcoholic warmth sticking out.
2006 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 'Black Label
I hate how hard it is to find this wine; this rarely ever shows up on shelves outside Australia (thanks Foster's marketing, you muppets) and it's frustrating as I've only had great experiences with Wynns and find the Black Label a ridiculous value - perhaps the best value red I've ever bought, with a ton of complexity and structure almost every vintage at an absurd price point.
This is no different. Intense aromatics of black cherries, currants, earth, herbs and cedar wood, rich and full bodied in the mouth with dark fruited flavours mingled with savoury cocoa and forestal earthy notes. Underneath there's a ton of structure with good acidity giving it lift and firm, furry tannins that soften a little bit with a few hours in the decanter. This (like most other Wynns Cabs) is built for the long haul. Ridiculous value with far more depth, structure and complexity than I've found in any red wine even near this price point (around 20 AUD/15 USD).