During my son’s visit, it has been difficult to get close to the computer, but he has gone out with his daughter so here are some brief notes about the wines consumed over the last few days.
With some reindeer steak, we drank two Burgundies. Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru “Les Cazetiers” 1991 – Faiveley (récolte du domaine) – Alc. 13% was delicious; although from an unfashionable vintage, it showed good depth and virile backbone with beautifully complex mature fruit showing notes of sour dark cherry and ivy and good length; 17.5/20. We followed with Vosne-Romanée 1er cru “Aux Brulées” 1997 – Domaine Méo-Camuzet which was rounder and more fragrant than the previous but showed less depth and complexity; 16.5/20.
I know that I risk expulsion from the ranks of serious Mosel lovers by liking a wine from Dr. Loosen but his Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese “18” – 1995 – Alc. 8% was delicious; brightly focussed fruit and minerals with bracing acidity making me barely conscious of the sugar alongside secondary aromatic undertones along with a dab of petrol; 17/20.
David Creighton was recently scathing about a recommendation of one of our local wine merchants for a pairing of a certain Saumur-Champigny with asparagus; I tried it with a different cuvée which the asparagus rendered metallic. This time I tried it with the precise recommendation, Saumur-Champigny 2006 – Domaine des Roches Neuves – Alc. 13% and with this wine's rounder fruit and less marked tannic structure the combination worked, if hardly making the gastronomic revelation of the century; 15.5/20.
Beaujolais-Villages 2007 – Domaine Lagneau – Alc. 13% was served initially too warm (c. 19°C) on a hot day and seemed coarse textured and dominated by prune. However a short spell in the cooling sleeve down to about 15°C brought out the freshness and minerals and receded the prunes becoming a likeable and quaffable Bojo; 15.5/20.
If I believed Draper’s ’97 back label, I should have drunk Ridge California Bridgehead Mataro 1995 – Alc.13.5% –within 4-5 years but, for me another 7 years later, it was just fine with its depth and darkening texture of spices and touches of tar together with some mature sweet dark fruit, full body and decent length. The American oak ageing was by now perfectly integrated with its only overt trace being a certain perfume of the nose. There is a family resemblance to Bandol but this was less austere and savoury and a touch sweeter in its fruit; 17/20+.
Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux 1999 – Doamine de l’Aupilhac – Alc. 13.5%, made from a cocktail of Mourvèdre and Carignan30%, Syrah 25%, Grenache and Cinsault, was not dissimilar to the Mataro in a slightly less full bodied and a more savoury vein and minus the perfume. A Languedoc classic; 17/20.
