WTN: Sorrel Clinet Mt Eden Lamborghini
Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 1:56 pm
Monthly blind tasting lunch notes.
1996 Lanson Brut – a bubble to start off and it showed really well, with a nice ripe yeasty nose, some colour, full and crisp in the mouth. Good job!
2010 Dom. de la Taille aux Loups Remus Plus (Montlouis) – I’ve had this chenin before and it is a killer wine! Citrus based nose, with some wood notes, full and sweet fruit in the mouth with a crisp lingering finish. This should live and develop for quite some time.
2001 Marc Sorrel Hermitage La Greal – fairly dark, and with a ripe slightly funky nose of tar and olive, it also had tons of acidity and a long clean finish. Very nice. I’ve tasted the 83 and 95 also and they are a producer worth keeping an eye out for.
1998 Ch. Clinet (Pomerol) – this struck me as probably a left bank wine at first, it was very dark and seemed to get all its nose from the cabernet component, which is only 15% or less in most vintages. Blackberries and maybe some blueberries made it a fruit delight in the nose. Smooth in the mouth with softening tannins and very good length, finishing with dry tannins and lingering fruit. Very good!
2005 Isenhower Wild Alfalfa Syrah – you couldn’t have a bigger contrast than between this wine and the previous one. Dark and with a perfumed jammy nose of berries with a slight mustiness. Sweet and soft in the mouth, with a sweet vanilla note in the finish. Pleasant, but not really my style of Syrah (see Sorrel above!)
1991 Mount Eden Old Vines Cabernet (Napa) – here is what I value in American wines – a perfectly lively but mature cabernet from a good producer! Green hints in the nose along with slight hints of wood smoke, good fruit levels and fairly soft tannin at the end. Needs drinking, but holding well.
2000 Lamborghini Campoleone – this is an IGT blend of merlot and sangiovese from Umbria. I was initially drawn to the producer as I own a vintage Lamborghini automobile and the producer of the wine is old Ferruccio’s daughter, but the quality of the wines kept me buying. Good colour, not yet lightening, and a nose you get when you crush blackberries and smell them! With hints of cedar, it makes an enticing combination. The fruit on palate is more dark cherry based and maybe some plum, and it is very smooth and supple across the tongue. It has excellent persistence in the mouth, and I think that the only criticism levelled at it, of perhaps having slightly low acidity, may be based on tasting it with the food, as I found it to be very well balanced. I can’t think how it would get any better but I don’t think there is a great rush to finish this off.
Our resident Port maven was absent and so I elected to bring an extra bottle as host to accompany the cheese, as I had found it in the cellar while in hot pursuit of a different wine. This bottle had been hiding from me for maybe 25 years.
Churchill Crusted Port – made by Churchill Graham, and bottled in 1982, I am not sure just what vintages the grapes would have come from, but would think mid 70s likely. Browning edges, some spice in the not too hot nose, mellow and pleasant – better than I’d expected in fact. Reminded me a bit of some of the last 1975 vintage Ports I’d opened.
1996 Lanson Brut – a bubble to start off and it showed really well, with a nice ripe yeasty nose, some colour, full and crisp in the mouth. Good job!
2010 Dom. de la Taille aux Loups Remus Plus (Montlouis) – I’ve had this chenin before and it is a killer wine! Citrus based nose, with some wood notes, full and sweet fruit in the mouth with a crisp lingering finish. This should live and develop for quite some time.
2001 Marc Sorrel Hermitage La Greal – fairly dark, and with a ripe slightly funky nose of tar and olive, it also had tons of acidity and a long clean finish. Very nice. I’ve tasted the 83 and 95 also and they are a producer worth keeping an eye out for.
1998 Ch. Clinet (Pomerol) – this struck me as probably a left bank wine at first, it was very dark and seemed to get all its nose from the cabernet component, which is only 15% or less in most vintages. Blackberries and maybe some blueberries made it a fruit delight in the nose. Smooth in the mouth with softening tannins and very good length, finishing with dry tannins and lingering fruit. Very good!
2005 Isenhower Wild Alfalfa Syrah – you couldn’t have a bigger contrast than between this wine and the previous one. Dark and with a perfumed jammy nose of berries with a slight mustiness. Sweet and soft in the mouth, with a sweet vanilla note in the finish. Pleasant, but not really my style of Syrah (see Sorrel above!)
1991 Mount Eden Old Vines Cabernet (Napa) – here is what I value in American wines – a perfectly lively but mature cabernet from a good producer! Green hints in the nose along with slight hints of wood smoke, good fruit levels and fairly soft tannin at the end. Needs drinking, but holding well.
2000 Lamborghini Campoleone – this is an IGT blend of merlot and sangiovese from Umbria. I was initially drawn to the producer as I own a vintage Lamborghini automobile and the producer of the wine is old Ferruccio’s daughter, but the quality of the wines kept me buying. Good colour, not yet lightening, and a nose you get when you crush blackberries and smell them! With hints of cedar, it makes an enticing combination. The fruit on palate is more dark cherry based and maybe some plum, and it is very smooth and supple across the tongue. It has excellent persistence in the mouth, and I think that the only criticism levelled at it, of perhaps having slightly low acidity, may be based on tasting it with the food, as I found it to be very well balanced. I can’t think how it would get any better but I don’t think there is a great rush to finish this off.
Our resident Port maven was absent and so I elected to bring an extra bottle as host to accompany the cheese, as I had found it in the cellar while in hot pursuit of a different wine. This bottle had been hiding from me for maybe 25 years.
Churchill Crusted Port – made by Churchill Graham, and bottled in 1982, I am not sure just what vintages the grapes would have come from, but would think mid 70s likely. Browning edges, some spice in the not too hot nose, mellow and pleasant – better than I’d expected in fact. Reminded me a bit of some of the last 1975 vintage Ports I’d opened.