- N.V. Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Cuvee No. 729 - France, Champagne (4/1/2006)
Slightly evolved colour. The nose is lovely and fresh with apples and all the savoury elements required in Champagne, also a bit of oak, rather earthy thanks to the third of Meunier. The mousse is small. The palate is prominently fruity and earthy, with lovely acid balance, finely integrated oak, and a fairly long aftertaste. A nice fruit forward Champage. Very good - 1997 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (4/1/2006)
A fine rustic and tangy nose, with the typical Musar notes of rust and tomato - and of course Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. It also a little raisiny due to the hot year. The palate is full bodied, with fine ripe fruit, little ripe tannins, and high - almost harsh - acids. Very good, but would be better without the raisininess. - 1998 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (4/1/2006)
Gold. Pleasantly deep nose of grape, herbal bitterness, nuts and a little oak. The palate is very full bodied, with fine acidity, quite tannic for a white wine. Long. The wine is like a coiled up spring. Needs age. Lots of it. - 2001 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (4/1/2006)
Very dark red. Nose of blueberry and cherry liqeur, vanilla, oak, sweet fruit, dill, slight earthyness - has this become spoofulated? The palate is very full bodied, with lots of oak, much extraction, fine acidity and tannins. Hmmmm. I used to like this reserva very much. Has this changed recently to a spoofulated style, or have my tastes changed? Try in a year to see what age brings along. Undecided. - 2001 Château Brillette - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc (4/1/2006)
Dark red. A rather oaky nose but with lovely cassis and leafyness. The palate is rather full bodied with plentiful tannins and with lovely acidity - but too extracted? I really can't say. This is very savoury but seems to have hints of spoofulation.Very good if you like "Parkerized" wines, adequate if not. - 2002 Jacques Prieur Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin (4/1/2006)
Dark. The nose is more prominently oaky than the last bottle, with only a slight saltiness and vegetality. The palate is very sweetly fruity, with fine acidity, but not very savoury. Long, very good, but a little less oak would have been great! - N.V. Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Matusalem Oloroso Dulce Viejo - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry (4/1/2006)
Brown. Fantastically deep scent of rancio, raisins and espresso. The palate is very sweet but supported by the rancio and high and intense acidity. Lovely.
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Cheers,
Otto