WTN: Chablis Burgs Laurel Glen Martinelli

October 2013 blind tasting lunch notes.

2005 Brundlmayer Ried Loiser Berg Gruner Veltliner – lemon oil and oak in the nose, lots of acidity on palate and a honeyed mouth feel. Godo wine – great way to start.

2004 Wm. Fevre Les Clos Grand Cru Chablis – wet stone and lemon nose clean, tasty crisp wine with excellent minerality.

2004 Brocard Les Clos Grand Cru Chablis – sweet green apple nose, full in the mouth, more complex and softer than the previous wine, and I found I liked this one best – more interesting things going on.

2002 Remoissenet Meursault-Charmes – ambering wine showing oxidation in the nose, and some aspects of interest on palate, but on the whole a wine past its time. No idea if it is due to storage issues or simply normal age.

2006 Taupenot Merme Gevrey Chambertin – medium colour with a nice dark cherry and strawberry nose with some spice, medium bodied, not at all ripe but not lean either – elegant decent wine.

2003 Rust en Vrede Merlot – we had some trouble narrowing this down. Delicate spicy nose and some nutmeg carrying over in the mouth along with cocoa and sweet fruit. Well balanced and tasty.

1998 Clos des Papes CNduP – I was delighted when I checked and found some of this in my cellar when I got home. A ‘pretty’ nose of ripe fruit and pepper, good concentration on palate and good length. Nice to know this is in the drinking window now – must open one along with the excellent 1995.

2001 Clos des Cazeaux Vacqueyras – more pepper in this one, and some anise and dark fruit. Good stuffing, drinking well.

1987 Laurel Glen Cabernet – I thought this was probably early 1990s but when told it was earlier, I figured it could only be an 87 with thes sort of lively plum and cocoa nose and bright fruit it showed. Elegant wine, tasty and with good length.

2005 Martinelli Syrah San Felice Vd. – dark with almost purple edges even after 8 years, and still primary cassis and blackberry aromas. Lots of stuffing, the tannins now fairly soft, it drinks well with cheese. Will be interesting to see what a few more years bring – I am not sure it will ever develop much complexity, though.

[David M. Bueker]

The Remoissonet sounds like premox, though they were not so good back then.

[Jenise]

The Remoissonet sounds like premox, though they were not so good back then.

Knowing your familiarity with the BC wilderness, you might appreciate knowing that the owner of this wine found it in a shop in Kamloops last weekend. Nobody had any idea of how long it had been there. But there weren't any strong sherry notes, it just seemed super old and caramelized.

I have wondered why oxidized wine often spurs accusations of "premox". It's a 2002, for gosh sakes. How many whites really can go 10 years out anyway, aging gracefully rather than falling apart? Don't tell me it's only Cali Chards that fall apart- I don't buy it. It takes a very special dry white to be able to last. Calls of "Premox" may be justified in a wine 2 or 3 or 5 years out, but even in Chablis, decade-long age has never been a certainty.