Miscellaneous Tasting Notes 2001 - 2004
(most recently tasted at the top)
Last updated: 11 Jan 2008
1972 Henschke Mount Edelstone, Premier
Quality 740ml, alcohol not shown. Henschke 1994 Quality
Assurance back label: recorked and recapsuled 1994. (Lay & Wheeler)
On pulling the cork (which curiously sparkles with tartaric crystals) a
perfumed blackberry scent was released into the room. Promising.
A fully mature light ruby. Minty, perfumed crème de mure
nose, with some secondary notes and a light dusting of sweet VA. Light
on the attack. Very integrated and closely knitted. Very evolved
flavours with fruit that's a touch dried out. Good balance. Completely
mature. But doesn't really have too much to recommend it beyond the
curiosity value. Would appear to be on its way down from its plateau.
Update: well it didn't fall apart (finished it early on 31st December),
but it didn't get any better. Light, characterless and I think I've
found my dud of the year ...
(29/12/04)
1995 Rheinriesling Spätlese
Trocken, Willi Opitz, (T&W Wines)
A hand-written very heavy magnum without any proper label and no
further information other than what's in bold. Noticed it leaking
slightly, though it had been ok before Christmas.
Oddly the cork was not really very loose at all, and in very good
condition (and huge).
Deepish gold, that had me a little worried. Raisiny petrol on the nose.
Enormous weight in the attack. Ripe, riesling fruit with honeyed late
harvest flavours. Bone dry - especially noticeable on the finish. Very,
very long with lots of minerally petrolly riesling flavours long after.
As with many of Willi Opitz's wines, this is a bit odd, but Very Good
Indeed.
I don't think it's suffering from any premature oxidation. It
didn't deteriorate over the next few days it was open, but neither did
it improve.
(29/12/04)
Lunch at the Italian
Orchard Restaurant, Broughton, 27/12/04
I must have passed this restaurant, 5-10 mins from M6 J32, hundreds of
time, but this was the first time we'd been (having been warned off by
another local Italian restaurateur, keen to protect his own business!).
Nothing particularly startling with regard to the menu, though the food
was very good indeed, but a rather interesting wine list, unfortunately
appallingly presented, with no vintages and no descriptions of the
largely unfamiliar wines (their
website
has their core wine list on it). We just plumped for a couple that
looked interesting and fitted in the appropriate price bracket. We
weren't disappointed in the slightest:
Christmas 2004
Christmas Eve
- Hidalgo Oloroso, (Majestic)
Warm, nutty, well-structured and very pleasing. Nice light, elegant sweetness. Very Good Indeed.- 1991 Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese, Karthäuserhof 8.5% abv, AP 3 561 303-15-92. Magnum. (French & Logan)
Very minerally light petroleum beeswax nose. Light and off-dry on the attack. Very minerally, rounded clean elegance. Crisp, mature riesling finish with wet pebbles and a hint of honey.
Declared to be one of the best wines with cheese ever.
Excellent.- Ch. Coufran, 1970
Very light ruby with virtually no bricking. Rather evolved nose with more than a hint of VA; light curranty fruit with an odd citrus peel note. The VA comes and goes.
Very light on the attack with light fresh fruit. Again, quite evolved with a sweet old rioja note. In a more closed glass, it almost seems a touch bretty. Just a touch dried on the finish.
Very Good.Christmas Day
- Grappa di Ornellaia
Spirits tend not to be my thing, other than rum anyway, and grappa tends to seem like lamp oil most of the time, but this was excellent, really smooth with an lovely flavour.- Niepoort LBV 1999 tinto doce, (Booths)
Very dark ruby. Warm, very very fruity nose with blackberries, plums, cloves and cinammon. Very smooth and luscious, quite chocolatey on the palate. This is a really lovely LBV port. Very pure, fragrant fruit on the palate. Very integrated. Good depth. Excellent finish. Particularly notable for the lack of spirit both on the nose and on the palate. Possibly all in all perhaps just a bit simple?
After 12 hours in decanter, it is much more open, but also much more of a scented floral nature, but after 24 hours it was very definitely starting to suffer and deteriorate. Very Good Indeed.- Pacherenc du Vic Bilh Doux, Octobre 1996. Le Calendrier des Pacherencs Doux par Alain Brumont 500ml, 14% abv
Mid-, rather yellow gold. Honeyed, light citric marmalade nose. Just off-sweet on the palate. Quite elegant. Not the best bottle of the few of this that I got at auction a couple of years ago.
Served with goose and turkey livers, with foie gras d'oie and de canard, on toasted homemade brioche, as a little light snack at lunchtime. (Yes, that is a definition of over-egging ...)- Petraea XCVII-XCIX Brut Champagne Raymond Boulard 12%, (Original Wine Company)
Very much on form and punching well above its weight. Very attractive nose - blackberries and blackberry leaf with toast. Crisp and very clean on the palate, with good fruit, and good complexity especially towards the finish. Hugely attractive. Excellent.- 2003 Umore Nero, Castello di Luzzano, Pinot Nero, DOC Oltrepe Pavese 12.5%, (Frank Stainton)
An unoaked, young vine pinot noir. An even youthful ruby appearance. A fairly young pinot noir - very attractive and open. Quite a distinctive elegant style. Very Good.
Served with roast goose.Boxing Day
Laurent Perrier, Grand Siècle, (Majestic)
Light and fresh with enormous fine elegance. Very Good Indeed.Then, to keep us going through the doldrums of the afternoon, Martinique rum cocktails (made from the excellent La Mauny AOC Martinique 50% white rum, "one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak") and Planter's Punch.
Back to food, and with a platter of smoked fish and then more foie gras, more of the Pacherenc and more of the Karthäuserhof Auslese, both unchanged from the last couple of days. Then with roast turkey, it was time to pop another Karthäuserhof magnum:
- 1994 Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spätlese Trocken, Karthäuserhof 10.5% abv AP 3 561 303-8-95. Magnum. (French & Logan)
Noticeable viscosity on pouring. Slight, smoky, very mineral driven with light kerosene and a touch of natural gas mercaptans. Truly remarkable legs for a Ruwer riesling - slow and really fat. Rounded and immediately, almost aggressively dry on the attack. Although it's very dry, there seems to be fairly low acidity, making it seem a touch flabby. Quite a pure, minerally Riesling streak. But overall, it's far too dry, a bit flabby and really rather unsatisfying. OK/Good. Bugger, another five magnums of this to get through.- 1995 Ch. Canuet, AC Margaux 13% Second wine of Ch. Cantenac Brown
Very very dark, impenetrable deep purple ruby. Plummy, green nose. Rather green on the palate - needs opening well ahead (which this bottle wasn't). Hard, slightly bitter note on middle. Seems to lack much of Margaux fragrance and softness I'd expect. OK.27/12/04
With the turkey sandwiches in the evening, we continued with the
- 1994 Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spätlese Trocken, Karthäuserhof
A mid lemony gold. Very unusual nose, and although it's now been open 24 hours, still a bit stinky with quince, pineapple and durian on the nose. Light. Big ripe flavours, but lacking structure and backbone. Fairly short. More than a touch of sulphur apparent on the middle. Disappointing. Good (just). (Update: this was a bad bottle, another opened a week or so later - see above - was much nicer)
2000 Korem, IGT Isola dei Nuraghi, Argiolas,
13.5%
(Edencroft Fine Wines)
A very deep, very dark purple starting to show some maturity.
Very concentrated nose with lots of deep violets, blackcurrant,
crème de mure and lots of floral notes. An
intriguing nose. Soft, gentle attack that suddenly shoots a
bolt of flavour - leathery, concentrated, very complex plummy cherry
fruit. Huge concentration, yet also surprisingly
elegant. Good chewy structure with very soft yet slightly
rasping tannins. Incredible length - it just lingers in the
mouth for ages. Excellent.
(20/12/04)
1995 Cheval Noir, Grand Vin,
Mähler-Bresse, 12.5%,
(The Wine Society)
Corked
(20/12/04)
2002 Piesporter Treppchen Rivaner Trocken,
Kurt Hain, 11.5%, (AP
Nr. 2 596 432 2 03) (French & Logan)
In a clear Bordeaux bottle. Palish straw. You'd
definitely guess this was English going by the nose: a gentle scented,
rather indistinct buttery nose, with almost a green pea note.
Quite light and fresh on the attack, but fills and widens
quickly. Vaguely tropical fruit, some butteriness (is there a
tiny bit of oak in this?) and a slightly artificial seeming acidic
finish. Quite tingling and puckering after, though not really
much length from the wine itself. If served this blind, I
think I would guess at a cold climate chardonnay and something
blend. Undoubtedly a pleasant wine thought and interesting to
try in an anoraky sort of way, but I think many would find it
attractive enough to buy. Very Good.
(18/12/04)
1999 Abadia Retuerta Selección
Especial, Sardon de Duero, 13%
(Chateauonline)
Very very dark black mulberry colour with a touch of purple at the
rim. Smoky, very leathery nose with slightly astringent
plummy fruit and chocolate notes. Very rich and smooth on the
attack. Nice warm spice in the mouth. Remarkably
restrained fruit. Very concentrated and deep. Soft
yet firm tannic structure on the finish. It's impossible, but
it's rather more like one of their superior cuvées, than the
simple seleccion especial. Excellent. Nice to see
this wine back on form, after it went through a rather funny phase over
the summer.
(13/12/04)
1997 Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling
Kabinett, Laurentiushof, 8% (AP
Nr. 2 607 184 4 98) (Majestic)
Pale lemon gold with green tinges. A glorious nose: ripe
mineral-laden peaches with crisp green apples. Not really any
petrol yet. Hint of sweetness at the end of the nose.
Ripe - very ripe - clean fruit. A bit too much on the sweet
side, with the acid only appearing right on the finish, and not a lot
of it either. Lacks depth. But still a jolly good
wine, especially at the price (£5.99). Very
Good/Very Good Indeed.
(10/12/04)
2002 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen
Riesling Kabinett, Kurt Hain, 8%, (AP
Nr. 2 596 432 8 03) (French & Logan)
Composite cork, with solid cork ends. Very very very pale,
almost watery, straw colour. Very fragrant, floral lime
flowers on the nose, and rather sherbetty. With more
aeration, the nose still shows itself as sherbetty and limey, but there
are also more mineral notes. Light and fresh tasting with an
exciting zingy acid balanced by very good, ripe, appley
fruit. A touch of sweetness on the finish. Pretty
good length. Very Good Indeed.
Oops! finished the bottle without noticing!
(8/12/04)
2001 The Futures Shiraz, Peter Lehmann,
14% (Booths)
Mid ruby in appearance. Very deep, very powerful dark plummy
fruit on the nose, laced with tobacco, but also a rather young green
note. Ripe, round fruit on the attack, then the wine deepens
and widens enormously. Lovely balance. A really
wide, expansive palate, with lots of texture and character.
Spice and black pepper on the finish. Excellent.
(6/12/04)
1998 Albariño
Burgans. Bodegas Martin Codax, Rias Baixas, 12% (Oddbins)
Medium lemon yellow. An evolved mature buttery nose with
plenty of citrus and a hint of elderflower. Soft and rich on
the attack. A very mature feel to it, though not over the
hill, and actually improving as the bottle is open. Still a
nice elegant fruit, balnced well. Bit hollow on the middle
but finishes well. Very Good.
(5/12/04)
Berry's Wm Pickering Port, bottled 2004
(BBR)
This is a 20-year old tawny port made for Berry Brothers & Rudd
by Quinta do Noval. Lot No L4064.
Really very pale indeed - an orangey nut brown pale oloroso
colour. Is this really only a a 20-yr tawny? It
looks older. Rich, nutty fruitcake nose. Very very
deep concentrated nose with lots of dried fruit, Dundee cake and
french-polished antique furniture. There's a bit of spirit on
the nose initially, but it's not too distracting and quickly blows
off. Round and rich on the attack, almost creamy with lots of
very concentrated ripe fruit, like an undersweetened Christmas
pudding. Lovely balance with a really nice fresh streak on
the finish. The length is incredible - it goes on forever,
easily two minutes. Really quite elegant and
mellow. Excellent.
(4/12/04)
2003 Villa Doluca Dry White Wine, Doluca,
Eger, Western Anatolia, Turkey, 13%
A blend of "Sultanina" from the Aegian region and the "Semillon" of
Thrace. Light and very fresh, slightly sauvignony, slightly muscatty.
Pleasant and innocuous. Not one to worry about too much: just knock it
back. Good.
(21/11/04 at Ozer restaurant)
2003 Late Harvest Riesling, Forrest
Estate, Marlborough, New Zealand, 8.5%, 375ml
My first stelvinned dessert wine! Very light, citrussy nose with some
beeswax. Really rather elegant and completely unsticky. Very Mosel-like
and reminiscent of a particularly racy Auslese. A little short on the
finish and after, without the finesse of its Mosel equivalent. Still a
jolly good wine, though. Very Good Indeed.
(20/11/04 at Providores restaurant)
1997 Château de Beaucastel, AC
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 13.5%, 375ml
Very dark, even ruby with no signs of youth. Very sumptuous
nose - complex and multi-layered without any particular characteristic
that stands out: just all very well integrated. For
Beaucastel, this is remarkably lacking brett: maybe some tobacco smoke
and leather. On the palate this is fabulous.
Immediately attractive with fruit and an excellent underlying
structure. Inordinately complex with fruit alternating with a
drier structure, though hardly tannic at all. Lovely leathery
spice and cigar finish. This is a really excellent wine:
completely integrated in all respects, except perhaps the spice on the
finish and long after, which becomes more pronounced with
time. With time (about an hour), the nose starts to show a
certain char-grilled steak note and an elegant pinot noir earthy
mushroominess: but still the usual Beaucastel farmyard is
absent. A remarkably Burgundian Beaucastel.
Excellent.
(19/11/04 at Tate Britain)
2003 Camel Valley Vineyard Bacchus,
Cornwall
A very pale straw. Very fresh, herbaceous nose with floral and grassy
notes. Very clean and refreshing. Crisp, but with an elegant floral
note. Very pure. Very nice and fruity afterwards with very good length.
Much more elegant than the Curious Grape Bacchus. Really lovely, fresh,
crisp flavours. This would make an excellent aperitif. Excellent
(19/11/04 at Tate
Britain)
2002 Rüdesheim Riesling Kabinett,
Weingut Leitz, 9.5%, AP
Nr. 24 079 011 03, (Booths)
A pale yellow straw colour. The nose is rich and creamy with
a touch of artificial pear. Light and immediately fruity on
the palate. Superb balance of ripeness and acid.
Amazing length. A jolly good bit of hock. Very Good
Indeed.
(15/11/04)
NV Moscatel Oro, De Muller,
L-9136, 15%, 375ml (Frank Stainton)
A deep brownish gold. Really nice light muscat nose with
honeyed, orangey, grape and raisin jelly.
Excellent attack - remarkably light and very, very fresh.
Fills into a luscious but not overrich fragrant wine. Light,
fresh and fragrant. A bit confected and artificially
sweet-tasting on the finish - almost sacchariny - and a bit
short. Very Good.
(14/11/04)
2002 Riesling Brut Sekt,
Flaschengärung, handgerüttelt, Weingut Kurt Hain,
12.5%, AP
Nr. 2
596 432 27 04 (French & Logan)
Palish straw with a distinct green tinge. Crisp, fresh lime
zest and green apple nose. There's a really lovely,
attractive crisp and very fresh feel to the attack. The wine
then gets creamier as it sits on the palate. Lots of depth
and character. A really solid ripe, but very dry fruity
finish with long malic length. Very Good Indeed.
(13/11/04)
1999 Abadia Retuerta Selección
Especial, Sardon de Duero, 13%
(Chateauonline)
An even, very, very dark black plum colour with just a touch of purple
at the rim. Nicely integrated nose with plenty of ripe fruit
and an oaky roundness. Good fruit on the attack: very clean
and quite fresh tasting. Some sweet vanilla tannins on the
palate on the middle: they seem fairly young tannins, but are nice and
soft. Flavours of tobacco and forest fruits on the
finish. Very well integrated on the finish. An
interesting wine. Very Good Indeed.
(8/11/04)
2003
Yellowtail Chardonnay, SE Australia, 13.5%,
(Morrison's) Plastic cork
A pale to mid gold. Smoky, toasty, peachy nose.
Very rich on the attack. On the palate, it's full and fruity,
but there's also a disjointed acidic note towards the finish.
very good length. Not bad for a simple Oz
chardonnay. A touch off-dry and lacking any
elegance. Good.
(7/11/04)
2002
Passo Doble doppia fermentazione, Masi, Tupungato, Argentina,
13.5% (Everywine)
A blend of Malbec and Corvina made in Argentina by Valpolicella
experts, Masi.
A very dark young purple. Big, black fruit nose with leather
and a bit of apricot kernels. Quite forward. Nice
round fruit. Very full and a bit amarone like in
weight. Interesting structure. Very Good Indeed.
(7/11/04)
NV
Buenos Aires BA Brut, Argentina (Majestic)
Off.
(6/11/04)
2001
Billi Billi Creek, Mount Langhi Ghiran, Victoria, Australia,
13.5%
(Frank Stainton)
Although labelled Shiraz, this is a blend of Shiraz, Grenache and
Cabernet Sauvignon.
A light, even ruby with some touches of youth evident. Lots
of soft, gentle red fruits on the nose - quite simple, but fairly
elegant. Lots of immediate attractive fruit on the
palate. Light and well-made. Overall, it seems a
bit simple with very forthright plummy spicy fruit flavours.
But it really comes into its own towards the finish, when it builds
with lots of fresh notes of chocolate and spice. Nice acidic
structure. Nice soft tannins. Rather complex on the
finish with plenty of depths, lingering on in its massive
length. Very Good Indeed.
(5/11/04)
1999
Jerusalem Section Pinot Noir, Adelaid Hills, Chain of Ponds,
14.5% (Bibendum)
A light, fairly mature ruby appearance. Soft red fruits with
raspberry leaves on the nose. Quite rich and very round on
the attack, with plenty of delicate fruit. It fills well with
good structure building although the tannins are on the soft
side. There's a touch of greenness and acid towards the
finish. Some slightly spicy confected fruit on the finish and
after. Huge length. Very Good.
(3/11/04)
1996
Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Willi Haag,
AP No: 2 577 049 4 97, 8.5% (Wine Society)
The cork wasn't so much mouldy, as had several likely new antibiotics
containing among their number a treatment for MRSA; and there was also
a tartaric crystal the size of half a sugar lump hanging off the bottom
of the cork.
A mid yellow gold colour. The nose is an old petrolly
riesling nose that seems rather older than it should be. On
the palate too, this is old ripe riesling. Big and rich and
very full in the mouth, though again feeling somewhat older than it
should. Very ripe fruit, but a bit dried out. There
is a touch of sweetness initially, but the overall impression, with the
help of some nice acidity, is of a remarkably dry old
Spätlese. Very Good.
(29/10/04)
1977 Robertson's Rabello Valente
Remarkably young looking. Very fruity with a toasty fruitcake
background on the nose. Rich ripe fruit on the palate. Very balanced
and even. Seems quite young, though very little spirit at all. Very
Good.
(25/10/04 at Knockinaam
Lodge, Portpatrick)
1983 Coltassala, Castello di Volpaia, Vino
da Tavola di Toscana, 13%, a blend of sangiovese and mammolo
and, according to the bottle ‘specially selected for the
Opimiam Society, Canada'. This was one of a number of wines sourced
from brokers such as Fine and Rare: interestingly the wine list shows
merchants, which in itself reveals some very intelligent purchasing.
A nicely mature garnet. The nose has meaty deep black fruits and sour
cherries with a touch of leather, a tiny bit of sweet VA and a touch of
earthy brett initially. Lovely soft attack. Fills to a nice soft
roundness with plenty of fruits with a nice gentle tannic structure.
Excellent clean finish and enormous length. I had this over two nights
and on the second night the nose is much more mushroomy and the wine
overall has hints of a fine burgundy. An excellent wine.
(25-26/10/04 at Knockinaam
Lodge, Portpatrick)
1985 Quinta do Noval vintage port
From a bottle that the hotel staff claimed had only been
opened the previous night. An even, lightish garnet colour,
showing clear signs of maturity at the rim. Rather even,
plummy, fragrant nose. Quite sweet on the attack.
Very rounded initially, then it seems to hollow out a little, revealing
a nice elegance. Then it comes together again on the finish
with soft tannins, dried fruit with sour cherries and chocolate, and a
long sweet finish. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
(24/10/04, at Kirroughtree
House Hotel, Newton Stewart)
2001 Knight Riesling, Granite Hills,
Macedon Range, Central Victoria, 13%
A high altitude Riesling from Central Victoria; winemaker: Llew Knight.
A light citrussy riesling nose. Good weight on the palate,
showing some more mature riesling flavours. Quite a minerally
oily weight to it. Very Good Indeed.
(24/10/04, at Kirroughtree
House Hotel, Newton Stewart)
1999 Haras de Pirque Cabernet Sauvignon,
Chile
Smoky young cabernet sauvignon nose. Soft clean fruit. Very Good.
(21/10/04 at Beechwood
Country House Hotel, Moffat)
1993
Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett, P.Licht-Bergweiler, AP
2 577
264 8 94 7.5% (Bibendum)
A mid greenish gold. Petrolly, waxy nose. Clean and
fresh on the attack with crisp appley flavours. Develops a
certain creaminess with lots and lots of minerality. Very
Good Indeed.
(19/10/04)
1999
Abadia Retuerta Selección Especial, Sardon del Duero, Vino
de la Tierra de Castilla y León, Spain, 13%
(Chateauonline)
An even, very dark ruby colour. The nose is very ripe, very
smokey, very leathery with black fruit. Decent, rather
forward ripe fruit on the attack and noticeably mouthfilling.
good, ripe, almost chocolatey fruit. Good structure with soft
tannins coming through towards the finish. Unfortunately
there's a touch of alcohol and of acid on the finish that unbalances it
a little. Very Good Indeed.
(17/10/04)
2000
Grüner Veltliner Dreikreuzen-Kadolz, Weinviertel, Austria,
Graf Hardegg, 12.5% (Noel Young)
According to the back label, this was harvested by hand on 15-16
September 2000 and then cold-fermented in stainless steel at
17°C. Bottled February 2001.
A pale lemon gold. The nose has buttery green fruit with a
hint of cardamom. Big on the attack: full and rich.
Develops very good aromatic flavours in the mouth along with great
weight. This is a very impressive wine. Very Good
Indeed.
(16/10/04)
2001
Hécula, DO Yecla, Bodegas Castaño, 14%,
(Chateauonline)
An even, dark black plum colour. The nose is very very
closed, giving virtually nothing away - just some hints of black fruit
and hedgerow. Lots of ripe fruit and some soft tannins on the
palate. It is a very straightforward wine and a bit simple,
with no varietal character and no terroir character. Dull,
dull, dull.
But then sometimes tasting a wine in isolation isn't the best way to
appreciate it: this wine really came into its own with a strongly
flavoured chorizo and bean stew; and its rating takes that into
account. Very Good.
(13/10/04)
2001
Château Segonzac, Premières Côtes de
Blaye, Bordeaux, 12.5%
A very dark mulberry colour with some youth at the rim. The nose is a
bit closed, but has some soft, plumy black fruits. Lightish and quite
fresh flavoured on the attack. Quite restrained with a very good
balance of fruit and tannins. A little thin and unexceptional, but also
rather young. A bit lacking in character. Good.
2002
Gewurztraminer, AC Alsace, Domaine Joseph Scharsch, 13%
(french-regional-wines.co.uk)
Very light lemon yellow. A classic soft gewurztraminer nose dominated
by sweet turkish delight. Really very sweet on the attack. Ripe, rich
tropical fruit on the palate. This wine definitely has a marked
sweetness to it, but it is a very nicely balanced wine. Fortunately,
this is a gewurztraminer that avoids the trap of being too powerful
and, and despite the dominance of turkish delight on the nose, it does
not appear at all over-extracted. However, give it some time (I left
half the bottle overnight) it develops a truly massive, almost
excessive, power of gewurztraminer flavour. Really quite simple, but
none the worse for that and certainly not below expectations. A very
nicely made basic Alsace gewurztraminer. Very Good.
(1/10/04)
1998
Ch. Monconseil, AC Premières Côtes de Blaye,
Famille J.P. Baudet,
(french-regional-wines.co.uk)
An even ruby colour, starting to show some maturity. A lightish nose
with some mint and black fruits. Good clean attack. Nicely rounded
fruit with some soft tannins, turning quite spicy on the finish when
they give way to some greenness. Fruit seems a little underripe and
dilute - if I remember rightly, the 1998 harvest was affected by rain.
But a nice straightforward claret nonetheless. Good.
(29/9/04)
1997
Quinta do Noval Late Bottled Vintage Port, 19.5% (Noel Young)
Throwing quite a large sediment already.
Very dark, almost chocolatey purple. Gorgeous nose - plums,
chocolate, old vatted demerara rum, ginger and mixed spice.
Rich, velvety mouthfeel. Lots of ripe fruit with very dark
chocolate on the palate. Excellent structure with lovely
tannins. Seems to be losing its sweetness a little and
starting to evolve more. Very Good Indeed.
(25/9/04)
1998
Reserve Selection Gewurztraminer, Hilltop-Neszmely, Mór
Region, Hungary 11.5% abv (Wine Society)
Slightly cloudy mid copper gold: looking a bit oxidised. Rich
rose petal and lychee nose. Good clean gewurztraminer
fruit. Unfortunately this is past it now: just a touch
oxidised with an odd over-concentration of fruit turning it a little
bitter. Not rated.
(25/9/04)
2002 Château Peychaud,
Côtes de Bourg, Bernard & Thierry Germain,
12.5% abv,
(french-regional-wines.co.uk)
Very clear, very bright purplish ruby. A
little stinky initially, but that blows off to reveal leather and
cedar, slightly masking light, elegant fruit. Good, fresh,
clean attack.. Light and elegant, with soft easy tannins growing on the
middle and finish. Nice structure and good
character. A very good light everyday claret for drinking in
the next year or two.
(19/9/04)
2002 Château Charron,
Premières Côtes de Blaye, Bernard &
Thierry Germain, 13% abv
(french-regional-wines.co.uk)
Bright
young ruby, but this is another corked wine from Germain.
(19/9/04)
2002 Riesling de Wolxheim
"Réserve", Domaine Joseph Scharsch,
12.5% (french-regional-wines.co.uk)
A pale lemon colour. The nose is very light indeed - crisp, fresh
creamy citrus with a slightly confected note. Light, fresh and clean on
the palate. Nice crisp fruit and lots of stony minerality: absolutely
bone dry. Very clean and elegant and very well balanced. Good crisp
finish. Very Good - were it not labelled as Réserve, I think
it would easily merit a Very Good Indeed: I would expect a bit more
weight and riesling character from a wine labelled "Réserve".
(15/9/04)
2001 Tokay Pinot Gris Vignoble d'Epfig,
Domaine Schaeffer, AC Alsace, 13% (french-regional-wines.co.uk)
A bright mid gold colour. Glorious rich pinot gris nose laden with
spice and bags of tropical fruit, especially banana and sugar mango.
Very rich and full on the attack, such that one is led to believe it
might be quite sweet. Lots of fragrant tropical fruit on the palate
with a nice creaminess and spice building towards the finish. Very ripe
fruit, but a lovely, acidic streak comes through on the finish,
lightening the wine and balancing the power of the fruit. A really
lovely approachable Alsace pinot gris, though probably not one for
long-term keeping.
(14/9/04)
2002 Ch. Mercier, AC
Côtes
de Bourg, 12.5% (french-regional-wines.co.uk)
A bright young ruby colour. Very pleasant youthful
nose with lots of soft plummy black fruit, a touch of crème
de cassis richness and fresh mint. A light, fresh attack leads to a
very young, crisp tasting wine. Unfortunately it doesn't quite have the
same fruit in the mouth as it did on the nose, but it is soft, clean
and well made. There is a certain raw green-ness to the fruit. A good
tannic structure comes to the fore towards the finish, growing and
adding a bitter touch on the finish. This seems almost like a barrel
sample, and it would be interesting to try again in 6-12 months time to
see if it has knitted together more. As it is, it's promising with some
good structure and a youthful elegance. Decanting a few hours in
advance and giving it a good exposure to air will undoubtedly do this
wine nothing but good, making the tannins recede a little and the fruit
show through more. Very Good.
(12/9/04)
2002 Ch. Peyredoulle, AC
Premières Côtes de Blaye, Bernard &
Thierry Germain, 13% (french-regional-wines.co.uk)
Mid ruby with a hint of youth in appearance. Corked.
(12/9/04)
2001 Reserve Shiraz, Jacob's Creek/Orlando
Wines, South Australia, 14.5% (Sainsbury)
Interestingly the claims on the bottle are exactly the same as on the
Riesling below (replacing "riesling" with "shiraz" of
course). So they're made to a formula.
The colour is a bright mid purple ruby. On the nose, there
are spicy blackberry leaves, plums and alcohol. Good ripe
fruit on the palate: and surprisingly light and elegant. Good
structure with nice acid and soft tannins on the finish.
There's a very strange hint of Cadbury's Caramel on the finish and
after. Decent length. Very Good. Not
worth the money though.
(6/9/04)
2003 Reserve Riesling, Jacob's
Creek/Orlando Wines, South Australia, 12%, Stelvin (Sainsbury)
According to the bottle this is "an outstanding wine of great structure
and ageing potential" made from "premium Riesling grapes from South
Australia's finest regions".
Very pale, green straw colour. A confected, zesty lime sherbert nose
with a sort of rich pistachio-based marzipan note. Light and
fresh. Very clean and pure. Very crisp, with
subdued citrus fruit flavours. Rasping acidity and a wet
stone minerality. Seems a little dilute however.
Undoubtedly a bit over-priced. Good/Very Good.
(5/9/04)
1994 Tokay Pinot Gris
Sélection de Grains Nobles Clos St Imer, Alsace Grand Cru,
Ernest Burn 14.5%, 375ml
A deep gold colour. The nose is honeyed, with lychee and
apples and a smoky raw tobacco note. Luscious and rich on the
attack, it fills very well and coats the mouth with a smooth gold
velvet. Rich spicy fruit comes to the fore on the finish,
along with a squirt of acidity. Not at all cloying.
Immense length with real spice lingering long after. After an
hour or so open and half drunk it gains a stunning elegance.
A lovely sipping wine. Excellent.
(3/9/04, at Tate
Britain Restaurant)
2000 Wehlener
Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, JJ Prüm,
Mosel, 7.5%, 375ml (AP
Nr. 2 576 511 23 01)
The first bottle of this was slightly corked. When I was
first offered it to taste, there seemed to be something not quite
right; I was worried, however, that it might have been the SGN above
that I'd begun with my blue cheese soufflé
starter. The second bottle proved the first definitely was
corked. A bright, light lemon yellow. Restrained
apple sherbert nose with a hint of soapiness (not
unpleasant). Very fresh and tongue tinglingly vibrant on the
palate. Good fruit, slightly overbalanced by
acidity at this stage, but with decanting or a year or two more in
bottle, this should knit together beautifully. But as it is,
this is a very pleasant luncheon or aperitif wine, going very well with
my fishcake and chips.
(3/9/04, at Tate
Britain Restaurant)
1999 Hochheimer Stielweg Riesling Auslese
trocken, Franz Künstler, 12%, AP No: 40 060 025 00 (Frank Stainton)
A bright lemony gold. Rich nose redolent of beeswax, lots of
ripe peach and a touch of petrol. Round and full on the
attack. Rich, with plenty of weight on the palate.
Good depth of flavour. But it seems a bit uni-dimensional and
doesn't really sing to me (perhaps I'm being a bit hard). The
richness means that it doesn't appear bone dry, but on the finish it
becomes clear that it is really very dry. Massive lingering
length. I think this is undoubtedly a very good wine indeed,
but to me it's not really German Riesling: it shows excellence
alongside Australian and New Zealand rieslings; and indeed the style
seems similar, though the fruit flavours are quite different
(admittedly I'm generalising regarding Antipodean riesling).
Very Good Indeed.
(1/9/04)
1997 Irouleguy, Domaine Etxegaraya
12.5%
Mid ruby, perhaps lacking a bit in clarity. A bit stinky on the nose -
green leaves and an astringent note, with just a bit of black fruit.
Rather unusual on the palate. Fairly light bodied. Soft fruit, soft
tannins. A green astringent note as well though. Fills quite a lot and
is really quite mouthfilling. Very unusual. Sort of like a cross
between Madiran and a Loire Cabernet Franc. OK/Good.
(30/8/04)
1961
Nuit St Georges. Possibly an Avery bottling?
This was a bottle I'd bought a year or two ago at auction (Straker
Chadwick) as part of a mixed pig-in-a-poke lot of mainly 1964 burgundy
("believed" this and that), working out about GBP 18 each. The
grower/shipper/bottler is unknown. Indeed, this isn't so much a case of
a cellar damaged label, as one that's been completely rotted away. The
only complete part of the labelling is the neck slip which just says in
black on white "Vintage 1961", which has just crumbled as I touched it.
Of the main label, all that remains is (again black on white) "orges"
and below that to the left is an uppercase "ÉE", presumably
the remains of 'appellation controlée'. Gosh, this reminds
me of doing Latin Epigraphy at university. The only other part of the
label surviving is, left centre of where the label would have been, a
line drawing (again black on white) of some leaves with what would
appear to be a vine tendril below. A suggestion that there might have
been something in red below that. A red capsule.
Right, let's see what this dodgy burgundy is like. Off comes the top of
the capsule. Yuk! Filthy. I wipe it down with a bit of kitchen roll and
water. Woah! Careful now! Nearly pushed the cork in. Oh dear. That's
not too promising. Rummage around for the longest corkscrew and gently
pull the cork. Comes out in one piece, and it's in reasonably good nick
with good elasticity and not showing very much penetration by the wine
at all. But no further clues to a more precise identification of the
wine unfortunately.
I gently pour the first taste direct from the bottle. Very bright and
clear, and (naturally) a mature burgundy in colour, but remarkably
little browning. Oh dear, bit of a strong whiff of sweet VA on the
nose. But, no, that's quickly blowing off revealing a fabulous lovely
nose - lovely mature pinot noir, that really does not smell 43 years
old. Dried stawberries and dried cherries with an earthy background,
like a newly opened bag of compost. Is that a hint of white chocolate,
or am I imagining it? Only the merest hint of VA now. Ok, I take the
plunge and give it a good swirl: with a bit of time and aeration, the
fruit really comes to the fore and develops a nicely perfumed sweet
cherry note.
Quite light on the attack. Dry fruits. Very intense. My impression is
that this is just starting to dry out, but for now it still has a very
deep rich clean red fruit core that lasts and lasts and lasts in the
mouth. Fully mature (hardly surprising!), but still some very soft
tannins adding a pleasant structure.
But ... well ... it just keeps getting better the longer it's opened.
The fruit becomes fresher and more vibrant and more open; the dryness
recedes. Remarkably vigorous, with really good balance.
The last glass is finally poured just before midnight, some seven hours
after opening, and it's still completely together. And I was worried it
might be a bit fragile and need drinking up quickly!
Not really a wine to rate, as it was unique, but at least Very Good
Indeed.
(28/8/04)
1991
Trierer Deutschherrenberg Riesling
Spätlese,
Vereinigte Hospitien, Mosel, 7.5% (AP
Nr. 3 561 104 5 92), (Majestic)
Mid lemon gold. Slightly soapy, very citrussy petrol wax
nose. Immediate up-front fruit - ripe and rich.
Crisp and clean on the palate with excellent balance. Good
length. Really developing complexity after. Very
Good.
(26/8/04)
NV
Pigassou, Vin de Table Français, 12.5% (Laithwaites/Sunday
Times Wine Club)
Unexceptional appearance - an even dark burgundy with some signs of
youth. Massive farmyardy brett dominates the nose to the
exclusion of any fruit. Rather light attack. Soft
and spicy. Very even and a bit characterless. bit
of a bitter note on the attack and the middle. Very spicy on
finish and long after. Good.
(19/8/04)
2003
Beaujolais Villages Combe aux Jacques, Louis Jadot, 12.5% (Tesco)
An even raspberry colour with youthful purple at the rim.
Quite a warm nose - attractive with lots of soft red fruit.
The nose reminds me of some sort of fruit drink, but I can't quite
place it. Soft, juicy attack. Light with bags of
soft fruit on the palate. Soft tannins and a bit of cinnamony
pepper/spice develops. Minor bitter note right on the finish
and after. Very good length. It's been a long time
since I had any Beaujolais, so I'm a bit lacking in a reference
point. Improved with being lightly chilled. Very
Good.
(18/8/04)
2003
Sauvignon Blanc, Cederberg, South Africa, 12.5% (Woffenden Wines)
Very pale straw. Very grassy nose with hints of pea
pods. Crisp and fresh on the attack. Quite full and
rich; rather lacking in sauvignon blanc typicity. Really
quite rich on the palate with a bit of floral spice. Touch of
harsh acidity on finish. Good.
(16/8/04)
1999
Crozes-Hermitage, Domaine des Remizières, 12% (Bibendum)
Dark mauve to a young mid purple at the rim. Rich, warm black
fruit on the nose with cinnamon and cloves. Big slightly raw
fruit on the attack. A big wine with hefty tannins lingering
on finish. Possibly a touch green. With air and
time, it is much more open and approachable. Rich fruit, some
warm spicy notes. Good structure and character.
Very Good.
(14/8/04)
2000
Estancia de Carrodilla, Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Oak Aged Reserva,
Bodegas Nieto Senetiner, Argentina 13.5%,
(Laithwaites/Sunday Times Wine Club)
Youngish rather murky purple. Initially light and fairly
fresh, but quick develops into a strong green weediness, finishing very
green. Unpleasant.
(12/8/04)
2000
Ermitage du Pic St Loup, Cuvée Sainte Agnès, AC
Côteaux du Languedoc, Ravaille Frères, (Waitrose)
Dark blackberry colour with some youth at rim. Very
astringent nose with quite a lot of VA. Really very nasty on
palate. Off, but not corked.
(27/7/04)
1999
Seyssel, La Taconnière, Rousette Altesse, Maison Mollex,
12.5% (The Wine
Society)
A tiny cork. Floral nose - rather unusual.
Honeysuckle and lavender. Lots of flavour
immediately. Full, with a certain richness.
Lychee-like floral tropical fruit on the palate. Quite
unusual. But perhaps more of a curiosity than sheer
enjoyment. Just something a little odd about it.
Good/Very Good.
(26/7/04)
1994 Eselsbiss Welschriesling
Spätlese Trocken, Willi Opitz, Austria, 13%
(T&W Wines)
From a bottle that had been open c. 24 hours, and just over half empty.
A deepish mid lemon gold. Very raisined nose with honey and
citrus.. Quite full on the attack, but bone dry and with high
acidity. Slight sherry feel to it (and in fact of the six
bottles of this, at least three were so oxidised as to be undrinkable -
and it's worth mentioning that T&W Wines refused to replace or
credit them, which was not good). Most unusual (as is often
the case with Willi Opitz). Not especially complex but rather
different and rather interesting. spicy finish, which lasts
ages and ages. Very Good +
(23/7/04)
2001 Laroche Chablis 1er Cru,
Cuvée Première, 12.5%,
(Bibendum)
From a bottle that had been open c. 24 hours, and just over half empty.
Palish, slightly greenish straw. Very fresh, crisp nose with
light butteriness. Rich and immediately attractive on the
palate. Good depth. Strong mineral
backbone. Good finish with very good length. Very
Good Indeed.
(22/7/04)
1998 Chianti Classico Riserva, DOCG, Borgo
Salcetino Lucarello, 13%, (Edencroft)
Dark garnet with a slight hint of youth at the rim. Soft,
warm red fruit on the nose. Light, fresh attack.
Very pleasant, light with acidic freshness until soft, but quite
dominant tannins arrive on the finish. Very good
length. Very Good.
(19/7/04)
1991 Wiltinger Hölle Riesling
Spätlese, Sanctus Jacobus, Vereinigte Hospitien, Mosel,
8%, AP 3 561 104-38-92 (Majestic)
Lage im Alleinbesitz - a monopole vineyard, that
is. A pale, very lemony gold.
Rather dull petrol nose, lacking fruit. Light and clean on
the palate. Good balance. Nice acid giving it quite
a fresh feel, though becoming just a little prickly on the
finish. Very Good.
(13/7/04)
1997 Pesquera Tinto Crianza, Ribera del
Duero, 13%
A tight cork - almost glued to the inside of the neck of the
bottle. Mature colour. This is a bit
dodgy. Fruitless nose - just lots of farmyardy brett and
sweaty saddles. Soft and full on the palate. Very
even and dull and a bit green. Quite severe acid on the
finish. Something wrong with this bottle. Not rated.
(12/7/04)
1989 Oberemmeler Karlsberg Riesling
Auslese, Reichsgraf v. Kesselstatt, 8.5%, AP 3 561-077-103-90
Another one of these with a leaking cork. There's a
noticeable viscosity on pouring. Bright, mid lemon gold
fading to clear at the rim. Very petrolly old riesling nose
with smoke and a bit of dried quince. On the palate, this is
suffering from oxidation, but still drinkable. A good balance
of sweetness and acidity, but virtually all the fruit has gone through
oxidation. Shame. Faded very very fast.
Not rated.
(8/7/04)
2000 Korem, Isola dei Nuraghi IGT,
Argiolas, Sardinia, 13.5%, (Edencroft)
Very dark purple-tinged garnet. Very deep black fruits nose
with lots of licorice and leather, and some clear ovine notes
too. Some menthol and eucalyptus too, giving it a slightly
medicinal touch. Big, soft rounded attack. Lots of
fruit. Not much development in the mouth, just some spicy
tannins coming towards the finish. Seems a bit simple and not
as good as the 1997. Very Good.
(7/7/04)
2000 Pansal del Calàs, Montsant
DO, Celler de Capçanes, Vino de licor, 500 ml,
16.5%, (Booths)
A bright young purple with a consistency of lightly crushed
raspberries. Very attractive fruity nose of chocolate coated
prunes and a light port-ish-ness. Very chocolatey fruit on
the palate. good weight, nice body and not heavy.
Not too sweet. Big, big tannins. Light peppery
spice on the finish. Very good length. A bit
different! Excellent.
(4/7/04)
2001 Bukettraube, Cederberg Cellars,
Cederberg, 13% (Woffenden Wines)
Very light, slightly scented nose - quite elegant. Light,
clean attack. Fills with some vaguely gewurzy
richness. There's a hint of rich sweetness on the finish and
after, with a nice spicy character. Very Good Indeed.
(30/6/04)
2000 Quinta do Vale D. Maria Vinho Tinto, Rio
Torto, Douro, Portugal,
14.5% (Bibendum)
The colour of youngish mulberry juice. Leather, black fruit
and green branches on the nose. Colour and nose combine to
suggest that this is going to be a bit of a bruiser. Rich and
smooth on the attack. Good fruit, but also an alcoholic
sweetness. Good structure. Some tannins on the
finish and after. Remarkable length. Very Good
Indeed.
(23/6/04)
2000 Muscat Vignoble de Katzenthal,
Alsace, Meyer-Fonné, 12%, (Lay & Wheeler)
Delightful perfumed nose - a really lovely developed Alsace flowery
muscat. Big attack. Lots of excellent grapey
floral, scented, tropical fruit. Slight spritz on the tongue,
but from acid I think, rather than CO2: I don't think I've detected
this tingle in other bottles of this wine, but it doesn't really mar
the wine. Very Good.
(22/6/04)
2000 Domaine des Berthiers, Pouilly
Fumé, Jean Claude Dagueneau, 12.5% (possibly from
The Angel Inn at Hetton)
Pale to medium greenish gold. Fresh mown grass with a bit of
gooseberry fruit on the nose. Very light attack.
Crisp and clean. Bit short on fruit. Develops quite
a round, spicy depth on the palate, and there's a good acidic streak
throughout. Very refreshing but not expecially
satisfying. Good/Very Good.
(19/6/04)
NV Champagne Raymond Boulard,
Cuvée Rosé Brut, 12%, (Original Wine Company)
A rosé de saignée (meaning the colour comes from
skin contact, not blending red and white, which is common in Champagne,
though virtually unheard of in any wine aspiring to quality
elsewhere). Quite a deep raspberry pink. Very
lively mousse on pouring (and from a well rested bottle!)
Curiously, the first glass showed very little bubble development
(perhaps the glass was a little greasy?), but the second glass with a
larger measure shows a very uneven bubble stream initially which
settles down into a steady stream after a minute or so. Nice
full nose: good fruit with plenty of pinot noir character.
Good full flavour. Very clean and crisp, but not too
dry. Falls away a it on the finish and a slightly acidic
streak develops, lingering after, when tasted without food.
Much more character than many rosé fizzes, no doubt down in
large part to the saignée method as well as to careful and
precise winemaking. It's worth noting that the
rosé de saignée method of making champagne is
much riskier than the blending method, as the amount of skin contact
(the colour leeches out of the skins into the juice) is critical:
Francis Boulard who makes this wine has been known to stay up all night
with his vats of rosé waiting for the precise moment when
the juice has had enough skin contact. This is a wine that is
not only excellent in itself, but also stands well in comparison to the
meatier rosé table wines from, e.g., the south of
France. One word of caution though: this is not a wine that
will improve with cellaring - indeed it starts to deteriorate within a
year of purchase. Excellent.
(18/6/04)
2001 Grüner Veltliner Drei
Kreuzen-Kadolz, Graf Hardegg, Austria, 13%, (Noel Young)
Top of cork rather mouldy.
Pale to mid gold. Bit of a dull nose with more than a passing
reminiscence of a sauvignon blanc in it's green fruit, though there's
also citrus and a big blast of white pepper here. Decent
attack. Rather unimpressive. Lacks depth, very
simple, low in fruit. A substandard bottle, I
think. Fair.
(15/6/04)
2000 Riesling Steinbügel-Seefeld, Graf
Hardegg, Austria,
13%, (Noel Young)
A pale to mid straw. Very very austere, waxy, appley nose -
very flinty/slatey. Rich round attack. Fills
enormously. Big rich, spicy riesling. Slatey
riesling fruit on the palate with lime jelly. Not a textbook
basic riesling by any means. On balance, I think it's better:
it has real character and power, but also a lovely riesling
character. After being open a couple of days, it shows a much
more straightforward mineral-driven riesling character. Very
Good Indeed.
(13/6/04)
2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Rietvallei Estate,
Robertson, South Africa, 12.5%
Pale lemon gold. Lemon and raw asparagus on the nose - all
herbaceous notes with no fruit. Bright and racy on the
attack. Searing dryness. The overall impression is
of an all-conquering greenness. Very austere, but without any
real redeeming elegance. I'm not really sure what to make of
this: it's not unpleasant, but very far from appealing. Bit
of sulphur on finish, where it's a little watery. Odd and
totally unsatisfying. Poor.
(13/6/04)
2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Wine of Origin
Groenekloof, Neil Ellis, 13% (Woffenden Wines)
Very pale yellowish green. Some gooseberry notes, but
dominated by a huge chargrilled (there's a smoky note) asparagus scent
on the nose. Clean, very light attack. But fills a
lot on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, bit flavour, quite
creamy and rich with a toasty spiciness. Excellent length -
just goes on for ever. Very Good Indeed.
(12/6/04)
2000 Planeta La Segreta (Rosso), IGT
Sicilia, 14%, (Everywine)
A blend of the traditional Sicilian variety Nero d'Avola with the more
international Merlot.
Dark purple, but starting to mature. Lovely plummy,
blackberry and sweet cherry nose. Very good attack.
Good, nicely balanced fruit. Good depth and character on the
palate - really very full and round. Very nice spice notes
and medium tannins on the finish. Very Good Indeed.
(11/6/04)
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cederberg, South
Africa, 13.5%, (Woffenden Wines)
Dark, youngish ruby. Light, slightly floral minty
blackcurrant nose, seemingly with some spirit. Light
attack. Fresh and fruity body. Quite light on the
palate. A hint of spice and very very soft tannins on the
finish. A bit lacking in varietal character (any character
indeed) and a bit dilute. Easy drinking though.
Good.
(5/6/04)
2000 Grüner Veltliner Drei
Kreuzen-Kadolz, Graf Hardegg, Austria, 12.5%, (Noel Young)
The back label tells me the grapes for this were harvested by hand on
15-16 September 2000, with a yield of 5,000 litres per
hectare. Fermented in stainless steel and bottled February
2001.
Pale to medium green-tinged mid gold. Lovely nose: slightly
scented, very crisp green fruit with a marked butteriness and a bit of
warm nutmeg/turmeric/white pepper spice. Quite light on the
attack, and even seems a bit dilute. But fills
well. Good body with nice structure. Interesting
rich spiciness. Big and very long indeed on the
finish. Very Good Indeed.
(2/6/04)
2003 Tim Adams Riesling, Clare Valley,
12%, Stelvin,
(Tesco)
According to the back label this is made only from free-run juice, 470
litres per tonne. A blend of four vineyards]
A very pale green. Crisp, clean limey riesling
nose. Good, crisp attack. Lots of floral notes and
citrus on the palate with a tingling acid on the tongue
after. Excellent length. Quite weighty.
Very Good Indeed. The back label says it has potential for
cellaring for 10 years, so I'll secrete the second bottle away for a
while.
(2/6/04)
2000 Schwarz The Butcher, Zweigelt
Rosé trocken. Neusiedlersee,
Erzeugerabfüllung Johann Schwarz "with friendly help of Mr K.",
16% (!), 37.5 cl, (Noel
Young)
A curious rubbery wax capsule.
Deep salmon pink. Very curious nose - citrus and vanilla with
a hint of sweet VA and some raisins. Big and heavy on the
palate. Good fruit, with a bit of sweetness and high
alcohol. Spice and soft tannins on the finish. Much
improved with food. Suggestive of a rosé amarone
and really quite a mad wine! Very Good Indeed.
(1/6/04)
2001 Beyerskloof Synergy Cape Blend,
Stellenbosch, 13.5%, (Tesco)
[39% merlot; 36% pinotage; 25% cabenet sauvignon)
Very dark, inky, blood purple. Deep black fruit and wet
forest floor nose. Black fruit on the palate too.
Deep and a bit brooding. But a bit even across the palate to
finish. Tannins apparent on the finish with a touch of
bitterness. Quite an interesting blend. Good/Very
Good.
(28/5/04)
2001 Oak Aged Red Burgundy, AC Bourgogne,
Tesco Finest Selection. Bottled by Louis Josse,
12.5%, (Tesco)
A slightly muddy light raspberry red. Wood spice with red,
sweet cherry fruit on the nose. Quite light and
fragrant. Seems quite mature, with fruit, oak and tannins all
completely knitted. Very light. Blind, I'd think
more of Loire pinot noir. Good. Just something a
bit odd about it - a slightly industrial, confected note, I
think. Good.
(27/5/04)
1999 Gelber & Roter Traminer,
Burgenland, Austria - Weinbaugebiet Neusiedlersee, Umathum,
13/5% (T&W Wines)
Mid deep orangey gold - almost Sauternes-like in appearance.
Powerful, yet very elegant. Lightly perfumed rosewater
gewurztraminer nose (though this is Traminer, not
Gewurztraminer). Light and fresh on the attack.
Fills into a rich mouthful with nice weight and powerful, spicy
tropical fruit. Huge finish with great length.
Powerful, yet also very elegant and fragrant throughout. Very
Good Indeed/Excellent.
(24/5/04)
2002 Thomas Hyland Chardonnay, South
Australia, Penfolds, 13.5% (Tesco)
Mid gold. Rather attractive, buttery oaky chardonnay nose -
nice and rounded. Good full attack. Nice depth of
flavour, though perhaps a bit uni-dimensional. Clean and
fairly fresh. Good use of oak. Good
length. A very nice, simple Oz chardonnay. Very
Good.
(23/5/04)
Fine Old Rare Sherry Manzanilla Pasada de
Sanlucar 1/80, bottled in Spain by Emilio Lustau from the Solera of
Manuel Cuevas Jurado. Specially selected by Berry Brothers
& Rudd, 17%, (BBR)
Very very pale straw colour. Elegant flor nose with salted
almonds and semi-dried figs. Very refined and elegant on the
attack and in the mouth. Crisp and very clean but without any
overpowering sherry-ness. Very Good Indeed.
(21/5/04/)
1998 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico,
Tedeschi, 15%, (Majestic)
A dense deep plum in appearance. Big, expansive nose with
marked port-like overtones: lots of blackberry, prunes and woody
tobacco. Remarkably light on the attack and even a hint of
freshness. Fills hugely. Very big, with good
fruit. Towards the finish you get a really prominent amarone
bitterness coming to the fore - rather more so than commonly
found. Lots of peppery spice on the finish and
after. Good length, but loses its character after.
Very Good.
(19/5/04)
1928 Solera Maury, Vin Doux Naturel, Les
Vignerons de Maury, 16%, 50cl, (Frank Stainton)
A bright mahogany with a just-ruby core. Very viscous and oil
like, reminiscent of a PX sherry. Tarte tatin nose - buttery,
caramel and a certain doughiness with some surprisingly crisp
fruit. Off-sweet on the attack. Rich, with some
tannic structure. Most unusual. Very nice, light
freshness cutting the rich sweet fruitiness. Very Good.
(14/5/04)
2002 Avery Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc,
Marlborough, New Zealand, Craggy Range Winery, 13%
Stelvin (Edencroft Fine Wines)
An extremely pale straw. Fabulous intense nose with oodles of
lychee and passion fruit with a herbaceous background. Very
full. Lots of rich fruit, quite peachy, but also a huge
amount of slatey minerals. Nice acidity develops on
finish. Powerful stuff with strong flavours. Very
Good Indeed.
(12/5/05)
Warre's 20 year old Tawny Port, (Tesco)
A very pale, slightly pinkish tan. A good, very nutty
fruitcake nose - more Christmas cake, as I detect some almond and
sweetness on the nose. Soft and attractive on the
attack. Rather simple for a 20 year tawny. As with
the colour, I would expect a little more complexity. Quite
orangey on the middle and as the alcohol kicks in on the finish, it is
more than a little reminiscent of Grand Marnier.
(9/5/04)
1999 Crozes Hermitage (Rouge), Domaine des
Remizières, Earl Desmeure
(Bibendum)
Dark, very dark, almost inky dense young purple. Soft red
fruits and a very bitter-chocolate nose. Big attack with lots
of soft fruit. Develops a real tannic structure in the
mouth. Big spice develops towards the finish and almost
submerges the tannins. The spice lingers forever in the
mouth. Very Good Indeed.
(7/5/04)
NV ba sparkling, 11.6% (Majestic)
In my cellar for a couple of years or thereabouts. Good
mousse. Very active, rather coarse bubble stream.
Lemon sherbert on the nose with white bread. Crisp, clean
attack. Good fruit. Nice rich, toasty feel on the
palate. Very Good Indeed.
(27/4/04)
1989 Crozes Hermitage Blanc,
Cuvée Paticulière, Domaine des
Remizières, Desmeure Père et Fils (Bibendum)
Very bright, clear medium copper gold, fading to clear at the
edges. Very rich nose - a touch oxidised but lots of honeyed
- oh dear - wet cardboard. Oh dear. Corked.
(27/4/04)
1998 Kallstadter Kobnert Beerenauslese,
Zimmerman-Graeff, Pfalz, AP 5 907 009 204 99, 37.5 cl, 10%
(Morrison's)
Bought at Morrisons in January 2000 for what seemed a bargain
£3.99.
A deep gold. Rich citrussy, heavy botrytis nose with a rather
chemical note and more than a hint of artificial banana
essence. Rather simple on the palate. Surprisingly
not too sweet and not even the merest hint of cloying. But
simple and uni-dimensional. Not at all bad for the
price. Not at all sure what the grapes are. OK.
(21/4/04)
2001 Seigneurs d'Aiguilhe, AC
Côtes de Castillon
The second wine of Château d'Aiguilhe. An
even ruby, not looking especially youthful. Deep black fruit
on the nose with cedar and a bit of vanilla. Rather young on
the attack. Quite a light texture, but really very astringent
with soft tannins - very bitter on finish. OK.
(20/4/04)
2002 Sancerre (blanc), Jean &
Michel Naudet, 12.5%, (Waitrose)
Very, very pale green-tinged straw. A rather closed nose with
a touch of stink dominating initially. Given a little while,
it's a creamy, leafy nose with a hint of coriander seed and
vanilla. Quite round and fairly full, with reasonable fruit
and body. Not too dry, but a really searing acidity on the
finish and after. Good length. Good.
(18/4/04)
Petraea XCVII-XCIX Brut Champagne Raymond
Boulard 12%, (Original
Wine Company)
A pale to mid straw with a pinkish tinge. Very good bubble
stream with very fine bubbles. A very attractive nose with
blackberries and blackberry leaf and also some toasty notes. Crisp and
very clean on the attack, with good fruit. Excellent, crisp
and hugely attractive on the palate. Good complexity
especially towards the finish. Excellent.
(16/4/04)
2000 Tretes de
Capçanes. Oak aged. DOC Montsant, Celler
de Capçanes (Byrne's)
An even, young ruby. Very soft, reticent nose.
Soft, light fruity attack, but a big structure lurking
behind. Filling enormously and finishing with great power and
spice. Very Good Indeed.
(14/4/04)
1964 Nipozzano Chianti DOC, Frescobaldi,
72cl, 13%. (bought at auction: Straker Chadwick)
Bottle 120,609 of 150,000. Level: top shoulder. The
cork appeared to be in good condition with a good seal, but snapped
right at the last moment of drawing.
A mature appearance reminiscent of a 40 year old tawny port, but not
totally brown. A very cedary nose with acetone VA sweetness
dominating the merest hint of fruit. On the palate, it's
really very, very old and past it. Completely dead
even. Not rated.
(14/4/04)
NV Pétillant de Muscat, Cave de
Saint Sardos, 2.5% (yes, only two point five),
(DeVigne Wines,
Welshpool)
A very pale strawberry pink with some bubbles visible in the glass, but
clearly merely pétillant. Very delicate, light,
fragrant nose with huge muscatty, grapey fruit. Very fresh,
very clean tasting. Not too sweet - more rich and fruity than
a real sweetness. This is a very nice glass of posh pop on a
hot day. It would make a great low alcohol Bellini or other
champagne cocktail that can stand that little bit of sweetness, but is
gorgeous on its own. Very Good Indeed.
(12/4/04)
Berry's Wm Pickering Port, bottled 2002
(BBR)
This is a 20-year old tawny port made for Berry Brothers & Rudd
by Quinta do Noval.
A straightforward 20-year tawny appearance, though possibly a little
browner than one might expect. A definite note of cloves on
the nose, but otherwise showing fruit cake, plums, mulberries and
tobacco. A lovely, smooth, luscious attack: excellent
concentrated, complex fruit which builds to a very powerful finish with
a pleasing hint of bitterness and just a dash of spirit.
Excellent.
(9-10/4/04)
2000
Incyon Aglianico, IGT Rosso di Sicilia, 13.5% (widely
available)
An even, very dark garnet. Bitter cherry and apricot kernel
nose. Soft attack with good fruit. Very nice
structure with developing tannins and interesting depths of
fruit. Good length. Very Good Indeed.
(10/4/04)
1997
Ch. Saint Estève d'Uchaux, AC Côtes du
Rhône, 13%, (The Wine Society)
A very even ruby, with a light-bodied, mature-looking
appearance. Lovely soft red fruit - cherries - on the
nose. Light and very clean on the palate. It seems
probably pretty much à point to
me. Good fruit, very soft ripe tannins on the
finish. Excellent length. Very Good Indeed.
(9/4/04)
NV
Fizzy Willy Rosé Cuvée, Jahrgangssekt trocken,
Neusiedlersee, Austria, 12% (T&W Wines)
A delicate coppery salmon pink colour with a very fine bubble
stream. Very full, earthy nose with some strawberry
fruit. A fair mousse on the palate. Crisp and
searingly dry. A full, rich flavour, but a touch unclean and
muddy also. Rather interesting and with good
character. Good/Very Good.
(9/4/04)
2002
Nivole Moscato d'Asti, Michele Chiarlo, 375ml, 5.5% (Booths)
Mid straw colour, with the pétillance clearly visible in the
glass, with lots of bubbles clinging to the side. Light,
quite elegant muscat nose with a hint of marzipan. Very
attractive, quite full attack. Gently sweet. Clean
and pleasing. Very attractive indeed. Some depth
too. Very Good Indeed.
(7/4/04)
2002
Domaine Gavoty, Cuvée Clarendon Blanc, AC Cotes de Provence
Made from the lesser known variety Rolle (the Italian
vermentino). Fresh, quite herby and creamy. Very
Good Indeed.
(24/3/04 at Le Gavroche)
1999
Barbera d'Asti Superiore "Il Sogno", Scrimaglio
Ripe blackberry and cherry fruit. Tending towards
an "international" style? Very Good.
(24/3/04 at Le Gavroche)
1998
Zweigelt Reserve, Umathum, Burgenland, Austria
Soft cherry fruit. Very Good Indeed.
(23/3/04 at Gordon Ramsay, Royal Hospital Rd)
2000
Loibner Grüner Veltliner Smaragd trocken
Vinothekfüllung, Knoll, 14%
Very fragrant, full nose - scented and honeyed. Nice spritz
initially, but blows off after a moment in the glass in contact with
the air. Rich fruit. Excellent.
(23/3/04 at Gordon Ramsay, Royal Hospital Rd)
Club Gascon 23/3/04
2001 Lapeyre Jurancon Sec, J. Bernard Larrieu
Now this is a striking wine. A touch off-dry, but very minerally. I wonder if it's slightly oxidised, but apparently not. Big and very rich flavours with an interesting savouriness. Good/Very Good.2001 Ch. du Cèdre "Le Prestige", Cahors, Verhaeghe et fils
Powerful stuff, but also very approachable. Concentrated plummy nose with a touch of licorice. Big palate, serious wine with very good balance. Very Good Indeed.Pacherenc Symphonie d'automne, Berthoumieu (Didn't note the vintage, I'm afraid).
Very elegant light dessert wine which went very well with the range of foie gras dishes which were set before us.
1996
Saumur Champigny "le Grand Clos", Ch. de Villeneuve
a very pleasant wine: a nice earthiness, good soft fruit.
Very Good.
(The Lindsay House, 22/3/04)
Tate Britain 22/3/04
As an aperitif, we had a gorgeous half bottle of 2000 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, JJ Prüm 7.5% abv.
Crisp, clean with a nice background richness. Very Good Indeed.
Moving on, there came 2002 Muscadet de S&M Sur Lie, Domaine de la Quilla 12%
At £8 for the half bottle, we didn't think we could be done, and indeed it was a pretty good, decent basic muscadet. Nothing to get overly excited about, but perfectly adequate. Good.
A half of 1998 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes, Domaine Dujac initially had an odd nose, reminiscent of a rather medicinal forest floor. But that medicinal note blew off after a while leaving some soft cherry fruit to come through. Excellent soft fruit on the palate, with the body building all the time. Really very full. Finishes with some interesting tannins and great length. Very Good.
Finally, with the end of the cheese and instead of pudding we had a delectable 50 cl of sweet Condrieu: 2000 Condrieu Fleurs d'automne, Pierre Gaillard
A gorgeous gold colour that had the waitress coo-ing as she poured it. The nose is fantastic - glorious perfumed nature with citrus and honeyed raisins. On the palate, rich, but not cloying. Layers and layers of flavours that wash over the taste buds. Excellent depth. A very interesting wine indeed, and my first dessert condrieu. Excellent.
2000
Crémant de Limoux, Cuvée Eugénie,
Antech 12% (DeVigne
Wines)
Medium straw. Slightly uneven bubble stream. Nice
butter toasty nose. Crisp attack. Good
fruit. Fills very nicely - hasthe creaminess I often
associate with Blanquette de Limoux. Very clean.
Good fruit. Quite low acid: so not as good as a basic
non-vintage champagne with my fish and chips. Very Good
Indeed.
(19/3/04)
NV
La Cuvée d'Angélique Brut Méthode
Traditionelle E.A.R.L. Geoffroy, Gironde. 12% (DeVigne Wines)
Mid straw, good fine bubble stream. Soft citrus-peach fruit
nose. Light crisp fruit. Very hard middle with
strong acid. Very undistinguished.
(16/3/04)
2001
Riesling, Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken 9% abv (Lay & Wheeler)
Zilliken's Gutsriesling.
Greenish pale gold. Rather dumb waxy nose. Very malic. High acidity,
finishing with richness and a bit of creaminess. Good. Seems to be
preparing for a year or two's snooze to me.
(13/3/04)
2000
Rosso Conero Monte Schiavo "Adeodato" 13.5% (The Wine Society)
Inky dark purple with some clear signs of youth. Sweet and
sour cherries on the soft fruity nose. Soft attack.
Full bodied, but not heavy. Good fruit and balance.
Big tannins on middle and finish. good character.
Excellent length with much of interest. Very Good Indeed.
(12/3/04)
Domaine
de Montgilet, Crémant de Loire 12% (DeVigne Wines)
Good mousse. Mid lemon gold. Fresh, fruity herbaceous nose. Lots of
mousse in mouth. Good depth of flavour. Lots of apples and peach fruit
and a touch off-dry. Good.
(9/3/04)
2000
Domaine Aupilhac Les Servières 'Un Siècle de
Cinsault', Vin de Pays de l'Hérault (The Wine Society)
Bright garnet with obvious youth at the rim. Lovely soft
raspberry nose with some cherries. Very soft, enticing
attack. Good fruit, nicely balanced. Not
overripe. Good character. Soft tannins.
Light, clean finish with fresh spiciness. Good.
(8/3/04)
1999
Abadia Retuerta Pago Negralada, Sardon del Duero. Vino de
Mesa de Castilla y Leon 13% (Chateauonline)
Youthful dark purple. Deep concentrated black fruits with a
very slihgt lavender perfume. Very smooth, full
attack. Powerful, intense extract of tempranillo.
Bittersweet cherries and chocolate on the finish. Excellent.
(6/3/04)
2002
Ch. Thieuley AC Bordeaux. 12.5%
Not sure where this appeared from: I can't remember the last time I
bought a dry white Bordeaux. Maybe it's from the Waitrose Jefford case?
Pale to medium straw. Fragrant, grassy nose with bit of feline pee, but
with a warmer citrus note. Fresh, crisp attack. Fills very well. Rich
and creamy on the middle and finishes with dry acidity. Very Good
Indeed.
(4/3/04)
1998
Mussbacher Eselshaut Riesling trocken Kabinett, Müller Catoir
12%, AP 5 174 079 06 99 (From Wine Time, Milnthorpe)
Medium straw. Very interesting nose - perfumed grassiness - ah, yes,
lemon grass - and a very subtle but evident petrol.
On the palate, good fruit and bone dry. Interesting: initially rounded
but developing accents of character in the mouth with significant
acidity. One of the more successful trockens I've tried. Very Good.
(2/3/04)
1995
Masia Barril Clasico (From Booths)
A whopping 16% and, as the back label says, "el Priorato al estilo
antiquo".
Remarkably Booth's Everywine
outfit still seem to have stock of this to sell: they must have bought
up world stocks a few years back.
Bright mature garnet. Very heady nose, slightly port-like. Leather,
creme de mure and a touch of garriquey lavender. Ripe, rich attack.
Fills with lots of very ripe fruit and liquorice. Concentrated, wild
and racy. And just a bit weird. Liquorice bark on the very dry finish.
Very Good, perhaps even Very Good Indeed if you can get past the
'estilo antiquo', which just seems a bit weird in these days of
commercial, monotone winemaking.
(29/2/04)
1991
Castillo Labastida Rioja Reserva 12.5%. I think this might be
a Laithwaites wine that my dad passed on from one of his STWC cases.
Very good, bright maturing garnet. Lovely nose - gentle oakey,
concentrated blackberries with leathery notes. Good soft fruit on
attack. Quite light bodied. Really good structure on the middle with an
interesting sweetness on the finish. Good length. Very Good Indeed.
(25/2/04)
2002
Sauvignon Moulin des Cailloux, Cotes de Duras (an area south
of the Dordogne, if you were wondering) 12.5%. Stelvin.
Possibly another from the Jefford case from Waitrose. Good
fresh grassy citrussy nose with a hint of asparagus. Fresh
clean flavours. Not seemingly particularly
dry/acid. Good balance. Some depth. Big
on finish and after. Notably good length. Good.
(24/2/04)
1997
Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Vendanges Tardives, Albert Mann
50cl 13% (Lay
& Wheeler)
Mid gold. Lovely, intense honey and lychees nose with a hint of lime
and watermelon. Rich and mouthfilling. Lots of buttery tropical fruit
and a good level of sweetness, without being over the top. Develops a
lot of complexity on middle and towards finish, with several layers of
fruit, sweetness, acidity and gewurz richness. Very Good Indeed.
(15/2/04)
1999
Hermitage Blanc Le Chevalier de Sterimberg, Paul Jaboulet
Ainé 14% (Lay & Wheeler)
Medium gold. Powerful sweet nose. Very rich and
full. Very Good Indeed.
(13/2/04)
2000
Pinot Gris, Bodega Lurton, Mendoza, Argentina, 12.5%, (The Wine Society)
Mid yellow gold. Very powerful pinot gris nose with huge
mango fruit and a touch of cinammon. Full, rich
attack. Weighty, creamy, tropical fruit palate which dries
towards the finish and develops an interesting spiciness
after. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
(5/2/04)
2000
Planeta La Segreta Rosso IGT Sicilia, 14% (Everywine)
A blend of the traditional Sicilian variety Nero d'Avola with the more
international Merlot.
Very intense, slightly spicy bitter cherry nose. Soft
enveloping fruit on the palate: concentrated berry fruits.
Nice structure. Lots of character, building towards a huge
finish. Nice bittersweetness and intense, light, almost
underripe fruit on finish. Very Good Indeed
(4/2/04)
2001,
Vale de Clara by Quinta de la Rosa, Douro DOC, 13% (Booths)
Very short cork (and a rather open texture too). Made up in
the wild
Douro Valley of
Portugal, where port comes from: this wine is made from the same grapes
as port. Young vibrant purple. Black hedgerow
fruits on the rather subdued nose. Good attack: clean and
fresh, though possibly a little acidic. Young fruit with some
decent structure and soft tannins on middle and finish. Spicy
finish. Good length. Good. Though not as
good as a bottle of the same opened a few days earlier for
cooking. Darn.
(29/1/04)
2000
Muscat Vignoble de Katzenthal, Meyer-Fonné,
Alsace, 12% (Lay
& Wheeler)
Rich and fragrant creamy ripe muscat nose. Lovely rich
attack. Very full flavoured; quite floral, almost with a rose
touch. Excellent finish (some muscats can fall apart on the
finish and be very hard) - still deep flavoured richness.
Extremely good length. Very Good.
(28/1/04)
Grahams
LBV 1996
Another one of unknown provenance. Must have been a present from
someone.
Very good chocolatey nose with acidic black fruit. Decent attack. Nice
rich fruit. Quite a big hit of spirit on middle and towards finish. A
good, simple LBV.
(24/1/04)
2000
Cabernet Sauvignon Passito, Ruvello, DOC Garda, 13% (Asda)
Attractive bright dark ruby. Quite an intense nose with some
black fruits, though not blackcurrants oddly, and also a certain
weediness. Soft and fruity, round and full. good
structure with nice soft tannins. Spice on finish.
Slight greeness on palate and throughout though. OK.
(21/1/04)
1999
Franus Zinfandel, Planchon Vineyard, Contra Costa County,
Oakley, California, 14.8% (Edencroft
Fine Wines)
Bright, very dark ruby with a touch of youth at the rim.
Ripe, jammy hedgerow fruit with some hedgerow greenery too, and a soft
vanilla envelope. Ripe fruit on attack. Huge, very
big, very ripe flavours, starting to verge on jamminess. Very
clean and intense. Excellent finish with massive
length. Very Good.
(19/1/04)
2001
Umore Nero, Castello di Luzzano, Pinot Nero, DOC Oltrepe
Pavese, 12.5% (Frank
Stainton)
Apparently a young vine pinot noir with no oak, according to the back
label. An even ruby in appearance, with some youth visible at
the edges. Lots of soft red fruit - clean, fresh cherries
with some truffles and mushrooms. Very fruity style - a young
and vibrant pinot noir. Good texture with a certain chewiness
on the middle. Clean, peppery spice on finish with excellent
length. Very Good.
(18/1/04)
2002
Muscadet sur Lie, Côtes de Grandlieu, Fief Guérin,
Luc & Jerome Choblet, 12% (Waitrose)
A very appealing nose: crisp honeydew and watermelon with a notable
iodine touch. Fresh, very fruity and crisp. Fills
rather well and quite full-bodied on the middle and finish with a nice
lees-y character showing on the finish. Excellent
length. Very Good Indeed.
(17/1/04)
2002
Ch. de Caraguilhes, AC Corbières, 13%. (Waitrose)
"Agriculture biologique" and vegan to boot. An attractive
bright strawberry juice colour. Absolutely gorgeous nose -
pure fresh fruit - strawberries, oranges and white peaches.
Good, clean fruity attack. Good weight of fruit, yet still
delicate, crisp and fresh. Spice develops on the palate, and
this is very full, spicy, peppery on the finish and long
after. Very Good Indeed.
(29/12/03)
2001
Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Beerenauslese, Kurt Hain,
Mosel
(AP
Nr. 2 596 432 20 02), 8.5%, (French & Logan)
(continuing the same half bottle opened on 24th December 2003)
Mid gold. Lots of honey on the nose, but very elegant, with
caramelised apples and pears and a bit of lavender. Lovely
balance on the palate, initially with lots of fresh, sweet
fruit. Very good acidity keeps it in excellent
balance. Very clean and fresh with a certain crispness on the
finish. Very Good Indeed.
(28/12/03)
NV
Bicary Brut Méthode Traditionelle, AC Gaillac,
Roger Rouquié, 11.5% (From
DeVigne Wines, Welshpool)
Apparently an assemblage of those well-known grape varieties Mauzac and
Len de L'El.
Medium straw. Coarse-ish bubbles, but after a few moments, it
settles down to a very fine bubble stream. Very creamy
blackberry nose (almost an eau de vie de mûre).
Good mousse. Fresh and fruity. Fairly full
flavoured. Zesty, lemony hints on the palate, but not too
acide. Interesting aftertaste of crisp roasted
apple. Very Good +.
(27/12/03)
NV
Champagne Brossault Brut (Majestic)
Mid straw, turning deeper. Very good, very fine
bubbles. Rich, bready nose with some fruit. Very
good mousse. Not searingly dry and with very nice
fruit. Not especially shy, but not only powerful flavours
either. Very Good Indeed.
(26/12/03)
1999
Moss Wood Glenmore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret
River, 14%
Very nice smoky leathery nose, laden with cabernet sauvignon
fruit. Good fruit on the palate, though a little flat
overall. Good flavours with nice structure. Soft
gentle tannins on the finish. I'm not really quite sure what
to make of this, as I feel it should be rather more impressive: it
might be in a bit of a dumb phase, or it might be about to start fading.
(25/12/03)
NV
Castello del Poggio Moscato d'Asti, DOCG
Very good light fruity nose. Nice petillance. Not
overly sweet and avoids the artificial taste of some moscati
d'Asti. Very Good.
(24/12/03)
2001
Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Beerenauslese, Kurt Hain,
Mosel,
(AP
Nr. 2 596 432 20 02), 8.5%, (French & Logan)
A bright mid gold. Lovely nose: a touch of apples, lots of
honey with a waxy herbal perfume with some very gentle lavender
notes. Acid and pure fruit on the attack. Then it
fills to a luscious richness, yet still cut by a fine
acidity. Sweet, haunting body and length with a crisp
after. Very Good Indeed.
(24/12/03)
1976
Roxheimer Mühlenberg Riesling Beerenauslese, Günther
Schlink, Bad Kreuznach, Pfalz, (AP
Nr. 1 710 077 075 77), 9.5%
Almost a coppery colour. Honey and beeswax with raisins on
the nose. No riesling characteristics to speak of.
On the palate, it's raisined and slightly oxidised. Again
lacking Riesling characteristics and elegance. Moderately
sweet, with some acid. But really rather flat and
uninteresting. OK.
(24/12/03)
2000
Tokay Pinot Gris, Rolly Gassman
With the Christmas goose. A good rich pinot gris,
but really very sweet. Good.
(24/12/03)
NV
Taittinger Brut
2 or 3 years since purchase. Slightly stronger
flavour than usual. Very good bubbles, but virtually no
mousse in the mouth. Good.
(24/12/03)
1996
Quinta do Passadouro Late Bottled Vintage Port, 20.5%
(Peckham's, Glasgow)
Quite a light, curiously mature colour - bright and fairly pale, like a
basic tawny. Deep tarry fruit with chocolate on the nose, but
also a bit of spirit, caramel and also a touch raisined. Good
fruity attack. Quite a sweet style. Lacks the depth
and layers of something great; and in fact it begins to seem a little
workmanlike, lacking any marked character. But still a very
acceptable drop. Very Good.
(23/12/03)
2001
Guardian Peak Shiraz, South Africa, 14.5%
Darky ruby to vibrant purple at the edge: a deep, glass-staining
colour. Warm, spicy nose with cinnamon and dark black
fruits. Pretty solid fruit - ripe and round.
Develops an interesting character with plummy fruit and a warm
pepperiness. An acidic streak shows itself too.
Finishes with soft tannins. Very Good +.
(22/12/03)
2001
Cuvée des Fées, Chateau Cazal Viel, AC
St Chinian, Henri Miguel, vigneron, 13.5%
Young and dark blackberry colour. Exceptionally attractive
nose - light, fragrant, fruity Syrah with intense blackberry fruit and
a touch of milk chocolate. Pure concentrated fruit
attack. Very big and very full. A real powerhouse
of a wine. But also very approachable. Nice soft
tannins with a pleasing astringency towards the finish. Very
Good Indeed.
(17/12/03)
2002
Piesporter
Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett, Kurt Hain, Mosel,
8% (AP
Nr. 2 596 432 8 03), (French & Logan)
Bright pale gold with green tinges on the rim. Bright,
vibrant citrussy sherbetty, very crisp apples. Very good
attack. Clean and immediately attractive with a pleasing
roundness. Then the acid starts to cut in, giving it a real
vibrant edge. Gorgeous stuff. Excellent length, and
clean and crisp after. Excellent.
(15/12/03)
2001
Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Kees-Kieren, Mosel,
8.5%, (AP
Nr. 2 583 092 16 02), (French & Logan)
Medium gold. Slightly oxidised petrol nose with beeswax, but
no fruit. Acid on attack, followed by rich fruit and
honey. Rather flat on the middle. Good length with
acid after. Good-ish, but seems prematurely aged.
(14/12/03)
2002
Piesporter
Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett, Kurt Hain, Mosel,
8% (AP
Nr. 2 596 432 8 03), (French & Logan)
Vibrant, rich creamy nose with some minerality. Fresh, clean
ripe fruit. Very definitely off dry, but with good
acidity. Very clean, zingy and refreshing. Very
Good Indeed +.
(12/12/03)
2002
Les Quarterons, Thierry Amirault, AC St Nicholas de
Bourgeuil, Loire, 12.5% (Waitrose)
A bright young even ruby. Soft berry fruit and early morning
dew on the hedgerow nose. Very young on the attack.
Some fruit; fair bit of acid. Slightly astringent.
Seems a pretty basic Loire cabernet franc with no particular
characteristics. Good-ish.
(9/12/03)
2001
Niersteiner Paterberg Riesling Spätlese ***, J & HA
Strub, 8% (AP
Nr. 2 596 432 8 03), (French & Logan)
Medium straw. Rich, peachy, minerally nose. Good
fruit on attack with pleasing sweetness. Nice depth with an
interesting character. Slightly loses something on the
middle, but finishes well enough with good length. Good/Very
Good.
(8/12/03)
1995
Morey St Denis, Huber Lignier (at Angel Inn, Hetton)
A very classic earthy mushroomy Burgundy pinot noir nose, with a
fragrant raspberry and cherry streak. Very attractive mature
colour. Very good on the palate - elegant fruit and structure
with light tannins. Very good fresh fruit with a nice acidic
streak. Very Good Indeed.
(6/12/03)
2001
Piesporter
Goldtröpfchen Riesling Auslese, Kurt Hain, Mosel, 8%
(AP
Nr. 2 596 432 15 02), (French & Logan)
Pale green with light lemon yellow highlights. Honey baked
apple nose, but a little closed. Big fruit, round, full
attack. Very clean with very good acidity. Lovely
weight in the mouth. Inordinately more-ish. Very
Good Indeed.
(5/12/03)
NV
Domaine de Montgilet, Crémant de Loire, Victor &
Vincent LeBreton, 12% (DeVigne Wines)
Medium straw. Fair mousse. Nice fine bubbles. Very
pleasant nose with grass and honey, and a nice biscuitiness.
Lovely attack - very neat and crisp, followed up by very good
flavours. Crisp, citrussy, with a touch of exotic
fruits. Very striking and quite powerful flavours, but not
aggressive. Very good length. Very clean and fresh
after. Very Good Indeed.
(5/12/03)
2002
Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Kees-Kieren,
Mosel, 8%, (AP
Nr. 2 583 092 14 03), (French & Logan)
Greenish lemon gold. Subdued citrussy, creamy
apples. Very fresh, clean, crisp palate with good fruit and
acidity. Nice clean finish. Very Good.
(2/12/03)
2002
Graacher Domprobst Riesling
Spätlese
feinherb, Kees-Kieren, Mosel, (AP
Nr. 2 583 092 12 03), (French & Logan)
Very bright, clear green-tinged pale gold. Very scented nose
with light honey, waxy creaminess. High acidity immediately
apparent on the palate. Rather reticent fruit. Very
light structure and body. Crisp with an odd confected
finish. I don't like this wine, though I don't think it's
off. Fair.
(1/12/03)
2001
Brouilly, Duboeuf, 12.5% (Sainsbury)
Bright, light even red with a touch of youth at the rim.
Softred fruit and a rather astringent green note. Light,
fairly fresh tasting. Some fruit. Some green
tannins. Tolerable.
(28/11/03)
2001
Les Vieilles Vignes de Chateau Maris, AC Minervois La
Livinière, 14% (Waitrose)
A biodynamic wine made from 80-year old carignan vines. A
rather unexceptional nose - soft fruit: bilberries and hedgerow, or
rather the green of the hedgerow, not the fruit. Fruit and
acid on the attack. Lots of green flavours, but also bundles
of spice - very herby. Powerful flavours. Very soft
tannins, just perceptible on the finish and after. Superb
length. Very Good.
(26/11/03)
2002
Pago de los Capellanes tinto joven roble, Ribera del Duero,
13.5% (Byrne's)
80% tempranillo, 10% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot; 3 months in medium
toast American oak barrique.
A very young ruby with a vibrant purple rim. Huge fruity nose
- quite brutish with an animalistic bretty astringency and delicate
oak. On the palate, there is fruit initially, then some
greenness and a slightly unsettling bitterness, all accompanied by some
very very soft tannins. Fair balance. Interesting
character. I'm not sure where it's going (if anywhere) or
what the winemaker's intentions for this wine might have
been. Good.
(24/11/03)
1999
Vosne-Romanée, Domaine René Engel
Drunk over dinner at the Lindsay House (Romilly Street,
London), so not a proper note. Very earthy and
truffley. Decent fruit. A bit spirity on the
finish. Very Good.
(The Lindsay House, 22/11/03)
1999
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, Vielles Vignes, Nicolas
Potel, 13%, (Lay
& Wheeler)
An even, rather uninspiring young burgundy colour. Big,
expressive nose full of cherries, raspberries and pepper.
Good, soft fruity attack. Nice weight on the
palate. Big flavours - quite intense and very
forward. Quite serious. Medium tannins on the
finish. Excellent - notably fruity - length. After
being open for a day, the remainder of the bottle showed a much more
expansive and open wine, with softer tannins and even more fruit and
balance. Very Good Indeed.
(16/11/03)
2002
Le Vieux Clos, AC Cheverny, 12.5% (Waitrose)
The appellation of Cheverny, drawing its name from the town of the same
name, lies on the left bank of the Loire in the north east of the
Touraine region. The region, with around 2,000 hectares under
vine, was promoted from VDQS to an appellation in its own right in
1993. As elsewhere in the Loire, red wines are made from Cabernet
Sauvignon, Gamay, and Pinot Noir. Gamay, along with Pinot
d'Aunis and Grolleau, also goes to make some rosé wines,
while for white wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay are
also grown. A sub-region, the AC Cour-Cheverny, makes white
wines from the less well known Romorantin variety.
This wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, and matured on
its lees. A pale straw colour. Excellent, very
fragrant nose of gooseberries, elderflower and a buttery
creaminess. Very good attack: very crisp and clean.
Good fruit with some depth and interest. Fair complexity,
especially on the finish. A really weird (though not
unpleasant) finish and aftertaste though: a real tropical fruit salad
of banana, mango and cream. The blend of Sauvignon Blanc and
Chardonnay clearly aims to temper the freshness and vibrant acidity of
a Loire SB with the round creaminess of Chardonnay - and I think it's
managed to make something that really is a little more than the sum of
its parts. A very interesting wine. Very Good.
(14/11/03)
2001
Piesporter
Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese , Kurt Hain,
Mosel, 8% (AP
Nr. 2 596 432 13 02), (French & Logan)
A pale goldy straw with green at the rim. Mineral nose with wax and
slate, but a bit subdued really. Superb attack.
Gosh, this is good! Fresh, huge fruit and heft acid
initially. Nice weight with a hint of sweetness.
Very good acidity - all nicely balanced, and not a too searing
acidity. Very Good Indeed.
(10/11/03)
2001
Piesporter
Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett , Kurt Hain, Mosel,
8% (AP
Nr. 2 596 432 8 02), (French & Logan)
Very pale greenish straw. Fragrant, slatey nose.
Excellent, fresh attack. Nice, elegant richness and
creaminess. Light, fresh, round and elegant with a nice
acidity. I find it more straightforward with less of the
sherbetty-ness of the 2002. Very Good Indeed.
(9/11/03)
2002
Piesporter
Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett , Kurt Hain, Mosel,
8% (AP
Nr. 2 596 432 8 03), (French & Logan)
Pale, green-tinged straw. Fantastic fresh, vibrant nose -
slightly sherbetty. Very vibrant attack - zinging fresh fruit
with good acidity. Excellent body. A rich Riesling
slightly oily palate with more than a hint of honey. Very
Good Indeed.
(5/11/03)
2001
Mosel Valley Riesling, Qualitätswein, Moselblick
GmbH, (AP
Nr. 2 907 009 250 02), 11% (Sainsbury)
Very very pale - almost clear. Rather confected Riesling nose
with some plasticky notes alongside a waxy oiliness. Very
commercial, but as such a fair Riesling. A good cooking
Riesling, as it has some clear varietal characteristics.
(5/11/03)
NV
Quinta da Pacheca Tawny Port, Produced and bottled by Eduardo
Serpa Pimentel, 19% (bought ex-cave in October 2002)
A light, slightly tawny pale ruby. Prunes, leather and
chocolate on the nose with some alcohol. Extremely smooth and
round. Good soft fruit - quite concentrated. Quite
nutty on the palate too. Very Good Indeed.
(31/10/03)
1998
Korem, Argiolas, Isola dei Nuraghi IGT (Sardinia), 13%
(Everywine)
An even, bright ruby. Alcoholic red fruit nose.
Soft fruit and prominent, if softening tannins. Complex
depths, but not as impressive as on purchase. Either a
substandard bottle or in a dumb phase.
(29/10/03)
Tate Britain 28/10/03
Of course, I had really gone to the Turner Prize, and it was purely coincidental that the Tate Britain's restaurant has an amazing wine list (see http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/pdf/wine.pdf).
That is of course an out and out lie. Though I did blag my way into to see a bit of the Turner prize, before being chucked out by the BBC, who were filming. Bloody press. Just because it was the press only day, why shouldn't I be allowed in too? And I was so impressed with myself for talking my way in the first place!
The Tate Britain's restaurant, with Whistler's famous mural, has changed very little since I was last there probably about 20 years ago. Then the food was distinctly British (Hindle Wakes, I remember), now it's got an Italianate touch. It's fair value, refreshingly simple food, that's on the whole remarkably wine friendly. The whole set up for me was more than a little reminiscent of the glory days of British Transport Hotels. 2 male maitre d's meet and greet; 3 waitresses, straight out of a Lyons Corner house or, err ... well, BTH ... do everything else, with the assistance of a couple of male commis waiters who carry back and forth to the kitchen.
Wines:
1996
Ornellaia, Marchese Lodovico half bottle
Quite cool and the waitress was rather concerned about this, but I'm
not keen on
hot red wine, so was quite happy with that. It soon warmed up anyway.
Lovely earthy mushroomy nose with blackcurrant and mint leaf. Very full
attack.
Excellent fruit, but huge massive tannins all the way through (though
these did
soften as the wine warmed). Enormous length - just went on forever.
Very good.
The Ornellaia went well my duck and bean salad with soft boiled duck egg and rump of lamb with mint salsa verde and balsamic onions.
For dessert, after the previous night's port tasting, I nearly had a chocolate dessert just so I could have a glass of Taylor's 20 year, which they correctly serve lightly chilled. However, sense got the better of me, and I remembered I had to drive all the way back oop north, so it was an immaculate bread and butter pudding, helped down by a glass of
Ch.
Rayne-Vigneau 1986 Served by the glass at £9.50 for
a generous
glass.
Gorgeous mature sauternes colour - deepish tarnised gold. Elegant honey
and
marmelade nose. Very good attack. Very clean and fresh tasting. Great
acidity,
and although there's a touch of caramel sweetness in the mouth, it is
not at all
cloying in any way. Very elegant. Very Good.
To take away, I bought a bottle of 1964 Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux.
A stiff, large espresso and I was ready for off. But what's this? A glass with their compliments.
Dow
1977
Clearly the bottom of the bottle, as there were some sizeable chunks of
sediment
floating around, but fortunately nothing much in suspension.
Dark and inky colour, but with no apparent youth showing. Dense, dark
fruit on
the nose - quite forward with violets, rose petals and a hint of
Johnson's baby
powder.
Concentrated and deep on the palate. Huge depth with some of the floral
notes
coming though. Tannins develop in the mouth - quite big on finish and
after.
Lingering, bitter chocolate and burnt coffee flavours after. Plenty of
life left
in it. Seems to be a remarkably dry style. Very Good Indeed.
Better have another espresso and a good brisk walk. Unfortunately, it meant I was behind schedule, and so had to suffer the rush hour from Victoria, laden down with wine and other comestibles. I do not miss the London rush hour one little bit.
1996
Blanquette de Limoux, Cuvée Exception, Antech,
11.5% (DeVigne
Wines)
Deepish gold colour. Quite a powerful nose with fresh bread,
creaminess and green beans. Clean and rich on the palate,
with a slightly oxidised character. Low-ish acid.
Fine small bubbles with a good moussy feel. Full-flavoured
and rich. Lingering aftertaste. Strong
flavours. Very Good Indeed.
(25/10/03)
2001
Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Beerenauslese, Kees-Kieren,
Mosel, (AP
Nr. 2 583 092 28 02), (French & Logan)
A remarkably light colour - light to mid gold. Rather humble
nose. Creamy, honeyed beeswax. Excellent,
fruit-driven attack. Fills hugely. Sweet and quite
luscious, but also very elegant on the palate. Quite intense,
concentrated Riesling fruit and honey on the palate. Immense
length. Excellent.
(24/10/03)
2001
Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese **, Kees-Kieren,
Mosel, 8% (AP
Nr. 2 583 092 20 02), (French & Logan)
Pale gold with a green tinge showing at the edge. Very light
nose indeed with a certain grape-syrup note to it. Quite
buttery too, and really a little odd. But it comes through as
clearly Riesling with a strong waxy note, underpinned by
honey. Quite full on the attack with some acid very
noticeable on the tongue. Round and rich, yet quite elegant
and structured. A bit of sweetness on the middle, but also
some acid. But I find the acid rather discrete and not
knitted into the structure of the wine: I feel this makes the wine seem
a little disjointed and lacking structure. Good
length. Good.
(24/10/03)
1975
Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese,
P. Licht-Bergweiler, Mosel, (AP
Nr. 2 577 264 9 76) (Bibendum)
Medium lemon gold. Citrussy nose with a smoked salmon
oiliness and layers of minerals. Excellent attack - clean and
incredibly fresh for a 28-year old wine. I can almost detect
that smoked salmon on the palate too: the rich waxiness and smokiness
of older Mosel Riesling. Good fruit. Fills really
well. Rounded and full, with great complexity. Very
good finish. Very good acidity throughout. Very
Good Indeed.
(22/10/03)
2001
Riesling Qualitätswein, Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken,
9% (AP
Nr. 3 511 083 8 02) (Lay
& Wheeler)
Very pale, watery lemony straw. Mineral driven nose - slatey
with paraffin notes. No creaminess, no apples, no waxiness
(such as one might expect to find in such a wine). Light
vibrant attack. Very clean and crisp. Good
fruit. Quite austere, but full-flavoured. Very good
length. Very Good Indeed.
(21/10/03)
NV
Escaladou Late Harvest, vin de table
français. Mis en bouteille par SOE 33330
à 11200 Lezignan Corbières, 37.5cl, 14.5% (Sunday
Times Wine Club/Laithwaites)
Medium straw with a lemony rim. Odd nose. Slight
minerality, butter and steel, and just a bit of very hard muscat - but
not especially forthcoming. And not an entirely attractive
nose either. Unpleasant attack. Sugar sweet with a
nasty bitterness that develops. Very unbalanced.
Very unpleasant. Very Poor.
(19/10/03)
1997
Pesquera Tinto Crianza, Ribera del Duero, Bodegas Alejandro
Fernandez, 13% (Chateauonline)
Signs of slight recent seepage on the cork. Excellent, even
blackberry juice colour. Nice nose: vanilla oak immediately
evident, then plummy dark fruits and a bit of brett. Very
good attack. Immediately enticing. Warm, ripe fruit
initially, but then the wine builds in structure. Elegant
with nice tannins on the finish. Very Good Indeed.
(probably experienced somewhat accelerated ageing due to the mechanical
failure of the cork.)
(15/10/03)
1999 Grand
Prébois Rouge, VdP Principauté
d'Orange, Domaines Perrin, 12% (Wine Society)
Even ruby. Soft, black fruits with some farmyardy brett on
the nose. Soft fruity attack, which follows throught without
noticeable development. Soft acidic streak with ripe tannins
on the finish. Needs drinking up. OK
(14/10/03)
1998
Grand Prébois Rouge, VdP Principauté
d'Orange, Domaines Perrin, 12% (Wine Society)
Off.
(14/10/03)
2002
Marlborough Dry Riesling, Kim Crawford, (New Zealand) 13%, (Booths)
Stelvin.
Very, very pale lemony straw. Very full nose - waxy lemons
and furniture polish with a bit of honey. Very attractive
attack. Light, very fresh. Very
well-balanced. Full flavours on the palate, but still the
freshness comes through. Nice acid, but very well-balanced by
the fruit and the merest hint of sweetness. Maybe lacks
depth. I'd like to try this one with more age on
it. Very Good.
(8/10/03)
Gutierrez
Colosio Pedro Ximénez Muy Dulce, (Sherry), 18%
(Byrne's) Stelvin.
On pouring, it appears to lack something of the unctuousness of the
Lustau (see immediately below). Medium mahogany colour,
fading to tan. Citrussy nose with salted almonds.
Luscious mouthfeel. Quite fresh fruit impression
initially. Rather syrupy, but not at all oversweet - it
actually has quite a balancing acidity. Remarkably different
to the Lustau. This is much lighter and fresher, though the
fruit is not especially developed. Interesting.
What look like tartaric crystals at the bottom of the bottle, though
you do wonder if they might actually be sugar crystals! Good.
(6/10/03)
Lustau
San Emilio Pedro Ximénez, (Sherry), 17% (Booths)
Really rather sensuous to pour. Very unctuous, almost
syrupy. Pale mahogany, facing to a lemon yellow.
Very interesting nose: not at all raisiny or sweet, but rather a salty
treacly nose, though also a touch spirity. An interesting
honeysuckle note. Rich, sweet attack. Syrupy
mouthfeel. Intense, clean fruit flavours, slightly
medicinal. And slight commercial I feel. Huge
length of course. Has the same spiritiness on the
palate. For me, the dominant impression is of the physical
weight in the mouth - the very mouth-coating, syrupy texture.
Good.
(3/10/03)
2001
Puerta de Cadrillo Bobal, Selección Limitada, D.O.
Utiel-Requena [an area due west of Valencia], 13.5%
Bobal is the grape variety: the same as the Sardinian Bovale.
Very bright ruby with marked youth at the rim. Young nose
with grassy/herby fruit: warm and silky with licorice, cedar and
oak. Rather Grenadine-y on the nose. Good enough on
the attack. Quite forward with young fruit. Doesn't
really develop a great deal, but huge tannins appear on the middle and
continue on the finish, where there is a touch of alcohol.
Fairly pleasant, but not great. Actually, this grows on
me. It's quite big, not too powerful. Full, if
simple flavours. Good.
(1/10/03)
2001
Bukettraube, Cederberg, 13% (Woffenden Wines) Supremecorq
Pale straw with a greenish tinge. Very attractive floral nose
with lots of melon and passion fruit, but also a very noticeable streak
of envelope glue. Rich and full on the attack.
Rather sweet. Full, ripish tropical fruit palate, but very
flat and even rather uninteresting. Plasticky confected notes
on the finish. Poor to fair.
(29/9/03)
1999
Abadia Retuerta, Selección Especial, Sardon del
Duero, vino de la tierra de Castilla y Leon, 13% (Chateauonline)
Attractive plum colour with remains of youth at the rim.
Rich, intense nose. Some leather with warm black fruit and a
touch of confected licorice on the nose. Very good
attack. Immediate ripe fruit and power.
Develops nicely with tannins coming forward and receding a little on
the finish. Good fruit. Very good character and
really quite elegant. Very Good Indeed.
(26/9/03)
2001
Chateau de Pennautier, AC Cabardes, Comte Nicolas de
Lorgeuil, (Wine Society)
Attractive youthful colour, darkening to a bright yet deep ruby at the
centre. Decent nose: hedgerows, touch a spice and a bit of
burnt plastic. With aeration, the plasticky note develops
into very clear raspberries. Good fruit attack, but develops
a slightly acid note, which makes it feel disjointed. Quite
green and raw on the middle with soft, yet substantial
tannins. Spice on the finish. Just doesn't seem to
hang together. Poor to Fair.
(25/9/03)
1999
Abadia Retuerta, Selección Especial, Sardon del
Duero, vino de la tierra de Castilla y Leon, 13% (Chateauonline)
A blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged in oak for
18 months, before being bottled without filtering.
Very dark ruby with some youth. Rich leathery nose with lots
of ripe black fruit. But the nose is a bit reticent and needs
plenty of agitation to release it, after which there are also some very
fresh herby, very slightly licorice notes too. Impressive
attack. Immediate power and lots of ripe fruit.
Quite light too, so it appears nicely elegant. Fills very
well. Soft tannins develop on the middle together with an
appealing bitterness. Good character and no little finesse -
a winning combination. Fruit fades on the finish to more
herbaceous flavours. Good length. Good to Very Good.
(24/9/03)
1999
Domaine de la Rectoire La Goudie, VdP de la Côte
Vermeille, Parcé Frères (Byrnes)
This is essentially a Collioure rosé.
Quite a rich strawberry juice colour. Dull nose, though it's
a little to cold - redcurrants and citrus? Fair attack -
quite light with nice acidity. Fills enormously.
Huge, big slightly confected flavours on the palate with an unusual
tongue-coating acidity which lingers long after. Not the best
of bottles of this particular wine. Not rated.
(22/9/03)
Dow
1963
Unlabelled, vintage port from the cellars of a Cambridge
College. A
remarkably pale ruby red, not entirely unlike a 10 year old
tawny. It has
a big nose, which immediately assails with dried fruit, mixed peel and
a subtle aniseed note.
Interesting perfume to it, like violet cream mixed with dried figs and
a plum
pudding finish. On the palate, it is clean with the same
intense dried
fruit. But, boy, it's really rather spirity which undoubtedly
detracts
from the overall experience. There's a decent-ish finish with
some length,
though nowhere near as long as you might expect. Clearly this
has quite a
bit of life left in it, and it could probably do with longer to tame
the spirit.
(20/9/03)
1991
Wiltinger Hölle Riesling Spätlese.
Vereinigte Hospitien, (AP
Nr. 3 561 104 38 92) 8% (Majestic Wines)
Very tight cork. Lightish to medium lemon gold.
Ripe, mature
Riesling nose. Plenty of minerals and some petrol, but a bit
dull overall
on the nose. Odd, plasticky attack. Off
dry. Thin and
unimpressive. Fair fruit. Decent length.
Fair.
(15/9/03)
Fine
Old Rare Sherry Manzanilla Pasada de Sanlucar 1/80. Bottled
by
Emilio Lustau S.A. From the solera of Manuel Cuevas
Jurado. Specially
selected by Berry Brothers & Rudd 17%
37.5cl (Berry Bros
& Rudd)
A bright mid copper in the glass, this has an excellent nose: initially
there is
flor, then an ozone-y saltiness, then raisiny fruit and
molasses. Very
good attack: this really is lovely. Light and remarkably fresh tasting
initially, this fills with layers of interest, building steadily to an
engrossing richness. Lovely salty tang, but loads and loads
of fruit -
quite an intense fruit. Returning to tangy dry-ness on
finish, and
searingly dry after. Thoroughly excellent.
(14/9/03)
1998
Pesquera Tinto Crianza
Good colour. Very interesting nose with fruit, earthiness,
mushrooms and a
hint of vanilla. Good restrained fruit on palate, but seems a
bit lacking
somewhere. Possibly a slight tendency to weediness.
Fair.
(14/9/03 at Solo Restaurant, Goosnargh)
1998
Koberner Weisenberg Riesling Auslese (Freiherr von Schleinitz) (AP
Nr. 1 649 017 7 99) 9% 50cl (Everywine)
Part of a mixed case of von Schleinitz wines bought from everywine,
none of which
have risen much above the level of being merely OK, and too many didn't
even
rate that "accolade".
This is in a very neat little 50cl bottle, well packaged, nattily
labelled, with
what appears to be a disk of red wax on top of the cork. The
wax isn't
sealing the bottle, just sitting on top of the cork - odd!
Style over
content?
Unfortunately, once opened it's clear that it is
style over content and that
this bottle is only too representative of the mediocrity of these v.
Schleinitz wines.
A medium, green-tinged straw. Very dull, appley nose, but
giving virtually
nothing away. Fair attack. Clean, quite fresh with
some richness
behind it, which develops in the mouth. Some apples and some
cream on
palate, but very mean-spirited. A very odd harsh note towards
the
finish. Dull and uninteresting. Very
mediocre. Poor.
(13/9/03)
1989
Oberemmeler Karlsberg Riesling Auslese Goldcap, (Reichsgraf von
Kesselstatt) (AP
Nr. 3 561 077 103 90) 8.5%
Pulled from the shelf as there was some sign of cork leakage.
Rich lemon
gold. Honey and petrol on the nose. Excellent
attack.. Light, quite
fresh. But steadily develops and fills to elegant honeyed
roundness.
Very well balanced, despite an apparently low acidity. Well
structured,
elegant wine. Though definitely not showing at its best due
to minor cork
failure. Still merits at least a Good though.
(13/9/03)
Meyer
Fonné 2000 Muscat Vignoble de Katzenthal 12% (Lay
&
Wheeler)
Medium to deep straw. Fairly big muscat nose with lots of
tropical
fruit. Light, fresh attack. Fills into a real
mouthful. Rich
and quite pungent. But a bit dull. Definitely not
the best bottle of
the case of this. OK.
(12/9/03)
1999
Bodega Lurton Mendoza Pinot Gris, (Argentina), 13% (Wine
Society)
Deepish gold. Over the hill.
(31/8/03)
1998
Tokaji Furmint Late Harvest, Oremus, 375ml, 12%, (Byrne's)
Rich coppery gold. Intense nose - honeyed, slightly raisined
tropical fruit and citrus. Elegant and rich. Very
good mouthfeel. Attractive sweetness that avoids being
cloying. Intense, very fresh fruit flavours with very good
length. Very Good Indeed.
(30/8/03)
1997
Wintricher Ohligsberg Riesling Spätlese, Reinhold Haart,
8% (AP Nr: 2 596 429 10 98) (Ex cave, September 1998)
Off.
(30/8/03)
1996
Pinot Gris Réserve Personelle, Trimbach (Alsace),
13% (Wine Society)
Bright medium yellow-gold. Excellent nose - quite restrained:
ripe peaches and melted butter with a hint of citrus and a nice warm
spice. Very full attack. Good, very rich fruit on
palate with a subtle but clear spiciness. Extremely
elegant. But somehow in its elegance and smooth, rich clarity
it misses some of the edge that the plain Trimbach reserve pinot gris
has. This is top stuff, however. The plain reserve
has more of a sugar sweetness to it, while the reserve personelle has a
richness, evidently from riper fruit. Exceptional
length. Very Good Indeed.
(28/8/03)
1996
Pinot Gris Réserve, Trimbach (Alsace), 13% (Wine
Society)
Bright lemon-yellow pale gold. Elegant nose - soft tropical
and stone fruit underlined by creamy butteriness. Good attack
- light and fresh. Quite light, very clean and
fresh. But also a touch of sweetness. Really
elegant basic Alsace pinot gris.
(27/8/03)
1999
Littlehampton Innes Vineyard Pinot Gris, Henschke, Adelaide Hills
13.5% (Byrne's)
Pale copper. Very buttery PG nose with peaches, apricots and warm
buttery cinammon/nutmeg. A light fresh attack fills nicely. Very
buttery on palate with a nice herbaceousness and lots of spice on the
middle and finish. Very spicy after, with excellent length: lingers in
the mouth forever with pretty big spice, though a nice lemon curd note
that runs throughout cuts the spice-power and stops it being
overwhelming. Very rounded, fairly rich. Personally, I'd like to see a
bit more elegance and finesse. Good/Very Good.
(25/8/03)
1999
Bodega Lurton Mendoza Pinot Gris, Argentina, 13% (Wine
Society)
Medium gold. Corked.
(25/8/03)
1988
Tokay d'Alsace, Eugène Meyer, 13.5% (Ramsbottom
Victuallers)
When trying to open it, the cork completely crumbled, and after pouring
the wine through a fine sieve, it showed a worryingly deep colour: a
slightly coppery gold. It actually looked less worrying in the glass
than it did in the decanter, and as it turned out, I needn't have
worried about its health at all. A rather mild nose - smoky, maple,
peaches and pears with some honey. Good clean attack. Fills to a fairly
full mouthfeel. Rich, rather honeyed flavours, but searingly dry.
Really excellent elegant mature pinot gris fruit and spice - intense
and concentrated. Very good finish and length. Very good
indeed/excellent.
(24/8/03)
2000
Pinot Gris, Bodega Lurton, Mendoza, Argentina, 12.5% (The Wine Society)
Medium straw in appearance. A good pinot gris nose; and not
an overpowering one. An interesting lemony note on the
nose. Quite light on the attack - fresh and clean.
Develops well on the palate: really quite elegant - surprisingly so for
such a budget wine. Nice spice notes - almost reminiscent of
pepper-smoked mackerel. Decent finish with fair
length. Very Good.
(23/8/03)
NV
Champagne Brossault Brut, (Majestic)
Initially a rather coarse bubble stream, but it does settle down a bit
to give mixed streams of very fine bubbles a a stream of coarser
bubbles. Nice fruity nose with yeasty notes and some slightly
sour stone fruit. Very good fruit on the attack.
Very forward. Crisp and clean with excellent
length. A lovely, round, easy drinking NV champagne.
The coarse bubbles seem just to be a bit of over-exuberance straight
after opening: there are much more impressive fine streams after being
open a little while. Seems to gain a little elegance with
time too. Very Good Indeed.
(23/8/03)
2002
Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand,
14.5%, Stelvin closure (Booths)
A very pale straw. Good nose, with excellent pinot gris
character - peachy with a nice spicing and quite scented floral
notes. Fair attack. Initially quite light, but then
it fills enormously. Very, very big and full flavoured:
almost a bit too powerful. Lacks individuality, elegance and
character. Very round and full, with nice drying
spice. But a bit simple. Good.
(22/8/03)
1998
Chateau Pech-Céleyran Saint Exupery La Clape, AC Coteaux du
Languedoc. 12% abv (Wine Society?)
Very even dark, almost chocolatey ruby. Gorgeous nose - lots of ripe
brambly
fruit with a minty herbaceous, hedegrow backbone. Very good attack.
Lots of soft
red fruit - presumably a fair proportion of grenache in this. Fills
very nicely.
Full, round ripe fruit with a hint of peppery spice and nice soft
tannins to
hold it up. Very satisfying.
Excellent length with a slight bitterness after. Very good.
(20/8/03)
Clos
d'Yvigne Cuvée Nicholas Bergerac Sec 2000 Vin non
filtré
Patricia Atkinson propriétaire-récoltant. 13% abv
(Booths)
Couldn't resist picking up a couple of bottles (from the back of the
shelf, away
from the lights) of this in Booths after reading encouraging comments
on wine-pages.com.
Quite a deep colour - coppery gold at the centre, fading to clear at
the rim.
Attractive nose - deep, buttery toast with more than a hint of
gooseberry. Very
good attack. Rich and rounded. Very ripe fruit. Good use of oak. Quite
complex
on palate. Very full and rounded. A pleasant spiciness develops on the
finish
with a certain floral note. Decent length. [Back label says it's a
blend of Sauv.
blanc, semillon and muscadelle, and fermented in oak for 9 months.]
Very good.
(19/8/03)
2000
Quinta do Vale Dona Mario Rio Torto Vinho Tinto Douro DOC
14.5%
abv (Bibendum)
The table wine from this Van Zeller owned lovely little quinta up in
the Rio
Torto valley, that used to produce Smith Woodhouse vintage in the
1970s, 80s and
early 90s. There are just 10 hectares under vine, and, according to
Sandra
Tavares, the winemaker, the vines are believed to have an average age
of 60
years. Around 28 varieties have been identified and all are
foot-trodden (for
the table wines as well as the ports) 10,000 bottles of the 2000 Douro
Rio Torto
red were produced
Young dark purple. Very good, concentrated fruity nose - dark fruit,
plums and
leather, with a touch of aniseed. Very smooth and mouthfilling on the
palate.
Big and rather concentrated with a richness not just from the high
alcohol
content, but also from lovely ripe fruit. Soft tannins. A sort of
chocolatey
chewiness on the finish. Huge length. Should improve with a few years'
age.
Excellent.
(15/8/03)
2000
Rioja Crianza, Campo Viejo
Very vanilla on the nose. Quite a light
attack. Round and full on the palate with an interesting
acidity. Very light tannins. Quite open.
Good.
(12/8/03)
2000
Grüner Veltliner Breiter Rain Rohrendorf Sepp Moser,
Kremstal.
13.5% (Byrne's)
Pale straw with a greenish tinge at the rim. Very big nose - rather
chardonnay
like with oak a touch too dominant at the moment. Quite big and round
on the
attack, fills enormously with ripe GrüV on the palate. Very
full and rich with
a bit of honey. Some decent acidity, keeping the power in check. A bit
too young
at the moment, I'd hazard. Good now, but potentially very good.
(27/7/03)
1998
Koberner Weisenberg Riesling Spätlese Von Schleinitz
9% abv (Everywine)
Part of a mixed case of von Schleinitz wines bought from everywine,
none of which
have risen much above the ok level.
This Spätlese has a medium yellow gold colour in the glass. A
rather dull,
closed nose with some creaminess and minerality. Rather sweet on the
attack.
Fair fruit. Lacking acidity. Lacking elegance. Inoffensive.
(19/7/03)
1993
Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett P.Licht-Bergweiler AP 2
577
264 8 94 7.5% (Bibendum)
Medium gold, but still with a marked green tinge, like the innermost
hear of a
little gem lettuce. Rather thin, minerally nose - petrol and slate
foremost. OK
on attack. Decent fruit. Minerality again. Light, quite refreshing, if
a bit
simple and uni-dimensional. Creaminess after, with apple notes breaking
through
the wet stones it seems I've been sucking. Good (just).
(16/7/03)
Quinta
do Noval Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port 1997 19.5%
L2352 (Noel
Young)
Dark raspberry blood red, showing a bit of youth on rim. Excellent nose
- fruit
laden with licorice and violet cream chocolates. Excellent attack.
Actually
quite light and with more than a bit of elegance. Huge depth of
flavour. Lots
and lots of rich ripe fruit. Very elegant, especially on the middle. No
trace of
spirit. Beautiful. Really very good indeed/Excellent.
(11/7/03)
Gaiospino
Fumé Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 1998
(Fattoria Coroncino) 14.5% (Lay & Wheeler)
Fermented and aged 23 months in new oak; unfiltered and not clarified.
An interesting medium lemony yellow. A powerful, complex nose assails
you with
honeysuckle, citrus and a nice toastiness. Good attack. Lots of fruit
and a hint
of acid. Fills enormously - gosh, this really is a powerful mouthful.
Great
depth and complexity. Excellent structure. Oak just right. Huge, huge
length
with acid returning after. Very impressive indeed. Excellent.
(10/7/03)
Masia
Barril Clasico 1987 (Vinedos y bodega en el Priorato
Historico
Hermanos Barril, Bellmunt del Priorat) A whopping 16.5% abv. (Everywine)
The Barrils retired a few years ago, selling up to a large producer, so
what's still available are left over stocks, and the storage over the
years of
some of it seems to have been a little questionable. There were various
grades
(with increasing alcohol) made, but only the Clasico, which was I
believe the
penultimate grade, still seems to be around, together with a bizarre
wholly
rancio dominated non vintage Vina Aromatizado. According to the label
the 1987
Clasico is made from 75% garnacha and 25% cariñena.
Fully mature brickish red, deep and heavy at the centre. Much darker
than
previous bottles I've opened from the 11 (one was broken by the
carriers) bought
a year and a half ago. Very intense passito nose with hints of rancio -
very big
and intense stewed plums and rich fruit cake. Very full attack.
Intense,
super-concentrated, almost too much so. Lots of licorice and cedar wood
on the
palate, but there is also some fruit - dried blackberries and raisins.
Has a
port-like heaviness and mouthfeel. Soft tannins. Huge length. Probably
the best
bottle of this so far. Good.
(4/7/03)
Durius
2000, Vino de la Tierra Arribes del Duero (Bodegas
Durius, Alto Duero, part of Marques de Grinon's Haciendas de
España). (Sainsbury)
"Durius" is the Latin name for the river Duero, which becomes the
river Douro in Portuguese. There are some exciting things
going on here,
near Fermoselle, right on the Spanish/Portuguese border.
An attractive, even, youngish ruby. Attractive forward fruity
nose with
lots of interest and character. Some oak on the nose, but not
at all
overpowering. Lots of dark plummy fruit. Fair attack with
decent
fruit. Rather acid, rather volatile. Quite
spirituous (and
spirited). Not convinced this bottle is 100%, though I'm
pretty sure it's
not corked. Not rated.
(29/6/03)
Cheshire
Fruit Wines Blackcurrant Grown and bottled at Eddisbury Fruit
Farm, Kelsall, Cheshire, 10% abv
"What?" I hear you cry ... Well, grapes are fruit, so why not ... (at
least it's not parsnip wine or something)
I got this from their stand at the NW Fine Food Lovers Fair, thinking
it might
make a nice change with some very fine English cheeses also bought from
the
producers' stalls.
Wellll, here goes ... It's got the smallest cork I've ever seen. Oddly
they
bottle their (very good) apple juice under screwcap, so putting this
pathetic
little cork in this is just stupid.
Blimey. It's a fluorescent red. You could use this to warn shipping off
the
rocks! Rather cloudy. Some CO2 evident. Fruity nose, but weirdly not as
blackcurranty as some cabernet sauvignons. Very forward. Quite sweet. A
marked
petillance. Just about pleasantish, but no depth of character at all. I
suspect
it's not actually been particularly well made. Avoid.
(22/6/03)
Zilliken
2001 Riesling AP 3 551 083 8 02 9% abv (Lay & Wheeler)
Pale to mid straw with a slight green tinge. Creamy peachy nose. Nice
rich
attack. Quite full, with good ripe fruit. Rich and full on middle.
Decent
length, but a bit undistinguished on the finish. OK to Good.
(18/6/03)
1999
Domaine Tempier, AC Bandol, 13.5% (The Wine Society)
A bright, even, youngish purple. An excellent fruity nose:
slightly floral and very elegant. Lovely and smooth on the
attack, with forward fruit. It has good character on the
palate with rather feisty fruit and supple tannins, which develop
towards the finish. Just a touch spirity on the finish and
after. A very appealing, soft, yet very serious wine - not
one for quaffing. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
(11/6/03)
1993
Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett (P. Licht-Bergweiler) (AP
Nr. 2 577 264 8 94) 7.5% abv (Bibendum)
Pale gold with a hint of green. Medium old Riesling nose -
still some
apples but lost its creaminess and starting to show petrol.
Not overly
elegant. Nice attack. Good clean fruit with notable
minerally
dryness - like sucking a stone. Fair length. Good.
(24/5/2003)
1997
Coteaux du Layon Saint Aubin Vieilles Vignes (Domaine
Banchereau) 13% abv (Everywine)
Even mid gold. Very honeyed nose but rather simple and
uni-dimensional.
Very sweet attack. Very simple. Nice and pleasant,
but no notable
complexity or particular interest or character. Fair.
(20/5/2003)
NV
Table du Roy (Paul Jaboulet Aine) 12.5% (Wine
Society, 2001)
Very murky darkish purple. Very tired nose, spirity with compost.
Tolerable attack, but then unpleasant. As the nose suggested, off.
A
second bottle: Darkish purple with some youth and clarity.
Good warm
Rhone-ish nose - quite soft with dark fruit, plums and
raspberries. Good
attack. Simple Rhone Syrah/Grenachey style. Quite
youthful and lots
of tannin, especially on the finish. Good.
(11/5/03)
1999
Brown Brothers Late Harvest Orange Muscat & Flora
375ml 10.5% abv
Deepish gold. Sugary citrus nose - fairly fragrant but only
just
noticeable. Decent attack. Rather simple.
Doesn't really
develop in the mouth. Lacks finesse. Fair.
(8/5/03)
1998
Penfolds Botrytis Semillon 375ml 10.5% (Everywine)
Medium orange gold. Very nice fruity nose. Honey,
raisins,
grapefruit peel. Very good attack - light and
fresh. Very clean and
almost crisp. Not at all cloying. Nice acidity
towards the finish,
but fades to a fresh fruity sweetness. Possibly a little
simple, but still
Very Good Indeed.
(5/5/03)
2001
Sainsbury's Good Ordinary Burgundy AC Bourgogne Grand
Ordinaire 12.5% abv (Sainsbury)
Plastic cork
Light strawberry pink with burgundy at centre. Rather nice
pinot noir
nose. Initially earthy and mushroomy but also lots of nice
red
fruit. Good light attack. Fresh but not over
fruity. Very
clean. Very nicely balanced.
Does exactly what it says on the label. Good/Very Good.
(2/5/03)
1995
Henriques & Henriques Single Harvest Fine Rich
Madeira 500ml 19% abv (Booths)
Pale copper orange. Rich nutty nose with lots of dried
apricot and
sultanas. Nice fresh, very fruity attack. Quite
light initially,
then fills very well. Citrus, honey, puréed
sultanas. Hint of
caramel with orangey notes on finish. A very elegant
drink. Very
good.
(30/4/03)
1975
Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese (P.
Licht-Bergweiler) (AP
Nr. 2 577 264 9 76) alcohol content not shown (Bibendum)
Mid gold with a definite lemony hint. Creamy apples and
paraffin
wax. Touch of honey and a bit of smoke. Nice light
attack.
Apples and cream. Very attractive mature riesling. Light,
nice acid
keeping it fresh. Very good.
(29/4/03)
2000
Fattoria Coroncino Gaiospino Verdicchio dei Castelli
di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore 14% abv (Lay & Wheeler)
Bright pale lemony yellow. Attractive nose - very buttery
with lemon grass
and a hint of smoked haddock. Quite fresh and notably light
on the
attack. Really fills enormously. Very rich and
rounded.
Buttery again, but also notably spicy and warming, with a hint of
coriander and
pepper. Elegant finish. Very good indeed.
(26/4/03)
2000
Muscat Vignoble de Katzenthal (Meyer-Fonné) 12%
abv (Lay & Wheeler)
Massive, rich muscat nose with almost gewurztraminer
overtones. Big, rich
attack. Very full. Very full-flavoured.
Extremely rich and so
feeling almost sweet. Drying acid on the powerful
finish. Very good
indeed.
(21/4/03)
2000
Libertad Chenin-Sauvignon Blanc 12% abv (Bibendum)
Plastic cork
Medium straw. Good fruity nose with nice depths.
Quite big and full
on attack. Rich and quite butter with nice peppery
spice. Good.
(19/4/03)
1998
Reserve Selection Gewurztraminer, Mor Region, Hungary
(Hilltop-Neszmely) 11.5% abv (The Wine Society)
Slighty lime-ish rich gold fading to almost clear. Rather
restrained and
quite elegant gewurztraminer nose - not at all
over-extracted. Good, quite
rich attack. Very clean, rich gewurz flavours. Very
good.
(11/4/03)
1999
Santo Tomas Barbera, Baja California, Mexico
13.7% (Bibendum)
These Santo Tomas Barbera & Tempranillo wines from Bibendum
have been a
really mixed lot, with huge bottle variation and a quite high
proportion of off
bottles. This one's a good one.
Even, cherry red with very merest hint of youth. Restrained
minty nose
with hedgerow, prunes and apricot kernels. Light attack with
some
body. Fills ok, developing character. Big on middle
and massive on
finish. Fairly simple and rustic, but with a nice character
and interest
to it. Very spicy on finish with some soft tannins.
Good.
(4/4/03)
1999
Santo Tomas Tempranillo, Baja California, Mexico (Bibendum)
Cork failure. Again.
(4/4/03)
2000
Brolio Chianti Classico (Barone Ricasole) 13.5% (Sainsbury)
Fairly deep garnet colour. Quite young fading to very young
at rim.
Attractive nose - really quite fragrant. Cherries, walnuts,
touch of
orange peel. Good, soft attack. Fruit develops
nicely on
palate. Good balance with nice structure. Some
ferocious tannins on
finish. Good.
(26/3/03)
1999
Henschke Noble Rot Riesling, Eden Valley
375ml 11.5% (Lay & Wheeler)
Orangey copper. Very intense, heavily botrytised
nose. Baked apple
with sultanas, lime and honey. Quite full on
attack. Very rich and
luscious. A touch cloying, especially towards the
finish. Very
intense and very sweet. Oranges and liquid raisins.
Noticeably
sticky on the lips. Rather underdeveloped acidity shows on
finish.
OK/good.
(23/3/03)
1999
AC Ladoix Vieilles Vignes (Domaine Edmond Cornu &
Fils) 375ml (at Northcote Manor, Langho)
Ladoix-Serrigny is the most northerly appellation of the Côte
de Beaune, and
undoubtedly one of Burgundy's lesser known appellations.
Bright, young burgundy colour. Rather raw pinot noir nose
with some
black/red berries. Very young on palate. Quite
intense, but
dominated by a certain rawness and even a bit spirity on the
finish. OK
now, but needs time.
(23/3/03)
2001 Sainsbury's
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico (A.V.U.R. Osimo Scalo)
12.5% abv (Sainsbury)
Plastic cork,
Very pale straw. Nice fresh nose with bags of fruit - very
fresh and
grassy. Nice attack - fresh and crisp. But fills
enormously.
Very rounded and buttery on middle. Then develops spiciness
on finish and
after. VG length indeed. Very good.
(19/3/03)
1989
Reserva Chivite, Navarra 12% abv (unknown
source - possibly STWC in mid 90s?)
A blend of tempranillo and garnacha.
Very dirty, mouldy cork. Very light bodied. Palish
mature red with a
hint of brick at rim. Very dry nose with some hedgerow fruits
hiding in
there. Light attack. There is
some fruit in there, but it's
very subdued. Almost has overtones of dried fruit.
I wonder if it's
a bit cooked and prematurely aged. Has a tightness from a
touch of acid
too - quite pleasant. Light, pleasant, thoroughly mature
Navarra that's
definitely going nowhere further. OK/Good.
(16/3/03)
1999
Santo Tomas Barbera, Baja California, Mexico
13.7% abv (Bibendum)
Bright garnet with no signs of youth. Warm rich fruit nose
with cherries
and a bit of marzipan and almond essence. Attractive
attack. Very
forward with lots of very ripe fruit, but nice varietal character
too. Not
especially heavy given the alcohol content. Probably one of
the better
bottles of this.
(26/2/03)
2000
Libertad Chenin Sauvignon Blanc 12% abv (Bibendum)
Plastic cork
Medium sandy gold. Pleasant fruity nose with nice elegant
floral note.
Seems more chenin dominated with a sweet butteriness on the
nose. Nice
clean attack - quite big with decent fruit. Fills very
well. Quite
rounded and mouthfilling - rich and buttery. Touch of spice
and merest
hint of acid on finish. Good.
(19/2/03)
1999
Grand Prébois Rouge, VdP de Principauté d'Orange,
Domaines
Perrin, 12% abv (Wine Society)
A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Counoise.
Very tight cork. Very dark ruby, slightly brooding with hint
of young
purple at rim. Very Beaucastel-y nose with lots of farmyardy
brett with
rich warm black fruit and spiced pears. Seems quite young on
palate.
Fruity attack - quite soft. Fills into a bit of a tannin
monster - quite
soft tannins, but very drying especially on the finish. Good
length.
Remarkably serious wine for £4. Very Good.
(14/2/03)
1987
Masia Barril Clasico, Priorato 16.5% (Everywine)
Very pale orange brick. Very thin - looks
oxidised. Big
deposit in bottle. Very oxidised nose with rancio
notes. Quite
sherry like with distinct raisins. Huge legs. Light
attack.
Which fills into incredibly rich fruit - dried blackberries and
raisins.
Very port like finish. More than a passing resemblance to a
30 year old
tawny port. Very Good (if a bit odd).
(14/2/03)
1995
Chianti Reserva, Uggiano (Morrisons)
Fairly mature, bright ruby. Nice gentle nose with cherries and a hint
of licorice. Good soft attack. Some fruit, but more an impression of a
fully knitted mature wine. Soft tannins towards and on the finish, then
just a bit of spirit. Excellent length. Very Good Indeed.
(12/2/03)
NV
Crémant d'Alsace Cuvée Julien, Dopff au Moulin,
Alsace, 12% (The
Wine Society)
A big mousse and a pale to medium straw colour. Good fruity
nose with hints of exotic fruit. Good clean attack.
Nice mousse in the mouth. Quite an interesting, fairly strong
doughy flavour. Good, clean and full. Very Good
Indeed.
(7/2/03)
NV
La Table du Roy, Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Vin de Table,
12.5% (The Wine
Society)
Rather brooding black plum purple colour, with some youth
evident. Lots of soft dark fruit on the nose, with a touch of
farmyard. Good, clean attack. Nice soft fruit with
a few tannins in the background, giving a touch of structure which
follows through into the finish. Good finish with excellent
length. Very Good Indeed.
(29/1/03)
1997
Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Vendanges Tardives, Albert Mann, Alsace,
13%, 500 ml (Lay & Wheeler)
An attractive bright medium gold. A big, rich gewurz nose
with emphatic rose petal scents. Lovely attack with nice acid
keeping it fairly fresh. Fills enormously on the
palate. Lusicous without any hint of cloying. Very
full, rich gewurz flavours - very elegant and a bit floral.
Super length. Excellent.
(26/1/03)
2000
Les Pins Couchés, Domaine de la Côte Bleue,
Jean-Luc Colombo, Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône,
12.5% (Lay & Wheeler)
Medium yellow gold. Peach and peary, and slightly honeyed on
the nose, combined with a certain grassiness. Quite a big
attack - round and full. Really rather heady on the
palate. Pales a little on the middle to a
freshness. But there's a big marzipanny finish with very good
length. This had improved a lot after being open half an hour
and more so when it was finished the next day. Very Good
Indeed.
(24/1/03)
NV
Buenos Aires Brut, Argentina (Majestic)
Big mousse. Slightly greenish mid straw. Nice
attractive fruit-driven nose. Nice thick mousse in
the mouth. Clean, crisp, dry. But seems a bit less
champagne-like and a bit more cava-like than other bottles I've opened
of this. Very Good.
(22/1/03)
1999
Shiraz, Ironstone Vineyards, California, 13.5% (Sainsbury)
The third bottle opened tonight in the hope of finding something
drinkable ...
Deep, very dark purple, reminiscent of a young
Rhône. Very big, bitter plums/prunes
nose. Big, rich and mouthfilling on the attack. A
real blockbuster! Soft and luscious, with lots of fruit,
feeling quite sweet and with a touch of vanillin. Good finish
with fair length. A slight astringency after. Very
Good.
(15/1/03)
1996
Rioja Reserva Señorio Amezola, Bodegas Amezola de la Mora,
Rioja, Spain, 12.5% (gift)
A very mouldy cork that felt a bit soft, but it was very long and very
tight. A dark garnet colour. The nose is rather
tannic and acidic: very oaky with very little fruit evident.
Very plain on the palate. Completely lacking in fruit and any
character. Poor enough to be undrinkable.
(15/1/03)
1999
Barbera, Santo tomas, Baja California, Mexico (Bibendum)
Corked
(15/1/03)
1990
Rosé des Riceys, Jean-Jacques Lamoureux, Champagne region,
France, 12% (bought at auction: Straker Chadwick)
This is the rarely found still rosé wine (from pinot noir
grapes) from Champagne. I don't think you're normally meant
to drink it as old as this ...
Very light colour, like a very mature burgundy - brickish orangey pale
red. Very mushroomy and farmyardy nose. Light
attack. Very light on the palate. Virtually no
fruit left, but some clean pinot noir characteristics - just very much
watered down. An interesting curiosity ... no more.
Not rated.
(11/1/03)
2000
Muscat Vignoble de Katzenthal, Meyer-Fonné, Alsace, France,
12% (Lay & Wheeler)
Medium straw. Lovely full muscat nose. Glorious
elderflower, citrus and a touch of vanilla nose. Notable
legs. Very clean and crisp on the attack, which rounds out
and fills rather nicely. Notably dry, yet full and
rich. Nice streak of acidity, though some of it feels a
little harsh on the finish. Very Good.
(8/1/03)
1993 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling
Kabinett, P. Licht-Bergweiler Erben, 7.5%, AP 2 577 264 8 94
(Bibendum)
Palish bright lemony gold with a slight green tinge. Lovely
Mosel Riesling nose: minerally and oily, with waxy apples and
cream. Very good attack. Fresh, clean, appley fruit
on the palate. Very nicely knitted together; very nice
balance. Very elegant and restrained. Very Good
Indeed.
(2/1/03)
NV
Champagne Brossault Brut, 12% (Majestic)
Medium straw. Rather dull nose. Quite fruity. Bone dry. Crisp &
clean. Very Good.
(27/12/02)
1994
Viña Salceda Rioja Crianza, 12.5%, 1500ml (Wine
Society)
Even ruby colour. Attractive brambly nose. Light
and quite fresh on the attack. Fills quickly and comes across
as very mature. Rather thin and weedy, but quite spicy on the
finish. Good.
(27/12/02)
1997
Riesling Cuvée de Cinquantenaire, Albert Mann, Alsace,
12.6%; 1500 ml (Lay & Wheeler)
A bright lemony gold. Truly magnificent riesling nose:
apples, pears and citrus with just a touch of minerally petroleum
wax. Very full attack: creamy and rich. This must
be at or very close to vendanges tardives levels of ripeness.
Massive. Utterly massive. Incredible
power. Quite huge and stunning. Very ripe
fruit. Stunning wine. Remarkable elegance for all
its power. Huge length. Excellent.
(27/12/02)
1997
Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Vendanges Tardives, Albert Mann
50cl 13% (Lay
& Wheeler)
Very fine nose. Luscious fresh attack. Very fine, rich, sweetish
elegance. Very Good Indeed.
(25/12/02)
1988
Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, Champagne Ruinart
Good even stream of bubbles, but slightly coarse
bubbles. Extremely toasty nose. Nice clean,
full-flavoured attack. Dry but not aggressively so, and very
low acidity. Clean and full on the palate, where there's also
a bit of toastiness. Decent finish. Very Good
Indeed.
(25/12/02)
NV
The Wine Society's Sparkling Saumur, Gratien, (The Wine Society)
Off dry. Very fruity. Good
mousse. Quite strongly flavoured. Bit of harshness
towards the finish but okay on the finish with decent length.
Very Good.
(25/12/02)
1975
Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese, P. Licht-Bergweiler
Erben, alcohol content not shown, AP No: 2 577 264 9 76 (Bibendum)
Medium to deep yellow gold, possibly with the merest hint of
copper. A lovely rich, mature riesling nose: honeyed paraffin
and a very smoky, almost peaty note. Quite light on the
attack, with good appley fruit still showing, tempered by that same
peatiness coming through on the palate. Not dry; not sweet -
the sugars and acid are beautifully melded. Splendid, massive
length. Very Good Indeed (but not breathtaking)
(20/12/02)
2000
La Segreta Rosso, Planeta, IGT Sicilia, 14% (Everywine)
A plummy ruby colour with a youthful purple at the rim. Very
big, black-fruit nose dominated by bramble and mint. A
decent, quite light attack, but it then fills quickly: quite plummy,
ripe flavours, but with a definite sour cherry note and a touch of
bitterness. It has some interest, but isn't particularly
special. Very Good.
(11/12/02)
2001
Mosel Valley Riesling, Qualitätswein, Moselblick GmBH
Weinhandlung, 11%, AP No: 2 907 009 250 02 (Sainsbury)
A very pale straw colour. The nose is round and forward with decent
fruit and nice waxy apple skins. Fair attack with some fruit. Fills
nicely and develops a rather odd pepperiness. The initial impression is
of over-sweetness, but after a few sips and swirls there is some acid
structure there. Seems to become a bit plasticky after an hour or so
open. Curiously it tastes much more elegant and classy after eating a
square of Green & Black's white chocolate. OK, and probably
just about rates as Good at the price.
(6/12/02)
2001
Cuvée de Richard (Red), Vin de Pays de l'Aude, 12%
(Majestic)
A cheapo wine, mainly grenache, from Majestic. A young purple
with ruby hints. Rather dull, herbaceous nose, more hedgerowy
actually. Fair attack. Light and
youthful. A bit unbalanced. Quite a streak of acid
and some unformed bitter tannins. Deeply
unimpressive. Very little fruit on the nose or on the
palate. Poor.
(28/11/02)
1997
Brown Brothers Noble Riesling, 10%, 375ml (Everywine)
A rather unctuous orangey brass colour. There's not a lot of
Riesling varietal character on the nose, just huge raisiny honeyed
botrytis. Fabulous attack: remarkably fresh and light
(particularly given the nose). Fills very nicely, but it's by
no means a heavy wine. Very good acidity and not even the
merest hint of cloying. Rich, slightly raisined, distinctly
citrussy - like an orange oil background. Quite distinctive
and thoroughly enjoyable. Very Good Indeed.
(27/11/02)
2000
Libertad Chenin Sauvignon Blanc 12% abv (Bibendum)
Plastic cork
Pretty much as usual. Very Good.
(26-27/11/02)
2002
Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand,
13%, Stelvin (Lay & Wheeler)
This will be the new classic problem with wine closures: stelvins where
the whole capsule turns ...
Part barrique-fermented and part malolactic fermentation.
Very pale, slightly greenish straw. Big fresh herbaceous
sauvignon blanc nose with mango and cat's pee. Very fresh
attack - very clean, crisp fruit. Fills into a very pleasant
acid herbaceousness. Nice body. Good
structure. Finishes very well with notable length.
Very Good Indeed.
(22/11/02)
1999
Santo Tomas Tempranillo, Baja California, Mexico
13.6% abv (Bibendum)
A second bottle of this. Very bright youthful garnet in
appearance. A warm, sour cherry nose with a hint of citrus
and of spice. Nice and inviting and almost
Christmassy. Quite big and fruity on the attack. A
full-on, no messing wine. Very ripe fruit; hefty and full;
and very mouthfilling. Good length follows a clean
finish. Very Good Indeed, although you'd be hard pressed to
guess it was tempranillo.
(20/11/02)
1999
Santo Tomas Tempranillo, Baja California, Mexico
13.6% abv (Bibendum)
A bright even garnet with just the merest hint of youth. Flat, dull,
cardboardy nose with spirity alcohol. Off.
(20/11/02)
1992
Cabernet Sauvignon, Franciscan, Napa Valley, California, 13% (Oddbins)
A nice mature colour (though it is ten years old now), with some ruby
at the centre, fading to a pale slightly bricked ruby at the
rim. An attractive, lightish cabernet nose that fades
quickly. Still quite full on the attack. Some
fruit, but it's struggling to make itself known. Very good
structure - long and notably mouthfilling with good soft
tannins. Excellent length. Pretty much à
point. Very Good Indeed.
(17/11/02)
1996
Langenlonsheimer Löhrer Berg Scheurebe Spätlese,
Nahe, Germany, Weingut W. Schweinhardt, 9.5%, AP No: 77 38
150 03 097 (Everywine)
Quite viscous looking. A greenish gold colour. Rich
nose, with a touch of apple, touch of gooseberry - but all in all
rather dull. A light fruit-juice attack, which fills into
quite a rich, rather over-sweet mushy goo-ey-ness. Nothing on
the finish: it just stops. If it had been served blind, I'd
have guessed that it must be a cheap Liebfraumilch. Very Poor.
(15/11/02)
2000
Pouilly-Fumé, Domaine des Berthiers, Loire, France,
12.5% (Angel Inn, Hetton)
A pale, green-tinged straw. A very rich sauvignon blanc nose -
gooseberry and a bit flinty and steely. Nice attack: full with a lovely
richness, almost a buttery oiliness towards the finish. Big and
complex. Slightly hard on the finish. Enormous length. Very Good Indeed.
(9/11/02)
1999
Riesling Vineyard Selection, Jelka vineyard, McLaren Vale, Brokenwood,
12%, 50cl (Everywine)
Made from raisined grapes affected by botrytis.
A nice orangey gold: deep fading to quite pale at the edge.
An interesting nose - pleasantly honeyed and waxy, with a touch of
orange flower water and vaseline. Lovely attack: quite fresh
and with good fruit. Then it fills enormously: big, rich,
honeyed flavours. A bit on the sweet side, and personally I'd
prefer a touch more acid, but this is a very fine dessert wine
indeed. Very pleasing and rounded. Very Good Indeed.
(6/11/02)
1999
Santo Tomas Barbera, Baja California, Mexico
13.7% abv (Bibendum)
A light, bright garnet colour with a hint of youth. There was
a bit of bottle stink, but that quickly blew off, to reveal a big
alcoholic nose with lots of ripe fruit. Quite nutty on the
nose: slightly stale walnuts and almonds. Very pleasant on
the attack: lots of fruit; soft and very mouthfilling. Very
big and rich on the palate with a bit of an alcoholic kick towards the
finish. Good clean finish with nice soft tannins.
Slightly bitter after. Very good length. Very Good
Indeed.
(6/11/02)
NV
La Table du Roy, Vin de Table Français, Jaboulet,
12.5% (wine Society)
A bright young garnet. The nose is reminiscent of a slightly
sweaty Rhône blend, with a tiny touch of farmyard brett and
hedgerows. Clean and quite fresh on the attack.
Good fruit, and there's a fair bit of character to the wine.
Decent tannic structure. Good finish with very good
length. Very warming after. Very Good Indeed.
(5/11/02)
1999
Portugieser Rotwein, Qualitätswein, Rheinhessen,
Kühling-Gillot, 10%, AP No: 4 343 179 17 00 (Everywine)
A rather dull strawberry burgundy colour. Earthy, mushroomy
nose with strawberry and citrus. Pleasant enough on the
attack: again a hint of strawberries. Decent fruit, but
really seems quite sweet and lacking acidity. Very light
finish, with some fruit. A bit weird. It seems to
be lacking something, but I'm not sure what. It's got fruit,
it's got length. Interest. Maybe it's interest that
it's lacking. Poor.
(3/11/02)
2001
Chardonnay, Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France, Jean Balmont,
11.5% (Majestic)
Unoaked. A pale yellow-ish straw. The nose is
subdued, but with marked butteriness and with a hint of
grassiness. A big, rich attack. Very full and
buttery on the palate: rich and fruit-driven. But it also has
a really nice freshness. Doesn't quite come together on the
finish. Very Good.
(30/10/02)
2000
Libertad Chenin Sauvignon Blanc 12% abv (Bibendum)
Plastic cork
A floral herbaceous nose - quite scented. Nice attack: light,
fresh, very crisp. Some acidity develops towards the finish
and becomes slightly harsh. Decent
length. Very Good.
(28/10/02)
1992
Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese, Jos.
Christoffel, 8%, AP No: 2 602 144 1 93 (Majestic)
A very dodgy looking cork. Very pale greenish gold.
Very badly corked.
(28/10/02)
2000
Muscat Vignoble de Katzenthal, Meyer-Fonné, Alsace,
12% (Lay & Wheeler)
A blend of 55% muscat Ottonel and 45% Muscat d'Alsace. A
pale, rather lemony colour. Delightful fruity muscat nose -
light and elegantly floral with just a touch of sweetness.
Full attack: rather big and mouthfilling. Bone dry, but very
rich with a touch of racy acidity. The wine doesn't quite
have the same elegance on the palate as it does on the nose, and
there's a certain touch of muddiness on the middle. But it
finishes well and cleanly, with notable length. Very Good
Indeed.
(20/10/02)
2000
Trittenheimer Altärchen Riesling Kabinett, Grans Fassian,
7.5%, AP No: 3 529 042 03 01 (Asda)
A rather posh cork for a £5.99 wine - long and real cork of
good quality.
The wine's colour is that of pale granny smith flesh. A bit
of a dull nose - waxy with a hint of apples. Good attack:
fresh and clean. Fills quickly with lots of ripe
fruit. Exceedingly apple-y. Fair acidity, but a bit
more wouldn't do it any harm whatsoever: but still a very nice,
refreshing, crisp, clean wine. Very Good Indeed.
(16/10/02)
1999
Les Orfèvres, AC Côtes de Provence, Les vignerons
de Sainte Victoire, 12%
A young, even, blackberry purple. Attractive nose with lots
of ripe young fruit and quite herbaceous. Nice soft
attack. Quickly fills with bags of fruit: very attractive and
very interesting. Tannins kick in towards the finish: not
aggressively, but there are plenty of them. Very Good Indeed.
(9/10/02)
1999
Santo Tomas Barbera, Baja California, Mexico
13.7% abv (Bibendum)
Very attractive, bright cherry red. Big fruity nose with a
sort of bitter peach kernel scent. Very nice attack - rich
and with bags of fruit. Fruit develops in the
mouth. Quite complex towards the finish when some alcohol
kicks in. Nice acid bitterness running throughout, with soft,
pleasing tannins on the finish. Very Good Indeed.
(2/10/02)
2001
Chardonnay, Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France, Jean Balmont
(Majestic
Pale yellow. Good nose - fresh and quite vibrant - buttery
and herby. Nice attack: light, fresh. Bit of
body. Fills ok. Rather harsh towards the finish and
especially so after. OK.
(20/9/02)
NV
Buenos Aires Brut, Argentina, 12.3% (Majestic)
A medium straw. Nice, light, fruity nose with a hint of peach
and another of bread. Good clean attack. Nice
mousse-y feel, but not excessive. Fairly fruity and fresh
initially, but then deepens. Quite a rich creamy middle,
following through to the finish. Good length and nice and
clean after. Very Good Indeed.
(14/9/02)
1999
La Goudie, Domaine de la Rectoire, Vin de Pays de la Côte
Vermeille, Parcé Frères, (Byrne's)
A medium orangey-strawberry pink. The nose is deep and
fragrant, though perhaps a little lacking in fruit: warm, with lightly
dried orange peel. Fairly full on the attack. Fills
rapidly. Very big and full for a rosé.
Complex with good depth. Bone dry with nice acid.
Excellent.
(11/9/02)
1989
Oberemmeler Karlsberg Riesling Auslese, Reichsgraf v. Kesselstatt,
8.5%, AP No: 356 1077-103-90, Goldcap, but not sold as such (Wine
Society)
Noticed the cork leaking, so quickly opened it for drinking.
Heavy tartaric deposits. A nice bright, lemony medium to rich
gold. There's a bit of stink on the nose initially, but it
blows off revealing vaseline, almonds and a touch of honey.
Clearly affected by the cork failing though. Fairly rich
attack. Slightly oxidised, but still good fruit and acid in
nice combination. Drier than previous bottles.
Caught it in time. Very Good.
(8/9/02)
1994
Classic Cuvée, Nyetimber, West Sussex, England,
12% (Berry Bros & Rudd)
Medium straw with lemon-ish tints. A notably yeasty nose with
some blackberry fruit. Fair bubbles and mousse.
Nice moussey attack; quite foamy throughout. Fair
fruit. Clean with OK length. Well
balanced. But it just seems a bit average. Good.
(6/9/02)
1999
Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese, Weinhaus C. Le Moguen,
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany, AP No: 3 551 093 007 00 (Sainsbury)
Very very pale greenish gold. Rather dull, creamy nose with a
hint of apple. Clean attack. Fairly rich and
creamy. Fairly full on the middle. Nice clean
finish. Very simple, rather uni-dimensional.
Pleasant, but very unexceptional. It's nice to see the
supermarkets bothering to source some proper German wines, but it's a
shame they can't come up with something a bit more exciting to counter
the mass market liebfraumilch yeuch. Good.
(4/9/02)
1999
Santo Tomas Tempranillo, Baja California, Mexico
13.6% abv (Bibendum)
A deep, slightly muddy, garnet colour with a hint of youth at the
rim. Fair nose, though there is not a great deal of
fruit. Some alcohol shows through on the nose too and it's a
bit okay with green leaves/hedgerows and a touch of mint.
Quite big on the attack. Very forward fruit and very
mouthfilling. Fills even more as it remains in the
mouth. Very full on the palate, but not overly fruity and not
overly varietal. Bit, quite fat and notably
alcoholic. Fair.
(26/8/02)
2000
Libertad Chenin Sauvignon Blanc 12% abv (Bibendum)
Plastic cork
A medium straw. Lovely nose - lots of fruit - fresh and quite
zingy. Nice clean attack with good fruit. Fills
enormously. Quite rich and rounded on the middle and a
certain creaminess appears towards the finish. Very good
length. Very Good Indeed.
(21/8/02)
NV
Masia Barril Vino Aromatizado, Cosechado,
elaborado y embotellado par Hermanos Barril. Obtenida con la
mezda de vino tinto rancio semiseco y vino blanco viejo. Sin
adicion de alcohol. Aromatizado con hierbas procedentes del
jardin botanico, en torno a la Masia, 15% (Everywine)
The back label calls it Vino Aperitivo and says that it's a blend of
two thirds white wine (3 years old) to one third red rancio.
An intriguing reddish brown, vaguely reminiscent of madeira.
The nose is sweet and more like port than madeira, and has a slightly
medicinal note, presumably coming from the herbs; but overall, on the
nose, one would think it's more wine than, say, vermouth.
Full and fruity on the attack. Wow! this is weird.
A bit oxidised and a bit maderised. It has an intense dry
streak, but also raisiny and orange notes. Very dry - a real
tannic dryness. It seems to be a sort of a cross between
port, madeira and vermouth. Weird, wacky and wonder-inducing
(rather than wonderful). Defies rating really, but how about
Very Good?
(14/8/02)
1995
Chianti Riserva, Uggiano (Morrisons)
Fairly mature, bright ruby. Nice gentle nose with cherries
and a hint of
licorice. Good soft attack. Some fruit, but more an
impression of a
fully knitted mature wine. Soft tannins towards and on the
finish, then
just a bit of spirit. Excellent length. Very Good
Indeed.
(12/2/03)
1998
Tokay Pinot Gris Hengst Clos du Vicus Romain, AC Alsace Grand Cru,
Domaine Aimé Stentz, (Booths)
A medium gold and looking fairly viscous. Forward tropical
fruit on the nose - heavy on the mango with a warm spiciness
behind. Big attack. Very clean, but very
full. Very big pinot gris flavours with more than a hint of
residual sugar. There is some acid to balance the touch of
sweetness, though it does become a little harsh after.
Stunning length. Very Good Indeed.
(9/8/02)
2000
Libertad Chenin-Sauvignon Blanc, Medoza, Argentina, 12% (Bibendum)
A medium, slightly greenish straw colour. Nice herbaceous
nose: fairly rounded without the zinginess of a pure sauvignon
blanc. Good attack - fresh with some acid. Fills a
lot on the palate. Fairly rich and creamy on the
middle. A touch of harsher acidity appears on the
finish. Massive length. Very Good.
(7/8/02)
2000
Libertad Chenin-Sauvignon Blanc, Medoza, Argentina, 12% (Bibendum)
Mid straw. Excellent nose: a fairly classics sauvignon blanc
nose tempered with some warmth from the chenin blanc. Nice
attack: fresh, with fairly forward fruit. Fills
well. Quite big and rich on the middle with good
structure. Very full flavoured and rounded.
Finishes nicely with great length. Very well
balanced. Absolutely exceptional at the bargain sale price
(£1.58) Very Good Indeed
(29/7/02)
1999
Santo
Tomas Barbera, Baja California, Mexico
13.7% abv (Bibendum)
A bright even ruby that has lost any youthful purple. Big
fruity nose - warm, cedary spiced cherries. Good attack; very
mouthfilling. Very full and with a lush mouthfeel.
Lots of fruit. Big and hefty: by no means a quaffing
wine. Powerful stuff. Very big with good fruit, but
not all upfront fruit. Soft tannins on the finish.
Impressive, though possibly not quite showing all the characteristics
of barbera. Very Good Indeed (at the price - £3.53)
(29/7/02)
1999
Grand Prébois Rouge, Vin de Pays de la
Principauté d'Orange, Domaines Perrin, 12% (Wine
Society)
A rather muddy looking ruby. Warm spiced red fruit
nose. Nice attack: warm and full. Nicely rounded
with a decent structure. Not exactly a great wine, but very
pleasing. Hint of bitterness on finish and after.
Good length. Very Good.
(26/7/02)
2000
Cabernet Sauvignon, La Mira, Maipo Valley, Chile, 13%
(Majestic)
Deep, fairly youthful ruby. Smoky tobacco-rich nose masking
some cassis fruit. Good attack. Fairly forward
fruit. Clean and full. Well structured with some
pleasing tannins on the finish. Very Good.
(23/7/02)
1999
Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie, Domaine des Ratelles,
Daniel et Gerard Vinet, 12% (Wine Society)
Pale to medium lemony gold. Nice nose - fairly herbaceous
with a hint of gooseberry. Nice attack. Still
fairly fresh and it's immediately obvious that this is a wine that has
character. Nice and full on the middle - almost
creamy. Nice crisp acidity on the finish, but also a rather
weird vanilla essence taste. Fair length. Very Good
Indeed.
(13/7/02)
2000
Bourgogne Passetoutgrains, AC Bourgogne Passetoutgrains, Cave des
Vignerons de Buxy, 12.5% (Majestic)
A pinot noir-gamay blend. An attractive bright, light ruby
colour that shows more maturity than I'd expect. An earthy
nose with hints of mushroom, but also some strawberries. A
nice, light, fruity fresh attack. good fruit. Fills
nicely and develops some structure. Perhaps a little acid and
the fruit is a bit withdrawn. Finishes with some hefty soft
tannins and lots and lots of peppery spice. Quite
interesting. Quite attractive. Quite
good. Very Good (at the price)
(11/7/02)
1999
Tesco Alsace Riesling, V.A.K. Ammerschwihr, 12% (Tesco)
Mid gold with a greenish core. Very nice riesling nose:
creamy, minerally with a bit of petrol - a notably rich, creamy
nose. Light on the attack, but develops in the mouth and
there are quite hefty flavours on the middle and on the
finish. But overall, a bit unsatisfying and a bit out of
balance. Some acid on middle and after. Very good
length. Very average, verging on Poor.
(9/7/02)
NV
Cuvée Elise, Blanc de Blancs Demi-Sec, Medium Dry White
French Table Wine, Producteurs Réunis Cebazan
(Majestic)
Very very pale straw. Attractive floral nose with a hint of
grapiness. Light and fresh, slightly floral,
attack. Fills with some richness and acid. More
richness than sweetness to my mind. There is definitely some
nice acid to counterbalance the sweetness, which isn't at all
overpowering anyway. Fairly simple, but it does have some
interest on the palate. Very attractive and easy to
drink. Very pleasant. Very Good.
(3/7/02)
2000
Domaine des Bois du Garn, Côtes du Vivarais,
(Majestic)
A very young looking deep purple. A warm, rich
Rhôney nose. Good fruit, slightly
scented. Fair attack. Quite light. Fills
ok. Bit of acid. Clean and lightish, with some very
young tannins. A bit lacking in fruit and a bit too much
bitterness on the finish. OK but uninteresting.
(1/7/02)
2001
Merlot, IGT Venezia, Cantine dei Marchesini (Majestic)
Very light looking - a bright, very even ruby with the merest hint of
youth. An attractive fruity nose - raspberry/blackberry with
a touch of plum. Nice clean attack: fresh, light and lots of
fruit. Nice light tannins. Fairly simple, but very
attractive indeed. A touch of complexity develops on the
finish a after, when it's a bit chewy. Very good
length. Very Good Indeed and a real bargain at under
£3.
(29/6/02)
2001
Cuvée des Amandiers, Vin de Pays d'Oc, 12%
(Majestic)
A Rhône-ish blend of 70% grenache and 30% syrah.
Bright, vibrant raspberry/blackberry with clear signs of
youth. Lots of very slow, fairly thin legs. An
inoffensive nose - warm and notably Rhône-ish - with some
slightly scented spice. Nice attack: light with lots of
fruit. Fills well, developing a nice structure.
Very clean. Finishes nicely with very great length.
good fruit. Not bad at all. Very
pleasant. Very Good (esp. at the price)
(25/6/02)
2001
Domaine de Richard, Vin de Pays de l'Aude, 12% (Majestic)
A lightish, very even, slightly youngish burgundy colour. Fat
legs. The nose is even and rather unexciting - a bit dull
even, with just some very warm stewed plums. Decent enough
attack. Light, with some fruit. Develops a slightly
acid flavour on the middle which isn't entirely pleasant.
Slightly bitter on the finish. Very unexceptional.
OK.
(25/6/02)
1998
Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Robert Eymael Mönchhof,
8%, AP 2 602 029 004 99 (Bibendum)
A light pale green. Lovely soft Riesling nose - soft, creamy
apples. Clean attack with fair acidity. Fills and
enrichens. Quite full and creamy on the palate. A
bit more acidity returns on the finish and after. Very good
length. Very clean and harmonious. Very Good Indeed.
(18/6/02)
2001
Bacchus, Chapel Down, England, 11.5% (Booths)
A pale, slightly greenish straw. Very attractive fruity nose
- very fresh and zesty, but with a mango richness below. Very
fresh, bright attack. Clean and crisp. Very
attractive. Doesn't develop a great deal, but has nice
length. Very clean after. Very Good.
(15/6/02)
2001
Cuvée de Richard Blanc, Vin du Pays du Comté
Tolosan, 11.5% (Majestic)
Very very pale straw with the merest hint of pink.
Attractive, light, fresh peachy nose. Good attack: clean and
fresh. Quite crisp with nice acidity, especially on the
finish. But not searingly dry. Bit rough and ready
on the middle, but finishes well, with decent length. Light
and attractive. Very Good at the price (£2.89)
(11/6/02)
NV
ba brut, Buenos Aires, Quality Sparkling Wine, Argentina,
12.5% (Majestic)
A traditional method sparkler made with pinot noir and chardonnay, and
spending 8 months on its lees.)
Medium gold. Quite a warm nose - distinctly peachy with quite
a scented note in the background. Light and clean on the
attack. Fills well. Very fruity. Lacks
acidity. Quite foamy in the mouth. Very much
off-dry, tending towards demi sec. Very clearly not champagne
and doesn't even have the elegance of a good
crémant. But clean and pleasant. Good
finish. Something different, with a bit of
character. Very Good Indeed.
(8/6/02)
2001
Cabernet Sauvignon, Bon Courage, Robertson Wine of Origin, South Africa,
13% (Sunday Times Wine Club)
A young light purple. The nose is dullish, with slightly
acidic notes and a very light blackcurrant scent - more scented with
basil. Clean attack. Lacking character.
Some depth and interest on middle, but overtaken by some fairly savage
tannins. I don't like it at all. Poor.
(3/6/02)
NV
Champagne Brossault Brut (Majestic)
Fair mousse. A good, even bubble stream. Quite
golden with a hint of pink. Bready nose (rather than
toasty). Slightly vegetal-herby on the nose too.
Good, clean attack. Nice mousse in the mouth.
Good. Fine with a bit of elegance. not great but
exceedingly pleasant and Very Good Indeed at the discounted price of
£7.99.
(3/6/02)
2001
Pasqua Chardonnay, IGT Puglia, 12% (Majestic)
Very very pale goldish straw. Rather dull nose, with a bit of
toastiness masking the tropical fruit. Remarkably rounded
attack. Then it sort of thins to freshness.
Develops into a very typical international chardonnay. Fairly
full and quite attractive, though it seems a little
superficial. Fair to Good.
(28/5/02)
Dull and a bit uninteresting. Perfectly ok. Just
very dull.
(29/5/02)
2001
La Mira Chardonnay, Maipo Valley, Chile, 14% (Majestic)
Palish gold with some depths. Big, fresh nose - very
complex. Quite fragrant with grassy, lemony and a hint of
vanilla overtones. Very full and rounded on the
attack. Big and rich with the alcohol clearly showing through
on the palate. Clean, very rich and very full. Very
mouthfilling. A hint of oaky richness. Massive
length. Very Good Indeed.
(28/5/02)
Big. full. Not as much character as
Planeta's Chardonnay (for example) - but that's five times the
price. Very Good Indeed.
(29/5/02)
2001
Jean Balmont Chardonnay, Vin du Pays du Jardin de la France,
11.5% (Majestic)
Very pale straw colour with a slightly greenish tinge. Very
pleasant nose - bright, zingy fruit with a certain
butteriness. Light and very fresh attack. Fills
nicely. Fresh and clean; fair length. Very
clean. Very Good/Very Good Indeed (especially at the price)
(28/5/02)
Very pleasant indeed. Very drinkable. Not
too in-your-face. Very Good Indeed. I like it lots.
(29/5/02)
1999
Chardonnay, Planeta, IGT Sicilia, 14% (Everywine)
A fairly rich gold with some orange tinges at the rim. Very
hefty legs. Big nose - buttery, toasty, but with a sort of
smoky garrique feel. Good clean attack. Fills
enormously and continues to do so. Very big, especially
towards the finish, but not aggressive. Very nicely
balanced. Big chardonnay buttery richness, followed by
smokiness and pepperiness after. A very nice wine.
Very Good Indeed.
(14/5/02)
1996
Pinot Gris Reserve, Trimbach, Alsace, 13% (Wine Society)
A pale straw with pinky-greeny hints. Very big pinot gris
nose with almost butterscotch notes. Good attack.
Clean and remarkably fresh n the palate. Fills quickly, and
becomes very big, almost fat, but with a nice acidity just coming
through. Pretty textbook Alsatian pinot gris - quite
fine. Very Good Indeed.
(7/5/02)
1998
Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG, Barone Ricasoli,
13.5% (Valvona & Crolla)
An even, very dark, rather too youthful purple. Very elegant
legs. Very deep, complex nose. Bags of fruit
initially, followed by layers of leather, a certain mintiness and
grassiness ending with a hint of bramble jelly. Soft, fresh
attack. Fills beautifully. Very interesting and
complex: layer on layer of flavour. Lots of attractive
fruit. A very impressive wine. The tannins start to
pick up towards the finish and inject some bitter notes. This
is far too young to drink now. Damn. Very Good
Indeed, will be Excellent.
(3/5/02)
1997
Côtes de Saint Mont, Collection de Plaimont, VDQS,
élevé en futs de chêne (Wine
Society?)
Very deep, dark blackberry black colour with a marked youthful tinge at
the rim. Attractive nose - warm, spicy, plummy with marked
hedgerow notes. Fair attack. Not overly
fruity. Develops fairly well in the mouth; tannins grow and
grow and grow and grow until it's completely dominated by tannins on
the finish. OK.
(30/4/02)
2000
La Segreta Rosso, Planeta, IGT Sicilia, 14% (Everywine)
A young, deep mulberry colour. An interesting nose: deep with
very ripe fruit and some bitterness, alongside spicy, leathery and
tobacco hints. Very good attack. Bags of
flavour. Very deep, intense fruit. Some bitterness
on the palate as on the nose. A very interesting wine, with lots of
character. Very ripe. Excellent length.
Very Good Indeed.
(23/4/02)
1997
Dr. L Riesling QbA, Dr Loosen, Mosel, Germany, 9%
Off-pale straw with greenish tinges. Dullish nose - mild,
slightly spicy riesling, with just a hint of apple. Light
attack, with a bit of sweetness on the palate. Clean and
refreshing, but with a little bit more sweetness than one might expect
in a Kabinett. But there's still some fair acidity to
balance. Not inelegant. Very acceptable at the
price. (£3.99)
(12/4/02)
1987 Masia
Barril Clasico, Priorato 16.5% (Everywine)
A very attractive mature ruby. Very heavy looking - lots of
glycerine - enormous legs. Strong, powerful, almost port-like
nose - very intense blackberry and also a little earthy
hedgerow. Very nice attack - deceptively light and even
fairly fresh. Then it creeps up and hits you, grabs your
taste buds and beats them around until they surrender. Very
full. Good ripe fruit. Lots of alcohol.
Touch of licorice. Good soft tannins. Very Good
Indeed.
(9/4/02)
1999
Bodenheim Heitersbrünnchen Scheurebe Kabinett,
Kühling-Gillot, Rheinhessen, AP 4 343 179/2000 (Everywine)
A bright appearance - a very bright pale-ish straw. Rathery
dull, nutty nose: quite warm, with hints of almond and
banana. Fairly full attack. Quite sweet.
Fills ok. Fullish on the palate, with more than a hint of
sweetness. An odd metallic, plasticky note towards the
finish. Fair length. Deeply unimpressive.
OK.
(27/3/02)
1998
Reserve Selection Gewürztraminer, Hilltop Nezmely,
Mór Region, Hungary (Wine Society)
A light to medium orangey gold. Lovely, very big gewurz nose
- fragrant tropical fruit. Not over-extracted, as some cheap
gewurz can be. Nice attack. Pleasant and
light. The gewurz characteristics develop fairly quickly in
the mouth. This is a lovely, rounded, fragrant
gewürztraminer and a real bargain. Very Good Indeed.
(19/3/02)
1999
Chardonnay, Planeta, IGT Sicilia, 14% (Everywine)
A remarkably deep gold cum very very deep yellow: I wonder if this is a
bit oxidised? Very big, forward nose - smoky, rich,
buttery. Big and rounded on the attack. Rather fat
on the middle with an odd non-acidic harshness. Rather flat
and unidimensional. A bit of a duff bottle. Not
rated.
(16/3/02)
1997
Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Robert Eymael, Mönchhof,
AP 2 602 029 003 98 (Wine Society)
Pale to very pale colour: but more lemony than green. A nice
appley nose with great depth; just starting to develop some petrol
hints. Light on the palate; reasonably fresh, but not overly
so. Nice acid on the attack. Fairly creamy and
rich. Slightly coarse acid on the middle and a rather odd
hint of wine gums on the finish. Very good length.
Possibly not the best bottle? Good.
(8/3/02)
NV
La Table du Roy, Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Vin du Table,
12.5%. (Wine Society)
A bright young vibrant purple deepening to ruby at the
centre. Soft Rhoney fruit with dominant grenache on the nose
(this bottling is apparently a blend of grenache and syrah).
Soft, light attack with a fairly dense undercurrent of sweetish fruit
coming through. Soft tannins towards and on the finish and
after. Very good length. Fairly light and simple,
but does have some interesting depths. Very Good.
(4/3/02)
1996
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Joh. Jos. Prüm,
7.5%, AP 2 576 511 7 98 (Lay & Wheeler)
Note that the AP number indicates not bottled until two years after
vintage. A pale, but fairly vibrant greenish straw.
Intense, maturing riesling nose: creamy and petrol. Fresh
apple-y attack with nice acidity. Fills beautifully on the
palate and deepens with a marked sweetness coming through, but
perfectly balanced by an elegant acidity. Very good length
with the acid lingering alongside a lovely creaminess.
Elegant and moreish. Excellent.
(27/2/02)
2000
La Segreta Rosso, Planeta, IGT Sicilia, 14% (Everywine)
A blend of Nero d'Avola and Merlot. An attractive, bright
garnet colour with a youthful edge. Good nose with lots of
fruit: soft red fruit with a hint of grapefruit. The attack
is clean and with good fruit. Fills very well on the palate:
bags of fruit, then some structure develops, finishing with good, not
too harsh tannins and a certain bitterness.
(23/2/02)
1983
Wehlener Abtei Eiswein, Kloster Machern, AP 1 640 767 25
84. No alcohol content shown. (Willoughby's)
A second bottle with the same AP number says explicitly Riesling
Eiswein and 9% abv.
A deep, rather oxidised looking orange colour, but with a somewhat
healthier looking green rim. Very smoky on the nose, with
petrol and raisins. Round and fairly sweet on the
attack. Quite forward and distinctly lacking fruit.
Some acid. A bit inelegant perhaps. Very Good.
(22/2/02)
1995
Cheval Noir, AC Saint-Emilion, Mähler-Besse, 12.5%
(Wine Society)
An even, slightly young garnet. Pleasant nose.
Slightly herbaceous, slightly minty, red fruits and cherries on the
nose. Nice attack. Full and warming. Soft
tannins develop on the middle. Then the fruit fades and a
bitter cherry streak comes to the fore and follows through to the
finish. Notable length, but still that bitterness.
Good.
(18/2/02)
1995
Koberner Weisenberg Riesling Beerenauslese, Freiherr von Schleinitz,
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, 11%, 375ml, AP No: 1 649 017 8 96 (Everywine)
A medium gold colour, with a greenish tinge. A fragrant,
honeyed riesling nose, but a bit unexceptional. Good
attack. Then a hit of acid, which gives way to quite a
luxurious sweetness. Possibly a bit cloying on the palate,
but then some acid reappears towards the finish, but then the sweetness
takes over again. This wine does not have the best balance of
sweetness, acid and fruit, but it's very acceptable: better than
workmanlike. Very Good.
(13/2/02)
1987
Masia
Barril Clasico, Priorato, Viñedos y bodega en el Priorato
Histórica Hermanos Barril, Bellmunt del Priorat.
16.5% (Everywine)
75% grenache, 25% carignan.
Massive sediment in the bottle. A warm, but bright and very
notably mature brickish-brownish red. Hefty, slow
legs. Fabulous nose with some very ripe fruit - more than
slightly raisined - and a hint of oxidation. The nose is
perfumed with vanilla and violets - in fact, the nose is actually
rather reminiscent of Taylor port. A rich, luscious
attack. Very port-like. Raisiny notes on the
palate. This is an incredibly huge wine.
Massive. Remarkable stuff. Like port and sherry
combined. Hmmm yes... there's even a sort of hint of flor to
it. In the mouth, it feels remarkably sweet. Very
powerful and noticeably alcoholic. On the middle, it lightens
and freshens a little. Then it finishes with some elegance -
remarkable given the full-on nature of what has gone before.
Lovely soft tannins and great length after. Completely
idionsyncratic. Unlike anything before. While there
are reminiscences of port and of amarone, it doesn't have the weight of
either. Very Good Indeed.
(13/2/02)
1998
Slatestone Riesling Dry, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, by von Schleinitz Estate,
Qualitätswein, AP No: 1 649 017 14 99 (Everywine)
A pale to medium straw. Exceptionally fragrant nose - really
quite scented, and with a touch of paraffin wax. No apples on
the nose though. Fair attack - nice and clean.
Fills well. Fresh and fragrant. Nicely
rounded. Very clean. A very atypical M-S-R
riesling. Quite strong flavours - more like a new world
example. Very Good.
(11/2/02)
1998
Wiltinger braune Kupp Riesling Kabinett, Le Gallais (Egon
Müller), 8%, AP No: 3 567 142 5 99 (Lay &
Wheeler)
Extremely pale - virtually clear: just the merest tinge of greenish
straw. A gorgeous nose - creamy, waxy apples. Light
and very clean on the attack. Fills very nicely.
Very fine acid, but kept in check by some nice ripe fruit.
Very, very elegant. Very light, very clean. Good
length. Excellent.
(8/2/02)
NV
Manzanilla La Gitana, Hidalgo, Sherry, (Wine Society)
I'd had this bottle in stock about six months before opening it, so
probably not at its best. A pale straw in
appearance. Heavy salty flor nose. Lovely light
attack. Fills very quickly and deeply. Clearly has matured a
little, but that's actually not done it any harm. Quite big
towards the finish. Great length. Very Good Indeed.
(2/2/02)
1999
Pinot Gris, Bodega Jacques y François Lurton, Mendoza,
Argentina, 13% (Wine Society)
A medium gold: unusually deep, suggesting some oxidation.
Poor nose. Very watery attack. Little
character. Would you believe it? The second bad
bottle in a row. Though this isn't off, it's just a very bad
bottle. Poor.
(2/2/02)
1998
Niederfeller Kahltag Riesling Spätlese halbtrocken, Weingut
Freiherr von Schleinitz, 11%, AP No: 1 649 017 13 99 (Everywine)
A very loose cork. The overall appearance is of a medium
straw colour, with bright yellow on the rim fading to a green tinge,
fading to almost clear at the centre. The nose is very dull,
with only a faint hint of riesling fruit. This is a rather
suspect bottle. Tolerable on the attack, but then rather
nasty: plasticky and a bit acrid. Off. Not rated.
(2/2/02) (the second of the second of the second)
NV
La Table du Roy, Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Vin de Table,
12.5% (Wine Society)
A bright, youthful purple at the rim, deepening to a ruby
centre. Slightly dull on the nose initially, but after a good
swirl, a definite Rhone nose comes through with grenache
dominant. Good soft fruit on the attack. Fills well
and the fruit develops more character. Rich berry and cherry
flavours with some soft tannins providing a backbone. There's
a slightly jarring note of alcohol towards the finish. Good
length. Very Good.
(29/1/02)
1999
Pinot Gris, Bodega Jacques y François Lurton, Mendoza,
Argentina, 13% (Wine Society)
Quite pale, but distinctly golden in appearance. Slightly
bready, distinctly pinot gris nose - rich and quite spicy.
Quite full on the attack. fills a lot. This is a very
full-flavoured, almost heavy pinot gris. A bit of acid
appears, which becomes a bit harsh on the finish and after.
Fair length. A very acceptable, basic pinot gris: not great,
but good at the price. Good/Very Good.
(26/1/02)
1995
Masia Barril Clasico, DO Priorato, Cosechado, elaborado y
embotellado por Hermanos Barril, Bellmunt del Priorat, Bottle no.
102769, 16% (Everywine)
Clearly unfiltered - masses of coarse, very loose sediment.
Very even, slightly mature burgundy red. Slow, but fairly
thin legs. Quite a hot nose with lots of cherry
fruit. Very ripe fruit, and slightly amarone-like on the
nose. Good, fruity attack. Fills
enormously. Very, very full. Unusual flavours, lots
of tannins (but not aggressive tannins). Hint of violets on
the palate. Very good length. Very Good Indeed.
(23/1/02)
1997
Koberner Weisenberg Riesling Kabinett, von Schleinitz, AP No.
1 649 017 10 98 (Everywine)
A medium gold with bright green edges. The nose is dull and
subdued with some apple just about coming through. Fair
attack, with a slight spritz. Fairly creamy, but with a very
dry apple juice character on the middle and the finish. Good
length. Clean. Possibly a bit lacking in
acid. Very Good.
(20/1/02)
1957
Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos Allamigazdasagi Borkombinat
Satoraljaujhely, 50cl
This was a rather badly stored bottle that my dad had had upright on a
shelf in his bar for years. The cork crumbled virtually to
dust. A deep caramel colour. Very raisiny nose,
lacking in character. A good attack: this is still very much
alive. Pretty decent acidity. Remarkably clean and
fresh. Honeyed, with orange flavours on the middle.
Sweetens towards the finish. Not at all cloying.
Fair length only. Remarkable survivor. Very Good
Indeed.
(26/12/01)
1999
Pinot Gris, Innes Vineyard, Littlehampton, Henschke (Byrne's)
Good colour with the pinkish hue of the pinot gris very
noticeable. Smotth, but not especially rich.
Cleaner and crisper than most Alsace pinot gris. Good, but
not great. Very Good.
(26/12/01)
1993
Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial, Champagne
Medium straw. Excellent, long lasting mousse. A
deep nose with plenty of fruit. Quite dry, but seems very low
in acidity indeed. Exceptionally long-lasting
bubbles. Great depth of flavour. Very fine and
clean, though perhaps not the most elegant of champagnes.
(26/12/01)
1997
Schloss Reinhartshausen Riesling Qualitätswein trocken,
11.5% AP 3 207 10 30 98 (Everywine)
A pale to medium straw, with the merest hint of green. Nice
riesling nose - though very simple and unidimensional. Clean
attack, but distinctly lacking flavour. Bone dry, and there's
the problem: as often, all the character's been fermented out to make a
trocken wine. A hint of harsh acidity develops on the palate
on the middle, then fades. A very undistinguished, merely
competent wine. OK.
(23/12/01)
NV
Schloss Koblenz Cabinet Halbtrocken, Sekt, 11% (Everywine)
This has a fair mousse and is a pale to medium straw in
colour. There's a good stream of bubbles, but though the
stream is a bit uneven. The nose is bland and lightly
fragranced. Good attack: it's clean and fresh, and has a nice
mousse in the mouth. There is a distinct sweetness that
develops, but does not dominate. This is a simple Sekt,
largely innocuous and without much at all to recommend it. OK
(22/12/01)
1994
Nyetimber Classic Cuvée Brut. Traditional
Method. Quality Sparkling Wine. West Sussex, UK.
12% (Berry Bros & Rudd)
70% Chardonnay, the rest pinot noir and pinot meunier. A
rather tight cork.
Quite a deep colour - a medium lemony gold. Virtually no
bubbles. Powerful nose, but very odd. Uh oh, the
nose is actually very flat and rather nasty. Very off.
(22/12/01)
1997
Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett, Reichsgraf v. Kesselstatt,
9%, (Oddbins)
Very pale straw with greenish tinge. Nice nose: attractive,
if a little subdued. Plenty of creamy apples on the nose,
tempered just a touch by a hint of petrol - but a very slight hint
only. Good clean attack. Very crisp with good
acidity. Fills well - quite rich and rounded.
Slightly slatey-metallic taste on the finish. Fair to good
length. Very Good.
(18/12/01)
Smith
Woodhouse Fine Vintage Character Port, Selected for Direct Wines Ltd,
20% (Sunday Times Wine Club)
A bottle purchased late '80s to 1990. A fairly even ruby
colour, just showing some signs of maturity. The nose is
rather dull - not a great deal of fruit, yet fairly soft and rounded
with a hint of alcohol at the end of the nose. Good on the
attack, showing loads of soft fruit. Rich and rounded
throughout, though a bit lacking in depth and complexity.
Lots of alcohol on the finish, making it seem a little raw.
But taken for what it is, i.e. just an upmarket ruby port that I've had
in stock for at least 10 years, this ain't half bad. Very
Good.
(12/12/01)
1998
Reserve Selection Gewürztraminer, Hilltop Neszmely,
Mór Region, Hungary 11.5% (Wine Society)
A medium to deepish yellow gold appearance. A very full
gewurztraminer nose - scented but not over-extracted. Good, clean
attack. Fills well. Rich and full on the
middle. Tails off a bit towards the finish as more acidity
comes through. There's a rather odd gewurz scent in the mouth
on the finish and long after. Exceptional length.
Very Good Indeed.
(11/12/01)
1997
Sommerhäuser Ölspiel Silvaner halbtrocken, Ernst
Gebhardt, Franken, 10.5%, AP No: 300 4 030 00 (Everywine)
Very very pale straw - almost clear at the the rim. Gorgeous
nose - delicately scented and a touch grassy. Fair attack,
which suggests possibly a lack of coherence. On the sweetish
side and very much lacking acidity. Quite full on the finish
- rich, but with a bit of acidity coming through, though unfortunately
the acidity is a bit too harsh. Rather Average. OK.
(10/12/01)
1986
Banyuls L'étoile Cuvée
Réservée
Rather mature port-like appearance. Interesting
nose - almost muscatty. Masses of very fine legs.
Served lightly chilled, with cuts the richness of the attack.
Develops nicely in the mouth. Distinct raisiny flavours, with
the weight of prune fruitiness. Rather odd, but far from
unattractive. Good/Very Good.
(6/12/01 at Restaurant
John Burton-Race, Landmark Hotel, London)
1998
Riesling Turckheim, Zind-Humbrecht, AC Alsace
Medium rich gold: a remarkably deep colour. The
nose is excellent with surprisingly mature riesling characteristics,
but without any overt petrol notes. Quite full and fairly
rich on the attack. Very pleasant wine indeed. Very
mouthfilling, though a streak of acidity develops on the middle and is
especially prominent on the finish, which keeps it nice and
light. Very Good.
(6/12/01 at Restaurant
John Burton-Race, Landmark Hotel, London)
1999
Sylvaner, Domaine Ostertag, AC Alsace
A notably greenish straw. Slightly fragrant on the
nose with some sauvignon blanc type characteristics. Fine and
fresh on the attack. On the palate there is a touch of
sweetness that shapes it up well for food. It even survives a
dish of pigeon with plums and plum jus fairly well - indeed, the dish
actually knocks off the wine's hint of sweetness and makes it appear
finer than it really is. Overall, a light, very fresh, very
attractive wine, that's very moreish. Very Good Indeed.
(5/12/01 at Lindsay
House, London)
1996
Pinot Gris Reserve, Trimbach, AC Alsace, 13% (Wine Society)
Pale to medium straw with a yellow tinge at the rim. Very
full, very rich, buttery pinot gris nose, with lightly perfumed
tropical fruits. Full attack with a touch of acid.
Fills well. Rather flat on the middle, but there is a streak
of acid to freshen it up. Not too aggressive or heavy a
flavour. Nicely balanced. Very good length with
plenty of spice long after. Very Good.
(3/12/01)
1981
Ch. Haut-Bailly, Grand Cru Classé, AC Graves,
alcohol content not shown (Byrne's)
A good colour - mature; brickish orange at the rim, but not overly
brickish. Very attractive nose - overtly leathery with a
touch of mint. Some cherry and blackcurrant (?) fruit
receding into the background. some freshness and even a bit
of acidity on the attack, but opens up very quickly. Soft
tannins and the merest hint of fruit on the palate. Fully
mature and a very attractive wine. A pleasant and interesting
example of a very mature decent wine from a less regarded
vintage. After some seven hours since decanting, this has
improved somewhat: it is slightly more open and approachable, and the
tannins are softer. Very Good Indeed.
(2/12/01)
NV
Champagne Brut, Baron-Fuenté, Tradition à
Charly-sur-Marne, 12% (Booths)
Unusually this champagne is made predominantly from the pinot meunier
grape (the lesser of the three champagne grapes), with a touch of
chardonnay and a pinch of pinot noir.
Displays a big mousse initially. A notably pinkish
straw. Reasonable nose. Plenty of fruit and just a
hint of yeast. Good, clean attack. Nice
flavours. Attractive. quite
full-flavoured. Very clean. Good mousse in the
mouth. Very good length. Nice and clean
after. Very Good.
(30/11/01)
2000
La
Segreta Rosso, IGT Sicilia, Planeta, 14% (Everywine)
Bright and young. Plenty of fruit - bags and bags of it on
the nose, combining the bitterness of the nero d'avola and the softness
of the merlot. Good attack. Fair fruit. A
bit tannic on the middle. Not the best bottle of
this. Interesting to note that there is some bottle
variation, despite the plastic cork. Good.
(25/11/01)
1996
Crozes Hermitage, Domaine Raymond Roure, Paul Jaboulet Ainé,
13%, (Wine Society)
A plastic capsule under the metal capsule. Very long
cork. Very very deep, dark ruby with the merest hint of
youth. Lots of fine legs. Very fruity nose: rich
and rather jammy, but with an odd extract-of-tannin scent. A
very big nose. Fairly fresh and fruity on the
attack. Fills with tannins developing, more complex flavours
and lots of structure. Very good finish - tannins, but also
some fruit lingering. Very Good Indeed.
(5/11/01)
1998
White Cloud, Medium Dry White Wine, Nobilo, North Island, New Zealand,
11% (Sainsbury)
Greg Foster from Nobilo told me that "The White Cloud wine is a blend
of Muller Thurgau, Muscat, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. The 98
blend does have less Sauvignon Blanc than the 97 blend. We are still
using Sauvignon Blanc in the blend but most of the grapes are coming
from the North Island vineyards instead of Marlborough. The 98 vintage
was hot and has less acid then the 97 vintage. The fruit ripened very
fast in 98 compared to the normal slow ripening generally experienced
in New Zealand."
Medium gold. Lots of slow fat legs. Attractive,
very fragrant nose of gooseberry, apple and elderflower.
Fairly full on the attack. Then it fills a lot too.
Very full flavoured on the middle - even some hints of tobacco and tar
on the palate! Attracive and full-flavoured. The bottle says
"drink fresh and young". No! Let it mature a couple
of years, I say. Nice clean finish (but its starting to thin
again now) with fair length. Very Good.
(31/10/01)
2000
La
Segreta Rosso, IGT Sicilia, Planeta, 14% (Everywine)
A plastic supremecorq seals this bottle of new wave Sicilian wine, a
blend of nero d'avola and merlot. A good, even, very dark
garnet. Oddly only a touch of youth. Very slow,
heavy legs. An interesting nose with lots of character: very
ripe fruit; great depth; and a hint of licorice and mint behind the
fruit. Nice attack. Quite fresh. Fills
enormously. Very full, very ripe. Hints of licorice
toffee. Bags of character. Excellent.
(28/10/01)
1998
Château Sainte Eulalie, AC Minervois, 13% (Wine
Society)
A rather nice colour: a very attractive even burgundy that maturing
with no signs of purplish youth remaining. Very hefty
legs. good nose - warm and inviting. Plenty of
fruit. Not bad on the attack. But then - ugh! - a
blast of acid. No fruit at all on the middle and
a soured finish. My first impression was that this was a poor
bottle of an indifferent wine. But it got worse as it was
open - much worse. Truly foul, and so much so, that it must
be off, presumably with some acetobacter infection. Not rated.
(28/10/01)
1995
Chianti Riserva, Azienda Uggiano, 12.5% (Morrison's)
Attractive colour - a mature tawny ruby. Fairly fat, rather
uneven legs. Rather reticent nose, but a good red berry nose
comes through with nice evening soft oak. Excellent
attack. good fruit. Soft tannins. Fruit
develops on the middle and tannins diminish, returning on the finish to
give structure to an attractive after. Very good length and
very clean after. Very Good Indeed.
(26/10/01)
NV
Manzanilla las Medallas de Argüeso, Herederos de
Argüeso, 375ml, 15% (Wine Time)
Fairly deep colour for manzanilla: almost a medium straw with coppery
touches. Good nose - notably salty. Good clean
attack. Fills as one would expect. Very clean, but
more body than some manzanillas. Very Good Indeed.
(23/10/01)
NV
"R" de Ruinart Brut, Champagne (Oddbins)
Pale straw and an excellent mousse. Good firm
bubbles. Good nose: yeasty and herbaceous with some stone
fruit. Good, clean attack. Nicely
balanced. good acidity. Develops and fills on the
finish (which is good, as I was thinking that it was seeming a bit
light). Excellent length. Very Good Indeed.
(13/10/01)
1999
Domaine des Ratelles, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie,
Daniel & Gérard Vinet, 12% (Wine Society)
Very pale straw with lemon yellow hints at the edge. Very
full nose: quite tart with some gooseberries and a touch of
herbaceousness. Clean and crisp on the attack.
Fills reasonably. There's unfortunately a touch of harsh
acidity towards the finish. Good, full-flavoured, with very
good length and good after. (The harsh acidity blows off
after a while.) Very Good.
(8/10/01)
2000
La Segreta Rosso, IGT Sicilia, Planeta, 14% (Everywine)
A blend of Nero d'Avola and Merlot. The appearance is of a
youthful deep purple starting to turn more of a garnet
colour. Very hefty legs. Good nose - lots of ripe
fruit without being to cooked or overripe, with notes of blackberry and
plum. Good attack: forward with plenty of fruit.
Develops well on the middle. Lots of structure and interest
and character. In the mouth it feels quite heavy on alcohol
without being too heavy and full in the mouth. Finishes well:
cleanly and with fair length. Very Good Indeed.
(5/10/01)
1998
Reserve Selection Gewurztraminer, Hilltop Neszemely, Mór
Region, Hungary, 11.5% (Wine Society)
Medium straw with pinky orange touches. Deeply perfumed
gewurz nose, but with a certain elegance. Hints of rose on
the nose. Good attack. Clean and quite fresh
tasting. Fills very well and sweetens/becomes richer on the
middle. Rich and creamy on the finish with notable
length. Very Good Indeed (and quite a bargain at under
£4)
(3/10/01)
1997
Merlot Reserve, Villard Estate, Maipo Valley Chile, 13% (Wine
Society)
Deep, dark garnet. Lots of stewed fruit - plums and a touch
of mint. Powerful legs. Full attack.
Smooth and rounded. Fills quite well (though it's also very
full to start with). Very mouthfilling with plenty of
character. Rather bitter on the finish. Pretty
good. Spoiled a bit by bitter fruit finish. Very
Good.
(1/10/01)
1995
Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese, Willi Haag,
AP No: 2 577 049 4 96, 8.5% abv (Wine Time)
The top of the cork was rather damp and mouldy.
Medium greenish very yellow gold. Good, moderately mature
Riesling nose with apples subsiding towards more kerosene notes, but
still very creamy. Nice attack. Rounded and clean
with a nice streak of acidity. A bit unidimensional: it
doesn't grow or develop much in the mouth. Acidity is a
little hard on the finish. Not particularly
marvellous. Good.
(28/9/01)
1997
Ch. Saint Esteve d'Uchaux, AC Côtes du Rhône,
13% (Wine Society)
Attractive, clear, maturing ruby - no sign of youth remains.
Rather muted nose: more hedgerow and wet grass than fruit.
Light attack. Fairly fresh tasting. Little bit too
much acid. fills OK and fairly full on the middle.
Simple. A bit lacking in Rhône
characteristics. Touch of tannins on the finish. OK
(26/9/01)
1998
Gevrey-Chambertin, Jean-Philippe Marchand, 13% (Tesco)
Light, if slightly dull cherry red, showing some signs of
age. Lovely pinot noir nose with warm, soft, stewed
raspberries. Good attack. Clean and quite fresh,
but also full. Fills well. Rather big and a bit
brutish on the middle. Tannins kick in towards the
finish. Very pleasant finish - lots of kick from spice and
plenty of tannins (though not harsh tannins). Very Good, but
perhaps a bit inelegant.
(24/9/01)
1999
Grand Prébois Rouge, VdP de Principauté d'Orange
(Domaines
Perrin) 12% abv (Wine Society)
Moderately youthful, raspberry/cherry red. Slightly minted
nose. Nice if undistinguished fruit. Fairly simple
on the attack. Quite light. Bit of hard acid on the
middle. Tannins on the finish, which are beginning to
soften. Much better than the first bottle today, but still
not terribly good. OK.
(19/9/01)
1999
Grand Prébois Rouge, VdP de Principauté d'Orange
(Domaines
Perrin) 12% abv (Wine Society)
Moderately youthful, almost raspberry red. Rather acidic
brambly nose. This isn't right. Just about
drinkable. Not right though. Bad bottle.
Not rated.
(19/9/01)
1997
Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Robert Eymael Mönchhof,
8.5% (Wine Society)
Very very pale greenish straw. Big nose: creamy apples giving
way/developing into waxy petrol. Fresh, zingy, vibrant
attack. Crisp and very very clean. Not
overwhelmingly apple-y, and showing some age and roundness of the
middle and especially on the finish. Very fine
indeed. Very elegant. Excellent.
(18/9/01)
1991
Amarone della Valpolicella DOC classico superiore, Giuseppe Quintarelli,
15% (Bibendum)
A bright, notably mature ruby. Heavy, very well defined
legs. A massive nose with bags of fruit and almost port-like
overtones. Deep and intoxicating. Big attack: this
is powerful stuff! Heavy alcohol, almost spirituous on the
middle. Massive on the finish. Any tannins have
evened out nicely. But ultimately, I'm a little disappointed
by this; it's a bit too dominated by the alcohol (and I wonder if 15%
is an under-claim) and a bit short on fruit. Very Good (with
the potential to be better)
(16/9/01)
1999
Domaine des Batailles, AC St Chinian, 12% (Wine Society)
A bright, attractive medium ruby. No youth showing.
Fast, fairly fat legs. Good solid, if unexceptional
nose. Plenty of ripe fruit. Ok on the attack; good
middle. Lots of flavour and some character. Bit
tannic on the finish. Length comes mainly from the
tannins. Not bad, but unexceptional. Good.
(11/9/01)
1998
Korem Isola dei Nuraghi, IGT Sardinia, Argiolas, 13% (Everywine)
A deep maturing ruby with only mere hints of youth remaining.
A lovely nose: deep and rich with plums, licorice and a hint of
honeysuckle. Very nice nose: very attractive and quite
unusual. Elegant, very slow legs, though quite
thin. Fairly full attack. Fills well.
Powerful flavours. Lots of fruit with some spice.
Tannins develop on the finish. Slightly bitter after.
(9/9/01)
NV
La Table du Roy, Vin de Table, Jaboulet Ainé,
12.5% (Wine Society, 2001)
A nice bright youthful ruby, but not too youthful. Fairly
hefty, quite fat legs. Good nose: lots of fruit with some
maquis and floral scents. Good, warm inviting nose with a bit
of something to it. Light attack. Lots of
fruit. Fills a bit, but retains lots of light, quite fresh
fruit on the middle. A real kick on the finish with some
tannin, but mainly lots of peppery spice.
(5/9/01)
1998
Burgans Albariño, DO Rias Baixas, Bodegas Martin Codex,
12%, (Oddbins)
Pale to medium straw colour. Pleasant herbaceous nose with
floral notes. Light and quite fresh on the attack.
But fills very well into something quite rich and definitely very full
and rounded. Very clean. Lots of
character. Very Good.
(2/9/01)
1989
Tokay Pinot Gris Sélection de grains nobles, Léon
Beyer, 375ml, 14% (Wine Society)
Fairly hefty tartaric deposits. Medium gold with orangey
hints. Fine, slow legs. Intense, perfumed, honeyed
nose with tropical fruit and beeswax. Sweet on the
attack. Fills enormously. Utterly luscious, heavy,
rich and hedonistic. Very very sweet and tending towards
cloying. I have to admit that this is a bit disappointing:
it's fairly simple and straightforward. It lacks elegance and
fruit, but is dominated by the sweetness. Rather odd on the
finish with burnt caramel with a bit of harsh, unrounded acidity.
(30/8/01)
1989
Oberemmeler Karlsberg Riesling Auslese gold cap, Kesselstatt,
8.5%, AP No: 356 1077-103-90
(Frank Stainton)
Some cork leakage. Medium to light gold (much richer gold in
a full glass). Creamy petrol nose. Fine
attack. Seems quite fresh with some acidity. Then
it fills well and very quickly. Luscious and
mouthfilling. Really quite sweet, but with a zingy acidity
running throughout. Very much the same after - with a rich,
almost buttery feel, but with a tingling sensational acidity.
Very Good Indeed, but not the best bottle of this.
(27/8/01)
1996
Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Raymond Roure, Jaboulet
Ainé, 13% (Wine Society)
Unusually this wine had an inner plastic capsule underneath the foil
capsule. An exceptionally long cork. Medium ruby
appearance, maturing. Very bright. Hefty
legs. Veyr full nose with lots of ripe fruit, but also an odd
rather unpleasant bitterness. Fairly full attack, but a big
acidic streak. The alcohol is very noticeable, along with
bags of chewy tannins. Rather disjointed - doesn't come
together. I know from previous experience with this
particular wine that this is just a duff bottle. Not rated.
(26/8/01)
1998
Korem Isola dei Nuraghi, IGT Sardinia, Argiolas, 13% (Everywine)
Medium ruby. Darkening, but still the very faintest hint of
youth at the rim. Bright, with notable clarity.
Lovely nose - very attractive - spicy and maquis herbs with
vanilla. Clean and fresh on the attack: very smooth and
attractive. Fills enormously. Very full on the
palate. Lots of spice. Growing and growing in the
mouth. Very fine finish with lots of spice (and a distinct
prickle on the tongue). Lots of character, yet it also has a
rounded international style to it as well. Very Good Indeed.
(24/8/01)
NV
Crémant d'Alsace, Cuvée Julien, Dopff au Moulin,
11%, (Wine Society)
Rather uneven bubbles and a very short-lived mousse. Lots of
yeast on the nose. Plenty of bubbles and mousse affect in the
mouth. Clean and very crisp. Bone dry
attack. Bags of flavour. Distinct hint of citrus
and perhaps coriander on the finish. Very Good.
(19/8/01)
NV
La Table du Roy, Vin de Table, Jaboulet Ainé,
12.5% (Wine Society, 2001)
Vibrant, bright youthful purple with a bit of maturity at the
edge. Solid if unexceptional Cotes du Rhone nose.
Nice attack. Lots and lots of fruit. Fills well
with structure building. Powerful finish with a boost of
spice and some noticeable tannins. Very Good.
(17/8/01)
1997
Moscato, DOC Piemonte, Cantine Gemma, 5.5% (Oddbins)
Medium straw with almost copper touches. More bubbles than
would normally be found in a Moscato d'Asti, and even a bit of a
mousse. Rather dull muscat nose. None of the floral
fragrance that I would expect. Light and fresh on the attack
with a good moussey feeling in the mouth, although it's not too
fizzy. Nice and clean, not too sweet at all.
Pleasant if simple. Good.
1995
Auxerrois Moenchreben de Rohrschwihr, Rolly Gassmann, 11.5%
(ex cave)
Very very pale, almost clear straw. Super nose - fresh,
clean, crisp, bags of fruit with herbaceous overtones and even hints of
melon. Good attack. Very full and a touch
off-dry. fills enormously. Very very buttery and
rich, but with a very nice streak of acidity. Very clean and
notably crisp on the finish. Excellent length and very clean
after. It is just a bit off-dry, but still very fresh and
clean. Very Good Indeed.
(8/8/01)
1994
Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese Goldcap, Dr Loosen,
7%, 375ml (Berry Bros & Rudd)
A lot of wine on top of the cork under the capsule - something you come
across occasionally with Mosel Ausleses.
Very pale, almost clear. Yet at the same time a deep, rich
lemon gold at rim. very pale watery green at the
centre. Honeyed nose with a hint of apples, but rather
thin. Quite light on the attack. Some honey and
richness comes through on the middle. Then some acidity comes
through to balance it. Very good length. Very clean and
elegant throughout: fresh and quite bracing. Disappointingly
thin. This wine fell so far below my expectation of it that I
don't think it can rank more than Very Good at most.
(5/8/01)
1994
Ch. Langoa Barton, AC St Julien, 375ml (Byrne's)
Quite a vibrant light burgundy, still with some youth
showing. Very leathery nose with nice very ripe fruit and a
slight hint of clove with coriander seed. Rich and
full-flavoured on the attack. Fills enormously.
Lots and lots of tannins, but very soft now. Nice chewy fruit
on the middle. Bit of spice arrives to join the rather drying
tannins on the finish. A bit unexceptional. Very
Good.
(5/8/01)
1994
Late Harvest Orange Muscat and Flora, Brown Brothers, 375ml,
10% (Booths)
Deep gold with hints of caramel. Deep, rich nose with clear
citrus notes. Also slightly sherried. Nice
attack. Still fairly fresh. Fills nicely and
sweetens on the palate. Then becomes a little sugary and
cloying on the finish. Very good length. Very Good.
(29/7/01)
1996
Tokay Pinot Gris Vendanges Tardives, Albert Mann, 13.5% (Lay
& Wheeler), 500ml.
A bright, medium gold. Slow, hefty legs. A deep,
intoxicating nose: there is sweetness on the nose, but with a notable
freshness from citrus, honeysuckle and perhaps a hint of
deodorant. Very much an extract of pinot gris nose - so much
extract indeed that one would possibly not immediately guess that it is
a pinot gris. Lush and rich on the attack. Very
elegant. Some very classy acidity.
Mouthfilling. Rich and very, very ripe rather than
particularly sweet. Extremely intense and very
elegant. Beautiful finish. Very full and clean,
with a haunting linger after. Excellent.
(8/7/01)
1999
Chardonnay, Planeta, IGT Sicilia (Everywine)
Deep gold: looks quite heavy. Long fairly heavy
legs. Massive nose: fresh, very rich buttery, smoky
with tropical fruits. Very full and powerful on the
attack. Absolutely massive on the middle. Utterly
overwhelming really. Really powerful and
concentrated. Massive length with pepper and spice on the
finish. Very Good Indeed but needs time.
(7/7/01)
[Same bottle, the next day] Deep rich gold with a hint of an
orange tinge. Luscious, massive nose - very powerful, smoky,
orangey scented tropical notes. Very big on the attack, but
lots of fruit and a pleasant acidity too. Fills
enormously. Utterly massive and powerful - almost
overpowering. Full, rich, rounded. Enormous length
with a full blast of fruit and some spice still showing. Very
Good Indeed.
(8/7/01)
1997
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Studert-Prüm,
Gutsabf., 8%, AP 2 576 537 4 98 (Tesco)
Pale greenish tinged gold. Impressive nose - very
full. Apples, cream and paraffin wax. Clean and
fresh on the attack. Fills reasonably well, but not
dramatically. Bit muddied on the middle and a bit dilute on
the finish. Clean finish with good length. Good,
but it's over its price.
(6/7/01)
1998
Reserve Selection Gewürztraminer, Mor Region,
Hungary. Produced and bottled by Hilltop Neszmely,
11.5% (Wine Society)
Light gold. Great gewurz nose - fragrant, but not
over-extracted. Very floral with nice soft rose
petals. Good attack. Fair weight to the
wine. Perhaps just a tad off-dry. Full
flavoured. Lots of varietal character. Beautifully
clean and well balanced all the way through. A textbook
gewurztraminer. Very Good Indeed.
(2/7/01)
1999
Pinot Gris, Bodega J & F Lurton, Mendoza, Argentina,
13% abv (Wine Society)
A medium deep yellow straw. Lovely rich nose with lots of
pinot gris character, together with some hints of lime and orange
flower water. Good attack. Quite light but good
depth of flavour. Quite fresh too. Fills very
quickly and enormously. Rich and very noticeably spicy on the
finish and after. Perhaps a bit uni-dimensional.
But very honest and clean. At first I thought it was a bit
hard on the finish, but it's actually the spice and dryness giving that
impression. Tending to the Alsatian style. Good.
(29/6/01)
1999
Grand Prébois
Rouge, VdP de Principauté d'Orange (Domaines
Perrin) 12% abv (Wine Society)
A bright fairly even, fairly young raspberry red. Nice warm
Rhone nose with an attractive scentedness - perhaps citrus and/or
violets? Attractive on the attack - plenty of fruit
immediately evident. Fills very well. A nice
structure from some soft tannins. Spice on the finish and a
touch of tannins, but still with the fruit showing through.
Very pleasant after - with nice peppery spice and warmth.
Very Good.
(28/6/01)
2000
Aglianico, Incyon, IGT Rosso di Sicilia, 13.5% (Sainsbury)
Very light, youthful raspberry red. No legs.
Lovely, very forthright fruity nose. Delicately perfumed
cherry and damson nose with lots of strawberry. Plenty of
pepper spice on the nose too. Lovely and soft on the
palate. Very fruity indeed. Light peppery raspberry
flavours, and slightly perfumed. Very attractive.
Might usefully be lightly chilled. Nice soft tannins come to
fore on the finish. Good length with tannins and spicy fruit
persisting long after. Very Good Indeed, especially for a
fiver.
(24/6/01)
NV
Three Choirs, Dry, United Kingdom Table Wine, 10.5% (Wine
Society)
Actually made from the Phoenix grape, but that could not be stated on
the bottle, which also explains the designation as UK Table Wine -
Phoenix was at the time not a grape variety permitted by the EU for
winemaking. This also explains why this wine - from the 1998
vintage - does not bear any vintage on the label.
a pale lemon colour. Massive nose. Grassy,
herbaceous, lots of perfumed elderflower. Quite big on the
attack and not at all lightweight. Some freshness, but nicely
rounded and full. Very well balanced, but still nicely
refreshing. Some of the elderflower floral notes come through
on the palate. Very clean. Nice finish with good
length. Very Good.
(23/6/01)
1996
Tokay Pinot Gris Hengst, Clos du vicus romain, AC Alsace Grand Cru,
Domaine Aimé Stentz, 13.5% (Booths)
Medium gold with pinkish hints. Rather slow, uneven
legs. Rich, rounded, almost buttery nose with a nice subtle
backbone of pinot gris spice. Rich
attack. Rounded and full. Then there is a
little bit of freshness from its acidity on the middle and it actually
lightens a little. Finishes with great elegance and clarity
of flavour. Very fine indeed. One could almost
wonder abut VT levels of ripeness. Very impressive.
(18/6/01)
1999
Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie, Domaines des Ratelles,
Daniel & Gerard Vinet, 12%, (Wine Society)
Quite a bit of tartaric crystals in the bottle.
Pale to medium greenish straw. Fresh, vibrant, zingy lemony
nose. Light fresh attack. Fills a little. Some
pétillance. Some sulphur too. Very dull
and uninteresting overall. Fairly clean. Finishes
well. But dull. A bit old perhaps?
(17/6/01)
1998
Korem, Argiolas, Isola dei Nuraghi IGT (Sardinia), 13%
(Everywine)
A good even ruby. Perhaps a bit murky? Maybe it's a
bit shaken up. Quite viscous on the glass with very slow
strangely fine legs. It looks still bright and vigorous, but
has lost any youthful purple. A very deep, intense
nose. Laden with ripe fruit. Plummy - stewed/jammy
plums or damsons. And I get a slight hit of bay/eucalyptus
from it. Very intense fruit. Quite fresh and light
on the attack, but very quickly fills and some tannins set
in. Very ripe. Layers of flavours - slightly bitter
tannins towards the finish. but finishes with massive
spiciness. Very complex wine, which needs rather more time to
knit together. Very Good Indeed.
(16/6/01)
1999
Grand Prébois Rouge, VdP de Principauté d'Orange
(Domaines
Perrin) 12% abv (Wine Society, 2000)
A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Counoise.
A bright, youthful ruby. Soft nose with definite hedgerow
notes. Pretty good fruit. Nice attack.
Fresh. Light. Fruity. Really rather
forward. Fills well. Quite mouthfilling with some
tannic structure. Pepper and spice on the finish.
Not as good a bottle as others. Good.
(14/6/01)
1998
Ch. Pech-Céleyran, Saint-Exupery, La Clape, AC Coteaux du
Languedoc, 12.5%, (The
Wine Society)
A youngish ruby, but quite notably dark. Acidic nose - blows
off a little revealing a very flat, dull, uninteresting nose.
Fairly soft attack. but lots of tannins and lots of acid.
Like chewing on a dried out teabag reconstituted in a mild vinegar
solution. Off.
(14/6/01)
1999
Incyon Chardonnay, IGT Bianco di Sicilia, 14% (Sainsbury)
Plastic cork. Very full gold colour, slightly tinged with
green. A notably buttery nose but with good, distinct
fragrant lemony and thyme notes. A distinct smokiness on the
attack. Very full, and it smooths out rather than
fills. Ripe fruit, but on finish dominated by a
biscuit-y-ness. A bit bitter on the finish, not up to the
promise of the attack. Pretty good at the price.
Good.
(10/6/01)
1998
Burgans Albariño, DO Rías Baixas, 12% (Oddbins)
A mid, very yellow straw. Very odd nose with artificial
scents dominating - lemony melon crossed with bubble gum.
Light on the attack. Fills quickly. Very
odd. Distinctly lees-y. Possibly a bit of secondary
fermentation, though there's no trace of
pétillance. Full flavoured, very dry, rather
herbaceous - a sort of wet lawn flavour. It almost has a
gewurz hint to the middle. This is most probably a faulty
bottle, but not unpleasant by any means. Good.
(6/6/01)
1999
Morellino di Scansano DOC, Elisabetta Geppetti - Fattoria Le Pupille,
13% (Wine Society)
An even bright, youthful cherry ruby. No discernable
legs. Soft fairly fruity nose - very backward though; perhaps
some cedar nose. But a very reticent nose. Soft and
fairly round on the attack. fills with a few bitter
tannins. Fair length. Bit of harshness on the
finish. Seems initially a bit too unremarkable, but again it
seems to me to be more reticent than poor. Bit of structure
comes through after much aeration.
(4/6/01)
1997
Merlot Reserve, Maipo Valley, Chile, Villard Estate, 13%
(Wine Society)
Lovely even ruby - perhaps just the slightest hint of youth at the
edge. Copious heavy legs. Gorgeous nose.
Fairly hot fruit. Lots and lots of leather and hedgerow
fruits with a hint of mint. Gorgeous attack. So
silky and smooth ... Packed with flavour. Doesn't
fill especially much once it's in the mouth though. Feels
high alcohol. Almost has a syrupy note to it.
Tannins are very soft, though add a noticeable bitterness.
Very good length. Packed full of fruit and
character. Big stuff. Excellent.
(31/5/01)
1997
Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinet Halbtrocken,
Reinhold Haart, 10.5%, AP 2 596 429 2 98 (ex cave)
Very, very pale straw - virtually colourless. Very reticent,
closed nose initially. With plenty of aeration it starts to
show itself - very sharp apples and a hint of kerosene in the
background. Nice smooth attack. Very crisp apples
initially on the palate, which then soften and become more
rounded. Very very elegant. Nice acidity - entirely
in check. Very harmonious. Excellent - almost
extraordinary - length. Very impressive. And so
refreshing too. Excellent.
(28/5/01)
1999
Grand Prébois Rouge, VdP de
Principauté d'Orange (Domaines
Perrin) 12% abv (The
Wine Society)
Bright, young raspberry red. Loads of gorgeous ripe fruit on
the nose - fresh, clean and lightly floral with a hint of
tobacco. Good soft fruit-filled attack. Fills well
with some light tannins and increasing spice. Very good
mouthfeel - I'd expect a higher alcohol content than 12% if I were
tasting this blind. Clean on the finish with very good
length. Very Good Indeed.
(23/5/01)
1999
La Goudie, VdP de la Côte Vermeille, Parcé
Frères, 14% (Byrne's)
A rosé from the Collioure region. Medium
strawberry pink colour. Rich nose with strawberries, plums,
red pepper and a bit of citrus. Medium attack with a good
depth of flavour. Fills well - very well. Very
smooth and rich, almost buttery. Just a tiny bit off-dry.
Finishes cleanly - very cleanly for a rosé. Good
length. Very Good Indeed.
(21/5/01)
1995 Montlouis Vendanges Tardives,
Michel et Laurent Berger
A medium gold. Fairly light nose with
gentle, slightly floral honeyed scents.
Very elegant attack which follows through all the way. There are fairly highly levels of acidity
which keep it nice and fresh, such that it actually feels only just sweet. Very elegant.
It really sings with some fourme d’ambert cheese, served at peak
condition. 90/100
(18/5/01 at Petrus, St James,
1997
Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Robert Eymael, Mönchhof,
8.5% (The Wine
Society)
A very marked greenish tinge, with a deeper colour overall than many 97
kabinetts. A delicate nose: creamy, appley, but with distinct
petrol notes. Seems more mature than the last bottle of this
that I had. Quite full on the atack. But doesn't
fill or develop much at all. Uni-dimensional. OK,
but this is just a very poor bottle of an otherwise good wine.
(12/5/01)
1997
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Dr Loosen, 8.5% (ex
cave)
A very pale, greenish lemon colour. Initially the nose is
rather reticent, but then opens up into a very good Mosel riesling nose
- still fairly young and fruity, but starting to develop some petrol
hints. Very crisp and clean on the attack: still very fresh
with lots of apples and cream. Very dry, with almost a slight
impression of pétillance from the acid. Very
refreshing and very clean. Possibly a bit simpler than when I
remember tasting it chez Loosen. Perhaps it's closing up for
a period? Very Good Indeed.
(6/5/01)
NV
Amontillado Seco Napoleon, Hidalgo, 17.5% (Laymont
& Shaw)
An attractive light (to medium) tan with orangey depths. Very
full, very attractive nose with clear PX notes. Lightly
raisined on the nose, but perhaps tending to caramel scents.
Good attack: really quite fresh. Very dry. Fills
enormously in the mouth with flavours of sweetish caramel and raisins,
but only flavours, as this is really quite aggressively dry.
Very hot and spicy on the tongue at the finish and long
after. Remarkable length - but all coming from that
hotness. A very good example, with real complexity, but for
me it is merely an interesting wine to have once in a while.
(5/5/01)
1999
Syrah, VdP des collines Rhodaniennes, Cave de Tain l'Hermitage,
12% (The Wine
Society)
A light, very young garnet red - but very bright and very
attractive. Big fat legs. Very attractive young
Rhone like nose. Bags of fresh ripe fruit - almost slightly
floral. Lovely fresh, clean attack. Bags of fruit
throughout. Very clean, very fresh, very rounded.
Very Good Indeed.
(30/4/01)
1998
Bacchus, Chapel Down, England, 12% (The Wine Society)
A medium greenish gold. Light and very fruity on the nose -
nicely fragrant with distinct elderflower notes. Good fresh
attack. Lots of fruit. Fills very well.
Lots of interest - I rather like the Bacchus grape. Very
pleasant indeed, but also with some character and depth. Very
Good Indeed.
(29/4/01)
NV
Crémant d'Alsace Brut Cuvée Julien,
Cuvée du 90e anniversaire, AC Crémant d'Alsace,
Dopff au Moulin, 12% (The Wine Society)
Good mousse. Fair bubbles, though a bit uneven in
size. Good nose - very dry, rather biscuity with some fruit
coming through. Rather nice mouth-feel. Quite light
on the attack, but a very fruity, structured flavour
develops. Very dry, very clean, very crisp. Good
depth of flavour and structure. Finishes well, with good
length. Very Good Indeed.
(25/4/01)
1998
Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Serego Alighieri in
collaboration with Masi, 13% (Byrne's)
An even, slightly muddy ruby. Wow! What a nose! I
actually had my doubts initially as there seemed to be a lightly
vinegared stinky scent coming from the glass when poured, but this now
has masses of wet hedgerow scents. If you dig around in
there, you get some stewed strawberry fruit together with some cherries
after aeration. Transferred to a Riedel Burgundy Bordeaux
glass, it shows a really intensely strawberry nose. Massive,
slow, heavy legs. A little disappointing on the attack: light
and lacking in fruit and freshness; just rather a lot of acid
instead. But it improves in the mouth and especially with
time. Quite soft initially, then it builds slowly.
Lots of character, but still remaining soft. A fair amount of
tannin, but not at all overpowering. The acidity never quite
goes away, and there's a streak of acidity running through to the
finish. Unfortunately, this wine seems to me to lack
complexity: it's definitely unduly simple and rather
disappointing. I feel it should have more to it than
this. Maybe the price (under a tenner) hints that it's not
going to be a great wine. It's certainly not in the mould of
other Serego Alighieri wines I've had from higher up the quality
scale. In fact there's not really much to set it aside from
much southern French vin du pays. Good.
(23/4/01)
1997
Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Robert Eymael, Mönchhof,
8.5% (The Wine
Society)
A pale, distinctly greenish straw colour. Fresh, crisp apple
nose with some kerosene notes. Lovely fresh attack: clean and
crisp, with the merest hint of a slight pétillance, probably
coming from the acid rather than any real bubbles: this has a fairly
high acidity giving it a real crispness. Quite a lean style,
with no flab whatsoever. Yet the acid is not at all harsh and
the wine is thoroughly clean in the mouth from the attack to the finish
and long after. Very good length with the fruit lingering
long after. Very Good Indeed.
(21/4/01)
1999
Grand Prébois Rouge, VdP de
Principauté d'Orange (Domaines
Perrin) 12% abv (The
Wine Society)
A blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre with a dash of
counoise. A bright attractive young purplish ruby.
Slow, sparse fat legs. Good nose - bags of fruit with some
structure. Light and fairly fresh on the palate with loads of
fruit and a good weight. Finishes with some soft peppery
spice and agood, soft, slightly tannic mouthfeel after. Very
round and pleasant. Very Good Indeed.
(19/4/01)
1998
White Cloud, Medium Dry White Wine, Nobilo, North Island, New Zealand,
11% (Sainsbury)
A pale to medium straw. Very slow, rather uneven legs tending
to fatness. The nose is attractive and fragrant with some
slightly artificial rose scents and maybe some juicy fruit
gum. Ok on the attack, and the same fragrant character comes
through on the palate. Fills well. Very definitely
a medium - probably a bit too sweet to carry itself. Tends
towards simplicity and innocuity. OK.
(16/4/01)
1995
Sylvaner Réserve Millésime, Rolly Gassmann, AC
Alsace, (ex cave)
Even, fairly coloured and markedly green in appearance. Slow,
big, fat globular legs. Deep herbaceous nose - very
attractive and very deep. Nice attack. Quite a
light wine, and there's still some freshness. Very rounded on
the palate: not massive flavours, but very attractive. The
flavours seem to be enhanced as it goes towards the finish.
Finishes very cleanly with a massive spicy finish and enormous length.
(15/4/01)
1995
Masia Barril Classico, DO Priorato, 16% (Byrne's)
Lots of loose clumpy sediment, so decanted. Rich, rounded
plummy ruby colour - quite even with just a few younger hints right at
the rim. Remarkably thin, elegant legs. Very
powerful nose that's noticeable from afar, even before nosing the
glass. Quite sweet on the nose with masses of soft black
fruit - blackberries and stewed plums; and a fair amount of leather
too, with a slight hint of a violetty floral note. Lush
attack: very mouthfilling. Lots of tannin immediately
evident, but all fairly soft. Very intense flavours with
immense character. Lots of fruit. This is
distinctly powerful stuff, yet, although some alcohol is noticeable
initially, it disappears as the wine opens up in the glass.
Almost chocolatey on the middle, but then a rather bitter
finish. Very powerful, distinctive stuff and very unusual: a
very old-fashioned style of Priorato the like of which is unlikely to
be seen again. Bags of character. Excellent.
(13/4/01)
1995
Cheval Noir, AC St. Emilion, Mähler-Besse, 12.5% (The Wine Society)
Good clear ruby, clearly maturing at the edge ... hmmm, actually quite
a brownish ruby. Good, interesting nose with some
blackcurrants, some hedgerow and some leather. Fairly elegant
legs. Quite a light attack - clean and fresh. Fills
well. Very full on the middle and finish. Powerful
after. Quite soft tannins, though there's still plenty of
structure and backbone. Bit of raw alcohol and acid on
finish. Quite interesting. Good.
(9/4/01)
1999
Grand Prébois Rouge, VdP de
Principauté d'Orange (Domaines
Perrin) 12% abv (The
Wine Society)
A nice youngish colour; very bright. Good nose: fruit with
warm spiciness. Nice gentle attack. Lots of
fruit. Then some structure kicks in. Finishes very
well with some soft-ish tannins and great length. Very Good
Indeed.
(4/4/01)
1999
Crozes Hermitage, Duboeuf, 375ml
A very soft, very fruity Crozes - almost a Crozes made in a Beaujolais
style, which is not surprising given that this half was indeed made by
Mr Beaujolais, Georges Duboeuf. Very nice and fresh and
fruity. But it does also have a bit of a characterful
backbone to it. Good.
(4/4/01 at Café 21, Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
1999 Villa
Wolf Pinot Gris, Deutscher Tafelwein, J.L. Wolf, Abfüller:
Gebr. Loosen, 12% (Byrne's)
Pale-medium straw. Rather mixed legs. Soft, rather
buttery pinot gris nose: rather flat and dull with no great
fruit. Nice on the attack - very pleasant. Fills
well, but not enormously. Very rounded, rich and buttery on
the middle. Very pleasant and remarkably light.
None of the richness of Alsace pinot gris. Very clean
through. Very good on the finish. Clean and fresh
after, with fair length. Very elegant for a pinot
gris. Very Good. (though a lingering feeling that I might as
well have an Alsace PG)
(1/4/01)
1990
Chianti Riserva DOCG, Prunatelli, 12.5% (The Wine Society)
A rather dull, markedly mature, brickish ruby. Unfortunately
I'd missed the slight build up of sediment, which had ended up in
suspension. Lots of very fast medium legs. A good
lively nose - lots of cherry fruit: quite hot and with some scentedness
(violets?) and vanilla. Nice attack. Smooth and
rounded bit lots of soft fruit and even some soft acid. Fills
well. Quite powerful on the finish with some nice soft
tannins and a warming after. Good length. Very Good.
(30/3/01)
1989
Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Auslese, Staatsweingut, Staatliche
Weinbaudomäne, Trier, AP No: 3 561 107 004 90, 8%
(Cambridge Wine Company)
A pale lemony gold with no legs. Quite a powerful nose:
fairly mature riesling, but still plenty of fruit and with hints of
honey, and with apples and kerosene behind. Fairly rich on
the attack, with noticeable sweetness. Then some acid becomes
apparent and balances it out very well indeed. Very full on
the palate. Far from excess sweetness. Lots of ripe
riesling fruit with good acidity levels. This has a nice
elegance. Perhaps it tails off a it on the finish to become
more ordinary, but it has very notable length. Very Good at
the price.
(25/3/01)
NV
Champagne Lanson, black label
Not bad. Very good mousse and bubbles, but rather
undistinguished. Gave me a headache too.
(23/03/01)
1997
Collection Plaimont, Côtes de Saint Mont VDQS, Producteurs
Plaimont, vendange à main, 12% (The Wine Society)
Saint Mont is sort of between Pau and Toulouse, if you were
wondering. The main grape is the tannat.
A very dark, rich inky purple with marked youth at the rim.
Uneven, but very viscous legs that even hold the colour. Good
nose - deep and mysterious - crushed blackberry and mint leaves and
quite farmyardy. Nice attack: very clean. Fills
very quickly and enormously. Very chewy on the
middle. Lots of powerful flavours and great
intensity. A bit rough round the edges on the
finish. Quite rustic, with little finesse to tell of, but
really rather impressive. It has a sort of rawness
to it, but is quite unusual, and the character of the tannat grape is
obvious. Good length and clean on the finish, though fairly
heavy tannins. Very Good Indeed.
(21/3/01)
1991
Gewurztraminer Oberer Weingarten de Rohrschwihr, Rolly Gassmann, AC
Alsace, 13.5% (ex cave)
A fairly pale straw with yellow/green edges. Slow, bit fat
legs. Fabulous gewurz nose - really quite perfumed with
tropical fruit, rose and a hint of nutmeg. Very full and rich
on the attack. Almost creamy. Fills
beautifully. Really lush and round; possibly even a bit
fat. Powerful gewurz flavours. Very fine and
elegant, despite the intensity of flavours; and very clean indeed with
no harshness - until quite long after, anyway, when there's a bit of
roughish acid. Will live much longer. Very Good
Indeed.
(18/3/01)
1999
Domaine des Batailles, AC St Chinian, 12% (The Wine Society)
A lively young purplish burgundy red. Very slow, fairly
powerful legs. good young Midi nose - warm, rounded, with
some hedgerow fruit and spice, and a hint of pepper. Very
attractive on the attack. Light, fresh and
quaffable. I wonder if there's some cabernet franc in
this? No great body, and doesn't fill particularly, but very
nice and light with lots of character and interest. Very Good.
(17/3/01)
NV
Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana, single vineyard sherry, Hidalgo (Laymont
& Shaw)
A medium brownish golden tan with orange hints. A good
consistent medium nose: deep, roasted nuts with a definite salty tang,
the saltiness dominating any fruit. Very clean attack,
developing into a real mouthful. Very light and fresh, but
very powerful flavours at the same time. Almost seems like an
extract of manzanilla. Intense flavours overlaid on a light
body. Incredible length. A real stunner.
An excellent alternative to Hidalgo's excellent Manzanilla La Gitana
where something more substantial or showy is required.
Excellent.
(15/3/01)
1998
Reserve Selection Gewürztraminer, Hilltop Neszmely,
Mór Region, Hungary, 11.5% (The Wine Society)
Medium gold with tinges of orange and yellow. Slow, quite
fine legs. A nice spicy gewurz nose, verging on the heavily
extracted: perfumed roses dominate. The roses are also there
on the attack, like a very light rosewater (unusual in my experiences
over several cases of drinking this wine). Light, slightly
fragrant and very pleasant on the palate. Fills a little and
finishes with some elegance. A bit different to other bottles
I've had of this same wine: this one is lighter and more
fragrant. Very Good.
(13/3/01)
1985
C.S. Malbec, Mildara, Coonawarra, 12.3% (Sunday Times Wine
Club)
55% cabernet sauvignon; 35% shiraz; 10% malbec
Fully mature, brickish red with distinctly brownish tinges. A
very good nose that was noticeable immediately upon decanting (though
there was virtually no sediment, by the way): strong blackcurrant fruit
with crushed fresh mint. Good attack. Lots of
fruit. Really quite light and fresh. Doesn't fill a
great deal but it's really quite big on the middle. Good
tannins lend structure. The shiraz has definitely
softened/faded from previous bottles. This has a remarkable
elegance and finesse - a very fine old lady. Still well able
to hold its own, but very definitely ready now. Very Good
Indeed.
(11/3/01)
1999
Syrah Nobles Rives, Cave de Tain l'Hermitage, Vin de Pays des Collines
Rhodaniennes, 12% (The
Wine Society)
An attractive, mauve-tinged ruby. Rather hot nose, with lots
of deep, dark berry fruit. Nice attack: soft and gentle, with
lots of fruit. Nicely balanced and fairly light
throughout. There's a touch of acidity at the start, then
there's peppery spice on the middle, then some fruit comes through
again on the finish. Fair length. Unusually good
for a cheap red wine from the Wine Society. Very Good Indeed.
(7/3/01)
1998
Mußbacher Eselshaut Riesling Kabinett Trocken,
Müller-Catoir, Pfalz, Germany, 12% (Wine Time,
Milnthorpe)
A very pale, lemon yellow. Nice fragrant, young riesling nose
wit lots of apple, though perhaps a bit watery. Slight
prickle on the tongue from the acidity: very even and light on the
attack, with very little fruit. Very austere wine.
Very dry on the finish. High acidity throughout, and
absolutely bone dry making it a bit out of balance. Rather
average, really, and you could say, it's a bit thin, characterless and
generic. Good (ish)
(4/3/01)
1999
Le Grand Prébois Rouge, Domaines Perrin, Vin de Pays de la
Principauté d'Orange, 12% (The Wine Society)
An almost iridescent young mauve that's strangely attractive.
Good, soft nose - very attractive and gentle; and very soft with
nothing in particular to pin down, other than a general fresh hedgerow
feel. Good fruity attack. Fills fairly well: a
nicely rounded wine. Good fruit flavours throughout with
developing spice. Finishes with pepper and a bit of
(pleasing) acidity. Fairly simple, but thoroughly
enjoyable. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
(1/3/01)
1998
Les Aurièges, Domaine de Clovallon (Catherine Roque), Vin de
Pays d'Oc, 12.5% (The
Wine Society)
A blend of riesling with more typical d'Oc varieties. A
remarkably heavy bottle!
Medium gold. Very interesting nose: primarily buttery, but
with notable floral/green herbs and he merest hint of petrol.
Quite clean and fresh on the attack, but quickly fills out and it's
very rich and buttery on the palate, with a great depth of
flavour. A very unusual wine. There's a bit of
harsh acidity on the finish. Massive length. Very
interesting and unusual, though perhaps more of a curiosity than
particularly desirable. Very Good Indeed.
(25/2/01)
1997
Teófilo Reyes, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 13% (Laymont
& Shaw)
A deep, slightly youngish ruby. Nice stewed plum fruit,
leather and tobacco on the nose, with a touch of bretty fresh
manure. Warm and soft on the attack. Very full
berry fruit with some spice. Very concentrated on the palate
and almost syrupy. Lots of tannin on the middle and finish
lend an oddly attractive twigginess. Big and fairly
impressive, but not in perfect harmony. Very Good/Very Good
Indeed.
(18/2/01)
NV
Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana, single vineyard sherry, Hidalgo (Laymont
& Shaw)
Very pale, slightly lemony gold. Very full nose - rather a
heavy flor scent. Attractive, but in a different way to the
same bodega's benchmark manzanilla La Gitana, whose freshness this
(naturally, as an aged manzanilla) appears to lack. Nice
light attack, but it fills very quickly. Much more body and
character than La Gitana. Much more power, and depth of
flavour. This is not a beginner's sherry by any
means. It's complex and multi-layered with a long, haunting
aftertaste evocative of charcoal smoke and sea air. Very Good
Indeed, though you'd not want it every day.
(16/2/01)
1995
Clasico, Masia Barril, Priorato, 16% (Laymont
& Shaw)
Lots of loose sediment in the bottle. Darkish, deep burgundy
colour, almost black at the centre. Very powerful nose with
bags of fruit: ripe mulberries and plums with a deep, intense raspberry
backbone and some heady violet scents. Very full on the
attack: fabulous mouthfeel. Very filling with incredibly
intense flavours with great depth. Bags of character too, and
then more. Although it's 16% abv, you don't notice any
alcohol until long after when there's a slight rasp on the
tongue. Remarkable stuff. Great depth and huge
layers of flavour. Nice tannins on the middle, which fade
away on the finish. Very Good Indeed +
(14/2/01)
1999
Alsace Riesling, selected by Tesco, V.A.K. Ammerschwihr, AC Alsace,
12% (Tesco)
A greenish mid straw. Good, fresh nose with bags of riesling
fruit. Some hardness on the attack. Fills nicely
and rounds out in the mouth, but there's some harshness again
after. Jolly good length. Quite fresh on the palate
with decent fruit (but not as much as the nose would
suggest). Fairly well balanced. A bit rough around
the edges. Goodish.
(12/2/01)
1997
Santenay "La Comme Dessus", Domaine Amiot Guy & Fils,
13.5% (Bibendum)
A warm strawberry juice red with a more slightly purplish cherry
centre. Lots of long, thin, quite fast legs. Nice
nose: very attractive cherry and soft red fruit with style and
class. Full on the attack, then developing complexity in the
mouth. There are bags of fruit and nice soft tannins on the
finish. On first opening, this showed itself as a good,
light, attractive Burgundy, but after being decanted around 18 hours,
it was absolutely superb, so it could probably do with some
time. Very Good Indeed/Excellent.
(11/2/01)
NV
Don John, Vino de Mesa Tinto, Bodegas Los Tinos, Spain, 12%
(Laymont
& Shaw)
An attractive, very even, slightly brickish raspberry red.
The nose is very odd, though suffering initially from a touch of bottle
stink: very green and green oak indeed, with some soft berry fruit and
traces of malolactic fermentation. Light attack.
Light, rounded fruit flavours with some tannins giving
structure. Could well be good lightly chilled, and it would
also make a great sangria wine. Good+
(6/2/01)
NV
Cockburn's Special Reserve Port
A very lightweight appearance and it looks rather young:
bright ruby with hints of mauvish purple. Rather poor on the
nose: insipid with more alcohol/spirit than fruit. Fairly
light on the attack. Very sweet. Virtually no
fruit. Sugar, sweet and sour alcoholic finish.
Awful. (This must be a bad bottle.)
(4/2/01)
1997
Merlot Reserve, Villard Estate, Maipo Valley, Chile (The Wine Society)
There's a bit of sediment forming in this now. Very deep,
plummy red. Lovely nose - good fruit with plenty of
oak. Also a slightly odd, raw potato scent. Very
silky attack, which fills enormously: this is incredibly full and has
massive character. Lots of texture. Good tannins,
firmly in check. Very well structure. Very Good
Indeed.
(3/2/01)
1999
Pinot Gris, Bodegas Jacques y François Lurton, Mendoza,
Argentina, 13% (The
Wine Society)
A pale, vibrant yellow gold. Very clear, bright and light in
appearance. Soft and round on the nose with very fragrant
melons coming through. Good, lightish attack. Fills
well, with lots of buttery fruit on the middle. Powerful
finish: very clean. Enormous length. Perhaps a bit
more lacking in pinot gris character than other bottles of
this. But Very Good.
(30/1/01)
1995
Cheval Noir, Grand Vin, Mähler-Besse , AC St Emilion,
12.5% (The Wine
Society)
Very attractive, bright, medium-mature garnet colour. Rather
uneven, slightly thin legs. Characterful, warm nose, a bit
lacking in fruit but with warm, soft cedar and tobacco. good
attack: bright and crisp and clean. Fills reasonably well
with plenty of tannin and body. Quite astringent on the
finish with more than a hint of sucking on a vanilla pod.
Good.
(28/1/01)
1992
Les Cyprès de Climens, AC Barsac, Bordeaux, 14%,
500ml (Bibendum)
A very yellow, medium gold. The nose is somewhat unusual:
very intense, honey and orange with a strong raisiny undercurrent and a
bit scented too - there's almost a hint of retsina to the
nose. Nice attack: very light and fresh. Then it
fills dramatically and develops in richness and sweetness.
Very concentrated indeed. Very well balanced and with great
structure and finesse. It has a lovely 'feel' to it and is
very enticing. Very rich and concentrated - almost marmaladey
flavours. Very Good Indeed.
(26/1/01)
1997
Quinta do Côtto Vinho Tinto, Douro Den. de Origen
Controllado, Portugal, 12% (Laymont
& Shaw)
A deep, dark, blackberry juice colour, showing youth at the
edges. Nice, deep, plummy nose with some herbaceous
notes. Wow! Smooth, utterly delicious attack: quite
fresh and light. Fills well, but not enormously.
This has real structure and character. Good firm tannins that
really contribute. Intense rich flavours - fruit, but also
herby flavours and a definite floral note, somewhat reminiscent of
Taylor's Vargellas. Very Good Indeed.
(26/1/01)
NV
Fino Superior Napoleon, Bodegas Hidalgo (Laymont
& Shaw)
Mid yellow gold. Nice nose: light with lots of raisiny fruit
and a slight saline tang. Nice attack: very clean and crisp,
though perhaps lacking in freshness. Very full and rounded on
the palate, yet it also has great elegance and finesse. This
is not at all an in-your-face bottle of "sherryness": it's very light
on the flor and much more wine-like. There are also hints of
amontillado about it. It's remarkable how completely
different in style this is to La Gitana: there's virtually no
comparison. Very Good Indeed.
(24/1/01)
1993
Falkensteiner Hofberg Riesling Kabinett, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium,
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany, (Wine Time, Milnthorpe)
A very light yellow with greenish tinges. Petrol-soaked apple
nose - full and crisp, but with a creamy undertone. Light,
fairly fresh attack. Fills well. very dry, with
creamy undertones and a fairly solid malic flavour. Very
attractive, though it perhaps lacks the elegance of the finest Mosel
wines; but very good for the price indeed. Very Good/Very
Good Indeed.
(21/1/01)
NV
Amontillado Viejo Pastrana, Single Vineyard Sherry, Bodegas Hidalgo,
18%, (Laymont
& Shaw)
A gorgeous light coppery caramel colour. Fabulous nose - rich
and deep with citrus, almonds and a light caramel, together with some
smoky or even tobacco notes and a fair bit of vanilla too.
Maybe even some christmas pudding ice-cream on the nose too.
Quite light on the attack, but then it suddenly fills. Wow -
this is very delicious indeed. Rich, rounded and
warming. Very clean flavours with absolutely massive
length. There's also a very savoury tang to it, with citrus
notes in the background. Very impressive, very elegant and
very refined Excellent.
It is worth noting, however, that it suffered after being open a couple
of days, when it became rougher and more alcoholic.
(16/1/01)
1997
Meden Agen, Papantonis Winery, Dry Red Table Wine, Malandreni, Nemea,
Greece, 12.5% (Oddbins)
From the agiorgitiko grape; aged in French oak barrels for one year.
A clear, bright, even garnet, possibly with some hints of
maturity. Slow, rather uneven legs. Young, fruity
nose with almost grenache/gamay notes, though there's nothing
particularly striking or outstanding about the nose, which is
attractive, but without any great character. Quite a fresh,
clean attack. Very full bodied, especially towards the
finish. Very, very great length. Lots of soft
tannins. This probably has some short-term ageing potential
and is likely to improve as a bit of age balances it out a
bit. Very Good+
(16/1/01)
1996
Muscat d'Alsace Reserve Personnelle, Kuentz-Bas, 12.5% (ex
cave)
A very pale straw - almost watery - very bright and clear.
Slightly uneven, very fat legs. Real tropical fruit salad on
the nose: lots of mango, but also some grassy notes. Very
nice attack - clean and crisp. Fills well and it's really
rather full and almost creamy on the palate. Very fragrant
and also very elegant. This is really an incredible
powerhouse of flavour, with buckets of tropical fruit, yet it's also
extremely clean, very harmonious and well balanced. Very
clean and bright on the finish with remarkable length. Very
Good Indeed/Excellent.
(15/1/01)
1989
Dopff au Moulin Tokay Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive de nos domaines de
Riquewihr, AC Alsace, 14.5% (Byrne's)
A medium gold - quite yellow. Rather peculiar nose with very
little pinot gris character, but marked botrytis. A very
reticent nose with virtually no fruit and just a hint of
scentedness. Fairly light on the attack, then a bit of
syrupy-ness. Fills fairly well, but on the palate it's
distinctly lacking in fruit and elegance: it's rather like drinking
sugar-water actually. No real character; no finesse, no
elegance whatsoever. Very disappointing, though it did
improve slightly with food and warmth, when it filled out a bit and
showed a bit more fruit on the nose. Still disappointing
though. OK.
(14/1/01)
1998
Pepperwood Grove Zinfandel, California, 13.5% (Wine Time,
Milnthorpe)
A slightly young looking ruby. Lots of mature cherry fruit on
the nose with strong greeny leathery notes. Nice attack: full
and rich, with good fruit. Very clean, with lots of fruit and
a bit of spice on the finish. Very attractive.
Nicely balanced with good structure. Really rather
good. Very Good Indeed.
(10/1/01)
1994
Hermitage, Guigal, Rhône, 375ml
Deep intense nose: quite fragrant and almost
chocolatey. Very fine attack. Fills well.
Possibly a bit too young, but great potential. Actually, a
very elegant wine. Very full on the palate, but lots of fruit
together with a fair blast of tannins. The tannins are
particularly noticeable after. Great length. Very
Good Indeed.
(8/1/01 at Restaurant
John Burton-Race, Landmark Hotel, London)
1998
Château Sainte-Eulalie, AC Minervois, Languedoc-Roussillon,
13% (The Wine
Society)
A blend of carignan, grenache and syrah. A bright, young,
even garnet with a purplish tinge. Attractive nose - light
and very fruity with a bit of mint and smokiness. Very clean
attack, feeling quite fresh. Fills nicely. Very
full flavoured with lots of body and lots of fruit. Some
tannins led decent structure. Very peppery spice
after. Very Good+
(7/1/01)
1999
Pinot Gris, Bodega Jacques y Francois Lurton, Mendoza, Argentina,
13% (The Wine
Society)
An even, mid yellow-straw. Very dull nose. Some
pinot gris character, but very flat with earthy tones. This
is a dodgy bottle. Clean, light attack. Fresh
tasting. Fills a little, but still very light. A
bit of pinot gris richness just comes in on the finish. This
is a duff bottle. OK.
(4/1/01)
1997 The
Society's Châteauneuf du Pape, Domaine du Vieux Lazaret,
13.5% (The Wine
Society)
A very bright, medium cherry colour. Uneven, slow, fattish
legs. Nice, attractive warm nose with lots of soft red fruit
- cherries and strawberries. Very light attack with lots of
fruit. Then it starts to fall apart. Very
unbalanced on the palate: acidity and tannins are all a bit out of
kilter. Very soft and not particularly characteristic of
Châteauneuf: the colour, nose and flavour are actually more
reminiscent of pinot noir, possibly with a bit merlot than they are of
Châteauneuf du Pape. Poor.
(1/1/01)
1990
Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne,
12% (ex cave)
A very attractive medium gold. Excellent, if rather excited
stream of bubbles. Nice light nose: toasty and nutty with
extracts of butter and vanilla, and just a hint of lime. Very
fine, long, thin legs. Very creamy attack. Not
overly mousseux in the mouth. Very crisp on the palate, with
loads of fruit; and it's very creamy with just a nice hint of acidity
towards the finish. Finishes very cleanly and with great
elegance. Very Good Indeed +
(31/12/00 - 1/1/01)
NV Alear
Capataz Fino, Montilla-Moriles Den. de Origen, Spain, 15% (Laymont
& Shaw)
A very pale, slightly greenish straw. Light, slightly
fragrant nose with sherry notes, but much lighter and more fragrant
than most fino/amontillado sherries. Very lightly
flavoured. Clean attack - quite light but fills
enormously. Very rich, but also very dry. Cleans up
nicely on the finish.
(31/12/00)
A couple of days later: possibly a little deeper straw
colour, but there's still that greenish tinge. Attractive,
fruity dry sherry nose with smoky, tropical fruit, a light fragrance
and some briny-ness. Nice fresh attack. Clean and
fruity and light. Very full on the middle, and very
dry. Incredible length. Very clean after.
Very Good Indeed/Excellent.
(2/1/01)
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Last updated: 11 Jan 2008