Eclectic Night: Muscadet/Alvarinho/Chenin Blanc/Bahans Haut Brion/Cabreo

WINE TALK
1

Out to dinner at the home of isome younger colleagues; as usual, I brought the main wines, though another guest had contributed the Pierre Gimonnet 1er Cru Blanc de Blanc (disgorged 2011). (Clearly a serious champagne; yet I almost always find Gimmonet’s champagnes too tightly wound, not showing much fruit or florals, only a beam of folded in autotylic flavors; this one bore that out–but maybe they just need more time?)

I did not take formal notes, but below are the wines with a few comments. What was especially satisfying was the every wine showed well except for perhaps the 3rs! All the others were in the zone–a relatively rare occurrence in my experience.

  1. 2015 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords
    Brilliant wine, for the price point. Lovely mix of gentle white fruits, noticeable minerality, a little lanolin. Seemed perfect in its way.

  2. 2012 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho
    Portuguese albarino, obviously; built for the long term, it was claimed when purchased some years ago. They were right: aged beautifully. Now a deep golden color—no premox—with depth and substance reminiscent of good aged white burgundy. Who knew?!

  3. 2015 Sandlands Kirschenbaum Chenin Blanc
    I don’t know how much oak this sees (if any), but something in that register (vanillin) seemed noticeable after the other two. A bigger wine than I expected having drunk Tegan’s “regular” Chenins, of which I am a fan. Definitely a more intensely fruited xpressionof Chenin, maybe just needs more time or different company?

  4. Bahans Haut Brion 1999
    This was going great guns, in just the right window. Still nice fruit (blackberry; cassis) on the front end, which is plush. On the back end notable cedar and a little more blueberry; very distinctive finish, with hints of menthol and almond. Surprisingly alive and complex, especially for the vintage.

  5. Cabreo Il Borgo (Ruffino) Cabernet/Sangiovese blend); 1986
    Given that this was over 30 years old, it was surprisingly youthful—largely still purple with only the slightest bricking. Also surprisingly good. On herbal, almost garrigue in the nose; the cab was most noticeable. It was pleasant and plush on the palate, nicely fruited but initially a little muddied; after half an hour, it showed more clarity of flavor. In particular, the sangiovese became really prominent (in a good way), with the cab more as a foil. Went exceptionally well with lamb chops and garilc aioli (apparently it’s a Catalan thing) that friends from that region served.

2

I had a 98 B-H-B a year or two ago, and was very impressed with how balanced and interesting it was. I almost wish it hadn’t been so good since it makes me sad to not buy these anymore!

Those 98 Graves developed so well, and never really got much acclaim on release.

3

Thanks for the tasting notes!!! [cheers.gif]


I have yet to pop my Sandlands '13 Chenin Blanc. The '15 sounds interesting, but I don’t know if it would be “in my wheelhouse”.

As for the Alvarinho, I always assumed that the high-acidity, lighter bodied Portuguese and Spanish Vinho Verde whites would age well, but have not personally tested it.

I had a bottle of the 2003 Bahans Haut-Brion that I intended on aging and drinking 10 years from the vintage, but ended up gifting to my brother. He’d given me a bottle of '90 Haut-Brion that I immediately opened upon receiving (in 2002? 2003?).


Is it silly for me to believe that, like Muscadet, Albariño/Alvarinho and Picpoul ought to have what it takes to show well after moderate cellaring?

4

Not sure precisely what you are suggesting, Arv, bur mine was actually a '99, which did surprisingly well; but I have had the '98 and you’re right. I have been impressed with all the Bahans from this period. (I also had cellared some 2000, which was fun in a different way.)

Is it silly for me to believe that, like Muscadet, Albariño/Alvarinho and Picpoul ought to have what it takes to show well after moderate cellaring?

My understanding, Drew, is that in Portugal some Alvarinho are traditionally expected to be aged a long time and that this is one of them. ( Vinho Verde would be Portugese, no? And, though grown in this same region, Alvarinho, I believe, is confined to a certain subsection and treated differently, undergoes different elevage.) Main point, though, it was a truly fine white with outstanding depth, body, and intensity.