We held a blind tasting lunch recently at a local cooking school – the wait staff and kitchen staff were all students and the restaurant was like a practicum they rotate through.
2002 de Venoges Champagne Brut – both initial sweet and acidic notes in the nose, which resolved into apple and caramel that both carried over on palate. Finished cleanly.
2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses – pale colour with some yellow, lemony nose with lime hints. On palate, a clean mineral presence and creamy texture. Good bottle!
1997 Domaine J. Chamonard Morgon Le Clos de Lys – unfortunately, I believe that the wine was not decanted, which may have been fine for the first to pour, but by the time it got to me it was a cloudy mess – looked like pink Koolaid with a handful of diatomaceous earth thrown in, and run up on a paint shaker. We have had discussions about whether sediment can change the perception of a wine on palate if mixed in, and I think that it can. In any case this wine was notable only for the pronounced celery in the nose and a lean acidic disposition. There was some improvement in the glass and it became less objectionable, but it may have been a bad bottle. Too bad.
1989 Caves São João Dão Porta dos Cavaleiros Reserva – mahogany colour with a rich nose of dark fruit and spice, some fruit on palate but on the low side, and lots if terminal acidity.
1999 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional Douro – still fairly dark, with dark fruit and meat notes in the nose and on palate, fully mature with good but not excessive acidity. Drink soon.
2009 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Guettes – slightly funky Burg nose with good fruit level, cherry nose with some spice, and forest floor elements, good heft and length. Batting above what you’d normally expect of a Savigny – very good!
1997 Triacca Chianti Classico La Palaia La Madonnina – mellow nose of black olive and red fruit, in the mouth well fruited with tomato hints, and a balanced medium length finish. Good.
2009 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso – another mahogany wine with some nice spice tar notes and good fruit with some wood. Made from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, it was a rustic but interesting wine.
2013 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino – this producer is one of the largest in Tuscany, and has in recent times been producing pretty modern style wines – not sure if it had anything to do with new ownership from 1992 when it was bought by Cinzano or not. It was sold again in 2013, and I haven’t opened anything since so we shall see. This wine was showing a surprisingly bricky colour – possibly a hint at early maturation? Nice mellow fruit, a tad too much oak (they apparently give it a year each in French and Slavonian oak before putting it in concrete) and the tannins aren’t too hard. Will have to keep an eye on this.
1967 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico – my first thought as I stuck my nose in this glass was PORT! The ripe nose was very Port like with concentrated sweet fruit, but then I tasted it and it was dead dry. Recalculation needed. Got to Amarone fairly quickly. Started to discern some leather and soy notes, plus some Glossettes, a chocolate covered raisin brand I hadn’t thought about much less tasted in the last 50 years! Dry in the mouth and with excellent length. It should be noted that this producer does periodic releases of old vintages and therefore the tasting note on a bottle that was filled 50 years ago will be different from the same wine bottled five years ago but held in large barrel before that.
2005 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Heimbourg – light amber wine with an unusual nose that included a good hit of saffron and honey. On palate, apricot with nutmeg hints, very smooth and a long balanced finish. Haven’t had this for several years but it is holding very well.