Another one of those tastings with a rather weird theme.
A little while ago a friend of mine got his hands on a 100-yo Heredia Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva. Since it was a rather pricey bottle, he decided to throw a tasting around it, which we finally had last December. Originally the plan was to have a tasting of older Riojas, but since we’ve had quite many of those in the last handful of years, he ultimately decided to have a “Century Tasting” instead, where we would drink wines whose age was a certain fraction of 100 years - this was only because he had enough such bottles in his cellar that such a tasting could be arranged on a short notice and didn’t require sourcing of numerous different bottles. In essence, a rather random bunch of aged wines, then!
So, we had wines that were 1/8 century old (2008), 1/4 century old (1995), 1/2 century old (1970) and 1/1 century old (1920). Here’s the photo of the almost-complete lineup:
Not included in the photo were the late additions that were a 2/5 century old (1980) Baga that we started the tasting with and a 1/8 century old (2008) Tokaji that replaced the corked one we had.
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1980 Caves São João Bairrada Frei João - Portugal, Beiras, Bairrada (11.12.2020)
This is the sixth time I’m tasting this wine over the course of 5 years. 12% alcohol.
Developed, rather opaque and slightly hazy mahogany color suggesting a bit of oxidation. Developed, very tertiary and somewhat dried-up nose with aromas of wizened dark fruits, tree bark, some beef jerky, a little bit of oxidative soy sauce character, light sweet notes of raisins and liqueur-ish VA, evolved hints of old leather and savory smoke and a touch of dried flowers. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and very tertiary on the palate with very evolved flavors of beef jerky, tree bark, sour cherry bitterness, sweet raisiny fruit, some old leather, a little bit of tangy soy sauce, light notes of bay leaf, a hint of blood pudding and a touch of dried tart red berries. As the wine opens up, the sweeter pruney tones gain prominence. The overall feel is still very stern and structure-driven, thanks to the high acidity and firm tannins. The finish is dry, quite long and rather tannic with tertiary flavors of old leather, prunes, some soy sauce, a little bit of gamey meat, light umami notes of kombu, a hint of tart lingonberry and a touch of sour cherry bitterness.
A nice, tasty and very complex old Bairrada red, but getting already a bit too tertiary and slowly gliding downhill. Lacks the vibrancy and old wine charm the wine showed 5 years ago; now the fruit seems to be fading and only the tertiary non-fruit flavors remain. While not at its best anymore, this is still an enjoyable and quite rewarding old wine. No point in cellaring it further, drink up. Priced according to its quality at 49,90€. (90 pts.)
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2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne (11.12.2020)
A blend of Grand Cru Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%); 25% of the wine was aged in oak casks and 16% of the wine went through MLF. After the bottling, the wine was aged for +8 years sur lattes on the lees. 12% alcohol, 7,75 g/l residual sugar.
Pale straw yellow color. Sweet, complex and quite autolytic nose with aromas of chopped nuts and almond paste, some yeasty tones, a little bit of ripe, zesty citrus fruits, light biscuit aromas, a hint of French loaf bread and a touch of toast. The wine is quite ripe, rather dry and even somewhat chewy for a Champagne on the palate with a rather full body and intense flavors of grapefruit, autolytic brioche and yeast, some apple peel bitterness, light pithy notes of lemon, a little bit of chalky minerality, a hint of leesy creaminess and a sweet, slightly evolved touch of wizened stone fruits and lemon curd. Beautifully soft, plush and silky mousse. The bright, high acidity gives the wine good energy and sense of focus without making the wine too tightly-wound. Dry, firm and precise finish with intense and remarkably long flavors of lemony citrus notes, yeasty tones, some pithy grapefruit bitterness, a little bit of tangy salinity, light autolytic nuances of chopped nuts and French bread, a hint of toffee and a touch of tart green apple.
A beautiful, harmonious and very nuanced vintage of Cristal. There’s a lot of everything, but nothing in excess. Seeing how 2008 was a somewhat cooler vintage with remarkably good weather in the late summer and over the harvest, the wine did show the sense of precision and concentration I expected, but the wine wasn’t as brisk and racy as I expected - especially after the mousse had toned down a bit, the acidity felt very balanced, but perhaps even a bit lower than I expected. Nevertheless, the wine is all about harmony, nuance and still unrealized cellaring potential. The wine might be already 12 years old, but for a Cristal, that’s really nothing yet. This is very rewarding already now, but most likely it won’t be showing its true colors until its 25th birthday. Let it wait - this is really built for the long haul. (94 pts.)
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1995 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (11.12.2020)
A blend of Tempranillo (75%), Garnacha (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano, the grapes sourced from the Tondonia vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in old and very large oak fermenters, aged for 8 years in barrels, bottled unfiltered and then aged for a further 13 years in bottles before release in 2016. 12,5% alcohol, 6,2 g/l acidity. Total production 24,687 bottles.
Developed, moderately evolved and quite translucent brick-red color with a youthful ruby core and more developed mahogany hue closer to the almost colorless rim. Complex and sweet-toned nose which combines youthful vibrancy with more mature qualities. Aromas of smoke, old saddle leather, ripe wild strawberries, even some Pinosity, a little bit of dusty old wood, light notes of seared meat, hints of earth and a developed touch of wizened dark fruits. Silky yet firm on the palate with a medium body and rather acid-driven taste with complex, juicy and somewhat developed flavors of sweet red fruits and vibrant cherries, some old leather, a little bit of stony minerality, light sanguine notes of iron, a hint of hoi sin and a touch of dry-cured beef. The structure relies more on the very high, bright acidity than on the rather round, gentle and textural tannins. The finish is dry, moderately evolved and somewhat grippy with remarkably long, juicy and quite acid-driven aftertaste of tart lingonberries and sour cherries, wizened red fruits, some old leather, light umami notes notes of beef jerky and soy sauce, a little bit of ferrous blood, a hint of stony minerality and a sweeter touch of ripe dark berries.
Pretty much exactly how I’d expect a '95 Tondonia Gran Reserva to perform: the wine combines effortlessly some almost tertiary notes one would expect from a wine aged for 8 years in barrels with wonderfully vibrant and slightly sweet-toned fruit flavors that feels very youthful and almost out of place in a wine already 25 years old. What surprised me was the surprisingly pale color of the wine and its surprisingly resolved, gentle tannins - I’ve grown to expect Tondonia Gran Reserva to be darker and more tannic - but nevertheless the wine did not disappoint me in any way. Compared to often weightier and more concentrated Tondonia Reserva, the wine feels lighter, leaner and more acid-driven, but also noticeably more complex and coming across as more youthful than a Tondonia Reserva 1995 would be. The wine is very rewarding already now, this “young”, but with its remarkable intensity, depth and acid structure, I can imagine it to improve for decades more. A very fine old Rioja. At 59€ (when the wine was released) this was a bargain. (94 pts.)
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1920 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (11.12.2020)
The wax on the bottle lip was double-conditioned; on top of its original wax and the Rioja safety net, there was another layer of additional wax. Once we managed to dig through all the wax and cutting through the net in the process, we extracted the mushy, fully saturated cork - with an audible “plop”, so there was hope that despite its condition, the cork had managed to do its job! Lots of sediment in the bottle; letting it stand up + careful decanting were necessary.
Deep, remarkably dark and surprisingly opaque red color with a very evolved mahogany hue. Compared to the vintage 1995 that was tasted alongside, the color was noticeably deeper and darker. The nose is, well, very typical for an old Rioja. Aromas of smoke, old leather, wizened dark berries, some pungent rancio, a little bit of earth, dusty old wood and tree bark, light charred meat tones, tertiary hints of beef jerky and soy sauce, a touch of dill and a sweet whiff of raisins. The wine is bright, somewhat lean and light-to-medium-bodied on the palate with captivatingly complex, tertiary flavors of tart lingonberries and sour cherries, old leather, some beef jerky tones, a little bit of ferrous blood, light notes of dill, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of salty soy sauce. The fruit flavors seem to gain a bit of sweetness with air, but only for a brief moment, since the wine seems to fade away quite quickly with prolonged air exposure. The overall feel is remarkably structured and even surprisingly tannic for a Rioja with the bracingly high acidity and ample, still remarkably grippy tannins. The finish is dry, quite tannic and rather tertiary with very, very long and noticeably acid-driven flavors of tart lingonberries, rather pronounced sour cherry bitterness, some old wood, a little bit of dry old leather, light beef jerky tones, a hint of stony minerality and a slightly pungent touch of oxidative soy sauce. The ample tannins make the wine end on a rather mouth-drying note.
A real marvel of a wine; this wine was not only drinkable, but also remarkably enjoyable for a dry red wine 100 years old! These Tondonia Gran Reservas are simply extraordinarily long-aged wines. This might not be the grandest or most complex red wine out there, but from its piercing acidity and still very ample tannins it is obvious that this wine was built to age. Although the wine was quite light and slightly thinned out by its age, there was still lots of everything here. It was getting quite tertiary, but there were still some youthful fruit flavors left here and in the same tasting we had other wines from the 1970 vintage that felt older than this. While the ample deposit calls for decanting, I heartily suggest drinking the wine very soon afterwards, as the wine seemed to fade away rather fast, only 20-30 minutes after opening. It is at its peak now (and probably has been there for decades), but I doubt the wine is going to fall apart soon, as long as its cork will hold up. Drink or keep. I wouldn’t say the wine itself is worth the ~350€, but it’s always more difficult to put a price on the experience of drinking a centenarian red wine. (95 pts.)
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2008 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (11.12.2020)
The flagship Chinon of Bernard Baudry, coming from a 15-40 yo vineyard planted on chalky soil. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 20 days in oak vats and then aged for 24 months in 1-3 yo oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol.
Quite concentrated, somewhat developed and almost fully opaque blackish-red color with a slightly figgy hue. Open, somewhat sweet-toned and even slightly claret-y nose with aromas of ripe blackcurrants, some funky notes of old leather and barnyard, a little bit of dusty old wood, light notes of tobacco, a subtly herbaceous hint of cooked bell pepper and a sweet touch of volatile lift. Overall the nose feels wonderfully nuanced and quite seductive, but not particularly herbaceous. The wine feels dry, dense and structured on the palate with a moderately full body and a taste that leans quite heavily on rustic, bretty funk. Intense flavors of fresh blackcurrants, stable floor, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of tobacco, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of burnt hair. The overall feel is very structure-driven, thanks to the high acidity and still remarkably ample, firm and grippy tannins. There’s a subtle streak of acetic character that lends a hint of roughness and burn in throat as the taste segues into the long, dry and rather tannic aftertaste. There are quite intense flavors of fresh blackcurrants and crunchy crowberries, some barnyardy notes of bretty funk, a little bit of cooling peppermint lift and a herbaceous hint of cooked bell pepper in the aftertaste.
Despite being a very intense, concentrated and broad-shouldered Chinon, this is a surprisingly tough, lean and austere effort as well, leaning more heavily in savory non-fruit flavors and bretty funk than on fruity qualities. Despite being rather heavy on bretty side of things, the wine is very harmonious and enjoyable - not in small part due to the funky, bretty notes and phenolic qualities playing so well to the crunchy, savory overall taste of the wine and its firm tannins. If the normal style of Baudry is more Burgundian, this vintage of La Croix Boissée feels much more like a classic, cold, old-school Bordeaux. It’s not a crowdpleaser wine by any means, but if you are not afraid of assertive tannins and a healthy dose of brett, this is a very lovely wine indeed. It is still relatively youthful for its age and calls for further aging, at least to tone down some of that structure. If opened now, the wine could really use some hearty food - just to soften those tannins a bit. A great, rustic wine. (93 pts.)
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NV Frank Cornelissen Magma 7 Vigne Alte - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (11.12.2020)
No vintage designation, as the wine is Vino da Tavola and the back label just says Magma 7VA (lot MAVA07), but the description tells that the vintage for Magma 7 is 2008. The grapes are sourced from a centenarian (planted 1910) Barbabecchi vineyard of only pre-phylloxeric alberello (bush-vine) Nerello Mascalese. Vinified in terracotta vessels buried in the ground, macerated with the skins for 6-7 months. Aged for approximately 18 months in terracotta vessels. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any added SO2. 15% alcohol.
Strikingly pale, somewhat developed and fully translucent pomegranate color with a clear, colorless rim. Sweet, sunny and slightly wild yet not particularly funky nose with vibrant aromas of strawberry jam and cherry marmalade, some mineral notes of stone dust, a little bit of sun-baked earth, light liqueur-ish hints of sweet VA, a boozy hint of alcohol and a touch of overripe, wizened plummy fruit. The overall feel is very rich, open and fruit-driven - remarkably clean for an extremist natural wine. The wine is full-bodied and slightly sweet-toned on the palate, but surprisingly dry, dense and tactile compared to the thin appearance and sweet nose. Flavors of ripe strawberries, phenolic peppery spice and powdered salty liquorice, some overripe black cherry, a little bit of licorice root, light leathery tones, a hint of stony minerality and a sweet, evolved touch of wizened red fruits. Although there are some evolved characteristics amid the flavors, the overall taste is surprisingly youthful and vibrant for a 12-yo natural wine that has never seen any sulfites. The alcohol lends quite a bit of warmth to the palate. The overall feel is enjoyably balanced, thanks to the moderately high acidity and still quite ample, enjoyably firm and textural tannins. The finish is quite warm, a little bit of grippy and rather long with savory flavors of strawberries, some peppery spice, a little bit of stony minerality, light volcanic notes of dry smoke, developed hints of tobacco and old leather and a sweet touch of wizened red plums.
A still excellent vintage of Magma - I wasn’t expecting much from a 12-yo no-SO2 wine clocking at 15% ABV, and the pale, limpid color didn’t promise much either. However, the nose turned the expectations up and the taste exceeded them. It’s hard to say whether the wine is peaking now or going to continue on its upward trajectory, but I must admit: Magma is definitely among some of the most impressive and ageworthy natural wines out there. Maybe not really worth the price (hovering normally around 150€), but nevertheless a terrific effort all the same. Recommended. (93 pts.)
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2008 Fattoria Petrolo Galatrona - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (11.12.2020)
A single-vineyard Merlot. Fermented spontaneously in concrete tanks, long macerations with the skins. Aged for 18 months in French oak barriques (approxitmately 1/3 new). 14% alcohol, 5,60 g/l acidity and pH 3,62. Total production 15,000 bottles.
Almost fully opaque blackish cherry color that isn’t young nor particularly evolved yet. Dark-toned, somewhat evolved and slightly sweetish nose with aromas of wizened dark fruits and dried black cherries, tobacco, some fresh notes of red plums, a little bit of sweet toasty oak, light bretty notes of new leather and a sweet, lifted note of ethery VA. The wine is dry, silky and moderately dense on the palate with a medium body and ripe flavors of red plums, dark forest fruits, some tobacco, a little bit of wizened dark fruits, light bittersweet notes of dark chocolate, a hint of bretty farmhouse funk and a touch of vanilla oak. The high-ish alcohol lends some warmth to the palate. The overall feel is structured and sinewy with the high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is ripe, slightly warm and moderately grippy with quite savory flavors of ripe dark berries and red plums, some sour cherry tones, a little bit of savory wood spice, light leathery funk and a bittersweet hint of dark chocolate.
I must admit that even though I’m not a big fan of Merlot (at least outside Pomerol) nor Super-Tuscan wines, this was a very nice, serious and harmonious Super-Tuscan that exhibited a wonderful combination of serious, structure-driven overall character and understated funky tones that added wonderful sense of rustic complexity to the savory fruit flavors. Although the wine shows some alcohol warmth and subtle oaky tones, neither of then manages to bother me one bit. The overall feel here is still quite youthful and most likely the wine will continue to improve for another decade or so, although it is drinking very nicely right now. All in all, a really enjoyable and well-made effort. I guess Toscana really seems to favor Merlot. (92 pts.)
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1995 Castello di Ama Vigna l’Apparita Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (11.12.2020)
100% Merlot from Vigna l’Apparita Cru in Chianti Classico, planted in 1982. Fermented spontaneously in stainless steel, macerated for a month with the skins, aged for 14 months in a combination of new and old French oak barriques (normally 50/50). 13% alcohol.
Still relatively youthful and moderately opaque blackish-red color with a developed hint of pomegranate red hue. Sweetish, somewhat distinctive and slightly liqueur-ish nose with aromas of strawberries, some dusty old wood, a little bit of prune and wizened red plum, light cigar tones, spicy hints of cloves and vanilla and a touch of dried dates. The wine feels ripe yet surprisingly dry on the palate with a medium body and very silky, resolved mouthfeel. Savory flavors of fresh red plums and crunchy redcurrants, some tobacco, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light dusty notes of old wood and earth, sweet hints of baking spices like vanilla, cinnamon and cloves and a sweeter touch of dried dark fruits. Although the mouthfeel is resolved and silky in nature, the structure really isn’t - the wine is still surprisingly tightly-knit with its bright, high acidity and still quite formidable and surprisingly grippy tannins. The lengthy finish is dry, complex and moderately tannic with flavors of ripe red berries, slightly wizened sour cherries, some phenolic notes of cloves and peppery spice, a little bit of savory wood, light leathery notes, sweet nuances of dried dark fruits and a touch of dusty earth.
A very impressive, surprisingly structure-driven and well-proportioned Super-Tuscan that feels more like an old-school Bordeaux than anything particularly Italian. Due to the red-fruited tones and lack of leafy Cabernet characteristics, the wine has a very Pomerol feel to it - all the way down to the assertive yet well-behaved tannins. Due to the its somewhat woody tones I can imagine this wine must’ve been noticeably more oaky in its youth; however, all the pronounced oak characteristics have integrated wonderfully beneath the vibrant fruit flavors that haven’t yet turned too tertiary. There’s still a lot of further aging potential in the fruit department; noticeably more so in the tannins. All in all, an outstanding Merlot. Among the best Super-Tuscans I’ve tasted. Highly recommended. (95 pts.)
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1970 Château Boyd-Cantenac - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (11.12.2020)
Moderately translucent and rather thin yet still surprisingly youthful ruby red color with an evolved brick-orange hue. Aged, somewhat restrained and slightly dusty nose with quite mature aromas of old furniture, pencil shavings and cigar wrapper, some wizened dark forest fruits, light leafy notes typical of Cabernets, a hint of brined mushrooms and a perfumed touch of dried flowers. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and somewhat bitter on the palate, yet the mouthfeel is more silky than tough or lean. The taste feels savory and slightly thin with very evolved flavors of wizened blackcurrants and dark forest fruits, tart lingonberries, some dusty old wood and antique furniture, a little bit of earth, light metallic tones and ferrous notes of blood, a hint of sous-bois and a sweet, tertiary touch of marmaladey red fruit. Although the overall feel is very evolved and starting to thin out a bit, the wine doesn’t feel like it is on a downhill yet - especially with some air the fruit gains a bit of sweetness and sense of weight, while the metallic tones take a step into the background. Balanced high acidity and still somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is very developed and quite tertiary with mature flavors of wizened cranberries and redcurrants, some earthy tones, a little bit of pouch tobacco, light dusty notes of old wood, a hint of sous-bois and an umami touch of consommé or something meaty.
A harmonious, nuanced and enjoyably silky old Margaux with wonderfully perfumed nose and good sense of structure in relation to the somewhat light body. Although the wine feels like it isn’t as vibrant as it must’ve been in its youth, the wine doesn’t show any obvious signs of oxidation or other warning signs of going downhill. All in all, a very attractive - albeit a slightly lean and restrained - old-school claret. With some air the wine wonderfully picks up a bit of weight and sweetness to its savory fruit, bringing good sense of balance between the fruit, the body and the structure. An enjoyable wine, but it’s definitely time to drink up - most likely this won’t go anywhere from here but down. (91 pts.)
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1970 Château Latour à Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (11.12.2020)
Quite deep, rather evolved and surprisingly almost-opaque brownish-red color. Savory, meaty and subtly oxidative nose with aromas of hoi sin, some syrupy sweetness, a little bit of dried dates, light wizened blackcurrant tones, a hint of sous-bois and a touch of nutty madeirized character. Overall the nose feels quite aged, but definitely not dead yet. The wine is dry, textural and silky on the palate with medium-to-moderately full body and moderately ripe, tertiary flavors of wizened dark fruits, sous-bois, some oxidative notes of beef jerky and hoi sin, a little bit of autumnal leaves, light sweet notes of prunes, dried dates and wizened figs, a hint of leather and a touch of coffee. At first the mouthfeel is quite gentle and fully resolved by the age, but then the acidity creeps in, lending great intensity to the fruit, and finally the rather ample, firm and textural tannins emerge, framing the wine wonderfully with a good, healthy grip. The finish is dry, rather tertiary and still rather grippy with fully mature flavors of dried lingonberries and some tart notes of sea buckthorn, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light metallic notes of brett, savory hints of leather and autumnal leaves and an oxidative touch of beef jerky.
Overall the wine is starting to get a bit tired now, but it is still a remarkably vibrant and enjoyable effort for a classic claret clocking at 50 years of age. The overall feel is slightly more evolved and tertiary than the 1970 Boyd-Cantenac that was tasted alongside, but this wine shows such impressive sense of ripeness and intensity that I can imagine this must’ve been the more impressive one out of these wines in its youth. In its current state the wine still offers lots of pleasure, but it is slowly losing ground. If this was a representative bottle of this wine, there is no point in keeping this for any longer and most likely it will fade away withing the next decade or so. A great experience, all the same. (90 pts.)
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1970 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (11.12.2020)
Deep, mature and almost opaque mahogany color with a reddish hue. Very tertiary, dry and rather tired nose with aromas of beef jerky, dusty tones, autumnal leaves and damp earth, some leather, light oxidative notes of soy sauce, fruity hints of raisins and prunes and a touch of smoke. The wine is somewhat thin, dull and dried-up on the palate with a medium body and tired, somewhat metallic flavors of wizened cranberries, autumnal leaves, some salty notes of pungent rancio and soy sauce, a little bit of beef jerky, light old leather tones, a hint of old tree bark and a touch of dried tart lingonberries. The acidity feels high and the ample, powdery tannins still retain quite a bit of grip. The long finish is dry, tertiary and moderately grippy with rather acid-driven, old flavors of beef jerky, dried lingonberries and cranberries, some leather, a little bit of damp earth, light rusty notes of blood and a hint of toasted savory spices.
Although not fully oxidized or completely in pieces yet, this Montrose feels like it is already past its peak. The fruit department is all but gone and the overall feel has thinned out quite a bit. The wine might offer some old wine pleasure - at least for those who enjoy their wines in geriatric shape - and most likely this could still go nicely with a correct food pairing, but this offers no competition whatsoever to the other two 1970s we had along with this (Boyd-Cantenac and Latour à Pomerol). Then again, it is always possible that there is some bottle variation and our bottle was in a more evolved shape than expected. (81 pts.)
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2008 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe (11.12.2020)
8,5% alcohol.
Still very youthful, pale lemon yellow color. Seductive, sweet and fragrant nose with aromas of lemon marmalade, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of beeswax, light notes of hay, a spicy hint ripe red apple and a touch of saffron. The wine is quite light-bodied and weightless on the palate, starting off as medium-sweet, then the acidity kicks in and cuts off the majority of sweetness from the residual sugar in an instant. Focused, bright flavors of ripe citrus fruits, freshly pressed farmhouse apple juice, some steely minerality, a little bit of fresh pineapple, light floral notes of apple blossom and a hint of ripe clementine. Despite its relatively light body, the wine shows great intensity and sense of structure, thanks to its racy acidity. The bright, acid-driven finish segues into an off-dry aftertaste of ripe red apples, some fresh orange, a little bit of beeswax, light steely mineral tones, a hint of pineapple and a touch of juicy clementine.
A very nice, structured and still slightly restrained yet not at all closed Spätlese. Not a bold, hedonistic Riesling, but not too lean, tightly-wound and austere either. Very true to the producer and the genre of Nahe Spätlese. Coming across still very youthful despite its 12 years of age, so I can imagine this will continue to improve for another dozen of years, if not longer, and keep good for way longer than that. Promising stuff, expect the score to go up over the years. (92 pts.)
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1995 Disznókő Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos - Hungary, Tokaji (11.12.2020)
11% alcohol.
Medium-deep, developed caramel-brown color. Dry, musty and somewhat moldy nose with subtle nuances of baked apple, some caramel, a little bit of nuttiness, light beeswax notes and hints of orange marmalade underneath. A light yet noticeable case of TCA here. The wine is sweet, oily and noticeably acid-driven on the palate with a moderately full body and intense flavors of honey, caramel, some bruised apple and a little bit of musty TCA that drowns out all the finer nuances.
A corked bottle. You could taste the wine would’ve been in a wonderful shape and still relatively youthful for its age, if it weren’t overwhelmed by the TCA. Disappointing. NR (flawed)
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2008 Disznókő Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos - Hungary, Tokaji (11.12.2020)
Concentrated golden yellow color with a slightly developed ochre hue. Quite intense, sweet and somewhat waxy nose with vibrant aromas of acacia honey, beeswax, some orange marmalade, light dried apricot tones, a little bit of canned pineapple and a hint of saffron - and, with some air, a lifted touch of nail polish VA. The wine is broad, sweet and quite full-bodied on the palate with concentrated flavors of apple jam, canned pineapple, some dried exotic fruits, light stony mineral tones, a little bit of steely minerality, sweet hints of orange marmalade and candied ginger and a touch of beeswax. The overall feel is definitely sweet, but perhaps not as sweet as you’d expect for a 5 Puttonyos. At first the acidity felt rather modest, but slowly the incisive acidity managed to cut through the residual sugar, further toning the residual sugar down. The finish is long, sweet and firm with bright acidity. Quite concentrated flavors of dried apricots and ripe pineapple, steely and slightly saline mineral tones, some sweet notes of honeycomb and orange marmalade, light nuances of sultana, a hint of mushroomy botrytis and a lifted touch of nail polish VA.
A classically built, fine and harmonious Tokaji that feels still very youthful for its 12 years of age. There are some understated nuances of age, but the overall feel is that of a very young wine, showing remarkable intensity and purity of fruit without any tertiary qualities. I’d say the wine feels slightly drier than you typical Aszú 5 Puttonyos, but nothing outside what would be acceptable. The wine is very tasty and rewarding right now, but will continue to improve for years - decades, even - more. Excellent stuff. How can you not love this? (93 pts.)
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