TN: Tasting random wines blind, both slightly evolved and quite old (2008-1957)

WINE TALK
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Yet another report from one of our tastings in which we didn’t have a set theme: not a single word was told about the wines, the attendees were just told to arrive and then have educated guesses on the wines tasted.

Some were quite easy, some were nigh impossible. Lots of close calls and equally lots of completely wrong guesses. Fun times, all the same.

Do you think you could’ve correctly guessed any of these wines?

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Deep straw-yellow color. Complex, evolved and slightly funky nose with aromas of honey and lemon marmalade, some chopped nuts, a little bit of developed creaminess, light steely mineral notes, a hint of browned butter, a touch of mushroomy funk and a whiff of Brie rind. The wine feels mature, remarkably intense and still so very subtly prickly on the palate with a faintest touch of carbonation remaining. There are developed flavors of chalky minerality and honeyed tones, some hay, a little bit of bruised apple, light oxidative notes of chopped nuts, a hint of caramel and a touch of cooked cream. There’s a touch of dosage sweetness, but the high acidity keeps the sweeter nuance well at bay and the wine comes across as dry and precise. The finish is dry, evolved and very complex with evolved, subtly oxidative flavors of roasted nuts, some creamy notes of panna cotta, a little bit of bruised apple, light steely mineral nuances, a hint of caramel and a touch of lemon marmalade.

A beautiful, complex and wonderfully evolved Italian Metodo Classico bubbly at peak maturity. Almost everybody guessed right off the bat that this was a 1980’s Champagne and only when it was revealed that this wasn’t a Champagne, started the guesses reaching outside France. Most guesses homed soon into Italy and I guessed that this was late 1990’s Piedmontese bubbly (I had Contratto in mind). Surprisingly the wine turned out to be (probably) from the 1980’s, at least the wine was disgorged in late 1989. Although I wasn’t that enamored with the funky, mushroomy notes in the nose, this was otherwise a beautifully evolved and classically built Metodo Classico fizz that wouldn’t shame one bit if pitted next to a NV Champagne of equal age. Everybody was pretty much floored by the fact that the wine was produced by Gancia, a winery known mainly for their cheap Asti and Prosecco sparklers and not normally associated with quality. All in all, an excellent wine and truly a positive surprise. Terrific value at 35€. (93 pts.)

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  • 2008 Domaine Gauby Les Calcinaires - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (25.11.2021)
    A blend of biodynamically farmed Muscat (50%), Chardonnay (30%) and Macabeu (20%). Fermented spontaneously, aged in tanks on the lees for 8 months, bottled unfined and unfiltered. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Moderately intense yellow-green color. Somewhat pungent and slightly gaseous nose with crisp and slightly green-toned aromas of white peach, some waxy funk, a little bit of crunchy green apple and a herbaceous hint of grassy greenness. The wine is dry, fresh and lively on the palate with a light-to-medium body and crisp yet somewhat understated flavors of tart green apple, some grassy tones, a little bit of leesy character, light lemony notes of citrus fruits, a hint of stony minerality and a developed touch of honeyed richness. The high acidity lends great sense of structure and freshness to the wine. The finish is crisp, lively and mouth-cleansing with a medium-long aftertaste of tart green apple, some lemony notes, a little bit of stony minerality and herbal hints of grassy greenness.

A nice, fresh and crisp little white, which surprisingly turned out to be 13-yo Gauby Les Calcinaires. Surprisingly, for two reasons: first, the wine most certainly didn’t feel like it was 13 years old - most guesses for the vintage ranged between 2013 and 2016; secondly, Les Calcinaires is 50% Muscat, yet the wine didn’t show any obvious Muscat character. I mean, ANY. Even the person who poured the wine commented on how the wine was surprisingly linear and un-aromatic. Nevertheless, the wine’s wonderfully crisp and fresh for a Roussillon white and still remarkably youthful, showing barely any signs of age. Perhaps a bit linear and one-dimensional at the moment, but hopefully will start showing some tertiary complexity as it ages - although I have no idea how long it will take… (89 pts.)

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  • 2007 Ronco delle Betulle Friuli Colli Orientali Vanessa - Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Colli Orientali (25.11.2021)
    A blend of Pinot Blanc (60%), Friulano and Ribolla Gialla, sourced from Colli Orientali Rosazzo (the wine is labeled as “Rosazzo Bianco” but isn’t DOCG Rosazzo, since the appellation was created only in 2011). Fermented and aged in stainless steel (80%) and oak barriques (20%). 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Intense, moderately concentrated neon yellow-green color. Quite rich and fruit-forward nose with intense aromas of nectarine, some honeydew melon, light evolved notes of creaminess, a little bit of apple jam, floral hints of honeysuckle and a touch of slivered almonds. Quite lovely. The wine feels ripe, medium-bodied and slightly evolved on the palate, yet showing good sense of firmness, thanks to the bright, high acidity. There are layered flavors of sweet Golden Delicious apple, some cantaloupe notes, a little bit of stony minerality, light creamy notes suggesting of both oak and age, a hint of crunchy quince and a touch of white peach. The high acidity lends good sense of balance and structure to the wine. The finish is fresh and quite lengthy with flavors of spcy red apple, some cantaloupe, a little bit of stony minerality, light creamy tones and a hint of sweet yellow stone fruits.

A lovely, fresh and very sophisticated Friuli white that shows good sense of balance and comes across still pretty youthful, even though the wine is starting to exhibit the first aged characteristics. While I and many others in the tasting started guessing Italian whites right off the bat, it took us quite a while to guess Friuli. Also the wine was much older than people suspected, for example I guessed the wine to be less than 10 years old, probably from 2013 or 2012. All in all, a terrific and well-made modern Italian white with great sense of fruit, depth and structure. Drinking mighty well now, but will continue to improve for years more. Solid value at 18€. (91 pts.)

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Somewhat evolved and slightly translucent rusty maroon color. Quite big and heady nose with classic Rioja aromas of wizened figs, some leather saddle, light vanilla tones, a little bit of cherry marmalade, a hint of pouch tobacco, an evolved touch of meaty character and a whiff of dill. The wine is dry, dense and firm on the palate with a medium body and somewhat concentrated flavors of dried figs, vanilla, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of old leather saddle, light crunchy notes of tart cranberries, a hint of coconut and a touch of dill. The structure relies more on the high acidity than on the gently grippy medium-plus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is long and gently grippy with layered flavors of dried figs, some vanilla oak, a little bit of tart cranberry, light leathery notes, a hint of coconut and a touch of dill.

A tasty, classically built Rioja red with all the hallmarks of the traditional style: dry, acid driven fruit; vanilla oak; rustic leathery undertones; and a hint of dill that seems to emerge with age. Perhaps the wine could’ve performed a bit better with slightly less oak as the vanilla and coconut tones come across as rather pronounced at times, but this fortunately doesn’t feel like the worst offender in its genre and drinks really well all the same. Good stuff, will continue to improve for years more, but doesn’t really call for any further aging. Recommended. Good value at 29€ (92 pts.)

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  • 1999 La Carraia Umbria Fobiano - Italy, Umbria (15.11.2021)
    A single-vineyard Bordeaux-blend from Orvieto, Umbria, made with Merlot (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), planted on volcanic soil. Macerated with the skins for three weeks, aged for a year in French oak barriques. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Moderately opaque black cherry color with an evolved figgy hue. Fragrant, evolved and rather Bordelais nose with aromas of wizened red plums, some ripe blackcurrant, a little bit of leathery funk, light pipe tobacco notes, a hint of toasty oak spice, a touch of dried figs and a distinctive, savory whiff of turmeric. The wine is evolved, moderately full-bodied and beautifully textural on the palate with quite mature yet still vibrant flavors of juicy red plums, some leathery tones, a little bit of wizened figs, light notes of pipe tobacco, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of licorice root. The structure relies firmly on the high acidity, but there’s still of friendly and quite resolved tannins that lend some welcome grip to the palate. The finish is evolved, textural and somewhat grippy with long, pleasantly developed flavors of wizened figs and sweet red plums, some pipe tobacco, a little bit of ripe blackcurrant, light leathery tones, a hint of licorice and a sweet touch of toasty oak spice.

A delightful, pleasantly evolved and surprisingly Bordelais Super-Umbrian red. My first guess was a Saint-Émilion from the 1990’s, but when that guess was a miss, I guessed that this was Fobiano 1999 - a wine I had had only a week before and which had a distinctive Bordeaux air to it, so it was still haunting in the back of my head. Still - and consistently - a terrific red, feeling not unlike a warmer-vintage Right Bank Bordeaux with some age. Probably will keep for a long time, but I suspect any further development is going to be limited. Drink or keep. A bargain at 15€. (92 pts.)

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  • 1994 Ramos Pinto Douro Duas Quintas Reserva - Portugal, Douro (25.11.2021)
    A blend of Touriga Francesa (50%), Tinta Barroca (25%) and Touriga Nacional (25%) sourced from two almost neighboring estates (“Duas Quintas”) in Douro Superior, which are Quinta dos Bons Ares at the altitude of 600 m, and Quinta de Ervamoira at the altitude of 200 m. Fermented and macerated in stainless steel tanks, aged for 8 months in oak casks and bottled one year after the harvest. 13% alcohol, 4,8 g/l acidity. Tasted blind.

Deep, quite dense and somewhat concentrated blackish-red color with a slightest hint of youthful purple. Surprisingly youthful for the age. The nose feels ripe, sweet and sunny with relatively youthful aromas of juicy blackcurrant and bilberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of vanilla oak, light evolved notes of wizened figs, a hint of earth and a touch of toasty oak spice. The overall feel is firm, dry and chewy with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite concentrated flavors of crunchy dark fruits, some sweet bilberry, a little bit of old leather, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of earth and a touch of vanilla. The overall feel is quite stern and muscular, thanks to the quite assertive and grippy tannins and moderately high acidity. The finish is dry, textural and quite grippy with long and moderately evolved yet not particularly tertiary flavors of ripe figs, some tobacco, a little bit of old leather, light earthy notes, a hint of sweet bilberry and a floral touch of violets.

A beautiful, quite classically built and still relatively youthful Douro red that has managed to retain wonderful sense of structure, power and concentration for more then 25 years. The overall feel is perhaps slightly more oaky than I’d care for, but as the wine performs so wonderfully in every other aspect, I really can’t condemn the wine for it. All in all, a beautiful Portuguese red that will continue to improve for years more. Superb! (94 pts.)

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Somewhat translucent and slightly rust–hued dark red color. Very heady, volatile nose of ethyl acetate (nail polish), along with some sweet notes of cherry marmalade, a little bit of damp sous-bois, light leathery tones, an evolved hint of wizened blackcurrants and an acetic touch of balsamico. The wine is dry, firm and medium-bodied with quite volatile flavors of nail polish with a tiny acetic streak of VA, some tart lingonberry, a little bit of crunchy redcurrants, light sweeter notes of ripe red plums, a hint of bretty leather and a touch of tangy salinity. High in acidity with moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is dry, moderately grippy and quite intense with a medium-long aftertaste of sour cherries and tart cranberries, some bretty notes of horse stables, light leathery notes, a hint of tart red plums and a touch of tangy salinity.

A surprisingly lifted and heavily volatile Saint Julien that shows otherwise good sense of balance, structure and intensity, but suffers from the excessive ethyl acetate character and minor acetic nuances that lend a subtly vinegary streak to both the nose and the taste. Without its volatile nature, this could’ve been a pretty wonderful old claret, but now the wine feels somewhat unbalanced and not that enjoyable. Trying to guess where the wine came from was pretty impossible due to the elevated levels of VA. This bottle wasn’t really worth the price at 24€, but it’s always possible that we just didn’t have a bottle representative of the vintage (EDIT Jan/29, 2022: confirmed, this was an off bottle). (76 pts.)

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Deep, dark and quite opaque black cherry color with an evolved mahogany hue. Evolved, somewhat dull and quite dusty nose with aromas of earth, some raisiny fruit, a little bit of old cellar, light sweet notes of raspberry jam and a hint of plum pits. The wine is dry, dense and quite extracted on the palate with a medium body and intense, evolved yet slightly musty flavors of damp forest floor, some dusty attic tones, a little bit of chokeberry, light notes of wild strawberries, a hint of tobacco and a touch of licorice root. Typical of Pignolo, the wine is high in acidity with quite tough and assertive tannins. The finish is dry, grippy and somewhat dull with medium-long flavors of earth, some tart chokeberry, a little bit of plum put, light crunchy notes of fresh cranberry, a hint of dusty attic and a touch of damp leaves.

A dull, earthy and musty vintage of Dorigo Pignolo. The person who brought the bottle claimed the wine was in fair condition and just showing some musty notes of bottle stink, but I thought the wine was slightly corked, based on how the musty, earthy notes never left the wine, no matter how long it was kept open. Furthermore, the wine didn’t seem nearly as expressive as the several 1990’s vintages of Dorigo Pignolo I’ve tasted. I’d mark the wine as defective (corked), but since a few people said the wine wasn’t corked, I’m just leaving the wine without score - but if I had to score it, it wouldn’t get high points, perhaps high 70’s or low 80’s. This is not nearly at the level of the other bottles of Dorigo Pignolo I’ve had. Feels expensive for the quality at 63€.

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Moderately translucent and slightly hazy brick-red color. Sweet yet slightly rubbery nose with somewhat reductive aromas of latex along with evolved notes of wizened cherries, some chokeberry jam, a little bit of ripe and slightly soft blueberry, light notes of tobacco, a developed hint of mushroomy funk and a touch of coconut. The wine is dry, savory and slightly bitter on the palate with a medium body and somewhat evolved flavors of tart lingonberries and crunchy chokeberries, some blueberry tones, a little bit of sappy herbal character, light reductive notes of latex and a hint of old, dried tobacco. The overall feel is still firm and somewhat sinewy, thanks to the high acidity and somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is quite long, dry and gently grippy with crunchy and slightly bitter flavors of tart cranberries, some sappy herbal spice, a little bit of blueberry, light evolved meaty tones and a hint of tobacco.

A nice, still surprisingly fresh and youthful Cahors that seemed to suffer a little bit of reduction - or at least that is what I thought the slightly rubbery off-notes were. The somewhat latex-y overall flavor were a minor distraction, but otherwise this was a very lovely aged red wine that was still remarkably youthful for its age. Perhaps nothing particularly memorable, but nothing disappointing either. Perhaps with longer aeration the wine might’ve turned out better. Although I’m sure the wine will continue to keep just fine for years more, I doubt that reductive latex character will disappear with further aging - if aging would help, I think 35 years of aging might’ve done the trick already. All the same, at just 21€ this was terrific value. (90 pts.)

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  • 1957 Avondo Riserva Speciale - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Gattinara (25.11.2021)
    To my understanding, this wine is not Gattinara as the label says “Riserva Speciale Avondo”, nothing about Gattinara - even though Avondo also made wine that was labeled “Gattinara” back in the day. Well, the label does mention “Gattinara”, but as a part of the address only (as Avondo Romano di Guglielmo - Lozzolo, Rete di Gattinara). I suspect the wine might not be entirely from Gattinara or made with 100% Spanna, because otherwise they probably would’ve mentioned Gattinara in the label. But who knows? Labeling laws back in 1957 were quite different from today. In any case, this wine was tasted blind.

Hazy, syrupy brown color with a pale yellow rim. Pungent, noticeably oxidized nose with aromas of raisins, soy sauce, some dried dates, a little bit of sweet cherry liqueur and syrupy molasses, light mushromy notes of porcini mushrooms, a hint of nuttiness and an autumnal touch of damp leaves. The wine feels slightly more mellow on the palate compared to the nose with its silky texture, medium body and complex, tertiary flavors of syrupy richness, dried figs, some oxidative nutty tones, a little bit of mushroomy umami, light porcini tones, a hint of smoke and a touch of tangy salinity. The acidity feels quite mellow and the ample tannins have been rounded out and softened by the age. The finish is long, textural and tertiary with flavors of dried figs and dates, some oxidative nuttiness, a little bit of mushroomy umami, light syrupy tones, a hint of autumnal leaves and a sharp touch of soy sauce.

A complex, fully evolved and textural old Piedmontese red that is quite oxidized already. The wine isn’t completely flat and in pieces, but not far from it - the structure has softened up a bit too much and the oxidative qualities have overwhelmed most if not all fruit flavors, rendering the wine somewhat anonymous. I managed to guess the wine was from Italy, but getting anywhere beyond that, guessing correctly the region and the vintage, was quite impossible. NR (flawed)

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Deep, evolved and somewhat translucent blackish-red color with a developed, rusty hue and a pale brick-orange rim. Fragrant and attractive textbook claret nose with aromas of tobacco and wizened blackcurrants, some woody notes of pencil shavings, light leafy tones, a little bit of funky animale, tertiary hints of smoke and syrup and a touch of fresh dark berries. The wine is firm, dry and crunchy on the palate with a light-to-medium body and quite intense flavors of ripe redcurrants, some woody notes of pencil shavings, light ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of old leather, evolved hints of wizened red plums and dried blackcurrants and a bitter touch of lingonberry skin. The high acidity and still relatively grippy and angular tannins make the wine feel quite stern and lean without making it come across as too austere. The finish is dry, lively and moderately grippy with crunchy flavors of fresh redcurrants and red plums, some old leather notes, a little bit of wizened blackcurrant, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a woody hint of pencil shavings and a ferrous touch of blood.

A classic old-school Bordeaux by all accounts, and a wine that is so much younger than what one could expect from a claret almost 65 years old. The style was pretty recognizable as I guessed right off the bat it was left-bank Bordeaux - only my guess on the vintage was just 25 years off, as I guessed this was 1982 St. Julien. Oh well. Nevertheless, an absolutely fantastic, classically built wine that speaks volumes on the aging potential of Château Poujeaux. Not affordable at 115€, but delivers easily for the price. (96 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Great stuff as usual, Otto- that Poujeaux sounds excellent, and remarkably young! I’ve never had one as old as that, but they do age gracefully - I have great memories of a 1967 I had around ten years ago.

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I was really swept off my feet when the label was revealed! Most guesses were on 1996, 1990 and 1989 - I thought the wine was older than that, but not by much. Apparently these older Poujeaux bottles can age like crazy.

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Great notes. Gracias!

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The only one I would have any hope of identifying would have been the Rioja due to the signature use of American oak with its dill and coconut. On a really good day, I might have also gotten that the Italian bubbles were Italian bubbles, but that would likely have to be helped by some social engineering of the personalities bringing the bottles to the tasting and the markets they shop in. Thanks for the notes. Always an entertaining read.

Cheers,
fred

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Being Vintage 1957 myself, I’ve had a number of bottles of '57 Bordeaux over the years. Never had the Poujeaux however so thank you for that note. 1957 was a very mediocre vintage in Bordeaux with most wines harvested under-ripe. Acidities were harsh and stern up until about 2000 when they started to calm down. Although never lush and fruity, the few I drank; Calon Segur, LLC, Grand Puy Ducasse have been interesting bottles with faded fruit but holding up. Your Poujeaux sounds wonderful and gives me hope for my Haut Brion.

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