On Saturday I had the pleasure of pouring 2 handfuls of dessert wines for my tasting group. I love dessert wines and collect a lot of them. The only drawback to being the pourer is that some of my focus is shifted to getting the flights and food out and not on the wines.
They were NOT served blind, most of my group had not heard of most of them anyways, they were served in pairs.
- 1989 Chateau Rieussec -Sauternes (750 mL0
Nose: tropical fruits, a bit subdued at first, opens to show light wax, a bit of botrytix and more tropical fruits
Palate: full bodied, tropical, botrytic, great balance, long finish
Score: A-
\ - 1995 Z-H Herrenweg de Turckheim Gewurtz VT (750 mL)
Nose: huge apricots
Palate: medium body, bitter pith, pith, apricots
Score: B-
3. 1995 Columbia Crest Ice Wine White Riesling (375 mL)
Nose: oily, honey, cane sugar
Palate: medium-light body, honey, cane sugar, tropical fruits, light lemony, hint of strawberry
Score: B+
4. 2001 Westerly Apres Viognier VDP (375 mL)
Nose: light perfume and pineapple
Palate: full body, orange pith, floral, clean finish
Score: C/C+
5. 1998 Kracher TBA #9 (375 mL)
Nose: rich tropical fruits
Palate: HUGE body, rich, tropical, sweet tangerines, great balance, light pineapple, wow
Score: A+
6. 1997 Renou Bonnezeaux Cuvee Zenith (500 mL)
Nose: soaring perfume, nlight, fresh pineapple, light cane sugar
Palate: medium body, light acid, perfume, flowers, light pineapple, light pith
Score: A-
BREAK. We had the 2007 Lagier Meredith Rose Syrah (750 mL) with some grilled rosemary chicken breasts. This was the “savory break with a dry red” someone where recommended and it worked well. No notes as I was doing 10 different things but the Rose Syrah was very nice.
7. 1998 Dr. Parce Banyuls Rimage La Coume (750 mL)
Nose: dry chocolate
Palate: medium body, dry chocolate, light earth, cherry cough syrup (yuck)
Score: C+
8. 1995 Fonseca Vintage Port Guimaraens (750 mL)
Nose: dark/black dry chocolate
Palate: full, earthy, dry, tannic, chocolate
Score: B+
9. NV Taylor Fladgate 30 year Tawny Port (750 mL)
Nose: woody
Palate: caramel, wood, light smoke, lightly hot
Score: B
10. 1971 Bodegas Toro Albala Gran Reserva PX (750 mL)
Nose: wild spices, black strap molasses
Palate: full, molasses, spices
Score: A
Commentary:
I was quite impressed with the Columbia Crest. The Columbia Crest, which I bought 2 cases of at the winery on release, has been a love/hate wine for me. It goes through some strange stages that I’ve not seen with other icewines. It also tends to be fuller bodied and more oily than most icewines in which I enjoy the light freshness and clear strawberry notes. This time it was quite good.
The Rieussec was my only bottle. I tend to be a Climens and Gilette Creme de Tete guy, along with d’Yquem. Rieussec somehow never quite excites me as much as those others. This one was the best Rieussec I’ve ever had and overcame my bias against this house. I doubt I’ll be buying more, still spending my $$ on the other 3, but I won’t avoid it anymore.
The Z-H was quite one dimensional and a disappointment. I like their SGNs better, and prefer anything but Gewurtz as a grape. But this wine did not deliver as it was just 1-D.
The Westerly was just not very good to my palate. The bitterness of the pith is was really sticks out in my mind. It was fuller body that I imagined, Bernie was right to advise me to move this further back in the tasting. The clean finish tells me it had enough acid but this wine didnt do it for me.
The Kracher was clearly the WOTN for me and many others (a few votes for the Rieussec and the PX). Everything you want in a TBA and then some. Pure magic in a bottle.
The Cuvee Zenith is also a love/hate wine for me. Sometimes it shows so amazingly, like it did this time, and other times it is a disjointed mess. Whether this is bottle variation or just the evolution of the wine, I don’t know. This is the 10th time I’ve had it, with 1 more bottle to go. I do see the sugar integrating and the nose really coming together into something beautiful. I’m glad I did NOT send these to auction after my last tasting as this bottle really impressed me.
The Banyuls was not the best bottle of this I’ve had. The cherry cough syrup is odd and one I’ve not seen in ANY Banyuls I’ve ever had (and I’ve had over 200 now back into the 1970s consistently and some older). I’m hoping this is a bad bottle or an awkward stage.
The Fonseca is just closed. We popped and poured and it was tight as a drum. A lot of stuffing there but it isn’t showing much. Hold at least 10 years. I still believe they should have fully declared 1995, even if 1994 got such high praise in the press. 1995 was more structured, 1994 also great but more fruit forward which is how it got WS WOTY in my humble opinion. But I cannot argue, the single quintas are CHEAP AS DIRT, and for a year like 1995 the value is just outstanding.
The Taylor 30 year was a substitution for the Grandtather’s Tawny which I could not find in my cellar. I’ve never really liked the 30y and this bottle once again shows exactly why. It is more wood dominated than the 10,20 or 40 year Taylor tawnies. This is a consistent wine so if you love it, you love it, if not well… I’d rather have the 20 or 40.
The PX is just a monster. Always has been, my guess is it always will be within my lifetime. A fun wine, over the top, mouth coating. Everything PX should be.
I have a few drops of some of these left (maybe 1-2 oz of them) so will retry tonight with additional notes if warranted.