Albertine Wine Bar; Shepherd’s Bush.
1996 Santenay 1er Cru “Grand Clos Rousseau”; Domaine Bernard Morey
herbs, grass, smoke, truffle oil, rich, fairly powerful and with depth and poise, youthfully complex. Soil, squid ink, black plum, structured and with nice acidity, and superb balance. Brooding but perfumed, and beguiling, elegant whilst maintaining the power and length mentioned earlier. Minerals and graphite, dense… An intriguing wine that is easily comparable to Vosne 1er Cru. With time in the glass, this opens more and more, revealing more perfume and red fruits, rosemary, black truffle, wild plum, poised but whilst young and rigid it still feels light on its feet and the finish is dark, brooding and long enough to contemplate calling it endless. Sandy, sandstone. Absolutely superb, but with no hint of fading, in fact it will only get better. 18+?/20
1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape; Domaine Vieux Telegraphe
plum, garrique, rosemary, sunshine, pebble stones, minerals, strawberry jam, rich but complex, pepper and spice, but with good freshness and zip, elegance and poise, eucalyptus and camomile, basil, very complex, and a really good length to the finish. Meaty, leather, iron, excellent. 17.5+/20
1998 Yattarna Chardonnay; Penfolds
lemon, butter, subtle and not at all overblown, balanced and poised, classic, cooked lemons, Moroccan lemons, limes, a touch of wood and vanilla, slightly cheesecake note that verges on Carmel and marzipan, still youthful but with strong hints of secondary and nutty tertiary aromas, this is in a brilliant place right, rich and round but in a more classic lack of fruit place!!! 17+?/20
Back at home!
2006 Syrah; Boekenhoutskloof
spice, pepper, dark plum, earth and minerals, red plum, wild raspberry, tobacco, smoke, cassis, round and youthful but drinking in a young, slightly unresolved alcohol sort of way; a touch of wood, and lacking in real excitement, but there is something underneath that speaks of complexity and intrigue and the finish lasts and speaks of these complex notes. Modern, rich and spicy but with elegance and poise, but nicely balanced. 16.5++/20