We had a proper magnum session last spring. The wines were poured half-blind, ie. we knew which wines were going to be poured, but we didn’t know in which order - apart from the introductory bubbles and the two normal-sized bottles, which were all poured fully blind.
Apart from the couple of younger bottles, most wines had some proper age under their belts. With some wines it seemed to benefit them greatly, with others, anything but.
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NV André Clouet Champagne Grande Réserve Brut - France, Champagne (12.5.2022)
Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs, 20% of the blend is reserve wine that has been aging in oak casks. Served from a magnum. No details on the base vintage or disgorgement date. 12% alcohol, 8 g/l residual sugar and 9,4 g/l acidity.
Quite youthful pale yellow color. Ripe and quite toasty nose with aromas of chopped nuts and slivered almonds, some smoky notes, a little bit of ripe citrus fruits, light bruised apple tones, a hint of marzipan and a bready touch of autolysis. The wine feels ripe and rather broad-shouldered on the palate with a quite full body and bold flavors of slivered almonds, some bruised apple, a little bit of ripe citrus fruit, light bready notes of autolysis, a hint of chalky minerality and a touch of some vague red fruit. Despite its size and ripeness, the wine retains great sense of acidity, making it come across as rather firm and structured. The medium-long mousse feels quite fine and gentle. The finish is ripe, moderately long and slightly sweet-toned with flavors of juicy citrus fruits, some ripe and slightly bruised red apple, a little bit of nutty autolysis, light bready tones, a crunchy hint of white currant and a touch of fresh raspberry-driven red fruit.
This is consistently a great budget Champagne that punches above its weight. It's as big and toasty as one can expect from a Blanc de Noirs, but at the same time enjoyably fresh, precise and structured. It might lack the finesse and complexity of its more prestigious peers, but at its price point it definitely delivers value for the money. At 74,90€ for a magnum, this is a good purchase.
(92 points) -
NV Jean Moreau Pere et Fils Coteaux Champenois Ambonnay Rouge - France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois (12.5.2022)
Made with fruit sourced from Ambonnay. Labeled non-vintage with only the bottling year as lot number (L20). 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale, translucent and subtly hazy pomegranate color with a colorless rim. The nose feels evolved, somewhat smoky and slightly funky with aromas of raw meat and leather, some smoky notes of speck, a little bit of fresh wild strawberry, light earthy notes, a hint of burnt hair and a touch of dried dark berries. The wine is lively, slightly wild and quite brisk on the palate with a light body and crunchy flavors of leathery funk and crunchy cranberry, some sweeter notes of wild strawberries, a little bit of barnyard, light ferrous notes of blood, tart hints of lingonberries and sour red plums and a touch of balsamic richness. The wine feels bright, fresh and silky with its high acidity and almost nonexistent tannins. The finish is dry, light-bodied and subtly funky with a quite long aftertaste of cranberries, some tart lingonberries, a little bit of leathery funk, light barnyardy tones, a hint of phenolic spice and a touch of wizened strawberries.
Just like the previous bottle I tasted a year ago, this was a very nice, supple and slightly funky little red from the lighter end of the spectrum. Nothing too complex or impressive, but definitely punching above its weight than what one would expect from an inexpensive non-vintage Coteaux Champenois that is so light and delicate in character. Fun and tasty stuff, a solid purchase at 16€.
(90 points) -
2016 Bodegas Pingón Ribera del Duero Carramimbre Crianza - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (12.5.2022)
A blend of Tempranillo (90%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). 14% alcohol. Tasted half-blind from a magnum.
Very deep and dark, only very slightly translucent blackish-red color with a subtly evolved maroon hue. Ripe, sweet-toned and rather oak-driven nose with aromas of vanilla, some toasty mocha tones, a little bit of blueberry milkshake, light cherry marmalade tones, a hint of chocolate dust and a touch of ripe blackcurrant. The wine feels broad, ripe and sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and rather crowdpleaser flavors of vanilla and blueberry jam, some ripe blackcurrant tones, a little bit of mocha oak, light cherry marmalade notes, a hint of toasty wood spice and a touch of dark plummy fruit. The overall feel is quite soft and supple with its medium acidity and quite ripe and mellow medium-minus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is ripe, round and quite long with sweet-toned flavors of vanilla, some blueberry milkshake, a little bit of blackcurrant jam, light chocolatey notes of toasted oak and a hint of dark plummy fruit.
Meh. This is a textbook example of modern Ribera del Duero: too ripe, too soft, too oaky and too sweet in fruit. A mellow and approachable crowdpleaser of a wine with no sense of structure and relatively little sense of place - although, I admit, very few places make such big and ripe Tempranillos as Ribera del Duero. It's just that the overall style is very modern and anonymous and all the rough edges have been polished down so that the wine really could come from anywhere where the temperatures get high enough to make these kinds of big and ripe reds. Not my cup of tea.
(81 points) -
2015 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (12.5.2022)
A blend of Tempranillo (78%) from Cuesta and Montecillo vineyards that average 30 years in age and Garnacha (22%) from La Pedriza vineyard planted at high altitude in La Rioja Baja. Fermented and macerated in stainless steel, aged in stainless steel tanks until March 2016. The Tempranillo wines were aged for 36 months in American oak barriques averaging 4 years old and the Garnacha wines were aged for 30 months in 2nd and 3rd use American oak barrels. Blended and bottled in September 2019. 14,5% alcohol, 5,4 g/l acidity and pH 3,64. Tasted half-blind from a magnum.
Deep, luminous and only slightly translucent dark ruby color with a youthful blueish hue. The nose feels sweet and quite dark-toned with intense aromas of ripe dark plums, some vanilla, a little bit of juicy blackcurrant, light strawberry tones and a toasty hint of chocolatey mocha oak. The wine is dense, chewy and quite extracted on the palate with a very full body and concentrated flavors of ripe blueberry-driven dark fruits and blackcurrant jam, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of Bourbon caramel and vanilla, light strawberry notes, a buttery hint of diecetyl and a chocolatey touch of mocha oak. The wine is surprisingly round and mellow with quite soft medium acidity and quite ripe and friendly medium tannins that contribute relatively little to the structure. The finish is rich, weighty and quite juicy with some alcohol warmth and a rather long aftertaste of strawberry jam, some vanilla-and-caramel notes of Bourbon, a little bit of blackcurrant, light chocolate blueberry milkshake nuances, a buttery hint of diacetyl and a touch of very ripe plummy fruit.
I was shocked to learn this was Ardanza when the wines were revealed. In a lineup where many of the wines came from Ribera del Duero, this wine seemed much bigger, heavier and softer in comparison with a lot more emphasis on very ripe fruit flavors of rather pronounced oak. This is in no way a classic Ardanza - we had a vertical of Ardanza 2004-2009 only a little while ago and this wine bore no resemblance whatsoever to those wines. The alcohol alone had gone up from the normal 13,5% to 14,5% and the overall style was noticeably softer, sweeter and oakier. I find it really hard to believe the wine uses only used American oak barrels as this wine was not just about the classic Rioja vanilla, but there was also a lot of toasty Bourbon caramel and chocolatey mocha character. I had to return to this wine after it was revealed and even knowing what wine I was drinking, I did not feel this was Ardanza. This is more like a soft, hot-vintage entry-level modernist wine from Priorat or Ribera del Duero. Normally I'm a fan of Ardanza, but while not undrinkable, I found very little enjoyment in this particular vintage. A sweet, soft and ponderous effort and quite a big let-down.
(80 points) -
1995 Condado de Haza Ribera del Duero Crianza - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (12.5.2022)
100% Tempranillo. Aged for 18 months in American oak barrels. 13% alcohol. Tasted half-blind from a magnum.
Somewhat translucent brick-red color with an evolved maroon hue. The nose feels ripe, sweet-toned and somewhat rustic with aromas of dusty sun-baked earth, some savory wood tones, a little bit of old saddle leather, light pruney tones, a hint of ripe blackcurrant and a touch of farmhouse funk. The wine feels dry, evolved and somewhat meaty on the palate with a moderately full body and quite tertiary flavors of earth and pruney dark fruits, some toasty oak tones, a little bit of mocha, light leathery tones, a sweeter hint of caramel and a touch of wizened blackcurrant. The overall feel is still enjoyably structured, thanks to the moderately high acidity and quite firm and somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is evolved, savory and moderately grippy with layered flavors of old saddle leather and sweeter toasty oak notes of mocha and caramel, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of wizened dark fruits, light pruney tones and a hint of sun-baked earth.
A nice, evolved and enjoyably savory Ribera del Duero that is in a very nice shape right now - unlike the 1996 vintage I tasted 1½ years ago, which was already going downhill. This is just developed and quite tertiary, but not showing any signs of going downhill. The overall style is perhaps a bit too oak-heavy for my taste, but otherwise this wine is quite unlike the RdD wines of today: this ain't heavily extracted, sweetly-fruited and excessively alcoholic. No, even with its mature pruney notes the fruit flavors hasn't turned too sweet in taste and the structure feels well-proportioned with the quite - but not too - full body. A thoroughly enjoyable and well-made effort that is drinking mighty well right now. Recommended.
(90 points) -
1979 Jean León Cabernet Sauvignon Penedès - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (12.5.2022)
12% alcohol. Bottle #223 of I don't know how many. Tasted half-blind from a magnum.
Dense, quite opaque reddish-brown color with an aged syrupy hue. The nose feels pungent and quite oxidized with flavors of soy sauce, some fried porcini mushrooms, a little bit of syrupy molasses, light pruney tones and a hint of dried chanterelles. The wine is round, ripe and mellow on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and oxidative, sweet-toned flavors of soy sauce, some beef jerky, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light mushroomy notes of funnel chanterelle, a hint of syrupy molasses and a ferrous touch of blood. The acidity feels medium-to-moderately high and somewhat soft, whereas the tannins come across as tough and grippy. The finish is dry, tough and grippy with oxidized flavors of raisins and soy sauce, some beef jerky, a little bit of earth, light sweet notes of dried cranberries and a hint of fried mushrooms.
I had no high expectations of the wine and it still didn't manage to match them. Past its peak and oxidized. Avoid.
(NR/flawed) -
2002 Enate Somontano Merlot-Merlot - Spain, Aragón, Somontano (12.5.2022)
100% Merlot - I'm not sure why this wine is called "Merlot-Merlot". Macerated with the skins for 4 weeks. Aged in new oak barrels for approximately 18 months, bottled in May 2004. 14% alcohol. Tasted half-blind from a magnum.
Evolved, somewhat translucent garnet color with a slightly aged pomegranate hue. The nose feels dusty, sweetish and somewhat aged with aromas of red licorice, some wizened red plums, a little bit of old leather, light pruney notes, a hint of alcohol, a touch of old, dusty wood and a whiff of licorice root. The wine is dry, chewy and somewhat extracted on the palate with a full body and quite intense flavors of licorice and savory wood spice, some pruney dark fruit, a little bit of ripe cranberry, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of meaty umami and a touch of sour cherry. The overall feel is still impressively sinewy and structured, thanks to both high acidity and firm, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, dry and moderately grippy with rather savory flavors of ripe cranberries and sour cherry bitterness, some sanguine notes of iron, a little bit of old leather, light licorice tones, a hint of woody oak spice and a touch of meaty umami.
A surprisingly impressive and serious Merlot, not unlike an Iberian take on Pomerol. There's a bit of ripeness here and the fruit has started to turn slightly pruney with age, but the overall feel is still relatively youthful for the age and the structure show no signs of giving up whatsoever. I think there's a bit of mileage left here, so the wine might improve for a handful of years more, but in all likelihood it will keep just fine for years and years. For a random Somontano Merlot, this was a very positive surprise. Fine stuff.
(93 points) -
1997 Joseph Phelps Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley (12.5.2022)
13,5% alcohol. Tasted half-blind from a magnum.
Evolved, somewhat translucent ruby-red color with a slightly evolved brick-red hue. Ripe, bold and quite sweetish nose with aromas of sweet toasty oak spice, some blueberry, light vanilla notes, a little bit of toffee, light cherry jam and blackberry marmalade tones, a hint of peppery spice and an extracted touch of licorice. The wine is ripe, round and juicy on the palate with a full body and rich, sweet-toned flavors of mocha oak, some vanilla, a little bit of toasted oak spice, light blackberry marmalade tones and a hint of licorice. The overall feel is big, noticeably ripe and rather soft - the latter is thanks to the quite modest medium acidity, so the structure relies more on the ample yet very ripe tannins that slowly grow in grip, but remain quite gentle. The finish is rich, juicy and soft with a long and somewhat warm aftertaste of sweet blackcurrant marmalade, some toffee oak, a little bit of vanilla-driven spices, light licorice nuances and a hint of chocolate blueberry milkshake.
I had been told that Phelps wines might be big and oaky when they're young, but they just need some age to come around. Well, I don't know how much age one should give to a wine, but at 25 years of age, this was still a huge, oak-drenched blueberry milkshake that was relatively youthful for its age (perhaps due to the magnum format) but bore very little relation to the variety I know as Syrah. The emphasis here was on heavy-handed oak influence and what little fruit was to be found, was very ripe, sweet and borderline jammy. Apparently 25 years wasn't enough to integrate all that oak, but I have a hunch that no amount of aging will make this wine become nuanced or graceful. This is just a soft, ripe and sweetly-fruited blockbuster that feels more of a pastiche on the idea of the "classic Napa Syrah". Not in my wheelhouse.
(79 points) -
2004 Pago de Carraovejas Ribera del Duero Crianza - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (12.5.2022)
A blend of Tinto Fino (aka. Tempranillo; 85%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) and Merlot (5%). Aged in American and French oak barriques for at least 12 months before the lots were blended together. Bottled in May 2006. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind from a magnum.
Extracted, almost fully opaque blackish-red color with slightly evolved maroon highlights. The nose feels fragrant and quite fascinating with aromas of sweet spices and elderflower, some ripe blackcurrant tones, a little bit of ripe blueberry, light floral notes of biolets, a hint of licorice, a spicy touch of white pepper and a subtle yet distinctive whiff of plum or cherry pits. The wine feels extracted, dense and quite chewy on the palate with a full body and youthful flavors of ripe plums and blueberries, some fresh blackcurrant tones, a little bit of vanilla, light chocolatey nuances of mocha oak, a hint of elderberry juice and a touch of plum pits. The overall feel is quite impactful and mouth-filling and the medium acidity feels rather inadequate to bring much freshness to such a big wine, so the structure relies mostly on the ample and rather grippy tannins. The persistent and quite powerful finish feels rich, somewhat warm and moderately grippy with a bold, ripe and slightly sweet-toned aftertaste of blueberry juice and slightly wizened dark plums, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of mocha, light vanilla nuances, a floral hint of elderflower and a touch of cherry pit.
A very distinctive, powerful and extracted Ribera del Duero red that feels sort of quite textbook example of the region with its huge body, concentrated fruit flavors and rather liberal use of oak, yet the wine comes across as more interesting than a typical RdD wine with its fragrant floral notes and nuances of elderberries and cherry pits. Despite the wine being almost 20 years old, it is still remarkably youthful, showing some sense of development but very little maturity or tannic resolution. I have no idea how this wine has aged in a standard-format bottle, but any remaining magnums that have been kept in good condition are bound to keep aging and improving for many more years. Although not really a wine in a style I like, this was still surprisingly good for what it was. If you like impactful, ripe and oaky blockbusters, add a handful of points to my score.
(89 points) -
1992 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (12.5.2022)
A blend of Tempranillo (90%) with some Graciano and Mazuelo in the blend (10%). Fermented and macerated for approximately three weeks, after which the wine was moved to century-old oak vats for MLF. Aged for 4,5 years (from May 1993 to November 1997) in American oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted half-blind from a magnum.
Evolved and moderately translucent dried-blood red color. Evolved, savory and slightly oxidative nose with aromas of phenolic spice, some dried cranberries, a little bit of dill and meat stew, light earthy notes, a hint of beef jerky and a touch of old saddle leather. The wine is savory, aged and slightly oxidative on the palate with a medium body and dry flavors of cranberries and wizened sour cherries, some salted beef, a little bit of earth, light ferrous notes of blood, evolved hints of balsamic richness and meat stew and a touch of dill. The overall feel is quite sinewy and tightly-knit thanks to its rather high acidity and firm tannins that pack some grip. The finish is long, savory and quite grippy with a fully mature, complex aftertaste of beef jerky, some sour cherry, a little bit of balsamic richness, light pruney notes, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of earth.
A tasty and complex vintage of LRA 904 that feels like it is already somewhat past its peak. The wine has lost most of the vibrancy from its fruit and the overall feel has turned slightly oxidative, although the wine has not yet fallen apart. This is still pretty much recognizable as a classic Rioja red, although it's obvious that this bottle must've been better some 10 years ago - and most likely standard-format bottles can be even more evolved than this. All in all, this was pretty good, but didn't reach the quality of great 904 vintages at their peak.
(88 points) -
1999 Ferrari-Carano Merlot - USA, California, Sonoma County (12.5.2022)
13,7% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Evolved and slightly hazy figgy-reddish color. Very evolved and somewhat oxidative nose with aromas of beef jerky, some sweet raisiny fruit, a little bit of volatile lift, light sweet notes of cherry marmalade, an autumnal hint of damp leaves, a touch of elderberry juice and a whiff of hoi sin. The wine is dense, evolved and moderately full-bodied on the palate with rather tertiary flavors of wizened cherries, some metallic notes of rusted nails, a little bit of balsamic VA, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of meaty umami and a touch of sweet raisiny fruit. The wine is moderately structured with rather high acidity and somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is savory, long and moderately grippy with complex, evolved flavors of wizened cherries and prunes, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of earth, light red-toned fruit notes, a hint of soy sauce or hoi sin and a whiff of something metallic.
A very evolved, tertiary and somewhat sweetish Cali Merlot that is at its peak or slightly past it. The overall feel is getting moderately oxidative, but not too much to make the wine undrinkable. It's just tasting quite old and a bit anonymous. It does pack quite nice structure for a Merlot, but it really doesn't help with the ripe, rather sweet-toned and somewhat raisiny fruit. This is a decent effort, but I have a hunch this wine has been better in its youth or with less bottle age.
(86 points) -
1996 Baron de Ley Rioja Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (12.5.2022)
13% alcohol.
Evolved brick-red color with a pale orange rim. The nose feels evolved, meaty and slightly oxidative with aromas of raisins, some sweet cherry tones, a little bit of new leather, light notes of vaguely peppery spice, a hint of ferrous blood and a lifted, liqueur-ish touch of VA. The wine is dense and ripe yet dry on the palate with a quite full body and intense, mature flavors of tart lingonberries, some meat stew, a little bit of wizened black cherry, light ferrous notes of blood, a savory woody hint of old oak spice and a touch of earth. The structure relies almost solely on the high acidity as the fully resolved tannins contribute only very little to the texture and retain no noticeable grip anymore. The finish is evolved, complex and savory without much or any tannic grip and with a lengthy aftertaste of wizened red cherries, some savory, woody old oak spice, a little bit of saddle leather, light evolved balsamic notes, a hint of earth and a touch of vanilla.
A pretty nice and tasty old Rioja Reserva at the end of its life. The wine is quite tertiary and also starting to exhibit the very first subtle signs of oxidation, but the overall feel still retains enough freshness and fruit to come across as poised and nuanced, not just senescent. As the tannins have resolved almost completely, this wine really doesn't call for any food and drinks really well on its own, but its high acidity makes it a solid companion for food as well. This is not a grand vin but it feels like it doesn't even try to be - this is just a solid old wine with all the pieces in the right places. Drink up before the wine falls apart.
(91 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
