Yet another blind tasting report. The wines we tasted came more or less in pairs with the idea that there was supposed something in common with the wines. However, we ended up having some unplanned extras between the bottles, so the logic didn’t stay that clear-cut throughout the tasting.
Furthermore, some of the bottles were whisked away before I took the photo of the final lineup, so it’s missing some of the bottles we tasted.
NB: I’m listing the wines here in the order we tasted them, not in the order they were arranged in the above photo!
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2014 Franck Bonville Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (22.9.2022)
100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru Avize. Bottled in February 2015 and disgorged in November 2021, after 6½ years of aging sur lattes. 12,5% alcohol, dosage 6,5 g/l. Tasted blind.
Youthful, pale lemon-yellow color. Youthful, leesy and somewhat understated nose with aromas of sour cream, some mushy yellow apple tones, a little bit of something waxy, light mineral notes of chalk dust, a funky hint of something mushroomy and a sweeter touch of ripe white fruit. The wine is dry and airy, but also somewhat dull and understated on the palate with a relatively soft mousse and slightly reticent flavors of fresh golden apple, some sour cream, a little bit of something waxy, light mineral notes of chalk dust and a hint of leesy yeast. High acidity. The finish is dry-ish, somewhat understated and medium in length with an aftertaste of ripe white fruits, some chalky tones, a little bit of tangy salinity, light lemony nuances, a hint of mineral water and a touch of tangy salinity.
A crisp but somewhat understated Blanc de Blancs with very little of anything to keep me interested. At first the wine was very reticent with no fruit flavors to speak of, but it opened up slowly, showing subtle fruit character with some air. However, as a whole, this just felt like a linear, understated and way too young Blanc de Blancs that might or might not become more interesting with more age. For immediate consumption this really didn't anything memorable to the table and I'd rather spend my money on a Cava, Crémant or Trento half as expensive instead. It's certainly possible that we had an off bottle, but following this wine through the evening, I didn't feel like anything was off here - the wine was just very dull and understated in character.
(85 points) -
2018 Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis Vent d'Ange Mise Tardive - France, Burgundy, Chablis (22.9.2022)
Made with organically farmed Chardonnay grapes from vineyards up to 70 years old, farmed with strict yield control. Fermented spontaneously and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks and egg-shaped concrete tanks. This "Mise Tardive" version is bottled later than the regular Vent d'Ange, in February 2021, meaning it has been aging on the lees longer, for approximately 28 months. Bottled unfiltered with a 23 mg/l dose of SO2. 13,5% alcohol.
Youthful, pale and very slightly hazy yellow-green color. Ripe, slightly reductive and quite fascinating nose with subtly wild aromas of quince, some sappy herbal tones, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light crunchy notes of fresh white fruits, a hint of waxy funk and a sweeter touch of very ripe exotic fruits. On the palate the wine combines noticeable ripeness and sense of concentration with freshness and airy elegance in an abnormally effortless way. The wine feels broad and moderately full-bodied, yet at the same time quite light on its feet. There are complex and slightly sauvage flavors of ripe yellow stone fruits, some honeycomb, a little bit of waxy funk, light stony mineral notes, a hint of chopped herbs and a touch of tangy salinity. The wine feels quite high in acidity, but instead of coming across as lean and incisive as a classic Chablis, the wine comes across as firm and balanced, the acidity lurking behind the sense of concentration. The finish is long, ripe and slightly wild with juicy yet fresh flavors of ripe red apple, some waxy and funky tones, a little bit of sweet apricot, light sharp notes of lemony citrus fruits, a hint of herby greenness and a touch of leesy creaminess.
A very bright, singular and quite idiosyncratic Chablis that doesn't really feel like a Chablis at all. As Pattes Loup is known to produce very ripe and concentrated wines that are weightier and more exotic than what you might normally find in Chablis, I expected a wine from the hot 2018 vintage to be a very big and heavy one. Well, this was certainly ripe and concentrated, as Pattes Loup wines so often are. However, the wine was also remarkably bright, structured and surprisingly light on its feet with superb, balanced and almost strikingly high acidity that managed to keep the sweeter flavors of the ripeness well at bay and lending wonderful sense of freshness, focus and balance to the wine. I never expected to say this, but even if this doesn't really feel like a classic Chablis wine, out of the 2018 white Burgundies I've tasted, this Pattes Loup wine might be the freshest and most balanced I've had thus far! It is drinking really well right now, but I expect it to evolve for a good number of years more. Solid value at 28€.
(92 points) -
1999 Fruitiere Vinicole d'Arbois Savagnin Arbois - France, Jura, Arbois (22.9.2022)
100% Savagnin from Arbois, aged sous voile in oak casks for approximately 4 years. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Deep, moderately evolved golden yellow color. Oxidative, somewhat aldehydic and slightly smoky nose with aromas of caramel, some mushroomy funk, a little bit of bruised apple, light acetaldehyde notes of green almonds and sorrel and a hint of nougat. The wine feels moderately oxidative yet quite brisk on the palate with a silky yet firm texture, a medium body and somewhat tangy flavors of bruised apples and saline minerality, some aldehydic notes of sorrel, a little bit of stony minerality, light oxidative nuances of chopped nuts, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a creamy touch of panna cotta. The wine is high in acidity, but there's some sense of aged concentration that masks away the most obvious acidic zip, yet making the wine retain good sense of balance. The finish is long and quite oxidative with evolved flavors of walnuts, some bruised apple, a little bit of stony minerality, light aldehydic notes of sorrel and a hint of mushroomy funk.
A nice, tasty and classically styled Jura tradition. Although the wine feels quite high in acidity - as is typical of Savagnin - the wine is surprisingly friendly and mellow for the genre, although not excessively so. Enjoyable stuff and still holding up nicely, although I'm not sure how much of the characteristics flavors here were from the age and how much from the winemaking! Nevertheless, a fun wine.
(90 points) -
1985 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne (22.9.2022)
12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale amber color. Evolved, savory nose with quite tertiary aromas of chopped nuts, some bruised apple, light bready notes of autolysis, light leesy tones, a sweeter hint of juicy yellow fruits and an oxidative touch of sorrel. The wine feels very dry and light-to-medium-bodied on the palate with a sparse yet still surprisingly lively mousse and evolved flavors of bruised Granny Smith apple, some salty mineral tones, a little bit of chalk dust, light autolytic notes of bread and a hint of mineral water. Bright, high acidity. The finish is dry, long and aged with flavors of mineral water, some oxidative nutty tones, a little bit of bruised apple, light autolytic notes of French bread, a hint of almost unripe yellow fruit and a touch of tangy salinity.
A tasty but also somewhat austere and a bit oxidative old Champagne. The wine still retains quite a bit of life as it isn't fully oxidative in character and it retains still a sparse yet still remarkably vital mousse. However, there is relatively little in the way of fruit and the overall feel is a bit one-note. I do love Champagnes once they get old enough, turning nutty and vinous, yet retaining their fizzy Champenois core. However, this wasn't that memorable an effort in the end - especially when this bottle was pitted against 1983 Roederer Vintage Brut, which had retained its fruit and complexity noticeably better. This wine feels like it is at its peak or slowly sliding past it.
(89 points) -
1983 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne (22.9.2022)
12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite deep golden yellow color. Developed yet still vibrant nose with aromas of ripe golden apples, some nutty oxidative tones, a little bit of zesty citrus fruit, light creamy notes of panna cotta or browned butter, light herby tones, a hint of crunchy quince and a toasty touch of toffee or coffee. The wine is ripe and very evolved but also very dry and surprisingly lean on the palate with a medium body and complex, quite focused flavors of steely minerality, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of evolved creaminess, light zesty notes of pomelo and lemon, mineral hints of chalk and salinity and a touch of smoke. The mousse feels still quite lively despite the age of the wine and the crisp acidity lends great sense of structure and intensity to the wine. The finish is long, evolved and very complex with a quite ripe yet still very dry aftertaste of bruised apples, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of saline minerality, light zesty notes of sweet citrus fruits, an autolytic hint of chocolate chip cookies and a touch of coffee.
This was a fantastic example of aged Grande Marque Champagne that has developed some beautifully toasty tertiary aromas and even some subtly oxidative qualities, yet still retaining remarkably lively mousse and vibrant fruit flavors as well! I guess the difference between this and the 1985 vintage that we tasted at the same time might've been quite minuscule for people who don't have much experience with aged Champagnes - or don't like them - but to me, this bottle was miles better as the 1985 was definitely much more one-note in quality, lacking the fruity verve and overall complexity, which instead were fully present here. All in all, this was a very lovely fizz at its peak. I don't see this wine evolving much from here, but I'm sure it will keep just fine for years more. Terrific stuff.
(94 points) -
2005 Bodegas Roda Rioja Roda I Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (22.9.2022)
100% Tempranillo from vineyards +30 years of age. Harvested between September 20th and October 11th, 2005. Fermented in French oak vats. Aged for 16 months in French oak barriques (50% new, 50% second use). Total production 124733 bottles. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Very deep, almost completely opaque blackish-red color. Rich, polished and quite modern nose with bold and rather Ribera del Duero-like aromas of licorice, some cassis tones, a little bit of wizened plummy fruit, light milk chocolate tones and a sweet hint of toasty oak spice. No obvious Rioja aromatics here. The wine feels very ripe, dense and concentrated on the palate with a noticeably full body and powerful, slightly sweet-toned flavors of licorice and pruney dark fruit, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of ripe fig, light green nuances of pepperminty lift, a hint of chocolatey mocha oak and a touch of caramel along with some alcohol warmth. The overall feel is quite extracted and chewy with moderately high acidity and quite assertive and grippy tannins. The lengthy finish is powerful, rather grippy and somewhat hot with rich, polished and quite concentrated flavors of cassis, some pruney dark fruit, a little bit of sweet oak spice and slightly bitter nuances of extracted woody bitterness, light cocoa tones, a lifted hint of minty greenness and a touch of toffee.
A huge, powerful and very modern Rioja that feels more like a Napa Cab or an overdone Ribera del Duero. This is just all about ripeness, extraction and overdone oak influence. Sure, the wine is very big and impressive with tons of impact, but I really can't find many redeeming qualities here. Due to its quite in-you-face alcohol, sweet-toned flavors and lack of freshness, this feels like a clumsy, lumbering blockbuster and gets quite quickly rather tiresome to drink. I really don't feel the wine has gained much with aging - I feel it is just developing pruney sweetness without adding much tertiary complexity. This is a Rioja for people who don't like Rioja. I really wish some additional aging would save the wine and make it turn into something more interesting, but I'm not holding my breath.
(85 points) -
1995 Bodegas Roda Rioja Roda I Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (22.9.2022)
100% Tempranillo from vineyards +30 years of age. Harvested between October 1st and 25th, 1995. Fermented in French oak vats. Aged for 24 months in French oak barriques (1/3 new, 1/3 second use and 1/3 older). Bottle #69357 of total 81902 bottles. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Very deep and dark yet still somewhat translucent dark garnet color with an evolved maroon hue. The nose feels dark-toned and moderately evolved with aromas of raisiny dark fruit, some sweet exotic spices, a little bit of gamey meat, light woody tones, sweeter hints of dried figs and wizened black cherries, a touch of meat stew with dill and a whiff of dried aromatic herbs. The wine is moderately evolved, ripe and somewhat concentrated on the palate with a full body and quite savory flavors of wizened cherries, some meaty umami, a little bit of toasty mocha oak and cocoa powder, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of raisiny dark fruit and a touch of earth. The wine still retains its quite muscular frame, thanks to the moderately high acidity and somewhat resolved yet still relatively grippy, ample tannins. The finish is evolved, long and savory with some tannic grip and quite bold flavors of wizened blackcurrants, meaty umami, some earthy tones, a little bit of ferrous blood, light woody tones, a hint of meat stew with dill and a toasty touch of chocolatey oak.
Tasting this (blind) next to 2005 Roda I Reserva, it was fun to see where this wine sort of came from. That 2005 wasn't really my cup of tea at all, but this wine actually had some redeeming qualities - it wasn't as big, monolithic or hot as the 2005 was and the wine had actually developed some lovely tertiary complexity, meaning it hadn't just turned pruney with age. However, the style was still that of a big blockbuster wine, reminiscent of Ribera del Duero, Toro or just new world Cab, not Rioja. All in all, this was a relatively nice and pleasantly evolved example of modern, gloopy Tempranillo - but that's about it. Even though a nice, aged wine - I'll give it that - this wasn't really a wine made in a style I enjoy, and apparently even 27 years of aging hadn't managed to help with that. As several people before me have mentioned, this wine doesn't really scratch that Rioja itch.
(90 points) -
2011 Dominio Pingus Ribera del Duero Flor de Pingus - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (22.9.2022)
100% Tinto Fino from multiple parcels in Ribera del Duero. Fermented partly in whole bunches with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks, macerated for 2-3 weeks. Aged for 16 months in partly new (normally around 1/3) French oak barriques. 15,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Dense, youthful and completely opaque, pitch-black appearance. The nose feels very big, noticeably ripe and even slightly boozy with dense, extracted and very concentrated aromas of black cherries, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of blackcurrant jam, light pruney tones, a green hint of minty lift, a touch of alcohol heat and a whiff of cocoa powder. The wine feels, dense, extracted and noticeably ripe on the palate with a very full body and concentrated, sweetly-fruited flavors of soft dark plums and overripe black cherries, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of molten dark chocolate, light earthy notes, a hint of extracted woody bitterness and a touch of blackcurrant marmalade. The overall feel is very big, hot and robust - almost porty - but structurally the wine feels relatively soft for such an extracted wine, thanks to its medium acidity and ample but very ripe and quite gently grippy tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is powerful, hot and moderately grippy with an extracted and somewhat sweet-toned aftertaste of wizened black cherries, some extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of toasty oak spice, light mocha tones, a hint of blackcurrant marmalade and a touch of prunes. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a hot and boozy note.
A huge, too extracted and borderline overripe Ribera del Duero that is lacking in finesse, structure and complexity. This feels like a wine where the only thing that matters is the level of ripeness, concentration and extraction. The fruit here feels super-ripe, super-concentrated and a bit too sweet-toned to be taken seriously, whereas structurally I find the wine wanting badly. There's definitely a lot of tannins here, but they feel very ripe and gentle, thus they don't really bring enough firmness nor make up for the lack of acidity here. But probably the worst thing here is the ridiculously high alcohol, which makes the wine feel rather hot at times and - along with the sweet-toned fruit flavors - almost porty. Sure, this lumbering giant of a wine is very big and impactful, but to me, it is just way too unbalanced for pleasure. Not my thing.
(84 points) -
2003 Dominio Pingus Ribera del Duero Flor de Pingus - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (22.9.2022)
100% Tinto Fino from multiple parcels in Ribera del Duero. Fermented partly in whole bunches with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks, macerated for 2-3 weeks. Aged for 14 months in partly new (normally around 1/3) French oak barriques. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Luminous, moderately evolved and slightly translucent dark garnet color. Intense and moderately developed nose with aromas of wizened dark fruits, some raisiny tones, a little bit of savory and slightly peppery spice, light woody notes of savory oak, a tertiary hint of meat stew, a touch of sweet vanilla and a hot whiff of alcohol. The wine feels ripe, silky and complex on the palate with a full body and ripe, bold flavors of wizened cherries, some meaty notes of umami, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a toasty, chocolatey hint of mocha oak and a raisiny touch of evolved dried fruit character. The medium acidity doesn't do much about structure, so most of the firmness relies on the ample and rather grippy tannins. The dark-toned finish is savory, moderately grippy and somewhat warm with rich, evolved and quite lengthy flavors of wizened black cherries and dried figs, some sweet notes of toasted mocha oak, light bittersweet nuances of dark chocolate, a fruity hint of fresh dark berries and a touch of meat stew.
A bold, big and weighty Ribera del Duero that has started to lose some of that weight and baby fat, yet still comes across as quite fleshy and even somewhat ponderous. Although the wine is by no means a lightweight effort, it comes across as pretty sophisticated compared to the hulking 2011 vintage that was tasted alongside this. Still, the warm 2003 vintage shows quite a bit here as the wine is so noticeably ripe and age has only accentuated those raisiny tones with the evolved pruney flavors. The acidity also feels quite inadequate for a wine of this size. All in all, this is an enjoyably evolved powerhouse of a wine, but it feels like it has never been particularly fresh or elegant in style and no amount of aging will rectify that. Good, but nothing particularly exciting.
(88 points) -
1995 Romano Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Superiore (22.9.2022)
Typically a blend of Corvina (70%), Rondinella (20%), Croatina (5%) and Oseleta (5%) from the Monte Lodoletta vineyard. Although the wine is labeled as "Valpolicella Superiore", it's vinified almost like an Amarone: the grapes are dried in a ventilated room for 1,5 months following the harvest. After the grapes have been raisinated, the wine is fermented and macerated in stainless steel for two weeks. Aged in new oak barriques for 24 months, after the wine is filtered and bottled. The wine is not released before aging in bottles for a minimum of three years. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Slightly opaque and moderately evolved blackish-red color with a developed maroon hue. The nose feels very rich, intense and slightly lifted with robust aromas of cherry marmalade and ripe black cherries, some dried figs, a little bit of new leather, light toasty oak tones, a hint of minty greenness, a touch of peppery spice and a whiff of ethery VA. The wine is bold, powerful and quite extracted on the palate with a full body and intense, developed flavors of wizened plums and sour cherry bitterness, leathery tones, some savory wood spice, light balsamic tones, a little bit of ferrous blood, a tertiary hint of meat stew and a green touch of minty lift. The overall feel is surprisingly firm and structured despite the big size of the wine, thanks to both the high acidity and the ample and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is dense, extracted and grippy with a long, robust aftertaste of ripe sour cherries, savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of sour red plum, light earthy notes, a hint of balsamic VA and a sweeter touch of prunes. The wine ends on a somewhat warm note with a streak of herbal amaro bitterness that slowly grows in intensity.
Once again, I guessed this was a modernist Amarone, perhaps Riserva Amarone, around 15-20 years old. Well, it turned out to be Dal Forno Valpolicella, which is a Valpolicella in name only, stylistically much closer to an Amarone than a Valpolicella - so in that sense I was sort of correct. And while I really haven't liked any younger Dal Forno Valpolicellas, as they are just way too "winemaker wines" with their overdone extraction, excessive alcohol and obfuscating new oak influence, they do seem to pick up some complexity and sense of finesse after enough aging - from what I've now seen, this means +20 years. All in all, this was a relatively enjoyable and surprisingly refined effort for a Dal Forno Valpolicella - and so much better than the massively big, porty and rather volatile 1995 Dal Forno Amarone that was tasted at the same time.
(92 points) -
1995 Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella (22.9.2022)
Typically a blend of Corvina (60%), Rondinella (20%), Croatina (10%) and Oseleta (10%) from the Monte Lodoletta vineyard. The grapes are dried in a ventilated room for 3 months following the harvest. After the grapes have been raisinated, they are crushed and the wine is fermented and macerated with the skins in stainless steel for 15-17 days. After 2 to 2,5 weeks of maceration, the wine is pressed off the skins and moved to age in barriques, where the wine continues to slowly ferment over the following months - up to 18 months. The wine is aged in new oak barriques for 36 months, after which the wine is filtered and bottled. The wine is not released before aging in bottles for a minimum of three years. This vintage packs a ridiculous 17,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
There's a ton of sediment in the bottle - a careful decant is necessary. If the wine is decanted with a steady hand, it should look quite evolved and somewhat translucent dark reddish-colored with a developed maroon-brownish hue. The nose is ridiculously over-the-top with bold, sweet aromas of dried dark fruits, tons of ethery VA and huge smack of boozy alcohol. There are powerful notes of cherry jam and Sun-Maid raisins, some dried figs, a little bit of Play-Doh, light toasty notes of sweet oak spice and coffee liqueur, a hint of dried dates and a touch of Christmas spices. The wine feels dense, noticeably hot and very extracted on the palate with a ridiculously massive body. I mean, really. I've had some outlandishly huge Riserva Amarones, but they just dwarf in comparison. Even at 27 years of age, this wine has the density of a black hole. The overall feel is surprisingly sweetish, more or less half-dry, with so very powerful flavors of dried dates and raisins, grape jelly, some wizened figs, a little bit of balsamic VA, light volatile notes of medicinal ether, a toasty hint of milk chocolate and an almost syrupy touch of coffee liqueur. The voluptuous body doesn't get much support from the quite modest acidity and relatively ample tannins that are very ripe and resolved, contributing mainly to the satiny texture rather than to the structure. The finish is dense, very hot and off-dry with quite firm tannic grip and massively concentrated flavors of dried dates, some peppery spice, a little bit of savory wood spice, light raisiny tones, sweet lifted hints of ethery VA and balsamico and a touch of mocha oak.
This is by far the most massive wine I've tasted so far. I've had some very yuuuuge blockbusters, but the level of concentration, extraction and - well - everything here is at another level. But is it good? Well, not really. It's definitely a memorable experience to have those immensely powerful flavors thrown at you all at once, but then again, so is getting hit by a bus. This is definitely a good wine if you equate power, concentration and extraction with quality, but to me, this feels more like red wine reduction that is so unbalanced at so many levels. First of all, the fruit, body and concentration are not at all balanced with the structure - the wine is just a gloopy mess with a very, very powerful taste. Secondly, 17,5% alcohol? Really? That makes the wine feel excessively hot and porty - and not in a good way, as I do like Port wine. Thirdly, even if the wine is clocking in at 17,5% ABV, it still feels like there's some unfermented sugar there, boosting the already sweet-toned, overripe flavors even more. Sure, it is definitely possible that the wine is fermented dry and the raisiny notes give an illusion of sweetness, but then again, this wine tasted noticeably more sweeter than the 1995 Dal Forno Valpolicella that was tasted at the same time - and which seemed more or less fermented to complete dryness. Finally, the wine is just excessively volatile. I could live with the balsamic tones, but the fumey acetate notes reminiscent of medicinal ether are just way too much. They even jump at you if you try to pair the wine with something, like cheeses. So all in all, this was an impressive wine, but only from an academic point of view. I liked this wine a lot more than most other people in the tasting - and I didn't really enjoy the wine. I can see the Dal Forno Valpolicellas turn actually quite good with enough time, but this wine feels like it has been quite unbalanced from the beginning and it is only going to get worse with further aging. I remain rather unimpressed.
(86 points) -
NV Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Impérial - France, Champagne (22.9.2022)
An older bottle from the early-to-mid 1980's. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale amber color. Very evolved and rather tertiary nose with aromas of chopped nuts and browned butter, some raisiny notes of Sultanas, a little bit of caramel, light bruised apple tones, a hint of light roast coffee and a toasty touch of brioche. The wine feels aged, dry and quite brisk on the palate with a sparse, silky and still relatively persistent mousse, a medium body and beautifully complex flavors of bruised flavors and chopped hazelnuts, some caramel tones, a little bit of ripe citrus fruits, light marzipan tones, a hint of orange marmalade and an evolved, creamy touch of custard-filled brioche. The rather high acidity lends great brightness and sense of freshness to the wine. The finish is long, very complex and subtly sweet-toned with a dry-ish aftertaste of bruised apple, some caramel, light sweeter notes of toffee, a little bit of browned butter, a hint of chopped nuts and a toasty touch of French toast.
Although I've not been a fan of the recent Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial bottlings, these older bottles have consistently been nothing short of amazing. Even at 40 years of age, the wine feels remarkably vibrant and full of life despite all its tertiary qualities. The age definitely shows here, but at the same time the wine feels much younger than many Champagnes with less age. Fantastic stuff.
(96 points) -
NV Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve - France, Champagne (22.9.2022)
A bottle estimated to be from the early-to-mid 1980's. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Very deep bronze color with an evolved nutty-brown hue. The nose feels sweet, complex and quite tertiary with layered aromas of toasty autolysis, caramel, some orange marmalade, light nutty tones, a little bit of apple jam, a creamy hint of custard pastry and a touch of bruised quince. The wine feels balanced, harmonious and very evolved on the palate with a sparse, gently prickly carbonation, a medium body and tertiary flavors of peanut butter and caramel, some bruised apple, a little bit of ripe orange, light steely mineral tones, a hint of dusty walnuts and a touch of freshly ground coffee. The high acidity lends great sense of intensity and structure to the wine. The finish is long, complex and tertiary with a dry aftertaste of chopped nuts and bruised apple, some browned butter tones, a little bit of steely minerality, light caramel nuances, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of creamy custard.
A wonderfully complex and beautifully evolved NV Champagne that is in a delicious spot right now. Perhaps the wine has been kept a tad too long, as it feels it might've lost some of its intensity and vibrancy to age, but as it still hasn't fallen apart yet and even retains some carbonation, I must admit this is still in a fantastic condition given its age. Superlative stuff, these older Heidsiecks never seem to disappoint.
(94 points) -
1979 Fetzer Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino (22.9.2022)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendocino. Aged for 11 months in American oak barriques. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Evolved, somewhat translucent dried-blood color with an aged syrupy-brown hue. The nose feels quite ripe yet still relatively herbaceous and weedy at the same time with aromas of fresh blackcurrants, some bretty notes of barnyard funk, a little bit of Band-Aid, light leafy green tones, a hint of licorice root, a touch of decomposing old wood and a whiff of prunes. All in all, the nose is enjoyably evolved and quite wonderfully old-school. The wine feels dry, evolved and savory on the palate with a medium body and moderately tertiary flavors of wizened forest fruits and licorice, some raisiny tones, a little bit of old leather, light leafy green nuances, a hint of barnyardy funk and a touch of prunes. The overall feel is still wonderfully firm and structure-driven, thanks to the moderately high acidity and still rather assertive and grippy tannins. The dry, complex and moderately grippy finish feels quite persistent with a savory aftertaste of wizened blackcurrants and old leather, some earthy tones, a little bit of leafy herbaceous character, light juicy notes of ripe dark berries, a hint of black tea and a sweeter touch of prunes.
A wonderfully evolved, textural and still nicely structure-driven Cab that is a far cry from the huge, sweet and fruity Cali Cabs of today. The style here was a bit more ripe and sunny what you would've expected from an aged Bordeaux, which made me guess Cali Cab with my first guess - otherwise I would've gone for proper Left Bank claret without a doubt. Lovely stuff that is most likely at its peak now and will stay there for many more years. I wish we could have wines like this still today - although nothing truly exceptional, this is stylistically right in my wheelhouse. Recommended!
(93 points) -
1968 Niepoort Porto Colheita - Portugal, Douro, Porto (22.9.2022)
Tasted blind.
Deep, dark and very evolved nutty brown color with a rich, syrupy-brown core. The nose feels rich, sweet and somewhat hot with aromas of treacle, some caramel, a little bit of roasted walnut, light fruity notes of wizened figs, a hint of dusty old wood and a touch of sun-baked earth. The wine feels sweet, rich and silky on the palate with a full body and complex flavors of caramel and syrupy treacle, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of savory exotic spices, light boozy notes of aguardente, oxidative hints of roasted hazelnuts and aldehydic salinity and a touch of orange marmalade. Despite the richness and sense of weight, the wine retains wonderful sense of balance and freshness, thanks to its moderately high acidity. The finish is hot, sweet and very persistent with complex flavors of hazelnuts and bruised apple, some caramel tones, a little bit of marzipan or slivered almonds, light old woody tones, a hint of savory spices and a touch of sun-baked sandy soil.
A fantastic, complex and wonderfully harmonious Tawny Port with remarkable sense of depth and surprising freshness. There's definitely some obvious sweetness, but the age has made some of the residual sugar sweetness disappear, turning it into this concentrated tertiary fruit character that lends more power and flavor intensity instead of just sweetness. An impactful, impressive and delicious Port wine. Very lovely indeed.
(95 points) -
2008 Vranken Champagne Diamant Bleu Blanc de Blancs Brut - France, Champagne (22.9.2022)
100% Chardonnay. No idea when the wine was disgorged. 12,5% alcohol.
Medium-deep yellow-green color. Quite expressive nose of autolytic toast and yeasty tones, ripe citrus fruits, some bruised Granny Smith apple, a little bit of brioche, light nutty tones of slivered almonds and a hint of chalky minerality. The taste is quite similar to the nose, perhaps showing even a bit more autolytic notes than fruit. The overall feel is fresh, crunchy and pretty youthful with complex flavors of toasty bread and autolytic nuttiness, some ripe yellow fruit tones, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light chalky mineral nuances, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of sappy green fruit. Fine, silky mousse and bright, high acidity. The palate-cleansing finish is crisp, fresh and lively with a long, dry aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and steely minerality, some leesy notes of autolysis, a little bit of brioche, light chalky tones and a hint of nuttiness.
A very nice, fresh and enjoyably toasty Blanc de Blancs with good sense of autolytic complexity, bright fruit and cool minerality. The wine retains that lovely, zippy freshness of a good BdB but is also starting to developed some of that toasty complexity great BdBs develop with age. Very enjoyable now, but is also showing great promise for future development. Terrific stuff for people who like their BdBs with some toasty autolysis.
(92 points)
Posted from CellarTracker