Yet another entry in the never-ending series of Stuff @AskoKassinen makes us drink!
(Here are some previous entries:
Stuff Asko makes us drink: Retro Cellars
Stuff Asko makes us drink: Santa wines
Stuff Asko makes us drink: Töövi wines
Dunn Dunn Dunn… (Stuff Asko makes us drink)
Stuff Asko makes us drink: old Ravenswood Zinfandels
Stuff Asko makes us drink: His own wines
Stuff Asko makes us drink: His own wines, again
Stuff Asko makes us drink: White wines
Stuff Asko makes us drink: old Ravenswood)
No blind wines, just bunch of heavy hitters. Me and Asko heckle each other how I like wimpy, flavorless and weedy wines whereas Asko likes clumsy fruit bombs with no sense of finesse whatsoever.
This time Asko decided to throw a tasting on some of those bigger wines from his cellar - along with a fizzy trio to cleanse our palates before the onslaught of fruit, oak and extraction.
Some of the wines we tasted were quite heavy and ponderous for my palate, but most of the wines were really fine indeed. Especially the Grgich Cabs are always a delight - often stylistically more “Bordeaux” than contemporary Bordeaux - and Vin de Constance always seems to blow me away, no matter the vintage. While the lows were quite low, the highs here were really high. Even if this was a tasting of rather big wines, it was one I gladly took part of!
- NV Champagne Gruet Pinot Blanc Champagne Brut - France, Champagne (1.10.2024)
100% Pinot Blanc. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks. 12% alcohol.
Pale yellow-green color. The nose feels crisp, linear and a bit yeasty with aromas of Granny Smith apple, some mineral notes of chalk dust, light grapefruit nuances and an autolytic hint of white bread. The wine feels leesy, high-strung and quite neutral on the palate with a rather light body and somewhat linear flavors of Granny Smith apple, some mineral notes of chalk dust, a little bit of crunchy whitecurrants, light woolly nuances of lanolin, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of leesy yeast. The mousse feels fine, smooth and creamy. With its rather bracing acidity, the wine comes across as rather lean, and due to its rather linear flavor department, the overall feel comes across as somewhat austere. The finish is crisp, salty and somewhat short with a more or less bone-dry aftertaste of Granny Smith apple, some steely mineral notes, light chalk dust tones and a hint of salinity.
A crisp, racy and somewhat neutral Champagne with good sense of freshness and minerality, but very little of anything beyond that. Usually Pinot Blanc Champagnes tend to be fruitier and rounder than Blanc de Blanc Chardonnays, but this is as lean and tightly-wound as any young BdB. I don't expect the wine to develop much additional depth with further aging - it might pick some oxidative complexity with enough aging, but I doubt any amount of aging is going to coax out any toasty autolytic nuances. Sadly a somewhat underwhelming effort. Perhaps a bit pricey for the quality at 36,90€.
(85 points) - NV Derot-Delugny Pinot Gris Champagne Cuvée des Fondateurs - France, Champagne (1.10.2024)
100% Fromenteau aka. Pinot Gris - probably the only one of its kind. Aged for 2 to 4 years sur lattes. I have no idea about the base vintage or when the wine was disgorged, but perhaps in 2021 or 2022. 12% alcohol.
Very pale, almost colorless whitish-yellow appearance. The nose feels very subtle and fine-tuned with light aromas of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some ripe yellow fruits, light honeyed tones, a hint of chalky minerality and a nutty touch of almond. The wine feels dry and a bit neutral on the palate with a light-to-medium body and slightly reticent flavors of tart Granny Smith apple, some crunchy golden currant tones, a little bit of steely minerality, light sweeter nuances of honeydew melon, a nutty hint of chopped almonds and a faint touch of bready autolysis. The rather high acidity keeps the overall feel in good balance, and the rather crisp yet fine and enjoyably persistent mousse adds nicely to the sense of freshness. The finish is quite long but also somewhat light and a bit neutral with a dry-ish aftertaste of mealy yellow apple, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of salinity, light nutty notes of chopped almonds and autolytic hints of yeast and white bread.
While a Champagne made entirely with Pinot Gris is definitely a curiosity, this wine is more about academic curiosity than anything groundbreaking. Somewhat neutral and a bit light in overall feel, the wine doesn't really bring anything interesting to the table. I guess the somewhat yellow-toned fruit profile might come from Pinot Gris, but apart from that, there is nothing that would make you think that "this must be a bubbly Pinot Gris!" when tasting this blind. This was just a normal and somewhat generic Champagne with no thrills or frills. Priced according to its quality at 28,90€.
(88 points) - NV Champagne Gruet Champagne Cuvée Arbane Brut - France, Champagne (1.10.2024)
100% Arbanne - probably one of four of five such Champagnes in existence. No idea about the base vintage or the date of disgorgement, but the lot number says "2F/13A/I19". 12% alcohol.
Youthful, almost colorless whitish-green appearance. The nose feels quite noticeably fruit-forward with expressive aromas of white peach, some fresh Golden Delicious apple, light leesy notes of yeast, a little bit of ripe pear and guava, a hint of aromatic green herbs and a floral touch of apple blossom. The wine feels somewhat ripe, rather broad and pretty fruit-driven yet still fresh and dry on the palate with a medium body and balanced yet a bit reticent flavors of white peach, some leesy autolysis, a little bit of fresh pear, light herby tones, a hint of stony minerality and a faint, slightly weird touch of something vaguely plastic-y. The high acidity makes the overall feel fresh, precise and structured, while the fine, ample and persistent mousse contributes to the sense of energy and volume. The finish feels quite ripe yet dry with a fresh and pretty long aftertaste of crunchy Golden Delicious apple, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of fresh pear, light leesy notes of autolysis, a hint of ripe white peach and a touch of apple peel bitterness.
A balanced, thoroughly enjoyable and quite noticeably fruit-forward Champagne, where the flavor profile is dominated by a fruit profile somewhat atypical for a Champagne - instead of the typical appley-citrussy notes, the wine also exhibits nuances of white peach, fresh pear and even guava, along with some aromatic green herby tones. The richness of the fruit profile makes the wine come across as pretty ripe, but then the brisk acidity and those herby nuances point into to the opposite direction. While not a particularly complex or impressive Champagne in any way, this is still a somewhat idiosyncratic effort in style, and enjoyably harmonious as a whole. A lovely example of the rare varietal Arbanne Champagne, but perhaps a tad pricey for the quality at 49,95€ - although not prohibitively so.
(90 points) - 2004 Pedroncelli Petite Sirah - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (1.10.2024)
100% Petite Sirah from Dry Creek Valley. 14,5% alcohol.
Dense, fully opaque blackish-red color that doesn't seem young nor particularly evolved. The nose feels brooding, sweet-toned and quite toasty with somewhat tertiary aromas of raisiny dark fruit, some chocolatey notes of toasty mocha oak, a little bit of ripe plummy fruit, light cedary oak notes, a hint of blueberry jam and an oxidative touch of soy sauce. The wine feels evolved, savory and moderately oaky on the palate with a rather full body and quite tertiary flavors of blackcurrant jam, some sweet notes of toasty oak spice and vanilla, light juicy plummy tones, a little bit of dill, a hint of raisiny dark fruit and an oxidative touch of soy sauce. There seems to linger a suggestion of sweet, almost buttery diacetyl somewhere in the background. The wine is moderately high in acidity, but true to Petite Sirah, the structure relies mostly on the ample and still pretty grippy tannins. The finish is dry yet juicy and pretty grippy with a long, noticeably oaky aftertaste of dried figs, some sweet notes of vanilla and toasty oak spice, a little bit of dill, light evolved notes of raisiny dark fruit and meaty umami, a hint of blackcurrant jam and a touch of chocolatey mocha coffee.
I was baffled how extremely different this wine was compared to the 2001 vintage we tasted a few years ago. That one was savory, firm and funky with a healthy dose of brett, whereas this was sweetly-fruited, jammy and heavily oaked with a considerably more evolved overall feel, with all the raisiny notes and tertiary nuances of soy sauce. Where I found the 2001 terrific, I found this 2004 vintage rather disappointing. Not bad or unpleasant - especially the firm structure here was just on point - but aromatically and taste-wise something I just can't get excited about. A shame. Then again, I guess that at just 16,90€, the wine was priced more or less according to its quality.
(84 points) - 2016 Kukkula Aatto - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Adelaida District (1.10.2024)
The name is Finnish for "eve", as in Christmas Eve, or New Year's Eve. A blend of Counoise (46%), Mourvèdre (35%) and Grenache (19%). 15,1% alcohol and 5,1 g/l acidity.
Pale, quite translucent and somewhat evolved pomegranate color. The nose feels fragrant, floral and remarkably Pinot Noir-like with aromas of ripe cranberries and wild strawberries, some boreal foresty notes, light savory nuances of wood spice, a little bit of earth, a sweet hint of lifted VA and a developed touch of wizened dark berries. The wine feels silky, nuanced and moderately ripe yet still rather dry on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and nuanced flavors of ripe cranberries, some wild strawberry tones, a little bit of foresty Pinosity, light fragrant nuances of old leather and dried flowers, a hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of pipe tobacco. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate, and the overall feel is a bit on the soft and gentle side due to the medium acidity and mellow, supple tannins. The finish is silky, mellow and quite savory with a medium-to-moderately long aftertaste of ripe cranberry, some wild strawberry tones, a little bit of spicy Pinosity, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of pipe tobacco and a touch of dried dark berries.
A pretty lovely, nuanced and pleasant red that had a remarkably prominent streak of Pinosity - especially when you take into account that there is no Pinot Noir here! Had I tasted the wine blind, I would've been pretty certain this was a new world Pinot Noir, perhaps from California (due to the somewhat noticeable, yet not excessively high alcohol) - never in my mind I would've anticipated the wine to be a Californian Rhône blend! I guess you can make surprisingly delicate and sophisticated reds in California after all - as long as the wine is composed of Counoise for the most part! A lovely little drop, but maybe a tad pricey for the quality at 48,99€. I'd say the wine is at its plateau of maturity, or near it - most likely additional aging will not make the wine get better, but I doubt the wine is going to fall apart anytime soon, either.
(90 points) - 2014 Kukkula Sisu - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Adelaida District (1.10.2024)
A blend of Syrah (50%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Grenache (20%). 15,1% alcohol.
Deep, dark and slightly translucent plummy red color with a somewhat evolved maroon hue. The nose feels ripe, dark-toned and quite heavily Syrah-driven with aromas of tapenade and Kalamata olives, some gamey tones, a little bit of ripe blackberry, light cigar notes, subtly funky hints of leather and smoky phenolic spice, a ferrous touch of blood and a whiff of fresh blackcurrant. The wine feels dry, firm and sinewy on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of ripe blackberries and boysenberries, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of olive and tapenade, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of woodsy oak spice. The overall feel is a bit warm but also enjoyably balanced with the rather high acidity and sufficiently firm medium tannins. The finish is long, savory and gently grippy with a nuanced aftertaste of dark plums and ripe boysenberries, some meaty notes of umami, a little bit of tapenade and salty olive, light smoky notes of phenolic spice, juicy hints of sweet blackberries and blueberries and a touch of peppery spice.
A wonderfully sophisticated, nuanced and harmonious red that nods deep into the direction of Northern Rhône with its surprisingly dominant Syrah aromatics and flavors. However, the wine feels maybe a bit more ripe, plummy and texturally open-knit than what you'd expect from a Northern Rhône Syrah, so I guess it would make more sense to describe this SMG stylistically as "Northern Rhône meets Californian Southern Rhône". I've never been a big fan of Southern Rhône blends nor Californian Rhône blends, but I enjoyed this wine quite a bit. It is starting to show some age now, at 10 years of age, but I can see the wine still aging, evolving and improving for little bit more. Drink or keep. Priced according to its quality at 52,98€.
(92 points) - 2016 Bodegas Pingón Ribera del Duero Carramimbre Crianza - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (1.10.2024)
A blend of Tempranillo (90%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). 14% alcohol. Tasted blind from a magnum.
Very deep and dark, only very slightly translucent blackish-red color with a subtly evolved maroon hue. The nose feels dark-toned and rather sweetly-fruited with aromas of ripe blueberries, some toasty notes of chocolatey mocha oak, light sweet plummy tones, a little bit of ripe black raspberry, a hint of cherry marmalade jellies, a touch of licorice and a whiff of cassis. The wine feels youthful, fruit-driven and rather sweet-toned with a full body and quite lush flavors of sweet red plums, some ripe blackcurrant and blueberry tones, a little bit of licorice, light youthful marmaladey notes of cherry jellies, a hint of toasty mocha oak and a touch of vanilla. The structure relies more on the ripe, moderately grippy medium tannins than on the modest acidity. The finish is youthful, juicy and somewhat grippy with a lush, sweetly-fruited aftertaste of ripe bilberries and blackcurrants, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of tobacco, light toasty oak notes of milk chocolate, a hint of licorice root and a candied primary touch of cherry jellies.
This was more or less identical to the bottle I had tasted a few years earlier, so let me just quote myself here: this wine is a mellow and approachable crowdpleaser of a wine with no sense of structure and relatively little sense of place. With its polished, soft and anonymous overall feel with no distinguishing features, it was as impossible to try to place this wine anywhere in the world as the last time. I really do hope that the wine would pick up some depth and complexity as it ages and loses those sweet, candied primary fruit flavors, but with this low acidity I ain't holding my breath. This is a wine I just can't get excited about, no matter how hard I tried.
(81 points) - 2010 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (1.10.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (91%), Petit Verdot (5%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Merlot (1%) from organically dry-farmed vineyards mainly in Yountville, with some grapes sourced from Calistoga and Rutherford. Fermented and macerated with the skins for four weeks. Aged for 21 months in new (60%) and once used (40%) French oak barrels. 14,7% alcohol, 5,5 g/l acidity and pH 3,62. Total production 14,290 cases.
Quite dense and more or less fully opaque blackish-red color with a somewhat translucent cherry-red rim. The cool, classically styled nose feels remarkably old-school Bordeaux with complex, savory aromas of fresh dark plums and blackcurrants, some herbaceous leafy tones, a little bit of tobacco, light sweeter notes of ripe raspberries, a woody hint of cedar, a floral touch of elderflowers and a whiff of smoke. The wine feels moderately ripe yet still wonderfully dry and sinewy on the palate with a moderately full body and intense flavors of blackcurrants and fresh dark plums, some herbaceous leafy tones and nuances of roasted bell pepper, a little bit of tobacco, light gravelly mineral notes, a woody hint of pencil shavings and a touch of minty greenness. The texture is silky and the overall feel is harmonious, yet the wine is still wonderfully firm and structure-driven, thanks to its high acidity and still quite ample and rather grippy tannins. The dark-toned finish is ripe and slightly warm but also pretty dry with a long, intensely-flavored aftertaste of fresh blackcurrants, some dark plummy tones, light herbaceous leafy and minty notes, a little bit of woody oak spice, sweeter hints of dark forest fruits and a touch of bell pepper.
A beautifully complex, classically styled and impressively structured Napa Cab that feels remarkably Bordelais in overall feel. This is pretty much as old-school as Napa Cabs can get; although the level of alcohol might be high and the flavor intensity is very impressive, the wine is not about juicy, sweet-toned ripe fruit and impactful new oak - no, the emphasis is heavily on structure and in the flavor department the savory non-fruit elements are as important as the fruit flavors. And in a time where wines are all about lush ripe fruit, it is delightful to come across a wine exhibiting some herbaceous leafy nuances that serve as a wonderful counterpoint to the vibrant fruit department. I guess it is not a surprise, but Grgich Hills continues to be one of my favorite Napa Cab producers. At 69€ this has been a great purchase.
(95 points) - 2007 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (1.10.2024)
100% estate-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Aged for 32 months in French oak barriques (100% new). 13,9% alcohol.
Dense, fully opaque and quite extracted blackish color. The nose feels somewhat sweetly-fruited yet not too ripe with aromas of juicy blackcurrants and fresh dark berries, some inky tones, a little bit of loose tobacco, light herbaceous leafy notes, a hint of minty greenness and a touch of toasty oak spice. The wine feels dry, harmonious and even somewhat airy on the palate with a rather full body and intense flavors of juicy blackcurrants and fresh bilberries, some crunchy notes of tart dark plums, a little bit of leafy greenness, light toasty oak tones, a hint of inky character and a touch of gravelly minerality. The combination of intense yet rather fresh fruit flavors, high acidity and still moderately grippy tannins make the wine feel remarkably balanced - open-knit, yet firm and structure-driven. The finish is long, dry and quite grippy with an intense aftertaste of dark fruits, some ripe blackcurrant notes, a little bit of leafy herbaceous character, light inky tones, a hint of minty greenness and a brooding touch of sweet, toasty oak spice.
A beautiful, serious and remarkably balanced Napa Cab. Tasting this next to 2010 Grgich Hills Estate Cab, it felt like the Grgich wine could've passed off as a Bordeaux, whereas this Howell Mountain had a more obvious Napa presence - and that is not to say that the wine was noticeably ripe or oaky blockbuster wine! On the contrary, the wine was remarkably fresh - airy, even - for a 2007 Napa, a vintage known to produce some very ripe and even monolithic wines. This is a textbook example of a truly fine Napa Cab; a wine that is very much about that vibrant Cabernet fruit, but also showing wonderful sense of freshness, harmony and restraint. As the wine doesn't really show any obvious tertiary qualities now, at +15 years of age, I can see it evolving and improving for at least another decade, if not several. Drink now or keep - neither is a bad choice. Perhaps a bit pricey for the quality at approx. 140€, though.
(94 points) - 1985 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (1.10.2024)
100% estate-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. Aged for 32 months in French oak barriques (100% new). 13% alcohol.
Slightly translucent and somewhat evolved blackish-red color with a subtle mahogany hue. The nose feels a bit dull and dusty - most likely slightly corked - with subtle nuances of leafy greenness, some sweet notes of dried blackcurrants, a hint of wizened black cherry and a touch of dry old wood. The wine feels dry, dull and a bit hollow on the palate with a medium body and somewhat tertiary flavors of dusty attic, some wizened blackcurrant tones, a little bit of earth, light gamey nuances and a hint of minty greenness. The wine is high in acidity with still moderately grippy tannins. The finish is dry, short and quite grippy with a light aftertaste of dusty earth, some earthy tones, a little bit of dried blackcurrant and a hint of leafy greenness.
A slightly corked bottle. There were no obvious, off-putting mildewy notes of TCA - the wine was just dull and hollow with a dusty overall feel. Not on par with the bottle we tasted earlier this year.
(NR/flawed) - 2015 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5° - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (1.10.2024)
A blend of Tinto Fino (95%) and Merlot (5%). Released after the fifth year of aging, hence the "fifth" in the name. Aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels, mainly new and partially old, along with old 8,500-liter oak vats. 14,5% alcohol. Bottle #160044 of total 173,673 bottles (plus 5025 magnums, 388 three-liter, 32 six-liter and 5 nine-liter bottles).
Dense, deep and fully opaque blackish-red color with a luminous ruby rim. The nose feels dark-toned and quite savory with aromas of dark plums and licorice root, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of sweeter toasty oak, light blueberry tones, a hint of ripe black cherry, a touch of vanilla and a whiff of cocoa dust. The wine feels ripe, chewy and somewhat concentrated on the palate with a very full body and bold flavors of dark plums and blueberries, some vanilla tones, light toasty notes of chocolatey mocha oak, a little bit of licorice, a hint of juicy black cherry and a touch of pipe tobacco. Despite its substantial size and considerable ripeness, the wine does show pretty good sense of balance with its moderately high acidity and ample, grippy tannins. The finish is dense, powerful and tannic with a long, dark-toned aftertaste of juicy dark plums and ripe blackcurrants, some toasty mocha oak tones, a little bit of blueberry, light vanilla tones, a hint of coffee and a touch of licorice root.
This feels like rather colossal wine that is built to impress, not to be particularly drinkable. In our tasting of already rather sizeable wines, this wine still managed to feel BIG. I have to admit that even then the wine managed to show surprising sense of balance with its impressive structure - although the wine didn't really show much sense of freshness despite its relatively high acidity. This is just too ripe, concentrated and chewy wine with too much alcohol to feel fresh in any way. I guess with this much structure the wine can actually perform even as a food wine, but it's hard to come up with a dish that could stand up to a wine as massive as this. Although not the worst offender in its genre - not by a long shot, I actually found the wine pretty impressive in its own way - I find it hard to come up with a use case for this wine. Maybe use it as a show-off wine for people who equate size, ripeness and concentration with quality? All in all, I find Valbuena consistently to be a rather clumsy blockbuster in the Vega-Sicilia range, whereas Unico is always a lovely, well-proportioned and classically styled wine. Normally the flagship wines of many wineries tend to be stylistically too big and overdone for my taste, and I often prefer wines from the lower-tier range, but with Vega-Sicilia things seem to be completely the opposite.
(89 points) - 2010 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (1.10.2024)
A blend of Tinto Fino (94%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (6%). Aged for some almost 5½ years in new and old barriques made from French and American oak and in 20,000-liter vats, and then for a further 5 years in bottles. Released only after the wine was deemed ready. 14,5% alcohol. Bottle #56290 of total 85185 0,75-liter bottles (plus 3362 magnums, 228 three-liter and 36 six-liter bottles).
Quite dense and subtly translucent black cherry color with a subtly evolved pomegranate hue and a rather wide ruby rim. The nose feels quite sweet but also wonderfully complex and attractive with fragrant aromas of blueberries and elderberry juice, some blackberry tones, a little bit of dark plummy fruit, light notes of vanilla, a perfumed hint of floral lift, a touch of cigar and a smoky whiff of toasted character. The wine feels slightly dense and chewy, yet still remarkably airy and graceful on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of ripe dark fruits, some greenish minty and leafy notes, light blackcurrant and elderberry tones, a little bit of dill, a toasty hint of sweet oak spice and a touch of licorice root. The overall feel is firm and pretty structure-driven with the high acidity and ample yet ripe, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, complex and quite grippy with a ripe yet dry aftertaste of juicy blackcurrants, blueberries and slightly wizened dark fruits, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of sweet red plummy character, light vanilla nuances, green-toned hints of dill and mint and a touch of toasty oak spice.
Yet again, Único remains a wonderful Vega-Sicilia wine that is completely different from any other wine they produce; even if all their wines taste like the place they come from, all the other wines feel huge, ponderous and clumsy, whereas the stylistic expression with Único is so much more sophisticated - as if this was an old-school Bordeaux wine that was just made in Ribera del Duero. The wine is still very young with its intense and vibrant fruit flavors, still slightly unintegrated toasty oak tones and quite ample tannins, but it is nevertheless going in the right direction, and even if the wine is still miles away from its peak, it is perfectly enjoyable already now. This is a fantastic vintage of Único that holds tons of potential for future aging - even if the wine offers lots of pleasure at the moment, I'd happily wait for another 10-20 years with this wine. It is obviously built for the long haul. Very highly recommended.
(94 points) - 2010 Ridge Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (1.10.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (74%), Merlot (20%), Petit Verdot (4%) and Cabernet Franc (2%) from the Monte Bello vineyard. The harvest started on 3rd of October, and ended on 1st of November. Fully destemmed, fermented spontaneously parcel by parcel, macerated with the skins for 7 days. The wine was blended using 17 separate fermentation lots, selected from a total of 24 different ferments. Four lots received acidity corrections. Aged in new American (96%) and French (4%) oak barrels for 18 months. Dosed with 130 mg/l of SO2 during winemaking and aging. Bottled filtered. 13,2% alcohol.
Dark, dense and fully opaque blackish ruby-red color that stains the inside of the glass. The nose feels savory, nuanced and a bit understated with light yet attractive aromas of ripe blackcurrants and pipe tobacco, some minty green tones, a little bit of dusty sun-baked earth, light boysenberry notes, a hint of woody oak spice and a touch of vanilla. The wine feels firm, dry and sinewy on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of crunchy blackcurrants and bilberries, some brambly black raspberry tones, a little bit of fresh dark plum, light green minty notes, hints of woody oak spice and vanilla and a touch of gravelly minerality. The combination of high acidity and somewhat modest but still firm and grippy tannins make the wine come across as enjoyably structure-driven. The finish is dry, juicy and moderately grippy with a long, intense aftertaste of black raspberries and ripe blackcurrants, some woody tones, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light gravelly mineral notes, a hint of boysenberry and a touch of vanilla oak.
An impressive, firm and enjoyably structured Monte Bello that isn't that big or burly, but instead somewhat sinewy and a bit restrained in its overall presence. Unsurprisingly the wine is still very young and maybe even a bit backward. The nose is still a bit understated - even with some aeration - but showing lovely sense of nuance, depth and vibrancy. As the wine doesn't come across as particularly aged at 14 years of age - and it feels like it is holding back a bit - I can safely say that the wine still needs some time. It is undeniably a lovely wine already now, but there is a lot of potential for it to get even better with additional aging, so I heartily encourage not to hurry with this vintage. Still lots of upside here.
(93 points) - 1999 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance - South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia (1.10.2024)
100% Muscat Blanc. Harvested in several tries: first, about 10% of the crop is harvested early for the acidity; the remaining 90% of the crop is left to hang and harvested late, so the subsequent tries yield overripe grapes; slightly shrivelled grapes; and finally the remaining 10% of the crop as vine-dried raisins. The crushed grapes are left to soak in the must to soften the hardened skins of the dried grapes, and finally pressed hard to yield some tannins for additional structure. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for several years in 500-liter oak barrels. 14,5% alcohol.
Moderately evolved, pale nutty-brown color with a wide, golden-yellow rim. The perfumed nose feels ridiculously intense with complex aromas of maple syrup and bruised apple, light perfumed floral tones, a little bit of oxidative nuttiness, lactic hints of cooked cream and buttery richness, a touch of cloudberry jam and a whiff of savory wood spice. The wine feels sweet, balanced and very complex on the palate with a moderately full body and remarkably intense flavors of maple syrup, cloudberry jam and orange marmalade, some caramel tones, a little bit of bruised apple, light nutty oxidative nuances, sweet dried-fruit hints of Sultanas and dried apricot and a touch of beeswax. The high acidity lends not only great sense of freshness and structure to the wine, but it offsets some of the sweetness - that has also started to dry up a little bit with age. The finish is rather sweet yet still fresh, slightly sticky and remarkably long with a very intensely-flavored aftertaste of orange marmalade and wizened apricots, some floral spices, a little bit of beeswax, light woody nuances, dried-fruit hints of Sultanas and dried pineapple and a touch of bruised apple.
This continues to be one of the most remarkable sweet wines outside of Europe - the ridiculous flavor intensity, the sense of freshness and balance in the face of such immense richness, and the evolved complexity are quite stunning here. It's hard to say if the wine is truly capable of aging for exceptionally long periods of time, as it is already starting to feel quite evolved now, at 25 years of age. Most likely the wine is not going to fall apart anytime soon and most likely it will drink perfectly fine for another decade or even two, but I feel the wine has now reached its plateau of maturity and it is not going to improve in quality with further aging. Drink or keep. Very highly recommended.
(96 points)
Posted from CellarTracker