A crew of about a dozen random characters met up at the tasting room of a London wine shop last night for a tasting. Form was free-for-all, with the proviso that no person should bring wine that cost them in excess of 50GBP.
To Start:
- '98 Pol Roger, Brut Reserve – balanced and pleasant, if not sensational or thought provoking. Good yeast, typical toast and vanilla going on. I liked this, but I was expecting a bit more (89pts)
And then:
Whites
- '05 Savaterre Chardonnay – Wow – straight up oregeno on the nose. Smells just like a pizza that has been buried under an avalance of the stuff. Also tons of typically chardonnay butter/oak/vanilla, but it is the curious (and not bad!) herbal note that stands out. Very tight and tough on the palate. Came back to it two hours later and it was virtually unchanged (86?pts)
'08 Jamek - Gruner.V. Smaragd Ried Liebenberg – Refreshing nose of pears, with bits of light honey and melon. Good acid, and a finish that became more expressive and complex as the night went on. A little simple, but I liked it (89pts)
'90 Luneau-Papin Muscadet L D’Or – surprsingly, despite being 19 years old, this was very consistent with my experiences with other Luneau-papin wines. Nose was perhaps a bit richer, but the tradeoff was a much softer palate. We were all surprsied that someone would cellar this for 19 years…I think the wine was surprised too! (85pts)
90 Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Riesling Auslese – Similar to the LP, the nose showed great promise, with a very strong, sweet nose that suggested happiness would soon follow. Sadly, this wine has very little left in it. (81pts)
Reds
- '96 Bonneau du Martray, Corton Grand Cru - This was my WOTN. Asian nose of soy, sexy little asian spice and smoke. Great little red and black fruit action, with almost like a graphite component. Pretty complex, I daresay. (91-92pts)
'04 Roumier Chambolle Musigny - A fairly dissapointing showing, IMHO. No green meanines, I’m happy to report, but the fruit seemed a little light and the finish a bit harsh, and generally lacked complexity. In fairness, this was popped and poured, and I didn’t get a chance to retaste later in the evening, but this didn’t really blow any wind up my dress (84pts)
'97 Vigna Rionda Massolino, Barolo – Nice little guy. There was some VA/nail polish on the nose at first, but blew off after a few masterful swirls. Fairly classic Barolo, with nice notes of cherries, tobacco, and a distinct dusty component. Finishes with a bit of bitter chocolate, and could probably use another 3-7 years of rest before it really comes out of its cage (87-88pts)
'01 Something Japanese!? But cant bloody remember! — This was served blind, and we were meant to guess where it was from. Needless to say, no one guessed Japan. I said next tasting I go to a tasting I’m going to bring something from Ethiopa, so I could fit in with the cool kids. In any event, this was not good. Very dilluted, with not a whole lot going on until you get to the finish, which is short and mercifully easy to forget. We were asked to suggest what it should retail for. I believe conseus was ~8-10GPB (I am a buyer <4). (82pts)
'00 Ogier Cote Rotie – I have a bottle of this…but can’t remember if I’ve already consumed it…Anyway…started off quite stinky, but about 90 minutes later it was strutting its stuff. Pretty dark, with lots of plum and sauvage elements thoughout. Some complained that the wine felt a bit disjointed, which I could appreciate. Finish is pretty long and characteristic of Northern Rhone IMHO. (89pts)
'93 Domaine Tempier La Migoua, Bandol – Now…this guy and his brother got confused somewhere during the evening…so read these two notes with caution…as they may in fact be reversed. Migoua (?) still has a lot of life left in it, and is showing dark and brambly fruit with good length and richness. Lacking a bit of complexity on the mid-palate, but generally well made. (88pts)
'93 Domaine Tempier La Tourtine, Bandol – The Tourtine (?) on the other hand, feels pretty well OTH and is not drinking particularly well to me at the moment (83pts)
'82 Smith-Haut-Lafitte – Great USA BBQ nose (as opposed to the BBQ in the UK, which sucks!). Sadly, the wine is also about 3-7 years past its prime, IMHO. Palate is pretty soft and weak, but the finish has held up reasonably well. (87pts)
'93 Clos Mogador, Priorat – My notes from this wine aren’t particularly detailed, I’m afriad. Generally I thought it was fairly pleasant, but unremarkable, despite its age. (85pts)
'99 Finca Allende Calvario, Rioja – This was a nice surprise. Pretty rich and complex nose, that felt light on its feet, but still had a lot of complexity going on. On the palate, bright and happy fruit danced around a bit, with a very nice transition from the mid-palate to the finish. Quite nice (90pts)
'91 St Hallett Old Block Shiraz – Big, big wine. In fairness, for its age, this is showing a lot of stuffing, but just a bit thick and chunky for my taste. (83pts – but style is a key factor here)
'90 Leoville-Barton – served blind, I’m happy to report that I quickly narrowed it down to St. Julien, and guessed 1989 LLC. Typicaly left bank nose, with none of the softness found across the river. Despite generally being lean, this was a nice wine, with good character and a solid finish, but for the 120gbp that the group paid…it was a bit dissapointing (90-91pts)
To Finish:
- '95 Disznoko Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos – this had a wonderful nose of candy and clementines. good in the mouth as well, despite a bit of alcohol coming through (88pts)
'05 Domaine de Montesquiou Grappe d’Or, Jurançon – not my cup o tea. A bit dry and difficult to drink. (80pts)
'03 Quinta do Vesuvio, Port – popped and poured, this was like being punched in the face. Could be great in 30+ years, but this showing wasn’t great for me (80pts)
Wooo. A good time, though again, not sure there are more than 1-2 wines that I would have any interested in buying based on this experience.