Had a bit of an impromptu hook up with a few mates from Adelaide today. We went to Otherness in Angaston, which is outstanding. It should be booked out every service and if you are in the Barossa, just go! Anyway, there was no direction as to what wine to bring along, so a few of us brought a bottle. A scintillating bracket of Caillerets ensued, unplanned! We drank well either side of this outstanding Chassagne 1er Cru.
2020 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Großes Gewächs : From magnum, this thing was terrific. Smoky, slatey minerality invades the nostrils. Lime and lemon fruits follow. It is intense yet contained. It is compact and linear and has a hint of chamomile and blossom. Length is superb.
2021 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos du Cailleret : Elegance personified. Subtle orchard fruit notes with mineral and spice. A hint of spearmint too. Layered in the mouth. Wonderful mineral tension just below the flesh. Balanced and possesses latent power. Delicious now but better in 3-5 years.
2022 Lamy-Caillat Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets : Everything is so sharp and clear; you can see it all. Concentrated white peach fruit, aniseed spice and saline minerality. Squint inducing intensity but no hard edges. Layers of flavour, fabulous volume and presence. Mineral and citrus cut and length for days. Exciting wine.
2022 Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets : A little plumper than the Ramonet and Lamy-Caillat but beguiling wine none the less. Sappy orchard fruits and smoky mineral. Some wood spice showing. A fruit sweet heart and nice minerally line. Flesh over stones. Long and penetrating.
2023 Forey Père et Fils Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Petits Monts : A gorgeous nose of pomegranate, raspberry, strawberry aniseed and rose petal. It has such rich and delicious fruit flavours, so pretty and perfectly ripe and juicy. It is perfumed and engaging yet lacks no substance, as the wine’s ample minerally structure becomes evident with air. Finishes with good cut and expands. Great persistence.
2005 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia: A nice bottle. Still some cherry fruit at its heart but also quite mature. Porcini, earth, decaying rose and balsamic. Mid-weight and balanced, velvety through the palate and a gentle flex of sinewy muscle to the finish.
2006 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone: Under screwcap, this thing has aged majestically. A nose of wild sage, smoked meats, blood plum and menthol. Full and fleshy, good fruit intensity and plenty of spice. Rich and layered but elegant and balanced. Perfectly ripe tannins carry the long finish.
2003 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel: Initially smells of Muscat-like fruit. There’s ripe citrus and peach fruits along with notes of honey too. It is complex and fresh, with a low acid feel but no shortage of energy. Length is excellent and each sip invites another. Still very youthful but drinking very well.
