Castello di Ama Rosato 2006
Thanks to Grazia. To be quite honest, no one in my family, with the possible exception of my sister, deems Rosé “wine”. My mother openly deplored the “waste of grape” material, my dad muttered a bit, yet drank between a third and half of the bottle’s content anyway. Despite our reservations, this is a rather good example of rosé, with a not too kitschy raspberry colour and main aroma and flavour, mild metal and pomegranate underpinning, and nice vinosity. Ultimately not complex, let alone deep enough to attract or keep one’s attention, but tasty enough and not too light. Rating: 85
Château Faizeau Montagne-Saint-Emilion 1989
Thanks to uncle Alex. Terrific fill and condition, I was not even aware he has got a wine cellar. Healthy garnet-ruby-black. Smoky tobacco, not too soft mature Merlot fruit, round and tasty and not too oaky, little minerality, still firm enough tannin, fair acidity, quite long. Turned a bit leady with airing. Despite its superficially positive attributes (ultimately not a very deep or interesting wine, but pretty enough and well-preserved), this somehow upset my stomach (and quickly), so that I decided not to have a second glass. Rating: 86-
Fonseca Vintage Port 1985
One of my favourite (three) Ports of the eighties, thanks to Ned. Still several years short of maturity, still needs extended airing, but open enough to give pleasure. Very deep ruby-black. Grapey and deep plum, macerated grape peel, black licorice and complex currant fruit, black cherry, complex spice and ginger notes, full-bodied, quite powerful, viscous but not too sweet, lovely firm, mouthwatering acids. Still shows that fairly creamy-thick mouthfeel. Persistent and long on the finish. Lacks the excessive volatility of so many 1985s, which is why it has always remained one of our top two of the vintage (the other being the Nacional). Shows nice complexity, but still has room to grow in this regard with bottle age. Rating: 96(+?)
Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud 2004
Deep purplish ruby, almost opaque, more watery at the rim. Retains some CO2, not visibly, noticeable both on the nose and palate. Lambrusco-like cherry, a little frozen raspberry, dried sage-flavoured tannin that is slightly rustic and bitter, and at least partly tinged by surmaturité. Relatively leady acidity is all right, but certainly not contributing to any sense of freshness. Seemingly sizeable wine for the money that ultimately lacks the concentration and density to buffer its high alcohol level (14.5% labeled), my parents and my aunt Kathy (who happens to be an avid Rioja lover and in principle likes all wine provided it is from Spain) found it a bit overbearing and severely lacking in finesse. A bit hot and spiky, not really improving with airing. Inexpensive wine, not bad, but that not even my dad would care to own. Rating: 82+/83+?
Friedrich Seiler Ruster Ausbruch 1995
A half bottle of Neusiedlersee dessert wine we used to drink with great regularity due to its extraordinary QPR, but that I had not tasted in almost four years. We do not know whether Seiler made other wines at this quality level, 1995 having been an exceptional vintage for botrytis late harvest stickies in the region, across the board still the finest I know. A blend of 30% Gelber Muskateller (Muscat de Lunel), 20% Furmint, 20% Welschriesling (Riesling Italico), 20% Chardonnay, 10% Ruländer (Pinot Gris). Bright and quite full yellow-golden colour. Viscous dandelion, some apricot, a quite floral sweet and sour sticky, some brown bread botrytis and roasted almond slices. Nice body, with the sweetness set off by strong orangey acidity, quite long on the viscous finish. Perhaps a too adventurous blend for my taste even if it works well, not multi-dimensional or deep (let alone minerally), but nicely complex, intense and balanced – and holding up extremely well in bottle! Rating: 91-
Robert Weil Riesling Spätlese #30 Kiedrich Gräfenberg 1999
Thanks to Ned once more. From a lighter vintage, this seems to get softer and more harmless each time I get to taste it. Still pale colour, a bit forward, already hints at the saffron note of more mature Weil, although it remains rather youthful in character (no tertiary aromas and flavours). The great minerality is showing yet less, and the 1999 has never been a Gräfenberg Spätlese of particular precision and cut, but it remains a tasty and fairly long wine – in due fairness, it is really only a relative disappointment. Rating: 89
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
Do I interpret you correctly, however, that you also find the 1985 the superior of the two, "sheer drinkability" notwithstanding? Also, have you tasted the (to my mind yet superior) 1994?
