Dinner on December 7th, 2007, with Albino and Andrea, Dani, Erik, Ned, Rainer and Theresa.
Schloss Lieser Riesling Auslese** #8 Niederberg Helden 1993
My last standard size bottle of this luscious, tasty wine. Medium-pale green. Strong vanilla slate. Sweet and lightly tannic-dry apple, mainly fresh plus some aged. Some Mosel peach. Nicely full mouthfeel, even if this could be more concentrated, denser. Lovely bitter note and acidity. Long minerally finish. Aging well indeed, better even than I had expected. Rating: 92
Château Rieussec Sauternes 1995
Actually, three quarters of this bottle went into the Coq au vin (one using a Tokaji Aszú, that is a cork-tainted bottle of 1999 Disznókö 6P Kapi a week earlier, turned out even better, and at least as wine-friendly). Same as always. Full golden colour. Strong, still lightly medicinal botrytis, not as sweet, thick and rich as in top vintages, showing some nice dried-fruitiness, botrytis house dust and dried mushroom notes, medium-plus body, and medium length on the slightly medicinal finish. Can be cellared, of course, but to hope that the medicinality will miraculously disappear with bottle age is useless. It may, however, take a long time to become yet more pronounced, so: drink or hold. Rating: 87(+/-?)
Knoll Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Ried Kellerberg 1995
Pale yellow-green. Soft minerality and spice, not an especially intense wine (but then, Knoll’s Kellerberg rarely is), the 13.5% alcohol makes itself felt a bit. Minor medicinality to aged apple. A bit vegetal overall. Some stony minerality. Medium length. Could use more bottle age, but will never be truly pleasant. Rating: 87+/88?
F. X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Von den Terassen 1993
Quite fresh and green-hued yellow-gold. Strong variety- typical veggies on the nose, quite spicy and smoky-flintstony on the palate. Nicely firm wine, quite complex and deep, holding up well in bottle for an F. X., almost fully mature. Not a fruit-driven wine, but enough so with some grapefruity apple (medium-aged). Firm, lightly steely acidity. Shows terroir, even if it is not particularly finesseful or subtle in its expression. Quite intense wine that goes well with food. Rating: 89+/~90?
Trimbach Riesling Vendanges Tardives Clos Ste-Hune 1983
Thanks to Ned. Perhaps the CSH I have drunk most often in my life, I am always grateful to get an opportunity to have it again, as this is nowhere near decline. No real need to type yet another TN, other than to remark that corks, even without a TCA taint, always have been and remain a problematic seal. There are no great wines, only great bottles, they say. This one, from the same case as the spectacular one on my birthday earlier this year, was just a tiny bit oxidized, but with wines of such (botrytis-free – with a botrytised version such as the 1989, the effect would be even worse) finesse and subtlety, that seemingly minor loss makes all the difference. Looked as always: a youthfully pale yellow-green, perhaps ever so slightly jaded. Faint mushroom dryness, drier than usual partly aged apple and lime, merely faint pistachio and forest floor, a little white pepper, lightly tannic, and not nearly as long as it should have been (and still longer than most dry whites). What a pity! Ned seemed rather sad, telling us how beautiful a bottle was he had drunk earlier that week, and that he should have thought of bringing along a backup. Rating: ~93? (or: N/R)
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac 2005
Thanks to Rainer. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Most convincing right after the cork was pulled, upon closer inspection over several days perhaps no more than an above-average PLL. Full purple-black, without the density or opaqueness of colour of some vintages. Green licorice stick nose. Concentrated enough, if lighter than usually. Plum, dry blackcurrant. Soft Cabernet Franc leafiness. Subtle oak nuttiness. Good medium-plus body. Nice acidity. The finely-grained tannin may be only youthfully bitter, and the licorice stick greenishness just so high as to give the wine somewhat more oxidation resistance, but this really shows borderline tannin ripeness for modern Bordeaux (even if IMHO sufficient). Soon sweeter fruited with airing, especially in comparison to the 1997 Quilceda Creek. Increasingly leafy-herbaceous, especially after a couple of days’ airing, but a potentially elegant (in its secondary sense of light also) and finesseful medium-plus weight. Like the smoky-tannic, mildly fruity finish, although it remains just medium-long and the aftertaste slightly herbaceous. More lead pencil and overall Pauillac typicity than in many vintages, this came across like less dense and evenly ripe version of the 1994, perhaps with slightly greater Merlot opulence, tobacco complexity and sweetness. But despite a lightly petrolly oiliness not a particularly fleshy PLL. Seems quite ageworthy, and at any rate, this is not the kind of vintage I would drink young. Rating: 92(+?)
Quilceda Creek Washington Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
Thanks to Erik. 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. 13.5% alcohol. Lightly plummy ruby-black, ruby-red at the rim. Cool climate iodine, not the only aspect that reminds me of a Dunn – lovely style, as Erik said, an almost more Old World climate expression than the 2005 Pichon-Lalande. Blackberry. Half cough drop-like, half fresh blackcurrant. Very nice a bit chocolatey tannin. Faintly coffee-like, flavourful tobacco leaf. Nicely full but not huge body. Rather complex wine, outstanding depth. Soft smoke and metal, earth and mineral notes. Quite long. My favourite red of the evening along with the exceptional 1989 Fonsalette Syrah. After 24 and 48 hours faintly dry tannin, but every bit as tasty. Perhaps only a medium-plus weight compared to some trophy Napas, but stylistically one of the most attractive Cabernet Sauvignons I have had from the U.S. in recent years. Can still be cellared, but may no longer improve. Rating: 93+/94-?
Château de Fonsalette Côtes-du-Rhône Syrah 1989
From my favourite Rayas and Fonsalette vintage, the consensus red of the evening. Full ruby-red, soft black hue, slim watery rim. Game, kirschy-sweet and thick, fresh and floral berry fruit, graphite. Some of that almost syrupy-sweet Rayas-like rowan berry and redcurrant. Quite complex, but not too finesseful. Full body. Firm, not too noble or rustic, faintly dry tannin. Nice tobacco and tobacco ash notes. Persistent, quite powerful finish. Wonderfully anachronistic, almost archaic style that I wish had never changed. Improved with airing. Intense and highly concentrated (the densest, most solid red of the evening), rather pure and structured, still ageworthy but drinking so well. Impressive contrast between the sweetness of the fruit and the tight, powerful tannic backbone. Incredibly, this could stand up to the ice cream and the Szepsy Eszencia. What a wine! Rating: 93+/94?
Jean-Paul & Jean-Luc Jamet Côte-Rôtie 1988
Thanks to Dani. Whereas Erik and Rainer thought this corked, it seemed to me rather bretty, a fraction oxidized, perhaps not ideally stored (Dani bought this at auction, so it may not have been pristine after all). Plummy garnet-ruby, wide watery-red rim. Bretty sewage, tobacco ash, rather worn-out fruit, metallic blood orange, bretty plum jam, olive, some nutty oak. Not bitter, though, a little sweetness. Never blossomed in the decanter, as my mother said 72 hours later, a strangely unyielding bottle that for whatever reason was not representative. The little fruit I could get reminded me of the smoky tobacco-like 1998. Rating: N/R
Vega Sicilia Ribera del Duero Unico Reserva 1986
Thanks to Erik. 75% Tempranillo plus 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. First fully accessible bottle of the 1986 any of us has had (Erik actually said he did not like this vintage so far). Full ruby-black, lighter/more watery at the rim. Faintly nutty oak. Nicely subtle-complex, green tobacco leaf, tannic, nice acidity and density, good sweetness and ripeness of fruit (albeit not a particularly fruity Unico), nice body, quite flavourful tannin, balanced finish. Still youthful, only hinting at a mineral and metal underpinning, but it is there. Drinking well, but may still improve with bottle age. Rating: 92+/93(+?)
Phillipe Delesvaux Côteaux du Layon Anthologie 1997
Thanks to Erik. 535 g/l residual sugar, 11% alcohol (thus a potential alcohol of 31.5% altogether), 2300 bottles made. Picked on October 6th, 1997. Third time I have had this, this may be in a slightly difficult in-between phase now. Full copper-amber. Very botrytised and creamy-oily, extremely sweet, at the same time high-acid. Quite viscous. Oxidized apple, candied quince and orange/tangerine. Impressive, quite flavourful acidity. Not too finesseful. Dried-orangey and lightly Orange Pecoe black tea-like finish. Quite long but could be longer. Certainly concentrated, but not quite as firm in the middle as I like my stickies to be – the mid-palate has always shown more sugariness than dry extract, less of a solid in the mouth than Szepsy’s (less sweet!) 1996 Esszencia. “Little complexity, depth and minerality” is what Rainer said (not sure I agree on the former, but the certainly the latter). After 24 and 36 hours more of a caramel and dried apricot nose, more dried mushroom and date, candied orange rind and pear on the palate. After 72 hours still not as long as I would like, nor nearly as long as the Szepsy, now with an emphasis on coffee. Rating: 93(+?)
István Szepsy Tokaji Esszencia 1996
L: 0226. 5% are labelled, may, according to one source contain 5.4% alcohol. 13.6 g/l acidity (or 14.8 g/l, depending on which stats are correct). 450 to 460 g/l residual sugar (in other words, just above the legal minimum for Tokaji Eszencia). The Eszencia that Szepsy kept under the staircase in his living-room, so as to give it a chance to give it a chance to ferment as far as possible. After a slightly disappointing showing shortly after release, this has recovered beautifully in bottle and now tastes every bit as good again as from barrel, that is, before it was filtered (and I am really glad I resisted the temptation to sell this off). Amber-brown. Thick, honeyed, dried-fruity, viscous. Nice vinosity for Tokaji Eszencia. White chocolate, strong date, some fig, tobacco, wax and black tea. Finesse notes of baked apple, Cognac, mace. Quite mouth-puckering acidity for a 1996, and not undue botrytis dryness and bitterness. Core of candied lemon. After 24 and 36 hours more coffee and cocoa to the fig, date and chocolate. Poured the last sip to my mother after 72 hours, when this showed yet better, thicker and more solid in the mouth than the 1997 Anthologie, hugely long and candied with dried fig and date, and she found it “significantly more special, complex and interesting.” Drink or hold. Rating: 94+/~95
On Saturday, with brunch:
Trimbach Riesling Vendanges Tardives Cuvée Frédéric Émile 1998
Medium yellow-green. Intense lime rind, fresh herbs, nicely thick, a bit oily, botrytis with faintest medicinality underneath. Dry extract, lovely sweetness/acidity balance, nice little bitter note. Quite dry for a VT, minerally. Just as good if not best after 72 hours, quite concentrated, balanced and harmonious, quite glyceric, firm, and long. Not the purity, precision and cut of the 2000, but nicely structured, and a great food accompaniment. Drink or hold. Rating: 91+/92(+?)
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