Belated notes on wines with dinner on April 26. Remo served all the wines blind.
Château du Mourre du Tendre Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Tradition 2001
Thanks to Remo. Lightly pruney ruby-black. Meaty and a bit oxidative, dried olive, lovely little pebbly minerality and steely metal note. Best on the nose. Lighter and less complex than the Bonneau the others guessed it might be (I have had the wine so often lately, I did Remo the favour not to say anything until he revealed its identity). In hindsight the least impressive bottle I have had of this very nice wine. Rating: 91+/92
Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence 2001
Thanks to Remo, a wine I last had from barrel at the winery six and a half years ago. Plummy ruby-black, orange at the rim. Smells smoky-meaty like an older Giacosa, as Oliver observed. We also thought it a bit pruney and acidic, and in this regard almost more Soldera-like than the 1993 Soldera Riserva we had that night. Complex. A bit bretty-sweaty, but a nice combination of sweetness and acids. Ever so faintly volatile? Some sweaty-soapy hay. A bit orangey. Roasted and dried lavender, soft pepper, soft curry. Medium grain tannin. Round, quite long. Rating: 92+/93?
Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1993
Thanks to Patrick. A wine we have had many times, recognizable enough, blind-guessed misstored bottle of Soldera right away, “from Mars”, the others said. Pruney-plummy ruby-red, wide orange rim. Strong volatile acidity, ashtray-like tobacco, faintly sweaty Sherry. Very jammy, exotic and superripe yet lemony. Medium-dry tannin. Fairly long, with a light gingery freshness on the finish. Rating: N/R
Castello di Ama Merlot L'Apparita 1993
Thanks to Remo. A mildly cork-tainted bottle of 1993 Apparita, still easy to guess. Bright ruby-black. Clove, curry, mace. Little sweetness due to the cork taint. Acids taste a bit orangey. Soft porcini. Tannic-dry. What a pity, such a beautiful wine at its best. Rating: N/R
Château Monbousquet St. Emilion 1998
Thanks to Remo. A blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, from a yield of 28-30 hectoliters per hectare, bottled unfined and unfiltered after 18 months in 100% new oak, with aging on the lees. From a case I once bought on subscription and sold to Remo (on stylistic grounds). Almost opaque purple-ruby, red rim. Modern and oaky with caramel, coconut and coffee. But also dense with fruit, balanced, quite lively and racy. Little minerality, if any. Round and smooth, if oak-induced tannin. Rating: 92
Château Pavie Macquin St. Emilion 1998
Thanks to Remo. A blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Virtually opaque, nicely glossy purple-ruby, ruby-red at the rim. A much less exotic and old-style Lafleur/Rayas-like bottle than usual, slightly closed at first. Cabernet-like blackcurrant, lightly floral, nice soft wet earth, even a touch of lead pencil, not easy to guess for once (a bit Pichon-Lalande-like, we thought). But more damson and thick Kirsch with airing. Complex and quite deep fruit, now less primary. A suggestion of black Périgord truffle. Good body. Pretty oak, and amazingly flavourful tannin for such a modern-styled wine. Rating: 94(+?)
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________
„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti