Rioja San Vicente Tempranillo 1999 - Senorio San Vicente – Alc.13.5%
My memory, reinforced by a TN from December 2007, is of a suave, velvety wine, perhaps missing a touch of inspiration. This latest bottle seemed less suave but more complex and interesting. Quite full bodied, the vanilla tinted rich cherry aromas and fruit with liqueur touches and velvety feel on entry and mid-palate were still there, but the overall effect was darker with glimmers of secondary notes and the finish was supported by more marked and gently bitter tannins than I remembered or noted; very nice Rioja; 16.5/20+.
Bougueil La Coudraye 2006 – Yannick Amirault – Alc.13.5%.
I am a fan of Yannick Amirault and have liked a lot of Touraine 06s but this bottle was not up to standard. Medium bodied with fresh bright aromas, red fruit (red currants) and minerals (clay) but infused with a resinous streak which did not appeal; 14.5/20.