Madiran 1994 - Château Montus, Alain Brumont – Alc.12.5% - was all it should be, namely dark coloured with a little bricking at the rim, full bodied with savoury and tangy plum like fruit, some wet leather, underlying flesh with an ingratiating patina and firm ripe tanninc structure on the finish; 16.5/20.
Vouvray sec 2006 – Domaine du Clos Naudin, Philippe Foreau – Alc. 13.2% - has on Foreau’s own admission a small amount of RS which I thought might enable me to infringe my rule of abstaining from opening his wines between roughly years 2 and 8. At first I thought that I should have been patient; the aromas on the nose were very subdued with just a hint of baked apple and quince and the medium bodied palate seemed less sharply focussed than usual with Foreau with the subdued fruit, minerality, smooth acidity and slight sweetness seeming to show in separate strands. The serving of a Pouligny Saint-Pierre goat cheese at the end of the meal wrought a miracle; the wine suddenly came into focus with the acidity seeming more lively, the sweetness receding and the fruit and minerals blending. Extra airing time may have helped but it is not the first time I have noticed such an affinity between Loire chenin and Loire chèvre ; with the Pouligny S-P, 16/20++.
Johannisberger Vogelgesang Riesling Kabinett – 006 – 1994 – Weingut Johannishof, Rheingau – Alc. 9.5% - was a lovely food friendly real Kabinett, subjectively just as dry as the preceding Vouvray, because the lively acidity, stony and very slightly hydrocarbon minerals, citrus fruit and slight sugar were wound so intimately together. The aromas were singing, body was medium/light with a certain roundness of flesh and length good; 16.5/20+++.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2009 – Caldora – Alc.13% - (€7.50) was robustly coloured and bodied with plenty of dark fruit and structure but also slight orange peel and malt notes, which I could have done without, and a rustic touch; 14.5/20 ++.
Château Potensac Médoc 2000 – Delon – Alc.13%; the estate is planted with 45% Merlot, 36% CabSauv, 18% CabFranc and 1% Carmenère. This wine seemed to me not fully open and still quite youthful. Nose showed red fruit, a touch of minerals and wet leather. Palate was medium/full bodied with nice substance, roundness and depth with firm but quite ripe tannic support for the not very long finish but it was not very expressive aromatically. Knowing claret and something of the Delon rigour, I would expect this to be singing much more attractively in a few years time; 15.5/20 now with ++ potential.
Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau Prestige 1998 – Domaine la Soumade, Roméro – Alc.14%, made from Grenache 25%, Syrah, Mourvèdre, etc.. Some CDRV from 98 are still drinking very well, e.g. Cairanne Haut-Coustias from Oratoire St.Martin, but this bottle of Rasteau smelled and tasted as if it had already been open two or three days. Colour (and cork) looked good but the aromas on the nose were subdued with oxidative hints of orange peel with a touch of dust. The palate still had the usual Roméro chunky burliness and there remained some lively, round and savoury dark fruit on entry and mid-palate with decent acidity but the finish was drying out with oxidative hints coming up and some grainy tannins like rusty steel. Nevertheless it was still drinkable though would have been much better two to three years ago; 14/20.