Sadly, Oliver’s contribution, a bottle of Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano 1990, was corked...
Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino 1982
Lot-No. R.I.V. 799/CN. My last bottle of one of my handful favourite Piedmontese 1982s, and a great bottle it was. Garnet-ruby-black, tiny orange rim. Thick rose-petal “fruit”, white Alba truffle, cocoa powder, some dried tomato. Good body. Hugely long on the finish. Soft lovage and mace with airing. Faint dustiness to the tannin at first, nicely black-tea-like later. Showed a touch of oxidation with a little airing, later seemingly none at all, on the contrary, the wine seemed to get fresher and livelier, as well as deeper and more subtly fruity and finesseful with airing, and all that with a pretty Malaga sweetness. Noble soft tar and smoke. Still one of my favourite Monfortinos. Like Oli said, impeccably stored bottles like this might still improve for another decade or more. The wine of the night along with the 1998 Célestins. Rating: 96+/97(+?)
Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2007
Thanks to Seri. 98% Grenache from 100- to 110-year-old vines from parcels in La Crau, Gallimards and Esquirons, 2% other varieties. An absolutely staggering 17.2% natural alcohol that, to be quite honest, is noticeable, even if it does not quite stick out like a sore thumb. Purple-raspberry-red. Quite thick, rich and glyceric. Sweet Kirsch, licorice stick, primary of course, quite fruity, some minerality, very long. Low-acid but youthfully fresh tannic bitterness. Tiny little lactic cheesiness in passing, just a whiff, not sure. Port-like not just due to the alcohol (too “sweet” for Seri). Not quite the minerality, complexity and depth of e.g. the 1990 and 1998, but close – no doubt among the top handful Marcoux VVs. Rating: 95(+?)
Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Cuvée Hommage à Jacques Perrin 2001
Thanks to Remo. The 2001 has been an unusually approachable Hommage since the day it was released, which does not mean it is mature, nor that it cannot or should not be cellared for many more years. But it is typical for the vintage in that it does not exactly keep a low profile. Compared to the qualitatively similar but more streamlined 2000 (have a slight preference for the 2001, if mostly in terms of vintage characteristics), which we retasted a couple of months ago, it is anything but closed. Opaque garnet-purple. Jammy fruit, Perigord black truffle, broth cube, and juniper. Some tar and Kirsch. Complex. Round tannin. Soft acidity. Good body, well-integrated alcohol. A bit wild and animal, Oliver said. Saddle leather and sweat, Remo said. Cowshed, Seri said. I really thought it rather clean. Persistent finish. A beautiful bottle. Held up extremely well until the next day. No longer infanticide, but will still improve in bottle. Rating: 96(+?)
Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins 1998
Lot 001. Thanks to René. Deep plummy if not red-beet-coloured ruby-black. Now even more similar to the Cuvée Spéciale with its deep, meaty Amarone-like, raisiny-jammy fruit. Sweaty hazelnut-coffee-like mocha. Sweet sweat and pipe tobacco. Lovely spice. Awesome depth and complexity. Beautifully smooth and flavourful tannin. Extremely long. Astonishingly finesseful for such an Amarone-like Célestins. Evolving slowly, different, but one of the finest Célestins of all time, second among those I know only, if at all, to the 1990 and 1989 (my favourite), and of those, more similar to the former. This time round, Remo called it the greatest Châteauneuf he has ever tasted, and by now, he has had quite a few great ones. The wine of the night, or then along with the 1982 Monfortino. Rating: 97+/98(+?)
Giampaolo Tabarrini Montefalco Sagrantino Passito 2004
From half bottle. A Recioto-style Passito made from what is probably the most tannic red variety in all of Italy. Deep, virtually opaque plummy/pruney garnet-ruby. Faintly volatile, a suggestion of nail polish, but also ethereal in a positive way. Quite tannic yet thick, sweet and luscious. Walnut and initially hot Kirsch. More honeyed baked plum/prune complexity with 12 ours’ airing. Noticeable botrytis honey and house dust. Not inexpensive, but worth it. Rating: 91(+/-?)
István Szepsy Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos Danczka Dülö 1991
Thanks to Seri. The best bottle I have yet had of this wine. Amber-brown, still yellow at the core. Nice and typical, a little tannic surface dryness but hardly any rancio oxidation. A bit waxy dried apricot and quince, soft poached pear, soft bakery spices, faint white chocolate. Good glycerin and tangerine-tinged acidity. Rating: 91(+/-?)
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
