Dinner at my place in October 2010.
Cascina Adelaide Barolo Preda 2000
Thanks to Oliver, who says this was much better the day before. 24 hours open. Some sediment. Oxidative. Touch of banana. But good fruit. Rating: N/R
Brovia Barolo Villero 2006
Thanks to Oliver. Aged in foudre, no new oak here at all. Transparent ruby-red. Precise fruit, herbs and spice. Nice orange. Rose petal that is stronger on the palate. Relatively perfumy and light on its feet. Oliver thought this Burgundian. Nice and typical Castiglione terroir expression. Good minerality. A bit more diffuse and less precise than the Ca’ Mia. All in all a pretty, almost Brunello-like Barolo that is perhaps better on the nose than the palate. Medium body. Slightly tough and dry tannin. Soft acidity, but not without liveliness. Medium-plus length. A bit rounder with airing. Faintly gingery and quite floral. Oliver believes the wine would have profited from smaller surface stemware than Riedel’s mouth-blown fish bowl (which for precisely this reason is really only ideal for the greatest Pinot Noirs and Nebbiolos), as this would have concentrated its aromatics. Rating: 89+/~90?
Brovia Barolo Ca’ Mia 2006
Thanks to Oliver. Aged in 5000 litre foudre. Almost invisibly fuller, glossier and blacker ruby-red. Firmer, more tannic, greater Port-like density to the fruit. More lamb curry spice and meatiness, reminiscent of Ćevapčići. Almost more violet than rose petal. Greater minerality, complexity and depth. More flavourful tannin. Soft green licorice with airing, later even meatier. A noticeably more serious Barolo with nice Serralunga typicity. More medium- than light-weight. Oliver finds this impossible to beat in this price category (and indeed, alternatives that spring to mind would be from Barbaresco). Rating: 91+
Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 2007
Thanks to Wolfgang. Full ruby-purple. Fairly complex metal and licorice. Faint green olive. Quite round and soft young Chave, not particularly powerful. Just faintly sweaty. Quite complex herbs, including a touch of lime leaf. Mouthwatering if not too chewy, pretty enough tannin. Fairly long. Exhibits and ever so faint touch of green licorice stick, if not camphor/rhubarb (as most 2007 Northern Rhônes I have tasted). Some florality, but also greener with airing, as well as toastier with new oak. Wolfgang seemed disappointed, or at least kept comparing this to the more complex 2006. My parents thought it “superficial for Chave”. Oliver could not warm up to it at all (but then, believe it or not, he has never liked Chave Hermitage!) and thought it lacking aromatically, as well as exhibiting “an emphasis on oak vanilla and dark fruit, with little depth”. Not a great Chave, but probably my favourite Northern Rhône Syrah in this vintage all the same. Rating: 92+/93?
Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins 2004
L. 02/09 Lightly plummy ruby-black. Much more brett than the last bottle, much more evolved. Soft sweat and leather. Earthier forest floor. Round and smooth morello. Dried ginger, pomegranate. Soft hazelnutty and complex meaty spice (ultimately mild and very fitting nuttiness). Quite lovely metal notes. Juniper berry, Wolfgang says. Pretty, sweaty and curry-spiced, smooth tannin. Very, very long. Everyone’s favourite wine of the night, along with the 2007 Graham’s. But really the “weakest” Célestins since the 1999. Rating: 92+/93(+?)
Graham’s Vintage Port 2007
Thanks to Wolfgang. Full plummy ruby-purple, opaque at the center. Good density. Almost candy-like yet not too sweet. Complex, yet sufficiently firm. “Old-style melon and honey”, Wolfgang said. Partly fresh, partly dried violet. Sweet dark chocolate. Relatively alcoholic, albeit not more so than many modern Ports. Oliver in particular loved this, I thought it more “classic” (less overtly modernistic would be more to the point) than e.g. the Fonseca and Taylor (or the Quinta do Vesúvio for that matter) from the same vintage, to which Wolfgang prefers the Graham, but we all agree that the 2007s may as well be enjoyed in their youth. Must admit the overall stylistic change(s) in recent years/the last two decades is/are slightly irritating to old-time Port collectors like myself (having said that, I have no doubt they are “what the market demands”, as I am invariably told). Rating: 93+/94
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