Leo hosted the blind tasting group this month at Paprika in St. Marks Place - a great evening once again; always fun catching up with the group and the company, food and wines were all fantastic. A really eye-opening lineup with a LOT of wine - and many thanks to Jay Miller for covering me on stems.
Flight 1: All '04 Chardonnays - 3 from Burgundy, 1 from New Zealand
2004 Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Garenne Domaine du Duc de Magenta
Very nice. Ripe peaches and white fruits with a bright floral topnote and faint vanilla accents, fresh and nicely balanced by bright acids with good length.
2004 Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanée
Deeper, richer and more nuanced than the Perrieres and Clos de la Chapelle. Full of bright white fruited flavours tinged with smoky and faintly honeyed elements; conveys power with a sense of elegance and freshness - really great stuff, my favourite of the flight.
2004 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
Very pure and minerally; the fruit's paler complexioned and lighter than in the other two '04 Jadots with vivid minerally elements beneath. At the same time it doesn't offer the same depth or charm as the Chassagne or Puligny right now, showing more promise than current enjoyment.
2004 Craggy Range Chardonnay Les Beaux Cailloux
From Hawkes Bay, NZ. I've liked Craggy Range's wines for the most part, nice to try one with some age. Surprisingly mature with a flavour profile that's not unlike an older white Rioja, showing savoury hazelnut and almond flavours and oxidative elements over ripe white fruits. There's still decent acidity beneath that keeps the fruit fairly fresh despite the oxidative elements, certainly interesting though not as enjoyable as the Jadots.
Flight 2: Four Pinots from 2006
2006 Louis Jadot Griottes-Chambertin
Fantastic. Beautiful, finessed, full of fresh red fruits framed by rose petals and touches of spice, primary right now but incredibly elegant and easy to drink with its polished, silken texture and a sense of lightness and purity to the flavours. My favourite wine of the flight and one of the standouts of the evening for me.
2006 Rhys Pinot Noir Swan Terrace Alpine Vineyard
Really lovely; ripe red fruited flavours with floral accents and a faint sweetness that hints at its new world origins, but impeccably balanced with a polished, glossy mouthfeel, bright acids keeping it lively and precise and impressive length.
2006 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir Treinta y Dos
From old (ungrafted?) vines in Patagonia, Argentina. Slightly reductive initially with very ripe, sappy red fruited flavours. Comes across very slick and a little confected initially, gets a bit better with air though not particularly interesting.
2006 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir Cincuenta y Cinco
Also comes across a little too ripe and confected like the Chacra Treinta y Dos, particularly when poured alongside the Rhys and Jadot Griottes. Wasn't a big fan of either of the Chacras.
Flight 3: Merlot
2002 Craggy Range Merlot Gimblett Gravels
Very ripe initially, full of chocolate and sweet dark fruited flavours with a faint roasted element that made me wonder if it was an '03 Super Tuscan. With time it calms down a bit and the roasted element recedes while the fruit freshens up. Nicely balanced and very enjoyable.
2001 Château Hosanna (Pomerol)
Really lovely; a seamless, polished whole combining dark fruits with developed leathery, tobacco and savoury earthy elements. There's still some tannin lingering on the back end, but it's drinking very nicely right now.
1997 Benziger Family Winery Merlot Reserve Alexander Valley
Comes across leaner and more herbaceous than the Craggy Range and Hosanna; rather Cab Franc like in comparison with green herbal notes framing the fruit though very nicely balanced with bright acids keeping the fruit nice and fresh. Good stuff.
There was also a Super Tuscan from Castello di Ama (didn't catch the full name or vintage) that I found too ripe and didn't enjoy.
Flight 4: Cab blends
1996 Château Margaux
Incredibly youthful with primary cassis and ripe dark fruited flavours seasoned with cedar, tobacco and violets. It's very polished and elegant after a lengthy decant, conveying power with a sense of restraint and impressive length - lovely right now, but still a very young wine with a long life ahead.
2000 Château Cos d'Estournel
An iron fist of a Bordeaux - this is all about power and density, with rich dark fruited flavours framed by savoury cedar and tobacco elements. The fruit's very ripe and concentrated with plenty of tannin structure beneath, finishing long and savoury. More impressive than charming.
1996 Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassicaia
Really primary and barely developed. This is still all about sweet black cherry and berried fruit with faint spice and tobacco leaf accents, very concentrated and ripe with a spine of firm tannins underneath. Needs a lot more time.
2000 Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassicaia
Also very primary and undeveloped, though not conveying quite the same purity and sense of balance that the '96 did.
1997 Benziger Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Really impressed at how this showed poured blind in this company. Feels very youthful with bright cassis and plummy fruit flavours seasoned with touches of cedar and tobacco; drinking very well right now with fairly gentle tannins giving this a polished texture and good acidity underneath keeping it well balanced. Lovely, my favourite of the flight.
Dessert:
2001 Tokaj Hétszőlő Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos
Corked. FFS.
A fantastic dinner, thanks again Leo for your generosity and all for the company and a great evening.
