A blind lineup at Spencer's house a week and a half ago - Spencer served the reds in 3 flights of 3 wines, with a Sangiovese, Rioja and Burgundy in each flight.
Starter:
2001 Schloss Saarstein Serriger Schloss Saarsteiner Riesling Auslese
Slightly musty aromatics initially, but the mustiness clears with some air to show ripe orchard fruits complemented with developed smoky and creamy notes. Very rich and sweet but nicely balanced by bright acids.
Flight 1:
2001 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Bosconia
Drinking beautifully right now with gentle, elegant red fruited flavours framed by developed leather, cedar and herbal elements. There's a sense of real finesse and a lightness of touch here, lovely balance and this is a wine I really should get some of.
2001 Comte Armand Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru
Beautiful aromatics combining sandalwood and spicy notes with herbal and red fruited flavours; a lightweight in the mouth with gentle, restrained fruit, plenty of acidity and an earthy savouriness on the back end. Very nice, though I don't imagine this will get much better with time.
2001 Capannelle Chianti Classico Riserva
A little woody initially, but gets much better with some air as the oak integrates with the rich black cherry fruit and savoury leathery, coffee and earthy elements emerge. Rich, polished and drinking very nicely now with tannins mostly resolved.
Flight 2:
2001 Domaine Humbert Frères Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Poissenot
Pretty floral and red fruited aromatics, but this comes across a little thin and shrill in the mouth with the acidity sticking out and overwhelming the other components.
2001 Fattoria Le Fonti Vito Arturo Toscana IGT
Packed with ripe, sweet dark fruited flavours accented by sandalwood and minty elements. The aromatics provide more pleasure than the palate, where it feels a little soft and flabby, lacking in acidity and finishing rather short.
2001 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Gran Reserva
Fantastic stuff, and a reminder that I really should drink more traditional Rioja. Elegant, restrained red fruited flavours combining seamlessly with florality, spices and developed leathery and smoky elements in a very polished, finessed package. There's tremendous depth and balance here, and it only gets better with air.
Flight 3:
2001 Cerbaiona (Molinari) Brunello di Montalcino
Comes across incredibly youthful, showing no sign of its 10 years - full of ripe, primary dark fruited flavours seasoned with spices and savoury dark chocolate elements. It's still incredibly primary, but there's plenty of acid and tannin structure, and I'd love to check back on this in several years.
2001 Fernando Remírez de Ganuza Rioja
Also feels really primary, packed with youthful dark fruited flavours and a seasoning of oak that's yet to integrate. All the components are there, but this really needs a lot more time.
2001 Henri Perrot-Minot Mazoyères-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Really awkward and unpleasant with ripe, extracted dark fruited flavours juxtaposed with a sharp vegetal greenness. There's sharp acidity that doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the wine, and the parts never come together in a balanced whole.
Really fun/eye-opening blind tasting, thanks again Spencer! (Meanwhile, I need to do something about the complete lack of traditional Rioja in my cellar...)