Château Lamartine AOC Cahors “Expression” 2000 – Alc. 13.5% - (€ 21 ex cellar for 2007 & 2008). This wine is currently made from 100% old Malbec wines and is matured for 20 months in new Tronçais and Allier barrels.
Paul Strang in his book on SW France marks down this cuvée for its oak usage, so I fear that I may get expelled from the ranks of lovers of true Cahors when I say that it is the best I have drunk in recent years, perhaps ever. The 1999 was already excellent and this was even better.
C: A superbly deep carmine purple with no signs at all of bricking.
N: Dark fruit, sour cherry, wet leather and some tar and herbs with a certain gracious roundness.
P: Full/medium bodied, virile with somewhat austere splendour and darkly fruity but with a charm like the smile which sometimes lights up a stern face; good depth and a smooth texture with a slight sweetness, which may owe something to the new oak ageing, on entry and mid-palate building up to a more austere, noble, firmly structured climax at the rear of the palate with good after-glow. After 10 years the overt new oak aromas which presumably bother Strang have disappeared other than that effect on the texture which actually enhances the wine IMHO; a great Cahors 17.5/20.
Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Spätlese – 29 – 2003 – C. von Schubert – Alc.8%. This was the second MSR wine from 2003 proving unexpectedly enjoyable opened within two weeks (the other was a Saarfeilser from St.Urbans Hof). This one was medium/light bodied and more refined than the Saarfeilser with delicious peach and other exotic fruit wound with petrol aromas and a little spice but with less lively acidity and slightly greater impression of rich sweetness. I don’t think that I would ever identify this blind as a Ruwer wine but it lacks the heft to be from, say, the Pfalz. Very nice drinking now, though, and perfect with asparagus; 16.5/20.
Rosso Conero Sassi Neri 2003 – Fattoria Le Terrazze – Alc.14% - made from the Montepulciano grape and at that time the estate’s top Rosso Conero (since then enjoying a new DOCG appellation, I believe). This bottle was much better than one a couple of years ago which seemed to be darkening and drying out. Quite full bodied with plenty of dark and not quite jammy fruit, leathery and liquorice tangs and firm tannic structure, it also showed a juicy brightness in its acidity with touch of varnish which may owe something to VA but IMO adds something to the wine; 16/20.