. There's about two weeks drinking here.Madiran 1997 – Château Bouscassé, Alain Brumont – Alc.12.5% - made from Tannat 65% together with CabSauv and Franc. It had personality and complexity but leather notes noted on previous bottles were veering more towards barnyard whilst still remaining in balance and fully acceptable to me. The nose showed a well developed bouquet of damson, earth with poop touches and the palate was quite full-bodied and brimming over with interesting tangy fruit and game laced minerals with a firm tannic support for the finish and an element of charm unusual in austere Bouscassé; 16/20+.
Château Cap de Faugères - Côtes de Castillon 2002 – Alc.13.5%. I liked this 2002 more than the plush and international 2001, whilst conceding that the latter is likely to be more pointy and popular. The nose here showed attractively fresh red fruit with a balsamic dash; the medium bodied palate was darker in tone that the nose suggested but retained enough of the attractive fruit and aromas together with decent acidity and tannic structure to be a good drink; and it tasted like Bordeaux; 15.5/20+.
Château Musar – Bekaa Valley 1999 – Gaston Hochar – Alc.14% was a really lovely bottle. Wonderfully elegant and classically shaped showing the usual complex aromas of red fruit, blood, varnish, leather and oriental spices, all in perfect balance, together with mouth-watering acidity and gentle tannic support for the long finish. This wine would IMO be much diminished if it didn’t flirt with danger in the form of VA and brett but any such elements are perfectly under control, unlike a sample of 2001 where barnyard notes were very apparent. This doesn’t quite efface my memory of the 1988 but very fine; 17.5/20+++.
Coteaux du Languedoc Pic-Saint-Loup L’Olivette 2008 – Clos Marie – Alc.13.5% - (€12), from Syrah, Grenache and a little Mourvèdre and Cinsault, was my last bottle, alas, and was an exemplary Languedoc for regular drinking. The nose was complex and expressive with red/dark fruit and herb, leather and olive touches; the palate was medium bodied, quite linear and harmonious with fresh acidity, some Southern Rhône like sweet dark fruit up-front (Grenache’s contribution?) with garrigue, spice, olives, balsamic hints and stony minerals becoming prominent on the mid-palate and finish and enough tannic grip to support the finish. This wine tastes of the Midi but with more elegance than most, especially remarkable at the reasonable price point. I enjoyed this better that a bottle recently opened of the estate’s more up-market Métairie du Clos 04; 16/20++ QPR!
Château Gruaud Larose - Saint-Julien 2ème grand cru – 1999 – Alc.12.5%. The previous bottle was spoilt by unusual (for claret) barnyard notes but this one was back to form as a model left-bank Bordeaux from a middling vintage. Brown tints noticeable on pouring; lovely and lively bouquet of red fruit, minerals and a touch of leafiness; on the palate, medium body, good depth and aromatic expression, still lively fruit beginning to darken with some secondary notes, lively acidity, 1999 charm and decent tannic support for the finish where discreet leathery, but not barnyard notes, added complexity; 17/20.
Saint-Joseph 2004 (R) – Domaine Vallet – Alc.12.5%. As I removed the bottle’s foil, I was disappointed to see that it was closed by a Nomacorc synthetic stopper which I think is an error for a wine with some ageing potential like St.Jo. Had I known this, I would have opened this and the two remaining bottles much earlier. I hope that the following comments do not reflect any prejudice.
The nose was attractive with some slightly liquored cherry notes. The palate was medium bodied but somehow small and not very mouth-filling. The same attractive liquored cherry as on the nose appeared in the fruit, which seemed more evolved and less complex than I would hope for in a St.Jo in its 7th year. A positive aspect was lack of oxidation which is said sometimes to accompany wines aged under synthetic stoppers. A pleasant drink but I was hoping for more and it is hard to think that the stopper did not have something to do with my disappointment; 14.5/20++.
Germaine spent the whole of last Saturaday afternoon and early evening watching the Monegasque royal wedding with the result that we had to rush out to the local delicatessen to buy some Indonesian sweet and sour dishes for a quickly prepared dinner. I cast around for a pairing and came up with this one which I had previously found too plush, alcoholic and cloying to be able to finish the bottle.
Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon “Art Series” 1998 – Leeuwin Estate – Alc. 14.5%. The pairing worked. The spices and sweet brought out some acidity and backbone in the wine to support its rich fruit and to complement the RS which I am sure is there. This time we were able to finish the bottle. I wonder if wines like this are not crafted with sweetish Asian influenced food in mind. In this guise, 15.5/20.
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). The problem was that the rattling of the trains shook up Musar's heavy sediment so that the wines were always cloudy. They still tasted a lot better than the Aussie goop.