Brown bag blind tasting notes
2005 Vallet Freres Pernandes Vergelesses – some nice vanilla and lemon in the nose and a slightly oily mouth feel. Not bad.
1975 Ch. Beychevelle – this wine still has fairly good colour with slightly browning edges, a classic claret nose, good fruit on entry, and still a significant amount of soft tannin. Long and smooth. This has been drinking at peak for several years now, but still gives much pleasure. Needless to say, they failed to guess this wine as a 75.
1986 Ch. La Lagune – very nice warm cocoa nose, mellow tannins, medium length. Decent.
1999 Ch. Leoville Las Cases – sweet vanilla in this nose, sweet entry, medium body, shows well now but has lots of time ahead.
1996 Castello Banfi Brunello – some tar and lots of acidity, but only adequate fruit – uncertain future, but at least decent now, might improve if the fruit holds up.
2000 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga d’Alba – lots of tannin and acidity here, but in this case allied with excellent levels of fruit. This was very nice and should improve.
1998 Antinori Pian della Vigne Brunello – tarry slightly floral nose with a nutty element, nice sweet entry, good length, no rush.
2001 Terre Barolo – dark, young, smooth with tar and roses, then a good tannic framework, good balance but in a modern style. Negociant wine at a reasonable price.
1996 Ch. Suduiraut – yellow heading for amber, with hints of coconut and lemon in the nose, with an underlay of butterscotch, this Sauternes is not yet achieving complexity but it is pleasant and may perhaps turn into something quite tasty with time, or it may be as good now as it ever will be – opinions were split..