Monthly blind tasting lunch notes:
Cap Classique Colmant Brut Reserve – this Cape wine was light in colour and quite spritzy with Acidic fruit in the nose, smooth on palate, a combination of chard and pinot that does a good job of aping a Champagne but at a lesser price. A far cry from the days when chenin and sauv blanc would have been the grapes you expect in this blend.
1997 Drouhin Cote de Beaune – must be the month for bargains. Lots of smoky, funky Burgundian character in this nose, medium colour, supple and smooth, at peak now and should be drunk.
2009 Cos Cerasuolo Vittoria – OK, I hand it to the attendee that nailed this one as I haven’t to the best of my recollection tried it before. Nero d’Avola and Frappati blend, it showed a nutty smoky nose, sweet round entry, and medium body, pleasant and ready to drink.
1996 Portteus Cabernet – this Washington State winemaker has been doing interesting things for years, but doesn’t seem to gather much press for all his efforts. Big sweet fruit driven nose moderate soft tannins, and a lingering impression of vanilla in the medium length finish made this a pleasant wine.
1994 Tignanello – I hadn’t popped a cork on one of these for about 4 years and thought it was time. The last one I opened passed as a Bordeaux imposter, and this one also seemed to have a clarety nose, albeit with a decided cherry note to it. There was significant soft tannin even at this age and the wine was smooth and succulent finishing well with good acidity. Hitting plateau now – no point holding but no rush.
1994 Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline – a repeat of a wine we’d had before that showed under expectation. This time it lived up to its name – a good bottle! Nose of ripe sweet berry fruit, well balanced acidity and tannin, long smooth finish. Much better in a larger bowled Burgundy glass than the smaller Bordeaux style it was first served in – a very marked difference. Lovely.
2004 Charvin CnduP – very nice licorice and caramel nose, perhaps a tad flat in the middle, finishing better, but over all perhaps a tad roasted in character. I had this a few months ago and it seemed much \better, less roasted and more elegant
2004 Ferrand CnduP – a slightly metallic nose with citrus elements, bland in the mouth and flat, I expect having been heat damaged at some point.
Quady Starboard Batch 88 – this 1988 Port copy from the US was sweet with a hot nose, and reminded me of a sweet pudding in the mouth, very Port-like, but not the type of Port I prefer – too sweet for me.
(Different Italian) It was a nice lunch.