WTN - Champagne, Bordeaux, Alsace, Italy

Great friends, great wine, great food, in more or less that particular order, was what I needed to light up a gloomy day.

Larmandier-Bernier, Terre de Vertus, nv (2006)

A somewhat austere Champagne with a brainy appeal due to its depth and clarity, while the nose offers classic brioche and mineral, and baked apples morphing into green ones. Very, very good.

Domaine Weinbach, Schlossberg Grand Cru, Cuvee St. Catherine, l'Inedit, 2004

The nose is complex enough with petrol and spices leading the apples and grapefruit. The palate offers good acidity and ripe fruit that creates an illusion of sweetness (at 13.5% ABV, I doubt there's much residual sugar in there) and a spicy, long finish that, as usual for Alsace, winds up on the bitter and alcoholic side. The coarse medicinal finish is the deal breaker, but at least the l'Inedit makes no attempts to flatter.

When I tasted it three and a half years ago, I thought it was too young for me to decide whether the price tag was justified; at this point, I'm afraid I've concluded that it's not.

Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac 5me Cru, 1995

At sixteen plus years, the nose is still reticent at first (despite having been opened five hours prior to the first sip, just like the next wine) but fairly quickly opens up to reveal lead pencil, new leather, black fruit. In short, textbook Pauillac. The palate echoes the nose, with a well balanced blend of fruit, acidity and tannins that are suave and rough hewn at the same time. The way the tannin crunch builds up to a savory finish is why I'm hooked on Bordeaux.

Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac 5me Cru, 2000

This is riper than the 1995, yet still possesses the same immaculate balance, the same grainy-yet-smooth tannins, the same sense of savory vibrancy - even if the tannins are less resolved at this point. Better than the 1995 even now, with miles ahead of it. If the 1995 still needs five years or so to fully compose itself, this needs ten.

Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois, 1986

Really off, not TCA, but rather something that calls for a professional to decipher. We waited in vain for a recovery that never materialized.

Tua Rita, Guisto di Notri, Toscana IGT, 2004

The first two or three times that I tasted the Guisto di Notri, I didn't get it and thought it was another Parker Hallmark Card ode to ripeness and extraction. I was wrong. This proves the merit of Super-Tuscans with lots of spare change. The fruit is ripe, for sure, but there's plenty of sauteed mushrooms and pungent earthiness to temper that. Mouth-filling with a tannic mineral-laden finish and a simply lovely acidity that screams Tuscany. Lovely and complex.

Domaine Weinbach, Schlossberg Grand Cru, Cuvee St. Catherine, l'Inedit, 2004

The nose is complex enough with petrol and spices leading the apples and grapefruit. The palate offers good acidity and ripe fruit that creates an illusion of sweetness (at 13.5% ABV, I doubt there's much residual sugar in there) and a spicy, long finish that, as usual for Alsace, winds up on the bitter and alcoholic side. The coarse medicinal finish is the deal breaker, but at least the l'Inedit makes no attempts to flatter.

When I tasted it three and a half years ago, I thought it was too young for me to decide whether the price tag was justified; at this point, I'm afraid I've concluded that it's not.

I"m sorry to hear that as I have much of a case in storage in the USA. IIRC, it is sealed in Vino-lok? Tell me no.

Cheers,
Bill

Great friends, great wine, great food, in more or less that particular order, was what I needed to light up a gloomy day.

Larmandier-Bernier, Terre de Tertus, nv (2006)

Is 2006 the vintage of the grapes or the disgorgement year, and in either case is there an easy way to tell?

Domaine Weinbach, Schlossberg Grand Cru, Cuvee St. Catherine, l'Inedit, 2004

The nose is complex enough with petrol and spices leading the apples and grapefruit. The palate offers good acidity and ripe fruit that creates an illusion of sweetness (at 13.5% ABV, I doubt there's much residual sugar in there) and a spicy, long finish that, as usual for Alsace, winds up on the bitter and alcoholic side. The coarse medicinal finish is the deal breaker, but at least the l'Inedit makes no attempts to flatter.

I gather not much of a fan of Alsatian wines in general.

Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois, 1986

Really off, not TCA, but rather something that calls for a professional to decipher. We waited in vain for a recovery that never materialized.

Too bad!

Thanks,
Charles

The grapes are 2006 in the Tertus. There's no way to know, except I drank it with the importer.

i believe it is 'Vertus' not Tertus. this is their non dosage cuvee.

Bill,

Cork.

i believe it is 'Vertus' not Tertus. this is their non dosage cuvee.

You're right, it was a typo in the name except that it's a non-vintage usually (or mostly) comprised of the grapes of a single vintage).

Tua Rita, Guisto di Notri, Toscana IGT, 2004

The first two or three times that I tasted the Guisto di Notri, I didn't get it and thought it was another Parker Hallmark Card ode to ripeness and extraction. I was wrong. This proves the merit of Super-Tuscans with lots of spare change. The fruit is ripe, for sure, but there's plenty of sauteed mushrooms and pungent earthiness to temper that. Mouth-filling with a tannic mineral-laden finish and a simply lovely acidity that screams Tuscany. Lovely and complex.

Tastes changing or perhaps it's mellowed out? I've only had the 2000 Guisto di Notri and found it to be a splendid example of modern ripe wine, but with just a touch enough of it's italian earth to give it substance. It plays the borderline well.