WTN: Gruaud, Tyrells, Torres and Taylors

Monthly lunch notes:

1993 Dom. Closel Savennierres Cuvee Special – yes, I brought a white wine! These Chenin Blanc wines are little known and under appreciated.. They start life with almost searing acidity and it takes around 6-7 years for this to abate and for the wine to start drinking really well. This wine showed a fair bit of colour and a slightly Maderised nose that just kept opening up and adding layers of different fruit. It perplexed several people who rightly stated that if it were a chardonnay, fotr instance, it was showing all the signs of being over the hill.I got wax in the nose as well as peaches, and it was all apple on the palate with excellent balance. That’s what makes these wines worth cellaring. Don’t tell anyone or the prices will rise.

1998 Tyrells Vat 47 Chardonnay – a nice toasty nose on this one, but none of the over exuberant use of oak that would lead you immediately to an Australian chard. Full and smooth in the mouth and crisp at the end. They do make this style in Oz – the pity is that most of the export chard that comes to North America is in the “have to be a woodchuck to get through all that timber” mould.

2004 Sogrape Douro Reserva Blanco – made by an excellent co-op, from indeterminate grapes, this one wasn’t showing much yet in the nose. It was fresh, clean and young with a fair bit of acidity at the end and some interesting notes in between. I think it needs some time to develop.

2000 Au Bon Climat Bien Nacido Pinot Noir (Santa Maria) – no problem picking this out as a Pinot and also fairly easy to say it was American based on the primary fruit nose. It showed medium colour, and was clean and pleasant on palate, perhaps slightly simple, but no less enjoyable for that.

1981 Gruaud Larose – instant recognition of Bordeaux followed by much fumbling around as to vintage as 1981 isn’t exactly at the tip of anyone’s tongue. Finally got there. Showing an very nice cabernet nose with some spice and a hint of dustiness. Very harmonious wine still with some tannin (which kept bugging me when I was thinking 1985 – not quite the right balance for that with too much tannin and not enough sweet fruit….) Well constructed, nice fruit level and pleasant to drink.

1995 Torres Mas La Plana – this is the new name for Gran Coronas Black Label of old – they took the Ull de Lebre (Tempranillo) out in the early 80s and later changed the name and went through a period where it wasn’t nearly as interesting as it had been. It would seem that it is back! This wine showed excellent levels of solid fruit in the nose, some tannin, but soft, and good length. Quite enjoyable now.

2000 La Piaggia Carmignano Riserva – this one really fooled us – purpley dark wine with a sweet fruit nose, sheets down the glass, can’t see through it – your first inclination isn’t Italy. Very interesting in a new age sort of way. Tannins are soft but I think this one will continue to improve awhile yet.

2000 Kir-Yanni Ramnista – or at least I think that’s what it said but then I don’t read Greek very well. I can now add another grape to my life list – Ximomavro. Sweet minty nose (to go with all that lamb…?) that added aspects of dill, roses and tar with time. Medium colour, almost indicating age, but it was young in the mouth and had a slight astringency at the end.

2000 Fontodi Flaccianello – this 100% sangiovese IGT was fairly dark with some Brettiness in the nose, and light tar. It has significant tannins and was slightly hot. Could use more time.

1974 Taylors Late Bottled Vintage Port – ever wondered what happens to an LBV that you leave in the cellar for years? It finally throws a fair bit of sediment and assumes a lighter colour party way between vintage Port and Tawny. This garnet coloured wien was elegant and silky on the palate, a bit hot in the mouth and no longer as sweet as I remember it being on realease. Quite a nice end to a lunch.

[Jenise]

Comments:

With fresh poached and peeled stripe shrimp in a sesame bisque sauce with pea shoots:

1993 Dom. Closel Savennierres Cuvee Special: sensitivity differences here I guess. What you call 'slightly' was to me 'very', and it's not a quality I like. So though I agree with the rest of your description, can't say found this desirable.

1998 Tyrells Vat 47 Chardonnay: this was desirable. Green gold color, no sign or smell of age, just a depth unlike one's used to in chardonnay, and tremendous body without wood or residual sugar. A stunner.

2004 Sogrape Douro Reserva Blanco: A beaut. Pale color. Delicate and yet intense and precise with an interesting gardenia note across the mid palate, lemon and fresh cut fennel bulb on the finish. A real seductress, and the best match with the shrimp, in particular the pea shoots.

With a charcuterie plate of two pates, cornichons and toast:

2000 Au Bon Climat Bien Nacido Pinot Noir (Santa Maria): I took one sip and said to John, whose wine this was, "pinot, lower California, probably a 98 or 99." Had the vintage slightly wrong (the wine was a bit advanced for an 00) but no mistaking what we had here. Cherry fruit, tomato leaf, a bit of spice. Showed very well and would have picked up more complexity with time in glass, had we been able to leave it alone long enough to get there. Fantastic with the course--it's a dream come true to bring a wine like this and have it end up with a course like this.

1981 Gruaud Larose: Bordeaux! Lovely wine, more resolved than the bottle I had about two years ago. In fact, it's probably at peak now. Lovely.

With dry-aged rib eye steak, demi-glace, fried onion, and steamed baby vegetables:

1995 Torres Mas La Plana: the nose was Bordeaux-like, but there was a sweetness to the fruit that was unBordeauxlike. More fruit than either the 97 or 99's and less iron, so not readily recognizable to me, but lovelier than either. Excellent wine.

2000 La Piaggia Carmignano Riserva: teenage mutant ninja sangiovese. Your notes capture it well; I didn't know sangiovese could produce such a thick and grapey monster. I can't even guess where it's going from here.

With cheese plate:

2000 Kir-Yanni Ramnista: You're close: Kir-Yianni. My contribution. Nose of red rose petals, tea, mint, cherries and cranberries. Very nebbiolo-like. Tannins confirm others' reports that this wine has another five years to go to maturity. A wine more complex and elegant than most people, including this group I was proud to note, think Greece capable of.

2000 Fontodi Flaccianello: definitely needs more time, but this is a good traditional sangiovese. Lots of mushrooms, dried cherries and autumn leaves underneath the significant brett. I like brett so this isn't a complaint, but it was interesting to listen to this group parse the wine without mentioning the 'b' word for quite some time. A true bunch of Europhiles, this group.

1974 Taylors Late Bottled Vintage Port: Light flavors of cherry, toast and red apple. Lacks the verve of a Tawny, though it looks like one, and it packs some heat. I've wondered whether LBV's would age in the past, now I know.

`74 LBV, thats being adventurous!! I do not think I am in the same club, mine max 10 years!!!!!!