WTN: Five Recent Wines

After an afternoon of wine shopping in NYC and with roasted root veggies and stove top sauteed salmon.

<b>'05 Terres Dorees (J-P Brun) Beaujolais VV</b>: Beautiful balance and mouth filling fruit and a med to long finish. What a Beaujolais should taste like. Buy this every year but in general, even though a good honest wine, I have found it somewhat thin. The '05 was a bigger wine and a great drink. Just ordered more from CSW

<b>'98 Lopez Heredia Rioja Bosconia Res</b>: Another great wine and nice match for the salmon. The producer releases the wine when he thinks it is ready and the '98 is the current release. I am not a Spanish expert and many times shy away in fear of oak. The wine was perfectly balanced and ready to drink. The oak was barely detectible and fully integrated. Soft Tempranillo dark cherry fruit, barely present tannins and a wine to sit back and enjoy with many medium bodied foods. The wine store said to decant this wine and it would have a long life. I did not see any reason to decant and even though it may go on for several more years it is hard to see it getting that much better. Opened one bottle with the salmon and my second bottle three days later with Brie Cheese. Ordered more today.

At a local restaurant with friends.

<b>'98 Volnay Taille-Pied Ballot</b>(think that is the producer): My last bottle and my friend brought a CA Pinot. The Volnay was soft, light bodied, easy to drink with a somewhat short finish. The wine was nice and cerebral but a good match for the bold '03 PN. Hard to believe they are the same grape.

If you haven't heard those of us in the midwest spent a weekend with ice storms and praying the electricity would not go off. Had two friends over for dinner who had no electricity, one spent the night and we had to russle up some grub. As they arrived pulled homemade bread from the oven, had bought some smoked salmon, soft Brie and dry packed scallops.

<b>'79 Latour</b>: One person said it was warmer in her cellar at 55 degrees than in the house at 45 degrees so while warming up stumbled onto a nice litte Bordeaux. What can you say. The thing most memorable was the nose, so huge you could smell it across the room. Latour ages for ever but the '79 was fully develped and just a great Bordeaux. Didn't spend enough time with this wine as I was preparing dinner but remembered medium bodied, fully evolved, almost a sweet fruit and, OH, did I say a fantastic Bordeaux nose. Sometimes the bouquet can be 50% of the enjoyment.

<b>'97 Pinon Traditional</b>: Haven't had one of these for 5 years. Golden color, sweetness that turned to honeyed melon with mineral overtones and on the palate a very smooth and rounded wine. Great match for the scallops and much better than when released. Expect another 3-5 years but not sure this is one for the ages.
Walt

<b>'98 Lopez Heredia Rioja Bosconia Res</b>: Another great wine and nice match for the salmon. The producer releases the wine when he thinks it is ready and the '98 is the current release. I am not a Spanish expert and many times shy away in fear of oak. The wine was perfectly balanced and ready to drink. The oak was barely detectible and fully integrated. Soft Tempranillo dark cherry fruit, barely present tannins and a wine to sit back and enjoy with many medium bodied foods. The wine store said to decant this wine and it would have a long life. I did not see any reason to decant and even though it may go on for several more years it is hard to see it getting that much better. Opened one bottle with the salmon and my second bottle three days later with Brie Cheese. Ordered more today.

Glad you enjoyed it. Mine was a bit thin and sour. Bottle variation I suppose.

<b>'98 Lopez Heredia Rioja Bosconia Res</b>: Another great wine and nice match for the salmon. The producer releases the wine when he thinks it is ready and the '98 is the current release. I am not a Spanish expert and many times shy away in fear of oak. The wine was perfectly balanced and ready to drink. The oak was barely detectible and fully integrated. Soft Tempranillo dark cherry fruit, barely present tannins and a wine to sit back and enjoy with many medium bodied foods. The wine store said to decant this wine and it would have a long life. I did not see any reason to decant and even though it may go on for several more years it is hard to see it getting that much better. Opened one bottle with the salmon and my second bottle three days later with Brie Cheese. Ordered more today.

Glad you enjoyed it. Mine was a bit thin and sour. Bottle variation I suppose.

Rahsaan,
A bit thin might be a fair statement as I thought it to be light to medium in body but sour it was not. Both bottles were very nice although not in need of decanting. I was expecting a much bigger wine but was not at all dissapointed. Order by phone 5 more bottles plus 7 of the Brun.
Walt

<b>'98 Lopez Heredia Rioja Bosconia Res</b>: Another great wine and nice match for the salmon. The producer releases the wine when he thinks it is ready and the '98 is the current release. I am not a Spanish expert and many times shy away in fear of oak. The wine was perfectly balanced and ready to drink. The oak was barely detectible and fully integrated. Soft Tempranillo dark cherry fruit, barely present tannins and a wine to sit back and enjoy with many medium bodied foods. The wine store said to decant this wine and it would have a long life. I did not see any reason to decant and even though it may go on for several more years it is hard to see it getting that much better. Opened one bottle with the salmon and my second bottle three days later with Brie Cheese. Ordered more today.

Walt, this would have been decent by itself (I would have graded it a 'B'), but against the 1996 it loses. See if you can find any of that year's Bosconia and I am sure you'll enjoy it even more.

I'm grateful for your notes, especially on the '79 Latour which I will probably never smell in person. I do have a '98 Rioja Reserva (from Heredad Baroja) and may try it soon. I may be able to purchase more if I find it to my liking and ready to drink. (I also have a '94--maybe I should open that before the '98.)

I'm grateful for your notes, especially on the '79 Latour which I will probably never smell in person. I do have a '98 Rioja Reserva (from Heredad Baroja) and may try it soon. I may be able to purchase more if I find it to my liking and ready to drink. (I also have a '94--maybe I should open that before the '98.)

Interestly enough I found the '96 Rioja at PJs in NYC, the wine Mark referred to, for $26. I paid $29 for the '98 at CSW. I am always afraid of Spain because in the past I have had bad experiences with oak. If I were going to spend some time understanding a region's wine it would probably be Rioja. Think they have gotten their act together and there are some good quality wines at reasonable prices.

As a side note to the '79 Latour the woman also brought over an '82 Ducru. I chose the '79 because I thought it would be more open and the '82 would live forever. This friend has a cellar of about 1000 wines, 95% pre '90 and most are 1st growths. This is where I have had most of my 1st growth '82s as she shares willingly.
Walt

[Jenise]

Sometimes the bouquet can be 50% of the enjoyment.

And sometimes it can be more. I think the greatest compliment we can pay a wine is to enjoy the nose so much we drink the wine twice as slowly as we would another, to make it last forever. With her wines and your hospitality, I think you're both lucky to call each other 'friend'.