.1996 Château de Villeneuve Saumur-Champigny Le Grand Clos - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (3/17/2015)
A big disappointment. Where were the elegant fragrance and mature fruit which should have been present on a '96 Loire CabFranc of this supposed calibre. Wet leather and animal notes dominated the quite full bodied palate and the finish was dark and dry. I am brett tolerant and find tastes like this an useful element of complexity when in the background but not like this. I hope that my remaining bottle will be much better. Just drinkable.
2013 Domaine du Paradis St. Véran - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, St. Véran (3/19/2015)
Crisp but with attractive underlying roundness showing citrus and other white fruit, flinty minerals, crisp acidity and a slight saline spine. Good+.
2001 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Ruppertsberger Gaisböhl Riesling Spätlese trocken - Germany, Pfalz (3/22/2015)
Compared with the bottle just over 4 years ago, time seems to have brought greater refinement and harmony. The nose was strangely shy but the medium bodied palate was singing showing quite rich fruit with a citrus edge brighter seeming and much better balanced than before by minerals including the usual petrol hints and lively acidity with the slight sugar hardly apparent any more. Quite long and deliciously mineral and slightly saline finish. Very good. My last bottle, alas.
1990 Château Trotte Vieille - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/22/2015)
I seem to have opened quite a few bottles with metallic bouquets in recent weeks. This was another. Is it a sign of decline? Once past that, however, the medium+ bodied palate of this bottle still had a lot to offer in terms of round underlying fruit infused with sweet cherry, an attractive fragrance, secondary forest floor notes, old book, still lively acidity and decent grip on the quite long finish. I enjoy a bottle like this for its mature harmonious complexity of which incipient flaws from ageing form a part. Probably on the way down but still very good.
Posted from CellarTracker
