Lunch blind tasting notes:
2007 Sadie Family Chenin Blanc Mev. Kirsten Old Vineyards – made by the iconoclastic Eben Sadie in South Africa, this wine showed quite a bit of colour and has an oily, waxy nose. Full in the mouth, with a good clean finish.
2011 Gérard Bertrand Vin de Pays d'Oc Cigalus Rose – a yellowy pink Rose with a subtle fruit nose with some pear/nuttiness and a hint of vanilla. Made from syrah, merlot, Grenache and caladoc, a local grape.
2005 Nicolas Potel Chambolle Musigny – this village wine had a ripe still youthful nose, soft tannins on palate, and a slightly astringent medium long finish.
1994 Ch. Leoville Las Cases – 1994 produced some very presentable wines for the selective buyer. This one was still quite dark with a good fruit nose, perhaps a hint of green and also vanilla. Now middle weight and pleasant.
1994 Cvne Imperial Rioja Gran Reserva – lighter wine with some good currant fruit in the nose soft tannins and lots of acidity. Drinking well now.
1990 Vincent Arroyo Cabernet (Napa) – an almost Burgundian colour now and with a nose of iron and currants. Sweet entry, good fruit on palate and smooth finish. Drink up.
2006 Robert Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 30th Anniversary Spring Mountain – very dark concentrated wine with dark cherry and spice nose, concentrated flavours and long finish.
2006 Bodega Noemia J Alberto Malbec – this Patagonian wine was predictably dark and had a very attractive raspberry and nutmeg sort of nose. Balanced and medium long.
1996 Auguste Clape Cornas – a very good nose with smoke, black olive and floral hints (trying to pass as a Cote Rotie, perhaps?). I though it finished a tad short, but I forgave it for the excellent nose.
2001 Ogier Cote Rotie – this stepped it up a notch on the Northern Rhone scale – more olives and pepper in the nose, and a bit of roasted meat, although no sign of floral anything. Smooth entry, still showing lots of tannin and good acidity. Wish I had some in my cellar!
Also tasted:
2000 Ch. La Rode Castillon – medium colour, middle weight wine with pretty good acidity. Modest wine getting a little long in the tooth.