2012 Chereau-Gunther Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Grande Réserve Collection du Coing - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (10/28/2015)
This is a rounder heavier bodied Muscadet than many with some creamy complexity from early maturity to accompany barbue in a light shell fish decorated sauce but also enough saline minerality and acidity to pair well with some succulent oysters from Veules-les-Roses. Good+ wine and fair QPR at €7.
2000 Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi - Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG (10/30/2015)
This is, I think, FSG's entry level Taurasi and maybe all the better for the lack of excessive ambition. I have found many of FSG's reds over-extracted and overoaked for my taste when young. However at 15 years old this one has become beautifully harmonious with little overt signs of wood other than a polished patina. The wine was quite full bodied and there was some deep and complex dark fruit laced with touches of rose petal, tar, rubber, smooth acidity and leather and leading to a firm and quite fragrant finish with ripe tannins. The overall impression was fresher and brighter and less brooding than my notes indicate for a bottle opened 3 years ago; still just as classy, though. Very good.
1989 René Noël Legrand Saumur-Champigny Vieilles Vignes - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (10/31/2015)
This bottle shows the wine back on form. Colour is still quite pristine with very little bricking. The nose shows pencil shavings and hints of charcoal but the fruit is back together with a touch of leather. The palate is not very big but beautifully balanced, elegant and quite long with red fruit, strawberry through to black currant, touches of cedar, spice and leather, some minerals and fresh acidity together with underlying roundness and still some firmness supporting the finish. My best bottle of this, well over 5 years ago, was fuller and more forthright IIRC but this was still lovely. Very good.
2012 Château de Varennes Savennières - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières (11/1/2015)
I wrote a private TN of the previous bottle "Seemed more acidic than previous bottle. Still good but perhaps closing down." This bottle is back onto the form described in my last public TN and think that too cold service temperature may have been a factor previously. At about 13/14°C this present bottle was quite complex showing attractive white fruit, wax and underlying roundness as well as crisp minerality and acidity but the former qualities receded at a lower temperature and the wine seemed more simplistic. Very good at the right temperature and good QPR at €10.
1996 Bodegas y Viñedos del Contino Rioja Contino Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (11/2/2015)
This is close to my idea of perfection in Rioja. Colour was still quite pristine with little bricking. The nose was expressive and the medium bodied palate harmonious and elegant showing sweet cherry fruit infused with kirsch, touches of spice and discreet vanilla together with velvety texture, fresh acidity and enough firmness towards the long finish. Slightly more harmonious IMO than the last lovely bottle of 1994 where the vanilla was more overt with a touch of cloy on the finish. Excellent
2014 Domaine des Souchons Morgon - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (11/4/2015)
This is at the opposite end of the Morgon spectrum from the recent Ch.des Jacques '12; fun more than serious, lighter bodied and full of bright savoury fruit with an edge of fresh prune, flinty minerals and lively acidity. Contrary to the Jacques, it was better cool (c.14°) and lost focus and vibrancy as it warmed up. Moreish and good wine and excellent QPR at c.€6.
2014 C.P.L. La Tuilerie Pouilly-Fumé Les Arpents Bleus - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé (11/6/2015)
This is a very charming medium bodied P-Fumé, not bone dry, citrus more than gooseberry, some gras and enough minerals, fresh acid and saline grip to pair with seafood. Much more refined than a recent Reuilly. Not sure that it will ever be better than in this first flush of youth. Good and QPR at <€8.
2011 de Neuville Saumur Cuvée Louis François - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (11/7/2015)
Nice crisp bubbly, medium bodied with pleasant fruit and lively acidity.
2002 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (11/7/2015)
A complex well balanced Riesling with a certain baroque splendour. Quite deep golden colour. Expressive well developed nose with multiple notes including peach, apricot, white flowers, cedar, fine spice and a little petrol. Medium/full bodied long palate replaying the aromas from the nose with a burnished richness showing a slight sweetness which was so well balanced by acidity and backbone that the wine could almost pass off as dry and made it a perfect pairing for a Norman preparation of scallops in a slightly sweet sauce of cream and pommeau. The cork is branded with "Vendanges Tardives", which is not mentioned on the label, but Indice 3 (roughly = demi-sec) is. Excellent.
1997 Dominique Laurent Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru (11/7/2015)
Very good Clos de la Roche with quite deep colour and a beautifully well developed and complex pinot nose. Palate was quite full, rich and deep, fully open for business with plenty of fruit, some beginnings of secondary forest floor development and kirsch tinged firmness on the quite long finish. A slight metallic streak added an edge to the aromas as the bottle emptied and makes me think that I should not delay in opening my remaining bottle. Very good.
1996 Marc Parcé Rivesaltes Élevé 18 ans en barriques - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Rivesaltes (11/7/2015)
Lovely pink and amber colour. Light/medium bodied with cherry and nut infused gentle sweetness and good acidity to brighten it up against a chocolate dessert. Very good wine and good QPR at c.€15.
Posted from CellarTracker
