2 May 2016
Donatsch Chardonnay Malans „Unique“ 2013
Thanks to Oliver. Great stuff - again! Just the same as the bottle at my birthday lunch. Greatest Swiss Chardonnay right now. Complex, bit viscous, ripe lime, lemon grass, bit viscous. Greater terroir expression, by far, than the corresponding red. dp 94
Vietti Barolo Riserva Villero 2004
Thanks to Oliver. Garnet-red. The harmony of the vintage, if among the more youthful wines. Relatively firm, not yet ready for prime time. Lovely tannin. Really no different from last time. In need of bottle age, expect it to age gracefully. dp 93+/94?
Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret des Sabon 2000
Thanks to René. Raspberry-red. Initially not entirely clean, but blew off within minutes. Fruity, pretty, if overripe (the style of this cuvée, I'm afraid), touch of marzipan. Lacking in finesse, as usual, nor the best bottle of the 2000 of the three or so I've had. Still lovely, in a somewhat easy-going way, even if the house style just isn't for me. Long. dp 93+/94?
Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire 1998
Mine. 80% Grenache from a 5.6 acre parcel of vines planted in 1889, 12% Mourvèdre, 8% Syrah. Approximately half of the blend spent 18 months in new (!) oak oak casks, while the other half was kept in neutral foudres or vats. Raspberry-red, black hue, youthful. Very minerally, red-fruity, Burgundian with a touch of Kirsch. Surprisingly deep and even finesseful for a new-oak-aged CdP. Nice good, great definition and cut. Every bit as good as my last bottle, a wine I'd underestimated for stylistic reasons. A bit tighter if revealing no less fruit, depth, minerality and complexity the next day, smokier perhaps. Approachable, but offering considerable aging potential. dp 95+/96(+?)
Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta 1995
From my collection, thanks to Remo. Glossy purple-ruby, opaque almost to the rim. Still quite closed on the nose, amazingly backward. Incredible concentration, mouth-filling, huge. Thick, sweet, Rhône-like, chocolate, soft licorice. Smooth, yet tannic. Enormous potential. Perfection. One of the two or so greatest Amarone I know. More Recioto-like than most due to the residual sugar, but surely none the worse for it, given e.g. the superior alcohol integration (admittedly a pet peeve of mine not just with Amarone, but many modern wines). dp 98++/100?
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti