Still saving old TNs typed on my mobile phone.
14 November 2014
Jacques Prieur Montrachet 2006
Thanks to Christian. Deepened golden yellow compared to last time (maybe two years ago?). Evolved, expectedly as well as surprisingly so (for young Montrachet). Tiny flowery top note. Buttery, nuttier and meatier than its age tag would seem to suggest. dp 92(+/-?)
Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Unico Reserva 1986
Thanks to Oli. Corked. Pity... N/R
Cheval Blanc St. Emilion 1995
Thanks to Christian. Medium ruby, soft black reflections. Balanced, harmonious, a bit reticent at first, pretty terroir expression, not a heavyweight by any means, but not lightweight either. Soft black pepper, lovely earth. Very nice length, fair enough subtlety on the backend for CB. Most elegant wine of the night no doubt, but Christian had hoped for more power and richness. The above-average Merlot content (for CB) does make itself felt, perhaps not in an entirely positive way. dp 92(+/-?)
Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire 1998
My contribution. 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. 1998 Châteauneuf has proven a completely different experience for me than according to some reports would seem to suggest. Among the more wide-spread examples, Pégau from my cellar is reasonably mature in every format, while I'd still hesitate to pull corks on Beaucastel expect checking on a half bottle every year or two. The top wines are nowhere near maturity, and I'm happy to report this is one of them (a bottle Remo opened for us was badly corked, thus far the only one). Still lightly purple ruby-black, tiny watery rim. Bit "stinky" at first, seemingly an effect of a little new oak that is still noticeable (IMHO new oak should be a no-no in CdP), but a squeaky-clean bottle, beefy, nicely peppery, some roasted herbs, still lightly grainy tannin, nicely firm. Old-viney extract, minerally. Very youthful. Long on the finish. „Not one of those sweet and cloying modern CdPs“, restaurant owner Wolfgang, who nodded in appreciation asking whose bottle it was (the only wine he cared to taste!). Touch of Port with airing. Cocoa powder, faint Williams pear. Much ageworthier than expected, Oli felt this could easily improve for 20 more years in the cellar. 12 hours later resistant to oxidation, firm, flavourful, minerally and a tiny bit smoky, with whatever new oak may have still been noticeable the day before now well-integrated. dp 96(+?)
Gaja Langhe Sorì San Lorenzo 1999
Thanks to Oliver, from the restaurant wine list (whoever came up with the idea that one has to provide a "replacement" for one's faulty bottle, I do not agree - not the buyer’s/poor wine lover’s fault!). Deep, virtually opaque garnet-black. Thick, fleshy, broth cube spice, dried rose-hip, tiniest sweat note. Noticeably more evolved than the 1997, but still a youthful wine. Tiny caper and olive. Firm, persistent. A cellar candidate, as could be expected in a top vintage. dp 94+/95?
Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 1989
Thanks to René. Medium garnet-ruby. More forward/evolved than a bottle with Oli in a restaurant earlier the same year. Drier, less fleshy, complex and deep. Tiny truffle top note. But still a well-balanced bottle. Oli called this one "more Burgundian than usual", by which I'm afraid he made use of the term same as the British sometimes do of “elegance” versus weight. Rounder, prettier, more harmonious with airing. But clearly not the best bottle of the 1989 we've had. dp 92-/91
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