Notes from a blind tasting (my monthly group))
2014 Domaine Thibert Pere Pouilly Fuisse Vielles Vignes – a grapefruit and sulfur nose had me wondering it might be a Chablis. Nice sweet entry, good terminal acidity and a tad lean right now although it may fill out with time.
2015 Domaine des Aspras Côtes du Provence 'Les Trois Frères' – made from Grenache and Cinsault this Rosé was very pale pink, with a very nice typical nose and clean finish. The nose sets it apart from many domestic pinkies.
1998 Bouchard Aine Gevrey-Chambertin – garnet wine with mature nose, lots of acidity, low fruit level and a tad hot at the end.
2006 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series – dark wine with lovely dark fruit nose (blackberry) and full of interesting flavours. Well done!
2005 Ch. La Lagune – another dark wine with a slightly funky claret nose showing black currant and cedar, good stuffing and drinking really well now, though no rush.
1982 Ch. La Lagune – a coincidence – the second bottle I’d had in a week. Medium colour and an initial interesting salty seaside aspect to the nose (not low tide) which went away, very good fruit levels and smooth long finish. Of the two I slightly preferred the bottle I’d opened earlier which had really knocked my figurative socks off, but this was in the same idiom.
1999 Sumac Ridge Pinnacle – a premium BC red wine (merlot/cab) with a mellow nose of nougat and caramel, weighty fruit driven palate and smooth finish.
1997 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz – still dark, and with a minty nose with dark fruit and acceptable oak levels, it slides sweetly onto the palate (but thankfully not overly so) and still shows lots of stuffing and a long finish. I go back and forth as to whether I prefer the 97 or the 98, both of which are in my cellar (the general preference seems to be slightly in favour of the 98 by others). Must do a comparative tasting soon.
1998 Ch. Rieussec – full bottle among 6 tasters with cheeses = bliss. Honey/waxy notes with fresh fruit (peach, apricot) , not too sweet, with very good length.