WTN:"Off" vintage L Lascases,young Cahors,sweet Sagrantino..

In the post festive fortnight, there still quite a few left-overs from the Christmas and New Year meals. In particular, there remains a large chunk of delicious Stilton cheese to finish and this was the ideal occasion to pull out a Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito. I continue to enjoy wines from "off" vintages; this time an excellent Léoville Las Cases 1993. I have had several delicious Cahors recently from vintages less than 5 years old; the appellation has made enormous progress recently and I am turning to it more and more helped by a number of cuvées costing less than €10.

2012 Hauller & Fils Riesling Muenchberg - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (1/2/2017)
I'm not convinced that this wine represents a substantial leap in quality compared to this house's basic Riesling (€6) but that one is good. This one is likewise medium bodied with fragrant white fruit and flowers and perhaps more acidic spine which brings slightly more tension and helps as a pairing. It lacks the weight and complexity of GC from more famous estates but that does not necessarily detract from charm and this one can almost be used as an "everyday" Riesling as it is modestly priced (c.€10). Good.


1998 Domaine Gauby Côtes du Roussillon Villages La Muntada - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (1/3/2017)
This was different and better than my memory and notes of the previous bottle. It showed deep, quite opaque colour, medium+ body, mature fruit with bramble touches, suave rich texture with smooth acidity, touches of old book, sprinklings of spice and hints of port on the finish. A well integrated and classy wine probably at its peak or just beyond it. Very good.


2015 Arnaud Aucoeur Morgon Côte de Py Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (1/4/2017)
Medium+ bodied showing plenty of savoury fruit, a little spice and tangy more-ish acidity with a rather up-front shape on the palate. Good.


2014 Clos La Coutale Cahors - France, Southwest France, Cahors (1/5/2017)
I still marvel at being able not only to drink but, more importantly, to enjoy a two year old Cahors. It would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. Colour more transparent and not quite so black as some. Nose typically Cahors but hard to describe, perhaps a mix of savoury bright black fruit, earth, wet leather and olives with a touch of anise and liquorice. Palate medium+ bodied, virile and sinewy, replaying the aromas from the nose with an underlying roundness of fruit which no doubt owes something to 15% Merlot in the blend with fresh acidity and firm backbone. Good wine and stunning QPR at €7.


2013 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Côtes de Jouan - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (1/6/2017)
Delicious classy young Chablis with medium- body, citrus and white fruit, flinty minerals, slight creaminess, some underlying roundness, lively mouth-watering acidity and saline backbone. It was a versatile pairing from oysters through gambas to Stilton cheese revealing different but good facets with each. Very good.


1993 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (1/7/2017)
1993 is widely considered an "off" vintage in Bordeaux but I have enjoyed quite a few in a lightish and elegant vein. I bought a dozen of this Léoville Lascases for a modest price in the '90s. Bottles opened in the first 10 years or so were classy and long but austere to a fault with a green finish but since 2006 the wine has been a reliably fine performer in the way I now describe for the present bottle.

Colour was still quite deep with little bricking. The nose was classical Médoc with subtle fruit with combined cigar box, pencil shavings and a touch of noble greenness to prove that this was claret and not Napa (methoxypyrazine allergics beware). The palate was very linear and harmonious with underlying flesh and a discreet attack broadening in the mouth to a climax at the end of the palate followed by a gentle decrescendo; aromas were similar to those on the nose. No signs of decay. Excellent.


2004 Adanti Sagrantino di Montefalco Arquata Passito - Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Sagrantino di Montefalco (1/8/2017)
Out of a 50cl bottle, chosen as a pairing for Stilton cheese, it seemed dumb at first at cellar temperature but, with air and warming to c.17°C, it blossomed. The nose remained discreet with attractive notes of dark fruit, especially cherry, myrtle and blackberry, and iron infused minerals but on the medium/full bodied these elements burst out together with gentle sweetness well balanced by acidity and tannic backbone. It went very well with the nutty Stilton, rather less well with Roquefort and it overwhelmed a Cantal Salers. I guess that it may gain complexity with more age. Very good and only 15% alcohol.

PS 1/12/2017 - This wine in a half full bottle has taken on greater depth and a more velvety texture. Still a little left.


2014 Marsigny Irancy - France, Burgundy, Côtes d'Auxerre, Irancy (1/13/2017)
I have had reds from N.Burgundy, e.g. from Goisot and Colinot, with more substance than this but I think that there is a place for light reds from PN like this one. Its slightly sour cherry fruit, elegantly lean shape on the palate, fine minerals and acidity with gently saline backbone worked well with salmon stuffed with mushrooms and a creamy sauce. Good.


2010 Vignobles Lorgeril Minervois-La Livinière les Hauts de l'enclos des Bories - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Minervois-La Livinière (1/16/2017)
This Syrah dominated blend (c.70%) was quite evolved in its 7th year but well balanced and attractive. Medium/full bodied, it showed mature dark fruit with bramble and prune touches, notes of orange peel, anise, Mediterranean herbs, smooth texture and decent acidity with some liquorice and ripe tannins on the finish. Good+ wine and good QPR worth repurchase at c.€9


2012 Clos Triguedina Cahors La Chapelle du Clos - France, Southwest France, Cahors (1/17/2017)
Riper in fruit and rounder but less sinewy than the great QPR 2014s from Reyne and Coutale with medium+ body, a savoury note, a touch of stony minerals and wet leather, fresh herbs, lively acidity and ripe tannins. Good wine and QPR at €8,50.

1998 Domaine Gauby Côtes du Roussillon Villages La Muntada - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (1/3/2017)
.... A well integrated and classy wine probably at its peak or just beyond it. Very good.

This seems like pushing limits here, but I think this is Gauby's top bottling, isn't it?

2014 Clos La Coutale Cahors - France, Southwest France, Cahors (1/5/2017)
... Nose typically Cahors but hard to describe, perhaps a mix of savoury bright black fruit, earth, wet leather and olives with a touch of anise and liquorice...

I'd say you nailed it, not that I have Cahors that often, but certainly calls to mind the ones that I've had.

Nice notes.

The Coutale sounds interesting, have they made some changes there?
Remember someone posting elsewhere on a `99 that was still good..spilt coffee on my keyboard

1998 Domaine Gauby Côtes du Roussillon Villages La Muntada - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (1/3/2017)
.... A well integrated and classy wine probably at its peak or just beyond it. Very good.

This seems like pushing limits here, but I think this is Gauby's top bottling, isn't it?

This is indeed Gauby's top cuvée and IMO it shouldn't be afraid of 15-20 years age. Nowadays it costs >€60 .

Gauby's wines and this cuvée in particular have changed a lot. In 1998 he was still making in a "modern" opulent style but since then he underwent a Pauline conversion towards leaner, fresher and more "natural" wines (excellent whites also). He takes risks and I recently had a bottle of his red entry level Calcinaires which was very bretty because, I think, the retailer's shop did not respect the back label recommendation to store at less than 14°.

As to Muntada, I believe that in 1998 it was made 100% from Syrah young vines but according to Gauby's website its varietal composition is now-

- Grenache noir 45 % d'une cinquantaine d'années
- Carignan 45 % plus de 120 ans
- Mourvèdre 5 % d'une vingtaine d'année
- Syrah 5 % d'une quinzaine d'année.

The Coutale sounds interesting, have they made some changes there?
Remember someone posting elsewhere on a `99 that was still good..spilt coffee on my keyboard

I don't know a lot about La Coutale's history, Bob. A lot of Cahors is now being made in an accessible style and what I appreciate is that many producers seem to be able to do it without losing Cahors character. I don't think that this 2014 will break up soon though 17 years might be pushing it. Thanks to the Malbec grape, Cahors resists oxidation better than most wines and, in the days before bottling under cork, used to be greatly prized for that quality.

The Coutale sounds interesting, have they made some changes there?
Remember someone posting elsewhere on a `99 that was still good..spilt coffee on my keyboard

I don't know a lot about La Coutale's history, Bob. A lot of Cahors is now being made in an accessible style and what I appreciate is that many producers seem to be able to do it without losing Cahors character. I don't think that this 2014 will break up soon though 17 years might be pushing it. Thanks to the Malbec grape, Cahors resists oxidation better than most wines and, in the days before bottling under cork, used to be greatly prized for that quality.

To my knowledge, Coutale has always put a bit more merlot (maybe 20%) in the wine, which makes it more accessible young. It was never a bruiser or anything like the 'black wine' stereotypes.