- a painless solution with a digestible claret with only 12.5% alcohol like the Labégorce-Zédé below.2008 Château Bouscassé (Alain Brumont) Madiran - France, Southwest France, Madiran (2/6/2017)
I have to say that I like this quite full bodied and richly fruited wine, if I think of it as right-bank Bordeaux with good acidity and backbone rather than Madiran. My previous TN gives more explanation. Very good in its way.
2015 Baron de Hoen Riesling Kleinreben - France, Alsace (2/8/2017)
On the basis of my TN but without side by side comparison, this seems quite similar to the entry level Riesling '15 from Mittnacht albeit slightly fuller bodied. It showed fragrance of citrus fruit and white flowers combined with a certain round grapeyness, spices and gentle minerality, fair acidity and, I think, a little RS giving a slight impression of tenderness. Good.
2004 Domaine de l'Oratoire St Martin Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne Haut-Coustias - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne (2/10/2017)
Similar to last year's bottle showing a robust style with deep colour, nice savoury dark fruit with a slight sweet rose touch, herbs, a little liquorice, decent acidity and more tannic backbone than usual in the region with an added slight metallic streak which probably presages imminent decline but which adds complexity at this stage. Very good still.
2015 Marc Parcé Collioure - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Collioure (2/11/2017)
My feeling about this wine is obviously very sensitive to pairing. This evening with red tuna steak in a maple spirit and pignon de pin sauce, the enthusiasm I felt about the 2014 returned. This pairing brought out the acidity and I found freshness, minerality and slightly saline backbone added to attractive white and citrus fruit, some Med herbs and underlying generosity. With appropriate food good+.
1999 Château Labégorce-Zédé - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (2/18/2017)
The first bottle of this which I opened in 2010 had a fairly marked gamey streak but on the second a year later this showed as no more than attractive wet leather. However I opined that the wine should be drunk up quickly. Six years on the wine has scarcely evolved and the description of the second bottle in 2011 still more or less applies. There was a fragrant Margaux bouquet of fine red fruit and flowers together with a medium bodied harmonious, quite firmly structured and quite long palate still showing some expressive primary fruit and fresh acidity underpinned by some secondary development including minerals and by some dark complexioned wet leather which added complexity. Very good.
2011 Château de Varennes Savennières - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières (2/19/2017)
I have very little change to the TN I wrote over two years ago. There is perhaps slightly greater complexity and underlying roundness. Colour is a limpid pale yellow and the nose is fresh with some citrus and white fruit together with lots of minerals and hints of honey. The medium plus bodied palate plays variations on these themes with nervous tension, crisp acidity and a mineral spine which veers towards the saline on the finish. Very good.
