Notes from a blind tasting
1996 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru La Forest – light amber colour, nice nose of camomile honey and bruised apple, decent acidity at the end and a saline component. It would seem that a lot of these have shown as oxidized/dead but this one had lots of interest remaining.
1996 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts – similar colour, light citrus nose, medium body and acidity that kicked in near the end. Also a little brine in the nose and obviously a mature wine, but with lots of flavour interest left. Great comparison with the previous wine.
1993 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes – even darker amber and a nose that briefly held a petrol component but settled in to a dried fruit and black tea nose. Excellent flavour concentration and smooth long interesting finish. This one continues to impress. My wine.
1990 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese – lighter wine with typical petrol nose and hints of candied fruit, lemon wax and old brass (?!) which turned to dill with time. Have to assess this as either too old (unlikely) or flawed – poor bottle.
2007 William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – lighter colour, a slightly cheesy (in a good way) but clean nose with no oxidation, some faint apricot (fresh, not dried) and good depth and length. Good bottle.
2016 Meyer-Näkel Dernauer Pfarrwingert Spätburgunder Grosses Gewachs– lovely briary fruit in the nose good up front fruit on palate, very pure, and with a hint of heat in the finish. The first of two Pinot Noirs from the Ahr – and the best German Pinots I have tasted!
2017 Jean Stodden Neuenahrer Sonnenberg Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs – pale colour, clear to the rim, nose of red fruit, clean and more Burgundian in presentation but far too young to have much development. On the expensive side (~60 euros) these Pinots were impressive and this one at least would be a great Burgundy ringer in a blind tasting.
1999 Patrick Jasmin Côte-Rôtie – oh yeah! Right in my wheelhouse now. Cassis/ raspberry nose, a tad on the ripe side and in a somewhat rustic style. I am used to older mature Jasmins and this one seemed somewhat undeveloped – no floral component in the nose, for instance, which is very common with this wine. Good wine, but it drank more like a Rostaing than a Jasmin at this point.
2000 EY Banyuls Vigne d'en Traginer – like a sherry but without that degree of oxidation. Hugely sweet but with gobs of acid to balance, and for me this old vines Grenache just didn’t do it.