WTN: Petaluma, Yeringberg, Tahbilk, Bolly, Roederer, stickies +...

Some scribblings from a tasting at mine last weekend. Overall disappointing (guess who supplied the majority of the wines ), but still with some good and very good wines in there.

• N.V. Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier - France, Champagne
  Tasted as a (known quantity) benchmark, with which to compare against Bollinger Grande Annee 1997. The Bollinger was faulty, so the comparison was wasted. However the Roederer was as good as ever, bright clear straw in colour with an impressively fine bead. Initially the nose was fruit dominant with Lemon, and to a lesser extent Grapefruit, to the fore. With time there was some development, but this remains very much primary. On the palate this primary fruit is supported by crisp acidity and just a touch of butterscotch developing. At least the benchmark performed as it should!
• 1997 Bollinger Champagne Grande Année - France, Champagne
  A bad bottle I'm sure
  The wine was a light & bright straw-gold colour with very persistent bead. The nose was certainly unpleasant, smelling of vegetal and specifically of cabbage. Some vaguely pleasant smoky notes peeked out with airing, but the cabbage dominated. At least the palate showed a little lemon, but again the cabbage was repeated. Pretty much undrinkable.
  
• 2002 Tahbilk Marsanne - Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Nagambie Lakes
  A disappointment for this label (one I've enjoyed greatly over the years), but not I suspect a bad bottle per se.
  Colour was promising, being a bright light-gold. Typical oilyness on the nose, but the fruit was clearly in the Pineapple/Mango spectrum, with the (overripe) Mango particularly dominant. There was also a touch of Vanilla (even though IIRC this wine doesn't see new oak) - Not the first I've seen it in this wine, so suspect it could be a varietal feature.
  The palate was slightly less dominated by the Mango, but it was still unbalancedtowards that one flavour. The finish was reasonably long.
  I really need to go for the cool vintages for this wine.
• 2000 Yeringberg - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
  Tasted against a disappointing Tahbilk Marsanne 2002.
  The Yeringberg had a still youthful pale straw-gold colour. On the nose it was quite subtle, with a slightly resiny influence (retsina was mentioned, though it wasn't as noticeable as you'd find in that wine). There was a touch of vanilla on the lengthy finish. Oddly re-reading my scribbles, I see no reference to fruit, which should not suggest it was stripped of fruit - just that there was nothing that particularly stood out, or had prominence.
  I enjoyed this and indeed it went well with the salamis etc we brought out at this point. Still plenty of life left in it.
• 1998 Petaluma Cabernet-Merlot - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
  1st wine in a mini vertical
  Very dark and dense purple colour, little sign of age. The fruit was more blackberry than blackcurrant, with a suggestion of some pruney overripe fruit. Tobacco was evident on the nose. Richly fruited with tobacco supporting on the palate, this disappointed for me, but perhaps it's more in need of age? Good but nothing special (at this stage at least).
• 1999 Petaluma Cabernet-Merlot - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
  2nd in a mini vertical (99-01)
  As with the others, this was dark, opaque purple in colour. The nose showed blackcurrant with tobacco and a touch of menthol. Balance was sound and quite classic. Some doubt about ageability, but I'd take the good balance as a sign that it might surprise in the length of future it has. Had good support from the group, myself included.
• 2000 Petaluma Cabernet-Merlot - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
  Third in a mini vertical (99-01)
  The colour was (like the preceeding wines) a very dense, dark purple. On the palate it was pretty easy-going with a touch of mint supporting the (very) ripe fruit. This one split the group, with some finding it pruney, broad and simple, others believing it had age and depth on it's side. My least favourite of the three
  
• 1983 Domaine de Liards (Berger Pere et Fils) Montlouis Demi-Sec - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis
  Still quite a youthful yellow-straw colour, but with a strongly sulphury nose (this did blow off by and large) with a touch of bread/yeastiness. Interesting in that the sweetness had been overtaken by the acidity and it could be fairly described as tart. Going nowhere but downhill.
• 1985 Croix Mission Bonnezeaux - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Bonnezeaux
  Towards the tail end of the evening, so little in the way of notes.
  
  Colour was a rich yellow, not bad for it's age. There was a touch of sulphury pungency on the nose, but this blew off quickly leaving honey scents to come to the fore. The honey was present on the palate, but the finish had an unusual (but pleasant) savoury edge to it. Interesting, but probably didn't get the attention it should have received.
• as well as a Pinotage there was a mystery wine brought along by one of the group
  The mystery wine had just a scrap of label left, though all the writing had faded. Apparently 2-3 years ago, there you could still make out the vintage (07). The only clue in the bottle was that it was likely to be fortified and the solid wax seal when removed showed an intact, but somewhat small cork. After having lost half the cork, the remainder was pushed in. On retrieval, there was no further hint as no writing could be seen. Anyway, enough pre-amble
  The colour was mahogony and there was rasonable depth to it. The nose showed sherry-like oxidative notes with even a touch of saltiness, together with subtle pleasant toffee aromas, but this was no sherry. The palate was dry and savoury, but with enough remaining richness and that touch of toffee. There was also a touch of spiritiness on the finish.
  Opinions were divided between whether this was a (Verdelho based) Madeira or a Port, with my vote going to the latter - if for no other reason, that I've never tasted old Madeira, but found the extension from old Port to this logical. No challenge to the age and we all accepted that it was indeed of that era. The earth may not have moved for me on my first 100 year old wine, but I did enjoy it.

Thanks for the notes Ian! The Bolly sure sounds off. I'm embarassed to say this, but I've had an opportunity to try it four times in the past year or so. Bolly's style tends to be rather heavy and oaky, but I like it young when there is a delightful grassy freshness to it. Older it becomes too toffeed for my taste. So grassy and pleasantly vegetal it should be, but not cabbagey - which sounds absolutely vile if I may say so.

That 100 YO wine sounds very interesting. Judging by your note, I was expecting more a Madeira than a Port - except for one thing: you didn't mention volatility! I have had far too few experiences with older Ports and Madeiras, but the older ports I've had have retained more sweetness than what you imply in your note. But how was the acidity and VA levels? If they aren't high, it probably isn't Madeira. Forgive me for doing some second hand archaeology based on your notes!

-O-

Otto
Re the Bolly, don't worry - your comments weren't as strong as ours!

As for the 100 year old mystery wine, it's difficult to recall. Certainly not massive volatility, but IIRC there was some. Acidity was judged well enough for it to not be noted. Certainly not cloying, nor was it zesty acidity.

regards

Ian

Saw Roederer in the tread title so good place to place a brief comment on a California version, the `93 Roederer l`Ermitage Brut. Yes, not a misprint the `93.
Been sitting in the cellar from lords knows when so thought I would take into the Grill for the staff to try. I did not think a sparkler from Calif. could last this long but this was singing. Still a medium lemon, beautiful biscuit nose and good citrus on the palate. Very much alive still, as usual wish I had brought more but I remember this one bottle was hard to find. Will post a TN when I return after Christmas.

2002 Tahbilk Marsanne - Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Nagambie Lakes
A disappointment for this label (one I've enjoyed greatly over the years), but not I suspect a bad bottle per se.
Colour was promising, being a bright light-gold. Typical oilyness on the nose, but the fruit was clearly in the Pineapple/Mango spectrum, with the (overripe) Mango particularly dominant. There was also a touch of Vanilla (even though IIRC this wine doesn't see new oak) - Not the first I've seen it in this wine, so suspect it could be a varietal feature.

Interesting comment, and I suspect you are right about the vanilla note being a varietal feature in this Marsanne. Or at the very least a terroir-driven feature.

I served an earlier vintage of the Tahbilk Marsanne to a very experienced (and very good) California winemaker some years ago. He brightened up when tasting it and was quite impressed----then commented that the winemaker had a deft touch with oak and didn't overdo it. When I told him it was sans oak, he was even more intrigued by the wine.