Belated notes dating back to May 2006 on an evening out at Restaurant Gupf in Rehetobel (http://www.gupf.ch), known for its cellar, fine food and, last but not least, panorama view over the Bodensee (Lake of Constance). All wines except the La Tâche were BYO provided by the participants, who were Victor (thanks again for all the thought and effort put into this event's organisation!), Henrik and Martin from Germany, Chris and Linsey from the South of England, Fredrik from Sweden, and Marc (another Marc, not the one from our small wine circle), Markus and yours truly who either are Swiss or live in Switzerland.
Jacques Selosse Champagne Cuvée Substance N.V.
Thanks to Henrik. A Blanc de Blanc (100% Chardonnay) from 38-years-old vines in Avize. Lovely golden hue to the fresh colour, nicely concentrated, clean youthful brioche, round and quite smooth perlage and mouthfeel, fair complexity, but still yeasty and not particularly subtle or long. Should add in all fairness (not that those who know me would not already be aware) that I do not care much for bubbly unless it is truly exceptional. This one is certainly well-made. About excellent and thus a bit pricey for what it is? Rating: ~88?
Dr. Möbitz Weissburgunder Auslese Long Gold Capsule Stein 1999
Thanks to Henrik, of course (after all, he is Dr. Möbitz!). Bottle #22 of 44. Picked at 115° Oechsle. A blend of Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay from 40 years-old vines in the Steinberg. Very round, soft, nicely fat yet refreshing, tender butteriness, buttercup, dandelion, irony blood orange and a touch of grapefruit. Lightly viscous. Medium length. Not particularly concentrated, but what an elegant wine! Got a bit dull with airing, though, especially warming up in the glass. Rating: 89
Two stickies with the foie gras:
Château Rieussec Sauternes 1988
Thanks to Fredrik. A slightly evolved bottle? Certainly the least impressive bottle I have tasted of this wine. A bit warmly served perhaps, hardly to the advantage of a wine holding 14.7%. Really quite lovely, quite full-bodied, tropical yellow fruit and bready botrytis, high alcohol, phenolic, golden apple and mango, lemon, musk, surmaturité banana. Got slightly bitter with airing. Maybe it is just a phase, as bottle, fill and cork looked pristine. Having said that, after a couple of days’ airing in the fridge this had become a bit resiny, oxidative and medicinal, also deepened in colour to a somewhat advanced gold. Rating: 89+
Château Climens Barsac 1986
Thanks to Fredrik. Nice golden yellow colour. Firmly structured, very sweet, stony green banana bitter note, soft saffron, lemon, a touch of Cognac, soft green nuts. With extended airing also lavender honey and citrusy complexity (almost better after two days in the fridge!). Great balance and freshness. Almost fiery finish and aftertaste, without tasting at all alcoholic. Long, mildly tannic. Not a lightweight Barsac, but this somehow managed to hover above ground all the same. Rating: 95
Back to dry white for the Cassoulette de Crustacés:
Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet 1992
Thanks to Victor. His last bottle, he said. Never one criticize a liberal donor (yes, I am blushing), I would personally have held on to this for much longer. Bright yellow-gold with a pepperminty green hue. A bit dominant but clean marzipan oak on the nose, a bit reductive, with a touch of sulfur still noticeable, but soon opening up ox-eye daisy, lightly lemony balm mint, herbs, peppermint oil, a little thistle and straw. Exquisitely balanced, not too full-bodied, less oaky than on the nose. Lovely, quite complex herbs on the finish and aftertaste. Well-outstanding, if not potentially great wine in pristine condition, deserving several more years of bottle age. Rating: 93+/94(+?)
Chapoutier Ermitage De L’Orée 1992
100% Marsanne from 60 to 70 years-old vines. Quite full golden colour. Marmalady apricot, quincy raisins, smells like sweet wine but tastes dry. Nice medium viscous mouthfeel, alcohol is noticeable but not too high, fair enough acidity. Seasoned apple aftertaste. It is not a secret I do not like these wines (high alcohol + low acidity = overbearing), but they are impeccably made and expressive of their terroir, it is understandable they have their admirers. Rating: 93
Chapoutier Ermitage De L’Orée 1996
Forgot to note whose contribution this was. 100% Marsanne from 60 to 70 years-old vines. In a terrible, weird in-between phase, as if oxidised, almost a Vin Jaune de Jura at this stage. More of a yellow-gold colour. Flabby, softly oily straw and smoke, strong seasoned/aged apple, vegetal green hazelnut. Must admit I would have to infer prior experience to be able and rate this (as Erik noted recently, the 2004 is somewhat reminiscent of the 1996, both greater wines than the 1992). Showings like this one, by the way, are not what keeps me from wanting to own any white Northern Rhône wine: the top wines in particular are easy to handle really, all a matter of patience and precocious wisdom (in other words, buy them for your kids to inherit when you are gone ;^)
Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Insignia 1994
Thanks to Chris. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, aged in all new oak. Glossy purplish ruby. Licorice, dense syrupy fruit, Crème de Cassis, modern and cleanly fruity wine that comes across as rather boring, sweet and superficial in the company of wines that show real class, depth and/or soil notes. Almost sugary-candied aftertaste that upon closer inspection made me wonder if this might be acidified? Would not have minded better alcohol integration either. But one of the „best“ Insignias I have tasted so far (no more than half a dozen different vintages) – whatever that means. Rating: 89+?
Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Hillside Select 1994
Thanks to Linsey. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% new oak for 30 months. Opaque purple-ruby. Blueberry, green licorice stick and bell pepper, cookie/muffin dough, minty coffee chocolate and charcoal. Quite well concentrated. Firmly tannic, showed good power and fair length initially, but did not stop growing more complex and longer with airing; actually opened up very nicely after a while, tasting sweet and ripe, round and creamy. Rating: 91+?
Dominus Napa Valley 1994
Thanks to Markus. 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, aged 16 months in French oak, 40% of which new. Full ruby with purple and black reflections. Evolved and perfumy in comparison to the Hillside Select, but it is hard to believe that wine will ever show even half as much finesse as this. Blackberry jam with vanilla (from the oak, of course), Dunn-like iodine top note, a baffling touch of garrigue (roasted herbs and pepper as in a Châteauneuf-du-Pape), nicely minerally, but still soft and easy-going, on the whole quite Pomerol like in its opulence and generosity, not quite as powerful or long on the finish as the Hillside Select, just nice medium-plus body and length. The tannin is a bit astringent. But by far the most interesting of these three in terms of soil notes. A “lighter” bottle than the best I have had? I have so far always preferred the 1991 and decided on the spot I would open my only bottle of that earlier vintage for Fredrik and Victor the following day. Rating: 91
Vega Sicilia Ribera del Duero Unico Reserva 1964
Thanks to Marc. 65% Tinto Fino, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, rest Merlot, Malbec and Albillo. Medium ruby-black, nicely shiny, tiny watery rim. Morello, faint iodine, a touch of Malaga (pointing to the fact that this is not only fully mature, but already a fraction beyond it), furniture polish, menthol. Showed its age mainly in its tannin and acidity integration. Some blackcurrant cough drop fruit left, a bit dry and faintly orangey, somewhat lighter strawberry. Reminded Markus of the 1971 GRANGE (perhaps with a suggestion of Piedmontese Nebbiolo?). Fredrik said it was not to the 1964’s advantage to be served next to the 1970, and felt it made the older wine appear Pinot-like in comparison. It did get, relatively speaking, sweeter, rounder, longer, better integrated and more harmonious with airing, though, a sure sign it is still suspended in free fall and not yet crashing. Rating: 94-/93?
Vega Sicilia Ribera del Duero Unico Reserva 1970
My only contribution that night, but my last bottle of this legendary wine. 70% Tinto Fino, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and Malbec. 95’000 bottles produced. Glossy, deep ruby-black. Minerally, denser with fruit than the 1964, a touch of cassis, lovely restrained sweetness on the nose, faint peat. Fully mature, as this seems to have been since release, again showing that altogether eery sense of harmony. Thick strawberry, sweet candied fruit, incomparably smooth, fresh and long. Undeniably Spanish, and yet as if Bordeaux-like with a touch of Grange. More of a Tempranillo plus Cabernet Sauvignon essence than the 1964, is how Fredrik put it. This may sound like a paradox, but I continue to think of the opulent, harmonious and smooth 1970 as my favourite Unico, and the structured 1968 as the greatest. I was so happy with this showing, what a swan song! Rating: 97
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 1999
As much as I had been looking forward to an opportunity to drink this great vintage of LT again, I had not thought it possible it would show this well at this stage. There was reason to hope it would not be as youthfully austere as a 1996, but seriously, had this not been a magnum from the restaurant’s wine list, I would have vehemently objected. Somehow Victor, who had put a reservation tag around its neck a few weeks or months before, just knew it would sing, I guess. Wow! It sure did. Full ruby-black with a purple hue. Those animal fur and deep berry aromas and flavours of La Tâche, sweet, almost candied. Almost primary still, as Fredrik noted, who also called this “almost a rose garden of a wine.” Faint super-sweet blood orange. Soft pepper, rose petal and violet. Lovely fresh cigar tobacco, lightly leafy-green. Gorgeous metal note to the minerality, iron and lead, ever so faint iodine and peat, tiny caper note. Lovely faint smokiness. Amazingly full-bodied, powerful and dense. Mouth-filling. An almost Hermitage-like olive oil note, faint roasted almond. Closing up in the glass, just as could be expected from such a young wine. Every bit as fine as at the arrivage tasting, but even more opulent and showy. I have rarely had young Burgundy that drank so well and yet was so obviously structured to age. Complete wine and one of the handful greatest bottles I had in 2006. Rating: 97+/98(+?)
Château Yquem Sauternes 2001
Half bottle thanks to Victor. Medium-pale yellow-green. Purest, cleanest white-gluey-medicinal botrytis imaginable, fresh yet lightly roasted-caramelised, viscous, very balanced, very, very long. Soft banana leaf, spice, even the medicinal finesse notes are terrific, what a complex wine. Lovely acidity. Great medium-full body. Pretty, soft oak component. Truly aristocratic wine, potential perfection. Rating: 99+/100
Château Yquem Sauternes 1988
Forgot to note who contributed this. The most subtly corked (TCA-tainted) bottle of anything I have encountered in a long time, so much so I decided to taste this and take notes. Fairly full golden colour. Tender breadiness from the botrytis, honeyed and lightly roasted tangerine, quince and orange, soft waxy caramel. Quite minty After Eight freshness. Less rich than the 1990, sprightlier, more race horse-like delineation, a more European ideal of balance perhaps, even if the 1990 may have greater long-term potential. As harmonious as the 2001 if slightly less filled-in (though seemingly fattening up with airing), and also extremely long on the finish (despite the bottle being corked!). Another noble and aristocratic Yquem, near-perfect even in this slightly hampered condition. Rating: N/R
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
