Belated notes from September 2006.
Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint Jacques 1997
As impressive as it was at release. Very deep ruby-black. Salty with concentration and extract, difficult to describe mixture of blueberry, forest strawberry and morello with a palate-staining frozen raspberry underpinning. A bit Pauillac-like on the nose, Rainer said. Big leady iron, huge and perfectly fresh and racy. What finesse, subtlety, freshness and length. Seemingly African redwood, a touch of tarragon, faint cinnamon. Cedary licorice stick. Cranberry and European blueberry, as Al noted. Lovely chocolate, although not bitter. Acidity that is not too low at all. Tannic red beet finish, palate-staining wine. The freshness, length and aftertaste subtlety is spectacular, not just for the vintage. Lovely tender smokiness to the fruit. So complex with airing, perfumy, and yet, not ready for prime time drinking at all, in need of at least three more years in bottle, perhaps more, this should keep uncommonly long for a 1997. From a super site whose wines surpass many Grand Crus, and a vintage that is an exceptional success for Jadot winemaker Jacques Lardière and yet, this impressively structured wine is still a surprise in the context of the vintage. Rainer will not stop bringing this up in discussions on Burgundy since then. Rating: ~95?
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 1997
Thanks to Rainer, if I remember correctly. Pruney ruby, medium-large watery orange at the rim. A bit imprecise especially on the nose. A bit lactic-smoky, a touch of butter gone sour (as in some Riojas or some vintages of Cheval Blanc, such as the 1982), drier fig sweetness than the best bottles, some parboiled red beet, camomile, syrupy-heavy and meaty cassis. Some iron, stronger dried and canned tomato than other bottles (thus more like older vintages in this regard), some green curry and partly-fermented cigar tobacco leaf. Rating: ~92
Azienda Agricola Cà Viola L’Insieme 2001
Thanks to Albino, if I remember correctly, this may have been a wine he used in the kitchen and of which he poured a sample to taste (not a wine we actually drank). A blend of Barbera, Pinot Noir, and Nebbiolo. Opaque purple ruby. Cherry chewing gum, marzipan oak, sweet violet and pansy fruit. Modern, gastronomic. Rating: ~85
Molitor Riesling Spätlese feinherb #02 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr 2003
Thanks to Rainer, I guess, two days open in the fridge. Fruity rather than sweet, fresh and blossomy, exotic blackcurrant, nicely minerally, a bit rubbery on the finish and aftertaste. Rating: 87
F. X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg 1999
Thanks to Rainer? Fairly deeply coloured. A bit Trimbach-like candied lemon, mainly herbs such as a little Thai basil, quite full-bodied, medium-dark minerals. Nicely persistent, although not especially long. The alcohol level is not too high, but this is still best enjoyed lightly chilled. Rating: 89+/90?
Dönnhoff Riesling Eiswein #17 Oberhäuser Brücke 1999
Half bottle thanks to Albino. Golden sultanas, Williams pear, some glycerine, not too sweet, a tiny bitter note, makes a thicker impression on the palate than the (fair enough, not extraordinary) concentration seems to make possible. Fairly soft and not too icewine-typical acidity that tastes as of a Sicilian tangerine. Medium minerality. A bit more mouthpuckering, precise, perhaps even minerally with airing. The alcohol content subjectively does not seem low for an icewine. From one of our favourite estates especially for icewine, but the mediocre vintage shows. Rating: 89-/88
Mauro Veglio Barolo Arborina 1997
A bottle Albino once got as a gift from Nedster. Faintly pruney ruby-black, slightly watery at the rim. Softly Burgundian on the nose, little depth on the palate. Raw meat, poached black cherry, feeble blood orange, crisp red beet, a touch of dried oregano. Like a chestnut and cherry cough drop, Rainer said. Some dryness to the asphalt-tinged tannin, relatively straightforward. Roasted onion-like acidity. Liked this a tiny bit better at release, but it is doing well enough in bottle given it was early-mature to begin with. Rating: 87-/86
Úri Borok Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 1999
Thanks to Albino. Same as in January, absorbing more and more of its rancio notes. Amber-orange. Gorgeous blossoms and acacia honey, dried apricot, pomegranate, a touch of candied tangerine. Unfortunately, this has always been a bit too oxidative to be as green tea-like as the finest of Vince Gergely’s wines (1999 is not one of his best vintages). Viscous, sweet and dry. Quite zingy tangerine-flavoured acidity for a 1999, soft bitter note. Rating: 91
Greetings from Switzerland, David.