Belated notes on a gathering at our friend Marc’s place in Zürich, dating back to December 2006.
Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling Auslese #7 Graacher Himmelreich 1988
Pale yellow-green. Still holds some CO2. Minerally-spicy lime and herbs, very long and minerally finish. Prüm wines from this site should perhaps not be served alongside those from the Sonnenuhr, as people tend to like the Himmelreich bottlings a lot, but hardly ever return to them after they taste the respective Sonnenuhr bottling. Rating: ~90
Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling Auslese #17 Wehlener Sonnenuhr 1988
A touch more yellow to the colour. A bit fatter and more yellow-fruity and apricoty, buttery yellow flowers, also minerally, more multi-layered than the Himmelreich. Rating: 91
The difference between these two wines became even more apparent by the following morning.
Daniel Vollenweider Riesling trocken #12 Schimbock 2005
Thanks to Nick. Pale yellow-green. Subtle small flowers, melon, strong pineapple, reminiscent of a Gantenbein. Mildly exotic, stone dust, some pink grapefruit. Quite bright, mildly herbaceous, alcohol is not low, but integrated enough indeed. Hard to tell if it has the capacity to improve, though. Rating: 88+?
Dominus Napa Valley 1984
Thanks to Wolfgang. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc plus Merlot. Forgot to note the colour, but remember this looked mature. A bit Bordeaux-like fruit with a touch of papaya, juicy enough but dry (have not had this before, but it seems likely this is drying out). Nice, as if wet oak. Good medium-plus body and length. Quite long. On the whole a bit light, but tasty. I would drink this up if I owned any. Rating: 90-?
Castillo Ygay (Marqués de Murrieta) Rioja Gran Reserva Especial 1964
Thanks to Marc. Medium ruby, some black reflections. Smells sweet and a bit truffley and Malaga- if not Tokaj-like with a touch prune chutney with chocolate and Cayenne pepper, and as if low-acid. Not too oaky. Quite solid on the palate, less power, generosity and cut, but also less volatile acidity than the 1968, rounder if a bit softer, in comparison a bit lean. Lovely autumnal glyceric sweetness. Cocoa powder-flavoured tannin, quincy acids, quite sweet and long, Champignon mushroom aftertaste. The 1964 does not really come across as being from a top vintage (which it is), but it has kept up well. I would drink mine up if I owned any. My rating may seem generous, must admit I have a soft spot for these wines, and do not regard mild volatility an unforgivable flaw in archaic-styled wine like this. Having said that, the Ygay is clearly not on the level of Vega Sicilia’s Unico Reserva in this vintage. Rating: 90-/89?
Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins 1995
Not quite as open and forward a bottle from my collection as the one at the great Henri Bonneau Vertical in Graz a year earlier, but still the wine of the night by universal agreement. Full faintly purple ruby-black (have heard of orange coloured bottles, never seen one of those). Dried tomato, sweet raisiny cherry, huge minerality, big metal notes, some roasted herbs, garriguey rosemary, Burgundian roast beef juice, very spicy, goulash-like paprika, black pepper, cigar and pipe tobacco. What a deep Grenache! Pomegranate with a touch of goat cheese. Solid, flavourful tannin and acidity, still a bit austere. Dynamic wine, Rainer said. Not the size of the greatest Célestins, such as the 1989, 1990 and 1998, but I remember saying to myself I would be most pleased if this turned out to be as good as the 1988 – which it should. Deserves more bottle age. Rating: 96
Vieux Château Certan Pomerol 1998
Thanks to Albino. Virtually opaque black ruby. Soft bell pepper and green pepper. Round and dense, extremely pretty Pomerol Merlot fruit, ripe yet fresh enough. Almost creamy, melting on the palate. Only the faintest bitter note to the minty-fresh tannin. Touch of graphite to the pretty minerality. Incredible how much the mere 10% Cabernet Sauvignon is showing at this stage, in a clean and smooth blackcurrant top note. Round and very, very long finish. So well-balanced, the potential harmony is most promising. I have thought this wine deceptive since release, it may either be filtered a bit too severely, or it is hiding some of its potential beneath its satiny elegance and balance, hard to tell. Rating: ~95(+?)
Ferreira (Casa Ferreirinha) Douro Barca Velha 1991
A rather spectacular vintage for this bottling, the finest I have had since the 1982 and 1985. Very like a Vega Sicilia Unico or dry Vintage Port. Still shockingly youthful at this stage. Healthy deep ruby-black. Big, complex and thick fruit, banana top note to thick black cherry and plum, extremely well-integrated oak with only a tiny nuttiness. Quite full-bodied, superb alcohol integration, very juicy, rich, dense, sweet and long. Seems to have greater fruit density than the 1982 and 1985. More prune and cherry depth with airing. Great pleasure to drink despite its youth, really gorgeous, everybody loved this. Rating: 94+?
Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1993
Thanks to Oliver, a bottle he had bought from the importer not long before. A slightly volatile bottle, and albeit almost as good as previous ones, it still made me wonder if wines may be less than ideally stored at the importer’s. Deep lightly garnet ruby, black reflections. Iodine, tea and macerated flower finesse notes to blood orangey cherry, fruity acids, sweet and long, with great subtlety on finish. The 1993 Riserva is from Soldera’s Intistieti vineyard, by the way, without indication on the label, something he has made a habit in recent vintages. Rating: ~95
Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Howell Mountain 2002
Thanks to Rainer. Aged in 75% new oak, Vicard Nevers M+ plus some Alliers, in other words, much oakier than our favourite vintages from the early and mid-nineties, and yet, not nearly as oaky as so many wines today. Sterile filtered but no fined. Deep, at the center opaque ruby-purple, lightly watery purple at the rim. Rubbery iodine, gingerbread, sea salt, medicinal eucalyptus, clove, a touch of tobacco, some macerated violet, rosemary. Delicious mix of freshness, exotism, purity and cool precision. Lovely barrel sample-like sweetness. Not a fruit bomb, but nicely firm. Good though not great depth for this bottling, still way beyond that of so many Napa Cabernets. Salty minerality, quite powerful, nicely fruity finish, fairly long, although not as persistent as the greatest renditions. A suggestion of the maltiness of a Heitz Martha’s Vineyard of old, Rainer said. With airing denser and more aromatic and complex on the nose, longer on the palate. Plush aftertaste for a Dunn. A positive surprise. Easier to appreciate at this early stage than the 2001, everyone at the table agreed. Rating: 92+/93?
Aimé Stentz et Fils Pinot Blanc Pi-Noblesse 1995
500 ml bottle thanks to Dejan. Actually not a Pinot Blanc but an illegal (!) Chardonnay bottling. Medium-pale gold. Of medium interest, fairly lively fruit, not too complex, medium length. Rating: 86
Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Very Special Reserve 1994
Thanks to Wolfgang. VSR means “Very Special Red”. 76 cases made. 13.7% alcohol, 0.62 g/l acidity, pH 3.58. Aged 27 months in French barrique. Opaque, faintly murky purplish ruby-black. Soft iodine and peat, pansy-tinged violet. Could be fresher, especially on the nose. Big, well-concentrated. Some lightly gamy meat. A bit straightforward and artificial-tasting next to some of the best wines that night. Touch of yoghurt and mint, coffee and dark chocolate. High alcohol. Hugely ripe, partly overripe tannin. A bit dull. Medium-plus length. As Wolfgang says the nose does not quite suit the taste. Rating: 89
Quinta do Zambujeiro Alentejano Special Selection 2002
Thanks to Marc. Only one barrique or 300 bottles made. Opaque purple. Clean and pure, still very primary. Dried flower essence, violet, lactic blueberry, lightly spicy. High alcohol as of pure spirit on the nose. Highly concentrated. Huge yet fresh. But mouth-searing at this stage – dry but as if with a touch of residual sugar. Sweet green banana, pear bread, blueberry distillate. Yoghurt-like texture. Firm tannin. Perplexing wine, for the simple reason that it is impressive despite some of the characteristics I noted down. That I have serious stylistic problems with wine like this is not a secret. Rating: 92+/93+?
Heinrich Nepomuk Steyert (Weingut-Weinkellerei Oberrotweil) Traminer/Bouvier Beerenauslese Mönchhofer 1975
An Austrian BA thanks to Nick. Copper-orange-gold colour. Bready rancio top note, a touch of oxidation and tannic surface dryness. Dried wax, smells rather dry, sweeter on the palate. Raspberry top note, fruit and nut bread/cake aromas and flavours, lightly orangey-apricoty apple. Medium length at best. Not bad at all for what it is. Rating: 87-
Graham Vintage Port 2000
Half bottle thanks to Andrea. Opaque purple-black. Very firm, flowery and milk-chocolatey plum, some Christmas spice box such as cinnamon. Full-bodied, round, opulent and sweet, yet solid and precise. Long finish. Our favourite Port of the vintage. Rating: 95+?
Greetings from Switzerland, David.