|
|
|
By Bastardo |
|
Recently, I decided that it was about time to try a couple of 14 - year - old denizens of the cellar from heck, and it turns out that I hit it quite well on both accounts. 
1990 Château Meyney Saint - Estephe, $19.99, 12.5% alc.: Still a dark garnet, with barely a hint of brick, this is giving plenty of nice cassis and black currant flavors and aromas, all shaded with notes of earth, cigar box, leather, and what Kim describes as bacon and kalamata olives. There's a solid core of sweet, deep fruit in an otherwise decidedly dry profile; it's drinking very well now, with mostly resolved tannins, a velvet mouth feel and a long lovely finish. As it opens over four hours, it just becomes more and more delicious, and best of all, it still has a few years of improvement left in it, if this bottle is any indication.Imported by Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines Co., New York, NY 1990 Moillard Corton Clos des Vergennes Grand Cru, 11.5 - 13.5% alc.: A somewhat rusty ruby garnet, this is showing black cherry, plum, smoke and mineral character, with just a whiff of heat on the nose. Concentrated and intense, the medium full bodied flavors carry through beautifully, with a good dose of tannins and acidity. At first I thought I might have opened it too early (despite four or five hours in a decanter), but in the glass, it just keeps opening and opening, becoming more and more harmonious, while gaining nuances of forest floor and decaying vegetation along the way. Give this emphatic wine eight hours in a decanter before pouring a glass, and it won't disappoint, but it has the stuffing to improve for at least another five years. Imported by Vin Fins Import Marketing Co., Long Island City, NY 
1994 Joseph Drouhin Chablis - Vaudésir Grand Cru, 13% alc.: A pale to medium gold colored chardonnay, this gives plenty of butterscotch, pear, pineapple wet stone and mineral flavors and aromas at first, with a good dose of obvious oak. It's rich, with excellent acidity and concentration, and a long, lingering finish; it's just starting to develop a hint of nuttiness to the flavors. This is a wine that goes through a continuous evolution in the glass, because after about an hour and a half, the personality morphs into a slightly funky, mossy wet stone character, with the oak receding into the background and a chalky note emerging as well. Lovely and delicious, this seems to be still on the way up, and it wouldn't hurt to decant it for a while before drinkingA second bottle tasted with Alan Kerr a few weeks later showed rather differently, but no less impressively. The butterscotch, pineapple and nuttiness were nowhere to be found; instead there was plenty of fig, chalk, stony mineral, and as it opened, honey dew melon and red grapefruit. With moderate acidity and a long, long finish, this was also absolutely delicious. Interesting and instructive as to how individual bottles will go their own separate ways over time to develop distinctive characters. 1996 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches, $56.99, 13.5% alc.: The aromatics of this medium straw to pale gold are rather stingy at first, not giving much more than a little wet stone - mineral; the flavors are more generous, with their pure chardonnay fruit taking on a soft pear - like character and blending seamlessly with that stony minerality. We decanted this about half an hour before tasting, and as it opens over a few hours, the bouquet blooms nicely, if not effusively; a soft nuttiness emerges, along with some subtle oak and just a hint of butterscotch on both the nose and palate. After an hour or so in the glass, it turns creamy smooth and velvet - like, rich and yet restrained at the same time, with deceptive acidity and a long, long finish. All about balance and finesse, this lovely wine makes a fine match for pan seared ahi tuna and asparagus dressed with a light blood orange vinaigrette, caramelized onions and du puy lentils. It is certainly one of the very best white wines we've had all year, but I still like the Chablis - Vaudésir better. 1996 Joseph Drouhin Meursault - Perrières Premier Cru, $46.99, 13.5% alc.: A medium straw to pale gold in color, this shows reticent aromatics of soft hazelnut and pear that echoes and expands on the palate with zippy acidity and wet stones that linger on the finish. It has a silky elegance to it, with medium intensity; well - integrated oak remains mostly in the background, and hints of butterscotch, vanilla and bees wax emerge as it opens. The finish flops a bit, leaving only a mouthful of river stones, and one wonders if this might not be a year or two past optimum drinking. A nice wine, but it doesn't ring our bell like the Chablis - Vaudésir or the Clos des Mouches. Joseph Drouhin Wines Imported by Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., New York, NY 1999 Verget Chassagne - Montrachet "Les Chaumes," $39.99, 13% alc.: Bree described this pale gold as "a spanky kind of wine, with bright acids and a dashing lash of oak to match." It doesn't show much on the nose at first, except for some stingy pineapple, pear and toasty oak, but the big, bold, rich flavors really jack it up with all of that, along with added spicy overtones. As it opens, it reminds me of a cross between a pineapple, a pear and a vanilla ice cream cone. Frank voiced his admiration for this, and while I like it, it needs several years to show its best, so try it in another three to five to see what's happening here. Imported by Barrique Wine Company, Chicago, IL The following wines were tasted as samples which, and with the exception of the Negly white, were opened the day before we tried them, and yet still showed quite well. 2002 Château de la Negly Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape, 60% Bourboulenc, 20% Marsanne, 20% Rousanne, 13.5% alc.: Pale to medium straw color, with wet stones and lime on the nose; flavors follow through with some added pear, a rich, oily mouth feel and fairly low acidity. Nice. 2001 Château de la Negly Coteaux du Languedoc La Côte, 50% Carignane, 50% Grenache, 13.5% alc.: An almost inky dark garnet, with effusive underbrush, blackberry, black raspberry and bacon flavors and aromas, with undertones of chocolate and a deep, dark earthy, slightly tarry note. Somewhat astringent tannins need about 3 - 5 years for this to really start to sing, but Kim took a second pour anyway, she likes it so well. The importer Jean - Jacque Fertal tells me that this retails for around $15, making for some terrific QPR. 2001 Château de la Negly Coteaux du Languedoc La Falaise, 60% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Grenache, 14.5% alc.: The first thing you get off of this almost opaque dark garnet is the sweet French oak perfume, but it really compliments the character of the wine, rather than mucking it up. Aromatics of dark plum and blackberry show undertones of bacon, toast and garrigue, and flavors not only echo, they explode, with substantial tannins that will take it to its 10th birthday and beyond. Big, boisterous and absolutely delicious! Retails for $22 - 23. Chateau de la Negly Wines Imported by Eagle Eye Imports, Bloomfield Hills, MI 2001 Château Courouneau Bordeaux Superieur Cuvée Pierre de Cartier, 13% alc.: This ruby dark garnet, composed of 100% organically grown merlot from 30 year old vines, shows a pretty nose of cherry vanilla and chocolate, with deeper, darker fruit on the palate, along with some tobacco leaf and cigar box. The mid - palate is somewhat creamy, and the tannins show themselves mostly on the finish, where more tobacco comes out as well. Very nice for around $19.99. 
2000 Château Le Clos Daviaud Montagne Saint - Emilion Cuvée de la Trilogie, 60% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.5% alc.: The aromatics of this dark garnet claret don't exactly jump out of the glass, but with a little coaxing, they do show earthy black currant, cassis, cherry stick and hints of decaying vegetation. Flavors echo and expand, gaining a bit of woody cigar box and a hint of black olive. The tannins are very soft, and the mouth feel is smooth; I'm sure the extended aeration helped this, but let's not hold that against it. Very nice for around $16.99.2000 Château Haut Bernat Puisseguin - Saint - Emilion, 13% alc.: A ruby dark garnet, with a rather shy, slightly meaty red and black fruit nose, this is not in the same league as the previous two selections. Made from 100% merlot, it shows fairly ordinary, dry earthy black currant and cassis flavors, with moderate tannins. Fans of traditional Bordeaux should like this, and it certainly works well with food, but at around $20.99, it's easily the most expensive of the three, but I prefer the second and first of these in that order. And, since we enjoyed the '01 Château Courouneau Cuvée Pierre de Cartier so well, I picked a bottle of the '00 a few days later, and liked that even better. 2000 Château Courouneau Bordeaux Superieur Cuvée Pierre de Cartier, $17.99, 12.5% alc.: Dark garnet, with a note of oak and hints of toast and coffee over black currant and blackberry on the nose, these impressions more or less follow through in the flavors in a very dry fashion (no surprise there, I suppose), with soft tannins and a smooth mouth feel. As it opens in the glass, it shows more and more fruit, becoming almost fat, and decidedly plum - y, with a little dark chocolate, wet earth and blueberry for good measure. Drinking well now with some extended air, it should only improve over the next two to five years. Imported by Peerless Importing Co., Jackson, MI 
1996 Château Siaurac Lalande de Pomeral, $25.99, 13% alc.: This ever - so - slightly rusty ruby dark garnet throws a sweet cassis and black currant bouquet showing hints of licorice, vanilla and sea air; earthy flavors echo nicely, and a note of bacon emerges with air. Not too tannic, with medium intensity, this loses a little something from the mid - palate on back through the finish, but does seem to fill out some as it opens, getting better and better. This has a terroir - driven character that you rarely find in a New World wine; it tastes real, not manufactured. If I'd like a little more intensity here, this is still an enjoyable claret that's drinking well now, and should improve over at least the next few years.Imported by Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., New York, NY 2000 Château Pipeau Saint - Emilion Grand Cru, $44.99, 13% alc.: There's plenty of stuffing to this deep dark garnet; it starts out with toast on the nose, following through on the palate with more toast and hard, dark fruit underneath. As it opens, it reveals thick, rich black currant, cassis, blackberry, and some subtle coffee as well. Intense and concentrated, this is years away from optimum drinking, but shows excellent promise, so try it in five years to see how it's coming along. This does open nicely with five hours of air, but at the expense of some fruit. Imported by Union Beverage Co., Chicago, IL 2000 Château Puynormond Montagne Saint - Emilion, $22.99, 13% alc.: This deep, dark garnet gives you chocolate right away on the nose, along with black currant, blackberry and cigar box as it opens. Flavors echo, with silky tannins and a smooth mouth feel. The fruit tastes a little underripe at first, but as it opens, more red fruit comes to the fore, and that smooth mouth feel turns almost creamy, and so do the flavors. By the last glass of this, it's become without doubt the creamiest Bordeaux I've ever tasted. Imported by J et R Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI 
2001 Domaine Borie de Maurel Miverois Cuvée Alex, $25.99, 13% alc.: Dark garnet in color, showing black olives right away on the nose, with big black plum and black currant in support; the aromatics follow through on the palate, but don't prepare you for the rich, almost lush and oh - so - approachable flavors of this very fruit forward and friendly wine. Despite these qualities, it has the backbone to age for at least five years, and like so many fine French wines, it just opens and opens and opens with air. Allan Bree commented, "It kind of turned into a Petite Sirah for me with all that big black fruit," but he and Kim thought this would be better priced at around $18. While I would rather pay less for this myself, I have to say that given the climate of the Michigan wine market, this is a fair price for this excellent Minervois, a region that produces some of my favorite go - to red wines. Imported by Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC. USA 2001 Jean - Luc Poinsot Bandol Cuvée Mourvegue, 15% alc.: This deep dark garnet was opened, but barely touched at the Toledo event, so we brought it home, ostensibly to add to Kim's vinegar crock, but being a fan of the appellation, I hijacked it for our Sunday evening drinking, and the wine is drinking very well indeed. Sporting a deep, dark berry and plum bouquet, it gains some added minerality and chocolate in the big, bold and delicious flavors. There're plenty of tannins here, but they don't detract from the enjoyment, as the wine undoubtedly benefited from twenty - four hours of air; add some zippy acidity and a nice long finish and you have a very nice Bandol, somewhat in the international style. I'd certainly buy more of this if it were available in my neck of the woods. Imported by Vintner Select, Mason, OH 2000 Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée de la Cure, $14.99, 12.5% alc.: We've recently become acquainted with Joguet's delicious Chinons, and while this ruby garnet, from 30 year old vines, isn't quite up to some of the others we've had, it's still a solid glass of cabernet franc. The rather reticent earthy red currant and black cherry nose carries over into the medium to medium full bodied flavors, and as it opens, some deeper, darker black currant reveals itself at the core of it all. There're some tannins still to resolve here, and Kim commented that "it's a little short," and that's probably our only real criticism. For this price, it'd be worth putting a few down for 3 - 5 years to see what develops. Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkley, CA 2000 Gustave Lorentz Pinot Gris, $10.99, 12% alc.: A pale to medium gold in color, this shows smoke, wet stones, canned green beans and a hint of bees wax on the nose; flavors echo, but with a dominant pear and apricot fruit morph that is sweet on entry and decidedly dry on the fairly long finish. The wine is slightly oily, with good acidity, and the "sweet spot" is almost reminiscent of some subtle confectioners' sugar. I like the way the funky qualities offset the initial sweetness here, making for a delightful glass of wine that could only come from France, and like so many Alsatians, it continues to open and improve with air. Imported by NWS, Inc., Chicago, IL 2000 Florent de Brie Coteaux du Layon: This rich, golden colored sweetie is thick, dense and unctuous, bursting with flavors and aromas of honey, peach and apricot, and a stony minerality underneath it all. Made from 100% botrytised chenin blanc, this is quite delicious, even for so youthful a wine, and a terrific value for so few dollars ($15-16).  Imported by Peerless Importing Co., Jackson, MI
Reporting from Day-twah, Bastardo |
|
|
Crossing the Rubicon with Mouton and Haut-Brion
Back to the Tasting Notes Index
|
|
