2005 Claret 14/08/2009 (TNB)
A friend was wanting to have a look at a range of the 2005's. Of course, we had some older wine after.The wines I liked best at least from the Medoc were in that old-fashioned, not too extracted or oaked, fairly high-toned style: the Trois Chardons and the Haut Bages Liberal in particular. Properties doing this are becoming pretty rare though.
- Palo Cortado Viejo "Scully" (Hidalgo La Gitana)
Elegant, beautifully authentic Palo Cortado with a fantastic core of fruit. Lovely. Top
- Chateau Trois Chardons 2005
Lovely ripe but high-tomed fruit, balanced tannins. Fantastic old-fashioned Claret.
- Alter Ego de Palmer 2005
More tannic and a bit inky and oaky.
- Chateau Rausan Gassies 2005
Warm, rounded, slightly fruit-cake Claret. Not hugely complex and the tannins a touch dry.
- Chateau Malartic Lagraviere 2005
Slightly singed fruit, ripe forward and quite soft in the modern style.
- Domaine de Chevalier 2005
(Very) corked.
- Chateau Clarke 2005
Singed, plummy fruit. Quite tannic on the one hand but also quite pleasantly forward.
- Haut Bages Averoux 2005
Gutsy palate, quite hard and dry. Not terribly attractive. Bare
- Chateau Haut Bages Liberal 2005
A bit of sous-bois, complex, really nice poise - stands out from a lot of the wines here with its classic elegance. Bare
- Chateau Beychevelle 2005
Lower register, but good balance and attractive, scented fruit. op
- Chateau Beauregard 2005
Very rounded and easy. Quite a sexy wine, which isn't quite my thing. Good though. Bare
- Chateau Berliquet 2005
A big hit of oak, rather internationally styled. Not my sort of thing. Top
- Chevalier Montrachet 2003 (H. Boillot)
Great balance and richness, building through the palate. Powerful, a fair amount of oak, and no sign of 2003 flab. Very impressive. Bare
- Corton Charlemagne 1978 (Tollot-Beaut)
Quite smoky and herbaceous - interesting perhaps rather than exceptional. Nice but probably better a few years ago. Top
- Clos de Tart 1985
Gamy mature pinot, a touch rustic too. Perfectly pleasant but nowhere near the standard it should be. Top
- Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste 1985
Just a very good, balanced, drinkable 85. Lovely. Top
- Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste 1990
Grander than the 85. Capsicum fruit, tending a touch towards baked. Great balance and with a scope for further resolution. Bare
- Chateau L'Evangile 1998
Great fruit - long and sexy. Pleasantly structured ad still improving. Bare
and rising.
- Chateau L'Evangile 1990
Very soft, aromatic, completely resolved. Lovely and much admired, and yet at times I thought it a bit soft.
- Chateau Canon 1982
Just a very good mature Claret. (Notes getting briefer as the evening progresses!) Top
- Nussbacher Eselhaut Rieslander BA 1992 (Muller-Catoir)
Very deep reddy-brown colour. Lots of brown sugar - very intense. Bare
- Krug 1989
Lively mousse, but quite evolved and mushroomy on the palate. Apples and vanilla on the palate. Excellent, but not perhaps a top Krug on this showing. (That said, we have tasted a lot tonight.) Top
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 06/09/2009 Return to top
09/08/2009 (TNB)
- Chassagne Montrachet 1966, Lebegue selection (Griersons)
Opened with very low expectations (two odd bottles in an auction lot). In fact very pleasant, nutty, herbaceous mature Burgundy, fairly light but fresher I guess than most 96's. Bare
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 09/08/2009 Return to top
Another Leclapart Champagne 08/08/2009 (TNB)
- Champagne Extra Brut L'Amateur L.V05 (D. Leclapart)
Fascinating, quite different from most Champagne - quite nutty, slightly oxidative - tending towards the Selosse style, I feel. Needs a year or two, but very good. Leclapart's basic offering.
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 08/08/2009 Return to top