Wine group at A.D's 25/02/2008 (TNB)

• Viognier The Maverick 2006 (Bellingham) Unctuous, rich, oily. A touch lemony. Lots of oak. Cloying.
• Viognier 1996 (Calera) Odd chocolate palate. Very curious, Possiply just past it. Not very nice.
• Chardonnay 2004 (Thelema) Pretty pleasant, sharp -(probably acidified) finish.
• Chardonnay 2004 (Eikendal) Better balance. Not greatly remarkable. Bare
• Chardonnay 2004 (Glen Carlou) Nice enough - I gave a score but didn't make any notes - perhaps I just did not find anything to say. Top
• Chardonnay 2004 (Hamilton Russel) Also pretty decent but not exciting. Top
• Rijo Gran Reserve Ygay 1998 (Murrieta) Slightly edgy and varnishy. Others say they have had better bottles.
• Rija Gran Reserve Prado Enea 1998 (Muga) Ripe, round, nice fruit. Strong effort.
• Rioja Gran Reserva Imperial 1998 (CUNE) Very balanced quite easy - margaux-like. top
• Rioja Gran Reserva Imperial 1996 (CUNE) A little thinner on the palate than the 98.
• Rioja Gran Reserva 904 1994 (Rioja Alta) Slightly more modern, hints of volatility on the finish.
• Rioja Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia 1985 (Lopez de Heredia) The real thing - better I think than the earlier wines will ever be. A touch balsamic. Lovely fruit. Bare
• Monteluce Passito 2003 (Sella and Mosca) Dubious balance - hot finish. Odd
• Passito vin de la Fabriseria de San Rocco 2000 (Tedeschi) Quite pretty, middle of the road, very pleasant. Top
• Rutherglen Muscat, 12 y old (Stanton and Kileen) Delicious, very rancio very nice. Top
• Full Fronti 20 y old (Pertaringa) Really good old liqueur Muscat, despite the silly name. Bags of character. Bare

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20/02/2008 (TNB)

• Erdener Treppchen Auslese 1985 (Moenchoff) Keroseney, nice fruit, completely mature. Very pleasant rather than thrilling.

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18/02/2008 (TNB)

• Champagne Prestige NV (Diebolt-Vallois) A pretty wine, quite dry with yeasty apple fruit. I was not as keen on this as when visiting Diebolt and it did not even seem to have the overwhelming charm of the other time I have tried it. Still very nice, but I am not wild about it.

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With LJM and family 16/02/2008 (RJB)

• Champagne Millesime Blanc 1998 (Moet & Chandon) Drinking rather nicely with gentle maturity evident. Elegant and with some nuttiness. Surpassed expectations. just I think.
• Chardonnay Premiere Cuvee Brut 1996 (Nyetimber) Completely fresh and showing little signs of age. Well balanced and well made. A top English wine. a very good
• Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese 88 1983 (von Schubert) Joyfully pinpoint wine with kerosene much in evidence (so much so that it was suggested it might be advisable to blow out the candles in the dining room). Might even get better with time - certainly no rush to drink up.
• Pichon Lalande 1982 Sublime and just so easy to drink one almost doesn't do it the full justice that it deserves. Soft and yielding. I think.
• Hermitage Cuvee Speciale Les Greffieres 1998 (Domaine de Vallouit) Initially poured too cold. Silky, leathery Syrah on the nose and a subdude palate. However, with time the palate fell to bits rather, leaving a rasiny coarse wine. Strangely unknit.
• Chateau Rabaud-Promis 1986 Clear and refreshing (dangerously so!) at the end of the evening. Good balance of sweetness and acidity (but less botrytis than I remember).

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With the excuse of St. Valentine and a birthday 15/02/2008 (TNB)

• Champagne NV Rose (A. Clouet) Fairly meaty, as you might expect from Bouzy Pinot, but a graceful rose-petal nose too. Probably best with food. Top
• Morey St Denis 1er cru Charmes 12002 (V. Lignier) Pretty good, dense fruit and like others I have tried from this producer there is a good depth of minerality apparent once it has been open a while. Perhaps not the Charmiest Charmes though. Top

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Weekend Burgundies 03/02/2008 (TNB)

• Beaune 1er cru Clos du Roi 2004 (Camus-Bruchon) Bright, pure Burgundy, quality fruit, with a touch of earthyness. Drinking pretty nicely right now but it will improve a bit. Top
• Morey St Denis 1er cru Faconnieres 2004 (Virgile Lignier) Quite dense, rich, red fruits, yet tense and with an underlying sour cherry, Morey stonyness. This is rather fine.

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