An Oddbins Fine Wine Port tasting for CUWS tutored by Richard Bailey 29/02/1996 (RJB)

• Cockburn's Special Reserve Clean Ruby style with a slightly oxidised nose, dull but OK. (8.49) 80
• Quinta da Ervamoira 10 y.o. Tawny, Ramos Pintos (12.99) Medium complexity, coffee and spice, but probably not a case of "We'll support you Ervamoira". 86
• Offley LBV 1988 (8.99) Spicey, peppery and fresh. A well made LBV and should age well for a few years. 87
• Quinta do Vau 1988, Sandeman (14.99) Soft and velvety, perhaps lacking grip, but otherwise good fruit and spirit balance. 90
• Grahams Malvedos 1982 (14.99) Almost a mature claret nose to this, pencil shavings and composting fruit. Pleasant though. 88
• Niepoort Jubilee 1992 (18.99) good without being stunning. Not for keeping a huge amount of time, should drink well relatively early. 89
• Warres 1977 (26.99) The wine of the tasting. Maturing well with good grip and no rush to drink up. 92
• Croft 1963 (45.00) Getting past its best - fading violets. Still pretty nice mind you. 90

---

29/02/1996 (TNB)

• Mountadam Chardonnay 90 The immediate fruit has gone, leaving behind something a bit unattractive. Perhaps a lesson against keeping New World chardonnay. I wonder what it is --- lack of acidity? Now, quite spicy and nicely textured but..... 85.

---

A Noel Young Wines' presentation - Jean-Luc Colombo tutoring a tasting of his wines 28/02/1996 (RJB)

Jean-Luc Colombo doesn't like too much acidity in his wines, which I find tends to give them an unpleasantly soft finish

• 1994 Cotes du Rhone Blanc (J-L Colombo) 80% Viognier, 20% Rousanne. Almonds and peaches with a youthful mustiness. Toffeed. (9.49) 87
• 1994 Cotes du Rousillon, Terroirs du Rhone (J-L Colombo) Roughly a third each of Syrah, Mouvedre and Grenache. (6.79) Good berry nose, clean but a touch thin. 83
• 1994 Cotes du Rhone, Terroirs du Rhone (J-L Colombo) 100% Syrah. (7.89) A bit stalky and lacking acid. toffeed watery finish. Might open out a bit and improve. 85
• 1994 Les Collines de Laure (J-L Colombo) 100% Syrah (9.59). Smokey and spicey and opens out in the glass. Juicy with leathery overtones. 87
• 1992 Cornas Les Terres Brulees (J-L Colombo) (16.39) Smokey and juicy, but a bit stewed jammy fruits at the end. 87
• 1993 Cornas Les Ruchets (J-L Colombo) Les Ruchets has 70% New oak, which certainly seems to help the wine's balance and end-palate. Berry fruit and liquorice. Oak gives a nice acidity but perhaps the fruit is a bit lacking. 88
• 1992 Cornas Les Ruchets (J-L Colombo) (20.49) Oak seems older than the 93's - soft and short. 86
• 1991 Cornas Les Ruchets (J-L Colombo) Spicey and minty with good new oak integration and soft tannic backbone. Needs another five years. 90
• 1990 Cornas Les Ruchets (J-L Colombo) (21.59) Soft mature sweet nose. A bit 1-D and dusty. 88

---

25/02/1996 (TNB)

• Geisenheimer Schlossgarten Spatlese 89 (Schloss Schonborn) Flowers and Rheingau apricottyness on nose. Mouthfilling fruit, falls off a bit. 87.
• Brauneberger Juffer Auslese 83 (Licht-Bergweiler) Nice evolved old Mosel wine. Nice fruit and mature riesling petrollyness. 87.

---

Alsace (+German) tasting at Oddbins 22/02/1996 (TNB)

• Riesling Tradition 90 (Hugel) Slightly petrolly, quite evolved -- not a keeper. Pleasant. 83 (10.99)
• Rieling 93 (Schoffit) Lots of good fruit. Highly extracted, slightly caramely. 85 (8.99)
• Riesling St Catherine 93 (Weinbach) Quie extracted, classy, long. 89+ (15.99)
• Tokay Cuvee Caroline 93 (Schoffit) Big, fat wine. Really quite sweet. Striking, but 1-dimensional. 87 (9.99)
• Tokay Reserve 94 (Weinbach) Nice Tokay fruit, quite complex. 87 (12.99)
• Tokay St Catherine 94 (Weinbach) Gorgeous long bacony complex fruit. Fascinating on nose and on the palate. Long. 93+ (17.99)
• Gewurtz Tradition 89 (Hugel) Drying, austere. 81. (9.99)
• Gewurtz Isabelle 91 (Schaetzel) Nice fruit, well made, but unremarkable. 86 (11.99)
• Gewurtz Cuvee Laurence 93 (Weinbach) Cinammon and apples, and a very unctious texture. Pretty yummy 90+ (16.99)
• Tokay VT 89 (Hugel) Bacon fat and oranges. Very complex. I liked this more than last time I tried it. 93 (36.99)
• Fred Emile SDGN 83 (Trimbach) Essence of riesling, with a fascinating nose of evolving fruit and spice/petrol. Not amazingly sweet, but impressively fine. 94. (56.99)
• Riesling Mussbacher Eselhaut BA 92 (Muller-Catoir) Very concentarated, but a shade syrupy. Not clear how/if this will evolve. 90 (26.99 a half)
• Rieslaner Mussbacher Eselhaut TBA 92 (Muller-Catoir) Slightly better acid than above, and more interesting orangy nose. Stunningly concentrated. 93 (29.50 a half)

---

Wine tasting dinner at Sylvio's 21/02/1996 (TNB)

• Dolcetto 94 Sandrone Quite serious wine -- possibly a slightly too serious style for Dolcetta, but good! 85.
• Barolo Riserva 64 (Borgogno) Rather pleasant drinking -- scented, quite complex. Still tannic, but not improving, I would guess. 89.
• Barolo 55 (Fiorino(?)) A bit past it --- held together by its structure, but not much fruit interest. 82.
• Barbaresco 79 (Gaja) Big, very rustic, slight (not unpleasant) hint of hard-boiled eggs (tiny amount of H2S - or something else?) Seems a bit changeable in the glass. Interesting, but stops a little short at the end -- lighter vintage? 89.
• Grand Puy Lacoste 66 After dinner. Good colour. Nose slightly leafy -- almost stalky blackcurrent, with mature claret overtones. Drinking well. 89.

---

- 19/02/1996 (RJB)

• Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 1989, Zimmerman Graeff Decaying - two or three years past it. 78
• Chateau d'Angudet 1982 Drinking at its peak. Lovely sweet mature claret - silky smooth. Impressive. 90
• Petaluma 1986 Chardonnay By far the best bottle I've had of this recently. Steeliness and some elegance seem to have returned and the typical old Oz over vegetal butteriness is diminishing. Perhaps not such a rush to drink up. 88
• Domaine des Rochettes 1989 Coteaux de L'Aubance Lanolin and glycerol - Sauternish but with a touch of the coarse apple-skin Chenin fruit. Quite a mouthful that needs more time. 90
• Muscat 1994, A. Mann Big and oily with a touch of residual sugar. Musty and ill-defined at the end. 84
• Vouvray Clos de Nuits Sec 1993 Tinned asparagus to start with, but this disappeared to leave a honeyed, slightly coarse wine. 86
• Sancerre 1994, Henri Pelle Heavy combined sulphur. Poor. 70
• Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay 1994 Big dull Chardonnay. No class. 80
• Chassagne Montrachet 1992, Les Baudins, B. Morey Caramel oak nose initially dominant, but good fruit underneath. Probably in a slightly odd phase. 89
• Vina Ardanza 1989, La Rioja Alta Spicy and slightly metallic. Leathery and Rhonish! 87
• Crozes-Hermitage 1993, Domaine Combieres Commercial and easy. 82
• Gigondas 1990, Domaine de Saint Gayan Rustic and hot, but with good tannins. Difficult to judge. 88?
• Mule Blanche 1994, Crozes Hermitage Blanc, Jaboulet Aine Very Toffeed and with good length. Lots of old oak. 86+
• Sainsbury's Riesling Spatlese 1983 Ho hum! I didn't see the actual bottle. Very youthful simple Riesling. Clean but perhaps a touch confected. Impressive for the price (5.49). Apparently made by the Moselland Co-op.86
• Mountadam 1990 Chardonnay Big rotting butter nose. Nice oaky texture on the palate. On the way down? 86
• Luigi Bosca 1988 Syrah, Argentina Sharp bramble cherry fruit (more like a Zin or Grenache). Still youthful. Should age well (will be very interesting to see how it does). 88
• Rioja Gran Reserva 1986, Montecillo Vino Montes I keep thinking Rioja is Northern Rhone. Leathery sweetness. 86
• La Tour Blanch 1989, Cru Bourgeois Medoc Faulty. smokey bacon crisps.

---

17/02/1996 (TNB)

• Clos Naudin Sec 85 Grassy, honeyed, drinking quite well, but perhaps not for keeping? 87.
• Dom de Chevalier Blanc 84 Very spicy, vanillan, but a bit austere in the finish. Not as dramatic as I remember. Past its best? 87
• Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Maletroye Prem. Cru 89 (Niellon) Quite a class act, excellent fruit and very full in the mouth. Possible near best? 90.
• Dom de Chevalier Rouge 70 Good colour, youthfull. Characteristic smokey-toast on the nose. Quit high-toned fruit. 88.

---

- Istanbul 14/02/1996 (RJB)

• Villa Doluca and Moskado Doluca Two wines tried, Villa Doluca and Moskado Doluca. Both non vintage whites, and whilst not Turkish delights at least relatively clean with some discernible fruit. Better than most English wine! I think both were Semillon and Mucsat blends.

---

14/02/1996 (TNB)

• Pol Roger NV In cellar about 3-4 years. Lovely rounded flavours, but probably for drinking up. 87.

---

10/02/1996 (TNB)

• Erdener Treppchen kabinet 89 (Monchof) Lovely zippy fruit, with a hint of petrolly maturity. Drinking well. Slightly off-dry -- more like a Spatlese than kabinet. 87
• Ch Verdignan (H-Medoc) 82 Nice colour. Good warm blackcurrent fruit with a touch of tobacco and soft vanillan overtones. Tannins melted and drinking very nicely now. What a good year for the bourgoise! 86.

---

09/02/1996 (RJB)

• Heidseck Dry Monopole I'd guess that this was from a bottle with a touch of age. Drinking well with some toastiness. Probably one of the better Champagnes at the cheaper end of the market. 87
• Louis Roederer Brut Premier Not drinking as well as the Heidseck, but potentially (with a year or two) better. Good acidity, but lacking the creaminess I remember of this wine. 88

---

09/02/1996 (TNB)

• Eperon d'Or 85 (Commanderie de Peyressol, Provence) Drinking nicely, unassuming mature Cab-Sauv based wine. 83.
• Marie Estelle 85 (Commanderie de Peyressol, Provence) Holding nicely, mature Cab, undemanding. Luxury Cuvee of above. 85.

---

09/02/1996 (TNB)

• Tokay Furstentum 91 (P. Blanck) Very concentrated and potentially rather good. The best Blanck wine I have tasted. From a half.
• Nebbiolo d'Alba Vignaveja 89 (Gaja) Very ambitiously made, with bags of oak. The fruit doesn't really stand it. Just possibly something will emerge (an the bottle had traveled recently), but for now this is a "miss".
• Beaucastel 86 Moderately good Beaucastel, pleasant leathery fruit. Begining to drink, but no hurry. 87.

---

07/02/1996 (RJB)

• Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 1987, Etienne Defaix Holding together very nicely, a good mix of acidity and low-key buttery vegetalness. 87
• Nuits-Saints-Georges 1er Cru Les Bousselots 1986, Henri et Gilles Remoriquet Odd woody musty nose (perhaps a touch corky). Some sweet Pinot fruit emerging at times. Probably a faulty bottle.

---

Lay & Wheeler in Edinburgh 05/02/1996 (TNB)

• Schramsberg Blanc de blanc 90 Not bad for New world fizz, nice round flavours. 86.
• Pinot blanc V.Vignes 94 (Meyer-Fonne) Excellent, long, flavoursome, slightly less overblown than Schoffit and Z-H equivalents. 88 (7.25)
• Riesling Julius 94 (Henschke) Lots of Eden valley limeyness. Quite fine 87. (8.50)
• Viognier, V de P d'Oc 95 (Pontier) Uncharacterstic Sauv-blanc type nose. Unimpressed. 81 (6.13)
• Chardonnay, Mezza Corona 94 (Italy) Typically bad! 80. (4.99)
• Macon-fuisse Dom Collonge 93 (Noblet) Enormous melony nose. Very characterfull, but finish a bit "woody". 84 (7.54)
• Marquise de Barac Chardonnay/Merlot/Cab-sauv 94 Quite good Co-op wines, but the Cab a bit stewed. The other two good at the price.
• Chablis 94 (Defaix) Quit good concentration for a generic, with good acidity. 87 (10.87)
• Puligny-M 93 (Carillon) A bit over-blown for the quality of the fruit. Sound though. 87. (17.05)
• Montagny Premier-cru 94 (Olivier Leflaive) Very thin and uninteresting 82 (9.45)
• Chardonnay 93 (Hollick) Completely typical warm melons and soft oak New-world. Good of its type. 87 (8.50)
• Sauv blanc 95, Hugues de Beauvignac Quite a good basic S-B in the Bordeaux style 84. (4.99)
• Sancerre Les Comtesses 94 (Thomas) Good complex fruit. A fine example. 87 (9.02)
• Sauv blanc 95 (Allan Scott (NZ)) A winery that used to supply fruit to Cloudy Bay. The usual goosberries and asparagus, but tasted by the Sancerre it lacked subtlety 84. (8.50)
• Sauv Blanc 94 (Frogs Leap) Odd, aniseedy, unpleasant 78 (9.45)
• Julienas, Clos de Fief 94 (Tete) If I'm to drink beaujolais, then this is it! The acceptable face of Jelly Babies! 87 (8.03)
• Shiraz/Cab Western Ridge 94 (Veritas) Astonishingly minty, plus fruit gums. Not keen! 80 (5.32)
• Ch Notre Dame e Quatourze 94 (Languedoc) Early drinking cherryade with bags of fruit. Good BBQ wine. 84 (4.65)
• Cab S, Uiterwyk 91 (S. Africa) Hard to assess -- claret like, but added wine-gum fruit. Might be rather good? 86+ (8.27)
• Gevrey-Chambertin 93 (Marchard-Grillot) Boringly generic. 82 (12.11)
• H Cotes de B 92 (Lamy) Off flavours -- faulty bottle (I hope)? (7.59)
• Ch de Musset 92 (Montagne St Emillion) Toasty, soft, forward, quite pleasant 84 (7.59)
• Reserve du General 93 Second wine of Palmer -- ought to be the third! Luncheon claret at an inflated price. 83. (14.49)
• Vieux Ch Haut Beard 90 (St. E) Sinks without trace. Tolerable wine at inflated prices again! 80 (9.17)
• Ch Guillot (Pomerol) 90 Toasty, reasonable made, quite good fruit. Prices for minor 90's seem absurd! 87. (18.00)
• L'Amandier Cotes-de-Rhone (Dom Bouche) 94 Young, estery, perhaps quite good underneath. (5.69)
• Crozes-Hermitage 92 (Graillot) The star for me. Lovely raspberry syrah fruit, some complexity. Not so concentrated, but a lovely wine from a difficult vintage! Drinking OK now. 88 (8.54)
• Cab-S Penley Estate 92 Another mint-bom, but lots of ripe fruit too. 88. (14.19)
• Wellington Red, Claridge Estate 93 (S. Africa) Warm climate Cab. A bit soft, as usual. 84 (9.45)

Retasting of dregs the next day: The Vouvray still good; the Elston suffering (gone quite sweet and showing a lack of structure); the Chablis had opened out and was showing better (limey, steely fruit).

---

05/02/1996 (RJB)

• Pierre Moncuit Cuvee de Reserve, Brut Blancs de Blancs, Champagne Perhaps a touch coarse at the end, but with goodish unripe-melon fruit and balancing acidity. 87
• Pinot Noir Bourgogne 1988, Louis Jadot Oversweet light toffeed Pinot nose. After some time in the glass there were signs that it was drying out. 82

---

- Cambridge Blind Tasting Team 04/02/1996 (RJB)

• Chateau Gaudrelle Vouvray 1990 Woody, honey, apple nose with a touch of botrytis. The dry side of demi-sec in style, ripe on the palate - delicious. 88
• St Helena, Canterbury Pinot Blanc 1994, New Zealand Quite revolting, odd metallic flavours. No balance. 75
• Bellingham 1994 Sauvignon Blanc, Franschoek Valley, South Africa Watery, catty Sauvignon with a slightly sulphureous nose. Pretty horrible. 78
• Chablis 1993, Vocoret Steely lime acidity; green, with some structure. Needs a year or two. 86
• Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 1994 Fruit more subdued than last time I had it, but nice toffeeish oak and lees flavours.87
• Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spatlese 1994, Paul Basten Sulphury nose, but clean palate of sweetish fruit without much great complexity. Without the sulphur 85.
• Hocheimer Domdechaney Riesling Spatlese 1985, Domdechant Werner Becoming rather vegetal - past its prime. 83
• Domaine Gramenon Cotes du Rhone 1992 Smelt to me like a Northern Rhone Syrah - violets and leather. Drinking well now, but should last for a few years. 87
• Volnay Les Angles 1993, Lucien Boillet Impressive colour and with good bitter acidity. Closed up in the glass, but some Pinot fruit evident before it did. Little charm at present, but potentially quite good. 87
• Chateau La Gardera 1990 good toasty oak reasonably in balance with lightish fruit. 85
• Sterling's St Dunstan's Reserve 1991 Typical mint and cherries New World Cabernet Sauvignon. Quite soft. Boring. 86
• Grand Pompee 1992, Jaboulet-Aine Smelt like a strong, colourful Beaujolais. Earthy. 84
• Yarra Yerring Underhill Shiraz 1991 A wine with an identity crisis. Vegetal and jammy one moment, minty and eucalyptul the next. 78-86

---

03/02/1996 (TNB)

• Clos du Chapeau 89 (Domaine d'Arlot) Pleasant pinot, a bit dilute like a lot of this vintage. 87.
• Mountadam Chardonnay 90 When Mountadam loses its initial fruitiness, it seems a bit heavy to me, although in some objective sense it is not really past it. 87.
• Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe spatlese halbtrocken 90 (Muller-Catoir) Not quite as agressively fruity as I remember, but still with a mouthwatering grapefruit nose and a long zesty finish. Lovely, but I've no idea whether it is a longer term keeper. 90.
• Fourcas Hosten 83 Good colour and plum-cake nose. A bit rustic with a slightly austere vanilla-like finish. Probably best with food. 83.

---

02/02/1996 (RJB)

• Marsannay 1986, Mommessin Detectably Pinot, but not much fruit - a touch rustic with good acidity. Certainly interesting to try for 3.99 from Victoria Wine, but I wouldn't want to be paying any more for it.82

---

Champagne and Champagne look-alikes a tasting for CUWS by Richard Bailey 01/02/1996 (RJB)

• Mumm Cuvee Napa Blancs de Blancs NV Bread dough and melon nose with coarseness at the end. Very obviously New World and not impressive. 81
• Gimmonnet Blancs de Blancs 1991, Champagne Green apple nose, and pretty green on the palate. Desperately needs some bottle age and might then be significantly better. 86
• Green Point Blancs de Noir 1990, Yarra Valley, Domaine Chandon 100% Pinot Noir. toffeed Brussels Sprouts nose. Seems to be falling apart. Rather unpleasant. 78
• Pelorus 1991, Cloudy Bay Vineyards, New Zealand Easily the best of the three 'look-alikes'. Creamy nose well integrated with fruit and autolytic flavours. A bit soft, and not trying to be Champagne - a rather nice alternative. 87
• Veuve Cliquot 1985 Somehow just looking at this wine in the glass showed that we were now in a different league - bubbles fine and persistant. Creamy nose, not a million miles away from the Pelorus, but toned down and with added elegance and interest. 91
• Billecart-Salmon Rose NV Strawberry nose, and a bit obvious at present. A touch of tannin(?) at the end.88
• Billecart-Salmon Rose 1988 Nose more toffeed and compact than the NV, and lacking the strawberry fruit. More elegant than the NV. 88

---