5.6.40
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Diary index

An evening at M.D.'s 29/01/2007 (TNB)

Sunday night 28/01/2007 (TNB)

Over the last few days 27/01/2007 (TNB)

One or two things from the last week 20/01/2007 (TNB)

Over the Weekend 15/01/2007 (TNB)

Some easy clarets with MR 13/01/2007 (RJB)

In The Hague 06/01/2007 (TNB)

Canonica's Barolo 03/01/2007 (TNB)

The Diary - January 2007

An evening at M.D.'s 29/01/2007 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 15/02/2007   Return to top

Sunday night 28/01/2007 (TNB)

  • Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2002(Moreau-Naudet) Quite lightweight, but this is misleading - there's real intensity and good length. Proper Chablis minerality, dry and pure. Very good and probably not quite yet at peak. A good ***
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 28/01/2007   Return to top

Over the last few days 27/01/2007 (TNB)

  • Bucciato 2000 (Ca Rugate) I bought a few of these a while ago and this is the last one. It's essentially Soave, made in a retro style with quite a lot of skin contact - hinting at the sort of thing that has made Gravner famous. I have slightly mixed feelings: on opening it seems a bit flat and dull, like other things in this style it needs to be close to room temperature to show its best. When it does, it's really got nice fruit, although you have to be in the right mind-set for it. I must try another vintage. ***
  • Mrey St Denis 1er cru Chaffots 1999 (H. Lignier) Like the other bottles from this producer I've tried recently, this is pure, unforced, transparent wine. Really good, and as it opens out some really attractive minerality emerges. A bit more oomph that the other wines but this is 1999 rather than 2000. Very good indeed. Just because I like it, rather than for really objective reasons, I'll go as far as a bare ****
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 27/01/2007   Return to top

One or two things from the last week 20/01/2007 (TNB)

  • Palo Cortado El Cardenal NV (Valdespino) Quite volatile nose, palate like licking mahogany. Splendid wine. ****
  • Amontillado Coliseo NV (Valdespino) Finer and more complex than the Cardenal, fantastically interesting: the finish is compelling, concentrated and long, but I can see one might almost find it difficult without food. Lovely. *****
  • Sauternes La Tour Blanche 1990 A bit of a star, if Parker and Broadbent are to be believed. I find it a bit flat - acidity only adequate and a general lack of sparkle. That said, the fruit is quite fine. Possibly this is a poor half, but if not then only *** for me.
  • Chateau Leoville Barton 1991 Surprisingly round and fruitcakey for what was not generally a Merlot year. Beyond that, rather a lovely mature Claret, cedary, no great hurry to drink. It just shows that class is much more important than vintage, although 91 is an odd one anyway - much of its reputation as a poor vintage seems to come from its being a small vintage. Did I really sell half my case of this? Top ***
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 20/01/2007   Return to top

Over the Weekend 15/01/2007 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 15/01/2007   Return to top

Some easy clarets with MR 13/01/2007 (RJB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 15/01/2007   Return to top

In The Hague 06/01/2007 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 15/01/2007   Return to top

Canonica's Barolo 03/01/2007 (TNB)

  • Barolo Paiagallo 2002 (Giovanni Canonica) Fantastically pure, fragrant, juicy, crushed red fruits - very Burgundian (like the Nebbiolo tasted a couple of weeks ago). Good concentration and length and the fruit is of such quality that hides both the tannins and the hints of tar. Excellent wine from what is supposed not to be a great vintage in Barolo - a pleasure to drink but surely it will be even more so in a few years. At least a good ***(*)
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 03/01/2007   Return to top