31/07/1997 (TNB)

• Gewurtztraminer Herrenweg 92 (Zind-Humbrecht) Good for the vintage, quite dry, not enormously deep or complex. 84.
• Brane Cantenac 67 Very healthy colour. Pleasant mature claret cedar/cigar nose, but palate a bit empty except for ciric acidity at first. An hour or so after opening, the fruit filled out a bit to make a rather pleasing mature claret. Requires careful attention to appreciate it. 87.

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A Riesling Tasting 29/07/1997 (RJB)

• Brundlmeyer 1994 Zobinger Heiligestein Riesling Kabinet, Austria Young and closed, with a touch of sweetness. It was opening up very nicely towards the end of the evening and revealed a fair amount of structure that hadn't been in evidence earlier. I always seem to have this problem with Brundlmeyer's Rieslings - at first they can seem to be lacking, but with time (in the glass, or later from another bottle) they can exude real class. 86-89+
• Montana 1989 Marlborough Riesling The finish shows this wine to be in decline. Petrol and sherbert nose.
• Delatite 1985 Late-picked Rhine Riesling, Victoria Again this wine was showing a germanic side (it's fooled people in blind tastings before, and did so again this time). Some length, but a touch ill-defined. 86
• Hocheimer Konigin Victoria Berg Riesling Auslese 1971, Pabstmann This particular bottle past it. Smelt similar to an Islay malt, with an odd aniseed edge and faded acidity.
• Oberenmeter Karlsberg Riesling Auslese 1989, Kesselstatt Classy, tight Riesling nose, but I'm not sure that the balance on the palate quite pulls it through. 88
• Joseph Zens Cuvee Mailberger Rieden Rheinriesling 1992, Austria Rather flat, bird-seedy kabinett style wine. 84

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27/07/1997 (RJB)

• Champagne Georges Vesselle, Brut Grand Cru Dull, easy Champagne. 82
• Christa Rolf 1995 Shiraz Grenache, Barossa Valley From a half. Spicey, reasonably structured, chewy Oz blend. 85
• Christa Rolf 1996 Shiraz Grenache, Barossa Valley Chocolatey but flat initially. Opened up rather nicely over the weekend to reveal some structure and good fruit. It probably needs a couple of years. 86+
• Magpie Estate Mourvedre Grenache 1996, Barossa Valley Closed but minty, with a hottish finish. Seemed in rather a dumb unyielding phase. Not really what I was expecting. 84-87
• Domaine Gramenon 1992 Cotes-du-Rhone Classic Rhone nose - leathery and spicey. The wine has a slight spritz which is a bit worrying, but hopefully this is just this bottle. Clearly good wine, and most definitely a top Cotes-du-Rhone. 88?

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26/07/1997 (TNB)

• Chardonnay 92 (Newton) Having been criticising New World chardonnay vociferously recently, I thought I should try one! Good wine, I suppose, but lacks tautness, and the fruit and drama I remember is fading. (Oddly though it seemed quite good 24 hours later.)

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Noel Young Wines Presents a Tasting of Pinot Noirs 24/07/1997 (RJB)

A fairly hot and muggy evening, which didn't give ideal conditions for Pinot Noir tasting. I believe the wines were showing 'flatter' than perhaps they really are. Disappointing to see only one French wine on the list, but three out of the four American wines were showing well , and I honestly think I'd have trouble distinguishing them from Burgundy had it been a blind tasting.

• Villard Pinot Noir 1996, Chile (6.99) Lightly varietal with a spicey hot finish. Flat and lacking life. But it did show that Chile might have potential for this grape in the long term. 83
• Weingut Wieninger Blauburgunder Select 1994, Austria (11.29) Odd smokey nose. Plum skins and greenish tannins. Dry, sandy finish. 84
• St Helena Pinot Noir 1995, New Zealand (12.99) Toffeed nose, slight spritz. Thin and dilute with a touch of volatility. 80
• Mountadam Pinot Noir 1995, Australia (12.99) A touch short and rather simple. Not stewed - in fact rather austere. 84
• Broadley Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve 1995, Oregon (12.49) Clearly up a notch from the previous wines. Smokey, spicey Pinot nose. Good balance and structure. Tannins suggest this needs a few years. Nothing like the 1994 of this wine (which was more like an Oz Shiraz than a Pinot), this vintage exhibits some class and is Burgundian in nature. 88+
• Nuits-St-Georges, Chauvenet Chopin 1994 (17.99) Lightly coffeeish, austere and lacking charm. 85
• Lynmar Winery Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 1995, California (16.99) Apparently the first tasting of this wine (and the next) in the UK. Excellent strawberry and coffee Pinot nose. Good structure and length. This really is very good Pinot. 89+
• Lynmar Winery Pinot Noir Quail Hill Vineyard 1995, California (24.99) A step up from the last wine - lovely toasty length, good acidity. Classy, with berry flavours. 91
• Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Bien Nacido "La Bauge" 1995, California (21.99) For me the least successful of the American wines, probably linked to the fact that this is the most obviously New World of them. Good varietal Pinot, but just rather obvious and lacking complexity. 87

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23/07/1997 (TNB)

• Champagne NV (Drappier) The real thing, but a certain "mineral-water" harshness of the bubbles separates it from the best.
• Gewurtztraminer Cuvee Laurence, Clos des Cappucins 88 (Weinbach) Refined, smokey, concentrated and very pleasant. 90.

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Miscellaneous 20/07/1997 (TNB)

Slightly ill-remembered, so only brief comments:

• Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin 85 Pretty good - just coming round.
• Niersteiner Holle Gewurtz BA 76 (Senfter) Slight 76 flabbyness, and some danger of fading. Pleasant drink though!
• Mersault 88 (Germain) Spicy, slightly eccentric, reasonably good.
• Chablis Vaillons P. Cru (Michel) Fat for chablis, but very drinkable.
• Taittinger 90 Refined, deliciously balanced, but perhaps not for the long haul?
• Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Ausles 83 (Stiftung) Not one of the best Mosel 83's, but very pleasant drinking.
• Ayler Kupp Auslese 76 (Kramp - Hallgarten selection) A bit hollow and fading, but occasionally hinting at some refinement.
• Sociando Malet 85 Quite tough for an 85, classic claret, not nearly ready. Should be quite good.

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20/07/1997 (RJB)

• Joseph Phelps Los Carneros 1993 Chardonnay Initially fairly Burgundian in nature - buttery and nutty - but the wine soon became tiresome. Big and alcoholic. 85
• Val d'Orbieu Viognier 1996, Les Vignerons du Val d'Orbieu A bargain (2.99 at Tesco). Real varietal characteristics, and real length. Apricot and butterscotch. Perhaps rather commercial in style, but a white wine with real interest and a constantly interesting nose (hints of this, hints of that). I would like to try this blind against 'more serious' Viognier (which can so often be too ethereal!). 87

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Bottoms Up! 19/07/1997 (RJB)

• David Traegar Verdehlo 1996, Victoria Oily, fragrant and interesting. 87
• Tollana S. E. Australian Unoaked Chardonnay 1996 Dull. 80
• Bridgewater Mill 1994 Clare Valley Riesling Some petrol, but lacking charm. 83
• Samuel's Bay Barossa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 1996 Dull. 80
• Rosemount Shiraz 1995 Not too New Worldy. Chocolate Spice and tannin. 87
• Tatachilla 1996 Grenache-Mataro Hot and alcoholic. I believe that Mr Gluck has recently rated this, but I can't see why anyone would want this - even for value for money! 79
• Samuel's Bay Padthaway Malbec 1994 Hot and spicy. 81
• Red Cliffs Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 Thin. 78
• Oxford Landing Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz 1995 Thin and watery. 79

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New world whites at OFW 17/07/1997 (TNB)

Turned out to be a tasting of three varieties, comparing a couple of new world "stars" with proper French wine!

• Sauv. Blanc Katnook 96 Quite varietal, rather soft, the usual Ozzy lack of "grip". 82.
• Sauv. Blanc Brancott 94 Up front gooseberryness, quite acidic, oddly hollow in some way, sherberty finish. Not very keen. 82.
• Blanc dy Lynch Bages 95 Hefty dose of aromatic vanillan, spicy oak. Grapefruit an gooseberry notes. Probably for early drinking. Pleasant, but perhaps no great amount of fruit. 87.
• Viognier 94 (Alban vineyards) Slightly sulpherous nose, genuinely varietal, but a bit dull. 83.
• Viognier 95 (La Jota) Denser fruit, real peachy/apricoty flavours, but a bit heavy. 84.
• Condrieu Les Chaillets Vielle Vignes 94 (Cuilleron) Better concentration and, most noticably better precision than the preceding wines. As every other time I have tried this producer's wines, this seemed a bit oily and flat. Perhaps it is over-extraction, but this had nowhere near the verve of the 95 Rostaing I had recently. 86.
• Chardonnay, Mer Soleil 93 Rich tropical fruit, but perhaps less exciting than last time I had it -- perhaps it is starting to go the way of all californian Chardonnay? 86.
• Puligny Montrachet La Garenne 95 (Sauzet) Lovely hazelnut notes over refined fruit. Not the best 95, but very good. 91.
• Chardonnay 95 (Pahlmeyer) Others thought this to be like the Mer soleil, only a bit beter -- it seemed very unforthcoming to me
• Noble One 93 (De Bertoli) Brown sugar and botrytis, a bit cloying. Pretty pleasant, but it costs 13 quid a half these days! 84.

And with dinner after at "blue":

• Champagne NV (Canard Duchene) Very "flat tasting", possibly almost caramelised. I thought poor storage, other just thought poor!
• Champagne NV (Roederer) Lovely rounded medium weight champagne, from a half.

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Gang of Four, Riesling and sweet wine tasting 16/07/1997 (RJB)

Four Rieslings and Four sweet wines tasted blind. Numbers in brackets indicate position in flight taken from the average of the four tasters' scores.

• Riesling 1989 Grand Cru Schlossberg Vielles Vignes, Paul Blanck (4) Thin, bone dry, austere and lacking fruit. Occasional signs of petrol, but this wine got worse the longer it was in the glass. Disappointing. 80
• Riesling 1995 Grand Cru Furstentum, Albert Mann (1) Dry with youthful mustiness. Opened out more during the evening. Excellent acidity. I was not quite as convinced by this wine as the other tasters were, but it did seem to be getting better and better with time in the glass. I still have a niggle about its real class though. 89+
• Riesling 1989 Grand Cru Schoenenbourg Vielles Vignes, Mittnacht-Klack (2) Grapefruity with some sweetness and a lanolin-like Sauternes feel to it. Perhaps not what is expected of an Alsace Riesling, but good wine. 90
• Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese 1989, Sanctus Jacobus, Vereinigte Hospitien (3) Slightly faulty cardboardy nose, but some kerosene. 85
• Rieussec 1988 (3) From a half. Burnt sugar nose. Good length, but a bit ragged. Showing a lot of maturity. 89
• Cave Spring Riesling Eiswein 1992, Ontario (4) From a half. Baked apple nose and flavours (unsure whether this was oxidation or the character of the wine - not unpleasant). 80
• Vouvray Moulleaux Reserve 1976, Foreau (2) Delicious. Colour, nose and palate suggested it was the youngest wine in this part of the tasting. Lovely acidity and mineral notes, and not too sweet. Not aggresively Chenin at the moment. Loads of life left in it. Elegant. 92
• Chateau La Graviere Cuvee Madame 1992, Monbazillac (1) I thought this classy Sauternes. A lovely creme brule nose and with Semillon waxiness. Parker has raved about recent vintages of this wine apparently and I can see why. The Rieussec seemed rather wayward and obvious compared to this. 91+

  ... for the record, a couple of reds at the end of the evening ...

• Jacobs Creek 1987 Drinkable, and not showing its age, but unexciting. 82
• Monticello 1988 Cabernet Sauvignon, Jefferson Cuvee Again, unexciting. Rather dilute. 84

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14/07/1997 (TNB)

• Cousino Macul Antiguas Riserva 82 Oh, the follies of youth -- this seems to be losing its fruit.
• De Venoge 88 With dinner at Atrium: respectable, at least medium weight champagne.
• Dom de la rectorie 95 (Banyuls) Pleasant, but fairly simple.
• Hochheimer Koniginvictoriaberg 71 Auslese (Pabstmann) Sweeter than most bottles of this: nice rounded fruit, honeyed, and just enough acidity.
• Pommard Poutures 88 (Lejeune) Slightly rustic, hints of "boiled sweet" fruit, but pretty classy. Perhaps no better than Lejeune's excellent Rugiens 87 though.
• Macon village 95 (O. Leflaive) Pretty basic, tart French supermarket stuff. Evidence against the theory that this negociant is getting serious.

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12/07/1997 (RJB)

• Marques de Murrieta 1983 Riserva (white) Ageing well and not quite so agressive as it was in its youth. Buttery, and in many ways like an old Burgundy. 87

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08/07/1997 (TNB)

• Champagne Blin 89 Quite new-worldy - pleasant but lacked muchinteresting character.
• Bourgogne Rouge 87 (H. Jayer) What can one say? Undoubtably rather fine for a basic wine from a moderately good vintage. Nice fleshy strawberry fruit.
• Rioja Riserva M. de Riscal 46 Tasted briefly in a restaurant: amazingly fresh raspberry fruit (I thought it was burgundy). Vibrantly alive.
• Cantemerle 55 Situation as above. Delicate fragrant and delightfully cedary.
• Rabaud-Promis 88 Lots of fruit and botrytis, but seemed a little dull and perhaps a shade short. Hope it's just an awkward time!

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06/07/1997 (RJB)

• Beringer Harmonie 1995 Dull, over sweet and lacking balance. 78
• Guelbenza 1993 Navarra 22% Tempranillo, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Garnacha . Well made wine that has the structure to age well over the next few years, but the fruit is a bit quiet at present. 85
• Herencia Lasanta Crianza 1994, Rioja Good straightforward Rioja. 85
• Chablis 1990, Daniel Defaix Good, without being dramatic. A year or so's bottle age since I last tasted this has improved the wine. I would guess that another couple of years will see it at its best. Soft acidity. 88
• Chateau de Pibarnon 1993 , Bandol Predominately Mourvedre, and rather flat and lacking charm (as this varietal often seems). 84
• Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 1989 (one star), Kerpen Very pleasant lightish Riesling which is beginning to matuer nicely. Light kerosene and apricot, and on the dry side for auslese. 88+
• Vendanges Tardives de Pinot Gris 1989 Muenchberg, Ostertag >From a half. Medium bodied and with a Creme brule nose. Restrained fattiness. Perfect with raspberries. 89

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04/07/1997 (TNB)

• Conundrum 95 (Caymus) Dumb nose, but very rich in the mouth with Condrieu-like floral frutiness. Dry. Excellent wine.
• De Pez 89 Powerful fruit, but with that 89 hint of hollowness. Fresh-cut wood nose and nice grilling flavours, but perhaps the oak is a bit clumsy? From a half.
• Caramino 90 (Dessilani) Very high acid, quite fine in a way, but I wouldn't like to have to guess its evolution - there seems to be quite a lot of fruit, but... (Next day, showing quite nicely, with chocolaty overtones - perhaps it is going somewhere?)
• Zinfandel Paso Robles 91 (Ridge) Lovely brambly fruit with chocolaty overtones. Nice drink!
• Ferreira 77 This had a good notice in one of the recent tasting reviews downgrading the 77's. Seems more like a good rather than great, Portugese-style, port from a first-rate vintage. Pleasant.

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Noel Young Wines Champagne Tasting 02/07/1997 (RJB)

"An Exclusive tasting of Champagne for the millenium (sic)" - or should that be "sick of the millennium"?

• Jaques Selosse Brut Tradition NV (20.59) Degorged 6/8/96. A blend of 1989, 90 and 91. Honeyed nose, good acidity, medium bodied, nicish length, well made and refreshing. Should age well over the next three years. 88+
• Bauget-Jouette Blanc de Blancs 1990 (21.99) Not as honeyed as the Selosse, and lighter bodied. Tongue-curling (but good) acidity with mineral salts flavours. 88
• Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier D'Or 1990 (23.99) 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir. Apparently this has been written of as the Krug of growers' Champagnes. I found it rather confected in its flavours, and simple. A disconcertingly sweet finish. 83
• Gosset Grande Reserve Brut NV (27.99) A blend of 1989, 90 and 91. 46% C, 38% PN, 16% PM. Closed but classy nose with a tight and elegant palate. Gosset suggest this will be at its best in three to four years' time. Clearly a step up in quality. 90+
• Duval Leroy Cuvee Des Roys 1986 (31.99) This has done very well in recent press tastings. A tight, sharpish nose, but a bit soft and short. 87
• Bollinger Grande Annee 1989 (37.99) 61% PN, 39% C. A big creamy, chocolatey mouthful. Very approachable and easy, but with aging potential. I am not particularly sure that this is my favourite style. 89
• Gosset Grande Millesime 1989 (35.99) 66% C, 34% PN. This, however, most certainly is my style of Champagne. Lovely, with a coarse elegance (if that's possible). Good balance, superb length and fine acidity. So much going on, yet so tightly wrapped. This should age extremely well. 94
• Bollinger RD 1985 (52.99) Degorged 26/5/97, 65% PN, 35% C. Honey and toast, nutty. A quick, dry finish (indicative of the extra age). This might be suffereing slighltly from being very RD. 90-92

  ... plus two old non-vintages for fun ...

• Charles Heidseick Finest Extra Quality Brut Probably in the region of 30 years old (judging from the other stock which Noel got with it). The label has "Purveyors of Champagne to His Majesty the late George VI" on it, although this isn't exactly a good advertisement for any possible health giving aspects of Champagne. The fizz excellent, the nose sublime (toast and nuts). a very, very good argument for keeping NV Champagne for serious lengths of time. If only it were possible to know what this was like in its youth! 91
• Charles Dennery Probably about 15 years old. The cork was loose in the bottle, so it was a suprise that the wine was still fizzy when poured into the glass, and that the colour was acceptable. A pleasant-ish nose of boiled cabbage (not unlike the nose old Pinots sometimes get), the palate simple. Probably better than when it was first bottled! 80

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