Fine Wine Diary

29/03/1998 (RJB)

Fiuza Sauvignon 1996, Ribatejo, Portugal Rather rough and coarse.
Pouilly Fume 1997, Fouassier Peres et Fils Not very varietal, and fairly dull wine.
Zanna 1993 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Vecchio, Illuminati Good wine with berry fruit and a floral touch, but a trifle short on structure (I expect a bit more for a Montepulciano at over nine pounds a bottle).
Hollick Reserve Coonawarra Pinot Noir 1993 I had this a few years back, and had a suspicion it might age well - well it has. Sharp strawberry fruit and a maturing coffee-like nose, with good acidity and still some time ahead of it. When I first tasted it it was fairly obviously New World, but with good acidity and not too jammy; now it's Burgundian.
Van Loveren Special Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 1996, Relief Brothers, Robertson, South Africa Initially very dull, but it did open out to reveal dilute varietal characteristics.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 29/03/1998 Return to top

Oddbins California 25/03/1998 (TNB)

Chardonnay Arroyo Grande 1995 (Talley) Fruity, creamy, quite soft. Clearly for early drinking. (14.99)
Tria Syrah 1995 Sonoma County Lifted, soft nose, some grip in the mouth. Not bad. (13.99)
Syrah 1995 (Edmunds St John) Less ripe than the Tria (to its advantage, mainly) chocolatey but a bit minty and a little harsh. (11.99)
Old Vine Zinfandel 1995 (Ravenswood) Brambly nose and deliciously ripe fruit. Good concentration and excellent balance. The wine of the evening! (11.99)
Rockinghorse Zinfandel, Lamborn vinyard, Howell Mtn 1995 Dumber on the nose, slight spritz. Not very keen. (13.99)
Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 (Wing Canyon) Slightly sulphury, but under this quite a good Bordeaux style. (18.99)
Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mtn 1995 (La Jota) Ambitiously made - bags of oak and a very (excessively?) dry finish. May turn out quite well, but there are much better punts in Bordeaux at this price! (22.99)
Merlot 1995 (Pahlmeyer) Middle of the road - no great length. I'm not knocked over by this Palmer-priced offering! (29.99 (yes, really))
Orion Syrah Bolinas 1995 (Sean Thackeray) A complete mint-bomb as usual. Very good in its way: concentrated, structured, long. I'm just not so keen on the mintyness. Perhaps worth (34.99)

Afterwards, with dinner:

Vignaveja 1989 (Gaja) Not very varietal. Very ambitiously made for a "lower grade" wine: bags of toasty oak, but fruit beginning to fade. Pleasant in its way!

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 25/03/1998 Return to top

25/03/1998 (RJB)

Cray 1992, Cremant de Loire Brut Nicely aged Chenin-based fizz. Honeys and apples.
Sauvignon Blanc Private Bin 1996, Villa Maria Grassy and at peak. Not too aggressive.
Basa 1996, Rueda Aniseed and Sauvignon characteristics, and a waxy finish.
Bourgogne Aligote 1995 Cepage Aligote, Jacky Renard Old and unyielding (not much there to yield mind you).
Rosemount Shiraz / Cabernet 1996 Disappointingly thin and plummy - Rosemount really should be able to do better than this.
Faugeres 1995 Cuvee Saute Madeleine, Pierre Laforest Odd cherry nose, and with a lightly bitter finish.
Broadley Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir 1994, Oregon Incredible depth and structure for a Pinot Noir with a lovely Syrah-like leathery finish and good sweet fruit. As long as you're not expecting Burgundy (or for that matter jammy New World Pinot) then this is excellent wine. The first time I had this wine I mistook it for a Syrah, and I did so again this time!
Crozes-Hermitage 1996, Louis Page Good cheep Crozes from this Burgundy negotiant. Sharp fruit and some structure.
Palacio de Monsalud 1988, Vina Extremena I think this Spanish wine is going for the record for the most words on a wine label - I hope I've got its name correct, there were so many likely looking possibilities! Old fading wine with glimpses of cherry fruit.
Langi Shiraz 1995, Mount Langi Ghiran Deep peppery wine with superb structure and texture.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 25/03/1998 Return to top

24/03/1998 (RJB)

Bollinger Grand Annee 1983 From a half. I like old Champagne, but I'm afraid this bottle was completely past it - fizzy sherry.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 24/03/1998 Return to top

22/03/1998 (RJB)

Barbara d'Alba 1996, Andrea Oberto Definitely food wine, but still rather mean and not that concentrated.
Chateau Soudars 1995, Haut Medoc Cru Bourgeois I never thought I'd see the day: Claret aged in American oak! Quite good fruit and reasonable structure, with a sweet oak overlay. But really, What's the World coming to!
Coudoulet de Beaucastel 1989 Drinking very well indeed - lovely balance of acidity and soft mature flavours, with gentle leathery structure beneath.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 22/03/1998 Return to top

21/03/1998 (TNB)

Riesling Bennwihr VT 1989 (Deiss) Pleasant, slightly grapefruity riesling reasonably concentrated and residual sweetness - but a shade soft, and I doubt it has the structure to go anywhere. It might turn out better, but for now

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 21/03/1998 Return to top

18/03/1998 (RJB)

Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie 1996, Andre-Michel Bregeon Good Muscadet with yeasty flavours.
Sancerre Blanc 1996 Domaine de Saint Romble, Paul Vattan Fils Excellent Sauvignon at its peak - Grassy, gooseberry and mineral flavours.
Sancerre Rouge 1996 Domaine de Saint Romble, Paul Vattan Fils Thin plummy wine that lacks the vibrancy that Pinot Noir gets in Burgundy.
Saumur-Champigny Vieilles Vignes 1996, Domaine Lavigne Deep purple colour, and textbook Loire Cabernet Franc flavours. Well made, but I find this grape variety rather dull on its own.
Chinon Jeunes Vignes 1996, Charles Joguet Bottle stink (sulphury?) that disappeared gradually but not completely. Thin flavours.
Chateau Mourgues du Gres 1994, Costieres de Nimes Lovely maturing nose, but the palate is beginning to fall apart. Drink up.
Chateau Mourgues du Gres 1996 Terre d'Argence, Costieres de Nimes Goodish structure but the fruit seems rather lacking - tasted better last week according to another taster, so I wonder if there is some bottle variation.
Vouvray Moelleux 1995 Le Plan de Jean, Bernard Fouquet, Domaine de Aubuisieres Apples and honey nose, and more in the demi-sec style to my mind. Not aggresively sweet, but nicely balanced for relatively early drinking.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 18/03/1998 Return to top

15/03/1998 (TNB)

Unfiltered chardonnay 1992 (Newton) Good fruit, but slightly cabbagey overtones. I'm not really a fan.
Brunello 1991 (Banfi) Bought a bottle to try and resolve the rather varying reports I've given of this wine. I do find it hard to believe that all bottle are the same: this one had little of the old-fashioned wood-aged character, and was back to basic brambley fruit, a shade thin. There was some element of evolution as the wine was open, however. I'm inclined to think there is some variation here.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 15/03/1998 Return to top

15/03/1998 (RJB)

Oxford Landing Estate Viognier 1996, Yalumba I thought I'd try this again under more controlled conditions. It is a good example of the peach/apricot flavours that this grape exhibits, and it also has some mineral overtones.
Laperouse 1995 Vin de Pays d'Oc Blanc, Penfolds / Val d'Orbieu A blend of winemakers producing a blend of Chardonnay, Marsanne, Sauvignon Blanc and Rousanne. The wine seems at odds with itself: a bit heavy and clumsy and not integrated.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 15/03/1998 Return to top

Gang of Six Wine Dinner 12/03/1998 (RJB)

Pommery 1989 A bit disappointing given how well the '88 shows. Very appley and a bit short.
Krug 1981 Subdued at first, then it opened out in the glass: honeyed, but coarse. Not a great Krug.
Domaine de Chevallier 1984 (White) The fruit has faded and is dominated by the (quite flashy) oak. It might come round, but opinion was that it was past its best.
Peter Michel Cuvee Indigene Chardonnay 1992 Quite nice evolved hazelnut flavours, but too soft a wine for my liking and with a watery finish.
Kistler Cuvee Cathleen Chardonnay 1992 A very different style: chewy oak and higher toned. 87
Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay 1990 To my mind clearly the best of the three Californian Chardonnays. Hazelnut flavours again, but this time with a better acidity. This really has aged well.
Beaune 1973, Hospice des Beaune, Cuvee Maurice Drouhin Past it
Cabernet Sauvignon 1978 Reserve, Robert Mondavi Drinking well, with a light mintiness and blackcurrant leaf and tertiary flavours - a touch of VA at the end.
Mount Edelstone 1978, Henschke Superb! Wonderful flavours of maturity but with fruit still evident - real structure and a tannic backbone.
Grange 1982, Penfolds Still so young! Big tannins and fresh fruit - clearly very classy, but still needs some serious time in bottle.
Chateau Petit Villages 1982, Pomerol Reductive, black cherry nose with a light toastiness. Probably quite good, but I was expecting more.
Beaucastel 1989 Going through a quiet phase, but the weight in the mouth confirms this as good wine. Violets on the nose.
Wiltinger Kupp Auslese 1971, Bischoflisches Priesterseiminar Trier Too far gone (the wine that is, and probably me as well come to think of it). Old wine flavours, but without the freshness that Riesling can achieve even at this age.
Gewurztraminer SGN 1990, Lorentz Burnt toffee and marmalade flavours and subdued fruit. Lacks life.
Chateau Coutet 1961 I thought this to be fading and wasn't quite so rapturous about it as some others at the tasting were. Good old sweetie, but I can't help feeling it would have been better ten years ago.
Taylors 1966 Vibrant and youthful, berry fruit and pepper. Good grip and lovely balance.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 12/03/1998 Return to top

11/03/1998 (RJB)

Langi Shiraz 1995, Mount Langi Ghiran Its usual excellent self, although slightly on the quiet side at present. Good texture, good fruit and good ageing potential.
Eight South Africans . . .
Winelands Chardonnay 1997 Clear varietal flavours, but a bit of an alcoholic kick at the finish.
Deetlefs Chardonnay 1997 Oak-balanced, toned down fruit.
Deetlefs Semillon 1997 Very similar to the Chardonnay, but with a pleasing lemony acidity.
Millbrook Cinsault / Pinotage 1997 A blend that seems a bit incestuous given that Pinotage is a Pinot Noir Cinsault cross. Thinnish with spicy plum jam flavours.
KWV Pinotage 1995 Biggish wine with black cherry fruit and balancing tannins.
Winelands Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 The Cab. Sauv. is dominating at present: blackcurrant and cigar box.
Villiera Estate Merlot 1995 Very plum-skinny, with balance excxept for a Riesling-like acidity at the end.
Villiera Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 Tertiary aromas beginning to evolve, but that strange acidity again at the end.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 11/03/1998 Return to top

Tuscany tasting at V&C 10/03/1998 (TNB)

Quite an impressive line up of decent wines in the 5-10 pounds range. I doubt whether you can get comparably good claret at these sorts of prices at the moment!

Chainti Colli Senesi 1996 (Baiocchi) Deep red ink colour. Brambly nose, mouthfilling fruit but shortish and rather one-dimensional. (4.69)
Chiant Rufina 1995 (Villa di Vetrice) Medium colour, palish towards the rim. Attractive mulberry nose. Nice sweet fruit, with agreeable farmyardy overtones. Excellent acidity. (4.79 and well worth the extra ten pence!)
Parrina 1995 (Fattoria La Parrina) Slight hints of that Italian chestnutty colour. Raspberry nose with cinammon/vanilla notes. Nice in the mouth with a decent finish. Another bargain! (5.49)
Vino Nobile 1994 (Baiocchi) An inferior vintage, but a bit dull even allowing for that. Healthy, but rather nondescript. I'm not sure I really rate this producer. (6.69)
Chianti Classico 1995 (Isole e Olena) Slightly old-fashioned colour, impenetrable nose with woody spice notes. There's quite a nice length of cherry fruit, but also that slightly austere dryness which seems to be a house feature. It might just dry out. (11.39)
Chianti Classico 1994 (Felsina Berardenga) The pick of the three Chianti, and a tribute to the reliable excellence of this house that they achieve this with a wine from a dubious vintage. Good colour, deep mulberry fruit almost hinting at coffee. Well structured and decent length. A good (10.49)
Chianti Classic Riserva 1993 (Ricasoli) Good deep colour, raspberry and mulberry fruit, with a hint of seasoning. Decent fruit and follow through. (8.69 - another good value)
Brunello 1991 (Banfi) I seem to have written this wine up twice before (Nov 96 and Nov 97, if you must know) and not enjoyed it. This time I thought it rather good: I don't know if there's bottle variation, or if I'm just very inconsistent. Looking at the 97 note I wonder if our bottle may have been slightly faulty. Anyway, this had a healthy, bright version of that old-fashioned Italian brown colour. Almost marmalade nose and a pleasantly roasted sweet flavour. (15.95)

And with dinner afterwards:

Barbera d'Alba 1995 (A. Conterno) Apparently the same wine as the "Conca Tre Pile" of previous vintages. Very barbera - really startling acidity, low tannins and a mass of rich gamey fruit. Pretty good!

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 10/03/1998 Return to top

08/03/1998 (RJB)

Drappier Carte d'Or Brut I've had this bottle of Champagne for about five years. Lovely medium weight, honeyed fizz.
Barolo 1994, Giaccosa Fratelli Rather non-descript, thin and dull.
Fairview Sauvignon Blanc / Chenin Blanc 1997 Not very varietal, fresh and modern.
Marques de Grinon Reserva 1993, Rioja Good structure with a gentle tannic finish and chery fruit. It does, however, feel a bit alcoholic for its own good. It might age well.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 08/03/1998 Return to top

04/03/1998 (RJB)

Viognier 1996, Oxford Landing, Australia Goodish peach and apricot flavours.
Chardonnay 1996, Hamilton Russell, South Africa Fairly obvious wine with toffeed oak.
Pinot Blanc 1994, Zind Humbrecht Big style, oily wine with some residual sugar - I thought it a Pinot Gris.
Chardonnay 1992, Sanford, California I thought this a Semillon/Sauvignon blend - waxy, lightly grassy and lemony acidity. OK, but a bit strange.
Nuits St George 1994, Domaine Arlot Obviously Pinot, but a bit one-dimensional. Tannic finish.
The Fergus 1996, Tim Adams, Australia Good cherry and blackcurrant fruit with smoky overtones. I don't think I'd ever guess it as Grenache though.
Zinfandel 1993, Blaauwklippen, South Africa Jammy and sinewy. Strange, strange wine - is it also suffering from age?
Bahans du Haut Brion 1992 lightweight, but with textbook Cabernet flavours.

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 04/03/1998 Return to top

Lay & Wheeler in Edinburgh 04/03/1998 (TNB)

Brief notes from about two thirds of the tasting. All in all, quite a decent showing of basic to middle range stuff.

Sauvignon/Semillon 1997 Hollick Rather Coonawarra - quite soft, but good flavours.
Borgogne blanc 1996 (Verget) Quite a lot of fruit for your money (8.98), in a slightly soft, New Worldy sort of way. My first sample of the rather fashionable Verget: I'd be interested to taste the serious stuff!
St Veran, Dom de la Collonge 1996 (Noblet) Decent, staraight down the middle example. (7.99)
Savigny-Les-Beaune Montchenevoy 1995 (Javillier) Another quite rich, slightly New Worldy white burgundy - pretty decent. (16.65)
Gentil d'Alsace 1996 (Meyer Fonne) Goodish producer, I think. This is the most basic stuff, quite Muscaty, but nicely done. (6.49)
Pinot Noir 1996 (Simsberg) I'm not a fan of of non-Burgundy Pinot, but this is the real thing: gamey with the real flavours of the grape. Hard to get proper Pinot at this price, so a bargain! (5.98)
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 1996 (Roxan) A good, characterfull, gutsy example. Another rather good wine at its price. (4.97)
St Aubin, Les Castets 1er cru 1995 (Lamy) Sound, but slightly jammy and dull. Really no better than the Soth African! (10.95)
Fleurie 1996, Dom du Point du Jour, Depardon Pretty much as you might hope! (8.97)
Lay & Wheeler Claret 1995 Weedy and light. Not very impressive, but perhaps it's difficult to find claret at this sort of price these days. (5.97)
Cabernet Sauvignon 1996, Rio Claro (Chile) Pleasant Cabernet flavours, slightly leafy perhaps, but a clear one up on the Bordeaux above! (5.24)
Ch, Le Charmail 1994 Oddly rustic Cru Bourgois - not convinced! (8.54)
Cabernet Sauvignon Brampton (Stellenbosch) South African block-buster - inky colour, dense fruit. Impressive in its way. (7.79)
Sitorey 1993, Gaja Lots of oak - rather ambitiously made for a Dolcetta/Barbera blend (I think). Typically Gaja, and not wildly exciting. (16.99)
Dom de La Roquette 1993 Pleasant cherry chateauneuf, medium weight. Looks a bit light beside the later vintages. (11.60)
Dom de La Roquette 1994 Deeper and more structured. Serious wine, but less exciting than 94 VT. (11.50)
Vieux Mas des Papes 1995 Second wine of VT. Delicious sweet ripe fruit. Sufficient background structure to keep for a while, but basically quite forward. (11.95)
Vieux Telegraphe 1994 Slightly closed perhaps, but a degree of elegance and balance that Roquette does not quite match. Good and long. (12.48) (It all tempts me towards a punt on the unknown - perhaps VT 95 is really, really good!)
Graham Beck Brut (South Africa) This seemed seriously dull and flat. A mystery why it was put on - possibly we had a duff bottle, or something.