5.6.40
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Diary index

Wine group at E. McC's 31/05/2004 (TNB)

Recent Reds 30/05/2004 (TNB)

Red Burgundies from 1999 30/05/2004 (TNB)

Lay and Wheeler's anniversary tasting in Edinburgh 19/05/2004 (TNB)

In St Andrews recently 13/05/2004 (TNB)

Wine groups at M.M.'s 13/05/2004 (TNB)

Bordeaux 2000 at Oddbins Fine Wine 06/05/2004 (TNB)

The Diary - May 2004

Wine group at E. McC's 31/05/2004 (TNB)

A fairly heavy evening - notes quite terse at the end!
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 11/08/2004   Return to top

Recent Reds 30/05/2004 (TNB)

  • Faugeres, Adagio des Terroirs 2001 (J.-M. Fourrier) A touch closed on opening, like the excellent Burgundies which are Fourrier's main interests. High-toned, very pure fruit, a touch medicinal from the Grenache (although there are other Rhone grapes involved) - tasting blind, I might wonder whether this was a good Priorat. Burgundian perhaps, but so many good wines are! Will keep well and probably develop for a few years, but very enjoyable now. ***
  • Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers 2000 (J.-M. Fourrier) Lovely, sexy, forward fruit leaps from the glass - completely hedonistic. Actually, as it opened out (or as we did - this was drunk with J.M over dinner with the next wine) it seemed to possess greater depths and though drinkable now I suspect it will age well for a while. Maybe even ****
  • Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Baudes 2000 (H. Lignier) At first this seemed to have more in reserve than the Fourrier - darker fruits, more structure and substance. The more we drank though the more it seemed that the reverse was true and this rather good Burgundy suffered a bit in the shadow of the Fourrier wine from only a few yards away in Chambolle. Darker fruits than the Fourrier - more damson than raspberry. A good ***
  • Spanna Colline Novaresi 1997 (Vallana) Easy-going, gamy, succulent. **
  • Chateau Cadet-Piola 1988 Quite piquant Claret - high-toned and perhaps now likely to stay this way since it is for drinking in the next few years and so there is not much time for mellowing. Attractive. ***
  • Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeot 1996 (J.-M. Fourrier) This was at room temperature and had been decanted for 20 minutes or so before pouring. Even so, closed at first on the nose with odd little disconnected aromas surfacing. This opened out over an hour or so to be a lovely, dry, savoury Burgundy with a penetrating, perfumed nose - very elegant and quite lovely: the more I drank of it the more I wanted. Beginning to drink well and still improving. For now a good ***
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 30/05/2004   Return to top

Red Burgundies from 1999 30/05/2004 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 30/05/2004   Return to top

Lay and Wheeler's anniversary tasting in Edinburgh 19/05/2004 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 09/09/2004   Return to top

In St Andrews recently 13/05/2004 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 13/05/2004   Return to top

Wine groups at M.M.'s 13/05/2004 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 13/05/2004   Return to top

Bordeaux 2000 at Oddbins Fine Wine 06/05/2004 (TNB)

And a couple of mature wines with M.D. afterwards.
  • Chateau La Lagune 1982 Lean and irony - dry and savoury. Rather good - maybe even scraping ****(*)
  • Chateau Haut Brion 1983 Such a sexy, smoky nose - so typical. Lovely drinking. I can't understand why some think this is a below-par Haut Brion. From a half. *****
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 12/09/2004   Return to top