On holiday in Jersey 28/09/2003 (TNB)
- Champagne Brut NV (Gardet for Longueville Manor)
Not bad but oddly grassy - I have mixed feelings about it.
- Pouilly Fume 2001(S. Dagueneau)
Absolutely pure PF - just what you might hope for.
- Langoa Barton 1991
Excellent, almost youthful colour. Good, cedary maturing Claret that may not quite have peaked yet. If one had to criticise, perhaps just a shade chunky. Very good
- Macon-Lugny Les Genievres 2000 (Louis Latour)
Not too rich - pleasant Macon. Good
- Champagne NV (Laurent Perrier)
Very good as usual - from several different bottles at a reception.
- Tokaji Aszu 5 puttonyos (Royal Tokaji)
A bit closed on the nose right now. Quite sweet - intense brown-sugar, apricot marmalade.
- Savenierres Clos de Saint Yves 1997 (Baumard)
Dry, pure, with a lovely, arresting streak of minerality running through it. A good wine even if (as I suspect it might be) now at peak. Top
- Duoro Rose 2001 (Redoma - Niepoort)
Real wine - a bit like a rose Burgundy. Very drinkable. Top
- Vin de Constance 1998 (Kleine Constatia)
Nice nectarine fruit flavours and zippy acidity. But not quite as exciting as the last vintage I had of this. Still worth .
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 28/09/2003 Return to top
Two Italian Estates 27/09/2003 (TNB)
- Pinot Grigio 2002, Colli Orientale del Friuli (Ronco delle Betulle)
Young wine peardrop nose with a touch of perfume and a hint of bacon fat. Balanced palate and good length with a very slight but attractive touch of bitterness.
- Tocai Friulano 2002, Colli Orientale del Friuli (Ronco delle Betulle)
Closed at first but things emerge. Full-bodied and with a touch more of the bitterness on the finish.
- Sauvignon blanc 2002, Colli Orientale del Friuli (Ronco delle Betulle)
Lovely pure varietal character.
- Ribolla Gialla 2001, Colli Orientale del Friuli (Ronco delle Betulle)
A touch of complexity from barriques. Trades the purity of the others for complexity. Hard to say much about the variety. Top
- Franconia Rosso 1996, della Venezia Guilia (Ronco delle Betulle)
I like the high-toned fruit - somewhere between Loire and Burgundy. Leafy, brambley. Surprisingly young-tasting.
- Chianti Classico 2001 (Casaloste)
Appetising - juicy, hinting at chocolate, good acidity and long. A good
- Chianti Classico 2000 (Casaloste)
ripe and forward easy - good effort in what may be a more difficult vintage. For drinking.
- Chianti Classico Riserva 2000 (Casaloste)
Spiced up by barriques - and very well too. Succulent and attractive.
- Chianti Classico Riserva 1999 (Casaloste)
Back to grippy 99 - a more ageworthy vintage. New oak just about in control. A reasonable
- Chianti Classico Riserva Don Vincenzo 1999 (Casaloste)
Quite herby, labouring under its oak but scented - more will emerge. Top
- Chianti Classico Riserva Don Vincenzo 1995 (Casaloste)
Quite interesting - herby, farmyardy - but drying out a bit.
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 27/09/2003 Return to top
Recent dry whites 13/09/2003 (TNB)
- Riesling Herrenweg Cuvee Speciale 1990 (C. Schleret)
Very petrolly nose. Very dry - a bit of an enigma: at times there seemed to be something hiding but more often it seemed a bit weak, whether because of having not aged so well or because it was a bit lacking in the first place I am not sure.
- Cotes du Rhone Reserve blanc 1989 (Chateau de Fonsalette)
Absolutely lovely - herb-infused waxy (or is it as Jancis says gluey) Southern Rhone, completely fresh with decent length and just oozing character. This was even better on day two and after agonising, why shouldn't I give four stars to a cotes du Rhone blanc if it is this pleasurable to drink?
- Riesling Saering 1989 (Schlumberger)
The fruit here has expanded from its tight youth and now fills the mouth with mature riesling and a streak of chalky minerality. Absolutely at peak now I think and very good drinking.
- Chassagne Montrachet Caillerets 1999 (Girardin)
I'm getting the hang of Girardin - this is straight-down-the-middle Chassagne, very good, but it doesn't have the grip to make me think it is a very long-term prospect.
- Brauneberger Juffer Auslese 1983 (Licht-Bergweiler)
Fresh, reasonably spicy complexity, very refreshing and attractive. Very pleasant easy drinking
- Chavignol La Grande Cote 1991 (Cotat)
Fresh, very mineral and with the nose and palate concentrated around a surpriing flavour that our upstairs neighbour pointed out is elderberry. Very attractive wine. Top
- Riesling Le Kottabe 1999 (Josmeyer)
My first impression was that this was a bit thin, and while it is appetisingly dry and even has decent length, the feeling remains that it lacks real substance. A top
- Pernand-Vergelesses blanc 1988 (Rollin)
Lots of bottle stink, most of which blows off to reveal excellent mineral fruit that has aged rather well. But it remains a bit unattractive - almost a suggestion thast it isn't quite clean (or is it just that the 88's are in an odd phase). While I could enjoy what is underneath it is not great drinking right now.
- L'Arrivet Haut Brion 2000
Tropical pineapple fruit - rich but finishes a touch flat. Not a long keeper I suspect but could do with a year or two to integrate.
- Rully blanc 2000 (J H Jonnier)
Really good village wine with plenty of fruit, decent balance and some length. Probably be at its best in a year or so. Not ambitious but well made - I've had worse village Chassagnes! Perhaps even merits
- Tokay Vieille Vignes 1990 (Zind-Huimbrecht)
This slips down a treat with its luscious texture despite its slight sweetness. Oddly, it seems to have aged very well but on the other hand nothing very exciting seems to have emerged from the fruit. From a half. On this showing a top
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 13/09/2003 Return to top
Wine group at Duggie's 07/09/2003 (TNB)
- Grenache Gris Empreinte du Temps 2000 (Domaine Ferrer Ribiere)
A touch of pink - vanilla and minerals. Dry - if possibly a touch clumsy. Perhaps even merits
- Grenache blanc Empreinte du Temps 2000 (Domaine Ferrer Ribiere)
Intense, dry mineral fruit. Quite fine and long. Characterful. Very top
- Vermentino Ariento 2000 (Massa Vecchia)
Deep colour - rich apricot fruit with lots of character. Good length too. Old-fashioned stuff and rather exciting.
- Champagne 1955 (Pommery and Greno)
Stinky oxidised nose but it does blow off - still sherried. No bubbles. Stagnant rivers. Some fruit but really a touch past its best even for old Champagne enthusiasts. In its better moments it just about rates
- Meursault 1993 (Coche-Dury)
Stunning length - balanced, creamy, really very good.
- Meursault 1992 (Coche-Dury)
(In fact a single vineyard wine from Le Vireuils although there is nothing to say this on the label - and other bottles of the village wine are from other vineyards!) Slightly fatter and clumsier than the surrounding wines and while very good it is less attractive than either.
- Meursault 1991 (Coche-Dury)
A bit rougher than the 93 but very good with a nice balance. Time to drink up though. Top
- Barbera 1997 (Marcarini)
One bottle fizzy and flawed. A replacement a very decent
- Primitivo Prima-Mano 2001 (A Mano)
Slightly sweet blackberry fruit. Modern but good
- Zinfandel Stellwagen 1999 (Joseph Swan)
More cough-sweety blackberry fruit. Again a touch sweet on the palate.
- Zinfandel Stellwagen 1994 (Joseph Swan)
Drier, more appetising Good balance and length. plus
- Zinfandel Frati 1991 (Joseph Swan)
Badly oxidised.
- Barbera 61 (Cesare)
Shot - there are better bottles of this.
- Picolit 1996 (Ronco della Betulle)
Quite fine, attractive nose, but disappears a bit on the palate. Interesting.
- Passito Bianco 1998 (Marion)
A sort of straw and paint-strippery nose and rich orangey fruit. Split the audience - I'll settle on
- Rebello Valente 1960
Dry and perhaps a shade light. Enjoyable but not a special old port.
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 07/09/2003 Return to top