Monday 11 January
Louis Roederer is a family-run champagne house. The current owners are direct descendants of Louis himself. They own plenty of their own vineyards with 70% of their production coming from vineyards they own themselves. None of the family-owned vineyards are Pinot Meunier. The wines are all Pinot Noir dominated and generally avoid malolactic fermentation.
They also own Champagne Deutz. As well as Champagne, they own well-regarded vineyards in other regions and countries. For example there is the Louis Roederer "Quartet" - a Californian sparkling wine, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Bordeaux and Domaines Ott in Provence.
However, tonight we focus just on Champagne Louis Roederer
1. Brut Premier
Ripe, slightly cooked apple and a hint of orange peel. High acid, but round texture. Surprisingly smooth apart from at the back of the throat where there is plenty of bite. More bread on the palate. Decent length without any bitterness on the finish. Very good entry level.
2. Vintage 2003
Many champagne houses didn't bother with a 2003 vintage. This was the super-hot year in France and the Champagnes which were made are generally not acidic enough. This is no exception and is clearly only made to satisfy the commercial demand for vintage Louis Roederer. The previous wine was higher quality, despite this one being significantly more expensive. Weird finish.
3. Cristal 2002
Their flagship wine and one which has become synonymous with bling. Very pale with very small bubbles. Intense fruit, and definite red fruit also. Great length, pleasant finish. Very fine and elegant.
4. Rose Vintage 2004
Prickly, sharp texture. Strawberry and raspberry on the palate. Bitter aftertaste. Made by a combination of the saignee and assemblage techniques. The PN is saignee and the Chardonnay is then blended in later. Quite good, but overpriced.
5. Carte Blanche Demi Sec
Grapey. As demi-sec goes this is good. Decent length, not too sweet or cloying. Surprisingly good. They claim that if this was drunk with dessert then it would taste as dry as the first wine.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Christmas Tasting
Vivat Bacchus
Monday 21 Dec
1. Graham Beck Brut NV
Western Cape, SA
Ripe apples. Not much in the way of yeast autolysis. Probably not spent much time on lees. A little sweet and oily, particularly on the finish. Fruit character is a little short, but not bad at all.
2. Knappstein Riesling 2008
Clare Valley, Australia
Petrol, lime and floral notes. Dry, with high acid. Green fruit. Crisp and refreshing until the end. I'd rather have a German/Austrian/Alsatian riesling any day though.
3. "Blanc de Mer" 2008, Bouchard Finlayson
Hermanus, SA
This has riesling, viognier and other stuff in it. It doesn't really work for me. The riesling dominates. The viognier doesn't really seem to add anything very good.
4. Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2008
Hermanus, SA
A very classy new world chardonnay. Apricot, melon, smoke, oak. This spends 9-months in 55% new oak barrels. Smooth and silky mouthfeel. Intense fruit on palate. Green apple on palate. Great length. Fantastic.
5. Bouchard Finlayson "Galpin Peak" Pinot Noir 2008
Walker Bay, SA
A good example of a New World Pinot Noir. Lots of red fruit - cherry, raspberry etc. Little dots of tannin. Green pepper on the palate. One of the bottles had some bret, which led to some complaints, but mine was very good. Would work well with a meaty stew.
6. Chianti Classico 2006, Isole e Olena
Tuscany, Italy
Tannin-tastic. Smells sweet. Ripe fruit (mostly red but some black). Sandpaper texture on the tongue. Mouth-puckering acid. If ever a wine needed food, this is it. It would probably still be a little unbalanced even with food though.
7. Veenwouden Classic 2005
Paarl, SA
American oak. Ripe black berries and leafy notes. The intense ripe black fruit is also there on the palate, but tomato also there too. High acid. High, drying tannin. Good.
8. Springfield "The Whole Berry" Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
South Africa
Incredibly intense palate. Ripe black berries on the nose and the palate. Very definitely a new world wine. Very drinkable in the tasting. I wonder what it's like to have a large amount of. I imagine that it could be hard to drink in large quantities. Like alcoholic ribena. Apparently this wine has undergone some carbonic maceration. Luckily it doesn't taste anything like a Beaujolais!
9. Kaapzicht Stetyler Pinotage 2006
Stellenbosch, SA
Slight rubbery smell present until the wine was swirled. Dry, leathery palate with tobacco leaf noticeable. Red berries and tomato. Rough, dry sandpaper texture from the tannin. "Dusty". Needs food but good.
10. Catherine Marshall "Myriad" 2004
Elgin, SA
This is a fortified wine. Not bad, but at the price you'd be much better with a Port since this is more expensive than a good ruby, but no better. Mind-numbingly acidic!
Monday 21 Dec
1. Graham Beck Brut NV
Western Cape, SA
Ripe apples. Not much in the way of yeast autolysis. Probably not spent much time on lees. A little sweet and oily, particularly on the finish. Fruit character is a little short, but not bad at all.
2. Knappstein Riesling 2008
Clare Valley, Australia
Petrol, lime and floral notes. Dry, with high acid. Green fruit. Crisp and refreshing until the end. I'd rather have a German/Austrian/Alsatian riesling any day though.
3. "Blanc de Mer" 2008, Bouchard Finlayson
Hermanus, SA
This has riesling, viognier and other stuff in it. It doesn't really work for me. The riesling dominates. The viognier doesn't really seem to add anything very good.
4. Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2008
Hermanus, SA
A very classy new world chardonnay. Apricot, melon, smoke, oak. This spends 9-months in 55% new oak barrels. Smooth and silky mouthfeel. Intense fruit on palate. Green apple on palate. Great length. Fantastic.
5. Bouchard Finlayson "Galpin Peak" Pinot Noir 2008
Walker Bay, SA
A good example of a New World Pinot Noir. Lots of red fruit - cherry, raspberry etc. Little dots of tannin. Green pepper on the palate. One of the bottles had some bret, which led to some complaints, but mine was very good. Would work well with a meaty stew.
6. Chianti Classico 2006, Isole e Olena
Tuscany, Italy
Tannin-tastic. Smells sweet. Ripe fruit (mostly red but some black). Sandpaper texture on the tongue. Mouth-puckering acid. If ever a wine needed food, this is it. It would probably still be a little unbalanced even with food though.
7. Veenwouden Classic 2005
Paarl, SA
American oak. Ripe black berries and leafy notes. The intense ripe black fruit is also there on the palate, but tomato also there too. High acid. High, drying tannin. Good.
8. Springfield "The Whole Berry" Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
South Africa
Incredibly intense palate. Ripe black berries on the nose and the palate. Very definitely a new world wine. Very drinkable in the tasting. I wonder what it's like to have a large amount of. I imagine that it could be hard to drink in large quantities. Like alcoholic ribena. Apparently this wine has undergone some carbonic maceration. Luckily it doesn't taste anything like a Beaujolais!
9. Kaapzicht Stetyler Pinotage 2006
Stellenbosch, SA
Slight rubbery smell present until the wine was swirled. Dry, leathery palate with tobacco leaf noticeable. Red berries and tomato. Rough, dry sandpaper texture from the tannin. "Dusty". Needs food but good.
10. Catherine Marshall "Myriad" 2004
Elgin, SA
This is a fortified wine. Not bad, but at the price you'd be much better with a Port since this is more expensive than a good ruby, but no better. Mind-numbingly acidic!
Wine Wisdom at VB #1
Class #1
Bordeaux
Taught by Tim Wildman MW
One left-bank, one right-bank Bordeaux. Then two New World imposters. Then one New World Bordeaux blend including four of the five main varieties. And finally a white, oak-aged Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.
The New World wines showed better here. Genuine Bordeaux is so overpriced that it is always a hard comparison. At similar price points the Bordeaux will show badly every time.
The Wines
1. L'Ermitage de Chasse-Spleen 2003
Moulis, Medoc, Bordeaux
Deep ruby. High, but fine, tannins. Medium-high acid. Lots of black fruit. Good length. Good but not amazing.
2.Chateau Croix de Grezard 2000
Lussac Saint Emilion, Bordeaux
Medium-deep. Brownish rim. Showing quite a lot of bottle development on the nose. Cedar, tobacco, smoke, some earthy notes. Medium bodied. Not enough fruit character on the palate. Good length, but bitter on the finish. Would be better with food. Past its best.
3.Coleraine 2006, Te Mata
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Roughly equal Merlot and CS.
Deep ruby. Lots of ripe black fruit on the nose. Some smoke. Round, soft mouthfeel for a Cabernet. High tannin. Medium-high acid. Feels more rough with time in the glass and tastes more woody than it smells. Very good though.
4. Work of Time 2002, Springfield Estate
Robertson, South Africa. Merlot-dominated.
Deep colour. Medium-high intensity jammy black fruit on the nose. Smoke and oak also. Ripe fruit on the palate. Very high tannin and acid. Smoky character. Long, but with a smoky finish. Good stuff. Needs food... and probably more time.
5. Phil Sexton "Harry's Monster"
Vintage not recorded. Yarra Valley. Again, mostly equal Merlot and CS, but with CF and Petit Verdot too.
Smells of Christmas. Cloves, cinnamon overlaying black fruit. Masculine. Very ripe fruit on the palate, but not jammy. Good length. Oaky and vanilla. Very good but needs food.
6. Vergelegen Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc
80% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Pale, oaky, very good. Stands up after all these big reds.
Bordeaux
Taught by Tim Wildman MW
One left-bank, one right-bank Bordeaux. Then two New World imposters. Then one New World Bordeaux blend including four of the five main varieties. And finally a white, oak-aged Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.
The New World wines showed better here. Genuine Bordeaux is so overpriced that it is always a hard comparison. At similar price points the Bordeaux will show badly every time.
The Wines
1. L'Ermitage de Chasse-Spleen 2003
Moulis, Medoc, Bordeaux
Deep ruby. High, but fine, tannins. Medium-high acid. Lots of black fruit. Good length. Good but not amazing.
2.Chateau Croix de Grezard 2000
Lussac Saint Emilion, Bordeaux
Medium-deep. Brownish rim. Showing quite a lot of bottle development on the nose. Cedar, tobacco, smoke, some earthy notes. Medium bodied. Not enough fruit character on the palate. Good length, but bitter on the finish. Would be better with food. Past its best.
3.Coleraine 2006, Te Mata
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Roughly equal Merlot and CS.
Deep ruby. Lots of ripe black fruit on the nose. Some smoke. Round, soft mouthfeel for a Cabernet. High tannin. Medium-high acid. Feels more rough with time in the glass and tastes more woody than it smells. Very good though.
4. Work of Time 2002, Springfield Estate
Robertson, South Africa. Merlot-dominated.
Deep colour. Medium-high intensity jammy black fruit on the nose. Smoke and oak also. Ripe fruit on the palate. Very high tannin and acid. Smoky character. Long, but with a smoky finish. Good stuff. Needs food... and probably more time.
5. Phil Sexton "Harry's Monster"
Vintage not recorded. Yarra Valley. Again, mostly equal Merlot and CS, but with CF and Petit Verdot too.
Smells of Christmas. Cloves, cinnamon overlaying black fruit. Masculine. Very ripe fruit on the palate, but not jammy. Good length. Oaky and vanilla. Very good but needs food.
6. Vergelegen Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc
80% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Pale, oaky, very good. Stands up after all these big reds.
Mature Red Burgundy
Tuesday 24 November 2009
Wine and Dine Society
Another ridiculous one from the Wine and Dine people. Red Burgundy starting in 1964 and getting older! Burgundy used to be fortified with all kinds of stronger wine before the 70s and as a result of this it can often age much better than today's wines would.
1. 1964 Chambolle Musigny, Corney and Barrow
Meaty and earthy. Not much fruit. Past its best but still drinkable. Impressive given its age (apart from when it is compared to some of the ancient wines below).
2. 1961 Clos Vougeot, Innes Smith
Sweet, jammy fruit on nose, which is frankly astonishing given the age. Smoke and floral note also, particularly on the finish. Was probably fortified. Something on the nose is redolent of a tawny port.
3. 1955 Volnay Hospice, Cuvee Blondeau
Meaty, smoky, pepper, mushroom. Particularly on the finish.
4. 1955 Charmes Chambertin, Harvey's of Bristol
Faulty. Smells dank.
5. 1953 Clos Vougeot, Domaine Drouhin-Laroze
Very aromatic. Floral, sweet spice. Fades a little quickly on the mid-palate but finishes strongly.
6. 1952 Chambolle Musigny, Marx and Salmon
Meaty and concentrated. Like a stock. Cherries on the nose. Surprising grip. Must have been doped with wines from the South of France.
7. 1937 Beaune, Reserve du Chateau, Domaine Louis Lavirotte et fils
Lots of tannin, very dark. Does that sound like a 70+ year old Burgundy to you? Even by the standards of wines which have come through the Wine and Dine time machine, this is ridiculous. Probably fraud. There are sharp green tannins which doesn't seem plausible for a very old wine.
8. 1919 Volnay, Sichel
This is like a cross between a vintage port and a tawny port. Smells sweet with jammy fruit. Some oxidized character - particularly on the mid-palate. Completely mental! Complex. Weird. I like it.
Wine and Dine Society
Another ridiculous one from the Wine and Dine people. Red Burgundy starting in 1964 and getting older! Burgundy used to be fortified with all kinds of stronger wine before the 70s and as a result of this it can often age much better than today's wines would.
1. 1964 Chambolle Musigny, Corney and Barrow
Meaty and earthy. Not much fruit. Past its best but still drinkable. Impressive given its age (apart from when it is compared to some of the ancient wines below).
2. 1961 Clos Vougeot, Innes Smith
Sweet, jammy fruit on nose, which is frankly astonishing given the age. Smoke and floral note also, particularly on the finish. Was probably fortified. Something on the nose is redolent of a tawny port.
3. 1955 Volnay Hospice, Cuvee Blondeau
Meaty, smoky, pepper, mushroom. Particularly on the finish.
4. 1955 Charmes Chambertin, Harvey's of Bristol
Faulty. Smells dank.
5. 1953 Clos Vougeot, Domaine Drouhin-Laroze
Very aromatic. Floral, sweet spice. Fades a little quickly on the mid-palate but finishes strongly.
6. 1952 Chambolle Musigny, Marx and Salmon
Meaty and concentrated. Like a stock. Cherries on the nose. Surprising grip. Must have been doped with wines from the South of France.
7. 1937 Beaune, Reserve du Chateau, Domaine Louis Lavirotte et fils
Lots of tannin, very dark. Does that sound like a 70+ year old Burgundy to you? Even by the standards of wines which have come through the Wine and Dine time machine, this is ridiculous. Probably fraud. There are sharp green tannins which doesn't seem plausible for a very old wine.
8. 1919 Volnay, Sichel
This is like a cross between a vintage port and a tawny port. Smells sweet with jammy fruit. Some oxidized character - particularly on the mid-palate. Completely mental! Complex. Weird. I like it.
Rare and Unusual Italian Wines
16 November 2009
Wine and Dine Society
1. 1961 Grignolino Rosso, San Giovanni Battista
This is a style of wine which is supposed to be drunk young. However, by some miracle this one is still drinkable. Some dark fruit, but it is most definitely past its best.
2. 1961 Guipa Nebbiolo, Valtellina Arrigori
Deeper than the previous wine. Soft tannin. A little fruit character with plenty of bottle development showing, but not past it. Decent length. Good.
3. 1962. Gattinara, Luigi Nervi e Figlio
Very pale brown. Pale, watery rim. A non-aromatic wine. Some violets and black fruit and smoke. Soft textured, light bodied. Sharp acid. Spicy finish. Good.
4. 1964 Tegolato Vecchio, Castello Poppiano
Chianti Colli Fiorentina. Looks weird. Like an amontillado on the nose. Oxidized.
5. 1967 Sassella Superiore Sondrio, Enoligica Valtellinese
A good wine in the style of the Wine and Dine Society. Definitely showing its age. Mushrooms and earth are more prominent than the fruit and floral notes. High acid. Good length but a rather acidic finish.
6. 1971 Petrurbani Riserva
A red wine from Orvieto. Perhaps made from Sangiovese and Sagrantino grapes but not sure. Sharp and bitter, particularly on the finish. Not particularly appealing.
7. 1973 Greppo, Biondi Santi
Brunello di Montalcino. Gamey, leathery, meaty, spice and smoke. Medium-low body. Acidic with good bitterness (like coffee). Complex. On the palate there is noticeable red fruit. Intense flavour. Good length. Well balanced. The only bad point being a little sourness on the finish. Otherwise excellent.
8. 1975 Vin Santo Toscano, G. Cecchi
16% abv, but not from fortification. This is mainly made from trebbiano (!) and also some malvasia. The production of this wine involves a slow fermentation during which time it undergoes a deliberate oxidation. It really works in this situation. There is a complex combination of nuts, Christmas cake, flowers and grapes. Off-dry to medium sweetness. Concentrated. One of the weirdest sweet wines I've ever tasted. Interesting, but to many people this would be of purely academic interest.
Wine and Dine Society
1. 1961 Grignolino Rosso, San Giovanni Battista
This is a style of wine which is supposed to be drunk young. However, by some miracle this one is still drinkable. Some dark fruit, but it is most definitely past its best.
2. 1961 Guipa Nebbiolo, Valtellina Arrigori
Deeper than the previous wine. Soft tannin. A little fruit character with plenty of bottle development showing, but not past it. Decent length. Good.
3. 1962. Gattinara, Luigi Nervi e Figlio
Very pale brown. Pale, watery rim. A non-aromatic wine. Some violets and black fruit and smoke. Soft textured, light bodied. Sharp acid. Spicy finish. Good.
4. 1964 Tegolato Vecchio, Castello Poppiano
Chianti Colli Fiorentina. Looks weird. Like an amontillado on the nose. Oxidized.
5. 1967 Sassella Superiore Sondrio, Enoligica Valtellinese
A good wine in the style of the Wine and Dine Society. Definitely showing its age. Mushrooms and earth are more prominent than the fruit and floral notes. High acid. Good length but a rather acidic finish.
6. 1971 Petrurbani Riserva
A red wine from Orvieto. Perhaps made from Sangiovese and Sagrantino grapes but not sure. Sharp and bitter, particularly on the finish. Not particularly appealing.
7. 1973 Greppo, Biondi Santi
Brunello di Montalcino. Gamey, leathery, meaty, spice and smoke. Medium-low body. Acidic with good bitterness (like coffee). Complex. On the palate there is noticeable red fruit. Intense flavour. Good length. Well balanced. The only bad point being a little sourness on the finish. Otherwise excellent.
8. 1975 Vin Santo Toscano, G. Cecchi
16% abv, but not from fortification. This is mainly made from trebbiano (!) and also some malvasia. The production of this wine involves a slow fermentation during which time it undergoes a deliberate oxidation. It really works in this situation. There is a complex combination of nuts, Christmas cake, flowers and grapes. Off-dry to medium sweetness. Concentrated. One of the weirdest sweet wines I've ever tasted. Interesting, but to many people this would be of purely academic interest.
Reschke Vitulus 2004
Reschke Vitulus 2004
Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep purple. Leafy, minty Cabernet Sauvignon. Vanilla, cinnamon black fruit. Med-high acid with silky ripe tannin. Tobacco and Juicy black fruit on the palate. Still very fresh and young. Good length. Very good.
Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep purple. Leafy, minty Cabernet Sauvignon. Vanilla, cinnamon black fruit. Med-high acid with silky ripe tannin. Tobacco and Juicy black fruit on the palate. Still very fresh and young. Good length. Very good.
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