The first Oxford University Wine Society tasting I've been to in about 3 years. And what a cracking wine list!
1. Champagne Salon, 1997
Rich aroma. Oaky, nutty and creamy on the nose. Quite powerful on the palate. Crisp acidity and great length (extremely long for a champagne). The overall character is power rather than elegance… this is one of the most powerful champagnes I’ve had (if we ignore the late disgorgement styles). This opens up quite considerably in the glass. In many ways like a good white burgundy that happens to be sparkling. Very good, and I’m glad I’ve finally tasted it. However, it’s overpriced (£195) so this wine is much better if someone else is paying.
2. Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres, Premier Cru 1999
Very prominent oak on the nose – particularly considering it is around 12 years old. Palate is fantastic though. This wine has both power and elegance. Whilst it still smells quite young, the palate has plenty on offer. Also, once the wine opened up in the glass it became more forward on the nose too. Superb.
£120
3. Domaine Comtes des Lafon, Meursault Clos de la Barre 2004
Much less noticeable oak on the nose than the previous wine. Lemon, apple and a little nuttiness on the palate. Intense fresh fruit character… this is still a baby. Once it opens up some apricot flavours appear. Noticeable oak tannin on this one, but the oak feels very well integrated. This will improve significantly, but I’m very much enjoying it now. This is a serious rival to the previous wine and slightly edges it for me. I really enjoyed this wine.
£120
4. Domaine Rene Engel, Grands-Echezeaux, Grand Cru, 2004
Serious complexity on the nose, especially considering it’s only from 2004. Extremely pale colour. The nose gives different notes every time I go to it: sometimes floral, sometimes vegetal, sometimes fruit and sometimes savoury. Long, balanced and complex. Excellent now, but feels like it might be aging rather fast. Best drink it soon if you have any just to be on the safe side.
£145
5. Domaine Jean Grivot, Clos de Vougeot, Grand Cru 1996
The first thing which needs mentioning here is the serious bottle variation this wine appears to be showing. One bottle was marginally corked. The bottle we had was quite disappointing. The other bottle I tried a little bit from and it was better, but still not stellar. I wonder how much of the disappointment here was caused by my extremely high expectations. One of the best bottles of wine I’ve ever had was a Clos de Vougeot (in the very first ever Bacchus Grand Cru tasting!) and I was probably judging this extra-harshly in comparison to that memory. That being said, here are my notes:
The initial impression on the nose is meat. Definitely a savoury character to the wine. There is some fruit coming through, but not enough. It feels as though it’s drying out already. The tannin is dusty and out of balance. I would have been extremely upset if I had paid £100 for this myself.
6. Domaine Armand Rousseau, Chames-Chambertin, Grand Cru, 1997
Extremely high acid, plenty of red fruit. Quite a lot of power, yet very elegant. Relatively soft mouthfeel with quite low tannin. Opens up wonderfully with more complex aromas coming through. A very serious wine - well balanced, complex flavours and good length.
NB This turned out to be my favourite red wine of the evening.
£135
7. Mascarello Guiseppe e Figlio, Barolo Monprivato, 1996
Extremely tannic and acidic – mouth-puckering on both fronts! On the nose it’s more floral than tar, but definitely getting both. Quite deep colour for a nebbiolo. A very serious wine, but would be much improved by food or age. Not quite balanced yet, but plenty of intensity and complexity and very long. I'd love to have several bottles of this so I could track its development over time. I suspect it will be sublime given long enough.
£90
8. Chateau de Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape, 1995
Yum, yum. This is drinking very well now. More aromatic than the Barolo but lighter in character (although not really "light" on any absolute scale). Lots of cooked black fruit. Quite soft mouthfeel. Perfumed and appealing. Drink soon.
£65
9. Equipo Navazos, 22. La Bota Manzanilla “Navazos”
Intense salty aroma. Also ripe green apple and yeast. This is made in quite a young and fruity style. I liked this a lot whereas Ed did not so it’s perhaps a little polarizing… even for sherry lovers! Complex almond finish. Intense, well balanced and complex. I like this sort of thing a lot. Very very good.
A bargain at £25.
10. Equipo Navazos, 24. La Bota Fino Amontillado “Montilla”
Crisp and refreshing. A little hint of marzipan. Less intense palate than the previous sherry, but good length. The Fino Amontillado seems to fall between two stools… it would have been better as one or the other. Also, some weird chemical aroma lingers after drinking it. Worth trying, but not superb for me.
£38
11. Joh. Jos. Prum, Graacher Himmelreich, Riesling Auslese, Goldkapsel, 2000
Lovely toffee/treacle aroma and some kerosene. Cooked apple flavour on the palate. Feels a lot lighter than I would have expected for a Auslese Goldkapsel. It’s well balanced, but too short. Quite a poor showing for such a high-profile producer. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it but it’s not a contemplation wine in the way that you would expect.
£110
12. Graham’s Port, 1977
Dried fruit, Christmas pudding, spice. The wine has a fine sediment in suspension, but it’s not noticeable on the palate. Quite an intense nose. Sweet, but balanced. Complex and very pleasant to drink now. Not the best-showing Graham’s-77 I’ve ever had, but I’ll never complain about drinking one.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Tim Wildman Spain & Portugal Tasting
Wine Wisdom Class 7
Vivat Bacchus
Italy
1. Manzanilla "Las Medallas" Herederos de Argueso
DO - Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda, Andalucia
Yummy, salty and nutty.
2. Bodegas Ametzoi, Pais Vasco, Txacoli di Getaria 2009
Basque Country
Very pale. Floral and apple nose. Some petillance on the palate. Refreshing, acidic. Good length. Good and simple. Easy to drink but a little overpriced at £12ish.
3. Martin Codax, Albarino 2008
DO - Rias Baixas, Galicia
Very floral with crisp, refreshing acidity. Perfect with seafood.
4. Bodegas Urbina, Rioja Crianza 2004
Ripe red fruit. Noticeable oak and tobacco on nose. Smooth mouthfeel - apart from oaky, textured finish. Good acid.
5. Mencia "Petalos" 2008
Bierzo, Castilla y Leon
Floral, aromatic and perfumed. Lots of red fruit and more complex flavours - like a meaty stew. Good length, dusty texture. Very good.
6. Warres "Otima" 10-year old tawny port
Douro Valley, Portugal
Nuts, almonds, marzipan, red fruit. Sweet. Served chilled.
Vivat Bacchus
Italy
1. Manzanilla "Las Medallas" Herederos de Argueso
DO - Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda, Andalucia
Yummy, salty and nutty.
2. Bodegas Ametzoi, Pais Vasco, Txacoli di Getaria 2009
Basque Country
Very pale. Floral and apple nose. Some petillance on the palate. Refreshing, acidic. Good length. Good and simple. Easy to drink but a little overpriced at £12ish.
3. Martin Codax, Albarino 2008
DO - Rias Baixas, Galicia
Very floral with crisp, refreshing acidity. Perfect with seafood.
4. Bodegas Urbina, Rioja Crianza 2004
Ripe red fruit. Noticeable oak and tobacco on nose. Smooth mouthfeel - apart from oaky, textured finish. Good acid.
5. Mencia "Petalos" 2008
Bierzo, Castilla y Leon
Floral, aromatic and perfumed. Lots of red fruit and more complex flavours - like a meaty stew. Good length, dusty texture. Very good.
6. Warres "Otima" 10-year old tawny port
Douro Valley, Portugal
Nuts, almonds, marzipan, red fruit. Sweet. Served chilled.
New Zealand Wine Tasting
New Zealand Wine Tasting
Oxford and Cambridge Club
13 May 2010
Map
1. Waipara Springs, Sauvignon Blanc, Waipara 2009
13% Stone, Vine and Sun, £9.95
Very pale. More grassy and asparagus than gooseberry. Crisp and acidic but not sharp - actually quite soft mouthfeel. Good length.
2. Two rivers of Marlborough, Pinot Gris Marlborogh, 2008
13.5% Philglas & Swiggot, £11.99
Some creamy oak. Yeasty, "leesy" note. Some floral notes. Stone fruit. Good intensity. Crisp finish. Surprisingly good for a pinot gris.
3. Mud House, Chardonnay, Hawke's Bay, 2008
13%. Stone, Vine and Sun, £9.95
Round. Ripe fruit. Quite a hot-climate chardonnay. Butter, cream and yeast. A little unbalanced. Not noticeable if oaked. Medium acid. Pineapple on the finish (long).
4. Lawson's Dry Hills Riesling, Marlborough, 2007
12.5%. Philglas & Swiggot. £15.99
Very acidic (lime). Some petrol. Intense lime, green apple. Long. A little 1-dimensional but plenty of acid and fruit. Pleasant.
5. Hunter's Gewurtztraminer, Marlborough 2008
14%. Stone, Vine and Sun, £11.95
Smells of rose and turkish delight. Fragrant, like perfume. Surprisingly high acid. Soft mouthfeel. Very good.
6. Mud House, Swan Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2007
14%. Stone, Vine and Sun, £15.50
Surprisingly jammy fruit (cherries). A slight green note on nose. High acid, low tannin. Soft and silky. Good fruit intensity. Medium-high length. Pleasant but a little too simple. This is not my favoured style of pinot-noir, but other people really like it.
7. Alpha Domus "The Navigator", Merlot/Cab Sauv/Malbec/Cab Franc, Hawke's Bay 2006
13.5%. Philglas & Swiggot £13.99
Quite a subtle nose. High acid, plenty of astringent tannin. A little green. Good balance between tannin and acid. Nice length, but the finish is a little too tannic. Probably better with food. Pretty good but not amazing.
8. Craggy Range Syrah, Block 14, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay, 2007
13.5%. Oddbins £13.59
Relatively subdued black fruit aroma. Plenty of intensity on the palate. Primary fruit on the palate. A little bit of meat on the nose. Soft mouthfeel. Lifted note in the middle of the palate. This is the best red of the night, but at the price it would be possible to get a better syrah from elsewhere. Pretty refined though - it grew on me in the glass as the wine opened up.
Oxford and Cambridge Club
13 May 2010
Map
1. Waipara Springs, Sauvignon Blanc, Waipara 2009
13% Stone, Vine and Sun, £9.95
Very pale. More grassy and asparagus than gooseberry. Crisp and acidic but not sharp - actually quite soft mouthfeel. Good length.
2. Two rivers of Marlborough, Pinot Gris Marlborogh, 2008
13.5% Philglas & Swiggot, £11.99
Some creamy oak. Yeasty, "leesy" note. Some floral notes. Stone fruit. Good intensity. Crisp finish. Surprisingly good for a pinot gris.
3. Mud House, Chardonnay, Hawke's Bay, 2008
13%. Stone, Vine and Sun, £9.95
Round. Ripe fruit. Quite a hot-climate chardonnay. Butter, cream and yeast. A little unbalanced. Not noticeable if oaked. Medium acid. Pineapple on the finish (long).
4. Lawson's Dry Hills Riesling, Marlborough, 2007
12.5%. Philglas & Swiggot. £15.99
Very acidic (lime). Some petrol. Intense lime, green apple. Long. A little 1-dimensional but plenty of acid and fruit. Pleasant.
5. Hunter's Gewurtztraminer, Marlborough 2008
14%. Stone, Vine and Sun, £11.95
Smells of rose and turkish delight. Fragrant, like perfume. Surprisingly high acid. Soft mouthfeel. Very good.
6. Mud House, Swan Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2007
14%. Stone, Vine and Sun, £15.50
Surprisingly jammy fruit (cherries). A slight green note on nose. High acid, low tannin. Soft and silky. Good fruit intensity. Medium-high length. Pleasant but a little too simple. This is not my favoured style of pinot-noir, but other people really like it.
7. Alpha Domus "The Navigator", Merlot/Cab Sauv/Malbec/Cab Franc, Hawke's Bay 2006
13.5%. Philglas & Swiggot £13.99
Quite a subtle nose. High acid, plenty of astringent tannin. A little green. Good balance between tannin and acid. Nice length, but the finish is a little too tannic. Probably better with food. Pretty good but not amazing.
8. Craggy Range Syrah, Block 14, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay, 2007
13.5%. Oddbins £13.59
Relatively subdued black fruit aroma. Plenty of intensity on the palate. Primary fruit on the palate. A little bit of meat on the nose. Soft mouthfeel. Lifted note in the middle of the palate. This is the best red of the night, but at the price it would be possible to get a better syrah from elsewhere. Pretty refined though - it grew on me in the glass as the wine opened up.
Tim Wildman Italy Tasting
Wine Wisdom Class 5
Vivat Bacchus
Italy
Map
1. Pecorino "La Merlettaie", 2008, Ciu Ciu, Marche, Italy
Pecorino grape.
Stone fruits and floral notes. High acid, medium body. High intensity fruit on palate.
Trivia note: Harvey Nichols replaced their Pinot Grigio with this and a falanghina. "Pinot Grigio is textured, alcoholic water."
2. Soave Superiore 2008, Temellini, Veneto
Garganega grape
Rich, nutty. Aged on lees with plenty of battonage.
3. Rosso di Montepulciano 2006, Vittorio Innocente, Tuscany
Grapes: Sangiovese (called "prugnolo genile" in that region), Canaiolo Nero, Mammolo
Pale. Red fruit character. This wine was served slightly chilled. Medium-high tannin, high acid. A little short but otherwise good. Herbal, delicate. Good and enjoyable but nothing serious.
4. Primitivo "Gioia del Colle" 2005, Fatalone, Puglia
Primitivo grape
Rustic, black fruit on nose. Smoky. Juicy red fruit and tomato on palate. Medium tannin. Good length. Well balanced. High alcohol (15%) but don't feel the tannin. Excellent.
5. Barolo Classico Riserva 2001, Giacomo Borgogno, Piedmont
Nebbiolo grape
Pale. Tar and roses - the classic barolo combination. Delicate spice. Asian spice and balsamic. Delicate flavour but plenty of tannin. Well balanced.
6. Moscato d'Asti "Lumine" 2009, Ca' d' Gal, Piedmont
Moscato Bianco grape
5% abv. Similar sugar to a sauternes. Very floral and grapey. Good acid. A bit short but not cloying. Good.
Vivat Bacchus
Italy
Map
1. Pecorino "La Merlettaie", 2008, Ciu Ciu, Marche, Italy
Pecorino grape.
Stone fruits and floral notes. High acid, medium body. High intensity fruit on palate.
Trivia note: Harvey Nichols replaced their Pinot Grigio with this and a falanghina. "Pinot Grigio is textured, alcoholic water."
2. Soave Superiore 2008, Temellini, Veneto
Garganega grape
Rich, nutty. Aged on lees with plenty of battonage.
3. Rosso di Montepulciano 2006, Vittorio Innocente, Tuscany
Grapes: Sangiovese (called "prugnolo genile" in that region), Canaiolo Nero, Mammolo
Pale. Red fruit character. This wine was served slightly chilled. Medium-high tannin, high acid. A little short but otherwise good. Herbal, delicate. Good and enjoyable but nothing serious.
4. Primitivo "Gioia del Colle" 2005, Fatalone, Puglia
Primitivo grape
Rustic, black fruit on nose. Smoky. Juicy red fruit and tomato on palate. Medium tannin. Good length. Well balanced. High alcohol (15%) but don't feel the tannin. Excellent.
5. Barolo Classico Riserva 2001, Giacomo Borgogno, Piedmont
Nebbiolo grape
Pale. Tar and roses - the classic barolo combination. Delicate spice. Asian spice and balsamic. Delicate flavour but plenty of tannin. Well balanced.
6. Moscato d'Asti "Lumine" 2009, Ca' d' Gal, Piedmont
Moscato Bianco grape
5% abv. Similar sugar to a sauternes. Very floral and grapey. Good acid. A bit short but not cloying. Good.
Vergelegen
Vergelegen Tasting
10 May 2010
Vivat Bacchus
1. Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Grassy, crisp and acidic. Intense green fruit. Good length. Well balanced. 7% Semillon and left on lees to give texture.
2. Vergelegen White 2008
Oaked - not integrated yet. Very ripe fruit. Intense flavour of apricots on the palate. Quite short - can just feel the oak tannin. Plenty of fruit so may get better with age but not that enjoyable now.
3. Chardonnay 2009
Quite pale with appropriate oak (40% fermented in new oak). Surprisingly high acid which gives a very acidic finish. Primary fruit character. Refreshing. When the wine warms up the oak is more prominent. Good stuff though.
4. Chardonnay Reserve 2007
Medium intensity apricot and vegetal nose. Also tinned pineapple. Nicely oaked. Elegant with good mouthfeel. Medium-high acid, good length and plenty of texture. Well balanced to the end. Fantastic.
5. Merlot 2006
Slightly thin and bitter with green tannins. OK but not great. Quite rough mouthfeel. Would probably benefit from food.
6. Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Ripe fruit aroma. Fine pixellated tannins. Plenty of ripe fruit. Some tobacco. Great length. Some savoury spice. Well balanced with a pleasant finish.
7. Cabernet-Merlot 2007
More austere than previous wine. Tannin feels rougher and some astingency on the palate. Needs food or time. Well structured but not as good as number 6.
8. Vergelegen Red 2003
Elegant. Pencil shavings, tobacco and soft tannin. Plenty of fruit on palate. Quite high but fine tannin. Very good. Great length and well balanced. This was the best wine of the night, but number 6 was pretty close.
10 May 2010
Vivat Bacchus
1. Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Grassy, crisp and acidic. Intense green fruit. Good length. Well balanced. 7% Semillon and left on lees to give texture.
2. Vergelegen White 2008
Oaked - not integrated yet. Very ripe fruit. Intense flavour of apricots on the palate. Quite short - can just feel the oak tannin. Plenty of fruit so may get better with age but not that enjoyable now.
3. Chardonnay 2009
Quite pale with appropriate oak (40% fermented in new oak). Surprisingly high acid which gives a very acidic finish. Primary fruit character. Refreshing. When the wine warms up the oak is more prominent. Good stuff though.
4. Chardonnay Reserve 2007
Medium intensity apricot and vegetal nose. Also tinned pineapple. Nicely oaked. Elegant with good mouthfeel. Medium-high acid, good length and plenty of texture. Well balanced to the end. Fantastic.
5. Merlot 2006
Slightly thin and bitter with green tannins. OK but not great. Quite rough mouthfeel. Would probably benefit from food.
6. Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Ripe fruit aroma. Fine pixellated tannins. Plenty of ripe fruit. Some tobacco. Great length. Some savoury spice. Well balanced with a pleasant finish.
7. Cabernet-Merlot 2007
More austere than previous wine. Tannin feels rougher and some astingency on the palate. Needs food or time. Well structured but not as good as number 6.
8. Vergelegen Red 2003
Elegant. Pencil shavings, tobacco and soft tannin. Plenty of fruit on palate. Quite high but fine tannin. Very good. Great length and well balanced. This was the best wine of the night, but number 6 was pretty close.
Vivat Bacchus Alphabet of Wine "A"
The first of Laura Ward's "alphabet of wine" tastings at Vivat Bacchus.
16 August 2010
Vivat Bacchus
1. Domaine Perraud, Aligote 2008
Burgundy
Floral and ripe-tasting citrus notes. A little thin. High acid (lime). Medium alcohol. Not great.
2. Martin Codax, Albarino 2008
Rias Baixas
Zingy with sharp, refreshing acid. Typical albarino.
3. Regvenga de Melgaco, Alvarinho
Portugal
Rounder, less noticeable acid than its twin wine number 2.
4. Gaia, "Wild Ferment" Assyrtiko 2009
Santorini, Greece
Smoky aroma - probably from the volcanic soil. Lots of minerality on the palate. Fermented on its lees. Good length. I love assyrtiko.
5. Vesevo, Aglianico 2008
Beneventano, Italy
Very poor in comparison with number 6. Far less complex.
6. Vesevo, Taurasi 2003
Avellino
Smells amazing. Meaty, savoury on palate. Sandpaper tannins on the tongue. Complex. Excellent.
16 August 2010
Vivat Bacchus
1. Domaine Perraud, Aligote 2008
Burgundy
Floral and ripe-tasting citrus notes. A little thin. High acid (lime). Medium alcohol. Not great.
2. Martin Codax, Albarino 2008
Rias Baixas
Zingy with sharp, refreshing acid. Typical albarino.
3. Regvenga de Melgaco, Alvarinho
Portugal
Rounder, less noticeable acid than its twin wine number 2.
4. Gaia, "Wild Ferment" Assyrtiko 2009
Santorini, Greece
Smoky aroma - probably from the volcanic soil. Lots of minerality on the palate. Fermented on its lees. Good length. I love assyrtiko.
5. Vesevo, Aglianico 2008
Beneventano, Italy
Very poor in comparison with number 6. Far less complex.
6. Vesevo, Taurasi 2003
Avellino
Smells amazing. Meaty, savoury on palate. Sandpaper tannins on the tongue. Complex. Excellent.
Christie's Hospices de Beaune Masterclass
Christie's Hospices de Beaune Masterclass
26 October 2010
The Domaine des Hospices de Beaune is a charitable organisation which has had many vineyards donated to it. Every year they have a charitable wine auction where the wine is auctioned off in barrel. That is, each lot is an entire barrel of wine. So the purchase price of the barrel is difficult to translate into a per-bottle price since, once the barrel is purchased, there are still significant transaction costs before bottling. For example, you still need to pay someone to look after the barrel for you until the wine is ready to bottle. Then it needs to be bottled and shipped. Still, you then get to give the wine its own cuvee name which would be pretty cool. So well worth considering for anyone who has storage space and drinking capacity for a few hundred bottles of the same wine.
For the last few years the auction has been run by Christie's. This tasting of wines from previous Hospices auctions was organised by Christie's as a prelude to the 2010 hospices be beaune auction. Total bargain too considering the quality of the wine.
Tasting notes
1. Pouilly-Fuisse, Cuvee Francoise Poisard 2006
Medium-pale gold colour. Medium intensity aromas of sweet ripe apple and melon and some smoky notes. Good intensity on the palate. Lots of spicy oak, great length. For an entry level wine this bodes well for the rest of the tasting! Drink now, but will age fine for a few years.
PS When you go back to it after tasting the other whites it suffers from the comparison.
2. Meursault-Charmes 1er Cru. Cuvee de Bahezre de Lanlay 2005
Deeper gold than the previous wine and appears more "weighty" in the glass. Lots of fruit on the nose. Showing a very little of development character with some cooked apple and dried apricot coming through. Some nutty aromas too. Less intense initial hit on the palate that wine 1 but much crisper acid. More taut and lean and a little bit of oak tannin too. Strong finish, will be better in the future.
At the moment the first wine is actually more pleasant to drink but this wine is clearly of higher quality.
3. Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Cuvee Francois de Salins 2007
Very young. Noticeable oak on both the palate and nose which has not had time to integrate. Quite intense citrus on the palate. Very long finish is basically just pure fruit at the moment. Having said that, once the wine opens up in the glass there is more secondary character.
The wine is far too young, but will be excellent at some point.
4. Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cuvee Dames de Flandres 2007
Rounder, richer and more inviting nose than number 3 and more integrated oak. Still very young and very acidic with great length. This wine has serious power and still tastes great even when gone back to it after the reds. Total infanticide drinking it now.
5. Savigny-les-beaune 1er cru, Cuvee Arthur Girard, 2008
Too green. I didn't like this one at all.
6. Beaune 1er cru, Cuvee Dames Hospitalieres 2006
Ripe, warm and inviting nose with only a hint of vegetal character coming through. Silky and elegant on the palate... until the finish where there is plenty of grippy tannin. Lots of acid to balance. I liked this a lot - it even tasted good when I went back to it at the end after the big boys.
7. Beaune 1er cru, Cuvee Guigone de Salins 2005
Smooth, silky and spicy. Great length. Still too young but not bad to drink now.
8. Volnay 1er cru, Cuvee Blondeau 2005
Quite similar to number 7 but not quite as well balanced. Initially it was showing better but once they had both had time to open up in the glass then number 7 was the better wine.
9. Pommard-Epenot 1er cru, Cuvee Dom Goblet 2007
Very pale red wine. Elegant and restrained nose. Silky and smooth on the palate. The tannin is there when you search for it but otherwise would go unnoticed. Eminently drinkable now but probably won't last much longer. However, it is definitely the most enjoyable red wine so far in terms of drinkability now. Yum.
10. Corton Grand Cru, Cuvee Charlotte Dumay 2003
Deep colour - almost ribena-like levels of concentration. Definite barnyard on the nose - like being kicked in the face by a horse! Some tobacco on the nose and lots of spice and leather. Noticeable oak, toasterd cherries and tarte tatin. Quite a complex nose.
A structured, powerful and agressive wine... particularly for a Pinot. Plenty of tannin. It's a little over the top for a burgundy, but very good. Could not be much more of a contrast to number 9.
11. Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cuvee Georges Kritter 2005
Complex nose: spicy red/black fruit, meaty and vegetal. This wine is very good - it has the right balance between power and elegance. High acid and tannin. Excellent but very young.
12. Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cuvee Madeleine Collignon 2006
Quite elegant. Mostly young red fruit character. Not showing much in the way of development yet. Fresh and young-tasting on the palate too. Got a good life ahead of it.
26 October 2010
The Domaine des Hospices de Beaune is a charitable organisation which has had many vineyards donated to it. Every year they have a charitable wine auction where the wine is auctioned off in barrel. That is, each lot is an entire barrel of wine. So the purchase price of the barrel is difficult to translate into a per-bottle price since, once the barrel is purchased, there are still significant transaction costs before bottling. For example, you still need to pay someone to look after the barrel for you until the wine is ready to bottle. Then it needs to be bottled and shipped. Still, you then get to give the wine its own cuvee name which would be pretty cool. So well worth considering for anyone who has storage space and drinking capacity for a few hundred bottles of the same wine.
For the last few years the auction has been run by Christie's. This tasting of wines from previous Hospices auctions was organised by Christie's as a prelude to the 2010 hospices be beaune auction. Total bargain too considering the quality of the wine.
Tasting notes
1. Pouilly-Fuisse, Cuvee Francoise Poisard 2006
Medium-pale gold colour. Medium intensity aromas of sweet ripe apple and melon and some smoky notes. Good intensity on the palate. Lots of spicy oak, great length. For an entry level wine this bodes well for the rest of the tasting! Drink now, but will age fine for a few years.
PS When you go back to it after tasting the other whites it suffers from the comparison.
2. Meursault-Charmes 1er Cru. Cuvee de Bahezre de Lanlay 2005
Deeper gold than the previous wine and appears more "weighty" in the glass. Lots of fruit on the nose. Showing a very little of development character with some cooked apple and dried apricot coming through. Some nutty aromas too. Less intense initial hit on the palate that wine 1 but much crisper acid. More taut and lean and a little bit of oak tannin too. Strong finish, will be better in the future.
At the moment the first wine is actually more pleasant to drink but this wine is clearly of higher quality.
3. Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Cuvee Francois de Salins 2007
Very young. Noticeable oak on both the palate and nose which has not had time to integrate. Quite intense citrus on the palate. Very long finish is basically just pure fruit at the moment. Having said that, once the wine opens up in the glass there is more secondary character.
The wine is far too young, but will be excellent at some point.
4. Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cuvee Dames de Flandres 2007
Rounder, richer and more inviting nose than number 3 and more integrated oak. Still very young and very acidic with great length. This wine has serious power and still tastes great even when gone back to it after the reds. Total infanticide drinking it now.
5. Savigny-les-beaune 1er cru, Cuvee Arthur Girard, 2008
Too green. I didn't like this one at all.
6. Beaune 1er cru, Cuvee Dames Hospitalieres 2006
Ripe, warm and inviting nose with only a hint of vegetal character coming through. Silky and elegant on the palate... until the finish where there is plenty of grippy tannin. Lots of acid to balance. I liked this a lot - it even tasted good when I went back to it at the end after the big boys.
7. Beaune 1er cru, Cuvee Guigone de Salins 2005
Smooth, silky and spicy. Great length. Still too young but not bad to drink now.
8. Volnay 1er cru, Cuvee Blondeau 2005
Quite similar to number 7 but not quite as well balanced. Initially it was showing better but once they had both had time to open up in the glass then number 7 was the better wine.
9. Pommard-Epenot 1er cru, Cuvee Dom Goblet 2007
Very pale red wine. Elegant and restrained nose. Silky and smooth on the palate. The tannin is there when you search for it but otherwise would go unnoticed. Eminently drinkable now but probably won't last much longer. However, it is definitely the most enjoyable red wine so far in terms of drinkability now. Yum.
10. Corton Grand Cru, Cuvee Charlotte Dumay 2003
Deep colour - almost ribena-like levels of concentration. Definite barnyard on the nose - like being kicked in the face by a horse! Some tobacco on the nose and lots of spice and leather. Noticeable oak, toasterd cherries and tarte tatin. Quite a complex nose.
A structured, powerful and agressive wine... particularly for a Pinot. Plenty of tannin. It's a little over the top for a burgundy, but very good. Could not be much more of a contrast to number 9.
11. Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cuvee Georges Kritter 2005
Complex nose: spicy red/black fruit, meaty and vegetal. This wine is very good - it has the right balance between power and elegance. High acid and tannin. Excellent but very young.
12. Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cuvee Madeleine Collignon 2006
Quite elegant. Mostly young red fruit character. Not showing much in the way of development yet. Fresh and young-tasting on the palate too. Got a good life ahead of it.
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