10 February 2009

weekend past

1)grand corbin despagne 2005 (75% merlot, 24% cab franc, 1% malbec) [st emilion]
young, almost purple; plum, blackcurrant, smoke, a little vanilla, cedar, mushroom/earth, hint of musk/violets?; follows onto palate, mineral/stones; lots of furry chalky tannins and acid... said young didn't i, and with the fruit it will keep, i happen to like the tannins here; lean kind of feel now; medium bodied and length; 13.5%; BANG!(-)

2)basel cellars cab sav 2002 [walla walla ... i kid you not, washington state]
fruit from 4 different parcels, vinified separately ... blah, blah, blah ...
ruby; plum, blackcurrant, cedar, bit of vanilla, earth/ mushroom, a little funky ... old world like?; clean flavours, ripe fruit on the palate; fine tannins, acid to back that up; medium bodied, longish; 14.5%; BANG!(-); supposedly 100% new wood but pleasently surprised it's not fruit and wood monster.

3)godolphin 2005 (shiraz 80%/ cab 20%) [barossa]
speaking of fruit bombs ...
reddish purple; plum, blackcurrant, cedar, vanilla, hint of cocoa, someone said butterscotch/toffee; cherry, sweet ripe plummy jammy fruit (hmm... 4 adjectives); lotsa fine tannins; acid AWOL; smooth, plump and lush?; medium/heavy bodied with a longish ripe/jammy fruit finish; 14.5%; did i mention ripe? POP! didn't think much of it but others begged to differ. am told this is a big bob fave ... and as a friend would say, hmmm.

4)gunderloch jean baptiste kabinett 2007 [rhinehessen]
straw; lime, bit of peach; off dry, bit lean, mineral; nice sharp acidity; short; 7.5%; ho hum; POP!

5)delas freres crozes hermitage tour d'albon 2005
ruby, purple tinge; initial whiff was really herbal and spicy (long pepper/ green peppercorn very obvious), cherry, grilled meat, sweet; cherry, herbal, meat, someone said bread and butter pudding and apple cider?, clove, balsamic, chalk/mineral/ stone; lot of fine tannins with nice juicy acidity; overall, a wee bit hard now; medium bodied and length, nice herbal finish; 12.5%; nice one; BANG!(+) extremely well priced. remember "cheap wine"?

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