last ...

chateau fonsalette CDR reserve 2006

of the mohicans, alas ...

meat

domaine du vieux telegraphe CDP le crau 2007

roll

domaine de cristia CDP 2007

later

ping pong

mellow evening with the suspects ... just for the 15% by vol this time

domaine santa duc gigondas des hautes garrigues 2003

awful smell of rotting cabbage developed after 45 mins ... thankfull blew away somewhat as time passed ...

pleasant surprise

1) la sirene de giscours 2000 (margaux), second wine of course ...



2) domaine les chenets croze hermitage 2007



later

gentle devil

domaine les pallieres gigondas terrasse du diable 2007 (g:90, m:5, clariatte, a white:5)

first vintage of this bottling.

decanted ... 1hr.

dark ruby; floral ... honeysuckle?, fresh plum/red fruit, dusty pepper, green stalkiness ... hint; sleek and elegant for a gig, cherry, plum, rasp?, spice/peppr, cherry nougat, barest hint of wet clay, some mineral; wish there was a smidgen more acid; nice ripe tannins; medium bodied; not very long with a little raw meat at the very end; will develop; 14.5% ... hits you later not when you're chugging it down; BANG! (+) approachable, great value.

lift off

nothing for the longest time ... actually 2 weeks 5 days and 19 hours ...

domaine la roquete CDP rouge 2007

ruby ... dark, purple tinge; plum, hint of cassis, pepper, bit of wet clay, initially very closed; ripe plum, fleshy, jam, iron/graphite?, opens up a little with time ... 1.5hrs; solid grippy tannin structure; balancing acid; medium/full bodied; not very long; coupla more years; BANG!

almost dreary ...

1)anselmann riesling spatlese halbtrocken 2009 (pfalz)

2)alain graillot croze hemitage 2007

later

2 nice

chateau des tours vacqueyras 2003

rosemount mountain blue shiraz/cab sav 1997

long time between

1) azienda vitivinicola rizzi barbaresco boito 2004 (cru rizzi)
garnet, very slight rust rim; floral, sour cherry, strawb, spice ... cinnamon, tobacco, someone said leather?, hit of soy, some tar, good start ...; fruit and spice follow through on the palate, balsamic?, some mineral/chalk; wonderful juicy acid; finely textured tannins very obvious but somehow does not intrude in the proceedings; balanced; svelte, ever so slightly creamy; light/medium bodied; loong; hope i can see it in another few years; BANG!(+) really enjoyed this one. + some beautifully grilled lambchops ... heaven.

2) chateau fonsalette CDR reserve 2006
still excellent ... perhaps more intergrated even ... splitting hairs ... just drink up.
see earlier sample

alcoholix

domaine courbis cornas "champelrose" 2005

see earlier sample ... so different this time ... harder and stripped of all flavour ...

fighting machine

domaine clape cornas renaissance 2006 (the second liner from them)

purple; cherry, blackcurrant, cocoa, damp clay (hint), slightly cedary; sweet ripe fruit ... aforesaid cherry/blackcurrant, dried fig?, graphite, wood is unobtrusive; ripe tannins; sleek juicy acidity ... particularly liked this; medium bodied; longish; as it stands, a great balanced drop; BANG!

some value

1)domaine santa duc vacqueyras les aubes 2005 (80g:20s)
ruby; cherry, spicy/pepper, some wet clay; off dry entry, fruit, long pepper; fine tannins; just enough acid to balance things out; medium bodied; medium length. plum at the end?; BANG!

2)antoniolo gattinara 2001 (all nebbiolo)

needed some neb at lunch ... the place had some barolos and barbarescos but they were priced marginally higher than everest so settled for this ...

garnet; strawb, sour cherry, floral/herbal, hint of tar, mint; needs air to open up; fruit, spice; fine tannins; just enough acid; quite balanced; medium bodied and length; BANG!(-)

long time between ...

saint cosme cote rotie 2007

ruby (dark); herbal, spicy, cherry, blackcurrant, pencil shavings?; smooth, ripe cherry, spice; ripe tannins, juicy acid; balanced now but needs mo time for the elements to come together and develop some secondary complexity; medium/full bodied; medium length; young; BANG!(-)

triple treat, almost

suspects gather

1)saint cosme st. joseph 2007

2)chateau de fonsalette CDR reserve 2006
lovely, see earlier sample

3)chateau lynch-moussas 2000 (pauillic)

later

a little fuzzy

st. cosme CDP 2006

ruby with a purply tinge; cherry, long pepper, grilled meat (hint); ripe fruit, cherry, prune, mineral, pepper; heaps of furry tannin ... a little too much at this stage even for me, could do with more acid ... it was nearly awol (can you be nearly ...); medium length; medium/big bodied; needs a bit more time in the bottle but then there's the acid issue; POP!(+)

see the 04 and 05

it's a nice new world

1)hardy's thomas hardy coonawarra cab sav 1994

2)vergelegen chardonnay reserve 2007
prefer the fresher tasting basic bottle ...

with some regular stuff in support

3)brunely vacqueyras 2003

earlier

4)lucien barrot CDP 2005

later

decent 10 days work

1)spring vale pinot noir 20052) chateau malescot st-exupéry 1998

3)domaine santa duc gigondas des hautes garrigues 2003

4)brunely vacqueyras 2003

earlier

5)leasingham clare classic shiraz 1996

6)puygeraude 2000

7)mischief and mayhem chablis 2005

8)mischief and mayhem pugliny montrachet 2005

later

one

not bad but ...

friday nite at the default ... revisiting

domaine santa duc gigondas prestige des hautes garrigues 2003

this sample a little less complex but still a BANG! (earlier)

later