huh?

bodegas valdesil godello 2008

verdelho

straw; restrained nose, white peach, lime rind (hint), honeysuckle?; rich, ripe, quince?; wish it had more acid; rhonish ... ; ... er, pass ... POP!

or maybe with some seafood ... or maybe a houghton "white burgundy" for half the price ...

resin

chateau musar 2001

alejandro fernandez dehesa la granja seleccion 2002

chateau des tours vacqueyras 2003

equivocal

old friend

1)alejandro fernandez dehesa la granja seleccion 2000
an extra 2 yrs further mellows and intergrates everything ... nice (see earlier sample)


2)achel brown
grain's good too ...

decent evening

muga prado enea gran riserva 1996 (rioja) [80% temp, 20% garnacha ,mazuelo and graziano]

decanted 15 mins.; dark ruby (belied it's age); ripe berries (still heaps of it), tobacco/a little stalky, wet oak, earth, fresh, suprisingly primary; ripe berries and plum, bit of musk, hint of funky wet fur/leather? (thank god it became barely perceptible in about 25 mins.), sappy/stalky/resin, cocoa?, a little mineral, flavours beginning to meld; balanced by soft fine tannins and excellent juicy acidity; sleek; medium bodied; long ... yay; very much alive and can obviously develop further; BANG! ... woulda been (+) if it were priced a little more modestly.

slim pickins

1)clos mogador 2003 priorat [garnacha based]

dark purplish red; ripe cherry, alcohol (kirsch), prune, fruitcake?,spice/cedar, vanilla; almost sweet on entry, ripe cherry and plum, cedar, licorice?; big, rich, plush; heaps of tannin (to be expected given it's age) and acid which attempt to counterbalance the fruit; 14.5%; long ...hint of raisins at the very end; a struggle to drink now or when you're tired as i was ... half bottle still in the fridge. maybe in five or ten or then again, maybe never. POP!(-) big bob fave?

2)drouhin chablis vaudesir g cru 1999

sample was way over the hill ... sigh

3)fairbank shiraz 2004 (99%shiraz 1%voignier) [mount alexander]

garnet, dark; spicy, cherry, berries, floral?; ripe cherry, bit o cinnamon, clean, mineral, a little fruity, quite lush and soft mouthfeel; very nice furry tannins and juicy acid; medium/big bodied; longish; BANG!(-) that mineral bit was nice for an oz drop but it's a little pricey

4)vergelegen stellenbosch chardonnay 2008

straw; cream/vanilla?, apple, oak hint, yeast/toast hint, someone said citrus ... didn't get none; red delicious, dried pear?, mineral ... yay, a little oak ... yay; juicy acid .. yay; light/medium bodied; longish appley and slightly savoury finish. BANG! good one, especially well priced. not yo typical overblown new world supermarket special.
5)michel colin-deleger chassagne montrachet les vergers 1er cru 2000

light gold; citrus, stone fruit, buttery/vanilla hint, subdued nose ... never really opened up; lime/lemon?, peach, butterscotsh hint, red delicious, mineral; just enough acid left to keep things a little lively; light medium bodied; longish with a slighty woody and appley finish; 13.5%; subtle wine ... this pleb thought it would be a little richer; POP!(+) too pricey.6)furano ... non vintage red, hokkaido

friend brought some back. gave it a go ... overripe/oxidised fruit, could not tell what it was ... errr ... subarus are nice cars. notice the word "experiment" on the label. next!

7)st cosme cdr les deux albion 2006

much much nicer than the last sample ... similar notes to an earlier drop

8)cloudy bay sauvignon blanc 2008

did they dumb down the "in yer face" fruit? ... hmmm ... nice

so so

pintia 2003 (toro) [tempranillo]

a denizen of the hole suggested this one ... nuther drop from the vega sicilia gang.

dark ruby, almost opaque: plum/berry, cedar, bit smoky, closed; rich ripe plum/ dark fruit, oak/vanilla (luckily only a hint ... not enough to gag), syrupy feel, still rather primary, confectionary; heaps of fine tannins ... mouth-coating, bit of mineral?, could do with a bit more acid to balance the fruit and wood (said denizen decanted the stuff and put it on ice!? ... brought out some acid ....!.); medium/big bodied; longish; 15%; someone said unexciting, another one dimentional, ... i'd agree ... boriiing; the exercise went nowhere ... did not get better over time; put it away and wait? ... maybe, nah! heaps of other things to drink ... it's cousin alion for example; POP(-) and expensive.

chateau chantegrive 2003 graves
ruby; raspberry, plum, oak, whiff of musk; plum, meaty flavours; ripe tannins; balancing acid; linear; medium bodied; not very long; BANG(-)

chateau patache d'aux 2000 medoc
somehow not as interesting nor as fun as earlier samples.

consistent evening 8-0 ... ho hum.

you'll never walk alion

bodegas y vinedos alion 1999 [ribera del duero]
ruby, thrown a crust; plum, mushroom, hint of shellac/brett ... did not detract, hurray!, damp oak, smoke, cedar; rich sweet plum, mineral; still heaps of firm tannins with balancing acidity ... nice; tight/youthful; medium bodied; longish; has the structure and fruit to go further; 13.5%; currently, decant for at least 45 mins; great stuff; BANG! see younger one

at least merseyside fairies ended up ahead of us this season ... to the scouser who went missing this arvo ... salut ...

deciding what's for dinner

torres fransola 2007 (sav blanc) [penedes]
straw; passionfruit, gooseberry, jasmine, white flowers, mint?, someone said lavender?, oak/vanilla (hint); gooseberry, pear, ripe, quite rich, caramel, bit savoury; bit short; 13%; needs to be had well chilled as it became a little flabby and almost chard-like as it warmed up; BANG!(-)

bits and pieces

1)nicolas potel chablis 1er cru montmains 2006
straw; citrus (lime/grapefruit?), slightly floral, nectarine; follows onto palate, a little ripe?, bit rich for a chablis; lotsa minerals/chalk and acid (suck on some lemon rind); longish finish with the aforesaid lemon bits; BANG!

2)carlos serres onomastica 1995 (rioja reserva)
ruby, still dark; cherry, plum, vanilla/wood, spicy; quite rich with dark fruit, woody vanilla; lots of fine tannins with just enough acid so i didn't gag; it don't taste like a rioja, almost like some medium weight barossa!?; medium/big bodied; medium length; 13.5%; POP! ... but for the price, maybe POOP!



3)dr loosen bernkasteler lay kabinett 2007
straw; lime, peach, grape!; more than off dry almost sweet (but no where near the 06), lime, grapefruit, oats, red delicious, underlying chalk and stone, fleshy kind of feel; very nice juicy mouthwatering acid; long; you keep wanting to fill the glass; 8%; BANG! woud be nice to see it in a coupla years.

4)pikes clare riesling reserve 2002
deep straw/ gold; lime, cumquat, stone, dried apricots; follows onto palate, maybe some golden delicious?, hint of kero; has softened ... aging and mellowing nicely; acid still there to keep things fresh though; longish said dried apricot/citrus rind finish; BANG!

turkey on new years day ... the bird not the wine

1) museum real cigales reserva 2000 (tempranillo)[cigales] blood; plummy, bit of pepper, creamy vanilla; ripe plum, woody, bit one dimensional; medium/full bodied; medium length; lots of fine tannins and nice amount of acid; oodles of ood, can imagine what it was like young ... uurgh. thought it was a borossa shiraz, hey, what do i know? POP!




2)chateau segonnes 2004 (margaux, am told from the lascombes stable)
ruby: blackcurrent, plum, a little vanilla, smoke; follows onto palate; fine tannins; could do with a little bit more acid; light/medium bodied; medium length; methinks made for early drinking; POP!

trifecta plus a little infanticide

avengers assemble ... all suspects present and accounted for at the hole. 1)argiano brunello di montalcino 2001 (all sangiovese grosso, hopefully :-0)

revisiting something seen a few times (4 in fact) pre-scandal, ie 2007. found some more and at the old price even.

decanted 1 hour; dark ruby, still no fringe; plum, cherry, alcohol, wood, bit of mushroom, surprisingly no change in it's youthful nose; plum, dark berries, oak, cherry, still primary; lots of firm fine tannins; acid still quite overt but does not irritate; lean/austere and unlike the earlier samples which had a bit more fruit midpalate; medium bodied and length; none of us detected any non approved grapes, no chocolate? :-); 14%; this one is still too young with a long way to go; BANG! (-) ... who gives a toss about a little cabernet ... anyone for the 2003?

2)la rioja alta gran reserva 904 1995

consistent with the sample the other night. definately a BANG!, alas someone bought up every bottle in stock ... lucky so and so ...

3)roger sabon chateauneuf du pape prestige 2006
(third tier from the bottom... the "prestige" reference just screams w*nker)

ruby; ripe cherry, kirsch, jasmine, asian spices, a little grilled meat, nougat; follows onto palate, primary; firm fine tannins and sufficient acidity present; medium bodied and length; 15% ... does not feel alcoholic ... deceptive; still too young and much less fun at this point than it's lesser bretheren; all the bits there for the long run; BANG!(-).

still, not a bad session and went home mello.

but then again ...

dinner at the pharmacy ... showed some self-control and declined the offer to imbibe. discipline evaporated on the way home ... to the hole then.
la rioja alta gran reserva 904 1995 (90% tempranillo: 10% graciano)

garnet, bricking, like a barolo with a bit of age; plum, cherry, damp wood, cedar, spice (a little cinnamon then with time, carraway),mushroom, someone said musty/damp carpet and cigars, bit smoky; plum, cherry, dried fruit, bit meaty?, cedar and maybe a touch of vanilla at the finish; plenty of fine tannins and juicy acidity; parts coming together but lots of life left in the old girl; a little lean at first (lacking that slight bit of midpalate plumpness seen in the reserva, i think), broadened with air; medium bodied; 12.5%; smooth and looong; calling out for fat pork, the establshment oblidged; BANG! sublime ... i'm on a roll.

spanish ayes

only one suspect yesterday, the other was purportedly working.1) bodegas y vinedos alion 2004 [ribera del duero (tempranillo)]
some kind of vega sicilia baby. also a baby in that it was very young and tightly wound. develops in air and opens up a little ... had it over 4 hrs.

inky purple; lavender?, plum, blackberry, hint of vanilla, cocoa, mushroom and soy, wood; rich dark fruits, lots of wood(new) but not enough to be an immediate putoff ... can't think why cos the punter normally dislikes freshly sawn lumber, a little alcohalic burn; heaps of fine chalky tannins; all balanced by enough acid; linear; med/big bodied; longish; 14.5%!!! but did not feel like it ... hic; has the ingredients for the long long haul; BANG! i suppose but i wouldn't necessarily want to see it again soon, maybe in 3. in the end it felt like i had had a good young bordeaux.

2)la rioja alta vina arana rioja reserva 1995
after the one above, wanted to see the same grape (albeit from a different region) with more age ...
consistent with the initial bottle here BANG! not a bad afternoon ...

hope our little catalan performs as well against manure this weekend.

just a little please

half a bottle of the la rioja alta vina arana rioja reserva 1995 . . . this one had a port-like characteristic which i did'nt really care for (the cork's integrity seemed ok though). but not enough to spoil dinner. POP!

wee drop for lunch

had some more of this: la rioja alta, vina arana, rioja reserva 1995 (see below)
seems like it's started goin downhill ... there's an overt fruity acidity in this one which kinda overwhelms everything else. vinegar?. odd bottle maybe but i suppose at this age, stuff like this is always marginal. POP!(-)

riesling redux

lagar de cervera albarino 2006 (rias baixas)

straw; nectarine, lime rind, granny smith; peach, nectarine, lime rind, minerally, round, a little savoury; off dry and gentle entry; balanced acidity; longish with a slight pineapple-like flavour at the back; nice smooth drop; 12.5%; no kero of course but seemed like an aussie riesling with the volume turned down a coupla notches ... like stuff from nz? POP!(+) too expensive here...when comparable antipodean rhieslings cost about 30% less.

tagliatelle alio olio with oyster mushrooms, pork sausages and chilli flakes ... for free.

sick as a dog

down with more than the sniffles ... nasty. cannot taste anything ... well, almost. didn't think of imbibing but strangely ended up at the usual place. anyway, been downing copious amounts of vitamin C, am told that the grape contain lots of the stuff...
la rioja alta, vina arana, rioja reserva 1995 (tempranillo)

ruby with slight bricking; cassis, mushroom, greenish stalkiness, some cedar/tobacco, nice and secondary; some fruit (plum maybe) with an initial sweetish hit at the front, aforesaid stalkiness, fruit and wood intergrated; still reasonably tannic but agreeable and quite ripe; acidity nice and fresh; not very long; some resin,slightly stalkiness and raisin in the finish; medium bodied; 12.5%; would be nice with some meat; given the price over here, quite a bang for the buck. BANG!

then 2 suspects appeared ......

chateau pouget, margaux, 2003 [generally cab sav 6: merlot 3; cab franc 1]

ruby; floral, cherry, oak, sandalwood (?), bandaid, smoked meat; sour cherry, plum, smokey barbequed meat/bacon bits; still lots of fine tannins (nice), balanced acidity; medium length/long; medium bodied; 13%; can be a little lean but fills out and lenghtens nicely with food; roast pork helped; elegant stuff; one suspect's choice ... not bad. even the contrarian chimed in with "not bad, can drink". BANG! (-)

with some bacon sandwiches and voila ... i could breathe easy again. there must be some anti-viral elements in plonk.

anyway, was a decent evening and to the other suspects away up north, ... cheers.

drinks on saturday

had this in the afternoon at the hole, brancaia blu 2001. called on the 2 usual suspects, 1 tapped up but the other had to do spring cleaning?? (er ...i'm sure it must be spring somewhere ....).

dark red, translucent; thrown a crust; plum, berries (what kind? i don't know...black?), tobacco, a whiff of vanilla and some stalkiness (never got this in earlier bottles) on the nose; medium to full bodied; fine tannins; not too much acid; rich with ripe plum, cherry/raspberry? and a bit of vanilla; biggish wine and can be had sans food (although lamb chops come to mind ... psychic ... see below); long finish; very nice but not as refreshing as something containing a larger proportion of sangiovese. still a BANG!

had this for dinner (... there were breadcrumb and proscuitto coated lamb chops!!!),

alejandro fernandez dehesa la granja seleccion 2000 [zamora(tempranillo)]

brick; berries (here we go again), spice (more like a little pepper), ham (huh? ... meat type aroma), bit of cedar, bit of damp earth and polish (?... resin, shellac ... don't quite like this but doesn't really distract too much ... not so obvious in the last bottle) on the nose; not rich like the one above, but juicy plum/prune and berries and that resin thing again; medium bodied; tannins (fine) and juicy acid in balance; smooth, long and rather easy to drink; nice; can i have another glass and chop, please? BANG! [note: balsamic????]