Not posted for a while. Here are a few brief impressions from October. Most drunk in multiples. More detailed notes available.
'67 d' Yquem: I dropped this on the floor, can you believe it? Bollocks
The nose, however, was other-worldly.
'83 d' Yquem: Wonderful! You can tell a good d' Yquem from the cinnamon/spice mid-palate.....and this one had it in spades. Great balance, wonderful botrytus, perfect acid.......more please. One not to share widely. A+
'89 d' Yquem: great potential, but needs another 10+ years. All the usual characteristics, but a bit lacking on the spice front, which I like. A-
'76 d' Yquem: Probably the best of the pack, which is unusual for a '76 (hot year, generally lacking acid). Wonderful (truly) nose and superb balance. Great depth of flavour. Epic stuff over lunch in the Perigord. A+
'79 Krug............corked, bollocks!
'86 Chateau Climens: excellent, ready, balanced, B
'75 Chateau Coutet: rich, marmalade, good acid, B
'76 Chateau Coutet: sweeter than the 75, longer, well balanced, B-
'75 Chateau Rayne Vigneau: very smooth, at plateau, lychee and creme brulee, B-
'76 Chateau Rieussec: drank next to the Coutet, better, more coulour and depth, B
'83 Chateau Rieussec: Ah yes, well rounded mature deep Sauternes. B+
'49 Chateau Suduiraut: deep colour, exquisite balance, very full deep flavours of fig and toffee, but with a lightness added by citrus undertones. Good acid. B+
'67 Chateau Suduiraut: again, good balance, perhaps lacking acid, at peak. B-
'01 Chateau Tirecul Cuvee Madame: Botrytus in a glass, 'nuff said, A-
'77 Fonseca Port.............all 7 bottles over the hill. Bollocks!
Buller Rare Muscat: Very good stuff, but paled compared to the Tokay, B
Buller Rare Tokay: Very, very good Tokay, get some, deep and rich mix of exotic flavours.
Morris Muscat: Paled next to the Bullers, used for cooking.
'98 BVE E&E Black Pepper: finally coming good, needs another year or so, but showing well, C+
'98 d' Arrenberg Dead Arm: approaching drinking window, much more balanced than last time, integrating nicely. B-
'99 Dutschke Oscar Semmler: Not as good as it was two/three years ago, perhaps at plateau, but smooth nonetheless, C+
'96 Elderton Command: held up well in good company, a tad nondescript though....C
'96, '98, '99, '01, '02 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz (vertical): A bit underwhelming really, the '98 and '02 were the standouts, '99 kinda lost, '01 too jammy. Best were B-, worst C-
'97, '98, '99 Greenock Creek Seven Acre (vertical): interestingly, the '98 was the odd one out. The '97 sang, the '99 wasn't too far behind. I really did like the '97.
'99, '00, '02 Kays Block 6 (vertical): all too young, green and backward. Give them another 5 years plus. Even allowing for this, these wines are pretty unapproachable. Hard yakka. '99 was the stand out.
'86, '96, 98 Pendolds Grange (vertical, 2 of each): The '96 was OK although not as good as expected, the '86 better - wonderfully integrated but without the three dimentional structure of a great wine......., but the '98 is, without doubt, one of the two or three best wines I've ever tasted. I've now gone through a case and half of this stuff because it's simply stunning. Easily rivals the best of Bordeaux........and yes, I mean it. Give this baby 10 years and you'll have a Latour/Chapoutier hybrid. A+ for the '98, B+ for the '96, A- for the '86.
'98, '99, 01, '02 Torbreck Run Rig (vertical): One of my favourite wines, the '98 rivals the Grange for sheer class. The addition really helps the nose and elevates the palate. Obvious Rhone leanings, but with more robust roots. Stand outs were the '98 and the '02, which I think will likely become the better wine. Outrageous stuff. Probably the highlight of the pack.
'01Noon Reserve Shiraz: Thick, black, inky stuff that tasted like wine. Very monolithic and a bit of a parody.
'01 Noon Eclipse: see above, but reduce intensity of comment by 25%.
French red wine notes to follow some time soon.
Rgds,
John
