Recent notes.
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 8:57 am
Following are my memories of various wines consumed during the festive season. Some interesting surprises, some disappointments and two particular high points. In no particular order, 750 unless stated otherwise:
1989 Chateau Filhot (X2): This has recently become the default MOR Sauternes. It's generally available and ripe for consumption. It has very good balance between sweetness and acid. The usual notes of honey, melon etc. Additional notes of butterscotch and lychee. For a run-of-the-mill, this is a very respectable wine. It'll never blow your socks off, but it will put an extended smile on your face.
1989 Chateau Filhot (375): Showing more age than the 750, with the wine perhaps having lost some of its balance. Slightly awkward notes of bitter marmalade are hiding in the background, never a good sign. Anyway, that's nitpicking, it remains a good wine.
1982 Ducru Beaucaillou: Colour of fully mature Bordeaux, with bricking at the rim. Very firm tannins never really settle down, no dustiness whatsoever despite the age. The fruit appeared pretty backward, but it was difficult for me to tell whether the fruit was muted or the tannins were overwhelming. Anyway, it was never really in balance. Perfectly drinkable but I wouldn't pick it from a wine list.
1995 Haut Brion (X2): A very nice wine. Full rich colour, deep inky crimson. Just coming into its drinking window. Wonderful mouthfeel. rich smooth with dark fruits aplenty. Very good balance. Very good structure that will improve with further age. Second bottle badly corked.
1990 Pichon Lalande (X2): I can't really remember much about these bottles, excpet to say that it's what you would expect. Good balanced Bordeaux, still too young to really show it's balance and deeper structure, but very enjoyable. Interesting for its ideosyncracies.
1983 Chateau Rieussec (X2): Again, notes consistent between bottles. Deep golden bronze colour. Fully mature. This is a very full wine of quite some richness. The age is showing by way of forward notes of Seville orange and toffee. It's lost any lighter notes (e.g. honeysuckle, melon etc.) that is may have had and it showed distinctly low spectrum flavours. This isn't a negative if the balance is good, and it is here. Good value and a step up in age induced complexity.
1975 Chateau Rieussec: Very similar to the '83, although very slightly lighter in colour and not quite as rich. Very smooth with a little less of the subdued burnt marmalade. Strong butterscotch notes with honey intermingled. Good but not great.
1983 d' Yquem: Medium honey colour. Lighter that the '83 Rieussec. Right from the first sip, this was a really life changing wine. I've drunk a lot of d' Yquem, but none of them have come close to this wine. Suffice to say that the balance was so good it wasn't noticeable. The wine just floated. Layer upon layer of fruits, exotic perfumes, spices and sherberty minerals sent shivers down my spine. Lasts for minutes, literally. Now I'm not generally prone to emotional outburst, but this wine almost moved me to tears. This is as fine an example of Sauternes as it's possible to find, and I've tried. It leaves the '75, '76 and '90 in its wake. Next best of the recent vintages is the '89. It's pure ambrosia. Let's hope the next bottle is as good.
1990 Cos d' Estournel (2): My most memorable impression was how young this wine seemed. It really does need more time. Nevertheless, it showed wonderfully. Very good balance and texture. All the elements necessary, and in the right quantity, to become something quite special in another ten years. This is one of those wines that's very easy to drink. Needs 2 hours of decanting. Notes consistent between bottles.
1963 Dow's Port: This was a lovely wine. The alcohol is moderate but nevertheless twitches the nose. Smooth and rich notes of raisin and date. Wonderful full mouthfeel, incredibly well balanced. The age is noticeable insofar as nothing is out of place. The richness comes through with the seamlessness only age can provide.
Other notes to follow. Happy new year to one and all.
Cheers,
John
1989 Chateau Filhot (X2): This has recently become the default MOR Sauternes. It's generally available and ripe for consumption. It has very good balance between sweetness and acid. The usual notes of honey, melon etc. Additional notes of butterscotch and lychee. For a run-of-the-mill, this is a very respectable wine. It'll never blow your socks off, but it will put an extended smile on your face.
1989 Chateau Filhot (375): Showing more age than the 750, with the wine perhaps having lost some of its balance. Slightly awkward notes of bitter marmalade are hiding in the background, never a good sign. Anyway, that's nitpicking, it remains a good wine.
1982 Ducru Beaucaillou: Colour of fully mature Bordeaux, with bricking at the rim. Very firm tannins never really settle down, no dustiness whatsoever despite the age. The fruit appeared pretty backward, but it was difficult for me to tell whether the fruit was muted or the tannins were overwhelming. Anyway, it was never really in balance. Perfectly drinkable but I wouldn't pick it from a wine list.
1995 Haut Brion (X2): A very nice wine. Full rich colour, deep inky crimson. Just coming into its drinking window. Wonderful mouthfeel. rich smooth with dark fruits aplenty. Very good balance. Very good structure that will improve with further age. Second bottle badly corked.
1990 Pichon Lalande (X2): I can't really remember much about these bottles, excpet to say that it's what you would expect. Good balanced Bordeaux, still too young to really show it's balance and deeper structure, but very enjoyable. Interesting for its ideosyncracies.
1983 Chateau Rieussec (X2): Again, notes consistent between bottles. Deep golden bronze colour. Fully mature. This is a very full wine of quite some richness. The age is showing by way of forward notes of Seville orange and toffee. It's lost any lighter notes (e.g. honeysuckle, melon etc.) that is may have had and it showed distinctly low spectrum flavours. This isn't a negative if the balance is good, and it is here. Good value and a step up in age induced complexity.
1975 Chateau Rieussec: Very similar to the '83, although very slightly lighter in colour and not quite as rich. Very smooth with a little less of the subdued burnt marmalade. Strong butterscotch notes with honey intermingled. Good but not great.
1983 d' Yquem: Medium honey colour. Lighter that the '83 Rieussec. Right from the first sip, this was a really life changing wine. I've drunk a lot of d' Yquem, but none of them have come close to this wine. Suffice to say that the balance was so good it wasn't noticeable. The wine just floated. Layer upon layer of fruits, exotic perfumes, spices and sherberty minerals sent shivers down my spine. Lasts for minutes, literally. Now I'm not generally prone to emotional outburst, but this wine almost moved me to tears. This is as fine an example of Sauternes as it's possible to find, and I've tried. It leaves the '75, '76 and '90 in its wake. Next best of the recent vintages is the '89. It's pure ambrosia. Let's hope the next bottle is as good.
1990 Cos d' Estournel (2): My most memorable impression was how young this wine seemed. It really does need more time. Nevertheless, it showed wonderfully. Very good balance and texture. All the elements necessary, and in the right quantity, to become something quite special in another ten years. This is one of those wines that's very easy to drink. Needs 2 hours of decanting. Notes consistent between bottles.
1963 Dow's Port: This was a lovely wine. The alcohol is moderate but nevertheless twitches the nose. Smooth and rich notes of raisin and date. Wonderful full mouthfeel, incredibly well balanced. The age is noticeable insofar as nothing is out of place. The richness comes through with the seamlessness only age can provide.
Other notes to follow. Happy new year to one and all.
Cheers,
John
I'm so envious. With those offerings, why would you ever want to come back to OZ 
And, with that sort of invitation, I've gotta get back to London for another conference 
BTW, what Grange did you hook into, c'mon, you must've?