Sweet and dark toned nose, but still with lots of Pinosity. The palate is big, rather tannic, with fair acidity for the year - it has more fat on it than I would ideally prefer, but I still think it tastes like Burgundy (and in a profile similar to the few other Baby Jesuses I've tried) so I think it is a success for this (to my tastes) horrible year.
Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Pézerolles 2002 12% 71,90€
Just a quick sample unfortunately - as I think that a magnum would have been a better amount! Very light colour. It smells extremely natural and unforced. It has great pinosity and a wonderful concentration of sweet, red toned fruit (strawberry especially), yet it is still light and savoury and earthy. The palate is medium bodied, yet still full of flavour and with strong minerality, delineation and pin-point precicion. Just lovely and so very pure. I love it. If any rich person wants to buy me a case of this, I'll send my address via PM.
Why is it that some wines (like this) taste perfectly ripe at 12%abv yet I often read that ripeness needs high abvs? Ok, so this can be seen as a bit of a trolly question, but still, I would really like to understand why in so many places high alcohol levels are justified by the requirements of ripeness when this wine shows that even at a lower level it can be achieved? If anyone bothers to answer this question, please write in simple sentences that even a humanist can understand.
Castello Monaci Artas Primitivo Salento IGT 2004
Very dark red. Rather brambly nose with lots of sweet fruit - rather anonymous and rather too alcoholic and oaky: this doesn't have a sense of place. The taste has very good acidity countering the huge sweet fruit, but there is too much concentration and oak. The aftertaste is hot, but on the more positive side it is long and has some very attractive ripe berry aromas. Technically well made, and with some depth and complexity so it might be very enjoyable to others, but this was so far removed from my "comfort zone" that I really didn't enjoy it.
Château Suduiraut 2002
A rather oaky nose, but still with a refreshing and bright nose of citrus; but little botrytis. The palate is bright and acidic, refreshing though sweet. Long and refreshing finish. Nice stuff!
Graham Porto Vintage 1970
The impression I got was that this bottle was quite a bit more mature than what others have reported on. The colour was already turning a bit pink and wasn't very deep. Decanted four hours: The aromatics are full on and are typically Grahamsian: very sweet and red toned fruit, but it also had lovely savoury nuances of cedar and spice. Considering what I have read, I was a little bit surprised to see this fully integrated with only four hour's decanting: fully integrated alcohol, not spiky at all, but showing a rather mature profile with resolved but still well supporting structure. The aftertaste becomes as spicy as the smell and lasts forever. There comes a very delectable appley taste during the aftertaste. What a lovely port.
