Notes from yesterday's meat and potatoes dinner with Dennis and Nico.
Chateau Clarke 1999 - Dry wine but has good ripe fruit character. Juicy, with acidity providing structure. Quite nice.
Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - High alcohol (14.5%) making this a bit hot. Sweet cocoa. Lots of berries. Vry good balance with some acidity prominent on the long finish. Very good.
Chateau Pey Latour Reserve du Chateau Bordeaux Superieur 2003 - Sweet, modern, coffeeish wine. Doesn't taste French. I'm not surprised as this is a Michel Rolland wine. Still, good.
Yalumba Barossa Shiraz/Viognier 2003 - Mocha, just a little too much oak for my taste. Great masses of fruit. Slightly fat but then the acid comes out in the dryish finish. Drinking nicely now.
Alvaro Palacios Les Terasses Priorat 1998 - Cocoa, then some leafy character. Grilled meat. Ripe fruit, medium-bodied, well-structured. Drinking really nicely now. There is still a slight tannic edge to it indicating perhaps another year of aging to really round it out but it makes an excellent drink already. Everyone's WOTN.
Muga Reserva 2001 - Rather modern. A bit oaky, creaminess on the nose. Tannins on the finish. Good but needs more time.