On Monday, the 24th of December, with Remo, Patrick and his parents:
Château Cheval Blanc St. Emilion 1994
Thanks to Patrick. A blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot. Absolutely pristine bottle. Ruby-black, red rim. Tobacco, buffalo leather (the water buffalo type no longer permitted to use for billiards purposes since under protection, unless illegally imported from China...). Nice, quite mature fruit, not too brilliant or intense, nor deep, but complex enough, with fair enough finesse, and good nobility. A bit simple tannin (faintly dry and not especially finesseful) and terroir expression for a Cheval Blanc – more impressive 1994s can be had. Merely tiny lactic sour butter note here, by the way. Medium body, concentration and length. Pretty enough, just not a great Cheval Blanc. Rating: 89-/88-?
Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1993
Thanks to Remo. A much better bottle than the one he brought along in August, but even so, I am not sure these were ideally stored at the Swiss importer’s. Bit plummy-pruney ruby-black colour, not murky, though. Slightly pruney-volatile but impressively sweet. Chocolate truffle, half-raw meat, roast beef juice, sweet pruney black cherry and plum of good complexity and above-medium depth. Quite fully body. Riper, denser, sweeter and longer on the finish than the 1994 Cheval Blanc, more minerally, too. The lightly dry, prettily smoky tannin shows more depth and finesse, though not quite that of the finest bottles of Soldera’s 1993 Riserva I have had. Better, that is, sweeter and more complex, the longer it aired. Rating: 93-?
Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Superiore Vigneto di Monte Cà Paletta 1991
My last bottle of the 1991, and probably the finest I have had, sweet and round, without excess heat, with an amount of volatile acidity that merely seemed to make it more perfumey, expressive and almost Recioto-like with sweet, curranty fruit. Lightly purple ruby-black, watery-red at the rim. Very full-bodied. Chocolate/brandy truffles. Very long and quite smooth and harmonious on the finish. Sweet tannin that is a bit chocolatey and not quite as complex and finesseful as that of Soldera’s 1993 Riserva, but lovely for a 1991 Amarone (not a bad vintage for the region at all, by the way, if justifiably overshadowed by 1990). Exceptional showing, the wine of the evening. Rating: 93
Illés Pince Tokaji Eszencia Huza Dülö 1999
Amber colour, perhaps an amber orange-gold with a copper hue. Honey, cedar, initially a peachiness to the dried apricot, the curry and smoke of youthful Tokaj. Despite 565 g/l residual sugar, well kept in check by unobtrusive, if neither especially flavourful, a bit orangey acidity, I thought the balance, viscosity and intensity almost more Aszú-Eszencia- than Eszencia-like, let alone the depth and complexity. Some Tokaj lovers prefer this not too modern and down-to-earth-natural style, though, as it is not overbearing at all, and showing fair enough vinosity, if at the cost of greater Eszencia primariness and intensity. With airing more volatility, pear rancio oxidation, emphasis on dried apricot with a touch of caramel. Quite long, candied finish. Soft date, fig and cocoa powder finesse notes, if any. Nothing wrong with this other than that there are much, much greater Tokaji Eszencias. Rating: 90-/89?
On Tuesday the 25th of December, with my parents:
Bruno Giacosa Barolo Collina Rionda 1993
On Christmas Day. Sadly, my parents’ last bottle was very slightly corked, so slightly my dad did not notice and my mother, looking forward to the Port, decided not to mention it. Barely medium orange hue and rim to medium-light ruby-black. Pretty lightly autumnal black cherry, rose petal, rose-hip and fainty blood orange fruit, unfortunately tinged with a minor, dry cardboard TCA taint. Medium length. Giacosa’s last Rionda, a pity that our last sample should be cork-tainted. Rating: N/R
Taylor's Vintage Port Quinta de Vargellas 1991
The 1991 probably remains my favourite Vargellas (followed by the 1987 and 1995), and it may be my favourite 1991 Vintage. Doing very well in bottle. Deep opaque garnet-black, minor ruby rim. Nicely dense and Recioto-like fruit, complex dried violet, Christmas and/or cookie dough spice box, sweet and dry pruney/liqueur-like plum and black cherry, cocoa powder, tiny coffee roastedness, very concentrated on the palate, rather full-bodied, nicely warming alcohol. Showing that elegant racy Taylor dryness or austerity on the back end. Lightly viscous, very long, sweet and dry aftertaste. Rating: 94+/~95?
On Wednesday the 26th of December, with Bettina, Ursi and my parents:
Sergio Mionetto Vino Spumante Extra Dry “Sergio” N.V.
Thanks to my parents. A blend of Prosecco, Chardonnay, Bianchetta and Verdiso. 11% alcohol. Very tasty little Spumante that my companions (who all like bubblies better than I do) all thought quite good. Quite smooth perlage, quite elegant. Rating: 85
Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Émile 1994
Thanks to my parents. The once early-mature 1994 CFE has turned very petrolly indeed, especially on the nose, if to my father’s taste on the palate as well. Quite thick and lemon-oily still, with no brittleness or breaking-up to the acidity in this bottle (but others), just an emphasis on the chalky-petrolly minerality here. Fair enough body and length. Drink up! Rating: 88-
Château Clarke Listrac 1999
Thanks to Ursi, who recently visited the winery and bought a six-pack there, had opened the bottle a couple of hours before, made me taste it before dinner, and liked it so little herself that she wondered whether she should open something else. Quite deep, faintly pruney-purple ruby-black, almost to the rim. Ursi said it was rather abrasive when she pulled the cork, by the time we served it, it seemed merely dull and tired. Fairly low-acid, a hint at aged blackcurrant perhaps, with simplistic tannin and no finesse. Rating: 82-
Agrícola Falset-Marça Monsant Verema Tardana Ètim Tradition 2005
Thanks to Ursi. A dessert wine made from 100% Grenache, bottled unfiltered in 50cl bottle after being aged ten months in barrique. 15% alcohol. Monsant is a DO in the Sierra Monsant in Tarragona in the Catalunya region, with this winery, founded in 1919, placed in the village of Falset. Looks, smells and tastes like a Recioto (a vin de paille) made from Grenache. Brilliant, quite dense ruby-red colour. Round, sweet, mouthfilling, quite complex and smooth fruit, a low-acid but nicely tannic jam of red berries and plum, nicely thick and glyceric, good density. Medium-full body. Quite long. Pretty, rather lovely wine, and a superlative QPR buy, but not a wine I would hold on to. Rating: 91-?
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti