During the festive family visits a lot of wines were consumed. Access to my computer was difficult because of the crowds round it, so here are notes on some from memory.
Two interesting cases of bottle variation arose demonstrating again that both brett and Burgundian premox infections are not consistent throughout all bottles from the same cuvée (see CndP Pegaü and Chassagne-Montrachet).
New Year’s Eve
On the menu were “zakouski” starters, oysters (or smoked salmon for the oyster-phobic), lobster, cheese (mainly Stilton) and Wittamer patisserie. Champagne Chanoine Tsarine Cuvée Premium was more ointment-like, sweeter and one dimensional than I care for (14.5/20) but things got better with Bollinger Special Cuvée (purchased in 2006), which was its usual reliably full, biscuity, vinous and classy self (16.5/20); I cannot see the deterioration in this cuvée which some allege but it is certainly getting much more expensive (now €40). Sancerre “Florès” 2007 – Vincent Pinard – was not ideal with the oysters which masked a citrus fragrance accompanying the crisp dryness; 15.5/20.
Fifteen years seemed to separate the two bottles of Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru “En Virondot” 1996 – Marc Morey; bottle one was straw yellow and vigorously youthful with rich tropical fruit, some minerals with noticeable butter and vanilla well integrated (16.5/20++ with potential); bottle two was almost golden with greater integration and richness of a nutty and porty type, more prominent minerals but no buttery and vanillin traces from its raising; premox is beginning to show itself here but I found the bottle, though flawed, more than drinkable and perhaps more interesting than the first (16.5/20+++ but on a downhill slope).
Sandeman’s 1985 Vintage Port was less robust than some but had an elegance which I liked; however, Germaine complained about a note of paint stripper, which sounds like the VA claimed by some to spoil many 85s; in so far as I caught this note, it added to the elegance for me; 16/20.
New Year’s Day
With venison on the menu, I served three different Châteauneuf-du-Pape, as last year, and fortunately they were much better. Château Beaucastel 1996 showed more depth and elegance than last year’s 1997 and its cherry brandy fruit and leathery undertones sang very well; 17/20. I wrote enthusiastically about Sélections Reflets 1995 – Clos du Mont Olivet – a few months ago for its generosity and warm garrigue notes and I still rate it 16.5/20++ although it was somewhat overshadowed by the preceding Beaucastel and following Pegaü. Last year, the brett on Cuvée Réservée 1999 – Domaine du Pegaü – was close to my quite high intolerance threshold (and exceeded that of my son) but this year we were all enthusiastic about the robust depth, leathery dark fruit and long complexity of this wine; 17.5/20 (undoubtedly bottle variation here – if all were equally infected, I would expect ageing to accentuate the bretty flavour).
Epiphany
I would have appreciated more tang and acidity on Brunello di Montalcino 1997 – Campogiovanni – but this is probably a result of the vintage and its rich, sweet fruit, full body and velvety mouth-feel are very attractive and would probably appeal to those not generally fans of Tuscan wine; 16.5/20. A similar slight reservation applied to Tignanello IGT 1997 – Antinori – which, however, showed more finesse, elegance and length than the previous; 17/20. VDN Rivesaltes 1989 – Mutage sur grains – Marcel Vila- was robustly fruity and satisfying, if lacking the ethereal elegance of last year’s 1959; 16/20++.
Other meals
Saumur Soliterre 2006 – Thierry Germain- was crisply mineral with an attractive apple pie element (15.5/20++) and it drew attention to notes of charcoal and iodine typical of the vintage on the following Saumur 2004 – Château du Hureau – which has otherwise similar qualities; 15.5/20. Saumur-Champigny “Les Cards” 1995 –René-Noël Legrand – showed the usual qualities of mature wine from this source; namely, robust colour and body with raspberry, clay and leather notes coupled with a touch of well integrated vanilla from the new oak on this cuvée; 16.5/20. As expected, Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu 1995 – Château Pierre Bise – was excellent with unctuous complex notes of fresh and dried fruit with a lot of apricot and not a hint of cloying due to bracing minerals; 17/20.
Riesling AOC Moselle Luxembourgoise 2006 – Château de Schengen – was crisp and attractively floral and not all inferior to the rather sweeter Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett halb-trocken 2006- Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, which we drank on an arctic evening in an inn at Bernkastel on the way to Hahn airport with my son and his family; both 15.5/20.
Château Haut-Châtain Lalande de Pomerol 2000 was full bodied but more acidic than I expected; this was perhaps accentuated by the ambient coolness caused by an unusual cold snap; 14.5/20.
Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Campo di Mezzo 2007 – Tre Monti- was an excellently fruity and generous QPR Sangiovese but perhaps less acidic and tangy than those from the Tuscan side of the Appenines; 15.5/20.
I felt misgivings about Syrah IGT Sicilia 2003 – Feudo Arancia, particularly when I saw the synthetic cork. However, there were no obvious signs of premature evolution; colour was deep and dark and aromas were of smooth sweet red and dark fruit; the body was quite full and the fruit was rich and ingratiating but managed to remain harmonious without excesses of wood and jam. Overall very enjoyable but without a lot of grip or personality; 15.5/20.
