March lunch notes:
Pares Balta Brut Cava – some citrus and toasted cashew in the nose, large bubbles, clearly not a champers, but some decent flavour. Soft finish.
2012 Beringer Luminus Chardonnay (Oak Knoll) – nice moderate vanilla notes, bright and with some excellent flavours. A very decent Cal-chard.
2004 Wm Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – oxidized. C’est dommage!
2004 Christian Moreau Chablis Les Clos – lime and wet stone nose, light on its feet, dances on the palate with creamy feel and mineral finish.
1994 Robt. Chevillon Nuits St. Georges Les Vaucrains – pale colour and some typical mature Burg notes in the nose, but far from dead. Decent fruit and medium length.
2003 Torii Mor Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills) – dark cherry nose, slightly warm on palate, decent acidity, and a bit of pepper. Absolutely nothing like a Pinot – big ripe wine.
1989 Ch. Le Gay (Pomerol) – good claret cassis based nose, sweet in the mouth but the tannins still relatively firm. Showing very youthful.
1993 Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon – still a dark wine with what is plainly American oak in the nose, and blueberry/vanilla, sweet and smooth on palate, still hanging in and not that obviously an Aussie wine. Medium length.
1999 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosché – big nose of sweet toatsy fruit, sweet in the mouth with good flavours and balance. Very nice.
2003 l’Aventure Optimus - 64% Syrah, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdot, this Paso Robles wine was showing a sweet plummy nose, also sweet in the mouth and had great persistence, although despite the ingredients it would never be mistaken for a Bordeaux, nor will it develop the sort of complexity a claret often does.
1989 Moulin Touchais – this Coteau de Layon was not too dark, with nice fruit nose, somewhat sweet with a hint if citrus, nicely balanced and clean. Interesting and still on the way up.