Notes from a small gathering –
Met with a few friends, a wine agent, a wine writer and the former owner of my old haunt, Le Gavroche in Vancouver – at the old Gavroche premises, which is now a newly opened bistro pub.
2008 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Viña Gravonia – really nice Spanish white! Fair bit of colour, a nose that included citrus, pear and wet gravel, excellent fruit levels and a lingering dry clean finish.
1988 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Bousse d'Or – surprisingly deep colour but the good news ended there. An OK plummy mildly funky nose but on palate although it exhibited some merit, it was pretty flat and faded quickly.
2018 Bartier Bros. Rose – a BC wine made from several varietals – cab franc for colour, muscat and gewurz for aroma and chard for body. Very decent and inexpensive.
2012 Lake Breeze Riesling Winemaker Series – light colour, excellent petrol varietal nose, well balanced and with nice apple and citrus flavours. Thought it might have finished a tad longer, but good BC wine.
1995 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape – corked. My wine. Arghh!
1983 Mas de Daumas Gassac – my borrowed replacement. Good colour, light edges, slightly funky fruit nose but of remaining soft tannin, medium long, very good!
2007 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate – very dark wine with a big dusty ripe fruit nose, weighty in the mouth with big sweet dark fruit flavours and good length.
1997 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey – I think that I was the one that uttered a cautionary ‘Uh-oh’ when I saw the dark amber colour of this one. Lemon, saffron and caramel in the nose, quite sweet on palate and finished with oxidized coconut notes. Reminded me of a cheap Vin Santo….a swing and a miss.