Belated notes from October 2006. This was when Rainer uttered one of my favourite lines of all of last year. It is a bit hard to translate into English, though: “Das Konsumieren von Lebensmitteln mit naturidentischen Aromen versetzt einen in einen lebensähnlichen Zustand.” The point is that Albino, a chef by profession, deplored the fact that there is a new term used in regulations for artificial flavouring that literally means “identical to nature”, chemically speaking probably correct (= do not ask me!), which he nonetheless feels is misleading, if not philosophically speaking nonsense. Then, later that night, after a great dinner and some good wines, Rainer, out of the blue, as is usually the case with him, remarked cheerfully: “The consumption of victuals containing nature-identical flavouring puts one into a state akin to life.”
Müller-Catoir Scheurebe Eiswein Haardter Mandelring 2001
Thanks to Albino. Spicy-citrusy, little flowers, viscous, orangey tangerine blossom, touch of tulip, now seemingly sweeter and ever-so-slightly less light on its feet and finesseful. What a wine! But it is a Scheurebe and an icewine, so what do you expect? Best enjoyed young, or in this case, soon! Rating: 95-/94?
Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 2002
Thanks to Rainer. Lively ruby-black colour with a slight watery rim. Medium nutty oak, intense (as Rainer says almost Chambertin-like) forest berry mix, raspberry, cherry, mild violet. Gamy animal, tree bark and pepper. Full, thick and rather sweet on the palate. Andrea claims there is a gorgeous sweetness about this that reminds her of Albino when they are – wait a second, am I supposed to mention this here...? Quite mouth-coating and long fruit, not the concentrated tomato essence of the 1996 at the same stage. Sweetly tannic. Grapefruity acidity. Gorgeous Amoureuses seemingly with a touch of Gevrey earth and rusty iron. Balanced, combines early harmony with terrific cut. Long, balanced finish. Less oaky-tarry than the more broad-shouldered 1996, rounder, less dried-fruity. I tend to value greater concentration and power only all else being equal – the potential harmony of the 2002 is more obvious at this stage. Which holds the greater long-term potential, I have to agree with Rainer, is not always of primary concern. Not when wine gives so much pleasure. Rating: 93+?
René Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2003
Thanks to Rainer. Deep purple-ruby, almost opaque. Green tea finesse on the nose, lead pencil graphite, gun powder, black and green pepper, hugely sweet, green licorice stick, rosemary. On both nose and palate sweeter yet less perfumey than the Côte Blonde (less peachy-floral, of course, as the La Landonne contains no Viognier). At least a fraction less concentrated. Tea-like tannin, less hard and/or dusty than that of the Côte Blonde (whose tannin I nonetheless found more, not less impressive). With airing just more tannic at first. By the following day the colour had darkened towards slightly deeper opaqueness, seemingly denser fruit, showing muscle and big gun-powdery tannin. A bit more floral, more bacon fat and roasted rosemary, perhaps lavender – behaving similarly to the Côte Blonde with airing. Quite persistent and powerful wine. Clearly a step down from the best 2003 Northern Rhône reds I have so far had (the Chave, followed by Chapoutier’s Le Pavillon, then Rostaing’s Côte Blonde), perhaps not even quite on the same level as Clape’s stunning Cornas, although potentially more attractive in terms of terroir expression, in this case, soil notes. Rating: 92+/93+?
Château Pavie Macquin St. Emilion 1995
I had been looking forward to re-tasting this unique and highly characterful bio-dynamic old-vine St. Emilion, which in at release had tasted so Lafleur- and Italian spiced dried tomato-like. Full, glossy-polished garnet-ruby with black reflections, soft watery-orange rim, this looks like a Barolo. Some Lafleur- or Rayas-like (from the old era) Kirsch and dried tomato with a touch of olive indeed. Meaty-thick with some airing, old-viney extract, minerally, quite long, very well-balanced indeed. There would still be room for greater power here (which subsequent vintages appear to have), as well as fruit sweetness and fat, and greater length. Just mature enough to start drinking now. Absolutely delicious with prolonged airing, adding soft herbs, juicy currants and cherry. Did not quit becoming longer on the finish with airing. Rating: 91(+?)
Reinhold Haart Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule #13 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen 2005
Thanks to Rainer. Medium yellow-green colour. Still a bit yeasty and closed. Mild sweet banana and melon. A round drinking pleasure at this stage, not too sweet nor acidic nor even mild, but citrusy-fresh, softly exotic, with nice body, lightly viscous, round and very minerally-long wine. A noticeable step up in intensity and expression and not just sweetness from the standard Auslese (in contrast to Prüm in recent years, Rainer noted). Rating: 89+/90?
Tokaj Classic Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 1997
A new venture by András Bruhács, Martin Schneider & Carl Gustav Settelmeier. Single vineyard blend of 65% Furmint, 30% Hárslevelü and 5% Muskotály from the well-known Királyhegy near Mád. 186 g/l residual sugar, 47 g/l sugar-free dry extract and 10.6 g/l acidity at 11.2% alcohol. Deep orange colour. Subjectively seems to contain more Muscatel than it does, no doubt as it tends to be the most floral and expressive variety of the three especially in wine that is still young, putting an emphasis on tangerine, orange and acacia wax. More oxidation than many, a touch of dried mushroom, some rancio dryness on the finish and aftertaste. Despite the impressive concentration and oily viscosity, more sweetness and flesh on its orangey acid backbone would not hurt. A touch of Orange Pecoe black tea and autumnal leaves on the aftertaste. Rating: 89+?
By the way, for those who do not know, 1997 is not an inferior vintage as “official” vintage charts may make prospective customers believe. It is merely a vintage in which very little Aszú could be made (some producers made none) – but virtually all 1997s we have tasted were really good, a bit Germanic in acid structure sometimes, a handful a bit herbaceous.
Greetings from Switzerland, David.