Belated notes from September 30th, 2006. Dinner at my place.
Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 2004
Thanks to Victor. A blend of fruit from the Vosne-Romanée Grand Crus Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Richebourg, as well as Premier Crus Les Beaux Monts, Aux Brulées and Les Genaivrières. 20’405 bottles made. Faintly murky raspberry-red. Some nutty-spicy oak, viscous clove top note, pepper, semi-dried blood orange, intense complex raspberry, mountain cranberry, morello, rose-hip, some pretty dried herbs. There is a smokiness to the fruit that is not just due to oak, but seemingly due to a touch of smoky sulphur, resulting in what Rainer called a popcorn aroma. Strong acids. Agree with Victor this is among the least concentrated Leroys we have ever had, but it is intensely flavoured. Try again in circa 2012. Rating: 91+/92?
Pierre Damoy Chambertin 2002
Thanks to Rainer. Lightly purple ruby. Closed now. Much sweeter, partly overripe, plummier, marmot meat juice, cherry, touch of green, some iron, some sweat, a little red beet. Some coconut and marzipan oak. The contrast between this and Leroy’s 2004 Vosne-Romanée could not be greater. The Damoy is a Barbaresco-like Pinot Noir, nicely thick and full-bodied, with an underlying almond marzipan bitter note, balanced enough, increasingly harmonious with airing, but not quite as impeccable in this regard. Simply the less, I am afraid to say, Pinot Noir-typical of the two. Prefer Damoy’s Chapelle-Chambertin in this vintage. Rating: 91(+?)
Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Case Basse 1995
Radiant, glossy-shiny ruby, some black reflections, minor orange at the rim. Down-to-earth, artisanal wine with a papaya top note. A wine of subtlety, very precise, extremely well-integrated alcohol. Earthy orange and cherry. A bit lactic and yoghurt-like. Pickling salt-like minerality. Extremely well-integrated oak (which I doubt is new). Fruit tea-like if not fruity tannin. The style and elegant fruit sweetness reminded me of a Vega Sicilia Unico of old. Not tannic or dry on the finish at all, just fruit with touches of licorice and galangal. As tasty and still ageworthy as it is, it should not be aired for too long: yet thicker and sweeter, but a bit cheesy-lactic and faintly as if maderized with oxidation. Cannot wait to taste the Intistieti Riserva (tend to prefer the wines from that site to those from Case Basse) from the same vintage! Rating: 95+?
Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Howell Mountain 1994
Thanks to Victor. Glossy pruney-ruby, virtually opaque. Iodine, peat, tooth paste-like menthol, dried prune and cherry, bouillabaisse sea salt, touches of duck meat. Quite huge and full-bodied. A bit rustic but arresting cough syrup intensity. Pine resin-like salty extract. Slightly less monumental, deep, complex, precise and long than the 1996, but fruitier than the 1993, and perhaps more exotic than either (a bit reminiscent of the 1999 Rostaing Côte Blonde in this regard). With airing sweeter, meatier and more harmonious, less rustic, round for a Dunn, quite nice early maturity. Perfumey tobacco sweetness from the sediment glass and the empty stems. Deserves more bottle age. Rating: 94+?
Maximin Grünhaus Riesling Auslese "44" Grünhäuser Herrenberg 2005
Single Fuder, their Auslese Gold Capsule, so to speak. Thanks to Rainer. Medium yellow-green. Very blossomy, fresh, sweet and smooth. Perhaps less intense and minerally, but sweeter and more botrytised than the probably more ageworthy Abtsberg "21". Balm-minty apple, sweet pink grapefruit. Relatively low-acid for a 2005, but the acidity is prettily aromatic and gives this wine fine retro-olfaction. Utterly delicious. It is fascinating how focused and precise low-acid Riesling can be. Rating: 92
Müllen Riesling Spätlese "C" #11 Trabacher Hühnerberg 2005
Thanks to Rainer. Vines are apparently still young here. Medium-pale green. Clean lightly bitter apple, medium-sweet stinging nettle. Nicely firm, medium-dry sweetness, fairly tannic. Quite good depth. Good length. Rating: 88+?
Greetings from Switzerland, David.