| | This was a tasting of the late Coats cellar that he housed in South Africa and this tasting was donated as a chance for WSET diploma students to get to taste some of the world's top wines. Each wine was presented by a student and hence the wine were split into rough flights. Burgundy - Red and White - 2010 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Bright mid yellow-gold in colour the aroma is lifted and fabulously intense with classic oyster shell, and savoury nuances. Complex notes of cream, lemon verbena, old oak, and melba toast permeates and intrigue.
Bright mid-yellow-gold in colour the aroma is lifted and fabulously intense with classic oyster shell and savoury nuances. Complex notes of cream, lemon verbena, old oak, and melba toast permeate and intrigue.
A focussed entry, this medium to full-bodied Chablis GC exhibits freshness, chiselled saline-edged acidity and amazing depth of flavour. Plenty of minerals, almond, beeswax, white pepper, toast and fresh herbs elucidate this complex wine. It seems to have a Gruner twist with the white pepper and tidal pool element. Linear with that floral lift in the mid-palate, the wine has layers of flavours and incredible complexity that seem to persist forever on the back palate with precision and purpose. A magical wine. (98 pts.)
- 2011 Domaine Jacques Prieur Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
Deep golden yellow, the enchanting aromas show classic developed yoghurt with that lactic edge alongside toffee, caramel and toasty oak.
A full-bodied wine with a firm, horizontal acidity, the flavours open with dried heather and herbs, chopped rocks, touch of aniseed and star anise. The mid-palate is wonderfully round and creamy with oatmeal and an intriguing sea salt edge that offsets the soft porridge texture. Fabulous integration of flavours, the wine is robust and broad, finishing with a long, purposeful farewell. (94 pts.)
- 2012 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Light tawny to red-brown, the bouquet is intense and fabulous, with plenty of soft black cherry, a ripe red fruit assortment, pressed red flowers and delicate spices.
A zesty, fresh, pulsating acidity that gives clarity and poise throughout the wine is matched by a firm blade of tannin that has width rather than be compact and is enhanced by sweet and sour cherries - like sucking on a cherry stone or turned earth, chipped stones/quarry dust. I loved the initial narrow entry that widens yet remains focussed, is complex, and has persistence along the mid-palate. An exhilarating, layered wine, the mid-palate shows perfume and flowers, whilst the freshness keeps the wine buoyant, tangy and upright. The back palate has more ripe black cherry, complexity with some lemon edges to the acid that continue on to an incredibly long farewell. I didn’t pick up a shred of oak so well integrated or very little used. (93 pts.)
Grenache & Shiraz - 2009 Sine Qua Non Grenache Upside Down - USA, California, Central Coast
Mid to deep garnet, the wine has a prodigious bouquet of sweet fruit, violet, ripe black plums, cold tea, ginger/galangal (Thai stir fry!) and raspberry compote. There is an element of Syrah in here, yet it is 100% Grenache. Incredibly lifted.
A sweet entry with a grippy texture thesis a brightness of the New World fruit and absence of savoury nuances. The flavours are cold tea, molasses, mineral, handfuls of softened sweet blackberry and raspberry, wet earth and a touch of cayenne pepper. The mid-palate combines an edgy stony texture with brown sugar crystals. Excellent concentration with the tannins keeping to that shapeless feel of Grenache. The finish has a little more mineral firmness but is softened by warm glycerol and forest fruit jam with that little bit of syrup. Amazing intensity and long length. (93 pts.)
- 2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
60% Mourvèdre; 20% Gren; 10% Counoise; 10% Syrah. Destemmed and aged in older barrels for 18 months.
The glass showed quite a bit of sediment and a garnet to browning rim. The bouquet draws you in slowly with plentiful savoury nuances that show soft earth, underbrush, leather, shoe polish, charcuterie, salami and truffle/fungi elements.
The entry is all about the classic meatiness of Mourvedre before the strident acidity lifts this medium to full-bodied wine up with sweet ripe red fruits and savoury spices. Not that fleshy but more sinewy, and the long finish has those umami notes. Whilst fresh and intense, the wine wasn’t as exciting as expected. (93 pts.)
- 1996 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
14.2% alcohol; 7.2 /L RS. The wine is mid-deep garnet in colour and also has sediment. Amazing aromatic intensity with sweet ripe plum, prune, blackcurrant, mulberry, salted liquorice, bilberries and Assam tea.
A fabulous sweet entry, this full-bodied, densely concentrated wine manages to retain freshness and youthful vibrance with a herbal twist and focus lingering on inexorably! The palate reveals more American oak, vanilla extract, bilberries and prunes with a touch of iron fillings. There is massive berry concentration, flesh and layers of complexity. Well-balanced, the length is immense and rewarding, with 70% dark chocolate and liquorice giving a velveteen sheen to the tannins. (98 pts.)
Tempranillo & Nebbiolo - 1996 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
A top vintage, the wine is deep mahogany in colour, and the bouquet is intense with undergrowth, Sous Bois, red and black, Christmas cake and gunpowder tea. There is a coolness to the wine with a mineral edge.
A soft entry, this full-bodied wine has a depth of flavour and incredible complexity. The ripe strawberry, black plum, fruit cake, tobacco and powdered stone notes are supported by an energetic acidity that gives cut and definition. The tannins are integrated and gently rubbing, and a persistent length, athletic gait, and elegance make the wine sing. (96 pts.)
- 1997 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Light mahogany brown, the bouquet is super intense, lifted with mint humbugs, fruit tea, pressed red flowers, bacon fat, iron filling and ripe black cherry. An enthralling nose, it keeps drawing you in.
The entry is similarly lifted, floral and light on its feet. There is an arming depth of flavour with density to the velvety texture and tannins. A firm, medium-bodied, linear-structured wine, it is also rich and fleshy. The flavours reflect the nose with lots of mint humbug, leather, hung game and black fruits. Fresh acidity lies underneath, but the wine seems to have lighter tannins than expected and hasn’t the tightness either, being a little plumper with a confiture note on the finish. Terrific length, I picked up a stalky note later on with a herbal, undergrowth character. A classic but perhaps not as incredible as expected, given the price. (95 pts.)
Merlot - Italy - 2011 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Merlot from 7 hectares; Deep garnet, the bouquet is intense and complex with plenty of red fruit, spices, forest fruits, wet earth, dark chocolate and vanilla.
A soft, richly textured entry with so much depth and focus here. Fantastic development, this full-bodied wine is fine-grained, finessed and yet elegant with lively acidity. The flavours weave around the palate with dark 70% chocolate, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, black cherry and a hint of cigar. A persistent length and penetration of layers of complexity, the finish is supple with sweet cocoa powder tannins. (95 pts.)
Bordeaux - Left Bank - 2000 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Deep ruby red, the bouquet is incredibly intense with cedar, black fruits, pencil shavings, savoury elements, exotic spices and a hint of feral.
Medium-bodied, the entry is pure and captivating with lemon-edged integrated acidity, incredible depth of flavour, and layers of complex notes. Not just black cherry and blackcurrant but redcurrants, chocolate, spice, smoke even dried orange peel. The tannins are seamless and dense, and the finish seems never-ending. A genuinely focused wine, there is a little feral and mineral note on the finish, but it seems to work nicely. (99 pts.)
Bordeaux - Right Bank - 1998 Château Cheval Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
65% Merlot; 35% CF; Deep mahogany brown. The nose seems a little evolved with dried earth and savoury notes - quite meat stock-y and undergrowth. A deep wine with good intensity has penetration, focus and a savoury mid-palate. Fairly dense, firm tannins with lively acidity. The flavours are spice, dried black fruits, black tea, dried herbs, and undergrowth, but the fruit is drying out. It lacks the mid-palate softness that I expected and then I found the wine a little too evolved and lacking freshness. Yet still has some of the credentials that make for a top wine. (94 pts.)
Bordeaux - Sweet - 1998 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
They conducted 2 tries of the picking almost one month apart. Deep orange-gold, the exuberant bouquet shows a beautiful marmalade intensity, tropical notes of mango, creme brûlée, preserved lemons/limes and exotic spices.
The entry is full-bodied with incredible drive and focus, zesty acidity and excellent concentration. Plenty of orange marmalade, candied ginger and spice play against the decent sweetness (it is 134 g./L but didn’t feel as high as that) and the lime-edged acidity. Purity in the mid-palate, richly textured and with finesse, the wine is long and winding with a warming glycerol alcohol on the back palate and a phenolic grip with dried spices and a tropical twist. (97 pts.)
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