A weekend in East Sussex

UK
Tasted Saturday, July 11, 2015 by beatles with 489 views

Flight 1 (4 Notes)

  • 1989 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Sweet smell of tobacco and all spice, still quite tannic, but balanced. A true cab. Still some austerity left here, still has some softening up to do, but it's a Dunn, certainly.

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  • 1999 Bernard Burgaud Côte-Rôtie 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Still young. Very expressive nose, notes of olives cocoa, toast – quite pronounced acidity, that does wear of a bit on the second day. A robust, very Rhône-like Côte-Rôtie, sauvage galore - far from the Burgundian style.

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  • 1990 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Cuvée du Papet 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Served from magnum, this came across as a real 1990-neuf. Years ago, this was the WOTN in a quite comprehensive tasting of Mont-Olivet and for this Sunday lunch, it showed itself once again; smooth, creamy, fully mature, but still with primary fruit present intermixed with more tertiary notes of game and leather. If not quite as fantastic as the 1990 Vieux Donjon served at the domaine (with JLL), this came close...

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  • 1999 Alain Voge Cornas Cuvée Vieilles Fontaines

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    Lots of medicine-cabinet in the nose, in the mouth more becoming with some soft sweetness from the age & the vintage; it never does lose, though, the awkward and somewhat austere edge, that I often find in this cuvée. I shall have to open another bottle soon to check again, I do not think this will live forever.

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Flight 2 (3 Notes)

  • 1992 Ridge Mataro Evangelo Vineyard 94 Points

    USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County

    A treat to taste this, soft, sweet, charming, mild yet intense, a world class Mourvèdre-wine that reminds most of a mature Clos de Papes, albeit with a drop more of sweetness, hinting its Californian provenance. Kudos, mr. Schäfer ... so privileged to have been given a bottle of this for my 50th birthday.

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  • 1967 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage Blanc Chevalier de Sterimberg 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Served from magnum; a golden hue, pure gold, actually, and a rich nose of honey and stones. In the taste you find hints of oxidation, but only in a good way, and the wine is perfectly balanced. There is remarkable freshness here along with the notes of honey and minerals, garrigue and citrus - a rare treat with incredible length and depth.

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  • 1976 R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Tondonia 91 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Sweet. almost Pinot-like, evolved, but certainly alive with tobacco, sweet spice and an endearing lightness of being. While not exactly my style, I respect the quality and personality. From PB

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Flight 3 (5 Notes)

  • 2011 Domaine Moulin La Viguerie Tavel Les Falaises de Braise Rose 90 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel

    A wonderful revelation - and a first for me. This is very much a wine, not just a playful Rosé, rather a Beaujolais on Grenache with plenty of strawberry-fruit, a generous richesse and very fine minerality and acidity to keep the balance. This will go on in the cellar, but if you open a bottle, there will be nothing left for the next day.

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  • 2010 Domaine des Lises Crozes-Hermitage 89 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage

    Served as a backup wine for guests who preferred younger products, this comes across as a tell tale syrah, very clean, quite deep, charming with pepper and olives galore, simple and good; a classic Crozes at that. The producer is vintage-assisted here, as John said ... and the wine is still quite young, best served cool.

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  • 2005 Domaine de l'Oratoire St Martin Cairanne Cuvée Prestige 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Cairanne

    Served from magnum, this was extremely youthful - and absolutely singing on the night. It is very local, rich and smooth, loads of garrigue & grenache and a full bodied charm, that is hard to resist. Not an intellectual wine, but a vin du coeur, goes straight to the heart. Will live on (from this format) for years - but no sin to drink it now.

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  • 1999 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Initially I find the somewhat cooked notes of mocha and chocolate, that have marked this wine before - but with air it brushed off and a clear fruit emerges along with minerals, olives. very well structured, this is still very, very young. But this is a mature year, a year of Syrah. I shall hold back for a couple of years before trying the next one ...

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  • 1962 Château de la Roulerie Coteaux du Layon Chaume Les Aunis 93 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon Chaume

    A revelation; sweetness is here, but minerals are up front, and the dry, aristocratic style with notes of honey, citrus and lime make this a wine more for meditation than for dessert. The depth and the freshness is quite remarkable given the age, but this wine has not just survived, it has developed into something quite majestic.

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Flight 4 (5 Notes)

  • 1995 Mas de Daumas Gassac 92 Points

    France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l'Hérault

    Cool and dry, very mineral and firm in a very grown up, almost aristocratic style - no country-wine here, expect for a hint of the sauvage notes at the end. Hitting the spot right now in term of maturity IMHO. And yes, this could have been a Bordeaux-wine, almost.

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  • 1998 Château La Fleur-Pétrus 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Classic Pomerol, classic 1998 - approaching maturity; creamy, sweet, gentile, and still quite majestic in its very right bank showing. A joy to drink, quite honestly. PB found it too ripe, I disagree, it is ripe, but very balanced indeed. Will keep 10+ years, but very nice now.

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  • 1989 Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    On it's way down IMHO - and not nearly as good as I remember it from 10 years ago at Per Se in NYC. Today it is showing only nicely with some aging sweetness, some sous bois and a decent balance, but lacking the Cornas-wow - and ending very dry indeed. Drink up. PB brought this.

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  • 1998 Domaine Font de Michelle Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Etienne Gonnet 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Served from magnum. Showing very well. Grenache galore, deep, intense, rich - and balanced with lots of garrigue and local character. I am loving this, a true mature neuf. A much better showing than I remember.

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  • 1961 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Guessed Sauternes pre-1990 on this one - and pre-1990's it was! Here was the tell-tale depth of sweetness, honey and orange peel galore and an impeccable balance in a wine, that just went on and on. AD liked it a lot, and I asked for (and got!) another glass, which goes to illustrate, that this was plainly enjoyable, not just interesting.

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