Adam's Baby Shower

These was a monstrous dinner. The great food and the sheer number of wines aside (we had something like 18 wines between 11 people), this was special both for the consistency of quality across the board and the serendipitous balance of different varietals that we had. All BYO and blind as always, we ended up with a lovely balance of whites and reds, Burg, Barolo and Bordeaux, with a decent representation from California. However, while the reds were all solid, and some truly excellent, it was the wines that bracketed them - a trio of Grand Cru white Burgs at the start, and three great sweets at the end - that really captured the imagination.

Probably the first and only baby shower with an all male group, but I doubt any baby shower over the past week has drank as well as us. Cheers to Adam!

• 1999 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  A solid Champagne - some real quality here. It had a lovely rich nose, almost Vouvray-like with rich caramel and honey scents, some marzipan and lemon curd, earth and white meat with an umami edge to it. Lovely complex stuff. The palate was rather less developed than the nose, but still pretty forward for a 1999. Really rich and weighty, it coated the mouth with a creamily textured flow of green apples, lemon zest and citrus notes. Almost completely deviod of bubbles, but it nevertheless had a lovely fresh zip and drive to it. A bit overdeveloped I thought, but still very good - this was in a nice place. Not surprisingly, really lovely with our fried appetisers.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• NV Equipo Navazos La Bota de Manzanilla 22 "Navazos" 94 Points

  Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

  My stock had ran out, so Kelvin dipped into his for this bottle. It remains a compelling sherry, as good as a Manzanilla gets. This was just popped and poured and showed a beautiful nose, a lot woodier than the previous time, with raw pine scents and lots of walnuts and brazil nuts along with some lovely mineral aromas and a bit of beeswax and dried flowers. Lovely, intoxicating stuff that you could smell from miles away. It was beautiful on the palate too. Dripping with lovely freshness, it filled the mouth with bright flavours of lemon, kumquat, orange peel and dried flowers edged with more of that woody nuttiness drifting into a long, spicy finish that refused to quit. As we learnt from the last bottle, this was incredible good with Jamon Iberico.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1999 Coney Riesling Estate 91 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  This was a real surprise. At 12 years of age, it drank beautiful - as good as any of the top Riesings that come out of the Clare Valley further north in Australia. There was so much kerosene and petrol on the nose that we thought it must have been a Clare. THis was met with some lemon curd and apple notes - it was clearly the kerosene that dominated the bouquet. It was really nice on the palate though. Super fresh and laser-like in its lovely sense of definition and focus, it zoomed across the mouth with a lovely little layer of apple and pear, all beautifully balanced and integrated, with not a hair out of place. Not the most complex wine maybe, but this was a lovely drop in a lovely place right now.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 Louis Latour Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

  This was as clearly a Puligny Grand-Cru as one could imagine. Pity that there was a touch of taint on it, otherwise I would imagine it would be brilliant. Nevertheless, it was a testimony to the strength of the wine that it still showed really strongly. It had a lovely nose, with butter and cream, bits of Asian spice, some button mushrooms and lovely rich white fruit aromas. Pure Grand Cru stuff. There was unfortunately just that hint of taint on the edge of the palate, but the wine had so much weight and depth to it that it just powered on nonetheless, layering the palate with rich white fruit, lemon curd, green apples and spice moving into a super-long finish laden with minerality. This was still laced with a good dose of 1996 acidity and had a lovely sense of defintion throughout. A pity that it was not showing at full tilt. Still a real treat though.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1995 Louis Latour Montrachet 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  This was a wonderful wine, superior to the Chevalier in the same flight in every way. Another lovely nose here. This was pure Monty. Chalk, earth, butter and cream aromas, with an exotic edge of curry leaf in there somewhere, and a rich layer of white fruit and a waft of loamy earth and truffle. Beautiful palate too. With its lovely definition and balance, this was surprisingly even more elegant than the Chevalier, showing a wonderful sense of proportion and poise. But make no mistake, for all that elegance, this wine had all the buttery weight of a Montrachet showing in a powerful, yet wonderful fresh mouthfull of musky apples, pears and melons underscored with a lovely layer of minerality, chalk and spice. The finish was superb, just opening up and pulling away wonderfully in the back-palate with creamy, buttery layer. Wonderful stuff drinking really well now, although I expect this could go on developing in the bottle for a long, long time yet. Bravo.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1975 Fleurot-Larose Bâtard-Montrachet 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  This was something else. As good as the 1995 Latour Montrachet was, I thought this matched it stride for stride. They were completely different animals of course, yet no one doubted that this was a Grand Cru Burg of the highest order when it was poured. Almost copper coloured, it had a glorious nose, all honey and soy, dried peaches and apricots, and a layer of mushroomy earth - almost Sauterne-like in its golden goodness. There was tons of age on that bouquet, but this was all sexy, alluring stuff - a Mrs Robinson wine someone said. And how true that was on the glorious palate too. Still creamily textured in true Batard fashion, still fresh and zippy, it unfolded with layers of honeyed, dried apricotty goodness laced with a hint of mineral that came to the fore as the wine moved into the perfectly integrated finish. Mellow, mature, and wonderful to drink, yet wonderfully pure and transparent at the same time, and still super-alive and ringing with clarity, this was just lovely stuff. A real treat.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1982 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Clos Vougeot 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  A lovely wine, at peak maturity now. Lots of sediments in the glass, a slightly murky, brickish red hue, I wondered how well this would show given its obvious age. No worries though, one sniff and wooh, what a beautiful nose, full of loamy earth, moss and mushroom, sous bois in a word. A gentle swirl and it opened up even more into beautiful floral scents, gummy cherry aromas and gentle coffee nuances spiked with some herbiness. Wow. With that much development on the nose, one would be afraid that the palate might be fading, but this was still stunningly alive, full of lovely freshness and beautifully integration, with fresh cherries lined with mineral, earth and the gentlest spice. Obviously not from the strongest vintage, but this was an entrancing wine - a really lovely Clos Vougeot.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  This was outstanding, as good a young Beze as I have had for a long time - it was a real surprise when it was unveiled as a 2006 Drouhin-Laroze - we all thought it was a sight older and probably from a more heralded maker. No complains though, this was great. It had a gorgeous nose with melting scents of flowers, cherries, red berries and subtle meat and earthy notes seasoned with a gentle spiciness. Absolutely beautiful. Lovely on the palate too, marked by brilliant definition and focus, this had beautiful acidity running through fresh red cherry and berry notes laced with a lovely, elegant sense of minerality. The finish was long, lingering and just beautiful, with little notes of spice sprinkled amongst the wonderfully clear, transparent red fruit notes. Full, complete, balanced and wonderfully integrated - this was a gorgeous wine, at once delicious and giving yet without any lack of substance or authority. I loved it. Ridiculously well-drinking now, but this should age effortlessly as well.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 Calera Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Mount Harlan

  What can I make out of this - a good wine, well-made, and very tasty, yet it came across more like a very old Nebbiolo rather than a middle-aged Pinot, with quite a dose of extract still showing in lingering tannins. What a nose though. Super complex, with rose petals aplenty, a touch of tar, orange peel, deep dark cherry notes, a lovely layer of earth, herbs and spice. Gorgeous. Lovely palate too, with a little layer of firm, fine-shaped tannins framing rich flavours of dark cherries and blackcurrants laced with a good amount of earthy minerality and a bit of spice moving into a pretty decent finish. A good wine for sure, except that I thought it was a Barolo! At a nice place now, but it may improve even more given more time for the overt extract and tannins to meld with the rest of the wine - the only question being if the fruit will last that long.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1999 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Charmes-Chambertin 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  A good Charmes. Clearly a Burg on the nose when served blind next to a Calera Jensen Pinot. This showed scents of dried, dusty earth, rich aromas of cherries and berries, a bit of toast and, at the edges, a little layer of funk and some savoury meatiness. The palate was surprisingly rich and sweet after the savouriness of the nose, with an attack laden with red cherries and berries lifted over a little layer of earth and mineral. Rather modern in its level of extract and the amount of fruit, but it was decently balanced and well-defined - very Vincent Girardin in that respect. Still though, it had an old world nous that set it apart from the American Pinot. Overall, a nice wine, but perhaps not quite a great one. There is still a lot of room for it to grow and develop though. While this was one 1999 Grand Cru that seems to be drinking alright, but it will probably need at least another 3-4 years to really open up.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Arietta Red Wine H Block Hudson Vineyards 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  This was a nice wine. A right-bank blend of Merlot and Cab Franc, yet this was pure Napa. Unlike the 1987 Opus One in the same flight, no one was in any doubt that we were in California with this one. It opened with a little whoosh of glycerol on the nose, and then rich aromas of plums, blueberries, a bit of capsicum, earth and a lovely perfumy floral note floating around the whole bouquet. Very nice indeed, and quite beautiful on the palate too. This had a lovely Californian sunniness to it, showing gobs of wonderful blue and black fruit underscored with a beautiful amount of savoury, meaty goodness. It had lovely balance too, with a nice amount of integrated acidity running through the fruit and earth notes on the finish. Really nice stuff. At a nice place now, it can probably go on developing for a few more years, but I really see no reason to wait much longer.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1987 Opus One 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This was a beautiful wine - a left-bank to the 2001 Arietta's right-bank, but if the younger wine was clearly Napa, this split the table as to whether it was a Bordeaux or a new world. Lots of old world character here, with a nose that was all tobacco, cigar and capsicum notes making a halo around a nice dose of dark cassis, all this seasoned with a good amount menthol and eucalyptus nuances as well. A really nice nose. Like the Arietta, this was beautiful on the palate too, but in a very different way. While there was still had a touch of the Californian fruit here, it definitely showed a greater level of class, with fresh acidity and silky tannins forming a very refined background to its rich flavours of dark berries, cassis and plums sprinkled with a little hint of spice and earth. An absolutely lovely wine that was at a beautiful place.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1995 Château Palmer 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Very nice. Picked this up as a 1995 Palmer given the slightly unusual pairing between the round, soft feel of the Chateau and the fine-boned toughness of the vintage. What a nose though. Beautiful in every aspect, with loamy earth, tobacco, sweet cassis and blackberries and just a hint of capsicum - lovely. I really like the palate too - classic Bordeaux here after two very good Napa examples. Restrained, classy, yet beautifully delicious, with wonderfully pure cassis and dark cherry notes framed by those very 1995 tannins - firm, but still fine - and seasoned with a lick of tobacco and spice. Already pretty good when tasted on its own, but it became ridiculously good when paired with roasted whole lamb shoulder and mint jelly, with the wine softening ever so gently and opening up into a seductive, delicious, absolutely gorgeous mouthful of succulently dark fruited, tobacco spiced Bordeaux goodness.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1997 Mauro Veglio Barolo Castelletto 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This was one of the younger wines of the night. Good, but it needs quite a bit of time yet. It had a really lovely nose though, very Piedmontese, with a litter of roses, and then earth and truffles, dark cherries and berries, a bit of tar. Lovely stuff. The wine was clearly a child of its vintage on the palate. Rich, thick, with lots of dark cherries and dark berries, with some flowers, a bit of earth, and a classic Barolo finish with a little layer of tar and smoke. Still a bit obvious with its rich fruit, still a bit primary, but all balanced with a lovely freshness. A good wine, but this needs a lot of time yet.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1970 Ceretto Barbaresco Montefico 90 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  While the 1997 Barolo was rather too young, this was a bit too old, but it was still good enough to make a very pleasant drink. Lots of age on the nose, with soy sauce, earth, soil and truffles drilled through with a slight funk. It was almost surprising to fine a rather richly fruited attack of rich cherries and berries on the palate after that nose, it was quite thickly textured for a wine this old as well, although it was seasoned by the same soy sauce and balsamic notes as on the nose, finishing with more woody, earthy and mushroomy notes. A decent enough wine, full of complexity and character, but it has probably seen better days. Still though, we all enjoyed this quite a bit.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 94 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia

  Brilliant. Learnt my lesson from the last rather under-perfoming bottle and decanted this for about three hours before serving, and how it paid off. This was the best bottle of the wine I have had so far. What a wonderful nose - mangoes, lychees, rambutans, spice - just gorgeous. The palate was at a beautiful place as well. It showed wonderful richly honeyed flavours of dried mangoes, lychees and rambutans - a beautifully tropical fruit basket tempered with a wonderful freshness that always kept the wine in perfect balance. The long finish rounded the wine off perfectly, melting away with a delicious mouthful of exotic spice. This was wonderful.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1995 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru 94 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru

  Lovely, but this really deserved a bit more time in the bottle, say 4-5 years. A wine that deserved to be engaged and savoured, the more immediately exuberant Klein Constantia Vin de Constance threatened to out-stage it on the day, but a good half of the table probably still preferred this rather more subtle, perhaps more intellectual wine. It had a beautiful nose, with deep, integrated notes of lanolin and cotton wool, a mushroom undertone and honeyed aromas of peach and apple flesh flecked with some chalk and oyster shell, earth, mushroom. Such incredible complexity. The palate was rich, thick and waxy, showing a wonderful mouthful of honey and molasses, and then dried peach, apricot and apples over the mid-palate. As with the nose, complex and intriguing, with a wonderful balance and poise that spelt sheer class. The long finish drifted away with a bits of spice, dried flowers and earth. A wonderful wine. My favourite of three incredible good sweets - I thought this had just that bit more finesse than the equally solid South African gem.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• NV Buller Calliope Rare Tokay 93 Points

  Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen

  A real shift of gear from the previous two sweets - this was clearly an Australia sticky, and a really good one at that. The nose drifted out of the glass in rich, thick, wonderful wafts of raisins and dried cherries, toffee and molasses, mixed in with earthy, enoki mushrooms aromas. No surprise after that nose that the palate was rich and viscous, with layers of dark chocolate, molasses and toffee drizzled liberally over dark cherries and berries. With all that weight, thank goodness the wine was still nicely balanced. Wonderful stuff, pulling away with a never-ending finish, with dried flowery notes soaked with dark fruit and bedded down with an earthy layer. Wow. Powerful, heady stuff - not one for the fainthearted, but entirely enjoyable if you are into these brilliant Aussie sweets.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue