Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Jan '12 edition

Montclair, NJ
Tasted Sunday, January 29, 2012 by salil with 635 views

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • NV Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Pierrières 92 Points

    France, Champagne

    Really impressive; citrus fruits, green apples and freshly baked brioche flavours in a lightweight, high acid package with lots of vibrancy and precision to the flavours. This really unravels with air as more yeasty and minerally notes emerge, and while it comes across incredibly young there's already great depth and balance. ('05 vintage bottling.)

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  • 2003 Bollinger Champagne 2003 by Bollinger 86 Points

    France, Champagne

    Comes across a little soft and creamy, particularly following the incredibly precise and focused Ulysse Collin. There's lots of ripe orchard fruit, brioche and vanilla cream flavours in the mouth, but it doesn't have the definition or clarity that I'd expect from this house.

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Flight 2 (3 Notes)

  • 1989 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie "L" d’Or 93 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie

    Absolutely brilliant wine that made me wonder why I'm not cellaring a few Muscadets for the long term. This is a dead ringer for a top Chablis with a core of fresh citrus fruit framed by savoury crackery, stony, saline and oyster shell elements, all conveyed with a sense of incredible clarity and refreshment. There's remarkable presence and persistence and a level of depth and finesse that had me wondering if this was a Raveneau or some other top Chablis.

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  • 1995 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie "L" d’Or 91 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie

    Lighter and not as complex as the '89; this comes across even younger with fresh lemony fruit over a bed of rocks seasoned by bright herbal and minty accents. Beneath there's a spine of bright acidity that keeps it incredibly fresh and lively, though when unveiled this didn't seem much more developed than an '02 L D'Or I had opened some time ago.

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  • 1999 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie "L" d’Or 89 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie

    Stunned to see the vintage, as this tasted like something bottled just recently with incredibly fresh, vibrant citrus fruits, a vivid stoniness and an overlay of sulfury funk. Very nice now, though not showing the same depth or finesse as the older Muscadets in the flight.

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Flight 3 (4 Notes)

  • 1999 Domaine Thomas-Moillard Corton-Clos du Roi 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    A wow wine just for the aromatics alone, which start out as an incredible scent of savoury earth, leather and developed red fruited flavours with spicy and herbal seasonings. There's great depth and balance here with layers of bright fruit combining with the start of maturing savoury flavours in the mouth, the tannins quite fine grained and a long, resonant finish. Fantastic.

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  • 2001 Prince Florent de Merode Corton-Clos du Roi 86 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    Comes across very ripe with a roasted tinge to the dark fruited flavours. It still seems incredibly primary, not showing much beyond lots of youthful dark fruit and framing oak accents right now with fine grained tannin and moderate acidity underneath. Pleasant, though overshadowed by the Cortons on either side.

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  • 2002 Prince Florent de Merode Corton-Clos du Roi 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    A real contrast to the '01, surprisingly showing a lot more depth and nuance with the start of developing leathery, earthy and smoky flavours around a core of fresh dark berried fruit. There's an incredible fragrance that builds with air, lots of depth in the mouth and a very polished, finessed mouthfeel. Superb.

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  • 2009 Domaine de Montille Corton-Clos du Roi 84 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    Shocked at how monstrously ripe and concentrated this showed. This is packed with black cherries and plummy fruit, conveying flavour with a level of ripeness and concentration that had me immediately guessing it was a Californian Pinot. With some air the fruit calms down a little and it becomes better balanced, but it's still a little too ripe and heavy handed for me to really enjoy.

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 92 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Remarkably pale and advanced in colour. It's drinking superbly though with a stunning fragrance combining all sorts of floral, tarry, leathery and high toned red fruited elements, and an incredibly polished, graceful palate presence. This seems fully mature with the tannins fully resolved, a spine of bright acidity keeping the flavours very fresh and lively and wonderful balance.

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  • 1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia 94 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Like the Tondonia, this looks much older than its 21 years but is drinking incredibly well. With air there's an amazing, compelling fragrance that's sweeter and more floral than the Tondonia, showing the same mature earthy, leathery and high toned red fruited flavours but accented with sweet baking spices and floral elements. The palate presence here is pure silk with all the flavours and structural elements coming together into a seamless whole that just resonates in the mouth. Incredible wine.

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Flight 5 (3 Notes)

  • 1996 Montevetrano Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT 94 Points

    Italy, Campania, Colli di Salerno IGT

    A powerful scent of cedar wood, tobacco, black truffles and graphite that immediately had me guessing this was from Pauillac, and then wondering how the hell this wasn't Bordeaux when Gil revealed it. There's still plenty of youthful fruit and structure here suggesting a long future ahead, but it's drinking superbly now with a sense of real finesse and elegance to the flavours and great balance.

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  • 1997 Montevetrano Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT 92 Points

    Italy, Campania, Colli di Salerno IGT

    The same Bordeaux-like fragrance and flavours as the '96, but this comes across a little softer and more open-knit, not showing as much acid and tannin structure. Still really good, though among the Montevetrano trio I preferred the '96.

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  • 2001 Montevetrano Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT

    Italy, Campania, Colli di Salerno IGT

    Really primary right now. This comes across much younger than the '96 or '97 with the fruit incredibly fresh and concentrated, and no sign of any of the developing graphite or cedary elements that marked the older wines. There's a patina of oak that I imagine will integrate with time, but right now it's all about potential.

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Flight 6 (2 Notes)

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