Impromptu tasting @ Peter Z.

Spontaneous little weeknight tasting, together with Peter. We poured each other some random (blinded) bottles.
Wines served blinded to me, are noted as such.

• 2003 Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Honivogl 90 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  (blind) Golden yellow in colour. Heavily perfumed, a sultry spiciness mixed with lots of tropical fruit. On the palate there is the smallest sweetness in the onset. Mid-palate is broad, lascivious and mouthfilling, a tad fatty or oily too. Low acidity and minerality. On the other hand, they might be there somewhere, but at the moment it's all clouded by the enormous concentration and the fierce, almost soapy flavours. Hugely hedonistic and, at first, struck me as a 10-year-old Riesling Spätlese from Clemens Busch of Van Volxem, but the (seeming?) lack of acidity brought me to GruVe, eventually. 17.5/20

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

• 2006 A. Christmann Konigsbacher Idig Riesling Großes Gewächs 89 Points

  Germany, Pfalz

  Inviting tropical fruit on the nose, fresh and floral. Some lavendersoap in the background. Lively attack. Nice, round and easy-going. Quite soft and very drinkable. Loved the chalky minerals, but it might have been a bit muted on the aromatics. Ends up with that typical almond-note I always get. 17/20

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

• 2001 Querciabella Camartina Flawed

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Disharmonious, searing acidity. Undrinkable. Yuk.

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

• 2005 Domaine Léon Barral Faugères Valinière 89 Points

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Faugères

  (blind) Deep, dark red. Ripe prune and and blackberry jump out of the glass. A tad alcoholic (kirsch), but I thought that negligible. Horse shed and bouquet garni emerge while swirling. On the palate this is youthful, thick and loaded with primary fruit. Rhone-like in structure and possesses some cellaring potential. Nice wine! Given the high percentage of mourvedre in this blend, I expected it to be more unruly and feral. Maybe that will come in time. 17/20

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

• 2002 Wine & Soul Douro Pintas 90 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Deep and dark. Black cherry, dark chocolate, caramel-coffee, smoked sausages, BBQ-seasoning. On the palate I'm getting cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf, licorice. A tad drying, but that's no problem. Ripe and bold tannines which leave me with a powdery mouthfeel. Class-act, with only a very small hole in the midpalate. 17,5/20

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

• 2001 Piaggia (Vannucci) Carmignano Riserva Piaggia 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Carmignano

  (blind) Nose has a striking medicinal quality (iodine, cough drops), but luckily there are also boat loads of black fruit, dates, bitter chocolate. Powerful, gorgeous concentration and extremely complex and layered. Creamy and soft, yet vigorous, robust and convincing. Truly, a great example of Sangiovese! Brunello? Supertuscan? 18/20

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

• 2005 Glaetzer Godolphin 87 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Bee-ooooo-tiful nose, very impressive. But in the mouth this is quite sweet and leaves the impression of residual sugar. Hopefully this will flatten out with some extra cellartime. All the other ingredients are there. If only it wasn't this sweet... 16/20

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

• 1999 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru 92 Points

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

  (blind) Beautifully young, keen and fresh on the nose. Citrus, white peach, fresh bunch of grapes, pears, baked apples and caramel. In the mouth it's richer, more round and supple. Pinch of botrytis, hint of almonds, lovely saline minerality. To me it had "Riesling" written all over it...: An auslese from a recent and ripe vintage (2005?) and from a producer who pursues a more modern and fatter style (say Dr. Loosen?). Tssss.... So I took a nosedive and was reproached. But I liked the wine! 18/20

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

• 2003 Niepoort Porto Late Bottled Vintage 87 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  As a nightcap we drank a pure and unpretentious glass of Port. Supple and dangerously drinkable! Currants, cranberries, cherries, rumbonbons, it's all there. Not too sweet, not too spicy. The golden mean between the different kinds of Ruby Port out there. Excellent QPR. Would be happy to have this one as a 'house Port'. 16/20

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

Personal WOTN: 2001 Piaggia Riserva Carmignano
Other wines to look out for: 1999 Baumard Quarts de Chaume