Leo's Blind Tasting Group - July '13 edition

Didn't take notes on the Remelluri Rioja Blanco, Ceretto Annata, or the two dessert wines. This was an incredible tasting and a very generous lineup of wines. Thanks Josh!

• 2008 Gusbourne Brut Rosé 87 Points

  United Kingdom, England, Kent

  Not particularly complex, but quite refreshing with bright acidity and effervescence beneath fresh strawberry and raspberry fruit accented with yeasty and creamy notes. Very nice.

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• 1986 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé 88 Points

  France, Champagne

  I might have been in the minority at the table here, found this pleasant but not particularly compelling. A rather deep, almost orange-pink colour, still quite effervescent with a very savoury, toasty and nutty aroma framing bright citrus and red fruits with a faint oxidative element on the palate. There's good length and it's nicely balanced, but I didn't find it particularly interesting.

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• 2007 Do Ferreiro Albariño Rías Baixas Cepas Vellas 92 Points

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  Thought this was a Grüner when poured blind; there's a vividly green, verdant aroma leading into a palate full of bright citrus fruit tinged by spicy/herbal elements. The texture's quite remarkable, it's very rich, almost oily yet retains fantastic precision and balance.

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• 1983 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling Kabinett 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Just a fantastic bottle of Kabinett. So pure, elegant and precise with leafy/forestal aromas (that had me wondering if this might be a Grünhaus) and gentle smoky, petrol and mineral accents framing pure citrus and green apple fruit. There's still an incredible sense of freshness and brightness here, understated sweetness matched by razor sharp acidity, and this is just spectacular - I preferred this to any of my experiences with the '83 Zilliken GKAs.

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• 1999 Prager Riesling Smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein 90 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  Comes across a bit more advanced than I'd expect a '99 to be (I was guessing this was from the mid/early 90s), but this is lovely with rich pear, citrus and stone fruit framed by developed smoky and earthy notes, finishing long and savoury.

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• 1991 Gravner Sauvignon Venezia Giulia IGT 91 Points

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

  Stunningly youthful and fresh, not showing a trace of its 20-some years. The aromas scream Sauvignon with a vivid grassiness framing fresh citrus and gooseberry fruit, and there's barely any sign of development on the palate with bright acidity and a gentle mineral undercurrent beneath the fruit and grassiness. Really nice.

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• 1991 Gravner Ribolla Gialla 90 Points

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

  Quite a contrast to the '91 Sauvignon, this comes across much more developed and savoury. The vanilla-like aroma suggests something sweeter, but on the palate it's quite creamy with fresh fruit up front and turning more savoury on the back end. Really fascinating wine.

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• 1991 Gravner Bianco Venezia Giulia IGT 83 Points

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

  Quite herbal and high toned aromatically, but on the palate it's rather uninteresting and seems a little flat after the Ribolla and Sauvignon. It's rich with generous white fruited flavours and some savoury elements, but there's not a lot of complexity here and it doesn't have the sense of freshness apparent in the other two Gravners.

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• 1978 Joseph Drouhin Volnay

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay

  Rather tired, showing a little faded red fruit beneath a slightly oxidative/maderized aromatic element, but I didn't find anything of interest here.

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• 1978 Chalone Vineyard Pinot Noir Chalone 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone

  A lovely high toned fragrance right away, with fresh red fruits, exotic spicy, floral and herbal elements, and a pine needle-like element all coming together into a beautiful scent. This is drinking incredibly well right now, very polished, elegant and refined on the palate with gentle red fruits tinged with spice and florality on a lightweight frame, with the tannins fully integrated and bright acids keeping it very fresh and lively.

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• 1964 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  A lovely scent of leather, earth, dried flowers and gentle red fruits, and a very polished, gentle palate presence. This comes across fully mature, very savoury with the fruit and developed earthy/leathery elements all coming together quite seamlessly on the palate, and it's wonderful with the roast chicken.

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• 1964 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The last bottle of this I had seemed to be on the downslope, but this one seems as if it could go another few decades easily. A stunning fragrance, and on the palate this is astonishingly young, there's still a sense of incredible freshness and sappiness to the red fruit here, and layers of tarry, floral, spicy, leathery and tobacco elements framing it. There's still some grainy tannin lingering on the back end, but the balance and sense of harmony here are absolutely compelling and this is an absolutely thrilling wine.

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• 1978 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

  USA, California

  This is drinking superbly right now. Rich fruit, cedar, earth and higher toned herbal elements all coming together in a very fragrant, polished whole that combines both power and finesse. Fantastic.

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• 1978 Château Latour Grand Vin 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Just spectacular. Incredibly complex, powerful, so polished and impeccably balanced, and an absolutely thrilling wine. This has it all, the fruit's still quite rich and sappy, but augmented by layers of mature cedar, tobacco, graphite and earthy elements with a faint leathery element that had me wondering if this was an old Cordier. There's an incredibly silken, refined palate presence, and a finish that just keeps resonating. Thanks Josh!

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