Leo's Blind Tasting Group - May '14 edition

Ben's (NYC)
Tasted Sunday, May 18, 2014 by salil with 506 views

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2000 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 89 Points

    France, Champagne

    My impressions haven't changed that much from a few years ago. This is a good, not great CdC with ripe fruit framed by doughy and yeasty flavours, but it feels a touch soft on the palate without the acidity I'd like, and some dosage sweetness still noticeable on the back end. A really good Champagne, but not the fireworks display I typically expect Comtes to be.

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  • 2002 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    Served alongside the 2000, and I greatly preferred this. Lots of complexity already; layers of fresh fruit, fresh baked biscuit, chalk, and sweeter doughy and floral notes all coming together seamlessly, and there's fantastic cut and precision to the flavours. On the palate it conveys both great intensity and elegance, and the finish has remarkable length. Outstanding.

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Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 1998 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon 92 Points

    France, Champagne

    Liked this a lot. Really bright and vibrant with lots of red berried fruit and citrus flavours framed by creamy, yeasty and mineral notes. There's a remarkable sense of freshness and purity to the flavours, and fantastic acidity beneath keeping it very precise and lively. One of the best rosé Champagnes I've had.

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  • NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé 89 Points

    France, Champagne

    This shows a bit simpler than the Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon; it has a similarly red fruited flavour profile with bright yeasty and floral accents, but it doesn't show the same degree of depth on the palate. It also feels a touch softer, not having the same acid-driven precision and energy though it's still very well balanced and lovely to drink.

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Flight 3 (3 Notes)

  • 1994 Bodegas Muga Rioja Torre Muga 94 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Well, this was a shocker. Half the table was guessing this might be from Burgundy or a very classic, old style Rioja given the incredibly pure, sweet floral aromas and the core of fresh red fruits here, and many of us were pretty amazed when it was unveiled to be a Muga. Great complexity here, with more savoury earthy, cedary and dried floral notes augmenting the layers of fresh fruit, and a palate presence that's incredibly polished and silken textured. Fantastic wine.

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  • 1994 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 90 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Love the aromatics here, but it doesn't quite deliver on the palate what it promises on the nose. There's a great fragrance with all sorts of savoury earthy, smoky and dried floral notes around a core of sweet red fruits, but there's also a faint balsamic/VA like element and it's not showing as much depth on the palate.

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  • NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1991, 1994, 1999 (2012 Release) 92 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

    Quite a contrast to the two Riojas. This is a powerhouse. There's a core of red and dark fruit that's quite intense and concentrated, and it's framed by noticeable oak and higher toned spicy elements. With time in the glass it turns more savoury as the oak takes a step back, and still feels rather young with plenty of fine grained tannin lingering on the back end. Compelling.

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Flight 4 (4 Notes)

  • 1999 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A touch reserved on the nose, but the palate here is absolutely incredible with a core of sappy red fruited flavours conveyed with a really delicate, silken touch and remarkable finesse. There's great intensity of flavour but barely any sensation of weight, and it's very long and finessed on the back end. Still very youthful and primary, but a really stunning wine.

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  • 1999 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia 95 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A wow from the fragrance alone. Red fruits, spice, flowers, and more savoury earthy and anise-like notes combining into one incredible scent that's echoed on the palate. It's still showing some fine grained tannin on the back end, but the balance is stunning and there's a really finessed, polished texture here. Spectacular wine.

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  • 1999 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Rather reserved on the nose compared to the other Barolo in this flight. The aromatics are quite high toned; herbal and spicy with a more savoury anise-like aspect, and there's still austere tannin showing on the palate. Beneath all the structure is some pure red and dark fruit, but right now the structure dominates and it seems more about potential than pleasure.

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  • 1999 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 95 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A jawdropper. This has it all. Such an incredible aroma with layers of red fruit, truffles, earth, floral notes, and other savoury elements coming together on the nose and palate, and all conveyed with remarkable purity and finesse. The texture on the palate is pure silk, and the finish seems to resonate for minutes. Absolutely amazing wine.

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Flight 5 (2 Notes)

  • 1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Not a sound bottle. Showing some red fruit but dominated by maderized, oxidative notes.

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  • 1989 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    This remains a stunner, and one of my favorite Bordeaux. The fragrance is just classic Pauillac - cedar, graphite, tobacco, mature earthy and truffled notes, and that green herbal/forestal signature of PLL all coming together into a scent that's hard to move away from, and the palate presence is pure silk with the tannins fully resolved and the acidity bright and lively beneath the fruit. Absolutely spectacular wine that's drinking at peak right now.

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Flight 6 (2 Notes)

Flight 7 (1 Note)

  • 1986 Château Rieussec 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    This comes across fresher and lighter on its feet than what I typically expect from most Sauternes; it's certainly quite sweet and intense, but there's really bright acidity beneath the ripe clementine, apricot and honey-tinged tropical fruit flavours. The botrytis here doesn't overwhelm, and it's one of the more light and elegant Sauternes I've come across in some time.

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