Bibenda Day 2007

Great annual event. This year it only cost € 150. The boxed food was horrible and the music was too loud. The opening presentation was interesting and innovative and the service was okay.

• 1991 Bellavista Franciacorta Riserva Vittorio Moretti 88 Points

  Italy, Lombardia, Franciacorta DOCG

  Medium yellow colour, extra-fine bubbles. Not much on the nose. On palate, lovely fruitiness (peaches, gooseberries), yeast autolysis, big minerality. Medium acidity. Dry on the front; slight sweet, odd sensation on the finish, like tinned fruit. Good length and complexity.

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• 1988 Ferrari Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore 96 Points

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino, Trento

  Wow! Fantastic aromas right out of the bottle (vanilla, caramel, sweet yeast bread). On palate, fresh acidity, medium brut sweetness (seems like around 10 g/L RS), flavours of vanilla, some citrus, nuts and autolysed yeast. Complex, long, full-bodied (yet elegant), beautiful structure. My wine of the flight.

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• 1990 Alfred Gratien Champagne Brut Millésimé 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Medium gold colour. On nose, rich oakiness was the first sensation, followed by nuts and vanilla; nice intensity. On palate, sharp acidity, some tropical fruit notes, citrus and minerality, plus a little vomitus. Nice structure and big body. Not a lightweight.

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• NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Brut Rosé 80 Points

  France, Champagne

  Pretty pinkish orange colour. On nose, spicy, fruit cocktail, overly ripe (rotting) fruit, oxidized, vomitus. On palate, sharply acidic, autolysed yeast, a little vomitus. Funny-tasting stuff. Odd/unique. The guy beside me loved it and it was his WOTF. My worst of the flight, yet most other Selosse Champagnes I have loved.

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• 1988 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut 85 Points

  France, Champagne

  From magnum. Medium gold colour, few bubbles. Nose of vomitus, autolysed yeast and not much else. On palate, very dry (extra brut), very acidic, no fruit, only minerality. Did not improve with warmth and air. Very disappointing, having tasted other vintages that were outstanding.

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• 1989 André Beaufort Champagne Grand Cru Brut (élaborée par Jacques Beaufort) 91 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Medium gold colour. Fairly intense nose of sweet fruits. Interesting flavours, like Sweet Tart candies, medium acidity, high end of brut (around 15 g/L RS), luscious. It had a slightly funny metallic finish, but it was long, complex and nicely balanced. I liked it.

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• 1990 Montevertine M 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Vino da Tavola

  Dark gold colour. Nose of melons, peaches, and some richness that’s difficult to describe. On palate, it is very intense and persistent; ever-so-slightly off-dry, with medium acidity and alcohol; very subtle oak, and a big spectrum of sweet and savory flavours. Very concentrated, rich and structured. Long finish. Made from 50% Trebbiano, 50% Malvasia; maceration on skins; two years in botte grande. My first time trying this wine; I really liked it. [Developed some bitterness after about two hours in glass.]

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• 2000 Ca' del Bosco Terre di Franciacorta 90 Points

  Italy, Lombardia, Terre di Franciacorta

  Medium lemon colour. Nose of oak, nuts, vanilla, butter. Medium acidity, but nice and crisp; medium alcohol; muscley in body; flavours of butter, nuts and fruits like nespole. Barrique for 11 months. Nothing special and nothing Italian about it. But it is a perfectly lovely oaky Chardonnay.

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• 2002 Gravner Ribolla Gialla Anfora 90 Points

  Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT

  Deep gold colour. Nice mix of warm fruits, spices and nuts on the nose. On palate, yellow apples and nuts; dry, medium high acidity, medium alcohol; concentrated, full bodied. Very long and complex, with slight bitter finish. Although it looks oxidized, there’s no smell or taste of oxidized compounds, at least not the disturbing ones. Interesting and different. Not entirely to my taste, but a fine wine.

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• 2001 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune 93 Points

  France, Alsace

  Medium gold colour. On nose, started with a fair bit of SO2, burnt popcorn, but from start to finish it had that typical Riesling aroma of citrus and petrol. On palate, supposedly dry, but tastes off-dry; high but pleasing acidity, and a sweet fruitiness, giving it a lemonade-like character; some petrol; lowish alcohol. Very nice, slightly austere style of Riesling.

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• 1997 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 93 Points

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

  Medium gold. Nose of nuts, vanilla, candies, warm olive oil, and a little burnt popcorn; very intense and persistent. On palate, fruit (tangerines) and minerality, slightly buttery; rich, round full bodied, long, complex. Winemaking biodynamic, 12 months in barrique, very lightly filtered.

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• 2005 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Pale gold, almost water white. Nose of lemons, limes and minerality; true to varietal character. Palate – quite sweet (30+ g/L RS), with plentiful acidity to balance; lowish alcohol. Really well-made, excellent wine, but I cannot find its greatness.

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• 2002 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT 95 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Purple/ruby, very young in appearance. Nose of intense red fruits, currants, oak, can detect its high alcohol in the nose (and eyes). Palate is spectacular; delicious, rich, concentrated fruit, earth and minerality. Velvety tannins, extraordinary complexity and length, and it’s nicely balanced. Great use of oak – just right. Six months ago this wine was unexpressive; love it now. Hope to keep tasting once or twice/year for many years to come.

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• 1998 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Sassicaia

  Ruby with some fine sediment. Nose is toasty/roasty. Palate is meaty, earthy, woody, with a stalky green streak running through it. Lowish acidity, smooth tannins. Twenty-three months in barrique.

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• 1997 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 95 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Garnet in colour; lots of sediment. Nose of roasted/toasted walnuts, coffee, meat. Palate shows high alcohol, medium acidity, ripe/rich tannins; notes of roast meat and roasted kernels; so savory! Wonderful, rich, concentrated, long, complex, satisfying. [Is this wine particularly high in umami components? Tastes like it.]. Always my favourite Brunello.

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• 1990 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Cerequio 80 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Garnet, brick; extreme sediment. On nose – oxidized, balsamic, cooked fruit and spice. On palate, sharply acidic, feeble tannins (perhaps they precipitated out); seems high in alcohol and delivers a sweet sensation. Not balanced and well past its prime.

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• 1998 Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta 94 Points

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella

  Opaque, dark red verging on black. Smoky, thick, extremely concentrated with notes of meat, ripe fruit and dried fruit; too intense. On palate, extreme acidity, alcohol (17.5%) and tannins, plus a sensation of sweetness that is not sugar. In spite of all these extremes, the wine is not unbalanced. It’s mostly Corvina with some Molinara; high density vineyards (11,000 plants/ha) and only 10,000 bottles made. Stunning.

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• 1999 Château Lafite Rothschild 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Nose offers nothing much but a little balsamic/herbal character, with some currants and other typical Cab Sauv fruits in the background. Palate of excellent tannins, med high, yet smooth and rich; roasted/toasted notes. Reasonable complexity, length and structure. First bottle was badly corked; second bottle was deemed untainted...

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• 2001 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

  Transparent, garnet, light. Nose is not intense, light fruit (cherries) and minerality. Palate has much greater intensity; richly flavourful, with fruit and savory notes; moderate in all its structural components; moderately long and complex.

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• 1994 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru

  Transparent, garnet, light. Nose is wild animal along with fruit. Moderate in acidity, alcohol, tannins; sapid, smooth, balanced, long and complex.

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• 2000 Gros Frère et Sœur Richebourg 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  Ruby, more dense in appearance than the other Burgundies. Nose is animal, fruit, and minerality. Palate is richly concentrated, smoky, meaty, umami, minerally and fruit; oak is nicely integrated. Very long and complex, and kept improving in the glass over a couple of hours. Love it.

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• 1996 Château Haut-Brion 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Garnet, sediment. Nose was animally, and not much more. Palate: good acidity, and tannins, moderate alcohol, some meatiness and minerality, and some VA. Wine was rich and flavourful, but past its prime. Nevertheless, could still perceive the greatness of the terroir (or is it my imagination?).

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• 1988 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain Vendange Tardive 92 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Nice, bright, medium gold colour. Nose is intense. Palate of orange marmalade, honey and sturdy minerality. Cool/crisp acidity and just the right amount of sweetness. Beautifully balanced.

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• 1993 Disznókő Tokaji Eszencia

  Hungary, Tokaji

  Brown syrup; extremely viscous. Smells like figs, caramel, orange marmalade, honey, exotic fruit flambé. Extremely sweet (550 g/L!!!), moderately acidic, with moderate alcohol (13%). Great length and persistence, but I expected greater complexity; it is too simple. How does one rate this wine??

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• 1927 Cantine Florio Marsala Superiore Stravecchio

  Italy, Sicily, Marsala Superiore

  Bronze coloured. Nose is offensively oxidized, rancio, sherry-like, with some brown sugar and nuts. Palate: dry, acidic, horrible. After some time in the glass (~ 40 minutes), it smelled less oxidized and actually developed a sweet pleasant aroma; still not good on palate. This is a wine that needed to be Audouzed. Cannot rate it.

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Hoping for better wines next year.