2012 base, March 2016 disgorgement. This is a champagne of a very simple style made extraordinarily well. Nothing sticks out here, but everything is very well integrated. Lemony acidity that's balanced with some sweet orchard fruits and a hint of chalky minerality. A nice bit of ripeness gives this a really rounded texture, but this is never heavy.
The blow-torched pears that I mentioned in a note on this two years ago are still present in spades here. I love the density that the oak gives this too, and especially since this has the stuffing that holds up to it so well. There's a touch of apple on the finish, along with lots of mineral freshness. Feels ripe, but it just works so well.
The nose on this is a little bit funkier and weirder than the much cleaner 2004 (which I preferred). This is also the softer and more accessible of the two. The palate has clear American oak, but it's not as marked as the oak in the LRA wines. In fact, it's already very nicely integrated here. A bit acidic, but overall still in balance, this is young and can only get better right now.
I preferred this to the 2001 which was served alongside; I found this a much cleaner expression, without too much funk, though there was a dusty element that I liked. While the palate wasn't as open as the 2001, this was much more impressive for its larger stature -- dark and sweet black fruit, with some earthy tones as well, and I'd bet this would be the better wine in the future.
Absolutely incredible. Served blind, I would have guessed this was something from the 80s. So fresh and vibrant, with beautiful red fruits, and a heap of fully-integrated oak, but with lively acidity that belies its age. The palate is not too dense, but it is still very powerful and elegant. The aromatics just kept getting better with more air too. Perhaps we were all struck by the age of this wine, but this was unanimously the wine of the night.
This was an absolutely outstanding wine in its own right, but suffered slightly in that it was served next to the stunning 1925. Very much cut from the same cloth as that wine, while the nose was a bit smokier and the palate a little bit racier with red fruited acidity and a touch of rust on the back end. However, as the night wore on, the 1925 kept improving at a steady pace, this sort of held its ground instead.
Re-reading my note from a bottle last year, I'd say that this showed reasonably consistently. This has a ton of acidity and American oak, but it is integrated fairly well. Compared to the 1978, I found this a bit thinner and more acidic, and the fruit showed a little sour and emaciated here, but all in all, this is a solid bottle; it's probably time to drink up.
Of the older 890s tonight, I would say this was my favourite. It's a denser, meatier wine, that doesn't show its age at all. There's a slight touch of earthy funk on the nose, but it's integrated well with the sweet black fruit and the coconut (real coconut, not that suntan lotion crap). The sweet fruit on the palate also gives much better balance to the high acidity here. I expect this still has excellent upside, but this is delicious now.
This wasn't as brilliant as I had remembered it from a year ago, but this was nonetheless a solid wine, and the best of the trio of 1987 LRAs by a long shot (as it should be, I suppose). Very nicely integrated, with a clear signature of American oak, with sweet black fruit to pair with the acidity. A very typical Rioja, that hits all the spots. Oddly enough, I remarked on the tannins in the bottle last year; this one's tannins were very nicely integrated.
Of the three 1987 LRAs, I liked this one second (as it should be), although I thought this had much more kinship with the Ardanza than the 890. Very red in complexion, with some cranberry elements here. The acidity is really bracing, but this is still a lovely, if a bit four-square bottle of Rioja. The oak isn't too prominent here, though it does show in a little bit of brown spice if you look for it.
Of the three 1987 LRAs, I liked this one the least. Despite the really nice and spicy nose, I thought that the palate here was a little too thin, and there were some elements that felt unripe. The acidity here is present without anything else to counteract it -- the red fruit on the palate is too tart to provide a counterbalance. Probably, this would have been a solid wine in any other circumstance, but it definitely suffered against such heavy company tonight.
The nose when this was opened was all classic Pol Roger -- autolytic and tons of biscuit and dough. The palate was also brilliant, with lots of sweet fruit with those doughy notes at first, but time was not kind to the wine in the glass: the palate thinned out more and more. Drink up, while there's still something worthy.
A very good bottle of LRA, but I felt it was overshadowed by the larger-scaled 1998. This bottle showed lots of earthiness and some herbaceousness on the nose and palate, which was a unique profile from the rest of the 890s tonight. The palate has that nice dark profile, with sweet black fruit and American oak, and it was this vintage after which the tannins start actually showing some presence.
The nose on this has a bit of fresh herbs (I actually picked up a touch of rosemary -- the porchetta had been long put away at that point), as well as some floral tones, that balance out the classic sweet black fruit profile here. Definitely a fair bit of American oak here, this is a very broad Rioja that impresses by its stature more than anything at this point. This certainly needs much more time to come into its own, but I have to admit that the scale of this wowed me.
From half-bottle. Not as impressive as when I first had this wine seven years ago (I've had a lot more sweet wines in the intervening years), but this is still a fascinating wine (and the only wine of the Chapootier lineup that I've ever found myself caring for). The amount of stewed apricot is absolutely insane. This is more essence of stewed apricot than wine, but it's also really delicious. The texture is surprisingly thin, this doesn't have any syrupy thickness, despite how sweet this is. There's a nice bit of acidity and earthiness that adds extra elements of interest here.
From half-bottle. The older SQN sweet wines have always impressed me, though there are odd ones here and there that do end up cloying. This isn't one of them. This is all dried fig syrup and brown sugar, cut with barely enough acidity. Very rich and almost oily, this somehow manages to toe the balance line well. On the other hand, I can't imagine having more than a small glass of this -- it's incredibly heavy stuff.
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru
I really wasn't a fan of this bottle, despite having had other old Baumard QdCs in the past. The nose on this was a bit too earthy, which overwhelmed any fruit or spice elements that were there. The palate is a bit thin and again dominated by funky notes. I'm not sure that this bottle was totally spot-on, but it didn't seem to show any typical flaws either.
It's been seven years since I had this wine last, and my impressions on this wine seem to keep getting worse. This was surprisingly thin and light, with a colour that was almost rose-like. The nose was mostly dominated by spirit, though there was a slight touch of red fruit and cough syrup here. The palate is surprisingly light, though of course, the alcohol does show quite prominently. I had really expected a much denser and sweeter wine, but that expectation was probably the result of faulty memory. In all, this was good, but at the end of the day, there's a lot of other sweet wines I'd rather drink, which probably accounts for why I haven't had this in so long.
1978 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart Flawed
France, Champagne
Corked! Grr...
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Ludes Les Beaux Regards 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
2012 base, March 2016 disgorgement. This is a champagne of a very simple style made extraordinarily well. Nothing sticks out here, but everything is very well integrated. Lemony acidity that's balanced with some sweet orchard fruits and a hint of chalky minerality. A nice bit of ripeness gives this a really rounded texture, but this is never heavy.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2004 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier d'Or 95 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
The blow-torched pears that I mentioned in a note on this two years ago are still present in spades here. I love the density that the oak gives this too, and especially since this has the stuffing that holds up to it so well. There's a touch of apple on the finish, along with lots of mineral freshness. Feels ripe, but it just works so well.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 90 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
The nose on this is a little bit funkier and weirder than the much cleaner 2004 (which I preferred). This is also the softer and more accessible of the two. The palate has clear American oak, but it's not as marked as the oak in the LRA wines. In fact, it's already very nicely integrated here. A bit acidic, but overall still in balance, this is young and can only get better right now.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2004 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
I preferred this to the 2001 which was served alongside; I found this a much cleaner expression, without too much funk, though there was a dusty element that I liked. While the palate wasn't as open as the 2001, this was much more impressive for its larger stature -- dark and sweet black fruit, with some earthy tones as well, and I'd bet this would be the better wine in the future.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1925 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 98 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Absolutely incredible. Served blind, I would have guessed this was something from the 80s. So fresh and vibrant, with beautiful red fruits, and a heap of fully-integrated oak, but with lively acidity that belies its age. The palate is not too dense, but it is still very powerful and elegant. The aromatics just kept getting better with more air too. Perhaps we were all struck by the age of this wine, but this was unanimously the wine of the night.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1942 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 95 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
This was an absolutely outstanding wine in its own right, but suffered slightly in that it was served next to the stunning 1925. Very much cut from the same cloth as that wine, while the nose was a bit smokier and the palate a little bit racier with red fruited acidity and a touch of rust on the back end. However, as the night wore on, the 1925 kept improving at a steady pace, this sort of held its ground instead.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1959 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 Flawed
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
A second bottle of this, from the same lot as my note from 2014, was also corked.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1962 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 90 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Re-reading my note from a bottle last year, I'd say that this showed reasonably consistently. This has a ton of acidity and American oak, but it is integrated fairly well. Compared to the 1978, I found this a bit thinner and more acidic, and the fruit showed a little sour and emaciated here, but all in all, this is a solid bottle; it's probably time to drink up.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1978 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Of the older 890s tonight, I would say this was my favourite. It's a denser, meatier wine, that doesn't show its age at all. There's a slight touch of earthy funk on the nose, but it's integrated well with the sweet black fruit and the coconut (real coconut, not that suntan lotion crap). The sweet fruit on the palate also gives much better balance to the high acidity here. I expect this still has excellent upside, but this is delicious now.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1987 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
This wasn't as brilliant as I had remembered it from a year ago, but this was nonetheless a solid wine, and the best of the trio of 1987 LRAs by a long shot (as it should be, I suppose). Very nicely integrated, with a clear signature of American oak, with sweet black fruit to pair with the acidity. A very typical Rioja, that hits all the spots. Oddly enough, I remarked on the tannins in the bottle last year; this one's tannins were very nicely integrated.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1987 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 90 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Of the three 1987 LRAs, I liked this one second (as it should be), although I thought this had much more kinship with the Ardanza than the 890. Very red in complexion, with some cranberry elements here. The acidity is really bracing, but this is still a lovely, if a bit four-square bottle of Rioja. The oak isn't too prominent here, though it does show in a little bit of brown spice if you look for it.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1987 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva 88 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Of the three 1987 LRAs, I liked this one the least. Despite the really nice and spicy nose, I thought that the palate here was a little too thin, and there were some elements that felt unripe. The acidity here is present without anything else to counteract it -- the red fruit on the palate is too tart to provide a counterbalance. Probably, this would have been a solid wine in any other circumstance, but it definitely suffered against such heavy company tonight.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1985 Pol Roger Champagne Vintage Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne
The nose when this was opened was all classic Pol Roger -- autolytic and tons of biscuit and dough. The palate was also brilliant, with lots of sweet fruit with those doughy notes at first, but time was not kind to the wine in the glass: the palate thinned out more and more. Drink up, while there's still something worthy.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1994 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
A very good bottle of LRA, but I felt it was overshadowed by the larger-scaled 1998. This bottle showed lots of earthiness and some herbaceousness on the nose and palate, which was a unique profile from the rest of the 890s tonight. The palate has that nice dark profile, with sweet black fruit and American oak, and it was this vintage after which the tannins start actually showing some presence.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1998 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 95 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
The nose on this has a bit of fresh herbs (I actually picked up a touch of rosemary -- the porchetta had been long put away at that point), as well as some floral tones, that balance out the classic sweet black fruit profile here. Definitely a fair bit of American oak here, this is a very broad Rioja that impresses by its stature more than anything at this point. This certainly needs much more time to come into its own, but I have to admit that the scale of this wowed me.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 'Selección Especial' Flawed
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Beneath a shut-down nose of American oak, there was a nagging whiff of TCA.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1997 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Vin de Paille 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
From half-bottle. Not as impressive as when I first had this wine seven years ago (I've had a lot more sweet wines in the intervening years), but this is still a fascinating wine (and the only wine of the Chapootier lineup that I've ever found myself caring for). The amount of stewed apricot is absolutely insane. This is more essence of stewed apricot than wine, but it's also really delicious. The texture is surprisingly thin, this doesn't have any syrupy thickness, despite how sweet this is. There's a nice bit of acidity and earthiness that adds extra elements of interest here.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Sine Qua Non Chardonnay Mr. K The Noble Man 95 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
From half-bottle. The older SQN sweet wines have always impressed me, though there are odd ones here and there that do end up cloying. This isn't one of them. This is all dried fig syrup and brown sugar, cut with barely enough acidity. Very rich and almost oily, this somehow manages to toe the balance line well. On the other hand, I can't imagine having more than a small glass of this -- it's incredibly heavy stuff.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1996 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru 85 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru
I really wasn't a fan of this bottle, despite having had other old Baumard QdCs in the past. The nose on this was a bit too earthy, which overwhelmed any fruit or spice elements that were there. The palate is a bit thin and again dominated by funky notes. I'm not sure that this bottle was totally spot-on, but it didn't seem to show any typical flaws either.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1977 Graham Porto Vintage 90 Points
Portugal, Douro, Porto
It's been seven years since I had this wine last, and my impressions on this wine seem to keep getting worse. This was surprisingly thin and light, with a colour that was almost rose-like. The nose was mostly dominated by spirit, though there was a slight touch of red fruit and cough syrup here. The palate is surprisingly light, though of course, the alcohol does show quite prominently. I had really expected a much denser and sweeter wine, but that expectation was probably the result of faulty memory. In all, this was good, but at the end of the day, there's a lot of other sweet wines I'd rather drink, which probably accounts for why I haven't had this in so long.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue