Overly sulfur-ed nose, with thin lemon notes. On the palate it tastes like a passable viognier: Dry, medium bodied, medium plus alcohol (feels 14%), medium acid, medium phenolic bitterness. In balance, just not very expressive. Decent palate, total failure on the nose. Maybe this is just over the hill? Already?
Mostly 2011(71%) with vintages back to 2007. 54%-35-11 (Chard, pinot, meunier).
Pale gold in the glass. Clear nose - yellow apple pastry dough with fresh baguette and a hint of raw almond, raw almond skin. Well-integrated. Almost like baguette soaked in milk - creamy, fresh autolysis. Well-integrated palate. Feels more on the 7-10g side in dosage, but it could be fruit ripeness. Medium-fine mousse, full and powerful, with long high-minus acid. Finish lasts a while with well-knit flavors of pastry dough and apple.
Pale gold with reflections of straw. Explosive nose of warm brioche, baguette, and just a hint of stinky yeast extract - it's funky and I like it. Savory apple preserves with spices and iced pie crust. Powerfully explosive mousse on the palate, with medium-fine bubbles, modest dosage (holds it well - feels 5-7g), lots of autolytic brioche and pie dough, with shades of green and yellow apples, slight brown sugar notes, and faint baked apple character. High acid, strong finish.
Just a tad disjointed - needs a bit of age to integrate perhaps? Higher intensity than the Nyetimber. Slightly less well-integrated, but quite exciting.
(blind) Dark ruby, garnet at the rim - showing age. Nose: Old - savory tamari, tobacco. Blackberry, tomato, smoked meat. Savory brown olive - possible pyrazines. Phenomenal tapestry of savory and fruity flavors.
Palate: Dry, full-bodied, medium plus alcohol (14%), medium plus acid, medium plus tannins (ripe, melted) Shows lots of well-integrated oak. Dark fruit - loads of blackberry, blackcurrant. Superb integration - savory and sweet and developed.
CA cabernet with slight brett?!
Final Call: CA Cabernet with some cab franc - bordeaux blend, Napa 1992. Actual: 1995 Seavey Cabernet, Napa 100% cab, 50% new French oak, 14% - Philippe Melka
USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Livermore Valley
(blind) White wine, orange-copper in the glass.
Some VA and acetic. No notable botrytis. (in hindsight... there was some botrytis). Dried sour apricot fruit, golden raisin. Slight oxidation, but overall fairly fresh.
Sweet - 120-150g/L RS. Elevated alcohol 14% High acid Faint impression of tannins. Finish is long - apricot.
Process: Dried grapes were fermented to a relatively high alcohol. Doesn't seem to have the oxidation to be a vin de paille, so maybe an icewine? The alcohol seems a bit high though.
Grapes: Cab Franc? Vidal? Riesling? I don't get TDN, but given the high acid this seems more likely. Germany? Canada?
Final call: Riesling Eiswein. German. Not that old - 2007?
Other possibilities: - SGN? - Sauternes? - Tokaji?
Actually: 1989 Kalin Cuvee d'Or 13.5% Ashish: This is better than the '89 Suduiraut!
2014 Grover Zampa Viognier La Réserve 75 Points
India, Bangalore, Nandi Hills
Overly sulfur-ed nose, with thin lemon notes. On the palate it tastes like a passable viognier:
Dry, medium bodied, medium plus alcohol (feels 14%), medium acid, medium phenolic bitterness. In balance, just not very expressive.
Decent palate, total failure on the nose. Maybe this is just over the hill? Already?
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NV Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 90 Points
United Kingdom, England, Sussex, West Sussex
Mostly 2011(71%) with vintages back to 2007.
54%-35-11 (Chard, pinot, meunier).
Pale gold in the glass.
Clear nose - yellow apple pastry dough with fresh baguette and a hint of raw almond, raw almond skin. Well-integrated. Almost like baguette soaked in milk - creamy, fresh autolysis.
Well-integrated palate. Feels more on the 7-10g side in dosage, but it could be fruit ripeness. Medium-fine mousse, full and powerful, with long high-minus acid. Finish lasts a while with well-knit flavors of pastry dough and apple.
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2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut 91 Points
France, Champagne
Pale gold with reflections of straw.
Explosive nose of warm brioche, baguette, and just a hint of stinky yeast extract - it's funky and I like it. Savory apple preserves with spices and iced pie crust.
Powerfully explosive mousse on the palate, with medium-fine bubbles, modest dosage (holds it well - feels 5-7g), lots of autolytic brioche and pie dough, with shades of green and yellow apples, slight brown sugar notes, and faint baked apple character. High acid, strong finish.
Just a tad disjointed - needs a bit of age to integrate perhaps?
Higher intensity than the Nyetimber. Slightly less well-integrated, but quite exciting.
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1995 Seavey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
(blind)
Dark ruby, garnet at the rim - showing age.
Nose: Old - savory tamari, tobacco. Blackberry, tomato, smoked meat. Savory brown olive - possible pyrazines. Phenomenal tapestry of savory and fruity flavors.
Palate:
Dry, full-bodied, medium plus alcohol (14%), medium plus acid, medium plus tannins (ripe, melted)
Shows lots of well-integrated oak. Dark fruit - loads of blackberry, blackcurrant. Superb integration - savory and sweet and developed.
CA cabernet with slight brett?!
Final Call: CA Cabernet with some cab franc - bordeaux blend, Napa 1992.
Actual: 1995 Seavey Cabernet, Napa
100% cab, 50% new French oak, 14% - Philippe Melka
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2015 Monastero Suore Cistercensi Lazio Coenobium Flawed
Italy, Latium, Lazio
corked
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1989 Kalin Cellars Cuvée d'Or 90 Points
USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Livermore Valley
(blind)
White wine, orange-copper in the glass.
Some VA and acetic.
No notable botrytis. (in hindsight... there was some botrytis). Dried sour apricot fruit, golden raisin. Slight oxidation, but overall fairly fresh.
Sweet - 120-150g/L RS.
Elevated alcohol 14%
High acid
Faint impression of tannins.
Finish is long - apricot.
Process:
Dried grapes were fermented to a relatively high alcohol.
Doesn't seem to have the oxidation to be a vin de paille, so maybe an icewine? The alcohol seems a bit high though.
Grapes:
Cab Franc? Vidal? Riesling? I don't get TDN, but given the high acid this seems more likely.
Germany? Canada?
Final call: Riesling Eiswein. German. Not that old - 2007?
Other possibilities:
- SGN?
- Sauternes?
- Tokaji?
Actually: 1989 Kalin Cuvee d'Or 13.5%
Ashish: This is better than the '89 Suduiraut!
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