Medium yellow, transient fine mousse. Lemon cream. Medium weight, clean citrus, bracing acidity, just the barest hint of caramel, and a long mineral finish. Vivacious and intense. A great Champagne that is just edging into a phase of maturity flavors after 22 years.
Tulip colored. Waxy aromas mixed with a whiff of fino which disappeared with decanting. A wine of amazingly enveloping texture and amplitude, perfectly balanced by strong acidity and minerality which grew in the glass. Absolutely sublime. Second time tasted (thanks to R and L), and it struck me this time that this is a dead ringer for the highest level of dry Semillon-based wine, like white Haut Brion, for example. What an interesting comparison it would make to taste this side by side with one of those wines.
Light ruby, mature looking. Regal, laid back aromas of balsam and faint red fruit. Elegant, poised, well balanced in the glass with a hint of herb and perfect acidity to carry it. Lasted beautifully for 2 hours. Wonderful old Rioja. Fortunately, the second chance I've had to taste it this year, consistent showings.
Opened as a replacement for the disappointing 1968. Quite light, translucent ruby. Reticent, but some strawberry scents. Lean and delicate, fine acidity and minerality, but also a bit drier than I would have expected for a Tondonia of this age. Atypically, tonight was just not a great night for the Lopez de Heredia wines.
Incredibly saturated ruby color for a 50 year old wine. Aromas of black cherry explode out of the glass. Big wine, chocolatey and textural with surreal concentration and freshness of fruit, yet balanced and quite complex as well. It looked and tasted AT LEAST 30 years younger. Freakishly great performance and quite a surprise, to say the least.
Light golden. Honey and crystallized stone fruit. Very sweet but superbly balanced, spicy dessert wine without any of the high toned florality of this varietal. Really one of the best late harvest Gewürztraminers I've ever had. Will easily last another decade. I had tasted this at the domain last year, and this bottle was every bit as good.
Dull, deep yellow/light golden. Subdued nose that is not as bright or pure as it should be. Medium weight, not that sweet. There is a bit of mustiness, the fruit just doesn't sing, and it's missing something in terms of mouth feel. I have to believe that this bottle was off in some way even if not overtly corked. Interestingly, after having had a superb bottle of this in 2010, I see that another bottle in 2014 showed much the same way as this did. Very disappointing given the quality of the vintage for dessert wines.
Browning deep golden color. Fantastic Madeira aromatics-grilled nuts, figs, and a boatload of exotic spice and clove. Medium weight, not terribly sweet, alive and complex in the mouth. Terrific and should be fantastic for several decades.
1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne
Medium yellow, transient fine mousse. Lemon cream. Medium weight, clean citrus, bracing acidity, just the barest hint of caramel, and a long mineral finish. Vivacious and intense. A great Champagne that is just edging into a phase of maturity flavors after 22 years.
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1986 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco
Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Tulip colored. Waxy aromas mixed with a whiff of fino which disappeared with decanting. A wine of amazingly enveloping texture and amplitude, perfectly balanced by strong acidity and minerality which grew in the glass. Absolutely sublime. Second time tasted (thanks to R and L), and it struck me this time that this is a dead ringer for the highest level of dry Semillon-based wine, like white Haut Brion, for example. What an interesting comparison it would make to taste this side by side with one of those wines.
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1968 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Gran Reserva
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Light ruby, mature looking. Regal, laid back aromas of balsam and faint red fruit. Elegant, poised, well balanced in the glass with a hint of herb and perfect acidity to carry it. Lasted beautifully for 2 hours. Wonderful old Rioja. Fortunately, the second chance I've had to taste it this year, consistent showings.
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1968 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Pale with browning. Stalky, peppery nose. Dry, earthy, curious flavors of celery. Flawed or just old and dried out? No matter, not a pleasant drink.
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1994 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Opened as a replacement for the disappointing 1968. Quite light, translucent ruby. Reticent, but some strawberry scents. Lean and delicate, fine acidity and minerality, but also a bit drier than I would have expected for a Tondonia of this age. Atypically, tonight was just not a great night for the Lopez de Heredia wines.
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1968 Viña Valoria Rioja
Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Incredibly saturated ruby color for a 50 year old wine. Aromas of black cherry explode out of the glass. Big wine, chocolatey and textural with surreal concentration and freshness of fruit, yet balanced and quite complex as well. It looked and tasted AT LEAST 30 years younger. Freakishly great performance and quite a surprise, to say the least.
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2008 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles Hors Choix
France, Alsace
Light golden. Honey and crystallized stone fruit. Very sweet but superbly balanced, spicy dessert wine without any of the high toned florality of this varietal. Really one of the best late harvest Gewürztraminers I've ever had. Will easily last another decade. I had tasted this at the domain last year, and this bottle was every bit as good.
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1989 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Le Mont
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Dull, deep yellow/light golden. Subdued nose that is not as bright or pure as it should be. Medium weight, not that sweet. There is a bit of mustiness, the fruit just doesn't sing, and it's missing something in terms of mouth feel. I have to believe that this bottle was off in some way even if not overtly corked. Interestingly, after having had a superb bottle of this in 2010, I see that another bottle in 2014 showed much the same way as this did. Very disappointing given the quality of the vintage for dessert wines.
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1968 D'Oliveiras Madeira Boal Reserva
Portugal, Madeira
Browning deep golden color. Fantastic Madeira aromatics-grilled nuts, figs, and a boatload of exotic spice and clove. Medium weight, not terribly sweet, alive and complex in the mouth. Terrific and should be fantastic for several decades.
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