France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
I love this wine. For the most part, it has been a really brilliant bottle of wine, showing exactly what a Corton-Charlemagne ought to show. It's a broad-shouldered, intense and powerful wine, with just the right amount of reduction on the nose, followed by a powerful palate that is generously adorned by a beautiful mix of ripe fruit. And behind all this adornment is a powerful vein of acidity. This actually came across as fresher than than 2008 Bouchard tonight. My last bottle from a purchase five years ago. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a hint sentimental about it.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Although I liked the 2000 Boillot a great deal more than this bottle, this is no slouch of a wine. There is a slight bit of browning apple on the palate here which is worrying, but it's certainly not to the degree I would go about crying premox. Fairly rich, this feels like it's pushing the boundary a bit to me. There is certainly ample acidity here, but at the same time, it doesn't feel too integrated with the rest of the palate. Certainly this has the breadth I would expect from a grand cru, but this bottle just didn't seem to work with me tonigh.
Served blind, there's no way I would have arrived at 24 years on this wine. It's so fresh and bright and elegant. Granted, the initial whiff on the nose shows a little furry, animal funkiness, but then you get to a bit of tart fruit and a really nice dirt-inflected mineral freshness, as well as a slight bit of oiliness. This tastes extremely young still, and has ways to go.
I have to admit I was surprised by how much I liked this. First off, the nose on this is awesome -- so much rancio, some orange peel, brown spice, and all that good stuff. The palate is classic sherry, with its saline and nuttiness. There's a slight oiliness that works really well with the acidity and higher alcohol here. Very good complexity and concentration here.
The colour on this was already a little worrying, as it started to show a bit of brown and there was definitely some murkiness here. The nose shows a bit of sweat and old Rioja dirtiness, but the palate is where this wine shines. There is an incredible amount of fruit here for a wine so old. It's a fully resolved wine for sure and I wouldn't sit on this much longer, but there is plenty to enjoy here, and not just for the curiosity of tasting a 50+ year-old wine.
This is a ridiculously young-tasting wine. It's really surprising how much primary black fruit you can still find in this wine. Of course, there is also the archetypal American oak notes on the nose here, but they aren't anywhere as prominent as those on the La Rioja Alta wines that followed. Very fruit-forward, but also very pleasant to drink now. It's a wine that definitely has lots of long term potential, and I'd love to see how this wine evolves with more time.
My favourite of the Riojas tonight. La Rioja Alta has always really hit it off with my palate -- there is this beautiful perfume to the American oak that is actually quite distinctive, and for me, very pleasant -- and this bottle certainly carries that quality. There is a touch of that stinky Rioja sweat/barnyard thing, but it gives way to a resolved wine with plenty of secondary fruit character. The tannins being more resolved than not gives this a sense that it's ready to drink, but based on the amount of material here, I suspect there's life aplenty for extended further aging.
It's a treat to be able to taste the 890 next to the 904 in the same vintage; I always sort of wish that I could prefer the 904 so I could get 3x the amount of wine for the same money, but I think the few times I've done this side-by-side, the 890 always does win out. This is no exception; the 890 is shows a more delicate perfume and defter touch with the oak, and while it doesn't seem as loud as the 904, it's more complex and layered. The fruit is still very young and there's a sweetness here that I actually quite like. Needless to say, this is a wine that can benefit from more time.
Tasted alongside the 890, and I always wish that I like this bottling as much as the 890, but it never seems to be the case. Although this is the larger-scaled wine, with more outright expressiveness and power, it's not quite as complex as its more prestigious sibling. The fruit is young and quite potent, and the American oak perfume here is very prominent. There's a hint of earthiness that I find quite enjoyable here as well. Overall, the structure on this wine isn't as chiseled as the 890, but in general, I can't say I'd turn my nose up at this wine.
For an Huet at this level, this is actually surprisingly restrained and much less exuberant and sweet than I would have expected. There's an understated elegance here that I really like as well. Light on its feet with plenty of acidity and freshness, with a touch of candied orange peel and a touch of brown sugar. Certainly with more time this will continue to lose sweetness, so given my palate preferences, this is a wine that seems ready for consumption right now.
I think I liked this far more than most; this is a wine that seems like it was made for my palate. Motor oil in colour and viscosity, inordinately sweet, but not cloying at all. Rancio, brown spice, dried fruits, and just so much other good stuff. A thimble goes a long way, but it is a brilliantly satisfying wine nonetheless. Tastes like raisin juice. The most impressive thing is the streak of acidity here that keeps things lively. Monumental stuff; this is definitely the sort of wine that I will be keeping an eye out for from now.
2000 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
I love this wine. For the most part, it has been a really brilliant bottle of wine, showing exactly what a Corton-Charlemagne ought to show. It's a broad-shouldered, intense and powerful wine, with just the right amount of reduction on the nose, followed by a powerful palate that is generously adorned by a beautiful mix of ripe fruit. And behind all this adornment is a powerful vein of acidity. This actually came across as fresher than than 2008 Bouchard tonight. My last bottle from a purchase five years ago. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a hint sentimental about it.
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2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Domaine 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Although I liked the 2000 Boillot a great deal more than this bottle, this is no slouch of a wine. There is a slight bit of browning apple on the palate here which is worrying, but it's certainly not to the degree I would go about crying premox. Fairly rich, this feels like it's pushing the boundary a bit to me. There is certainly ample acidity here, but at the same time, it doesn't feel too integrated with the rest of the palate. Certainly this has the breadth I would expect from a grand cru, but this bottle just didn't seem to work with me tonigh.
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1996 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Served blind, there's no way I would have arrived at 24 years on this wine. It's so fresh and bright and elegant. Granted, the initial whiff on the nose shows a little furry, animal funkiness, but then you get to a bit of tart fruit and a really nice dirt-inflected mineral freshness, as well as a slight bit of oiliness. This tastes extremely young still, and has ways to go.
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NV Bodegas Tradición Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Amontillado 30 Years Old VORS 93 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
I have to admit I was surprised by how much I liked this. First off, the nose on this is awesome -- so much rancio, some orange peel, brown spice, and all that good stuff. The palate is classic sherry, with its saline and nuttiness. There's a slight oiliness that works really well with the acidity and higher alcohol here. Very good complexity and concentration here.
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1964 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Vina Monty Reserva 90 Points
Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
The colour on this was already a little worrying, as it started to show a bit of brown and there was definitely some murkiness here. The nose shows a bit of sweat and old Rioja dirtiness, but the palate is where this wine shines. There is an incredible amount of fruit here for a wine so old. It's a fully resolved wine for sure and I wouldn't sit on this much longer, but there is plenty to enjoy here, and not just for the curiosity of tasting a 50+ year-old wine.
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2004 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
This is a ridiculously young-tasting wine. It's really surprising how much primary black fruit you can still find in this wine. Of course, there is also the archetypal American oak notes on the nose here, but they aren't anywhere as prominent as those on the La Rioja Alta wines that followed. Very fruit-forward, but also very pleasant to drink now. It's a wine that definitely has lots of long term potential, and I'd love to see how this wine evolves with more time.
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1990 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
My favourite of the Riojas tonight. La Rioja Alta has always really hit it off with my palate -- there is this beautiful perfume to the American oak that is actually quite distinctive, and for me, very pleasant -- and this bottle certainly carries that quality. There is a touch of that stinky Rioja sweat/barnyard thing, but it gives way to a resolved wine with plenty of secondary fruit character. The tannins being more resolved than not gives this a sense that it's ready to drink, but based on the amount of material here, I suspect there's life aplenty for extended further aging.
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2004 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
It's a treat to be able to taste the 890 next to the 904 in the same vintage; I always sort of wish that I could prefer the 904 so I could get 3x the amount of wine for the same money, but I think the few times I've done this side-by-side, the 890 always does win out. This is no exception; the 890 is shows a more delicate perfume and defter touch with the oak, and while it doesn't seem as loud as the 904, it's more complex and layered. The fruit is still very young and there's a sweetness here that I actually quite like. Needless to say, this is a wine that can benefit from more time.
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2004 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Tasted alongside the 890, and I always wish that I like this bottling as much as the 890, but it never seems to be the case. Although this is the larger-scaled wine, with more outright expressiveness and power, it's not quite as complex as its more prestigious sibling. The fruit is young and quite potent, and the American oak perfume here is very prominent. There's a hint of earthiness that I find quite enjoyable here as well. Overall, the structure on this wine isn't as chiseled as the 890, but in general, I can't say I'd turn my nose up at this wine.
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1997 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie 20th Anniversary Release Le Mont 93 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
For an Huet at this level, this is actually surprisingly restrained and much less exuberant and sweet than I would have expected. There's an understated elegance here that I really like as well. Light on its feet with plenty of acidity and freshness, with a touch of candied orange peel and a touch of brown sugar. Certainly with more time this will continue to lose sweetness, so given my palate preferences, this is a wine that seems ready for consumption right now.
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NV Valdespino Moscatel Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Toneles 98 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
I think I liked this far more than most; this is a wine that seems like it was made for my palate. Motor oil in colour and viscosity, inordinately sweet, but not cloying at all. Rancio, brown spice, dried fruits, and just so much other good stuff. A thimble goes a long way, but it is a brilliantly satisfying wine nonetheless. Tastes like raisin juice. The most impressive thing is the streak of acidity here that keeps things lively. Monumental stuff; this is definitely the sort of wine that I will be keeping an eye out for from now.
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