Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
[Tasted Blind] This wine pours light straw in the glass. The nose begins a tad tight but gradually opens to reveal tart kiwi, light flinty reduction, lemon custard, cold cream, and fresh cut apple. The palate shows plenty of lovely lees influence with noted custardy elements and turns to medium plus acid which is a tad harsh and green tinged, which hold this back a little for me. This was clearly a wine that was white burgundy in style. The other blind taster landed on Chablis, while I wondered if this might be an aligote due to some of the green character. A very nice wine, perhaps priced just a little ahead of its quality.
[Tasted Blind] this pours medium (almost deep) gold in the glass. The nose is inviting, mature and complex showing plenty of life and loads of complexity. Aromas are of white flowers, honeycomb, beeswax, ripe pear, gravel, candied lemon peel, fresh white mushroom, and fresh golden delicious apple. The palate is totally bone dry with medium plus, very prominent acid which has no doubt helped this age gloriously. The finish is lengthy replaying much of the nose. I guessed Chenin Blanc as this was absent any grassy notes you'd expect in Sauvignon Blanc. Wow, what a great showing from this humble wine. Gets me wanting to age more Loire Sauvignon Blanc which is something I never thought I'd say.
[Tasted Blind, followed over 24 hours] This pours medium ruby with ever so slight bricking. The nose on this is totally primary and quite shut down showing dark cherry, violet, and some twiggy earth. Really not much there. The palate is super dominated by the structure. This is really quite tannic (medium plus at least with medium acid). There is also alcohol noted on the finish that strikes me as 14%. This combination made this nearly impossible to guess. Structure and alcohol pointed to Nebbiolo, the color to Syrah. there were also thoughts of Sangiovese (which the fruit profile and color didn't match much at all), or Sourthen Rhone (which the color and structure didn't match). All in all this was quite a poor showing. Not an attractive wine at all and difficult to determine if it is shut down or just a poor wine.
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
[Tasted Blind] This pours medium ruby, almost deep ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose has a pleasant farmy, leathery, herbaceous funk off the hop, but it's very nicely integrated with the whole. Aromas are of charcoal, burlap, charred green bell pepper, black currant, sweet black raspberry, gravel, and just a touch of mint. The palate is impressively structured. After reveal I noted more tannin here than previous times I've had this wine. Medium tannin and medium acid with plenty of the lovely dark berry fruit and complexity of the nose along the lengthy finish. This felt a tad younger than the previous times I've had this wine, but I did throw it out as a possible guess. Just a fabulous showing and a beautiful bottle! It's just so enjoyable and was actually just as good on day two.
This pours medium ruby in the glass with light bricking at the rim. The nose is aromatic and expressive from the first pour showing sweet pipe tobacco, used leather, wet hay, dried cherry, plum, cassis, sweet cedar, bay leaf, celery seed, and forest floor. The palate is integrated and built on the lovely fruit profile showing plum and sweet cedar, turning to medium minus tannin and medium acid along the long finish showing plenty of lovely pipe tobacco. What a great bottle. By far the best showing I've had from the humble 1989 Meyney. Pristine bottle! There is impressive fruit lushness here and while drinking perfectly today I think this will continue to have a long plateau.
What an oddly fascinating bottle of wine. Immediately you're struck by the color in the glass, totally brown. It looks like an amontillado sherry. Based on appearance you might expect significant oxidation, however you're met with significant freshness. The nose is of dried apricot, ripe peach, honey drizzled ripe pear, river rocks, and apple blossom. The palate enters on the significant residual sugar. While I don't know the tech specs, it feels like 60 - 90 g/l. The palate then turns to the wonderful bright apple and pear tinged acidity keeping this very fresh and not even a little cloying. More acid than I expected in a positive way. I don't think there is any botrytis here, which is something I miss. Ultimately if you can get your head around the color in the glass this is quite a nice drink. While not terribly complex, it is very refreshing and the rest of the bottle was a wonderful match with foie gras a few days later.
2016 Ocean Eight Chardonnay Verve 91 Points
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
[Tasted Blind] This wine pours light straw in the glass. The nose begins a tad tight but gradually opens to reveal tart kiwi, light flinty reduction, lemon custard, cold cream, and fresh cut apple. The palate shows plenty of lovely lees influence with noted custardy elements and turns to medium plus acid which is a tad harsh and green tinged, which hold this back a little for me. This was clearly a wine that was white burgundy in style. The other blind taster landed on Chablis, while I wondered if this might be an aligote due to some of the green character. A very nice wine, perhaps priced just a little ahead of its quality.
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1998 Domaine Henry Pellé Menetou-Salon Morogues 93 Points
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Menetou-Salon
[Tasted Blind] this pours medium (almost deep) gold in the glass. The nose is inviting, mature and complex showing plenty of life and loads of complexity. Aromas are of white flowers, honeycomb, beeswax, ripe pear, gravel, candied lemon peel, fresh white mushroom, and fresh golden delicious apple. The palate is totally bone dry with medium plus, very prominent acid which has no doubt helped this age gloriously. The finish is lengthy replaying much of the nose. I guessed Chenin Blanc as this was absent any grassy notes you'd expect in Sauvignon Blanc. Wow, what a great showing from this humble wine. Gets me wanting to age more Loire Sauvignon Blanc which is something I never thought I'd say.
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2009 Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Clos de Rochegrès Château des Jacques 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent
[Tasted Blind, followed over 24 hours] This pours medium ruby with ever so slight bricking. The nose on this is totally primary and quite shut down showing dark cherry, violet, and some twiggy earth. Really not much there. The palate is super dominated by the structure. This is really quite tannic (medium plus at least with medium acid). There is also alcohol noted on the finish that strikes me as 14%. This combination made this nearly impossible to guess. Structure and alcohol pointed to Nebbiolo, the color to Syrah. there were also thoughts of Sangiovese (which the fruit profile and color didn't match much at all), or Sourthen Rhone (which the color and structure didn't match). All in all this was quite a poor showing. Not an attractive wine at all and difficult to determine if it is shut down or just a poor wine.
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1989 Château de Chaintres Saumur-Champigny 93 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
[Tasted Blind] This pours medium ruby, almost deep ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose has a pleasant farmy, leathery, herbaceous funk off the hop, but it's very nicely integrated with the whole. Aromas are of charcoal, burlap, charred green bell pepper, black currant, sweet black raspberry, gravel, and just a touch of mint. The palate is impressively structured. After reveal I noted more tannin here than previous times I've had this wine. Medium tannin and medium acid with plenty of the lovely dark berry fruit and complexity of the nose along the lengthy finish. This felt a tad younger than the previous times I've had this wine, but I did throw it out as a possible guess. Just a fabulous showing and a beautiful bottle! It's just so enjoyable and was actually just as good on day two.
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1989 Château Meyney 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
This pours medium ruby in the glass with light bricking at the rim. The nose is aromatic and expressive from the first pour showing sweet pipe tobacco, used leather, wet hay, dried cherry, plum, cassis, sweet cedar, bay leaf, celery seed, and forest floor. The palate is integrated and built on the lovely fruit profile showing plum and sweet cedar, turning to medium minus tannin and medium acid along the long finish showing plenty of lovely pipe tobacco. What a great bottle. By far the best showing I've had from the humble 1989 Meyney. Pristine bottle! There is impressive fruit lushness here and while drinking perfectly today I think this will continue to have a long plateau.
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1990 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux Réserve 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
What an oddly fascinating bottle of wine. Immediately you're struck by the color in the glass, totally brown. It looks like an amontillado sherry. Based on appearance you might expect significant oxidation, however you're met with significant freshness. The nose is of dried apricot, ripe peach, honey drizzled ripe pear, river rocks, and apple blossom. The palate enters on the significant residual sugar. While I don't know the tech specs, it feels like 60 - 90 g/l. The palate then turns to the wonderful bright apple and pear tinged acidity keeping this very fresh and not even a little cloying. More acid than I expected in a positive way. I don't think there is any botrytis here, which is something I miss. Ultimately if you can get your head around the color in the glass this is quite a nice drink. While not terribly complex, it is very refreshing and the rest of the bottle was a wonderful match with foie gras a few days later.
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