Dinner with Alva and Leo from Idealwines
Tasted Wednesday, May 24, 2023 by melvinyeowq with 113 views
Introduction
Was down with a stomach bug so didn’t drink much, hence the brief-ish notes. Also great to see Alva again after meeting in HK last year, just unfortunate that the wines were a mixed bag!
NV Françoise Bedel Champagne Origin' elle 86 Points
France, Champagne
Bready, slightly funky nose. Round texture, slightly honeyed on the palate. A little too natural and oxidative in style for me.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner 1ÖTW Ried Lamm 89 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
My first instinct was Austrian Riesling so immediately said to the friend who usually brings Austrians this was his wine (but it wasn't). Some greenness, tropical fruit and rounded texture that made me vacillate between Austrian and an Alto Adige white. The rest of the table went for a Rhone white which left me quite puzzled.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2020 Weingut Knoll Riesling Smaragd Ried Schütt 91 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Very bright and exuberant fruit. Clearly from a warm vintage, didn't have sharp acid so I guessed all the Austrian grapes other than Riesling.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Evidence of toasty oak use, thought it was a German Pinot. When it was revealed to be a new-world, was clear that it was a more traditional American maker. Pleasantly surprised by the restraint on this.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Weingut Rings Spätburgunder Kallstadt 80 Points
Germany, Pfalz
Thought this was a new-world for sure, so confected and sweet. Pass.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin 88 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Wouldn't be as harsh as the previous taster who brought it, but I did guess mid-00s new-world Cab for this. Dominated by its oak use and extraction, I can't emphasise how much I don't like overt chocolate notes in wines.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Maestro Raro Toscana IGT 88 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Clearly a Tuscan Bordeaux blend (except that it was a 100% Cab), but was surprised at the identity of the producer as I didn't know they produced this. Rather plodding and heavily extracted without much refinement or delineation unfortunately.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Frank Cornelissen Munjebel MC 70 Points
Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane
I've been quite lucky with Cornelissen until this bottle. Immediately guessed as a natural Italian except I was in Fruili rather than Sicily. This was undrinkable really, so much volatile acid that you couldn't taste any fruit.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1997 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Cuvée Crescendo Clos de l'Echo 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
These Loire Cab Francs can really age, most around the table guessed 3-5 years of age for this! Think the strange bottle mouth fooled everyone into thinking that this was a new-world, but on the palate I thought this was decidedly old-school French except that I might have gone to Bordeaux if blinded. A hint of unintegrated oak on the nose, some pyrazine notes, and an incredibly fresh palate of dark red fruit. Just missing the weight of a pedigreed Bordeaux, but sometimes that is a good thing. My only bottle and wished I kept this for longer.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2021 Yannick Amirault Bourgueil Côte 50 89 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
Opened a couple of days before and brought as leftovers. Dark ruby in colour with a purple hue which usually isn’t a good sign, but thankfully the palate wasn’t too jammy and was still relatively red-fruited with a hint of greenness. Made in a crunchy Bojo-style so could see why people landed there.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue