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Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2005
The Landmark Hotel, London
Tasted November 26, 2005 by Vinoguy with 1,562 views
Introduction
Brief notes on my initial thoughts after another superb walk around tasting arranged by Decanter magazine.
Flight 1 - Some Champagne... (2 notes)
White - Sparkling
1998 Boizel Champagne Grand Vintage
Light lemon in colour, with hints of nuts and oates. Well balanced and pleasant drinking. Fine but over shadowed by the Joyau de France '95. (£22.50)
White - Sparkling
1995 Boizel Champagne Joyau de France
More depth in colour and body, which is more complex than the Grand Vintage '95 on this showing. Strong flavours of ground nuts. Very nice. (£37.50)
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Comment
Flight 2 - And some Burg's (5 notes)
Historically I have been under whelmed by the wines of Burgundy, and this encounter did little to convince me otherwise...
Red
1998 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers
92 points
Attrictive and complex nose. Well balanced mid-palate with a good finish. A very nice wine.
Red
2000 Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot
90 points
Expressive & complex nose, with a little bottle age evident by the colour. This is a nicely balanced wine, mid-weight, and a long finish. Nice, but for me it's over priced at £33 - £35.
Red
2002 Maison Albert Bichot Chambertin domaine Meursault du Pavillon
87 points
Nice expressive Pinot nose. Mid-palate lacking in weight, and the finish is a little short.
Red
2003 Maison Albert Bichot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corvées
86 points
Nice, expressive and complex nose. On the palate, this was basic and lacking complexity.
Red
2003 Maison Albert Bichot Chambertin Domaine du Clos Frantin
85 points
Wild flowers and spice on the nose; quite warm and again the palate is simple, lacks any real depth and, disappointingly, finishes short of the mark.
Flight 3 - A few Rhones... (4 notes)
Red
2003 Cave de Tain Crozes-Hermitage Selection Premiere
90 points
Open and expressive nose. Nice mouthfeel, good weight, easy drinking.
Red
2002 Cave de Tain Hermitage
91 points
Attractive, subtle nose. Nice weight, concentrated fruit - maybe not very complex. (90 - 91)
Red
2003 Famille Brunier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine La Roquète
89 points
Attrictive nose with hints of licorice. Nice balance, light/meduim body lacking concentration. Medium finish.
Red
2003 Domaine les Pallières Gigondas
85 points
Closed nose. Tannic, hollow, lacking concentration and generally poor. Where is the fruit?
Flight 4 - Ah, the Bordeaux... (22 notes)
Red
2002 Amiral de Beychevelle
90 points
Nose reveals little at first but quickly becomes more pronounced with air; light/medium bodied and nicely balanced but very much a little brother to the Grand Vin. A good wine, nevertheless. (89 - 90)
Red
2003 Château Beychevelle
93 points
Open and expressive nose. Good weight, nicely balanced, soft and round mid-palate with a long and lingering finish. (92 - 93)
Red
2002 Château Beychevelle
91 points
Paler in colour than the 2003; attractive nose showing spice and hints of earth. Medium bodied, concentrated cassis, tannic finish.
Red
2001 Château Beychevelle
92 points
Closed nose. Nice weight and mouthfeel, good concentration and balance. Finishes long. Good potential.
Red
1994 Château Beychevelle
89 points
Attractive but weak nose; medium bodied and slightly lean palate lacking the support of tannins. Slightly one dimensional but a pleasant drinker.
Red
2001 Château Giscours
89 points
Nice, subtle nose. Medium bodied, concentrated current flavours, tannic and shutdown right now. (88 - 89)
Red
1998 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
90 points
Nose a little closed. Concentrated, tannic, youthful. Needs more time in the cellar to show its best. (89-90)
Red
1996 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
92 points
Barnyard nose. Concentrated, balanced, complex. Drinking well now.
Red
1999 Château Phélan Ségur
Not rated as too small a sample was given, however this did seem to lack everything... (NR)
Red
2002 Château Phélan Ségur
89 points
Tight nose reveals very little; Medium weight, funky, young and tannic. Not sure it has the stuffin to improve much? (88 - 90)
Red
2001 Château Rauzan-Ségla
92 points
Nice, pronounced nose. Good weight, round and supple, concentrated and well crafted. Nice long finish.
Red
2000 Château Canon (Canon-Fronsac)
88 points
Closed nose. Palate lacks a little intensity but is otherwise balanced. (87 - 88) on this showing.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1999 Château Suduiraut
93 points
Lovely destinctive nose rich with fresh white fruits and ground nuts. On the palate this wine is sweet, medium to full bodied and viscose, structured, balanced and concentrated. The finish is long.
White
2004 Château Suduiraut "S" de Suduiraut
89 points
Destinctive nose of nuts, lemons and peaches. Medium sweet, fat, dry on the finish.
Red
1998 Château Cantemerle
89 points
Expressive nose but on the palate this is tight and unyielding, showing only primary fruit.
Red
2000 Château Cantemerle
90 points
Closed nose. Still in its primary stages, but showing good balance, extract and structure with soft tannins. I would enjoy this when it opens up.
Red
2001 Château Cantemerle
90 points
Nose displaying elements of tobacco and wild spice. While still youthful, it is more approachable than both the 1998 and the 2000 today, displaying cassis, smoke and tobacco. It is round and fat and a pleasure to drink. £22.
Red
1995 Château Talbot
93 points
Attractive, powerful nose. Concentrated mid-palate, round, supple, complex and balanced with a long persistent finish. One of the best Bordeaux's tasted today. 93+
Red
2001 Château Talbot
92 points
Expressive nose. Another well made Talbot - fat and round with a nice mouth feel as well as being balanced and structured. Finishes long. (91 - 92)
Red
1996 Château Peyrabon
91 points
A nicely proportioned wine which has benefited from some bottle age. Drinking well now.
Red
1999 Château Peyrabon
90 points
An attractive, flirty nose. Still a little primary but showing signs of opening up with air. Balanced. (89 - 90)
Red
2002 Château Peyrabon
90 points
Like many of the Bordeaux's today, this is a little dumb right now. Although clearly balanced with the structure to age and improve, it's in that primary stage. 90 points for its potential.
Flight 5 - On to Spain and Italy (8 notes)
Red
1995 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial
93 points
Brilliant liquorice nose. Consistent flavours on the palate. Great structure and intensity, richly extracted and balanced. £28.
Red
2003 Torres Ribera del Duero Céleste Crianza
91 points
Attractive nose. A nicely balanced wine, structured and concentrated, good value at £10 too.
Red
2000 Torres Conca de Barberà Grans Muralles
92 points
Round and supple, complex body. Very elegant; quite feminine - balanced with a long finish. £45.
Red
2000 Torres Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Label) Mas La Plana
92 points
Fat, rich palate showing spices, oak and concentrated red fruits. Balanced and complex. Finishes long. £19.99.
Red
1999 Abadia Retuerta Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León Cuvée El Palomar
90 points
Nice powerful nose. Drinking well now, good concentration of berry fruit flavours, nice balance and finish.
Red
1999 Bava Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza Pianoalto
90 points
Forward, structured, round, concentrated. Will benefit from more bottle age.
Red
2002 Bava Barbera d'Asti Libera
90 points
Nose a little closed. Good structure, mouth feel; fat and round. Nice finish.
Red
2002 Bava Barolo Contrabbasso di Castiglione Falletto Scarrone
90 points
Hints of liquorice on the nose. Concentrated, very tannic, layered fruit and more liquorice on the palate. A well made wine, but not my style.
Flight 6 - Then the USA and Canada (12 notes)
White
2002 Inniskillin Riesling
90 points
Wonderfully expressive nose. Nicely balanced and a long finish. 90+
White - Sweet/Dessert
2003 Inniskillin Riesling Sparkling Icewine
92 points
A strange one which works... and works well! Nice concentration of fruit, well balanced, long finish. I enjoyed this.
Red
2003 J Vineyards & Winery Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
89 points
Attractive Pinot nose. Fuller in body than many of the Burg's tasted today, and balanced and quite extracted. There's a spicy edge to this too. 89.
Red
1999 Seghesio Family Vineyards Omaggio
90 points
On the nose this is slightly more open than the 2001 Omaggio (no 2000 was available for comparison). The palate shows concentrated fruit, quite high tannins and the structure to age well in the short term. 90+ points.
Red
2001 Seghesio Family Vineyards Omaggio
90 points
The nose of this '01 is more subtle than the '99, but attractive non-the-less. The palate is slightly more forward tho, but no less concentrated, balanced or structured. Very pleasant to drink and should continue to improve for years to come.
Red
2003 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis
91 points
Expressive nose. Concentrated and balanced with a nice mouth feel. Finishes long. £30. (90 - 91)
Red
2002 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23
94 points
"A nose to smell all day" - perfumed, intense… just beautiful. On the palate this is complex, lush, supremely concentrated, supple and finely balanced. The finish is very long. For me, this is the wine of the day. £130. 94+
Red
2002 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fay
92 points
Deep, powerful and brooding nose. Lovely mouth feel, good concentration and structure, all nicely balanced. Good length. £50.
Red
2002 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 30th Anniversary Edition Volcanic Hill
93 points
Deep purple fading to a bright red rim. Complex and concentrated palate, balanced and long. £90. (92 - 93)
Red
2002 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 30th Anniversary Edition Red Rock Terrace
92 points
Attractive nose. Still in its primary stages, but displaying intense fruit, good structure and excellent balance. (91 - 92)
Red
2002 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 30th Anniversary Edition Gravelly Meadow
94 points
A pronounced and complex nose. Super concentration and complexity on the palate, which is balanced, intense, round and supple. Just an excellent glass of wine.
Red
2001 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Don Miguel Vineyard
92 points
Nice, typical Pinot nose. Good mouth feel, lush and flavoursome, spicy with hints of pepper. Balanced, concentrated. £29.99.
Flight 7 - Porto (4 notes)
Red - Fortified
1980 Graham Porto Vintage
92 points
Bricking orange towards the rim of the glass. Intense nose of sweet black fruits and figs. Still not fully mature, but very enjoyable. (91 - 92)
Red - Fortified
1983 Graham Porto Vintage
92 points
Mellow nose of figs and Demerara sugar. Complex, full bodied and intense. Liquorice flavours on the mid-palate. Still young.
Red - Fortified
2003 Graham Porto Vintage
92 points
Primary medicinal nose. Superb concentration and structure, well balanced, powerful. Sure to be a cracker. 92+
Red - Fortified
1996 Graham Porto Vintage Malvedos
90 points
Quite lean, but well concentrated and intense on the nose. A nice Port.
Closing
All in all a fun day's tasting and an opportunity to sample some excellent wines. As usual, my compliments to Decanter for organising another superb event.