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Coronavirus Denial |  (304 page views) | | | - 1983 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/16/2020)
Light garnet, a bit cloudy, with a lovely ruby glint in the glass. Persistent vegetal and oxidized metal notes on the nose, mostly hiding a faint but charming undertone of rose petal, tart red fruit, talc and spice. Less interesting on the palate, just a little tart berry, otherwise muted, warm, and short, with no structure remaining. Probably not a representative bottle, fully saturated cork and a tiny bit of dried seepage. Just drinkable, not scored. I'd like to try a pristine bottle.
- 1983 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (3/16/2020)
Pure black cherry from glass to nose to palate, notes of tobacco and exotic spice underneath. Very feminine, light and elegant, just a bit hot through the finish. Barely enough structure remains to keep this lively. This bottle was enjoyable with food, but past its prime. (91 pts.)
- 1982 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/17/2020)
Bit of a rough looking bottle, high fill but slight seepage. This turned out to be a beautiful bottle. Fresh cherry garnet color, a little murky. Tobacco, herbs, spices, clean funk, and nice dark fruit, in an elegant if light package. The terrific complexity was perfect for great food. Good structure for drinking now, fair length. Really a classically styled old Bordeaux like I love. (95 pts.)
- 2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne - France, Champagne (3/19/2020)
Bottle variation continues, but this one, like another earlier this week, is excellent, probably the best I've had. Youthful, bright yellow gold, fine bubbles. Bright and cheerful chalky, citrus, very faintly reductive nose. Terrific balance, fresh, no oxidative heaviness, nice acidity for drinking right now or holding, with pleasing lipsmacking sea-spray through the long finish. The complexity is there if you go looking (tart green apple, tropical notes...), but for my palate, this is just refreshing and delicious, for sipping, as aperitif, or with great food. (95 pts.)
- 2008 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (3/20/2020)
Oxidized (FLAWED)
- 2007 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (3/20/2020)
Oxidized beyond belief (FLAWED)
- 1996 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Kalimna Block 42 - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (3/23/2020)
Very deep black cherry color, faintest hint of garnet at the rim. Sweet Port reduction nose, with fig, exotic spice, oak, touch of mint and beef salami, and a slight stemmy bitterness. Similar palate, beautifully balanced, incredibly silky, with mild tannins building late and tame acidity. A bit of chalk and stemmy bitterness persist through the long, juicy finish. This wine has an impressive, regal bearing, though a good Grange pleases me more, for the price. (93 pts.)
- 2006 Dom Pérignon Champagne - France, Champagne (3/24/2020)
No formal notes taken, but based on this and other recent bottles, this really seems to be evolving quickly, though not necessarily in a bad way. A very faint honeyed and ripe apple quality is coming forward; not my favorite profile, but there is nice complexity here that makes this a fine Champagne, for food more so than sipping. (91 pts.)
- 1990 Château Cos d'Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (3/28/2020)
This bottle had a fine fill but signs of dried seepage under the capsule. Bitter, thin, oxidized, despite ample underlying fruit. Not scored. (FLAWED)
- 2017 Pax Syrah Sonoma Hillsides - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (4/1/2020)
Beautifully fresh ruby-purple color, quite opaque. On the nose, enticingly sweet blue fruits and perfumed talc mingle with assertive black pepper, brined grape leaves, and rusty metal. This disappoints on the palate, where persistent heat and general lightness really make this feel thin, almost watery. Considerable tannins and surprisingly weak acidity, with a long but hot, drying finish. This seems a horrendous value, and not likely to improve. (86 pts.)
- 1995 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (4/2/2020)
Pristine bottle, excellent provenance, showed best after a couple hours in a decanter. This looks its age in the glass, pure garnet, medium depth of color. The nose shows faint hints of Margaux perfume and black cherry, muddied by notes of rotting vegetation and ethanol. It's a bit fresher on the palate, with a tart berry character, juicy acidity, sticky tannins and an overall lightness if not elegance. But again the ethanol notes obtrude and gain the upper hand. The long finish is quite pleasant, the best part of the experience. My score may be generous because its hard to ignore the label here, but then again it may be unduly harsh because the wine was well below my expectations, not inconsistent with other 1995 vintage disappointments. If I owned more of these, I'd hold for a very long time and cross my fingers. (90 pts.)
- 2011 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (4/3/2020)
Very pretty, light lemon-yellow color. This is light and elegant, a bit too much so for the pedigree. Very fine balance, but a touch hot and not showing great depth or complexity right now, mostly weak citrus and tropical notes, with ripe apple lingering through the finish. Might pick up a little weight with age, but I don't see a compelling reason to hold. 13% abv (91 pts.)
- 1947 Cockburn Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (4/7/2020)
Top shoulder fill, saturated cork. This bottle had a remarkably tiny cork for a wine of this quality. No decant, aired in glass over several hours. Very clear, pure, medium-deep onion skin color. Pleasant nose of caramel, hazelnut, orange peel, and faint red berries. Similar palate, though very light throughout, allowing some spirit to obtrude. Muted but long, red fruited finish. A sipping Port, sweet and mouth coating despite its lightness and spirit. (92 pts.)
- 1998 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (4/30/2020)
Very deep crimson to garnet at the rim. Nose shows dark red fruits, allspice, touch of funky sulfur. Bit of alcohol and heat on the palate, less depth than expected, with a savory saline quality, juicy acidity, and medium tannins. Short and warm finish. This gives some pleasure today with food, perhaps worth revisiting in another 10+ years. (88 pts.)
- 2011 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (5/5/2020)
From half-bottle. First time tasting this Port since tasted shortly after release. Color has lost its youthful violet, now very deep cherry-garnet. Nose shows tastefully subdued pretty wood notes and a bit of buttery toffee under the fruit. On the palate, black pepper and licorice underlie pure purple, blue, and dark red fruits. Perfect balance, mild acidity, surprisingly moderate tannins, spirit very smooth and not obtrusive. Phenomenally long finish, sweet and primary. The structure here is showing very early signs of softening, yet overall this is still showing youthful beauty and a promise of long and superb development. I don't typically enjoy young Ports, but the incredible balance makes this enjoyable now. And although I'll be long gone when this hits its peak maturity, I'll be happy to follow it throughout its development. I've decided to lay down a case of half-bottles for just that purpose. Very high probability I will score this higher as it develops. (95 pts.)
- N.V. Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1994, 1999, 2000 (2013 Release) - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (5/28/2020)
Very promising red fruited woody nose on opening, but on the palate this was a bit watery, and the obtrusively hot alcohol never went away. Disappointing. Pristine bottle. 14% abv (84 pts.)
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