Dreamtastings' Eve

A get-together tasting on the evening before we had our 3rd Dreamtasting.
Hosted by Marco S. in his wonderful Vinothek, organised by Mathijs.
All wines served blind.

• 2000 Drappier Champagne Grande Sendrée

  France, Champagne

  No formal note and score. Nice, round and ripe on the nose. Oxidative style, slightly sweet and voluptuous. Medium mousse, calm and autumnal. Good champagne.

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• 2002 Drappier Champagne Grande Sendrée

  France, Champagne

  No formal notes or score. Like the 2000 this is also made in an oxidative style, but this is much more youthful, filligreed and more elegant. Beautiful notes of yeast, lemon and limes, bread-crust. Very good champagne from what appears to be an underrated producer.

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• 1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage Blanc Chevalier de Sterimberg 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Truly golden in color. Slightly oxidative nose which further is dominated by yellow fruits. Full of flavour and very spicy (thyme, white pepper). Bright, clean, ripe and elegant. Interesting hints of caramel and koffie. Nice and dry, wonderful acidity and bitterness in the end. Perhaps just a touch liquor-like (Poire Williams), but an absolute delight to sniff and sample. 18/20

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• 1997 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée 96 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Lovely, thick tropical fruit in the nose. Mouthwatering complexity of cappuccino, orangepeel, baked peaches, honey, caramel and cream.
  Obvious minerality showes after a while, hinting at iron, salty licorice and tealeaf. Razorsharpe focus AND very rich. On the palate this wines breadth and dazzling depth go hand in hand... One of my best white wines this year! 19/20

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• 1997 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Recognisable as a white Hermitage; this education is starting pay out! Much more mineral and less lush than the preceding Orée. Very austere and rustic, maybe due to a more traditional vinification? Marvelous wine, but (for me) just a hair less complete than the Orée. Alcohol seems a tiny bit more present. But that's nitpicking. 18,5-19/20

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• 2000 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc Le Méal 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Complex and beguiling nose of thyme, honey, vanillapods, citruszest and a peppery botrytis-like touch. On the palate it has very good concentration and a creamy, almost dairy-like structure. Again some Sauternes-déjà-vu's enter my mind, despite the wine is complete dry. Lots of power and alcohol, very youthful, fat and tightly wound. Still needs time to integrate. At the moment hard to denominate and to predict where it's heading. But it's oozing with breed and class. 17,5/20 for now.

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• 2001 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Nose opens with that typical mature Ch9-features like spicy and horsey notes combined with sweet dark fruit. But on the palate this is too much for me. Very thick, rich, concentrated and alcoholic. I do like the great harmony between the earthy/gamey characteristics and the lush fruit, actually. The rest of table sighed 'wow'. But I didn't. 17/20

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• 2001 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  On the nose this is suave and dominated by fruit, but there's also a lot of nice and refined spice-box-action going on. Sexy and sultry, for sure. But a lot more balance, elegance and refinement than in the preceding Pégau CR 2001. Great evolution in the glass during aeration, a pinch of barnyard is added. Served blind, I wrote: "Finally! A tasty Chateauneuf which suites me. Beaucastel?" 18/20

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• 2001 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Beautiful, slightly subdued, "classical" Rhone-bouquet. A sip reveals sweet red and black fruit (but not jammy), lots of power and also a certain elegance. With its notable sense of alcohol, this sure is tasty, but not very exciting. It's a neat wine. 17/20

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• 2001 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire Flawed

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Slightly aggressive on the nose, the fruit is cooked. This is extremely hot and burning. Imbalance and fused, subdued aromatics. Heat-damage? Not Rated.

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• 1999 Domaine de Bonserine Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune Flawed

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Meaty, animal-like nose, but there could be an imperfection or impurity... On the palate this has excellent stuffing and structure, not excessively concentrated, but the impression of impurity remains. One of the tasters claimsed "it seems like this wine is not living". Closed for business? Or a defective bottle? Not Rated.

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• 1999 Domaine des Rémizières Hermitage Cuvée Émilie 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Meaty, sinewy and animal-like but modest on the nose. Complexity is not entirely developed yet. Nice wine, but certainly not exuberant. No defects, no wow's. Even seems to close during aeration. 17/20

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• 1997 Ojai Syrah Cuvée Henry Daniel 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

  Sexy, sweet, spicy and thick in the nose. Very juicy, jammy and modern. Absolutely no rough edges, extremely polished. Very taste, sappy and supersoft, but alas a touch too short in the finish. 17,5/20

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• 1999 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Timid and calm entrance which opens up beautifully in the mouth towards the end. Distinguished and noble, but very impressive and strong. Classical constituted beauty with lush, ripe fruit and spicy seasoning. Great length, delicious wine. 18/20

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• 1999 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Lots of fraicheur and pith in the nose! Tannines are austere and dry, but not hard. Tasty and interesting wine, although somewhat dark and gloomy. Tightly knit, full of youth and promise. Needs a longer decant than the 3 hours it had today. 17,5-18/20

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• 1999 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Opened 4 hours prior to tasting and decanted before serving.
  Stupendous, smoky nose of black fruit and animal fur, which makes you wanting to drink this at once. But beware!
  This is still shockingly young and tannic in the mouth. Needs a lot of time or air! 18/20

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• 1999 Enrico Fossi Sassoforte Toscana IGT 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Exuberant nose, touch of jam, touch of alcohol. Pure, focused and clean, this is a young and powerful wine. Sweet in its entry and ending with prominint but ripe tannines. Licorice, black cherry, cassis, port-like extraction. Unrecognisable as a Cabernet Sauvignon. 17,5/20

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Personal WOTN: Chapoutier Cuvée de l'Orée 1997
Other wines to look out for: Drappier Grande Sendrée and Santa Duc Prestige des Hautes Garrigues.