Blind. Fizz. Mid straw. Very smooth and quite rich nose. A touch oxidative. Slightly chalky and quite minerally on the attack. An intensity to it. More linear, quite tight. Needs time. ***(*)
Blind. Pale straw with a slightly green tinge. Quite a floral nose, but quite mineral and restrained. Quite a rich, full bodied wine whilst retaining an elegance. An elegant Cali Chard perhaps. Rhys? Hmm, riper and with less bite than I'd like. A vintage thing maybe? ***1/2 to ****
Blind. Slightly fuller in colour. Reasonably subtle dry Riesling nose. Quite weighty and rich with a dry and slightly spritzy finish. Plenty of extract. ? Austrian Riesling smaragd. ****
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Blind. Very full old gold to copper. VA (acetone) on the nose. That Beaucastel VV oat biscuity thing on the palate. Smooth. Judging from maturity and relative quality, probably the 96. ***1/2
Blind. Quite 'high acidity' on the nose. Mid garnet, quite light and bright. Very Rioja. Fresh, good acidity, L de H written all over this. Maybe Bosconia for a change. Guess 85. Lovely. ****
Blind. Pale to mid ruby. Bright sweet fruited new world Pinot nose. Quite fat and ripe in the glass. Quite sweet. A touch of leanness on the finish. NZ Pinot? ***
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Blind. Ripe, a touch of spice. First thought is a classy Cali pn. Quite fat and leggy in the glass. Ripe Vosne if burg but I'm really not sure. When revealed, a little surprised by the vintage though not the maker/vineyard. Spicy, quite fulland really quite persistent. Not absolutely top flight but very good. ****
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Blind. Magnum. Deep, dense dark ruby. Lovely fresh, slightly green nose. Nicely austere. Some Cab Franc in here. Classic claret style. We head towards new world and the SA but don't nail it. ***1/2
Blind. Magnum. Quite a bright mid to full ruby. Sweet fruited nose with a touch of VA. This has Moose written all over it. Mid 90s? 96 possibly? Slightly bretty classic Musar. Lovely. ****
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Blind. Full ruby to deep garnet. Slightly cheesey nose. Fragrant in an understated way. Quite dry and austere though. Nebbiolo or Cab Franc. Burgundy, really? Oh dear. Not at all inspiring. Bare ***
Blind. Quite a full garnet.Sweet fruited nose with a minty eucalyptus nose that reminds me straight away of Henshke HoG - not quite as over done on the nose as a recent 90 but that's by far the closest reference point I have. Very decent, but it is quite sweet though nicely balanced and not hot. ***1/2
Blind. Deep and dense, dark ruby. Classic left bank claret. Mineral and blackcurrant. Enough richness here for it to be 89, but it's quite tight and muscyular still. Maybe LLC? A tad dense and tannic still. Revealed as PB - gosh, not nearly as sexy or opulent as the last one of these. **(*1/2) on this showing.
Blind. Mid to full garnet. Lovely open, floral, fresh nose. Floral and quite scented. Good acidity and then some fairly brutal drying tannins on the finish. hmm, wish I'd stuck to sniffing this. (***)?
Blind. Mid garnet. this is oldest so far. Quite an old Graves nose too - tobacco and a dry minerality. Mid garnet to orange at the rim. Tobacco, quite dry, elegant and really quite classy. Quite old school. Guess 1970 Haut Brion. ****
Blind. Similar to the previous wine (75HB) but younger and a riper vintage. Guess 82 or 85 Haut Brion. Nicely tobacco, very smooth and classy. Rich, a touch of Christmas cake but nicely restrained. Really very lovely. ****1/2 possibly just *****
Blind. dark, dense core but lighter at the rim. A little richer. Looks and tastes like another 89 left bank claret. More accessible than the PB on tonight's showing, quite mineral, an interesting mix of line and austerity encased in the rich wrapping of the vintage. 89 left bank but I don't know what. ****1/2
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Blind. An extra from Nigel. Bright red to full ruby. Quite dry and tannic on the finish that makes me think of barolo, but it does open up to show more pinot character. Good fruit but decent structure too. a sturdiness and minerality; it's dense and concentrated and not giving much currently but it should be lovely. GC Burgundy - I guess Bonnes Mares. ***(*)
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon
Blind. Very full, bright yellow. Sweet! Very ripe and tropical on the nose. Quite distinctive. Bright. Very ripe but with good acidity. A touch of wet dog on the nose. Quite long. Lovely. ****
1996 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses 91 Points
France, Champagne
Blind. Fizz. Mid straw. Very smooth and quite rich nose. A touch oxidative. Slightly chalky and quite minerally on the attack. An intensity to it. More linear, quite tight. Needs time. ***(*)
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2006 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Blind. Pale straw with a slightly green tinge. Quite a floral nose, but quite mineral and restrained. Quite a rich, full bodied wine whilst retaining an elegance. An elegant Cali Chard perhaps. Rhys? Hmm, riper and with less bite than I'd like. A vintage thing maybe? ***1/2 to ****
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2006 Weingut Keller Hubacker Riesling Großes Gewächs 92 Points
Germany, Rheinhessen
Blind. Slightly fuller in colour. Reasonably subtle dry Riesling nose. Quite weighty and rich with a dry and slightly spritzy finish. Plenty of extract. ? Austrian Riesling smaragd. ****
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2000 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune Flawed
France, Alsace
Corked.
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1996 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Blind. Very full old gold to copper. VA (acetone) on the nose. That Beaucastel VV oat biscuity thing on the palate. Smooth. Judging from maturity and relative quality, probably the 96. ***1/2
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1985 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 92 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Blind. Quite 'high acidity' on the nose. Mid garnet, quite light and bright. Very Rioja. Fresh, good acidity, L de H written all over this. Maybe Bosconia for a change. Guess 85. Lovely. ****
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2007 Friedrich Becker Spätburgunder "B" 87 Points
Germany, Pfalz
Blind. Pale to mid ruby. Bright sweet fruited new world Pinot nose. Quite fat and ripe in the glass. Quite sweet. A touch of leanness on the finish. NZ Pinot? ***
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1981 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Flawed
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Corked
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2000 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Blind. Ripe, a touch of spice. First thought is a classy Cali pn. Quite fat and leggy in the glass. Ripe Vosne if burg but I'm really not sure. When revealed, a little surprised by the vintage though not the maker/vineyard. Spicy, quite fulland really quite persistent. Not absolutely top flight but very good. ****
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1997 Warwick Estate Trilogy 90 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Blind. Magnum. Deep, dense dark ruby. Lovely fresh, slightly green nose. Nicely austere. Some Cab Franc in here. Classic claret style. We head towards new world and the SA but don't nail it. ***1/2
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1993 Chateau Musar 92 Points
Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
Blind. Magnum. Quite a bright mid to full ruby. Sweet fruited nose with a touch of VA. This has Moose written all over it. Mid 90s? 96 possibly? Slightly bretty classic Musar. Lovely. ****
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1992 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Blind. Full ruby to deep garnet. Slightly cheesey nose. Fragrant in an understated way. Quite dry and austere though. Nebbiolo or Cab Franc. Burgundy, really? Oh dear. Not at all inspiring. Bare ***
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1988 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace 90 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
Blind. Quite a full garnet.Sweet fruited nose with a minty eucalyptus nose that reminds me straight away of Henshke HoG - not quite as over done on the nose as a recent 90 but that's by far the closest reference point I have. Very decent, but it is quite sweet though nicely balanced and not hot. ***1/2
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1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Blind. Deep and dense, dark ruby. Classic left bank claret. Mineral and blackcurrant. Enough richness here for it to be 89, but it's quite tight and muscyular still. Maybe LLC? A tad dense and tannic still. Revealed as PB - gosh, not nearly as sexy or opulent as the last one of these. **(*1/2) on this showing.
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1996 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 87 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Blind. Mid to full garnet. Lovely open, floral, fresh nose. Floral and quite scented. Good acidity and then some fairly brutal drying tannins on the finish. hmm, wish I'd stuck to sniffing this. (***)?
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1975 Château Haut-Brion 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Blind. Mid garnet. this is oldest so far. Quite an old Graves nose too - tobacco and a dry minerality. Mid garnet to orange at the rim. Tobacco, quite dry, elegant and really quite classy. Quite old school. Guess 1970 Haut Brion. ****
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1985 Château Haut-Brion 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Blind. Similar to the previous wine (75HB) but younger and a riper vintage. Guess 82 or 85 Haut Brion. Nicely tobacco, very smooth and classy. Rich, a touch of Christmas cake but nicely restrained. Really very lovely. ****1/2 possibly just *****
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1989 Château Montrose 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe
Blind. dark, dense core but lighter at the rim. A little richer. Looks and tastes like another 89 left bank claret. More accessible than the PB on tonight's showing, quite mineral, an interesting mix of line and austerity encased in the rich wrapping of the vintage. 89 left bank but I don't know what. ****1/2
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2002 Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Blind. An extra from Nigel. Bright red to full ruby. Quite dry and tannic on the finish that makes me think of barolo, but it does open up to show more pinot character. Good fruit but decent structure too. a sturdiness and minerality; it's dense and concentrated and not giving much currently but it should be lovely. GC Burgundy - I guess Bonnes Mares. ***(*)
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1989 Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon Clos de Sainte Catherine 92 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon
Blind. Very full, bright yellow. Sweet! Very ripe and tropical on the nose. Quite distinctive. Bright. Very ripe but with good acidity. A touch of wet dog on the nose. Quite long. Lovely. ****
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