Impromptu tasting @ Peter Z.

Belgium
Tasted Friday, October 19, 2012 by jkoenen with 726 views

Introduction

Just an evening of unpretentious wining and dining. Peter's hospitality and the company of Thijs, Sander, Pascal and Willem always add up to a comfortable get-together.
All wines tasted blind, except were noted.

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2004 Henri Goutorbe Champagne Grand Cru Special Club 92 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    (Tasted non-blinded) Starts with provocative nose of pain grillé and some oxidation in the back. After awhile, when the mousse gets lighter and more delicate, the wine also freshens up revealing a very fruity profile (mainly apricot, also some tropical nuances) on a serious undertow of butter, cream and vanilla. Opulent, scrumptious and very drinkable. 18/20

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  • 2004 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons 93 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    (non-blind) Tasted this alongside Goutorbe's Special Club 2004. This Péters is much tighter and more refined. Needs some time to get rid of the penetrating power of CO2, to show a delicate nose of white flowers, fresh bread dough, smoked ham. On the palate this is wine has an extremely well detailed, almost lace-like structure and aromatics like chalk, salty oystershells, yeast, lots of fresh citrus fruit (lime and grapefruit) and a distant nuance of powdered sugar. We also noted the acidity, elegantly woven through the entire wine. Wonderful, tiny mousse. This is a beautiful Champagne, still very young. 18+/20

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Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 2006 Kongsgaard Chardonnay 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Oily mouthfeel, bordering on fat. Big and oaky, huge concentration, but kinda shallow, lacking personality. Somehow this has an artificial, ester-like feel to it, although I really dug the tasty banana and pine-apple flavors. There's also beeswax, butterscotch, mango/peach-chutney and tropical flowers. The wine is kept on track by its acidity, which is refreshing and strong enough to carry the massive structure and baroque personality. Technically this is a great wine. But it didn't ring my bell. Too much. 17.5/20

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  • 2009 Ridge Chardonnay Estate 92 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Stylish, young and relatively elegant. Fruit-display showed banana, peach and lychee. Excellent tension due to clearly present acidity. Not surprisingly, this is quite heavily oaked (to my taste), and hopefully this melts into the wine in a few years time. All in all, this certainly is a great example of California Chardonnay. Not too overdone, but exciting, fresh and convincing. 18/20

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 2003 Castello dei Rampolla d'Alceo 94 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

    Fantastic sexy nose of sweet black cherries mixed with an ethereal, herbaceous essence (like mint and eucalypt), which we re-encounter on the palate. It still is young and focussed in the mouth, but extremely ripe and juicy, wonderful cabernet-typicity, tobacco, grilled vegetables, forestfruit. Firm tannines mark the lenghty finish which has some great bitterness in it. Totally ripe, young and tastful. Yum! 18.5/20

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  • 2008 First Drop Shiraz The Cream 92 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

    Upon opening this screamed out of the glass: "I am an Australian Shiraz!" This stuff is open knit, very generous and has got an admirable balance and structure. Good freshness, wonderfully pure and well determined fruit, great spicy seasonings. Not very difficult or complex but damn tasty. Classy and harmonious, certainly not overdone. Reminded me of the wonderful Hentley Farm wines. Loved it till the last drop. 18/20

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

Flight 5 (1 Note)

  • 2008 Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Wow, did this show well tongiht... Delicious fresh herbaceousness, ripe red fruit, liquorice, wonderful tension and freshness, which most of those Napa Cabernets so desperately need... Aftertaste beautifully framed by soft, unctuous tannines. Good acidity throughout the wine, wonderful balance for such a youngster. My guess: Bolgheri Cabernet? 18.5/20

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

  • 2010 Caves Albert Duhr (Château Pauqué) Auxerrois Blanc Montée des Seigneurs 83 Points

    Luxembourg, Moselle, Moselle Luxembourgeoise

    Lovely, elegant, floral nose. Fun entry of juicy white and yellow fruit, spätlese-like in it's sugar-sweet balance and mouthfeel. But, alas, on the palate, this had a large hole in the middle. And this doesn't recover by the time the finish should start. It's lean and short. I gave it a generous 14/20, because of the pretty nose.

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Flight 7 (2 Notes)

  • 2001 Sine Qua Non Gewürztraminer Mr. K The Ice Man 93 Points

    USA, California

    Wonderful, one-of-a-kind wine. Intoxicating nose of middle eastern bazar, tealeaf, orange rind and baked apricots. When taken a sip it opened loud and convincing, without being heavy. Unctuous mouthfeel, sufficient acidity to carry the aromatics through mid-palate. Alas, the finish is rather short and vanishes like a fata morgana, which prevents the score from being "extraordinary". Outstanding wine, though. Drink now. 18-18.5/20

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  • 1998 Château d'Yquem 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    From 375. Regal richness and complexity, honeyed gingerbread, asian spices, caramel, gingerbread, caramel, almonds and cappuccino. Oh, and of course, there is succulent ripe fruit like peaches, apricot, candied oranges, some mango too. Magnificant persistence and focus, clearly a top-class Sauternes. Super. 18.5-19/20

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Flight 8 (1 Note)

  • 1977 Gould Campbell Porto Vintage 92 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    At first, the nose was a little musty, awkward. But that blows off after some time. Medium bodied port, nicely evolved, excellent balance. Young personality (my guess: 96 VP...). Wonderful soft, velvety red and black fruit, alcohol well integrated. Nutty complexity and notes of dark roast coffee and cigars are starting to emerge. Juicy, complex and comforting glass of port. Cosy like grandpa's chair in front of a burning fireplace. 18/20

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Closing

Personal WOTN: Yquem 1998
Other wines to look out for: Ramey Napa Cabernet, Pierre Péters Champagne.

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