Rainy Afternoon Drinks

After a late, eggy brunch at Spruce in Upper Bukit Timah on a wet Sunday afternoon, the guys decamped for a lazy drink as the ladies went to Aunty Susan's to shop.

• 1999 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 91 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  I thought this was pretty nice. A bit stewed and awkward at first, it took a bit of time in the decanter to get going. When it did, we got an elegant, very rewarding middle-aged Rioja. I loved the nose on this - floral notes and BBQ meat along with complex nuances of smoky tar, spice and menthol, all playing against a backdrop of prune and plum fruit. The palate had more of that sweet plums and prunes at first, with a slightly stewed, slightly balsamic tone at first, but it opened up nicely with some air to show fresher black fruited tones interwoven with dusty, metally mineral hints, undergrowth, bloody meat and a mid-length finish seasoned with slightly smoky spice. Fine tannins and a nice juicy balance made for a decent sense of structure. This was nice. It could have been a little longer on the finish, and needs some time to build more complexity, but all in all a polished wine made in a very traditional style. I enjoyed this. Drink now with a bit of light meat or hard cheese, or wait another 5-6 years for it to mature.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2008 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape 89 Points

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

  Decent wine. Well-made, drank quite well young, but nothing special. It was a bit all over the place when first popped, with oak and alcohol and funk sticking out at strange angles, but it did come together a lot better with an hour or so in the decanter. The nose was typical CdP with a few modern shades, showing ripe red cherry and sweet berry aromas, a whiff of cigarette ash, and then some earthy garrigue scents. The middle-weight palate took up the sweetness on the nose, with red cherries and juicy berry flavours having just a hint of candy on them. However, this was nicely balanced with bright acidity, fine tannins and a nice earthy, minerally base, especially as the wine moved towards the a decently long, rather savoury finish kissed with little pecks of spice and meat. Very decent, but not very exciting. Nothing wrong drinking this now, although it will probably be better when it hits 6-7 years of age.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2005 Yarra Yering Agincourt 92 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  I liked this quite a bit - it was my favourite out of the trio we had, just shading a very decent little Rioja. With very expressive notes of capsicums and tobacco along with sweet cassis and berries, it had a nose that married new world ripeness with some very old-worldly inflections. I could say the same thing of the palate as well. There was a rich, sunny sweetness to its fleshy notes of ripe cherries and ripe berries that made it immediately attractive, but these were also accompanied by subtle nuances of smoke and tobacco, along with a fine structure of supple tannins and balancing acidity that led the wine into a nicely minerally tail with just the littlest hint of mint. Not exactly Bordeaux, but it certainly had classic lines under its fleshy fruit. A very complete wine actually, nicely put together with good bones for aging, yet very drinkable in its relatively youth. This was very enjoyable. It will be interesting to taste this in another 5-6 years.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No