Ian's Blind @ Medlar

The Medlar, London
Tasted Thursday, May 16, 2013 by SimonG with 584 views

Flight 1 (1 Note)

Pre-aperitif

  • NV Agrapart Champagne Les 7 Crus Brut 90 Points

    France, Champagne

    Palest straw. Nicely chalky on the nose and through the palate. Nicely fresh chard, no apples or biscuits, just chalky textured ieraltu. Light and poised. Good line. Elegant. ***1/2

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Flight 2 (1 Note)

Aperitif

  • 2004 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année Rosé 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    Blind. Lovely salmon pink. Intense nose. Quite lifted and focused red fruit with a rosehip element. Quite rich, reasonable dosage. Nicely soft through the mid-palate. Creamy mousse. Gentle finish. Quite persistent. Full but refined style. Consensus quickly on Bolly, but I thought a little older - late 90s. ****

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

Asparagus, jamon Iberico, goat's cheese mouse, broad bean vinaigrette

Flight 4 (2 Notes)

Smoked mackerel, aubergine, herbs

  • 2002 Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence 92 Points

    France, Alsace

    Blind. Pale to light gold. Rich. Trocken auslese or equivalent on the nose. Maybe an Austrain Smaragd Riesling on nose and palate. No, Alsace, so TPG, or maybe Muscat. Quite rich and some sweetness, this has a good thwack of RS. Bright, almost a little sweet of the food. Lovely though. ****

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  • 2001 Weingut Knoll Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Schütt 92 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

    Blind. Light gold. Austrian, slightly cheesy nose, reminds me of 97 Hirtzbirger Smaragd Weisburgunder. No, not Hirtzbirger so must be a Knoll Riesling Smaragd. Turns out to be 2001 Ried Schutt. With air a touch more mineral, drier but with a rich vein to it. Bright acidity. I like this. A better food wine and easier to drink than the Weinbach at this stage. ****

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Flight 5 (3 Notes)

Rack of lamb, lamb's tongue, petit pois a la francaise, jersey royals

  • 1996 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

    Blind. Burgundy nose. C de N. ruby to full garnet. Early 2000s, 2001? Plush. Some subtle chewiness. Meaty and full and a certain hint at plushness with a minerality coming through. Chamb Beze? Yes. But not 01. Freshens up with air. 93 or 96? Drouhin L? No, Faiveley. Yes, it does get fresher and more acidic with air but first impressions lusher. ***(*)

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  • 1988 Château Margaux 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Blind. Claret nose. Late 80s left bank? Dark ruby to garnet. Nicely mineral with fine grained tannins. Maybe Pauillac and 96. Lalande? Silly, first impression the best - 88 Marg. it opens up to a beautiful violet nose, very fragrant and persistent, developing as the other reds are fading. Clearly not the lushest of vintage, but lovely. ****

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  • 1970 Château Palmer 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Blind. Bright, light, some fruit behind this, sweet and evolved. Lifted. Light, bright acidity. Fragrant. Left bank, St Julien, maybe 79? No. Palmer70. Now, with 20-20 vision there is a richness to it, but it's fading and the acidity becoming more prominent. Holding ok, but time to drink up. (*)***

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Flight 6 (2 Notes)

A bonus red flight

  • 1993 La Pousse d'Or Pommard 1er Cru Les Jarollières 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

    Blind. Burgundy nose. We all assume Nuits but it turns out to be Beaune. Sweet fruited, good acidity, fresh. Quite polished and rounded, but quite full too. The consensus is to go for village ( Volnay seems popular) but I think producer is the key here as I'm not convinced it's Volnay. Pousse d'Or? Yes. Santenay Tavannes from a ripe year eg 90, or a Pommard from a more acidic year? Pommard, so must be 93. Yes, Jarollieres. ****

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  • 1988 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Blind. First sniff and I could almost be in Cali Pinot country, but a second sniff suggests northern Rhone and Cote Rotie. Dense spicy red fruit with a touch of soy meatiness and bacon rind. We must go all round the producers bar CR. Late 80's? Again, dries a little on the finish with air, but lovely. ****

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Flight 7 (1 Note)

Cardamom cream, mandarin, pomegranate, langue de chat

  • 1997 Château Rieussec 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Blind. Mid gold. Sweet. Rich. Clemens is rejected so must be Rieussec. Not 90, fresher than that and certainly not 03, too elegant, so 97? Yes. Sweet, rich, full, a touch of coconut and rich tropical fruit. None of the medicinal edge the 03 has turned to. Lovely. Complete Sauternes, maybe just lacking a touch of spine. ****1/2

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