Pre-Op Drinks at Kel's

Kelvin was due for a major operation in the coming weeks, and the gang gathered at his place to do a nice little send-off with some lovely blind wines. We had some really nice stuff, including a 1981 Margaux that was really singing. However, it was the Rossignol-Trapet Chambertin that stole the show for me - absolutely brilliant, it was one of the better bottles of Burgundy I have had this year.

• NV Equipo Navazos La Bota de Fino 27 "Macharnudo Alto" 94 Points

  Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

  Last bottle, and this was the best showing of the three I have had. It had a classic Fino nose of salty seabreeze gusting over savoury scents of dried lime peel and kumquats, with fresher lemony notes and a lovely trail of spicy and minerally scents drifting behind. It was a nose that promised freshness and complexity, and the palate more than delivered. It had a lovely driving intensity to its delicious notes of preserved lemons and limes and dried figs - this was indeed deeper and richer than a normal Fino - but all this was wed to a elegant clarity, with a stream of lovely acidity cutting through the rich flavours of the Jamon Iberico that we paired it with, so that the wine's deep flavours enlivened the palate, showing as clean and clear as the very first sip each time it was put in the mouth. Great finish too, long, driving, powerful, yet graceful and effortless at the same time, with spice, mineral, a twist of ice-cream soda and savoury fig skin pulling into the distance. This was wonderful - a very complete, full, round, lip-smackingly delicious wine, yet blessed with crystalline clarity and lovely energy. I may be biased because I love sherries, and this was just about a perfect pairing with the food we had, but boy this was good.

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• 2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  A truly superb village - served blind, this was several notches up from what one would expect from a run-of-the-mill Puligny. It had beautiful nose; pure Leflaive, showing wreathes of gunflint and smoke, lovely mineral notes, with sweet lemons and tangy kumquat aromas, and then something floral and appley buried underneath. A deep, entrancing, almost pungent bouquet. The palate had really lovely depth for a straight village, with a rich, fleshy attack of more kumquats and lemons, and then a midpalate of ripe apple flavours streaked with lovely seams of mineral and flint. In spite of its rich weight, there was a good bit of bright acidity weaving its way around the wine and into a juicy kumquat and calimansi finish. Not the longest here, but there was a nice fleshiness to it. This was really solidly put together for a village. Blind, we were quite certain it was at least a good 1er Cru. This is just about coming into a really nice drinking window I think.

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• 1997 Domaine Alain Burguet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  A rather old school Burg, a bit on the rustic side, but pretty enjoyable. The nose was on the edge of smelling over-developed, with plenty of savoury soy sauce and bloody game meat aromas, along with some balsamic notes, and then red fruited scents and a little hint of dried flowers trailing behind. A rather dirty, very earthy bouquet, but quite pleasant in its own right if you like your older Burgs. The palate had a savoury, almost salty tone on its attack, with chicken stock layered over matured flavours of sour plums and stewed prunes, before it opened up surprisingly into a round, fleshy midpalate with a nice flush of more youthful red cherry notes behind. A thick-set, slightly tarry finish ended with a touch of loamy soil and another lovely burst of red fruit. In many ways, this was a very mature tasting wine, yet it still had good depth and nice juicy freshness to it. However, one does get a sense that the structural integrity of the wine is just starting to slip now. While still eminently drinkable, this would have been better a couple of years back.

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• 2002 Domaine Rossignol Trapet Chambertin 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  This was absolutely gorgeous, one of the stand-out wines over the past few months. Opened for a couple of hours before serving, it had a beautiful nose of ripe red fruit when first poured, with little raspberries, redcurrants and concentrated cherry aromas underlined with a little metallic mineral twang. There were also touches of brambly spice and a nice floral lilt at the sides. With time, the bouquet opened up even more, showing lovely little nuances of meat and earth and a twist orange peel. Lovely stuff. The palate was a step behind at first, still a bit tight, a bit inexpressive, really needing some time in the glass to open up. When it did, however, it was just great. Served blind, no one was in any doubt that this was a Grand Cru - it had lovely breadth and depth, with deep draws of red berries and sweet cherries and red plums lined with sprinkles of spice, some lovely minerality, and the littlest savoury hints of earth and meat. Effortlessly complex. It had a lovely glowing sweetness, yet was still ever so controlled, refined and poised; with masculine depth and muscular structure, yet also possessing an almost feminine elegance and silkiness. The finish had a lovely sense of presence, with a nice oomph wed to a tremendous sense of structure and juicy balance; yet in the best 2002 fashion, it was so well-integrated that it went down beautifully, with little bits of herbs and spice and bramble, mineral and earth swirling around the back-palate. Beautiful - a super elegant and feminine expression of Chambertin. This was also one of the most complete Burgundies I have had in a long time. Great now, but it could also easily have gone on for another decade or more. I loved this.

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• 2002 Domaine Arlaud Clos de la Roche Cuvée Unique 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  Not quite my style of Burgundy, and this was one of those tight, stubborn 2002s to boot, but for all that, it was admittedly still a very good wine. The nose still showed a good bit of oak influence, which seems out of place in a Burgundy past its first decade to me, showing shades of wood and toasted vanilla and coffee aromas alongside its otherwise rich smells of blueberries, black cherries and violets, with little motes of earth and a puff of gunpowder blowing around behind. With time, some meaty notes and a hint of menthol starting peeking out from behind the oak. A bit tight at first, but pleasant enough even with the oak. The palate had a rather modern feel to it - very rich, velvety and plush, with layers of blueberry and dark cherries and deep violet notes held in sweet, ripe tannins. Yet this was also classically balanced with juicy acidity, and a nice line of mineral that undergirded the attack and midpalate helped to give it a nice sense of focus. The finish was very full, very powerful, with orangey acidity and some stewed tea notes nestling amidst deep blue fruit, just before a final kiss of oaky vanillin set-in. Very youthful and primary, a bit too modern for my taste, but this clearly had lots of quality on it. It needs lots of time yet – I would give it a good 10 years – but I think it will be a very good wine when it matures.

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• 2006 Domaine Bzikot Pére et Fils Bourgogne 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Very strong for a Bourgogne – we all guessed that this was at least a good village when served blind. The nose was pleasant, but nothing special, showing quite varietally correct, with dark cherry aromas mixed in with some dried earth, spice and a touch of green, minty notes. The palate was very pleasing though. Clearly out-classed by the couple of Grand Crus that came before of course, but this was about all you could ask for from a Bourgogne –with a clean, clear expression of dark cherries and berries laced with fine, chewy tannins and good acidity; the balance and structure on the wine carried it into a longish finish with a little bit of spice. It was not exactly an easy-drinking, forgettable wine either – this actually came across a bit tight and young even with several years of age under its belt. It certainly has the structure to suggest that it will benefit from a few more years in the bottle. Impressive for what it is.

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• 1981 Château Margaux 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Absolutely enjoyable – this charmer of a wine could well be the best 1981 Bordeaux I have ever had. It had such a pretty nose, with wafts of sweet tobacco smoke, dried flowers and spice drifting around a base of cassis and loamy forest floor aromas – a warm, welcoming, almost seductive nose. The palate was really yummy. Served blind, I thought it did not have the greatest depth or complexity for a first growth, but there was certainly more than sufficient weight and presence to its wonderfully sappy, juicy, succulent flavours of cassis and dark cherries to grab the interest; all very clear, pure, with gobs of fresh acidity that lent the wine a great sense of energy – really lovely stuff. Chewy tannins have just started to soften and take on a nice silky feel, gliding over a grapey midpalate into a lovely finish where tobacco and earth mingled with more juicy cherry notes, just before the wine slid away with a long kiss of floral notes. I loved the playful, vibrant freshness on the wine. It is in a great place for drinking now. No one is ever going to say this is a great Margaux, but boy was it enjoyable.

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• 2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  From a 375ml that had been opened a week earlier, this was as pleasing, but also every bit as primary as the last bottle I had two years ago. The nose was a panoply of exotice tropical notes - pineapples, durian and jackfruit, guava and calimansi lines, on a brighter bakcdrop of citrussy grapefruit scents, and a little sprinkle of petrol. On that nose alone, I would have guessed Rheinhessen rather than Mosel. The palate pulled it back to its origins though. The sweet, tropical notes were still there, with lychee added into the mix this time to go along with the jackfruit, pineapples and guava picked up on the nose. However, it was really fresh and lively, with streaks of juicy acidity keeping the wine from being cloying. Indeed, there was a crystalline clarity and an effortless, almost etheral feel on the midpalate that only the best Mosel wines have by the time they reach Goldkapsel level and above - much better in this aspect than the last bottle I thought. Where that showed more raw power and fleshy depth (perhaps because it had been opened for a shorter time), this made up for it with a pleasing balance and definition in spite of its un-Mosel-like fruit forwardness. The exotic tones also calmed down a bit on the finish, with more neutral, appley flavours taking the fore. Very enjoyable, and kept very drinkable given the balance it had. However, this is still a baby and needs plenty of time in the cellar yet, especially given the layers of 2007 fat that it has. It is a very good wine though, and will reward patient cellaring. One to try again in 8-10 years.

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