London Blind Challenge

Vinotecca, London.
Tasted Sunday, June 29, 2014 by SimonG with 621 views

Introduction

27/06/14 Organised by David P this year rather than Keith.

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Huet Brut 85 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

    Blind. Fine stream of small bubbles. Some richness on the attack. A bit of prickle, feels quite young. With air the nose seems a little sweet and confected. Bubbles die quickly. Not Champagne. The ripeness makes me think new world, maybe something like Lindauer from NZ. **1/2

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  • 2010 Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rosé 82 Points

    United Kingdom, England, Sussex, West Sussex

    Blind. Salmon pink. A touch cheesey on the nose, and similar on the attack. Some slightly muddy maybe oaky nuances too. Wines. All upfront, pulling up a little short. A little curious. Champagne that's seen slightly better days maybe? Could be English I suppose, but doesn't remind me of Camel Valley etc, so I'll go with the slightly tired Champagne theory. **

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  • 2004 Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé 90 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    Blind. Mmm, this is more like it. Proper Champagne. Quite rich and full. A little raw on the nose at the moment, but better shape on the palate. Decent PN from the Montagne de Reims — Ay or Bouzy etc. ***1/2

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Flight 2 (4 Notes)

  • 2000 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Single Vineyard Lovedale 91 Points

    Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

    Blind. Mid straw. Dry, quite minerally. With quite grassy aromatics. A slight waxiness here too, but overall quite light and minerally. Maybe something like the Vergelegen estate wine with a SB/Sem blend. With a bit more air the grassy character fades and the wine doesn't have the alcohol for Vergelegen. Hunter Semillon then, probably McWilliams. Interesting and enjoyable wine. ****

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  • 1995 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Réserve 88 Points

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

    Blind. A rich, honeyed, smoky, caramel wafer nose. A touch of wax. Rich, honeyed with a dry finish. Quite weighty. Really not sure here — none of my obvious reference points seem likely. Southern French maybe, but how about one of Eben Sadie's new Swartland single vineyard bottlings of old vine Chenin and possibly something else? I quite like it, but it demands attention. Also seems quite evolved. ***

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  • 2007 Celler Cal Pla Priorat Mas d'en Compte Blanc 88 Points

    Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

    Blind. Mid to full straw. Quite honeyed. Waxy and rich. Reminds me of La Soula. Seems to lighten a bit and show some minerality. A suggestion of classy burgundy from my left, and maybe that's not too far off the mark. Really not sure though — maybe if it's just starting to oxidise? There's quite a lot here — one to consider over more than a small blind sample. ***

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  • 1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières

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

    Blind. Light gold. Nose suggests oxidation. Similar on palate - almost beginning to feel off-dry, though I think it was dry originally. Overly mature and oxidising burgundy, or maybe poxed? There is some density and a sense of a mineral core beneath the somewhat aldehydic exterior, so maybe a poxed grand cru Chablis? Past it.

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Flight 3 (8 Notes)

  • 2010 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine 90 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

    Blind. A bright, vivid purple-red. Evocative nose that screams Beaujolais to me — primary fruit, a touch of bubblegum, and an underlying sense of minerality that makes me think of hard rock, so maybe a Morgon. Vibrant. Pleasantly surprised when revealed as a Chinon— didn't have the slightly green, herbal, pine element that CF often gives. ***1/2

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  • 1990 Ridge Petite Sirah York Creek 89 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    Blind. Full and dark colour. Sweeter. Quite full, sweet fruit, a touch of smoke. Smooth and quite vibrant. I think this is probably a new world Pinot. Oops! Top ***

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  • 2000 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Mazy-Chambertin 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru

    Blind. Light ruby to mid garnet. Pretty. Light and bright. Very floral, pretty, a touch of caramel and a gentle earthy meatiness at the back. Fully resolved. 1er Cru Chambolle, maybe a 98 Fourrier Gruenchers — there's a brightness and transparency to this. Bare ****

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  • 2010 Eagles' Nest Shiraz 87 Points

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia

    Full, sweet, a touch of bacon fat. Ripe and full. Could be a Syrah, but very smooth, every so slightly cloying, and lacking in tannin. NZ Pinot I think - one of the darker fruited Central Otago ones in a warmer vintage. I think one would tire of this after a glass. ***

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  • 1994 Giovanni Manzone Barolo Le Gramolere 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Blind. Mid garnet. Really quite sweet fruited, quite full, a touch of spice. Really very nice indeed. Fragrant and nuanced. Not sure what it is though. No obvious tannins, fully resolved, spicy red fruit. 91 Musar? ****

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  • 2010 Luis Pato Vinho Regional Beiras Vinhas Velhas 88 Points

    Portugal, Beiras, Vinho Regional Beiras

    Blind. Very peppery. Tannic with quite high acidity. Young Nebbiolo palate — floral but lots of grunt. Needs time and patience. 06 Prodottori Barbaresco? ***

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  • 1983 Château Mouton Rothschild 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Blind. Mmmnnnn, lovely mature claret nose. Sweet fruit, slightly bretty complexity. Cedar. Sweet, rounded, some complexity and a nicely cedary minerally quality. Initially think 89 but on reflection it's not that ripe, but very classy and elegant, so I'll go with 85. Clearly left bank, not Graves or St Estephe. Not really the full cigar box St Julien, but nor is it overtly blackcurrant and power of Pauillac. Maybe St Julien then. 85 Leoville B? ****

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  • 2010 Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso 87 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri

    Blind. Younger, purple red. Slightly rubbery. Clearly young, full and ripe. Chilean carmenere/merlot I think. Santa Rita? Needs time to calm down. ***

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Flight 4 (3 Notes)

  • 2010 Château Jolys Jurançon 90 Points

    France, Southwest France, Jurançon

    Blind. Very pale colour. Pale straw. Light and sweet. A very bright vibrant grapey freshness here. Certainly not Sauternes etc. maybe a Southern French — Muscat de Frontignan etc? ***1/2

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  • 2002 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 91 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Blind. This screams Riesling on the nose. Couldn't be anything else. Very petrolly with a Limey freshness. Auslese weight, though almost not quite the sweetness I'd expect. Seems quite evolved. Maybe eating it's sugar. So, one of the Mosel vintages I think. About fifteen years old, so 98? ****. (Quite surprised to see it's an 02 BJS GK — maybe an awkward phase. As I type these up I've opened a half on the 98 non-GK of this, and it's far sweeter and more harmonious).

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  • 2010 Mas Amiel Maury Vintage 87 Points

    France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Maury

    Blind. Dense red. Fortified. Very Maury and pretty certain this is Mas Amiel. Very similar to, but just a shade younger than, the 05 I've had open in the fridge since Christmas. Not sure what the current release is. Maybe 07/08? Could do with being served a little cooler. ***

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