Drinks at Mood Indigo

A couple of quick glasses from two large format bottles

• 1994 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cabernet Franc Alzero 93 Points

  Italy, Veneto, Vino da Tavola

  A wine of singular character, this was really engaging stuff. It had an amazing nose – with rich, deep draws of wild berries and rich raisin aromas, a sprinkle of dried flowers and wild herbs, then drifts of spice and a toss of dried earth. Lots going on there. The palate, as one would expect from a Quinterrali wine, married a core of rich raisin notes to a beautiful balance and purity, with silky tannins and a nice freshness throughout. Above and around that, swirls of wild brush, bittersweet Chinese herbs, and even exotic shades of candlenut and belachan carried the wine into a long finish, with a kiss of green Cab Franc herbiness and puffs of cigar smoke lingered against a stream of minerality that curled around the backpalate. A really interesting, complex wine. I liked it very much, but I can imagine it not being to everyone’s taste. It was drinking well on the day, but in this format, I think it could well be indestructible.

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• 2001 Nicolas Potel Richebourg 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  It is quite a surprise that I had completely forgotten having had this before - it was mindblowingly the first time round and, from a magnum this time, still absolutely brilliant. It is no secret that I am not always a big fan of Potel’s wines – I find the quality to be rather patchy and inconsistent at times, while the “house-style” can be overly prominent across much of his production. This bottle, however, was a beautiful expression of its terroir. It had an absolutely knock-out nose, with dark cherries ringed by toasty earth, a little meaty accent, and then gentle reams of Vosne, with cloves and nutmeg and peppercorn. A truly wonderful bouquet. The palate was perhaps not quite as nice as the nose, but that really is no criticism. It had a great freshness and a lovely purity to its dark cherry and berry flavours that were rather unusual for a Potel, all this seasoned by more of that lovely fragrant spice picked up on the nose. It seemed a bit light bodied for a Richebourg at first, but this really had a deceptive depth, it crept up on you with a surprisingly mouthfilling midpalate, then a sneakily long finish, where metal and mineral notes flecked a dark fruited back palate. This was absolutely superb – it had both strength and grace, with power without weight, and length with effort. A great wine, drinking wonderfully well on the day.

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