Coravin fun - around the northern hemisphere ish

After an email exchange with Stefan I was inspired to go home and tap a group of wines that traditionally match to Lamb (chops tonight). Three brackets. The two rieslings were sipped on whilst I did the food prep and cooking. The last two an after thought...dessert if you will (though hardly appropriate). 50ml pours for all wines. The reds were all poured prior to food prep (so roughly half an hour beforehand)

Pre-supper Riesling left over from Australia Day tasting. The Donnhoff was superb, again.

• 2007 Weingut Knebel Winninger Brückstück Riesling Spätlese feinherb Flawed

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Under Argon spritz. Aromas of cream, peach that is smudged by a bit of funkiness…there is something of the odour of out of date meat here. More of the same on the palate. I was hoping this might improve but, no, my original diagnosis is correct - FLAW

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• 2007 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Felsentürmchen Spätlese

  Germany, Nahe

  Under Argon spritz. Aromas of spice - touches of ginger - slight sulphur over tropical fruit and ripe peach, slight wet stone and a citrus note. In the mouth the wine has juicy acidity and is off-dry, flavours of tropical fruit basket, peach, some gum gripping phenolic, spice and ripe apple on the medium plus length. Very nice

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Two Haut Medocs from two good vintages. There has been some variability with the Caronne but all in all it's rather pleasant. I have revised my drinking dates for the rest of the Charmail.

• 2005 Château Caronne Ste. Gemme

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. That Bordeaux smell….bramble, cedar, toast/biscuit, black currant, slight meat, autumn leaves…in the mouth the wine is juicy with savoury black fruits - bramble and blackcurrant - quite tight, as are the tannins which are drying but not in a bad way. Wonderful with lamb chops.

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• 2009 Château Charmail

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  From Coravin. Cassis, cream, vanilla, alcohol heat and spice on the nose. In the mouth the wine is juicy then black fruit hand in hand with grippy, chewy tannins, spice and alcohol heat. Still young.

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Both purchased from auction. Both probably not quite as sound as I'd want them to be - there are glimpses of brilliance, especially in regard to the wines structure, but both are a little lacking in fruit on this occasion.

• 1998 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  From Coravin. Plentiful rim fade. On the nose the wine is slightly musty with aromas of vanilla, cream, brambly fruit, slight balsamic and touches of vegetation. In the mouth the wine is slight sour, with flavours of black fruit, tight tannins, still, but on their downward journey. Great structure and rather nice despite being slightly oxidised.

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• 2004 Ridge Monte Bello

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  From Coravin. On the nose vanilla, spice, black currant, toasted oak, quite rich with animal notes. In the mouth the wine has drying tannins and spice notes but lacks fruit for me on this occasion - touches of black currant just beginning to show. Sits well in the mouth but the fruit absence is annoying.

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Both mature but not fully mature reservas. The Riscal pipped the post for me today.

• 2004 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  From Coravin. Dusty and meaty aromas over strawberry, vanilla and cream with touches of cedar. In the mouth the wine is again slightly musty and sour with tight chalky tannins that are leathery and chewy Hmm. Went well with the lamb but…

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• 2005 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Baron de Chirel Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  From Coravin. Slight cream and vanilla under spiced meat notes. Also red fruit notes - actually it's all quite meat stew made with wine. More of the same on the palate coupled with grippy tight tannins. Rather nice.

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Bits and pieces. After I finished the lamb matches I didn't want to jump back into the wines I'd just tried so grabbed a pomerol and a st.joseph to have a little taste on the balcony. Both very pleasant.

• 2005 Château Mazeyres

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  From Coravin. Lovely herbaceous notes over bramble as and plums that are slight sour, and meaty notes. In the mouth the wine is juicy and fresh with brambles and plums, spice and a velvety textures. Very pleasant

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• 2008 Domaine Faury Saint-Joseph (Hedonism)

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Joseph

  From Coravin. Wonderfully perfumed green peppercorn aromas dominate slight back cherry and berry and spice. More of the same on the palate is refreshed by a lovely juicy acidity. No tannins present.

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Ahh, the joy of Coravin. It truly assists with giving visibility of how ones palate changes over a short period of time and how subjective tasting is. The broad brush strokes are common but the fine details appear to alter...very interesting. Of this lot the Mazeyres and the Donnhoff (again) made me most content but I'm probably biased because I purchased all of these myself...In retrospect I'd probably alter the order and have the rioja, then the ridge then the bordeaux...