Medlar

Medlar, London
Tasted Thursday, April 30, 2015 by SimonG with 460 views

Flight 1 (1 Note)

Flight 2 (1 Note)

  • 1976 Pierre Ferrand Chinon Château de Ligré La Roche Saint-Paul 87 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

    Very cab franc on the nose. Quite herbal and green with a slightly smoky edge. Fresh and refreshing. Puts on some weight in the glass whilst retaining the herbaceousness. Decent for what it is, but despite the warm vintage it retains it's cool aloof and can't really stand alongside the wines that follow. That said, a nice drink, but not a showy wine in any sense. Quite a lot of interest though. ***

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 1982 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Reserva 94 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Significantly more advance and developed on the nose and in colour than the 73 alongside, a good ten years the other way round. Starts off in the coffee bean mould, evolving to a slightly more mocha note before the old Rioja orange peel and warm fireside leather kicks in. Develops more complexity over a couple of hours without fading or showing any structural change. Lovely. Warm and cosseting. ****1/2

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  • 1973 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Reserva 94 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Stunningly fresh and vibrant. Looks a good decade younger than the 82 GR alongside. Quite dense and plush fruit still. Some evolution over the course of two hours, but not showing anything like the development and complexity of the 82. Purer and fresher fruit though. Probably the better wine but lacks the mature excitement and nuance of the 82. Wonderfully fresh bottle though. ****1/2

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 1998 Tertre Rôteboeuf 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Dense and quite tight initially, good quality and dense fruit locked in quite a rigid frame. Served blind but double decanted about four hours previously. Obviously claret, but first thought was 86 left bank. Oops. With air this starts to hint at Merlot and also more youthful tannins. Gorgeously multifaceted nose though, layer upon layer of floral fruit. Very attractive. Needs robust food or another decade, but the nose is one to follow all evening as it reveals more with every sniff. Lovely. ****

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  • 1998 Domaine du Castel Grand Vin Judean Hills 91 Points

    Israel, Judean Hills

    Served blind. Quite an interesting sweet-fruited nose. Some depth and complexity here, a pinch of VA adding to the slightly high-toned sweetness, but a dark red fruited and quite savoury wine underneath this. Claret meets Chateauneuf. Holds up well through the evening with plenty of interest. Fascinating and very decent in its own right. ****

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Flight 5 (1 Note)

  • NV Equipo Navazos La Bota de Amontillado 49 "Bota A.R." 96 Points

    Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

    Stunning, stunning nose. So round, and warm, and deep and complex. Can smell it across the room. Wow. c100 years old and oh so dense and complex. Ambrosial, immortal and indestructible. *****

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