A private tasting and dinner at a friend's

Amsterdam
Tasted Friday, May 1, 2015 by Xavier Auerbach with 580 views

Introduction

A group of seven (Steven, Arjen, Peter, Angela, Allard, Elizabeth and Xavier) gathered around the table for a Paulée-style blind tasting and informal dinner focusing on Syrah and Shiraz. Contributions were partially coordinated and partially impromptu. The average quality of the wines was particularly high tonight.

Flight 1 - Champagne (2 Notes)

Flight 2 - White Rhône (3 Notes)

  • 2006 Stéphane Montez / Domaine de Monteillet Condrieu 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

    Wonderful marriage of freshness and maturity, ripe fruit and a hint of evolution, touch of smoky honey, apricot, intense yet elegant, excellent purity and typicity, rich yet flowing, velvety, complete, carried by lively and perfectly integrated acidity, excellent length. Absolutely superb and a great surprise.

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  • 2007 Château-Grillet (Neyret-Gachet) Château-Grillet 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Château-Grillet

    Puzzling. Delicate, subtle, light flavours, herbs, noticeable bitters, floral, almond, gains intensity with aeration, lovely complexity but a distinct lack of fire power.

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  • 2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Rich and deep colour; very recognisable, oxidative note cleans up, estery cherries, lively acidity, excellent depth, granite minerality, intense and powerful, deep and rich, excellent length.

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Flight 3 - Chapoutier (2 Notes)

  • 1999 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Earthy, rich but dry, intense, peppery, powerful, broad-shouldered, tannic, seems quite closed, concentrated but is not really showing itself, very structured but the weight of fruit is up to it, not charming at all, very masculine, long. Needs years.

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  • 1996 M. Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Transparent, sweet strawberry fruit, touch of cream, white mushroom, mature, gentle, together, lovely balance, bright acidity, potent tannic grip, granite minerality, pure and linear style, subtle tertiary development, excellent length. Wonderful, at peak but with time in hand.

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Flight 4 - Australian Classics (3 Notes)

  • 2001 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace 96 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

    Starts with a really big eucalyptus hit, deep and rich but subtle and nuanced, very classical Australian, meaty, ripe fruit, mature, powerful, beautifully balanced, smoky oak, the noblest of tannins, satiny, charming, seductive tannins, flint, excellent length. A beauty.

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  • 2001 Clarendon Hills Astralis 97 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon

    Crushed raspberries, explosive, sweet, rich, youthful colour, excellent balance, recently polished teak, extremely seductive, 100% new oak perfectly integrated, hint of overripeness, raisins, bright acidity, slightly tough tannins, a powerhouse, long. Over the top but really amazing in its way. Will last.

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  • 2001 Penfolds Grange 97 Points

    Australia, South Australia

    Impressively intense, very young, supremely classical and complete, tannins need a little more time to soften, balanced and concentrated, creamy and luscious even, sweet oak, almost piquant acidity, ripe fruit, avoids any back-end heat. Drinking well already, better in ten years and will last for decades.

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Flight 5 - New World Extraordinaire (3 Notes)

  • 2007 Gaelic Cemetery Shiraz

    Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

    Dusty and tannic, sweet tannins, powerful, difficult, juicy, stalky, concentrated, tough, hard to assess. Really powerful but really uneasy too. Not rated.

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  • 2005 Alban Vineyards Syrah Lorraine

    USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

    A massive 16.5% ABV. Sweet fruit, quite jammy, smoky bacon, exuberant, bright and silky, slightly hard edge to the tannins, dynamic, juicy, there is a certain elegance but overall this feels disjointed and uneasy. I am really in two minds about this wine. Scoring it depends so much on personal preference that I will refrain from rating it. But it is clear that Robert Parker (who gave it 100 points) likes it more than I do.

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  • 2004 Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

    A sensible 14.5% ABV. Confiture, bright, glossy, rounded, sweet-and-sour, gentle tannins, extraction is fine, plush, deep, tea, back-end heat, long.

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Flight 6 - Pudding Wines (3 Notes)

  • 1989 Château Rieussec 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Rich, voluptuous, botrytis, very powerful bitters, drying, marmalade and dried orange, strong but rather hot and tough.

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  • 1990 Château Suduiraut 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Half bottle. Classic, medium-sweet, rich botrytis, rich bitters, undisputable quality but you wonder where this is heading.

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  • 1986 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amabile del Cerè Veneto IGT 93 Points

    Italy, Veneto, Veneto IGT

    Half bottle. Amber gold colour, dried apples, honey, fudge, spice, bitters, rich, powerful but not elegant, Verdelho-like. Impressive and a rare privilege to taste this.

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