BYOB with a couple of friends

Gothenburg
Tasted Saturday, August 31, 2019 - Sunday, September 1, 2019 by karl.1480 with 178 views

Flight 1 - Bubbles (3 Notes)

  • 2009 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Grand Cru Vieille Vigne du Levant Extra Brut 92 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    (8/31/2019)

    Tasted blind.
    Medium intensity, lemon color.

    Expressive nose with distinct autolytic character. Grilled lemon, baked yellow apples, nougat, marzipan, toasted white bread and butter biscuits. Mid-weight with medium(+) acidity. Rich and creamy mouthfeel with great intensity to the flavors. Long, lingering finish.

    Feels pretty approachable right now but could gain some more interesting complexity with further aging. It has great stuffing but the acidity is a tad low (probably vintage related) so I don't think this is a wine for the really long haul. However, this is a damn tasty bottle of Champagne! Called this a Pinot-based growers Champagne from 2009.

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  • NV Damien Hugot Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Vieilles Vignes 93 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    (8/31/2019)

    Tasted blind.
    Medium intensity, lemon color.

    Powerful nose with lots of bruised apple, pear tarte, orange peel, lemon curd, nougat, whipped cream and toasted brioche. Feels like this has seen some oak.

    Almost full bodied with vibrant acidity. Noticeable dosage (a bit too says the bubble geeks) but I think that works in this voluminous style. Great intensity to the fruit which is more on the bruised side rather than fresh. Lots of butter biscuits, toasted brioche and yeast as well. Long and powerful finish with a little weird (in a good way) tang of funky apple cider on the very end.

    When it comes to Champagne I'm a real fan of these powerful extra everything kind of wines. Held up well in the glass during the evening but I'd say this is ready to drink now and doesn't need any more time in the cellar. This was the 2009-base. Called this Damien Hugot 2006 or 2009.

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  • NV Bonnaire Champagne Cuvée Prestige 90 Points

    France, Champagne

    (8/31/2019)

    Tasted blind.
    Pale intensity, lemon color.

    A bit muted nose at first but with time in the glass and a bit higher temperature the wine opens up and shows zesty citrus, crunchy green apples, unripe pear, chalk dust and some toasted white bread.
    Sleek and steely mouthfeel with really zingy high acidity. Very good intensity to the flavors that mirrors the nose. Long and zesty finish.

    This wine came after two pretty big Champagnes which probably affected my impression a bit. This wine feels like it needs a couple of more years to fully open up. Today it's a bit muted and angular. Date of disgorgement is unknown but the guy who brought this wine bought it 4 or 5 years ago. I think I called this a growers champagne blanc de blancs from 2012.

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Flight 2 - Still red and white (5 Notes)

  • 2008 Spiegelberg István Nagy-Somló Naszejszakak Bora 92 Points

    Hungary, Balaton, Nagy-Somló

    (8/31/2019)

    My wine so not tasted blind. Juhfark, Furmint and Hárslevelű harvested late with some botrytis. Fermented dry and aged for 18 months in old barrels.
    Deep intensity, golden color.

    Developed, powerful nose showing golden raisin, pickled ginger, candied lemon, orange marmelade, saffron, honey and super-ripe peach.
    Dry, full bodied with high acidity. Almost viscous mouthfeel with great intensity to the flavors. Layer upon layer of bruised fruit, botrytis affected grapes, ginger, saffron and honey. Long and intensive finish.

    A very unique and thought provoking wine that won't leave anyone untouched. Based on this bottle this is ready to go now.

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  • 1967 Barone Ricasoli Chianti 84 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti

    (8/31/2019)

    Tasted blind.
    A bit hazy, medium intensity, garnet color.

    Fully mature with aromas of freeze dried strawberry, raisin, dried cherry, forest floor, dried mushroom, leather and tobacco. Some vanilla oak as well.

    Very smooth and round on the palate. Acid intact but the tannins feels fully resolved. Decent intensity with a little bit more fruit coming through than on the nose but it is mainly all about tertiary flavors here. On the finish that vanilla oak comes through again.

    Obviously very mature but not dead. It's hard to call a wine this mature but the vanilla notes made me call this early 80's Rioja. I was surprised that this fairly simple wine is holding up so well. Maybe this wine was given a little more love and care back in the days.

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  • 1966 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Castello di Brolio 90 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    (8/31/2019)

    Tasted blind.
    Slightly hazy, medium intensity, garnet color.

    Fully mature but surprisingly floral with rose petals and potpourri. Dried red fruit, tar, leather, mushrooms, forest floor and some minty overtones.

    Round and silky mouthfeel with tannins fully resolved but still some vibrancy to the medium(+) acidity. Great intensity to the flavors with still some life to the fruit. Tar, leather, mushroom and forest floor makes themselves present again. A silky smooth lingering finish with some dried cherry action to it.

    Another fully mature wine but this is not over the hill. The few times I've tasted Barolo or Barbaresco from 1964 came to mind so I called this wine a 1964 Barolo or Barbaresco and felt pretty confident. Always a treat to drink these old, well-kept wines!

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  • 2013 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano Mormoreto Toscana IGT 90 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

    (8/31/2019)

    Tasted blind.
    Deep intensity, ruby color.

    Young and still a bit tightly knit. Dense black fruit, toasty oak and some green traces of grass and bell pepper. Full bodied and fruit-charged on the palate. Bright acidity and prominent tannins makes up for some age-worthy structure. Concentrated flavors of black cherry, cassis, toasted oak, coffee, tobacco and mint. Long finish with a bit of warmth from the alcohol.

    This wine has an 'expensive' feel to it. Lots of oak and dense, extracted fruit. It's polished and without personality. Needs some time to come around I think.
    I think I called this modern Bordeaux but not feeling very confident about it. A style of wine I don't understand.

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  • 1999 Bodegas y Viñedos Alión Ribera del Duero 94 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

    (8/31/2019)

    Tasted blind.
    Medium intensity, ruby color.

    Complex and expressive nose showing sun ripe strawberry, blackberry, cherry liqueur, garrigue herbs, raw meat and asian spice. Some floral overtones and a bit of toasty oak.

    Full bodied with bright acidity and silky tannins. Complex and intensive with a very pure feel to the fruit. There's layers upon layers of savory spice, raw meat, bright florals, earthy sous bois, well-balanced oak and sun ripe fruit. Really long finish with a little bit of warmth from the alcohol but now I'm just being picky.

    This wine is in a great place right now but probably in the beginning of it's drinking window cause I can't pick up any tertiary notes. The sun ripe feel to the fruit along with meat and garrigue led me directly to southern Rhône. The oak made me a bit doubtful but I called this Châteauneuf-du-Pape somewhere around 2010.

    Great wine.

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Flight 3 - Sweet (2 Notes)

  • 1998 Schwaab-Kiebel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese 90 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    (8/31/2019)

    Tasted blind.
    Pale intensity, lemon-green color.

    Those school book Riesling-aromas lining up nicely in the glass. Fresh cut lime, green grapes, elder flower, white flowers and wet slate. Feels like it has lost it's baby fat but not gained any petroleum notes yet.

    The sweetness is perfectly balanced by a high, zesty acidity. Light as a feather on the palate but with great intensity to the flavors. Again it's all about classic young German Riesling aromas and no traces of any petroleum or other notes that can indicate age. The wine ends dry with a long and mouthwatering acidity. Could use a few more years to gain some more complexity.

    This was so obvious Mosel Spätlese or Auslese but I could never have guessed that it was 20 years old. I was thinking somewhere around 2012-2013. Some Mosel Riesling do age slowly.

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  • 1995 Château Rieussec 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (8/31/2019)

    Tasted blind.
    Medium intensity, golden color.

    Initially the nose is dominated by resin which felt kind of odd. After a while in the glass it develops into a luscious, honeyed saffron bomb. Sultana raisin, pine needle, super-ripe stone fruits, pickled ginger, saffron(!!), brown spice, caramel and luxurious oak. Some VA providing a nice little lift.

    Very sweet and viscous mouthfeel that is balanced by a tremendous acidity. Very intense flavors that mirrors the nose. Very long finish.

    Classic Sauternes at it's peak. My guess was 1999 Ch Suduiraut.

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