October Wimps Lunch

Download table had some great wines today. Thanks to everyone for bringing them and for being such great company and for making my guest, Ben, feel so welcome. It is rare to get to try so many top champagnes at the same lunch. All lived up to expectations. An interesting solitary white was followed by more of a mixed bag of reds and a sweet wine with great future potential. However it is for the champagne that I will remember this lunch. The food was superb. The onion soup and venison were off-the-charts good

• 2003 Dom Pérignon Champagne 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  A magnum of this. Bright yellow colour, looks young still. Classic nose with brioche, toast, and bright citrus fruit. Initially tight fruit, solid fizz, still young but a mature digestive biscuit back note. Surprisingly good acidity for the year. Stays well and the nose got more toasty as it opened up. Very nice now but time in hand from this format.

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• 2018 Bérêche et Fils Champagne Campania Remensis Extra Brut Rosé 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  A magnum of this rosé. Light salmon pink colour, redcurrant fruit but with more depth, grapey nose. Good fizz, more redcurrant fruit but lifted by a lovely note of wild strawberry. Hint of plum skin too. Fresh linear fruit, classy and charming. Held up well throughout lunch.

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• 2012 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année Rosé 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Dark pink, fizzy, classic rosé nose, summer fruit pudding with wholemeal bread. Utterly lovely, a bit simple in terms of development but sweet ripe red fruits. Impossible not to like. Lovely rounded, open vintage on this showing.

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• 2007 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut Rosé 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Onion skin colour, hint of pink. Very classy, complex nose, red and citrus fruits, more yeast than biscuit here. Taught fruit, still drinking young, fine acidity and bead of bubbles (fizz would be the wrong word). Some red fruit, some brioche, long flavour that develops nuances throughout lunch. Class.

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• 2022 António Madeira Dão Vinhas Velhas 91 Points

  Portugal, Beiras, Dão

  I’ve not had a white Dao before. Nose has yellow fury and a touch of funk (in a good way). Yellow and green fruit flavours. I get ripe greengages from this. A bit of light, acacia honey develops as it opens out. Fresh but some nice depth.

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• 2010 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  I’ve always been a fan of Pegau since I had the 1989 and 1990 back in the day but the last vintage I bought was the 2005. Pleased to get the opportunity to try this vintage. On first pour, wonderful nose of dark cherry, kirsch and a hint of liquorice. So classic. Cherries in the flavour, real depth, also a bit of oatmeal that I always get with Grenache. This was heading for a high rating around 94 but as it opened up over lunch some unwelcome notes of raisin and prune showed up, suggesting the impact of the vintage heat. Not sure how this will develop. Pop and pour for best results.

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• 2016 Tenuta di Carleone Uno 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  A magnum. Bright Sangiovese red fruits, very pure nose, a bowl of fresh cherries. What is not to like? Bright red fruits, light but with depth. Very refreshing red fruits, nothing heavy here. Simple, fresh and delightful with light tannins revealing themselves. Still young. Needed a bit more complexity for me but that may come with age.

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• 2012 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  A bit grumpy today but true to type. Browning red colour. Bold red cherry nose, hint of liquorice, some tobacco too. Classic young Brunello. Good cherry and marjoram fruit. Bold, maturing a little, but a wall of tannin emerged making it a bit heavy going, surprising for the vintage. A bottle earlier in the year was more open to drinking. Needs time but you have to like some tannin in your wine.

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• 2006 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco Toscana IGT 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  My wine but I’d not had it before. A blend of mostly Cabernet, with some Sangiovese and Merlot. 19 years old but no age showing in the deep red colour. A mix of cherry and cassis on the nose. I was surprised there wasn’t more of the latter. As it opened up lots of eucalyptus and a touch of mint, later on there is some black tea. Ripe cherry infused fruit, quite a lot of tannin. Still tastes young and a bit tight, would benefit from a decent decant which it didn’t get. A little dry but there is some class here.

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• 2011 Château Climens 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  I love Climens. The 07 and 05 have been fabulous recently. This has great potential but still tastes young. Classic almond and barley sugar nose. Bold fruit, linear, less lush and sweet than other recent vintages. Some orange zest in the almond flavour. Long finish. Classic but needs at least 10 years.

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