40th birthday bash

Mezza Express, Camden, London, UK
Tasted Friday, April 24, 2009 by king-bing with 562 views

Introduction

Notes mostly from memory. Theme: a bottle from each of the decades I have been around. With friends Kevin, Terry, Matt, Kelvin, and Ian.

Flight 1 (5 Notes)

  • 1969 Deinhard Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Auslese

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Better than the firest bottle. Lovely clean and fruity (!) nose. Not much paraffin this time round. Some orchard fruits. Palate is rich and mouthfilling. Even some creaminess alongside a mineral element. No great length, but tasty this evening. No hurry to drink this if you have some.

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  • 1986 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

    Rather crumbly cork but looks fine. Some barnyardy notes on the nose on opening. Settled down nicely though. Some red fruits too. Palate - wow. Just beautifully ethereal, clean and almost watery - like it was hardly there at all. Stunning. Dare I say Burgundian? 1986 apparently not a great year in the northern Rhone and this doesn't have the weight of a better year (and it was relatively acidic) but still a lovely wine and, I think, at it's apogee. WOTN.

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  • 1997 Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon Jonkershoek Valley

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek Valley

    Some greenness on the nose and menthol too. Palate - not the class of the Clape Cornas and seemed rather tannic and young - much more so than the recent SA offline bottle. Not at it's best this evening and seemed rather charmless. I think another 3-5 years or so are needed.

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  • 2000 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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

    Solid Grenache nose, with some muffled fruit and a touch of brett. Palate broad and expansive but rather simple. Never really got going, yet nothing wrong with it. Not sure if the problem was the bottle or the wine...

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  • 1976 Château de Monbazillac Monbazillac

    France, Southwest France, Dordogne, Monbazillac

    Very dark orange colour. Fill was vts. Complex nose of grilled banana, "buckfast" says someone, pencil shavings, barley sugar, crepe suzette. Palate rich and a touch heavy. Lacks acidity to keep it fresh. Nice but not great.

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