What a treat! And fortunately, the wine didn't let us down. Very round apples and blackberries on the nose. Very concentrated, with huge depth. Very precise and focussed on the finish with a lovely pear tatin purity. Enormous length. Absolutely Excellent.
A smoky, buttery nose, with a hint of fresh-baked bread. Lovely round attack. Then it falls away a bit. But it returns with big flavours on the finish. A real doughnut of a wine! Impressive wine with great length, though it didn't really do it for me 100%. Very Good Indeed.
Powerful, intense minerals on the nose. Lovely round palate with notable depth and purity. Just a touch of sweetness that cuts the Trimbach austerity. Stunning wine. Excellent.
A curious nose, with lots of peaches and talc, but none of the petrolly minerals I'd have expected. But for some reason, I am finding more and more peach in Mosel Auslesen these days. Quite straightforward on the palate, with round, gentle ripeness and soft acidity coming in on the finish. Very good length. Pretty much in accord with other Licht-Bergweiler wines I've had. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
Fabulous nose - really elegant with vieille prune scents to the fore, ahead of flowery, fragrant violets. Soft and velvety textured on the palate. Good acidity provides a nice freshness on the finish, but overall it doesn't quite live up to its nose. Very Good Indeed.
An intense, perfumed nose. Sweet and ripe on the attack. Feels really quite young - certainly way younger than the Chave. Also much more animalistic than the Chave. Very elegant. Good length with a sweet fruit elegance. I think this could probably really do with a few more years. Excellent.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
A quite astonishing colour - remarkably deep and youthful. Quite spirity and volatile on the nose - initially at least - and quite portlike. Sweet and evolved on the palate, possibly a touch dried out. After some time, it lost the porty notes, but retained some citrussy high tones on the nose.
A sweet hedegrow fruit and ashtray nose. Fairly ripe fruit on the attack. Very even, with some very soft tannins. Elegant, yet seems to lack depth and character. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
Served to refresh our palates. A decent biscuity nose. Very good mousse. Round and full with nice depth. Notable length, and better after than on the palate. Plenty of life left in it. Very Good+.
A lightish colour and body. Very spirity nose with lots of prunes and eau de vie de prune. Sweet and integrated on the attack. There's a lot of spirit on the middle, then some lovley dried fruit flavours on the finish, and lingering long after. Very light and elegant. Quite well integrated. Very long, with very dried fruit and chocolate flavours after. Very Good Indeed.
1981 Bollinger Champagne Vieilles Vignes Françaises 97 Points
France, Champagne
What a treat! And fortunately, the wine didn't let us down. Very round apples and blackberries on the nose. Very concentrated, with huge depth. Very precise and focussed on the finish with a lovely pear tatin purity. Enormous length. Absolutely Excellent.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1985 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
A smoky, buttery nose, with a hint of fresh-baked bread. Lovely round attack. Then it falls away a bit. But it returns with big flavours on the finish. A real doughnut of a wine! Impressive wine with great length, though it didn't really do it for me 100%. Very Good Indeed.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1986 Domaine Rollin Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Very minerally nose. Much more texture on the palate than the Coche Meursault and, for me, a much more enjoyable wine. Very Good Indeed/Excellent.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1989 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune Vendanges Tardives 93 Points
France, Alsace
Powerful, intense minerals on the nose. Lovely round palate with notable depth and purity. Just a touch of sweetness that cuts the Trimbach austerity. Stunning wine. Excellent.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1976 P. Licht-Bergweiler Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Auslese 85 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
A curious nose, with lots of peaches and talc, but none of the petrolly minerals I'd have expected. But for some reason, I am finding more and more peach in Mosel Auslesen these days. Quite straightforward on the palate, with round, gentle ripeness and soft acidity coming in on the finish. Very good length. Pretty much in accord with other Licht-Bergweiler wines I've had. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1991 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 89 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Fabulous nose - really elegant with vieille prune scents to the fore, ahead of flowery, fragrant violets. Soft and velvety textured on the palate. Good acidity provides a nice freshness on the finish, but overall it doesn't quite live up to its nose. Very Good Indeed.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1991 Gentaz-Dervieux Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Réservée Côte Brune 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
An intense, perfumed nose. Sweet and ripe on the attack. Feels really quite young - certainly way younger than the Chave. Also much more animalistic than the Chave. Very elegant. Good length with a sweet fruit elegance. I think this could probably really do with a few more years. Excellent.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1962 Château Ausone 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
A quite astonishing colour - remarkably deep and youthful. Quite spirity and volatile on the nose - initially at least - and quite portlike. Sweet and evolved on the palate, possibly a touch dried out. After some time, it lost the porty notes, but retained some citrussy high tones on the nose.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1990 Dominus Estate 87 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
A sweet hedegrow fruit and ashtray nose. Fairly ripe fruit on the attack. Very even, with some very soft tannins. Elegant, yet seems to lack depth and character. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1987 Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut 86 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant
Served to refresh our palates. A decent biscuity nose. Very good mousse. Round and full with nice depth. Notable length, and better after than on the palate. Plenty of life left in it. Very Good+.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1964 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage Nacional 90 Points
Portugal, Douro, Porto
A lightish colour and body. Very spirity nose with lots of prunes and eau de vie de prune. Sweet and integrated on the attack. There's a lot of spirit on the middle, then some lovley dried fruit flavours on the finish, and lingering long after. Very light and elegant. Quite well integrated. Very long, with very dried fruit and chocolate flavours after. Very Good Indeed.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue