Some of the greatest wines available to human kind
@KG's in Tavelsjö (Umeå)
Tasted October 26, 2013 by StefanAkiko with 911 views
Introduction
I chose 10 potentially fantastic wines from my cellar to make it the most interesting wine dinner in Umeå (Northern Sweden) this year. We also created a compelling menu. The wine dinner took us over 6 hrs to savor in the great company of incredibly fine wine and spectacular people.
Flight 1 - Welcome bubbly (1 note)
Plate with cold cuts and olives.
Very happy marriage :-)
A gift from chef Watanabe-san at 一会 (Ichi-E) in Hiroo (Tokyo).
Flight 2 - 1982 St Julien (3 notes)
An onslaught of Japanese delicacies:
Tofu with myouga
Chévre-balls with herbs
Squash burgers with chipotle, yuzu, rosé pepper etc
Star chef Namae-san's Kabu with parsely emulsion
The three 1982's all were amazing. A memorable moment to sip these gigantic successes of wine production at its finest.
Most agreed that LB was showing early signs of becoming tired.
And there was an interesting discussion wether DB or LP performed the best.
Personally, the DB was the wine I found most in tune with my personal taste, but LP was also an incredible wine of grande proportions.
Powerfully elegant with all the typicity one could ever wish for: Cassis, barnyard and Bordeaux earth. Also some mint. Completely molten tannins and still no browning hues in this wine.
Would happily drink this whenever served.
Nose has fresh, almost grapey aromas dancing wildly about the stage with mature aromas of spectacular width and breadth.
On the palate this is almost chewable with a staggeringly strong concentration that was not expected. Vibrant fruit (yay!) and a rich, superbly complex and layered expression on the palate. Cherries, cassis, licorice, dark fruits, barnyard (towards stables), underbrush, dark rost coffee...
My favourite (by the breadth of a hair) in this line-up of 1982's.
This btl was fully mature with no sign of decline. M- tannin still reverberating with round, red fruit, taste of chalk. A very very very fine presentation tonight. Would love to have many btls like this in my cellar.
Several ppl's preferred 1982 of tonight, my 2nd.
Flight 3 - 3 great Northern Rhôners (3 notes)
Clear soup with MATSU TAKE
Duck breast á la Hjalle
These three giants were all winning Oscars on center stage, and I still can't pick my favorite. The maturing La Chapelle or temperance in a btl (LaLa) or the super talented youth (Chave)... They were all so great that ONE would have been enough to make us all write poetry.
Rich, complex, firm, classic Hermitage with a healthy, long cork.
The acids and concentration give this wine a great structure for all the little things to dangle beautifully on. This style of wine is impossible to resist for my palate. Wonderfully mature with still many years to go.
In this flight, all three Northern Rhones were my favorites, from little different angles. This one for its mature and classic cut.
...and after a long time thinking: this became my WOTN.
We were lucky to not need to suffer an over-oaked or over-smoked specimen.
This LaLa is magnificently balanced and was obviously brought up well. Still early drinking. Perfect cork. Smoked meat products, several red fruits, violets (and "flowers") singing with decisive voices.
A fantastic kind of wine that can only be described as FANTASTIC.
In this flight, all three Northern Rhones were my favorites, from little different angles. This one for its superb balance and distinct personality.
Several ppl's WOTN.
So soon again, but what a fantastic specimen this is!
Youthful charm in pre-mature drinking time. Fabulous combination of great concentration and a mega spree of components, making this wine a great promise for the future. Built like a Bentley.
Will try to hold on to my last btl for a bit over 10 years.
In this flight, all three Northern Rhones were my favorites, from little different angles. This one for its powerful multifaceted aromas and impressive future promise.
Flight 4 - Oz mega wines (3 notes)
Beef in several different ways.
The Grange was easily the most refined and restrained btl, but the others were also jaw openers when it comes to refined over extraction that were not in any way held back. Lovely wines with grilled meat. Not all ppl share my love for this style of wines. I registered no voice saying that Grange was not #1 of this flight.
Far too young to having released it's full potential, but quite a fantastic wine. This is a magnificent bottle in grande style. (Shame it's so expensive.)
Nose of Shiraz, anise seeds, scorched earth and tonnes of fruit.
In the mouth the restrained expression of this wine was the complete opposite of the Greenock Creek of this flight.
I think it's fair to say that this wine is Arnold Schwartzenegger out-performing like a star in an advanced ballet choreography. Incredible strength and muscular weight and yet balanced on the verge of it being elegant.
Me like!
My wine of this flight.
Basset's All Sorts, anise seed, tar, melting tar, tar on a hot day, tar on a roof... And the peppery fruits that overtake the tar. And the acids that give this wine a functional back bone. And... Yeah!
Some ppl do not like this style of wine, but this is an incredibly well made "monster". Together with a coal grilled piece of great meat... Yow!
Too much? For sure! So I agree with Mae West: Too much of a good thing, can be wonderful."
...and this wine is simply wonderful.
I enjoy the alcoholic taste in whiskey, and in that context, this one is with only a small touch of alcohol.
At the end of the evening, and caught between the powerfully elegant Grange and the stupendously over extracted Greenock Creek, there was no space for this wine tonight.
Flight 5 - Cheese and a nice Port (1 note)
This port married the cheese plate in the best of ways.
Great port, a fine Stilton and some walnuts is all it takes to create sublime moments in time...
This is an awesome wine, ultra balanced and with more tastes than I cared to write down, but the most prominent in this btl: licorice, stewed fruits, fresh hay, leather, aromas of autumn to name a few.
Perfect warmth on the palate and an incredible length.
Astonishing!
Was voted WOTN by some.
Pristine btls, like this one, will live for many many many more years.
Flight 6 - 1st dessert with Riesling (2 notes)
Particularly the older Riesling enhanced everything with the Åkerbärsglass. The younger from WS was much more a pleasure on its own. Ove's icecream was just enough sweet and creamy. Served with perfect temperature.
Pure, big Auslese nose of terribly young Riesling, at least 5 yrs from early maturity.
On the palate this is a great wine in the making. The richness of this wine is nothing short of astounding.
10 btls to go, they need be buried in a remote corner of the cellar... To be kept for the longer haul.
Liked by all at the tasting.
Mature, petrochem, riesling nose.
Less sweet but matching acids. Like previous encounters, and a fantastic end of party wine together with the Åkerbär icecream. Still has a few strong years to go.
Flight 7 - Green tea and mochi (0 notes)
Pleasing and cleared our palates well. Liked by all.
Flight 8 - Imo Shouchu and dried squid (0 notes)
A perfect ending of a fantastic evening.
Closing
I think this is the first tasting I ever went to where ALL the wines over-performed. No cork damaged, oxidized or bleak wines. Not a single off btl. Wow! We were so lucky and very happy with this fact.
All btls had great provenance and that payed off.