Christmas in July
Frank's place in Matraville
Tasted July 25, 2015 by chatters with 277 views
Introduction
thanks to the Southern Hemisphere we have to have proper Christmas food in the middle of Northern Hemisphere summer which is a bit of a pain. Still, Frank and Emma put up the tree and I brought some crackers and all of the old wine-ark boys chipped in with gems from their respective cellars. All wines were double decanted prior to consumption with the exception of the Wirra Wirra (that just went straight into a decanter after a split cork) and the Marcien and the Clerc Milon (which I had double decanted about 4.5 hours prior to consumption)
Flight 1 (8 notes)
Red
1998 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Sweet red berry, especially raspberry and strawberry, sweet spice, very slight cork taint that grew with time. On the mouth the wine is juicy with fine tannins, raspberries, strawberries spice, touch of warmth on the back palate but cork taint here as well. hmm. FLAW tonight.
Red
2000 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Leather, garrigue, herbs; thyme, rosemary, lavender, baked rock, red berries. In the mouth there are flavours of sour red berries, slight saddle leather, biscuit, silky tannins. Nice. Initially the nose is better than the palate with but time the palate gains weight and complexity. Very long finish.
Red
2011 Agly Brothers Côtes du Roussillon Rouge
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon
Very slight reductive on the nose though this dissipates with time. Earth, dirt, dense black fruits sweet tobacco, very slight candy floss (I wonder if there is any carbonic maceration), sweet spice. In the mouth the wine is dense with chewy, chalky tannins, black fruit carry and turn bitter on the medium plus length finish. touch warm. Meh.
Red
2012 Spinifex Grenache Single Vineyard Moculta
Australia, South Australia, Barossa
Very sweet ripe red berries, perfumed floral notes, very clean in this line up on the nose. A very slight sourness to the fruit on the palate followed by talc textured tannins, finishes a little short and is, again in this line up, perhaps a little too simple at this stage of it's evolution. Hmm.
Red
2007 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Marcien
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
double decanted for five hours. Aromas of oak; very good quality oak. Cream, vanilla, coconut, sweet red berry and plum, very slight ripe herbs. In the mouth the wine is juicy with ripe fruit talc textured tannins, very persistent and moreish. I rather like it
Red
2009 Château Clerc Milon
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
double decanted for five hours. On the nose savoury black fruit, muted polished oak, chocolate, coffee and spice. In the mouth more savoury fruit, drying tannins…tastes like a good quality young Bordeaux.
Red
2000 Wirra Wirra Cabernet Sauvignon The Angelus
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Blackcurrant, spice, biscuit, slight cream on the nose…In the mouth juicy blackcurrant strolls into fine textured tannins, very correct. Impressive
Closing
Very kind of Dave to bring along that ancient port. And very nice it was too. Pity about the Cailloux. The Beaucastel was probably my wine of the night followed by the Angelus which I rather enjoyed.
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