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Uncorked.dk does 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (and a few other gems)
Restaurant Premisse, Copenhagen
Tasted May 22, 2009 by gorm with 977 views
Introduction
A couple of Fridays ago Uncorked.dk gathered for a much anticipating tasting of 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape. A few of the members had been leaning on the host - Peter Solberg - for some time to put this tasting together. Thankfully he did. And with style. Unfortunately he himself had a bit of a cold, but were generous enough not to cancel the event.
The setting, company, food etc. was - as always - excellent. Now on with the wines!
Flight 1 - 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape I (2 notes)
Red
1998 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape
92 points
Dark core with light rim. Quite acidic nose with dark berries, cinnamon, juniper and hints of wet dog. Appears soft and mature in mouth with a nice aftertaste of licorice and tobacco.
Red
1998 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape
93 points
Light transparent red. Very delicious and spicy nose with incense, hay and mint. Nice intensity in mouth with a good deal of acid as well as tannins left. Nice aftertaste with some pepper and stables. Very classy.
Flight 2 - 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape II (2 notes)
Red
1998 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence
94 points
Dark core with a slightly lighter rim. A first a somewhat shy nose, but then reveals dark cherries and earthy characteristics. Nice sweetness and some christmas cake. Nice mouthfeel that with a bit of airtime develops good intensity and achives a good sense of balance.
Red
1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
94 points
Same color as the Pegau Cuvee Laurence. Very sweet and quite exotic nose with a touch of acidic jam - quince or pear, figs and honey. Nice acidity and intensity. Perhaps the wine shows just a hint of unwelcome lemony acidity? Nice herbal aftertaste with hints of cinnamon. Once again a bit of airtime pulls the wine together and adds density.
Flight 3 - 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape III (2 notes)
Red
1998 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes
97 points
Dark slightly brown core. Sweet, acidic and slightly warm nose of berries, meat and shoepolish. Nice sweet'n'sour balance in mouth. Hung meat and loads of english licorice and herbal notes intermingles. Nice aftertaste. Once again confirms that Marcoux VV hits my sweet spot.
Red
1998 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire
98 points
Pretty dark. Largescaled, deep and intense nose - kind of an elegant port. Loads of truffles, incense and pepper. Very holistic and intense wine with a long massive aftertaste. Still very youthful!
Flight 4 - 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape IV (2 notes)
Red
1998 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou
95 points
Dark red. Intense nose of sour cherries, hints of stables, juniper and pepper. Big and round mouthfeel with taste of muskox and sweet fruit. Nice balance and acidity.
Red
1998 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois
flawed
Wet paper, rotten asparagus... corked.
Flight 5 - Champagne Intermezzo (1 note)
White - Sparkling
2000 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée
94 points
Light yellow. Nice persistent mousse. Delicious nose with roasted wheat, yellow apples, yellow cherry plums. Very fresh and elegant mouth feel with more yellow as well as white fruit and flowers. Very intense and with a long aftertaste.
Flight 6 - Extra wine from the Sommerlier (1 note)
White
1995 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
88 points
Light yellow. Nose is dominated by sweet oak. Tastes of butter, vanilla and oak. Seems short and diluted with little hints of fruit. Tired or closed?
Flight 7 - 1989 Legends! (2 notes)
Red
1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin
95 points
Dark red. Very delicious and intriguing nose of rustique cherries, leather, lavender, garlic. Dense and delicious taste. Seems like old-school grenache in the best sense. "Dusty licquer". Very intense aftertaste. Perhaps even a bit closed? What a treat to taste this legend!
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Red
1989 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
96 points
Slightly lighter red. Very special nose of sour red berries, cinnamon and loads of asian spices - ginger and coriander. Seems lifted/high-pitched with a long aftertaste of dried herbs and grass. Actually appears very young. Together with the 89 Beaucastel Hommage a very special heat that will not be forgotten, even if they were not technically the best performing wines of the night.
Flight 8 - 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape V (2 notes)
Red
1998 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo
97 points
Dark red core with a slightly lighter brown rim. Sweet and delicious nose with licorice, pine needles, hung meat, soy and pepper. Very intense and delicious mouthfeel with mouthcoating english licorice and a long aftertaste. Concentrated and very hedonistic.
Red
1998 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret des Sabon
98 points
Dark red with a light rim. Very massive, sweet and intense nose of shoepolish, lavender, bacon, cherries and prunes. Nice intense taste and balance. Roastet bacon and almonds. Great aftertaste. Another sweet spot wine for me! Another treat to taste knowing there is only 1200 bottles around.
Flight 9 - 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape and a 2000 joker I (2 notes)
Red
1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin
98 points
Dark core. Slightly brown rim. Sweet and intense nose with very mature cherries, hints of prunes, hot rocks, incense and Asian spices. Nice intensity and lift in mouth with more Asian spices. Incredibly fresh and youthful fruit. Delicious aftertaste with notes of tobacco. For a while it seemed outperformed by the 2000 Caillou Reserve, but it just continued to grow in the glass and eventually grew into WOTN for me, just outperforming 2000 Caillou Reserve and and 1998 Sabon Secret a narrow margin.
Red
2000 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou
98 points
Dark red, looks very youthful. Very fresh and pure nose with cherries, raisins, chocolate and brown sugar. Very intense, but with great lift and an almost aethereal mouthfeel. Hints of mint, pine needles, incense, licorice and salty water. WOTN for most of the group. Perhaps would be for me as well in a few years, but not today.
Flight 10 - 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape and a 2000 joker II (2 notes)
Red
1998 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes
94 points
Red core with a light slightly brown rim. Obvious sediment. Very sweet and intense nose of smoke, incense, brown sugar, lavender and sweet strawberries. Nice intensity and decent balance in spite of a huge sweetness. Very earthy and one of the tastings most mature wines. No competition for the previous heats.
Red
2000 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin
94 points
Wow, third Hommage of the night. Just this time it is not only youthful, but quite closed. Dark red. Hints of dairy products, dark berries and a huge spicyness. Intense and very acidic. Hints of oak - vanilla and caramel. Should be left alone for now.
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Flight 11 - 1998 Two very different sweet wines (2 notes)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Wittmann Westhofener Morstein Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese
95 points
Light yellow. Delicious and intense as well as sweet nose with canned fruit, coconut soap and marzipane. Fat and delicious mouthfeel with a nice sense of balance due to the underlying fresh grapefruit acidity. Of course way too young.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1990 Château Climens
94 points
Orange brown. Funny nose of burned rubber, glue, christmas cake and dried apricot. In the mouth there is nice acidity, orange peel and cake crumbs. Seems fresher as it gets some airtime. Quite different from the TBA.