12/6/2010 - The Kid wrote:

Shared one magnum with fellow wine lovers at Bibendum BYOB at Cafe Anglais. Showed very well but wine of the night was [can't currently remember]

11/25/2010 - The Kid wrote:

Enjoyed this wine at a Bonneau du Martray dinner,orney & Barrow and attended by Jean-Charles le Bault de la Moriniere of the domaine, at Roussillon, in London, on 25th November. Coming after the 2007, 2006, 2003, 2001 and 1990 vintages of the Corton Charlemagne, not to mention the 2001 Corton (red), I had expected the 1987 (poor vintage) Corton Charlemagne by now to be a relic of its former self. In fact, in one of those surprising experiences which the wine lover treasures, the 1987 turned out to be the surprise, if not the wine, of the night (this went to the 2001 on my scorecard). The 1987 was fresh and zesty, with good acidity, almost wholly absent of nutty flavours and, whilst perhaps straining a little on the finish, was just an absolutely delightful surprise and pleasure.

3/3/2010 - The Kid wrote:

Much, better than last time, but started disappointingly, with nothing on the palate. After an hour, the wine had gained strength and concentration and ended up a pleasant drink without ever astonishing or delighting. Probably past its best, but still enjoyable in its own way.

11/5/2009 - The Kid wrote:

Absolutely wonderful.

8/23/2009 - The Kid wrote:

drank this at the Ledbury with Lizzie Melville (plus bottles of Pierre Moncuit 2000 vintage champagne, Whispering Angel Rose (Chateau d'Esclans), Angelus 1995 and a Nicolas Joly Coulee de Serrant) on a BYOB arrangement via Bordeaux Index. Tremendous evening.

8/16/2009 - The Kid wrote:

This was tremendous. I shared it wth the former maitre de chai of Chateau de Tracy in the Loire (now running his own domaine in Limoux), who is archly cynical of the merits of New World wines. I had previously taken over with me to France other iconic New World wines (eg.various Penfdolds), and he had hated them. This one, he loved from the start. I adored it. Fabulous stuff.

5/22/2009 - The Kid wrote:

This may have been an off bottle, or imperfectly stored in the period before it came into my possession. It was lifeless and limp, both on the nose and on the palate, but with none of the structure or remnants of structure possessed by good mature wines. It was rather like prune juice. Everyone else has raved about this wine (which is why I bought it), and so, as I say, let us hope that my first was an off or imperfectly stored bottle.

12/21/2008 - The Kid wrote:

Very sweet; a sort of New Zealand Pinot Plus Extra. I thought of cherry juice. Good stuff, but very sweet; not at all like Burgundy, in case you did not know. The trick, I suppose, is not to compare but to enjoy. In the end I enjoyed it ........ but it is very sweet.

12/1/2008 - The Kid wrote:

I opened this on a Thursday and it was horrible - reedy and thin. I put the cork back and inadvertently carried the bottle all around London for the next two days. Re-opened it on Sunday afternoon and , Eureka, the wine had been re-born. It was a delightful surprise......

12/1/2008 - The Kid wrote:

Sadly, this was opened and consumed far, far too early. Woe and beware.................

10/24/2008 - The Kid wrote:

I have been a big fan of Clos Rougeard since first being offered a glass of the 2004 earlier this year. I recently purchased a number of 1996 Les Poyeux and Le Bourg (the top cuvee) in order to see how mature vintages might taste. Happy days; the nose is pure cabernet franc (the wine is, of course, entirely made of cabernet franc), and there is a refreshing acidity which makes it eminently quaffable. I am not sure whether the fruit may have dried out, but if fruit is your thing, these wines would never have been for you anyway. I don't think that this will get any better, but it is a refreshing and lively drink now, if one can get hold of a bottle. I will see how I go with a bottle of the Bourg in a few days or weeks from now .........

10/15/2008 - The Kid wrote:

I had heard much about Ornellaia, but had resisted it for many years, on the basis that (judging from its Bordelais, 1st growth style PR) it seemed very pleased with itself and not in need of my humble affections. Having spent a heavenly week-end on the Amalfi coast in Italy with my childhood sweetheart, adult darling and eternal love (all one and the same person), and having togehter tasted all of the local Camapania wines (red and white), we decided, on our last night to indulge ourselves by ordering a bottle of Ornellaia 2001 with our dinner. The eager, and by virtue of our choice of wine, happy sommelier returned to inform us that they had no more bottles of the 2001 but that they did have the 2002. A bit young (the wine), we thought, but nerves steadied by an early evening cocktail and a complimentary glass of champagne, we plumped for the 2002, albeit muttering under our breaths, "it will need a lot of air". Did it heck. Immediately upon being opened, the most extraordinary bouquet was released. Plums and crushed violet with a dose of red berry cough medicine, is the best way I can describe it. It was heavenly. On the palate, it was as smooth as lavendered velvet. A joy and a truly exceptional wine. I am left, even now, one week on, wondering from where its bouquet derived. It was quite literally like nothing that I have ever smelt before.

10/15/2008 - The Kid wrote:

I had opened my first bottle of this three or four years ago, but had then been obliged, for reasons too prosaic to mention, to ship the case off to a professional storage facility. Recent life changes allowed me to repatriate the 11 bottle case and, having allowed a week for the bottles to settle, I opened one the other evening, whilst dining alone, with only a lamb steak and a dishwashable Riedel Vinum Bordeaux wine glass for company.
My goodness me. It all started off quite worryingly. Having opened the bottled and poured myself a glass, all I could smell and taste at first was alcohol. Then, as if resuscitated by a passing angel, the variopus components of the wine all began to knit together until, around 45 minutes in, the wine began singing sublime blackberry, plum and violet notes of joy and happiness. This is a quite brilliant and soul-lifting wine. So much so that I have put my money where my mouth is, raised two fingers to the credit crunch, and today ordered a case of the reputedly equally brilliant 2005.

10/4/2008 - The Kid wrote:

I opened and drank (with friends) two bottles on successive evenings. The first bottle lacked fruit but was wonderfully refreshing. The second bottle could have come from a different vintage. Both on the nose and the palate, the fruit was more noticeable, but with the same refreshing acidity as on the previous evening. Both bottles came from the same case but presented very differently. Both, in their way, were terrific and, in terms of value, outstanding; a second wine that one can buy every release, with confidence.

9/23/2008 - The Kid wrote:

Wow, wow, wow........

8/23/2008 - The Kid wrote:

I had very much looked forward to this but I found it very poor and hugely disappointing. The wine was flat, and the only taste or flavour apparent was that of alcohol. There was neither any freshness nor any maturity of fruit. There seemed to be no fruit atall. This was the first bottle that I have had from the case and I can only hope that it was an "off bottle" and that the others will be better.

7/9/2008 - The Kid wrote:

Very fine. I had not had a Margaux wine for some years before I opened this bottle. Within ten minutes, the famous perfume had made me break into a smile. I then spent the next 30 minutes swirling, sniffing and smiling, with barely a sip of the wine so as not to risk breaking the magic. Innocent pleasures, enjoyed all on my own as I sat in my LazyBoy reclining chair. Have never had too much joy with 1999s and so this was a wonderful joy.

6/7/2008 - The Kid wrote:

Terrific stuff. Drank it with friends as an aperitif/accompaniment to a first course of artichoke hearts salad. Very fresh and zesty without being too much.

5/3/2008 - The Kid wrote:

I purchased this wine on the recommendation of a wine merchant about three years ago. I had my doubts from the start about the recommendation, and nothing about the appearance of the box in which the wine was delivered (it looked like the very last box at the back and bottom of a damp and neglected cellar) served in any way to alleviate my concerns. The first two bottles, opened a year or so ago, were just terrible. Time to place the remainder on the market ? Yes; but only after one final check. So, today we opened a bottle to go with our roast lamb and, my goodness, it was heavenly. Mature, to be sure, but velvety smooth and displaying charming, sweet, but not too sweet fruit. Excellent.

2/25/2008 - The Kid wrote:

This is, exactly as advertised, an absolutely terrific wine. Having read in a "bring your own bottle" article in a well known wine magazine that a partcular well known London restaurant's equally well known sommellier would consider allowing customers to bring their own bottle provided the same was an "amazing" wine, I decided to chance my luck with a bottle of G-L 1990. I emailed said sommellier, who promptly responded that I could bring along my bottle for a reasonable corkage fee of the cost of the restaurant's house wine (£20). For fear of the dreaded cork taint, I burrowed into my cellar and prised out two bottles of the marvellous nectar and on the appointed evening took them along with me to the restaurant. It was a matter of chance which bottle was opened first. The first whiff of the wine took myself and my lady companion into a delighted reverie. The junior sommelliere, who poured the first tasting portion fell into a swoon. She was so overcome that it would have been heartless not to have offered her a glass, which the head sommellier kindly allowed her to take 15 minutes in the back to consume at her relative leaisure. The wine itself was absolutely and unbelievably delicious - smooth, subtle, sweet tannins and with a refeshing acidity, even after 18 years in bottle.
The second bottle made its way on the followigng week-end to a dinner party in deepest Sussex in the English countryside. With approprate fanfare and an overblown introduction from me the ottle was opened and ............ pure vinegar.
As Kurt Vonnegut would have observed at such a moment, "so it goes".

2/25/2008 - The Kid wrote:

An astonishingly fine wine, consumed now on four separate and very differently styled occasions, each time amazing all of those who drank it. Very rich on the nose, and velvety on the tongue, it is a wine to bring smiles and murmurs of absolute sensual pleasure. If you get the chance, try it.

2/6/2007 - The Kid wrote:

This wine is an absolute beauty. I tasted it at the WineAustralia event in St James in London on 31st January of this year (2007), an event which boasted of 1000 + wines being shown. Whether or not that was true I can not say. Nor can I say that I managed to taste every one of the wines which were on show. What I can say is that of the 40 or so very good to excellent wines that I did try (which included the well known wines of Katnook, Wynns, Moss Wood, Penfolds, Petaluma, Yalumba, Gemstone as well as wines form the illustrious John Duvall (ex-Penfolds) and Stepehen Panell), this wine and its sister Shiraz single varietal (also branded a "DV3"), stood out head and shoulders above the rest.
Wine manager, Fred Howard, who manned the stand, was an engaging and informative (particularly on the winemaker's use of Stelvin screwcaps) as well as generous host. I and my tasting companion found the two wines so appealing that we were unable to tear ourselves away from the tasting table, until we had "tried" each of the two wines three times.
What was most surprising and delightful about the wines, in what was a very large hall containing hundreds (1000 !) Australian wines, was how restrained and well balanced they were, without any sacrifice having been made in terms of the fruit content. In essence, what one had were wines which were New World in character, but which at the same time exhibited an Old World sense of balance and restraint. It may have helped that Fred seemed to have been the only one in the hall to have brought with him and made use of decanters, and if so, hats off to him. His two top wines were fantastic and, on the basis that money should follow the mouth, I have ordered 6 of each.

1/29/2007 - The Kid wrote:

This gentle sparkler was stationed near the exit of the Justerini & Brooks tasting held at Vintners' Hall in London last Autumn. After having tasted goodness knows how many whites and heaven knows how many reds, the palate had become tired, the mind weary and the meaning of all things had become ever so slightly confused. One sip of this and the senses were re-awakened. It is an "efferverscent vitamin C" of a sparkling wine; sweet and gently bubbling, and weighing in at a light 5.5% alcohol. My first thought was that this would serve as an excellent substitute for a between course sorbet; a palate freshener, if you like, as well as being an uncomplicated pleasure and delight for those summer days when champagne seems too grand (and expensive), and everything else too alcoholic.

1/29/2007 - The Kid wrote:

First tasted at a Justerini & Brooks tasting last Autumn, this wine stood out for me from the several dozen other wines which were on show that evening; so much so that I bought myself a case of it. It is a rich and dense wine, heavy of sediment, but not at all overpowering, it improves tremendously in the glass and after two or so hours it had become the perfect accompaniment to my chicken casserole dinner. Smooth tannins, plenty of sweet fruit but with a reassuring acidity behind it all so as to keeo it fresh and avert any cloying of the pleasure. I enjoyed this wine "alone and unaccompanied", as my wife likes to put it, and it made an excellent companion throughout. I am a relative novice when it comes to Italian wines, and so have no idea where this wine is supposed to stand in the Italian pantheon. Never mind that. This is damnably good and will make you smile.

1/21/2007 - The Kid wrote:

Tasted at the Armit 2005 Burgundy tasting held in Middle Temple Hall in London, this wine was simply astonishing. A great many of the wines, red and white (by the likes of Arnoux, Grivot, Roumier, d'Angerville) were outstanding, but none of them quite prepared me for the sublime quality of this Montrachet. I had heard and read of 90 second finishes, but had considered them to be the stuff of hyperbole. I now know it to be true. The richness, complexity and refinement of this Montrachet were simply breathtaking. Whether I will ever be able to afford to drink any of the 12 that I have purchased is a moot point, but I live in hope.

10/9/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Having finished with friends a magisterial bottle of 1996 L'Evangile, and with half of our main course of roast beef still to be consumed. I went to the kitchen to open and decant the bottle of 1998 Pensees which I had had standing by as reserve. The nose on decanting was sensational, so much so that I took the decanter into the dining room and invited each of our guests to share the simple sensual pleasure of smelling it. As deep purple as had been the L'Evangile, the Pensees had the more richly perfumed nose. Equally smooth on the palate, the Pensees carried a stronger tannic kick, and a longer (certainly stronger) finish. It was absolutely delicious; so much so that three of us nursed it through our cheese and dessert courses, despite an excellent Coutet 1994 being the appointed show closer. This was all in all an outstanding and, quite literally, life affirming pleasure.

10/9/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Truly excellent. I enjoyed this, together with a bottle of 1998 Pensees de Lafleur, over a splendid Sunday lunch with friends. Deep purple, subtly perfumed and as smooth as velvet on the palate, the L'Evangile is a remarkably fine wine. Not expecting us to finish the bottle, I had not opened the Pensees. It will, however, be no surprise to any subscriber to this site that we did indeed finish the L'Evangile, after which we turned our attention to the Pensees ..........

8/15/2006 - The Kid wrote:

In a word, "sublime". Five bottles consumed with good friends in a joint celebration. Decanted two hours before dinner, the wine was still crimson, its nose a breathtaking concoction of red berries, and, on the palate, it swam, swirled, lingered and lingered. We each smiled as we sniffed and smiled still wider and fell silent in appreciation, as we each enjoyed what was (and will remain for a considerable period ) an absolutely tremendous wine. Slightly dusty on the tongue (this may have been due to a degree of abandon on my part when decanting), the overall impression was of a beautifully structured, impeccably balanced and timelessly elegant wine. The wine was accompanied by braised Welsh lamb with a pear and shallot compote, and the two went together, as if divined for the purpose. What was always going to be a delightful evening, was rendered, by this Cantemerle, a spectacular and quite unforgettable one. There were 12 of us around the table, I should add, in case the consumption of 5 bottles should appear sybaritically extravagant.

7/28/2006 - The Kid wrote:

I picked up this case for very little money at auction. Not being 1961, the other punters may reasonably have concluded that the wine was likely to be shot, dead and buried. I figured as much, but thought that even if one bottle out of 12 were to have survived, it woudl be worth it. Also, I was born in 1960.
On opening a bottle (crumbling, friable cork and all - this was certainly no counterfeit) to celebrate a recent personal milestone, my heart sank, as what came out from the bottle resembled bog water very much more than it did wine. Decanted into a wide bottomed vessel, the wine began to breathe in the oxygen and slowly but surely,like Lazarus, resuscitated and was restored. Within the hour, faint notes of berries began to emerge. A further hour later, and the wine was singing "strawberry fields". By mealtime, the bogwater had turned into a magnificent beauty - still brown, to be sure but exhibiting an unbelievably seductive aroma and sensuality of texture. It was, quite simply, magnificent. There is no point in trying to score such a wine. The experience was everything and it has marked its place in my memory. This was a moment of sublime pleasure, shared with good friends, as allsuch things should be.

6/25/2006 - The Kid wrote:

My, this was good. Having calculated my next tax bill and received my bank statement on the same day, I needed a "lift by affordable pleasure", and this 1998 SM was it. Despite having several vintages laid down, this was my first ever Sociando Mallet, and thus my first opportunity to see what the fuss has all been about over this wine, and why it has established such year on year loyalty from consumers. Inky coloured, and with a quickly opening nose of crushed, minty blackcurrent, the wine was rich on the tongue, but with no over- extracted excesses.One hour after opening and it had hit its stride. A further half hour later and I had, on my own and quite exceptionally, finished the bottle. The tax bill remained to be paid, but that no longer seemed quite so much to matter.....

6/7/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Being neither wealthy nor engaged in the financial gaming industry, I, like many of you no doubt, have slowly become depressed by the record high prices being demanded by the Bordelais for the 2005 vintage en primeur. So, somewhat dejectedly, I sought solace this evening in the company of this unheralded 1996 Labegorce. Gaiety restored.The Labegorce was delightful, having reached that stage in its development when it gives maximum pleasure. On opening the bottle, the fruit was all there from the start, with no mustiness, and took no time at all in coming forward on the nose. Not overly complex, but beautifully balanced and is one to bring a smile to the face and give reason to look beyond 2005.

5/28/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Tasted whilst dining alone at the celebrated Robert's Restaurant in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley, New South Wales. The eponymous Robert was absent from the restaurant on this particular evening, but whoever was doing the cooking did him proud. Having started with a decent enough single varietal semillon (Moorbank 2003) to accompany my entree of "yabby tails" (a kind of prawn) with rocket and cherry tomatoes, my single glass of Thomas Shiraz 2003 arrived suitably in advance of the main course. Ruby/garnet on the eye, notes of blackberries on the nose. The dry earthiness that one cannot fail to observe as one drives around this region is present beneath the fruit, giving a terrific sense of place, and the finish is long and impressive. Tannins are unobtrusive but in time will further integrate and push this wine from terrific to superb. With the arrival of a sensational and delightfully served main dish of pork (gently brushed with tandoori spices ?), accompanied by red and green cabbage, apple sauce and dauphinois potatoes, the wine soared. Only because I had to drive 5 minutes in the pitch dark to my lodgings did I not order a second glass. Wisely so, it transpired, as I incredibly and narrowly missed colliding with a startled and unreasonably tall kangaroo.

5/27/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Tasted whilst dining alone at Pepper’s Guest House in Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. They drink their wines young in Australia – this 1998 Waverley was listed with an asterisk denoting that it was an “aged” wine and was one of only two 20th century wines listed on what was a fairly extensive wine list.
Decanted at my request, the Waverley was dulled crimson (not brown), and was initially herbaceous on the nose before giving way, on both nose and palate, to what I can best describe as berried dried earth; all the while light-bodied and quaffable. A glance at the bottle confirmed the reasons why. At a refreshingly modest 12.5% alcohol content, the Waverley was certainly drinkable (increasingly so, as it drew breath and reinvigorated). Moderately lengthy and with a mouth warming finish. A pleasant and unobtrusive companion to an excellent and attentively served meal of caramelised chicken livers on toasted brioche, followed by tenderloin of pork served with chorizo and green and red peppers.

5/23/2006 - The Kid wrote:

This was woeful. Yes, there is citrus fruit and yes, there is sweetness, but once on the tongue, all taste and finish disappeared, like snowflakes on the desert sands. Where did it go, and why was it in such a hurry to depart ? The back label does not say. I and my two discerning companions were each left to wonder if we had inadvertently (or spitefully) been poured a lime or lemon cordial instead of the oddly named wine that we had bravely (in hindsight, foolishly) ordered. The online blurb for this wine, I have just noted, describes it as "entry level" and I suppose that that will be the excuse. Steer clear.

5/21/2006 - The Kid wrote:

I tasted this on a Qantas flight from London to Sydney. There was no white Burgundy and no white Bordeaux on offer (perhaps unsurprisingly), and so I plumped somewhat reluctantly for a glass of "Sticks Chardonnay". I feared the worst (oaked like a tree, buttered like toast and sweet as fruit juice ?). The screwcap – it had to be screwcap - was removed with zero panache and zero ceremony. One twist and it was off. Into the glass it cheerfully glugged. It was poured nearly to the brim, so no chance to swirl and no chance to sniff. Never mind. Perhaps this was New World logic - the nearer to the brim meant the more in the glass which, a fortiori, meant the more “bang for my buck”. Would that be a good thing ? After a mouthful of smoked salmon and pickled cucumber, I put the glass to my lips and swigged……….. Damn, it was good; very good; very good indeed. Fresh, zesty, kiwi fruit and gooseberries. Oaked, but not obtrusively so. All in balance and, most of all, refreshing. I had four glasses (it was a long flight). Live and learn.

5/7/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Much, much better on days two and three after opening than on the day of opening, suggesting it still has plenty of life left in bottle. Very dark purple, right through to the edge - nose of blackcurrant, and tasting of mulberry, dried fig and brambles. A short, but pleasant finish. An unusual wine, whether from the Puisseguin terroir, the grape selection and blend or the vinification, I do not know. Unusual, but good, and above all else, interesting; in other words,well worth trying.

5/3/2006 - The Kid wrote:

A typical, and thus fantastic, St Julien. Lots of fragrant dark plum and as sweet as is it is decent for any self-respecting and virtuous wine to be. The tannins are there, but are discreetly sheathed, just off the tongue, beneath a diaphanous, gossamer coating of fruit. Fine and pleasing.

4/23/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Very fine; plum conserve, infused with mocha, nettles and brambles.With time out of bottle, the slightly worrying herbaceous notes give way to the more pleasant, indeed welcome, mustiness of a library of leather bound books, leaving a smooth and well balanced pleasure.The fruit is evident, and is balanced with strong, but rounded tannins. Nice one.

4/22/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Wow. What a lot of fruit. Bristling with strawberries blended in with gazpacho of of red summer berries. Coral pink to the eye. All this from vines that are all relatively young and recently planted. I received my case of rose free with the purchase of a case of the main red from Sipian. Being a freebie, I did not expect much from it; so much so that I gave away to "nearly friends" my first 5 bottles out of the case. Today, with the sun shining brightly and warmly down on England (yes), I decided to pop a bottle. As I said, "wow". With an evidently very talented hand at work in the cellar, it will be interesting to see how these Sipian wines develop as the vines mature and the grapes give the winemaker more with which to work. Bravo.

4/21/2006 - The Kid wrote:

"Crushed blackcurrant, mixed in with essence of old library books", is how my 12 year old described the nose on this fine wine, and he was not wrong. Warm and earthy on the palate, this Potensac, as always, was a great pleasure to imbibe. Now into its third day open (vaccum shut), it has lost none of its fruit, stength or elegance, although a few swirls are needed to shake clear the hegemonistic mustiness present in the wine. Proved an excellent companion to a surprising meal of minced lamb and spinach, with chunky cut fries and aubergine chutney; I kid you not......

4/18/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Having decided four months ago to buy and drink a budget value red wine every Sunday, so that I would know of what I spoke and wrote when pronouncing on wine to bored but indulgent family, friends and colleagues, I had all but given up any hope of finding any thing other than unbalanced "primary fruit bombs" when, for the meagre price of £4.99 at my local wine store, along came this excellent, mass produced beauty. Described in a recent Decanter article as the best value budget red wine on the planet, they are not wrong. Close your eyes, sniff, sip and drink, and you will find a well balanced, well integrated, classy Bordeaux blend. The wine does not seek to overwhelm you with power, but instead offers a taste of good, subtle Bordeaux at a fraction of the price. Best of all, there is so much of it about that there is no need to stock it in one's cellar. Pound/dollar to litre, one of the very best wines around.

4/18/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Fruit, fruit and more fruit. If you like them fruity, this will be for you. Second only to Casillero del Diablo in the league of budget value Chilean Cabernet Sauvignons, but to this palate, a league behind in terms of balance and refinement. The fruit is a cough medicine mixture of red berries and produces a sweet blend which might go well with a barbecue or at a stand up cocktail function, but not so well as an accompaniment to a dinner of subtle flavours.

4/15/2006 - The Kid wrote:

One of those wines that makes little impression until tasted with food. In this case, I found two of these bottles in my cellar and could not recall when or by whose grace they had come into my possession. Having decided to offer our lunch guests the southern French, Provencal dish of "pissaladiere" (onion tart with anchovies and olives), it seemed as good a time as any to give these two unheralded guests their chance. First impressions were underwhelming - no surprise, perhaps, given the fact that they were 3 yr old roses - little fruit, sandy, and at the same time thin. Once we had started on the pissaladiere, however, the wine came into its own and proved a perfect accompaniment, its acidity cleansing the palate of the onion and the anchoves. An unexpected demonstration of the truth that, with the right food, even a vin ordinaire such as this, can shine. So, if you have written off or never considered a Provencal or Corsican rose, try it with onion tart, and make yourself happy.

4/15/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Strawberries and cherries; more fruity than expected, particularly coming after a bottle of the sandy Corsican Clos Milelli Rose 2003. The Gunzian minerality of the Graves saves it from becoming a fruit bomb, and the whole sticks togther to provide a delightfully fresh and cheering rose. Perfect with canapes on the lawn, this is a leftover from last year (when its fellow bottles, perhaps predictably,were consumed with canapes on the lawn), and retains sufficient fruit and acidity to last another summer.Hopefully, Veronique Sanders will agree to produce a further batch from the 2005 vintage.

4/15/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Spritely and lively as a freshly cut daisy (sauvignon blanc and small element of semillon), this beautiful wine elegantly combines zesty fruit (limes, grapefruit, pineapple) with a bracing, but welcome acidity. A "shut your eyes and dream" bouquet reveals all of the above fruit. I love this wine. I first experienced it on a balmy late summer evening at SHL itself, and so I may be biased, but it is damnably good.

4/14/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Made from what are described on the back label as "high quality parcels recently replanted on the terroir of Pape Clement", this wine provides an early, cheaper, but only partial taste of the real thing. The famous minerality (red wine sucked in through a granite filter) is noticeably and pleasantly present, but the fruit,no doubt because of the tender age of the vines, if not altogether missing, seeems held back, like a high powered motor car stuck in 2nd gear. I enjoyed it over meal of leg of lamb roasted in guava jelly and thyme, and am looking forward to re-visiting it tonight. Refreshingly, it weighs in at only 12.5% alcohol, encouraging that extra glass.

4/11/2006 - The Kid wrote:

This is a beautiful wine; classic Bordeaux - all delicate poise, grace and balance, good, but unobtrusive length, and with fruit gently cloaked in soft, velvety tannins. No blockbuster this, no bang, and no buck, and so no need here to to cut through the wine with a steak knife and fork. I have enjoyed a glass each night for the past three days, and it is still breathing back freshly at me from the glass. Having consumed my first bottle about three months ago, I immediately ordered another case of the same vintage. If the second label could be this good, how wonderful must the main wine (La Mission Haut Brion) be ? A question to which I hope one day to have the answer. Hurry on that good day.

4/9/2006 - The Kid wrote:

From a pre-meal sip, I reckoned that I had decanted this wine far too early, thereby denuding it of much of its feshness. However, consumed with friends over shoulder of lamb roasted with sprigs of thyme, the wine, seemingly dormant in bottle, awoke and came alive in the glass. Inky purple, well balanced fruit and smooth, rounded tannins. No great length, but the terrific lamb/wine combination did not encourage such pontification. A meal to be relished and enjoyed, which it was...

4/8/2006 - The Kid wrote:

Dark plum, cooked blackcurrant jam, rustic, fired earth with bouquet of garrigues; long, tannic finish. Very enjoyable accompaniment to a venison daube (slow cooked meat stew).