3/20/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Ian Naude’s Merlot is sensational! So intense and concentrated yet with balance and not too Merloty. Could pass for a decent claret, and if you'd said there was Cabernet in there (be at Sauvignon or Franc) it wouldn't surprise me. It's the acidity that lifts it above most Merlot. Also I was struck by how this wine has improved over the last 12 months. Very excited to see where this will go over the next 5-10 years, and what a shame it's not being made any more.

2/22/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

What a pleasant reminder/surprise! This is the first bottle of this I've opened following a fabulous lunch with the utterly charming Rudger van Wyk (courtesy of Greg Sherwood & friends) at La T last year (you can read about it here if you want: https://wine-pages.com/community/threads/midweek-drinking-feb-19th-22nd-2024.15500/page-2#post-383065 ). For some reason, I wasn't expecting much from this. I suppose I was thinking of it as kind of "entry level" in the sense of being the first wine we were served. I pulled it out of storage as racking up fees on less expensive wines isn't a good idea. So I guess my logic tricked me into having modest expectations for this wine.
Got to say it's a beauty! A quick sniff suggested a decent white Burgundy at village level to me, with just a hint of quality oak. Actually drinking the stuff confirmed this. I suppose one tends to be wary of awkwardness and over-ambition in New World Chardonnays, but this is actually quite refined and understated with great balance - exactly how I like my Chardonnay. The fruit is there and this wine shows it in sharp focus. Really good stuff, this.

2/21/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Fruit-tastic! A veritable fruit salad of a wine, underpinned by a limey and slightly slatey acidity. Peach, grapes, grapefruit, pineapple, melon, apple - it's all in there. Comes across off-dry. Simple but delicious.

2/19/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

A rather fascinating wine! Deep golden hue. Fresh, with a sense of acidity as well as the kind of savoury dryness you get to a degree in sherry. Dried oranges, a tiny amount of honey and citrus peel, a touch of almond? I really like it. There's a pepperiness that persists on the finish as well.

2/11/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

I've lost count of how many disappointing Sancerres I've had over the last few years, but following the Tement earlier in the week, it made me want to do a bit of a reference check. This is a wine I bought from James Bercovici last year for a village tasting. In the end, having read reviews of this wine that made me think it might be too rich and not that steely, I opted for the cheaper wine. This time, though, "Les Anges Lot" sprung to hand.
Wow, this is fabulous! Not a lot of fruit action, but the minerality and acid balance are utterly thrilling. Sure, there's some citrus/melon fruit in there, but very much in a supporting role. Funnily enough it bears more than a passing resemblance to the Tement wines from Styria (that Andy boasted "don't taste of Sauvignon Blanc"). This doesn't either. Lauren loves steely wines - like traditional Chablis and Muscadet. Of course she fell in love with this one too. Damn! Should've kept it for Wednesday ;-) If you want a score.... Maybe 92?

2/4/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Fill to just below base of neck. Opened a few hours in advance, but left standing. Decanted and then poured immediately.
Although showing some age, there was still purpleness in the wine. I would have guessed maybe 20 years old, certainly not 57. Aroma of some fruit (cherries) - one might be forgiven for guessing it was an old Super Tuscan, perhaps. Palate was clean, with high acidity, graphite and cherry/black fruit, although not particularly long or complex. Quite a short finish. A very decent wine, but not a great one. Still - better than expected!

1/28/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

This is showing surprisingly well. A very "sensible" bottle of Musar, this, showing very little of the caricature aspects (VA/Brett, etc). Started off quite Grenache-like (yes, I know there's none in there!) before drifting off in a more sensuous, Cinsault direction on day 2. Super!

1/28/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

A wine on a SAGA cruise - easing itself gently yet gracefully towards its twilight years. Enjoyable with a pale, almost burgundian robe. The dregs worth a slurp, as the sediment provides a hint of former days.
Past its best, but there's no reason that a well-cellared bottle of this won't suddenly fall from the perch.

1/16/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

I thought this was rather lovely, as it happens. I was fearing a brulee bomb a la 2003, but no. There was a hint of smokiness, but the fruit was cool with a soft acidity and there was that classic N. Rhone wildness about it, with bacon and olives as per the manual. Gentle drinking with little to object to. A bit of "the wine next door" about it. Most pleasing....
There's no sense that it's on its last legs, but it's not going to get better. Drink up at leisure.

5/26/2023 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Bright yellow gold. Toasty vanillary nose suggests decent quality oak. More buttered well-done toast, fruity (all sorts, really - apple, citrus, tropical) but kept in check by lovely fresh acidity. Some salinity here, and a decent palate length that dries towards the finish leaving a mild peach/apricot kernel feeling. Surprisingly similar to the Bichot in some ways, just with more of everything and a few extras. These really are both very Chardonnay, but reigned-in. No blowsiness or overwhelming whack of oak. In terms of quality, it's as though this is a premier cru to the Bichot's village wine. Again, like the Bichot, I don't feel that this is trying to show off or be a "Burgundy Killer" - it's just a very enjoyable wine, with enough in it to make one ponder briefly before getting on with life. Very likeable, although I suspect the oakophobe brigade might find it a bit too much?

5/26/2023 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Yellow gold colour, showing a hint of age. White fruit nose which is pretty subtle. Maybe some mild floral notes, too. Palate shows modest acidity, a bit of peach stone, hint of banana sweetness, some white pepper spice towards the end. Well balanced, medium length. Classic slightly aged modest white Burgundy here. Decent, unambitious, does the job. I like it and would be happy to serve to random guests. Well done Surbiton!

5/9/2023 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

I'm not generally a fan of the "Jeune" range of Musar, but the rosé just works.
An usually dark orangey/red/guava colour (that the phone hasn’t quite captured accurately).
It smells very Musary and is more akin to the white than the red.
Honey, melon, red apple skin with an exciting texture of lychee and citrus pith. I think there’s a hint of dry gewurz about this, but L’s not convinced!
It's really well made and moreish. I suspect it's only about 12% alcohol.
Went very well indeed with some salmon cooked with a miso glaze.
It's actually elicited more excitement in me than many wines I've had recently.
A wine for all seasons, I'd say.

4/18/2023 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

I really wanted to like this wine, but I just felt it lacked that Cinsault spice that I was looking for. Nice enough with good balance, but just a slight absence of joie de vivre.

3/28/2023 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

This is from our "local" so I like to support it. Maybe not as rich as the 2018, but lovely and delicate. There's not a huge amount of fruit flavour bursting out here, but perhaps shades of apples and pears. The classic English rose, perhaps? Will be better after a year or so.

3/24/2023 - thewinelake wrote:

Garnet rim. muted fruit, vegetal nose. Quite high acid on the palate, a bit of fruit (red/black berries, touch of cherry) but not much. I really wanted to like this, but I'm afraid it came across as some what dreary and lacking in fruit. Not what one expects at 1er cru level (although this vintage is labelled as a monopole). Disappointing, and was probably best drunk 10 years ago.

1/20/2023 - thewinelake wrote:

There's a lovely fruity wine in there. Or at least there was. This was mildly oxidised. I suppose it's getting on a bit for 2015, but I am still disappointed. Bad bottle?

1/17/2023 - thewinelake wrote:

I am assuming this is flawed. An aroma of dirty laundry basket and a truly unpleasant metallic finish. This could well be Brett - which I generally regard as a winemaking fault more than a "bad bottle".

12/19/2022 - thewinelake wrote:

It's pretty boring and tastes like a distinctly average Beaujolais with a touch more weight. It's OK, but nothing to write home about. Quite noticeable acidity. Would be pretty food friendly. Meh.

11/17/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

An intriguing wine, this.
It's the second wine of Tenuta di Trinoro and I think it's composed of Cabernet Franc, Cab Sauvignon and maybe some Merlot. In its youth, it was that classic Swiggy/Matthew Jukesy oak-laced fun wine, the 2003 vintage giving extra warmth. It was a bit of a marmite wine for me back then, but I really liked the producers, having met them at a dinner hosted by the importers.
Roll on a few years (probably way beyond the design life of the wine) and I wondered what it would be like.
First impressions were of a very stewed-fruit, somewhat tired wine - reminiscent of someone who'd spent too long on a sunbed in their youth.
However, after a day, I'm beginning to see beyond the surface, and am liking this. To rephrase and extend my silly metaphor (or is it a simile?) this is a jacket spud that had been left in the oven longer than intended and has a tough outer layer, but inside, the flesh has kind of caramelised into something sweet and delicious. The nose is a bit volatile and varnishy with a balsamic/sandalwood feel - quite porty, and the palate leads with port/methol, but then there are absolutely text book Cabernet vibes of dark berry fruit and peppermint - both slightly stewed and also fresh. It's very long on the palate and has a decent finish.
It would be easy to dismiss this wine asa pruney mess on a snapshot tasting, but I'm glad to have spent time savouring its many facets.

10/27/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

A little stewed/pruney, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Perhaps the acid levels preserved it?

9/1/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

This is overperforming for me. I hadn't intended to keep it for so long, but jolly glad I did. This is a top BR for me in terms of its charm and elegance. Quite sexy Burgundy without being flashy - so more like fleshy with fruit, sous bois, bit of spice. Would beat many 1er Crus IMHO

7/8/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Tough and unyielding, with tomato leaf notes on day 1.
On day 2 it began to unfurl and by day 3 it was a thing of beauty - red & black fruits and meat. Sadly too late to order some more. Looking forward to getting some 2019.

6/21/2022 - thewinelake wrote:

Cracking stuff! Beautifully mature with aromas and flavours of leather, tobacco, woodsmoke, plums - that kind of thing.
More “Australian” and lush than the wines from Swartland. 14.5%

4/9/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

There's a bit of Viognier style about this wine in texture and aromas. Not your average Chardonnay, it has a peach-skin mouthfeel and a welcome mineral/citrus austerity to it. Drinking well now. No idea if it will last many years, but can't see it improving massively.

4/7/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Light but not without substance, this is a wine to cheer you up. Savoury yet fruity (cherries and berry fruit). Drinking well now, but probably more to come. Cru Beaujolais with an Italian accent and cherry chap stick. I drank a bottle and I liked it. Nearly gave it 90, but maybe it needs a little more complexity for that score.

4/6/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Smells great - just classic Northern Rhone Syrah - dark fruit and a bit feral. Palate backs it up with leathery meaty notes mixed in with dark berry fruit.
It's not going to get better, but no huge rush to drink.

3/17/2022 - thewinelake wrote:

Not in a good place. There's potential, judging by the nose (that shows a hint of lacy red fruit), but the palate is very tight - tanins and acidity rule the roost here. I wonder if it got better later on? We had opened the magnum and drank for about 2-3 hours from it with not much change. Perhaps a little softening, but no opening out. My score is perhaps a little generous as I expect/hope that given 2-5 more years it might start developing a bit of allure.

3/10/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Alex recommends it too. Absolutely gorgeous! Light on its feet, so nimble, vivavious - a wine to briefly stop conversation. Probably good for a few more years, but why wait?
This is what I personally want from a 1er cru red Burgundy. Charm and "take me now" deliciousness rather than the all too common chiselled austerity that demands admiration from those that are worthy.

3/9/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Glorious! In the Bordeaux style - so Cabernet dominant. In fact maybe more Californian than Bordeaux. The black fruit is strong in this, and it's pretty clean by Musar standards. Will last a long time, if you can keep your hands off it. One of the greats.

2/11/2022 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Cedar and brambles on the nose. Moderate acidity, berry fruit with a touch of green leaf/tobacco on palate. Classic "luncheon claret". Really rather more pleasing than perhaps it should be, given its age and appellation?

12/7/2021 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Ooh! This is interesting. A strong whiff of gunpowder on the nose, with perhaps some fruit behind (maybe some exotic sort of orange). Bright fresh acidity on the palate, but not aggressive. A little nutty (in a good way). Citrus, with pith and zest. A bit peachy. Tantalising and it dances on the tongue in a delightful manner. A bit of petrol/slate/flint? The finish is unremarkable, but this is great. Makes me want to eat a chunky bit of turbot or suchlike.
So fresh for a 15 year old wine. I see no reason it won't last another 5. Other than that I'm going to drink it, that is.

8/10/2021 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

For me, this is not past-it at all! Yes, there's a high degree of VA, but behind that, the fruit is still reasonably fresh and the woodfire, meat and spices are in harmony.
I know that the Hochars never intended for this to be a keeper, but there's something they do there that can result in ridiculously long-lived wines.

8/9/2021 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

So I opened this on Sunday around lunchtime and decanted into another (open) bottle.
Initially I was struck by the high astringency that slightly overpowered the fruit, but after a couple of hours, that calmed down.
Early days in terms of assessment (and with only 2 days resting time post couriers, it might not be in a mood to party) but my take so far is that it’s a “correct” Musar and in the modern style - so not much VA and no Brett. Dark berry fruit, plums, damsons. Kind of Southern Rhoney in character. Seems quite hot, but apparently just the usual 14%. Very similar to 2013. Not as immediately charming as 2014, but I’m sure it will blossom with age. I also hope it might be better on Monday (so I hid the little that's left from the Mrs!).
Now here we are on Monday. Everything has calmed down, including the fruit. Sometimes having a wine open for a few days can reveal hidden depths, but not today. However, it has dminished in a graceful way, so I'm still cautiously optimistic for the future.

8/3/2021 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

A modest Cote Rotie, but better than I was expecting. Pale-mid red. Bacon fat, forest floor, porcini, mixed fruit on nose. Decent acidity on palate, medium length spice on the finish. Really rather good, but is definitely for the "drink soon" shelf.

5/17/2021 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Was very pleasantly surprised by this. An absolute textbook Cabernet, with a cool freshness to it as well as some serious depth. Plenty of dark fruit, but not a hint of jamminess. Brilliant winemaking here, as one would expect. I suspect this will last a good long while (assuming one can resist the urge to drink it). Was surprisingly good with fish pie - perhaps a testament to its nimble nature?

3/12/2021 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Tasting better than ever now that it's got some bottle age.
The nose has clear elements of vibrantly fruity grenache, and the unmistakeable countryside aromas of mourvedre. Perhaps I can persuade myself that this is underpinned by Syrah in a superb supporting role.
Palate is balanced and bears the 14% alcohol very well. Fine tanin one can feel but in a good way. Dark fruit, meat, touch of vegetal notes fill it out, and a fresh acidity cuts through it all. A fascinating wine that speaks of the South of France. Although clean cut in some ways, the rusticity of mourvedre is always there to give a sense of grounded honesty.
I'll be having this with a steak and ale pie, which I suspect will be the perfect partner.
This is 13 years old, and still tastes very lively on opening. However, after a day it has faded, so suspect it's at its peak now, but will be OK for a couple of years more.

8/12/2018 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Really remarkably good. A light but still reddish colour, and then a very classic "luncheon claret" nose and palate - lighter fruits than modern wines (so think cranberries rather than blackberries), and while fully mature and mellow, it's not dying right now. One to look out for at auctions where it should be no more than £10/bottle? Given that it's lasted this long, hard to put a "drink by" date!

2/12/2018 - thewinelake wrote:

This wine doesn't exist!

2/1/2017 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

This is pretty decent stuff! It's warm climate style but not OTT. It carries its 14.5% alcohol lightly. Plummy fruit well integrated with a velvet texture and a clean finish where a light sense of blueberry/blackcurrant fruit persists.

1/7/2017 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

This is really rather good! Mostly citrus notes (orange, lemon, lime) but also some peachiness in there. Lovely acidity. I like the label, but the wine does live up to it. Nice job.

11/12/2016 - thewinelake wrote:

Still somewhat closed, but I've a worry that it's not going to get any better - there's just an absence of fruit and overwhelming tanins. Promising enough early on the palate, but then hints of tertiary aromas kick in and an initially very dry finish make me think that this wine is just out of sync with itself. Mind you, with more air it shows that the end of the finish isn't so bad. Needs a lot of time though and I'm not sure much fruit at all will be left by then.

11/5/2016 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Quite impressive for a cheap Sauternes. Not too cloying, but substantially sweet. Some acidity there. Notes of orange curd seem to dominate. Went very well with Manchego

6/23/2015 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Interesting! Musars are always different and lean in different directions - and change with age and with air (more than most wines). This vintage is very sleek, powerful and modern-styled - perhaps most similar to a SuperTuscan Cabernet-Sangiovese blend or possibly CaliCab. Really quite opulent by initial release standards. Much more to my taste than the surly 2007. 2006 hasn't been released yet, so I suppose 2005 is a comparison point. That was a rather classier number - this is relatively tarty for a Musar, but there's always a twist, so I'll embrace tartiness in this bottle (something I usually steer clear of). A very good effort and one to go long on - see if you can pick some up if/when Waitrose do their next 25% off everything deal.

4/25/2015 - thewinelake Does not like this wine:

It does hint slightly (but only slightly) at the meanness of a "proper claret" but it completely wimps-out when it comes to astringency. The tannins are not "proper" in the slightest and notable by their almost complete absence. Not impressed so far. Ok, so it's cheap, but the even cheaper "society's claret" from The Wine Society offers a properer, more authentic, more sapid and generally more delicious alternative.... A shame as the label's fantastic!

10/31/2014 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

A big and sexy wine. Not one for the faint-hearted or Burgundy purists, but my word, what a punch this packs! Quite vegetal/cabbagey as well as plummy fruit, with plenty of coffee/chocolate notes on the palate. I wonder how this would have aged?

5/24/2014 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

This is rather special for a BB. Up with the PYCMs et al. IMHO. Quite a lick of oak, but it seems like top quality oak. Citrus aromas overlie a pebbley-mineral base (why am I thinking of Gregg Wallace here - eurgh!). Maybe a slight awkwardness on the finish where the class emulation gets a bit thin, but a lovely surprise. Splendid!

3/13/2014 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Time and patience has been rewarded here. The spoofulated character is fading away and a more natural elegance is beginning to assert itself. Really surprisingly good. If not a tap-dancing elephant, then at least a waltzing one. On this basis, leave it another year or so before trying another.

3/6/2014 - thewinelake wrote:

This looks a little rusty and smells of cabbage more than anything else.

The cork was a little depressed, and so am I.

I do recall being called by the wine merchant when I got this as they'd had some complaints of loose capsules.

On the palate, there's a hint of singed something - giving a bitter edge to the cabbage. It's not completely disgusting, but very disappointing.

Hopefully just a bad bottle.

1/19/2014 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Pale straw in colour. Subtle nose - maybe honeysuckle/jasmine floral notes.

Then on the palate, I am picking up a slight taste of chicken (or is this my mind playing tricks on me?) . An intriguing texture - kind of silky and caressing (my tricky mind is now making me think of the sort of thing they like to show on adverts for Veet!). White fruit - apples, pears, grapes and more floral action. Also decent minerality. Just delicious, though. It's similar to the white Bordeaux that I guess it's designed to emulate, but packs quite a punch (albeit in a velvet glove).

Just looking through other TN's I can agree with flint and ginger ale!

The finish is longish. Maybe the weakest point of this wine, as it leaves a slight residue in the mouth. Still a classy wine, though. I'm not sure if there's any hurry to drink up.

Very nice indeed... If you want a score, I suppose about 91 or so.

1/4/2014 - thewinelake Likes this wine:

Wow - this is sensational. My first thought was that this was remarkably reminiscent of Grange. I've had a reasonable amount of experience with Grange, but if this was hidden in among them, it would be very hard to single it out.

In terms of flavours/aromas: Fruit (red/dark berries), mint, eucalyptus, leather, meat, coffee, chocolate are all in there, most harmoniously integrated. The alcohol is evident to the degree that anyone choosing this wine would expect (but there's very little sense of heat). And (this may sound unpleasant to some) the lingering finish quite reminds me of Cadbury's Fruit & Nut chocolate!

I used to consider this wine greatly overrated, but maybe Parker wasn't so wrong after all...

Better than a 1998 that we had recently - which was very nice, but slightly anonymous.

No rush to drink it, but it's so delicious now...