4/29/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Mid straw gold.
Archetypal Mosel riesling nose: apple, slatey minerality, touch of lime, some petrol starting to come through, and a touch of honey.
Zingy fresh palate. Has everything you'd expect and want.

4/28/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Deep, fairly mature colour.
Feeling a bit past it on the nose: quite mushroomy with some high toned furniture polish notes.
Pretty much fully mature on the palate. Full, with good, meaty, black fruit richness, though becoming more bloody and meaty over the fruit.
Still fairly significant tannins.
Sadly, it's lost much of the complexity and depth it had 3½ years ago.
Bit of an old lady: still charming, but needs treating with respect.

4/20/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Very pale straw.
Notably perfumed nose with citrus, papaya and a chalky minerality.
Quite rich on the palate - certainly more rich than many English bacchus wines, with quite ripe, almost tropical fruit.
Feels fairly low acidity until the finish, when there's evident acidity, if feeling rather muted.
Not at all unpleasant, but a little curious, and a little industrial feeling compared to most other bacchus wines I've tried.

3/23/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Restaurant purchase by the glass, as part of a flight with a tasting menu - so certainly a recent bottling, unlike some of the other more venerable bottles others have left notes on here.

This has a rich, sweet, black fruit nose with evident alcohol. Sweetish and a bit fiery. But worked well enough with a chocolate delice

3/23/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Big raspberry nose. Very raspberry-y.
Enormous, big, rich palate. Loads of ripe fruit. Chocolate. But also a fresh sourness.
Glass & mouth coating

3/23/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

A very softly buttered nose with a touch of musky white flower perfume
Very classy palate. Very elegant & poised.
A very good match with halibut served with a saffron compote, mussels and jalapeno dressing.

3/23/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

On the nose there are green peas and an impression of freshness.
Quite a rich palate, with remarkable depth - not a typical sauvignon blanc by any means. There's almost a touch of white pepper spice in there.
Very good with roast scallop, cured scallop and cucumber.

3/23/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

As expected. A good refined champagne.

3/22/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Lovely deep black fruits laced with tobacco & vanilla.
Lush & luscious palate.
Mouthfilling & mouth coating. Young but very open. There is a little bit of alcohol evident on the finish. Very long.

3/22/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Creamy & herbaceous nose.
Gentle spiced palate. Richly textured, yet fresh. There's a lovely bite on finish.
Interesting sort of green veg flavours alongside yellow fruit.
A very interesting wine.

3/22/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

A nice, herby nose, with brioche and black fruit.
very easy palate. Seems fairly low acidity, that means that it struggles a bit with food. Would be a good aperitif or welcome wine.

4/12/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Mid straw. Very persistent bubblestream.
Quite a powerful nose, with big orchard fruit with touches of cider and of mead.
Lovely palate. Very rounded and creamy. Extremely approachable and very drinkable even without food. Acidity feels fairly low.
Huge length.
I very much like this.

4/2/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Okay, coming back to this after two thirds of the bottle had been left in the fridge overnight, and it's starting to show more desirable traits.
Definitely a bit more on the nose with some white flowers and notable minerality showing.
Definitely still lean on the attack, but in the mouth it's much fuller and more buttery. Still powerful acidity, especially towards and the finish and after.
Quite remarkably improved.

If you have any of this, leave it 5 or 10 years, or at least open it and decant it a minimum of 24 hours ahead.

4/1/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Bottle 171 of 250.
Golden colour - deeper than I was expecting for something just two and bit years old.
Bit closed on the nose. After much aeration, some pear drops and lemony acidity.
Very lean on the palate. No that's being a bit generous. This is thin, with sour acidity.
Poor show from the usually excellent Gusbourne.

3/28/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Pale to mid yellow straw.
Quite a bit of black fruit on the nose, some rose, and hints of handcream.
Nicely focused palate with lots of depth. Good depth of fruit, with some grapefruit and lemon, alongside the black fruit that's often more obvious in ESW than elsewhere. There is a slight hint of rusticity, but overall this is really rather elegant and impressive. Creamy, with a bit of citrus on the finish, and great length.

3/27/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

(The second half of yesterday's bottle.)
Feels much deeper and plummier on the nose, along with some fresh blackberries and apple.
Rich and full on the palate.
This has definitely blossomed after 24 hours in the eto. Those rather odd notes of things like lipstick have faded and given way to much more of a beast of a Rioja. No way would I guess at this being 60 years old. Very together, with good fruit, yet also a lovely elegance. Maybe there are a few secondary (or do I mean tertiary?) notes that fleetingly appear.

3/26/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

A real battle with the cork, which was at the same time very crumbly, put also very well sealed in the neck.
Quite fine sediment.
Immediately the wine gets to the outside world, there's some promising black fruit. Then there's some secondary elevated notes and a touch of muddiness.
Good colour.
Excellent palate. Alive and definitely kicking. Very elegant and soft with just a suggestion of tannins remaining. Some sweet cherry fruit comes randomly along. Equally randomly a touch of lipstick.
Feels a bit simple, as tasty as it is. I'm at that stage wondering whether it needs some vigorous aeration to wake it up, of whether any great aeration would send it to its grave. I suspect the former. Not drinking the whole bottle tonight, so fingers crossed for tomorrow.
But it is very impressive.

3/19/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Chateau bottled and recorked in 2002. And what a pleasure to pull a cork on a 60 year old bottle of wine without any sign of breaking.
Sweet blackcurrant fruit immediately evident on removing the cork.
Excellent colour. Mature, but no bricking whatsoever and still quite a deep colour.
Remarkable nose: blackcurrant fruit to the fore, maybe some cherry and a gentle sent verging on a high tone. But what a big, full nose for a 60 year old.
Feeling rather older in the mouth than it looks and smells. Nicely balanced. Some soft tannins remain, particularly noticeable on the finish. Elegant and in a very good place.

3/17/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

A greenish pale gold.
Glorious, entirely "correct" riesling nose - petrolly, slatey minerality, apple, lime. Archetypical.
Initially some sweetness on the attack, but the acidity balances that out completely. Lovely riesling fruit, and a nice sherbetty zing.
Everything it should be.

3/15/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

A bottle I've had in the cellar about 20 years. V511 on the cork, if anyone can decode that.
Fairly deep straw colour. Nice mousse on pouring, and lovely persistent stream of tiny bubbles in the glass.
Lots of buttery brioche on the nose, pear fruit and some kaffir lime leaf florality. Lovely depth and complexity on the nose.
Remarkably fresh tasting (much fresher than the colour would have you believe). Perfectly balanced, and really rather satisfying. Has more of the weight and character that I associate now with English Sparkling Wine rather than other French grande marques.
Nice richness, even the slightest hint of caramel on the finish.

3/2/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Sweet slightly smoky black berry fruit, prunes and rose.
Soft & easy. Lots of ripe fruit. A little lift stops it being dull.

3/2/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Grassy, hay-ey citrus on the nose, with a hint of miso.
Fresh, bright, fully textured palate, even slightly chewy. Nice food friendly drinking.

3/12/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Palish lemon gold.
Utterly archtetypical Mosel riesling nose: petrolly minerality to the fore, but still lots of lovely sweet apple fruit, gentle honey and peach, with a splash of lime at the end.
Very vibrant, zingy palate. A hint of sweetness draws you in, then the sherbetty acidity wakes you up and makes you pay attention.
Utterly classic Mosel kabinett, although it feels maybe five or ten years younger than it actually is.
Maybe not the most complex or earth-shattering of Mosel Kabinetts, but, gosh, it's really lovely drinking.

3/4/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Deepish gold.
Proper mature riesling nose - bruised ripe apples, a touch of honey, loads of petrol-washed slate minerality.
Good palate. Fairly mature feeling. Appley fruit, some sweetness. Decent acidity keeping it nice and light and fresh.
Seems markedly more mature than the last bottle, just over 12 months ago.

3/3/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Entirely consistent with previous note

2/22/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

A deep rosé colour.
Rather strange nose with lots of boiled sweets and rose.
Equally odd palate. More than a hint of sweetness, but also really drying in the mouth. Hints of a southern French tuilé.
Not at all sure what to make of this. Not in the slightest bit unpleasant.

2/22/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Even clear, burgundy red, not looking as young as I'd expected.
Lots of red fruit on the nose - strawberry and cherry predominately. Lightly perfumed and floral, with a little vanilla sweetness.
Bright open palate. Quite deep, ripe red fruit. An extremely attractive mouthful. A little different, and very approachable - and very delicious.

2/22/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Open nose, and a little scented. Honey & lemon.
Very textured in the mouth. Lots of citrus. Somehow rich and fresh at the same time. Huge length. Hints of amontillado.
Really interesting, but not in a geeky way. It might be made in the most geeky ways possible (and virtually every possible method is employed!), but it doesn't taste geeky.

2/20/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Mid lemon gold.
Big nose, full of lemon and wax, and some overtones of over-ripe sweet apples. On the nose, it feels slightly natural, but more in the skin-contact and oxidative style.
A touch of oxidative richness is immediately obvious on the palate, but it does manage a nice degree of freshness too, with lemon and lime fruit. Finishes beautifully with great depth and length.
An interesting wine, and also a bit of fun.

2/17/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

From a half bottle.
At the lighter end of a mid yellow straw colour.
A really fresh, limey riesling on the nose with a touch of sherbert.
Very fresh, zippy, light riesling. Nicely balanced. Very long.
Just 11% abv, so an excellent choice for my lunch at the Angel at Hetton today.

2/15/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Served at room temperature.
Warm, cherry and red fruit on the nose. Touch of vanilla. Touch of wet limestone minerality.
Impressive palate. Very obviously pinot noir, but there is a certain meatiness to this. Actually a fair concentration to this. Very savoury on the finish, with some good tannins but not at all dominating

2/15/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Rich nose with apple and peach fruit.
Beautiful, rich palate with lots of ripe fruit, but also a good acidity keeping it fresh.
Is there some oak influence on this? Or am I tasting lees influence?
I really like this, but have to mark it down a bit for not being at all riesling-y.

2/15/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Pale to mid lemon straw.
Rich yellow fruit nose (peach & an unexpected hint of pineapple), but also some Johnsons baby powder. A hint of sultana? Attractive creamy and floral notes too. I'd guess at some pinot gris in this.
Fresh and open on the palate. There's a real waxy stone fruit feel, that's very mouthfilling. Lots of interest here. Quite unusual feeling. There's a richness and fatness to it, but also some decent acidity, particularly on the finish, cleaning the mouth.

2/13/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Served at cellar temperature.
Lovely bright, young burgundy cherry red colour.
Gorgeous nose: cherry & red berry fruit with a touch of vanilla and another of red pepper.
Impressive palate. Yeah,, it's not a grand cru burg, but this is a lovely wine. Red fruits, a light woody spicing and a fair depth. A savouriness edging towards black olives. Great length.
Good, easy drinking, but with plenty of interest.

2/12/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Rather rich nose, some green veg, and just a touch of apple. Blind, I'd guess this might be sauvignon blanc, but wouldn't be sure.
Again rather rich on the palate, and a very atypical riesling. Maybe a hint of spätlese to it, at least in weight and roundness, but I'm struggling to come to any decision about this, given how unusual it is.
Odd, but not unpleasant.

2/8/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Deep dark inky purple, still with a touch of youth.
Big plummy nose laden with damsons and freshened with a touch of blackberry. Liquorice and a rich dark chocolatiness too, with a fleeting touch of oaky vanilla.
Immediately impressive on the attack. Big, plush, full black fruit fill the mouth, but there's still a stiff tannic structure, particularly on the finish.
Only one bottle of this left now, and I really must leave it alone for another 5 years at least to get an idea what this is like when mature.

2/5/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Pale yellow gold.
Quite a charming nose. Lightly honeyed, green fruit, cashews, lemongrass, apple.
Fresh and bright on the attack, but with a nice depth building in the mouth, with a richness, presumably from some pinot gris or similar. Very rounded and an accomplished all-rounder.

2/5/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Found almost empty at bottom of rack, with severe cork damage.

1/31/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Very pale straw.
Quite rich and creamy on the nose, with sweet grapefruit, sweet peas ad a touch of elderflower.
Bright, open, fresh attack. Nice weight and balance in the mouth. Quite mouthfilling, but with a strong streak of acidity, especially noticeable on the finish, where it slightly unbalances the wine.

1/29/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Had thrown quite a heavy sediment, so decanted.
Very deep ruby.
Loads and loads of ripe black fruit with a curious blast of licorice, and hints of cough syrup, grilled bacon and violets.
Quite a thrilling attack that made my eyes open widely and a slight shiver went down my spine. Very open, very full, yet also very poised and elegant. A really seductive wine. Red and black fruit fill the mouth, with very soft tannins now. A lovely savouriness, alongside the fruit. What an absolutely stunning glass of wine.

1/24/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Bright fresh Chenin, but not especially complex or interesting

1/19/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Mid gold.
Sweetish feeling nose, with honey and raisins.
Very rich and full on the palate. Pear and almonds, with an undertone of honey. Certainly not dead, but possibly a bit over the hill: certainly can't see it improving.
It is rich, but it's also very clean.
But here's the rub, while there's nothing wrong with, it's deeply unexciting.

1/11/2024 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Bright, clear lightish gold.
Fabulous archetypical late harvest riesling nose packed full of peach, sweet apple, petrol and honey.
Really lovely on the palate. Gentle sweetness, good acidity. Perfect Auslese. ;)

12/31/2023 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Very pinkish straw. Almost like a vin gris sort of colour.
Very pleasant nose: quite rich and creamy, with lots of rose, black cherry, some strawberry and a touch of Trebor's Fruit Salad.
Good palate. Fairly rich and full, with good, precise black fruit. Much more elegant than my previous bottle of this: much more precise and focused.

12/28/2023 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

A bright orange colour.
Feels a bit dull on the nose. Bletted medlars dominate the nose, with a touch of honey and a touch of lime.
Big, completely mature palate. Obviously late harvest riesling, though the fruit and the sweetness have receded, giving a mature feel, with secondary notes, but still very much alive. Not sure it's going to improve at all, so drink up.

12/25/2023 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Pale lemon straw.
Gorgeous nose: almonds, rose, lime, wet granite paving stones, butter at that stage just before it turns noisette. There's even a bit of sweet apple in there. The only thing missing are any sauvignon/bacchus type notes.
Rich, creamy, mouth-coating palate. There's some orchard fruit with a touch of vanilla (presumably from a touch of oak in the winemaking?)
Really good, and only 11.5% abv. Indeed the back label is curiously insistent about the 11.5% alcohol, as it appears three times next to each other!

12/18/2023 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Perfumed nose with touches of lemon and lime. Not as impressive as the previous bottle.
Again, bright and fresh on the palate. Very clean and crisp. But much more of an "ordinary" bacchus than the previous bottle.

12/16/2023 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

A cork that really did not want to come out.
Deep, inky colour.
Big, meaty nose - really quite - literally - beefy.
Rich, plush and mouthfilling. Powerful stuff. Very balanced. A little touch of alcoholic bite. Very warming, satisfying wine. It's like the heat of the Roussillon summer has been bottled to warm us up in wintery northern climes.

12/11/2023 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Normally, my purchases of Mosel/Ruwer/Saar rieslings go into storage for a few years/decades, so I'm not quite sure why this came so easily to hand.
Very pale green straw.
Classy and classic riesling nose. Green apple, petrol and a touch of peach.
Everything you'd expect from a young Kabinett. A touch oily, a touch of sweetness immediately balanced by zingy acidity, lots of green apple flavours, but also a bit of an apple peel chewiness.

10/8/2022 - andrewstevenson.com wrote:

Zesty bright lemony nose.
Crisp, bright fruit. Lovely texture and depth for such a young wine.
As it's warming up from too cold restaurant serving temperature, it's really developing depth and bags of interest.