Non Festive Drinking

[nac]

Saturday 19th March - final bottle of Blanc de Lynch-Bages 2010. Still plenty of freshness.
Sunday 20th March - friends over for lunch, so a magnum of 2003 Chateau Batailley - nicely mature, no sign of any 2003 “burn” - and a half of 2003 Bastor-Lamontagne to finish. The Sauternes still very fresh and nowhere near mature. Both bottles EP purchases.

[winesecretary]

A series of whites over a dinner that called for them

Heart and Hands Verve Chardonnay 2019 - wonderfully taut and precise, with only the merest hint of peach betraying the New World origin.
Francois Cotat Mont Damnes 2013 - barely ready, but lovely fruit and line.
Blanc de Lynch Bages 2015 - extraordinarily exotic nose, but the more austere palate a wonderful foil for some roast halibut.

Then a Fonseca 1977 with the cheese. Absolutely splendid full rich port with so much going on. Four hour decant about right. It evaporated.

[Alex Bridgeman]

What’s this?

3526832F-6944-4EA0-AA1D-1F71E1C7363B.jpeg (21.76 KiB) Viewed 42920 times

As far as I can tell, this is a negociant blend put together by Gabriel Meffre. It has acquired a lovely roundness over the years and is drinking beautifully today. Not bad value considering I bought it in Marks & Spencer in 2004 for £4.99.

[winesecretary]

An astonishingly complex bottle of Cheval Blanc 1966 with a generous wine-collecting friend last night.

As he watched me decant it, he said thoughtfully, 'you know, I think I bought this before you were born'.

Level base of neck. Cork mainly came out whole.

Still a full deep colour, browning only slightly at the rim. Nose of roses, oolong, blackcurrant, forest floor. Congruent palate. Like Sunday's Fonseca 1977, benefits from you just sitting and paying attention, almost sort of listening, to what's going on in the mouth. Still got some tannin although pretty much fully resolved. At the end of its plateau? Probably. But still wonderful drinking from a properly stored bottle.

Held up over the full hour we spent with it.

[Doggett]

Great note George, and I am sure a wonderful and not to be forgotten experience.

[winesecretary]

@SCD - in truth it was very special. WOTY and likely to be pretty tough to beat.

[Alex Bridgeman]

An astonishingly complex bottle of Cheval Blanc 1966 with a generous wine-collecting friend last night.

As he watched me decant it, he said thoughtfully, 'you know, I think I bought this before you were born'.

Level base of neck. Cork mainly came out whole.

Still a full deep colour, browning only slightly at the rim. Nose of roses, oolong, blackcurrant, forest floor. Congruent palate. Like Sunday's Fonseca 1977, benefits from you just sitting and paying attention, almost sort of listening, to what's going on in the mouth. Still got some tannin although pretty much fully resolved. At the end of its plateau? Probably. But still wonderful drinking from a properly stored bottle.

Held up over the full hour we spent with it.

How wonderful to be able to drink a well stored bottle of mature top class claret. And thank you for sharing your impressions with us.

[nac]

Compared magnums of Ribera ~ Flor de Pingus 2006 & Vega Sicilia Alion 2007.
Both had about 4 hrs in decanter before drinking commenced.
Both very good. Pingus more delicate with evident fruit; Alion more brooding with plenty of tannin still. Will probably drink the Pingus first, but many years left for both.

[winesecretary]

Two lovely evenings with friends

Pol Roger NV, Pernand Vergelesses Les Belle Files 2018 Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard (lovely now, don't keep it too long), Gevrey-Chambertin 2012 Domaine Odoul-Coquard (characteristic slightly licorice note of the village, the 2012 village wines have finally come round), 2015 Jurancon Montesquiou Grappe D'Or (ridiculously good wine with perfect balance of sharp-sweet) Vesuvio 1992 (good rich port but slightly below par).

Delamotte 2002 (really remarkably lovely, with ultra-fine bubbles, almost worth the current market rate), Puligny Montrachet Les Tremblots 2014 Domaine Albert Joly (walking the line of the edge of over-mature, with some surprisingly exotic notes), Gevrey Chambertin 2014 Domaine Henri Audiffred (haunting perfume, tasted lovely too) Suduiraut 2001 (from half - lovely rich fruit notes now, don't keep it much longer as the balance will fail) and Warre 1977 (again, slightly under par, under-decanted at 2 hours).

[nac]

A weekend without Mrs NAC, so an opportunity to open a couple of bottles of Alsace Riesling (she's not a fan...).

Domaine Trapet, Beblenheim 2007. EP purchase from C&B. Last bottle .

Lovely kerosene nose, but not overly developed. Definitely some residual sugar, and has the marvellous simultaneously dry and sweet Riesling taste. Refreshing acidity. More please.

[nac]

Second bottle of Riesling being despatched is Hugel "Tradition" 2005. EP from The Wine Society. A few bottles remain .

Nose only marginally more developed than the Trapet but you get the sense that there's more to come (hence the Trapet being finished up well before this).

Definitely less residual sugar than the Trapet, and less refreshing but much more complex. Petrol aromas transfer to the palate plus exotic fruit. Almost tannic.

Trapet was 12.5% but would have guessed less. This is 13% but seems like more.

This is very very good but needs food with it.

[winesecretary]

A really rather lovely bottle of Dom Perignon 2012 at the Royal Yacht hotel in Jersey. Vinous but not over rich. Compelling drinking enjoyed, not too cold, between two over 90 minutes.

[nac]

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2005. Distracted whilst drinking it, so no proper note, but was really quite nice and starting to show some maturity.

[nac]

Guidalberto 2013 - the 2nd wine of Tenuta San Guido after Sassicaia (the 3rd is La Difese). Significantly cheaper than it's more illustrious sibling and meant to be drunk much earlier.

Lots of nice cherry fruit and soft tannin. Drinking perfectly now. Sadly my last bottle so will have to move on to the 2015s.

[winesecretary]

Kooyong Haven Pinot Noir 2019 - colour is not a function of pinot noir, but this really is pretty pale, and very high toned. Given 75 minutes to settle down, however, and you have what, blind, I would swear was a good red Rully from someone like Dureuil-Janthial - sappy, fruity, pinot with a really nice fine-grained tannin finish. The problem is I can buy that Rully for £29 and this Haven was £33... and is now showing cheapest worldwide price at £43 in Aus. This is the problem with good NZ Pinot Noir in Europe. It still costs more than its French equivalent.

[nac]

Gilles Jourdan Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes Pinot Noir 2006.

An EP purchase from Laithwaites in 2008 (?). First bottle horribly corked, so opened another (the last of 12) and was beautifully mature. Proper PN Burgundy farmyard and meaty aromas that followed through to the palate. Lovely. Drink soon.

[nac]

Vina Tondonia Rosado Gran Reserva 2010.
This is pretty rare/unusual and the first time I've tried it. Fortunately managed to secure a few bottles of this and the 2011.
One of the darker roses, almost a deep orange. Nose is pretty intense - blind you might mistake it for a red. Maybe a bit of deliberate VA, certainly some oak, black berry fruits.
In the mouth, some tannin to balance the high acidity. Very dry. Full bodied.
Most definitely a food rose. Very good.

[nac]

Earlier this week a Musar 1999 and HdV Napa Valley Belle Cousine 2009 (60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon). No detailed notes, but both showed well with no rush to drink up either.

Tonight, 2005 Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas.
EP purchase from The Wine Society and one of last couple of bottles.
Nose quite closed - probably needs longer in the decanter - but palate more developed. Still some very obvious tannin (as evidenced by the very healthy ruby tone and zero sediment), but balanced with good acidity. Quite long, with farmyard and dark fruit notes.
Pretty good, but not convinced it's ever going to properly come round. Drink up?

[winesecretary]

Chateau St Pierre 2012 - that now apparently vanished thing, 'proper claret'.

Restrained nose, not lush, which nevertheless promises what the palate delivers - blackcurrant, graphite, geranium leaf, cedar.

Delicious wine. Benefits from a 90 minute decant but drinkable after 30.

[winesecretary]

A celebratory dinner at Chez Bruce

Pierre Peters Les Chetillons 2014 BdB - a champagne of genuinely astonishing purity. Worthy of the hype. Price in restaurant 120% of UK retail - extremely reasonable.

Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes 2009 Domaine Cecile Tremblay - splendid Chambolle nose, but a remarkably hedonistic, even soft, pinot palate. Very happy to have tried it; but lovely, not great; not really worthy of the hype. Price in restaurant about 33% of UK retail on winesearcher non-pro. About what it was worth.

[flash_uk]

…at Chez Bruce.

I was browsing for a dining venue the other day and Chez Bruce was an option. Only been there a couple of times before but recall it being very good. Still the same?

[winesecretary]

Good. Not amazing. The world has moved on, it hasn't.

[Alex Bridgeman]

…at Chez Bruce.

I was browsing for a dining venue the other day and Chez Bruce was an option. Only been there a couple of times before but recall it being very good. Still the same?

Why go anywhere other than to Otto’s?

[flash_uk]

…at Chez Bruce.

I was browsing for a dining venue the other day and Chez Bruce was an option. Only been there a couple of times before but recall it being very good. Still the same?

Why go anywhere other than to Otto’s?

Indeed! I will be going there later in May. Again.

[winesecretary]

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2011 - beautifully chalky.
Chassagne Montrachet 2017, Domaine Ramonet - white flowers and steel, perfect white burgundy, the type that keeps you chasing that particular will-o-the-wisp.
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 2007 - wonderful cedar and violets on the nose and blackcurrant on the palate. Recalibrates one's expectations of what Ribera can become.
Fonseca 1985 - a superlative bottle of this outstanding port of the vintage. Rich ripe black cherries. Excellent even without a decant.

It was a jolly good lunch.

[nac]

This weekend Chateau Grand-Pontet (Saint-Emilion) 2000 and Chateau de Saint Cosme (Gigondas) 2005.

The Bordeaux, one of my earliest EP purchases (from Laithwaites STWC), has been drinking beautifully over the last 10+ years. Continued not to disappoint but strangely evaporated in the decanter and a second bottle was required. As GEAG would say "proper Bordeaux". Perfect now, with lovely soft fruit and tannin and a delightful roundedness in the mouth, but no rush to finish if it's been well stored.

The Rhone, another EP purchase (from The Wine Society), a very different experience. After a two hour decant, meat and spice on the nose, although maybe still a little closed. Palate dominated by tannin and not much else. Needs more time to soften? Very little sediment when decanted.

[winesecretary]

@ nac - 'minor wines' from the 2000 Bordeaux vintage have been a delight since about 2005. I have long since drunk all mine purchased EP (Cissac, Tour St Bonnet, Tour de By (£55/dozen IB, sob), Haut-Batailley, Fonbadet).

[nac]

@ nac - 'minor wines' from the 2000 Bordeaux vintage have been a delight since about 2005. I have long since drunk all mine purchased EP (Cissac, Tour St Bonnet, Tour de By (£55/dozen IB, sob), Haut-Batailley, Fonbadet).

Interestingly MWH has a case of the Cissac 2000 for £420 (£35 per bt)...

2000 was my first proper EP Bordeaux purchase - four whole cases! Grand Puy-Lacoste, Lagrange (Pomerol), Grand-Pontet and de la Riviere. A few of each remain.

[nac]

Nothing exciting recently apart from an Enrico Santini 2001 Montepergoli (Bolgheri Rosso DOC). Drinking well, probably not going to get any better.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I opened a bottle of Nicolas Feuillate 2004 Champagne on Sunday. Sadly it was corked; only the second bottle of corked Champagne I’ve ever opened, the previous bottle being another one of these.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Opened a bottle of Chateau Gloria 1988 last night. It's drinking at its peak and was damn delicious with none of the brett I encountered in the last bottle of claret I tried a couple of weeks ago (which was Grave Figeac 2015 - why is anyone in Bordeaux still making wines which reek of brett? Oh yes, because they have such bad quality fruit that they need to hide the flavours of the fruit behind a wall of horse manure.)

[winesecretary]

A quite lovely bottle of Morey St Denis 2013, Domaine Dujac over lunch at Hambleton hall on Saturday. Pinot noir both ethereal and earthy, which is a very difficult line to tread.

[nac]

Sunday 5th June - World’s End "Rocksteady" (Proprietary Estate Reserve Red Wine - Napa Valley) 2014. Cab Franc & Merlot Bordeaux-ish blend that blind you'd probably guess as Left Bank.

Part of the Jonathan Maltus empire.

Very good. Might improve. Lovely now.

[nac]

Monday 6th June - Craneford "John Zilm" Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

The last bottle from several cases of Craneford wines picked up from a broking list a few years ago. Worked out around £10 per bottle.

Mature, but no obvious "browning" with plenty of black fruit on the nose still. Well balanced with nice acidity and some soft tannin. Oak, chocolate, and plenty of fruit to taste. Still pretty good, but surely more than the stated 14.5%.

Shame I don't have any more.

[nac]

18/6/22 - Le Gavroche for 25th Wedding Anniversary Dinner with Mrs NAC.

Started with a half bottle of Guigal's basic (ie not La Doriane) Condrieu 2019. Drinking nicely now and a perfect accompaniment to initial tasting menu courses of crab and salmon.

Then Grange de la Peres 2009. Utterly sensational. Perfectly mature, with complex notes on nose and palate. Also less than one third of the cost of the cheapest bottle I can find retail. First time I've had one of these since the last of three EP bottles of the 2000 about 10 years ago.

Finished with a glass of Vin de Constance 1992. Not past it, but over extracted. OK, but wouldn't want it again.

[winesecretary]

@ nac - that sounds like a lovely dinner! Congratulations to you and Mrs NAC, also, on achieving the quarter-century.

[akzy]

Congratulations for 25 years! Here's to many more!

[nac]

@ nac - that sounds like a lovely dinner! Congratulations to you and Mrs NAC, also, on achieving the quarter-century.

Many thanks. If you've not had the tasting menu there I can definitely recommend it.

Clarification point, having just checked my records...
Turns out that the Domaine de la Grange des Peres I had some of years ago was the 1994. Three bottles were purchased from La Vigneronne in February 1997 for £50 all in. Lay & Wheeler have one bottle for £1,200.

[nac]

Turns out that the Domaine de la Grange des Peres I had some of years ago was the 1994. Three bottles were purchased from La Vigneronne in February 1997 for £50 all in. Lay & Wheeler have one bottle for £1,200.

...which is an absolute bargain when compared to the 1992 - at £7,200 per bottle.

[Doggett]

Congrats on the silver Wedding Anniversary!

[nac]

Krug NV (161st edition) - based on the 2005 vintage but going back to 1990, disgorged 2012, so 10ish years since release.

Pretty heavy duty (as you'd expect) and most definitely a food Champagne. Easily stood up to the chorizo accompanying the cod.

Excellent now but will last forever.

[nac]

Dandelion Vineyards "Legacy of Australia" Pedro Ximenez XXXO

Final half a glass from an un-Vac-u-Vined half bottle that's been sitting in the fridge since last Summer when supplied and opened (and the remains then kindly donated) by SCD at Chez Doggett.

Being open for 11ish months has had no impact at all.

Beautiful raisened nose that hints at the sweetness to come. And it does... In the mouth, definitely a PX but without the cloying sugar of its Jerez cousins. The technical notes on the maker's website say 252g/l residual sugar - compared to 450+ for the Sherry version. This, with fairly high acidity gives a PX that's actually drinkable and you'll want another glass (or three).

Apparently 18.5% alcohol, but feels like less.

Really very good with the advantage that an open bottle will clearly last for ages. If you can find some then highly recommended.

[nac]

2003 Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Two cases of 12 purchased en primeur. This was the 12th bottle, so 12 remain (which, I would suggest, is a result).

Absolutely no sign of any "burn" on nose or palate from the ridiculously hot vintage that was 2003.

Still plenty of nice primary fruit but with some development alongside. Very very nice & a "proper" Bordeaux.

Perfect now, but no rush to finish up. If well stored then this should easily continue to drink well for another 10 years.

Almost tempted to open a second bottle but have to start work stupid early tomorrow so will resist.

[nac]

2003 Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Two cases of 12 purchased en primeur. This was the 12th bottle, so 12 remain (which, I would suggest, is a result).

Absolutely no sign of any "burn" on nose or palate from the ridiculously hot vintage that was 2003.

Still plenty of nice primary fruit but with some development alongside. Very very nice & a "proper" Bordeaux.

Perfect now, but no rush to finish up. If well stored then this should easily continue to drink well for another 10 years.

Almost tempted to open a second bottle but have to start work stupid early tomorrow so will resist.

Willpower equates to tensile strength of a Kit-Kat.
Second bottle opened.
Blame Mrs NAC for leading me astray.

But can report that second bottle as good as first.

[nac]

After two weeks of all-inclusive in Andalusia, where the choice of wine was red/rose/white and delivered via a tap, thought I'd open something nice on return to home...

Domaine de la Vougeraie, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, 2002. One of twelve bottles obtained en primeur from Laithwaites in 2004 (for significantly less than you'd have to pay now). Has developed nicely over the last 15ish years of drinking and now showing good secondary aroma and taste notes. Fully mature, but probably plenty of time left to finish any up. Really rather pleasant.

Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases) produced.

[Doggett]

After two weeks of all-inclusive in Andalusia, where the choice of wine was red/rose/white and delivered via a tap, thought I'd open something nice on return to home...

Domaine de la Vougeraie, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, 2002. One of twelve bottles obtained en primeur from Laithwaites in 2004 (for significantly less than you'd have to pay now). Has developed nicely over the last 15ish years of drinking and now showing good secondary aroma and taste notes. Fully mature, but probably plenty of time left to finish any up. Really rather pleasant.

Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases) produced.

For a moment I thought that was going to read:
Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases)…left in the cellar

[nac]

After two weeks of all-inclusive in Andalusia, where the choice of wine was red/rose/white and delivered via a tap, thought I'd open something nice on return to home...

Domaine de la Vougeraie, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, 2002. One of twelve bottles obtained en primeur from Laithwaites in 2004 (for significantly less than you'd have to pay now). Has developed nicely over the last 15ish years of drinking and now showing good secondary aroma and taste notes. Fully mature, but probably plenty of time left to finish any up. Really rather pleasant.

Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases) produced.

For a moment I thought that was going to read:
Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases)…left in the cellar

If only...

[winesecretary]

2009 Gevrey-Chambertin, Domaine Dujac

A good correct garnet

Lovely classic Burgundian nose of earth and tea rose.

The palate more austere, the fruit hidden behind a wall of tannin and requiring slurping to extract. But very much present.

Lots of chocolatey tannins on the finish.

A fascinating conundrum. Under-decanted (one hour), not ready, or never going to come round? I think there's good wine in there. A lone bottle so who can tell...

[Alex Bridgeman]

A bottle of PJA’s Hermitage La Chapelle 1996 - mature and very savoury. Delicious drinking. Mature but no hurry to drink up.

[winesecretary]

Vinatigo vijariejo blanco 2020 from the canary islands.

Golden in the way good Meursault used to be

Nose of apricot and peach stone. Reminds me of Y De Yquem. Or maybe even a white Rhone?.

Quite a lot of glycerol on the front palate, very white rhone like. But then aromatic and dry and saline on the finish, almost like a good dry sherry. Nutty. Salted cashews?

13.5. Well worth the thirty quid it cost as a learning point alone. But it's also good drinking.