Birthday and other wines

Birthday and recent wines On Friday 25th May at Boundary Chave Hermitage Blanc 1993 Fully mature and in a great spot it waxed lyrical with nutty notes, it tasted fresh and vibrant ***** Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1985 From a half this was smooth and refined with subtle notes of cigar box, tobacco, cedar, lead pencil, graphite, autumn leaves and subtle red fruits. Understated and classy it just glides across the palate and finishes long. This has perfect poise and is as good a glass of claret as you will ever encounter. ******(*) Chateau Latour 1985 More fruity and exuberant than the Lafite, this started off quite stern but really opened beautifully; it has cedar, saddle leather and plenty of ripe exuberant fruit. It is not a behemouth Latour but has plenty of structure and integrity to last for decades. *****(*) On Thursday 24th May at the Ledbury  Guigal Condrieu La Doriane 2007 First time tried this. It was young and a bit clumsy but clearly has many years to evolve with acacia and honey notes. **(**) Mullineux Schist Syrah 2010 It ran rings around two decidedly ordinary syrahs from Napa and Hunter. It was very classic northern rhone in style with good balance, acidity and tension, with good quality fruit. A touch hot on the finish but a very complete wine. This sells for £50 which seems ambitious given its roots but there is very little of it. ***(**) Chave Hermitage 1988 Ruby colour, restrained, elegant, quite lean but very complex with meaty, smokey, gamey, spicey, minerally overtones with a nod to elegance and finesse over power. ***** Hermitage La Chapelle 1990 This example was tight and wound up, despite being a tad too warm. Not showing very much of its huge potential. Was this a slightly off bottle or does this wine need another decade to evolve.?**(***) On 16th May "right bank" Dinner at RSJ Chateau Belair 1985 Initially tastes thin an reticent then opens delightfully. A stylidh old school right bank. **** Chateau Leoville Lascases 1945 This is timeless, long and hard, it is austere and has no charm, but it is immortal, Churchillian and quite thrilling. **** Chateau Rivesaltes 1930 Lively, with figgy notes. Glorious. ****

A tale of two Versets

Courtesy Richard Katz, I drank these on Friday in the company of someone who, when it comes to charm, looks and brains, is very much at the front of the queue. 

Noel Verset Cornas 1990 

Translucent garnet; perfumed, sauvage. Mushroom (hint of morello?), decay, cured meats. Smokey overtones, rich, and decadent; secondary opulent raspberry compote and plums; so smooth on the palate; somewhat burgundian, but unique; dignified, cerebral and kaleidoscopic with hints of coffee and menthol; faintly woodsy. A wine which whispers rather than shouts its wares; no wonder it gets lost in a ‘me too’ shouting match; this has poise and gravitas, an intellectual wine. 

Noel Verset Cornas 1995

Deep ruby maroon, more opaque, more woodsy, wispy, smoky ‘n’ gamey than the 1990. Bonfire, brine and seaspray; savoury, with spicey sausage, celery, nettles and raspberry notes with grippy, raspy tannins. Somewhat uncouth relative to the 1990, and that becomes more apparent as the night progresses. Not as smooth, nor as poised as the 1990, with some stalky notes. Nonetheless this is a smashing wine. 

Both decanted we initially mixed them up but it wasn’t difficult to tell which was which. The 1990 would get lost in a larger comparative tasting, but tasted next to its younger sibling it shows it class. Not that the 1995 was disappointing...it was a captivating example of traditional Cornas from this legendary producer...it was just that the 1990 was at another level.

Figeac, Haisma and PYCM

Three terrific wines this weekend.

Chateau Figeac 1980 - this is officially our favourite Bordeaux chateau for reasons that will never see the light of day. It was glorious with liquid milk chocolate, old leather shoes and various iterations of tobacco, medium weight. Inspired. It is better than the two 1982 Figeacs we had this year.

Mark Haisma Chambertin Clos De Beze 2009 - wild raspberries, red fruits, plums, rich Christmas cake, myriad spices, cinnamon, nutmeg...rich and imperious with marvellous complexity. A superstar of the future.

Pierre-Yves Colin Morey Meursault Genevrieres 2008 - had a rich, oily texture, with power and wonderful piercing acidity giving it laser like focus. Stone and citrus fruits with mineral complexity. At a recent dinner it torched two 02 Corton Charlemagnes. It is inspired stuff.

Three triumphant wines on Friday night.

Pictured below is my wine tasting partner, from a previous event chronicled in the thread below.