Wines in July

Wines in July

Chateau Latour 1986

A deep colour with a classical albeit restrained Cabernet-infused Latour nose of lead pencil, minerals and some forest floor. On the palate it was medium to full bodied, dense and powerful. It is regal with a touch of austerity but a long authoritative finish. This wine has been criticised for falling short of the other Medoc first growths...I am not so sure about that...it is tremendously satisfying to drink now, and will last for another couple of decades. Another under-rated Latour along with the 1983, 1985 and 1988. 94

Chateau Cos D'Estournel 1990

Scrumptious, chewy and savoury, but it lacks a bit of grip on the mid-palate. You can tell this is a wine from a hot vintage with low acid. It doesn't have enough Cabernet gravitas and nervosity. It doesn't have the complexity of the 1989 either.mThis bottle was past its best and the 1989 leaves it trailing, though Cos in my experience is notorious for bottle variation. 90 points is giving it the benefit of the doubt.

Chateau Palmer 1985

It is a nice mature Palmer with hints of Margaux berries, sandalwood and cedar. It has a finely resolved palate with a hint of greeness on the back end. It is not the greatest 1985, nor in the top echelon of Palmers, but it has been drinking nicely for 20 years, and it is holding up just fine. 90

Louis Jadot Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoreuses, 1985

An explosive, multifarious and multi-faceted wine. Thrilling and kaleidoscopic. Pyrotechnic even. At the same time it has a 'come hither' seductiveness, and seamless elegance.  It has power and precision in equal measure. 97

Raveneau Chablis Valmur Grand Cru 2002

This is in a good place but it will probably continue to evolve and improve. It has creamy lemon notes initially, then minerals, brine and sea shells. It is finely poised, powerful...and quite youthful, still resolving. It has a stern acidic cut and backbone, as you would expect. It also has a touch of sweetness and a hint of vanilla oak too, which will probably meld in to the wine over the next few years, but becomes more pronounced as the evening proceeds.  94 now, probably higher in ten years from now.

Maume Charmes Chambertin 1997

Garnet colour with red fruits, animale, earthiness, sous bois, evolving beautifully, nicely grippy on the mid-palate. Complex, captivating. Unpretentious and old fashioned. red burgundy as it should be. 93

Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala 2000

Fully resolved and very accomplished, with cherry fruit, roses and tar, full bodied with a touch of sweetness and heat but nevertheless still elegant and poised.  A delicious Barolo for current drinking. 92

Mascarello Monprivato Barolo 2004

It is young but it is still open for business and hasn't closed down. Truffles, roses and tar on a smooth, seamless finish. It's pure, understated and complex. A worthy addition to any cellar. 93

Top wines in Q2 2014

Top 60 or so Wines of Q2 2014

Scores make no claims for accuracy, consistency or fairness

63. Clusel Roche Côte-Rotie 2001...91
62. Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1997...91
61. Chateau Latour 1973...91
60. Toolangi Chardonnay 2011...91
59. Jean Monnier Meursault La Barre 2010...91
58. Couvent Des Jacobins 2012...91
57.  Antinori Ornellaia 1990...91
56. Bindi Composition Chardonnay 2011...91
55. Cyril Henschke 2000...91
54. Chateau Rieussec 1989...91
53. Chateau Suduiraut 1989 (en magnum)...91
52. Jamet Côte Rotie 2006...91
51. Patrick Javillier Meursault Tillets 2010...91
50. Bindi Quartz Chardonnay 2011...91
49.Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 2010 ...91
48. Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Cuvée Classique Ampodium 2005...91
47. Bruno Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 1erCru Les Chenevottes 2011...91
46. Chateau Pape Clement 1990...91
45. Jasmin Côte Rotie 1980...91
44. Jasmin Cote Rotie 1994...91
43. Domaine Maroslavac-Leger Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres 2012...91
42. Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos Des Murees 2010...91
41. Chateau Palmer 1970...91
. Trimbach Clos Saint-Hune 1993
40. Hermitage La Chapelle 1988 (en magnum)...91
39. Michel & Stefane Ogier Cote-Rotie 1997...91
38. Chave Hermitage Blanc 1997...91
37. Gilles Barges Cote-Rotie Cuvée Du Plessy 2001...91
36. Jean Lionnet Cornas Domaine De Rochepertuis 1998...91
35. Ceretto Barolo Bricco Roche, 2010...92
34. Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon 1994...92
33. Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1990...92
32. Jean-Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet Les Perrieres 2011...92
31. Jean Monnier Meursault Genevrieres 2010...92
30. Vincent Dancer Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Tete du Clos 2012...92
29. Nada Fiorenzo Barbaresco Rombone 2005...92
28. PYCM Chassagne Les Chenevottes 2007...92
27.  Perret Condrieu Chery 2011...93
26. Chateau Climens 1988...93
25. Chateau Raymond-Lafon 1988...93
24. Chateau Rauzan-Segla 2011...93
23. Antinori Masetto 1994...93
22. Chateau Leoville-Barton 1989...93
21. Chateau Magdelaine 1988...93
20. Michel & Stefane Ogier Cote-Rotie 1999...93
19. Chateau Haut-Brion 1975...93
18. Chateau Montrose 1989...94
17. Roberto Voerzio Barbera Riserva Pozzo dell'Annunziata 2010...94
16. Castello Di Nieve Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva 2007...94
15. Chateau Moulin St-Georges1998 (half)...94
14. Chateau Pape Clement Blanc 1996...94
13. Chateau Lynch-Bages 1989...95
12. Chateau Pichon Lalande 1996...95
11. Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chenevottes 2010...95
10. Chateau Grand-Puy Lacoste 1996...96
9. Jasmin Cote-Rotie 1985...96
8. Chateau Leoville-Lascases 1985...96
7. Roberto Voerzio Barolo Riserva Fossati Case Nere 2004...96
6. Ceretto, Barbaresco Bernadot, 2000...96
5. Ceretto Barolo Cannubi, San Lorenzo, 2004...6
4. Ceretto Barolo Prapo 1990...96
3. Roberto Voerzio Barolo La Serra 2010...97
2. Penfolds Bin 90A...97
1. Coche-Dury Meursault 2007...97