2000 DRC GE

2000 Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Grands Échézeaux;
Bright, pale ruby, almost free of sediments, evoking nose of red berries, redcurrant's, raspberries, wild strawberries, spices, a touch of vanilla, a whiff of forest floor, one of those noses you would wan't to smell for ever. Fresh and fairly high acidity, tannins ripe and not to eager, palate is fresh but meager compared to the nose, seems to gain another dimention after about thirty minutes, for my palate at peak now, and I cannot imagine this to become any better.... 92

1982 Canon-la-Gaffeliére

1982 Château Canon-la-Gaffeliére;
Fill in neck, ruby with thin brisk rim, some sediments in the last glass poured. A descreet nose of sweet tobacco, plums, blueberries, leather and chocolate. Medium acidity, fairly fresh feel, mature, at paek or slightly degrading, balanced and quite elegant, good length. 88

1962 Canon-La-Gaffeliére

1962 Château Canon-La-Gaffeliére;
Top shoulder fill, dead as a Dodo.....

Spritzy 02 Musar

2002 Château Musar;
Ruby. cherries, anise, stone fruit, slightly on the sour side, some VA. Fresh acidity, some spritz, the glass needs to stand for about fifteen minutes to loose it, shaking the bottle gives a pressure, so a slight refermentation or something has occured in the bottle. But after the spritz has gone, it's a typical, and lovely Musar. I haven't encountered this in the 02 before, but it's been a while since my last bottle. Without the spritz. 89

1979 Biondi-Santi

1979 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino;
Bottle # 33845. In the neck fill, ruby with brick rim, deeper and not as brilliant as normal for Biondi, or this vintage. Leather, figs, anise, morellos, lacks the purity and transparency of ea perfect bottle. High acidity, leanish body, sour cherry stones and licorice, good length. A good, but not great bottle. 86

1971 Biondi-Santi

1971 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalciono;
Bottle #14060. Top shoulder fill, Maderized.

1992 Domaine de Chevalier blanc

1992 Domaine de Chevalier blanc;
Straw yellow, citrus, some minerals, oysters, lemon, and toasty oak, even caramelized butter. Fairly high acidity but doesn't feel that way at first, lemony, slightly grassy and minerals on the palate, elegant body, even if it lacks a little something. In the cross road between a lean Meursault and a maturing Chablis. I would be far off Bordeaux on this one blind. It's way finer than it's rumours state, yes it's a bit lean, maybe even skinny, but what is here is quite fine, quite balanced, and quite long. 89

1963 Domaine de Chevalier blanc

1963 Domaine de Chevalier blanc;
Mid shoulder fill. Golden colour, with greenish hue, minerals, something petroleum-like, faint hint of apricots. Quite high acidity, not that much fruit left on the palate, but some lime cling on to minerals for their bare life, quite lemony finish. Lean. 77

1962 Vietti Barolo

1962 Vietti Barolo;
Fill in the lower neck, cork pretty good. Bright pale garnet with orange hue. Some mushrooms, tar and roses, more heavy of licorice and rose hips. Quite high acidity, with an almost shy attack before rushing in like a basketball team hoping to score, and then falls back off, like the waves on the beach. Tannins stil there, lots of them, but they are more like spectators to the theme, just in the back, like a barrier, to keep the players on the field. A more gentle style of Barolo than many, not too intense, but lasting on the palate, a somewhat figgy, licorice, sweet tobacco aftertaste. More refreshing with air, has a nerve in it. 90

By the way, even on this 1962, the alcohol level is stated, at 14%, not that one notice.....

05 Wegeler Bernkasteler Doctor BA

2005 Wegeler, Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Beerenauslese;
Golden, apricots, pineapples, botrytis, heavier feel underneath. High and lively acidity, mouthwatering, balanced, lovey and fresh, long. I wish I had more. 93

06 Schloss Lieser LNH BA

2006 Schloss Lieser, Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Beerenauslese;
Golden, botrytis, intense yet subtle, pineapples, layered and nuanced. Astonishing acidity, superb balance, playful as few, not too complex for a BA, but superb texture, very mouthwatering, long. 94

1988 Poggio Antico Brunello

1988 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino;
Ruby with garnet rim. Warm and dusty nose, sharp cassis, metallic nose, drying, tired.

1976 Rüdesheimer Roseneck Auslese

1976 Dr.Heinrich Nägler, Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Auslese;
Golden, orange tints, apricots, raisins, lime, fresh oranges and Acacia honey. Lovely acidity, beautiful balance, a bit short. 89

Madeira of the week 5: 1903 D'Oliveiras Boal

1903 D'Oliveiras Boal;
Deep amber, red tints, golden rim. Intense and complex nose, nothing jumps out as Paul Pontallier says, magnificent and layered nose. Fresh and high acidity, playful, very lively fruit, superb texture, somewhat leaner than the 1908 Boal, but maybe a touch more refined. Very nuanced and long. 95

About Boal in Alex Lidell's book, Madeira: Boal, a relatively uncommon variety, grows at fairly low altitudes (100-300 metres) on the south of the island, and at present the best seems to come from Campanario and Calheta. It is a sturdier vine than Malvazia and relatively low yielding.

Boal has quite rich taste and a fuller body than Verdelho. It's labeled as medium sweet, but as always with Madeira, acidity is so high, that the residual sugar is often felt to be dryish to off dry on the palate. It's more the aromas that make one feel the sweetness, or a perception of it.

1988 Château de Beaucastel

1988 Château de Beaucastel, Châteauneuf du Pape;
(Served blind) Ruby, pink rim. Some dust and anise, quite fresher palate happily, high acidity, ripe tannins, a bit lean finish. 81
With answer in hand, an off bottle, had this several times, and never like this one, even if never that much of a wine....

1988 Conterno Cascina Francia

1988 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia;
(Served blind) Ruby with brick rim. Perfumed, dark berries, some VA, sweet lilies, vanilla and mint. High acidity, apple tartness, high of ripe tannins, mouthwatering, lean finish. With more air (it was decanted) tar, roses, anise. 89

1988 La Chapelle

1988 Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle;
(Served blind) Ruby with garnet rim. Floral and red berries. Some metallic notes, tomato. Fairly high acidity, balanced, ripe tannins, a bit hollow and sharp finish, not an optimal bottle. 82

1988 Cos d'Estournel

1988 Château Cos d'Estournel;
(Served blind) Ruby with garnet rim. Bell peppers, herbs, Cab F nose, dark berries behind. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, lively, nuanced, good length. 90

I was on a very nice Chinon, something like Clos de la Dioterie from Joguet. This wine needed four hours in a decanter to start to smell like a real Bordeaux, the day after, I wrote the following note:

Ruby, garnet rim. Herbs, cassis, bell peppers, spices, anice, some leather and a touch of cigars and fine sweet tobacco. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, lean and quite elegant body, long. 90

88 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin

1988 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin;
(Served blind) Garnet with brick rim. Mocca, morellos, faint hint of anise. Good acidity, a bit on the lean side, some dry tannins, a bit short. Some strawberries after a while, feels one-dimesjonal, a bit tender. 84
After a while, I was on Pinot.....

93 Musar

1993 Château Musar;
(Served blind) Bright ruby, brilliant garnet rim. Some VA, cherries, redcurrant's, leather, layered. Rounded texture, fresh acidity, ripe tannins, mouthwatering, elegant and fruitdriven. Some VA sort of carries the whole thing about. 92
My guess was Musar, 2000.

95 Tannin monster

1995 Castelnuovo Berardegna Castell'in Villa Chianti Classico Riserva;
(Served blind) Towards opaque, garnet rim. Vanilla, sweet blueberries, faint hint of coffee. High and fresh acidity, mouthwatering second before the mountain of massive tannins completely dries the palate and glues your gums to your teeth, tannic finsih, not that long. 87
(I was guessing Tannat something...)

1999 Mastroberardino Taurasi

1999 Mastroberardino Radici, Taurasi Riserva;
(Served blind) Deep ruby, massive nose, compact, ripe and sweet, vanilla and blackberries. Medium plus acidity, high of ripe tannins, ripe, intense, sweetish, but one-dimensional finish. Perfumed and minty. 86

07 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia

2007 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia;
(Served blind) Ruby, garnet rim. Carrot, spices, tomatoes, dreid oregano, anise, red berries, with air, some floral notes. High acidity, high tannins, somewhat short. 86
I was in Italy, nowhere near Piemonte on this one....

1958 Barolo

1958 Negro G. Giovenale Barolo;
Garnet with orange rim. Lots of sediments. Anise, licorice, cherrystones and redcurrant's, caramel. High acidity, tannins almost gone, just a few astringent ones left, fairly long if one-dimensjonal, bitter finish, declining quickly. 84 for the best few minutes.