Gunnel's and Christer's French party
Saturday 29th of December, 2007

Act 1: Luxury appetizers brought by Anders and Ingela.

1990 Laurent-Perrier, Grand Siécle, Magnum

Yellow colour. Soft and flattering, a bit neutral if criticizing, no toast, no ripe apples but very fresh and young. The taste on the same way, fresh, young and balanced. Should be left in bottle for another 10 years ?

Act 2: Fish and shellfish soup brought by Rikard and Lena.

1983 Larrivet Haut Brion blanc

Golden yellow colour. Sweet smell of dries apricots and citrus, a bit toned down but very lush indeed. Vital acidity despite the long bottle ageing, very personal style and traditional white Bordeaux. Very much appreciated by our Francophile friends :- ). Parker has assigned 90 point which seems terrible low for such graceful matureness.

1995 Cuvée l'Orée, Chapoutier

Golden yellow colour. Soft and creamy smell, a more modern style than above. Fat and creamy taste backed-up by fresh acidity, that also bring life to the huge after taste. A great bottle of wine worth its 97 Parker points.

Act 3: Duck breast, with orange sauce and cheese stuffed dates brought by Thord and Elisabeth.

1990 Charmes-Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes, Joseph Roty

Rather dark, brick-ruby red colour. A very spicy and bold kind of Pinot Noir, with some rotten strawberries in perfect balance and with the unmistakable "iron" smell of Roty Burgundry. There is also the iron component in the taste, smooth and full, which make it go very well with food. Very long after taste, a personal and special wine which clearly deserve its 96 points from Parker (resulting in a lofty price tag).

1990 Pegau reserve, Chateauneuf du Pape.

Medium brick red colour. A very spicy smell combined with old wet wood and full fruit content. Fiery and spicy taste, good body and long after taste. 96 points from Robert Parker, but our guests clearly preferred the Burgundy.

Act 4: Lamb from the own farm brought by Johan and Eva.

1989 Ch Lynch Bages

Dark, brick red colour. Antique, dusty, adequate oak and a classic core of tannin surrounded by thick fruit. Powerful in all aspects, soft and excellent fatness, not far from the new world recipe. Long delicate after taste. Worth its 96 points from Parker.

1989 Hermitage la Chapelle, Jaboulet

Dark, brick red colour. As the smell ought to be, there is smoked meat, bacon and some nervous acidity. It is very traditional in the taste, not as fat as the above Bordeaux, but rather more strict and refined. Parker has given 96 points and maybe one should wait more for this point to become realised.

Act 5: Extended cheese tasting brought by Gunnel.

1994 Gewurztraminer Goldert, SGN, Burn

Amber golden colour. Marmalade smell, dried fruit, particularly apricots and a good base of acidity. Rather sweet, concentrated and fine acidity. Even Rikard (notoriously against residual sugar and Gewürztraminer) admit that this type of wine benefits a lot to all kind of cheese. Parker 97 points.

Elisabeth Wagrelius 50 year
Friday 16th of November 2007

A full day in Gothenburg were offered by Elisabeth and Thord. First a terrific lunch at Sjömagasinet, and after that a wine tasting at Barrique Wine Bar, before enjoying the concert "Queen - another kind of Magic". The last stop before bed was some good Ale at the Park Avenue Hotel Pub. Following notes are from top of my head.

1996 Verget Chassagne Montrachet la Romanee

Medium yellow colour. Fresh smell of chardonnay and wool with some rancid butter. The taste was also fresh with smooth acidity. Very nice wine, specially good to halibut fish. Sjömagasinet has a really good white wine list, which caused some anxiety when selecting. This wine I have in my cellar and I have tasted it many times, so better safe than sorry. It was very much liked and Parkers 94-97 is fully adequate.

1989 Suduiraut, Crème de Téte

Beautiful amber colour. Massive botrytis and loaded with fruit, the smell is intense and arch-typical Sauternes. Swedish former "bear glue", raisin, exotic fruit and a lot of elegance. The taste is mouth coating, a monster body with accompanying acidity and a super long after taste. A great wine. Robert Parker has judged the Suduiraut Cuvée Madam as a 96 point wine, but I am not really sure if this Crème de Téte and the Cuvée Madam is the same wine or two different top line cuvées. This was the last 375 ml bottle in the Sjömagasinet wine cellar, so the cellar man had some separation problem when pouring it.

2003 Domaine Armand Rousseau Mazis Chambertin

Medium, ruby colour. Soft and clean taste, with a hint of rotten strawberries. Very balanced in the taste and a very god red Burgundy. 92 points from Parker, which it deserves. This wine had got much more attention if there wasn't more to come.

2004 Sine Qua Non Poker Face (Syrah)

Very dark, ruby red colour. An extremely intense and characteristic Shiraz in he smell, like bacon, butcher's shop, dark fruit etc. Very fluffy and fragrant and not anyway heavy or vulgar. The best from two wine worlds, the elegance from Northern Rhone and the fatness from California microclimates. The taste were equally magnificent, bold and mouth filling, without any sticky or jammy constraints. Fantastic as the wine was, the surprise were even bigger when we afterwards saw that Parker had assigned a perfect score of 100 points. But Gunnel rated it over 98 points before we knew !!! As the case with the Suduiraut above, this was the last bottle at Barrique Wine Bar, and it was also the only one he had have. Lucky us we concluded, when we told the surprised boss that the international price was 3 times higher than we just had paid in his Bar.

Rikard and Lena Albin celebrating the 1955 vintage

at the Eve of Epiphany the 6th of January 2006

A lovely evening with beautiful 1955 wines and fantastic food to them. And all of this in a fabulous accompaniment of wine lovers.

Some other wines apart from the vintage 1955 were also served, but are not referred here.

1955 Ernest Irroy, Carte d'Or, Champagne

Deep yellow colour. "Ancient" smell but not any oxidation or flaws. Intense nose of apricot and linoleum, a smell more resembling a powerful white still wine than Champagne. Thick and fat in the mouth not reminding me of Champagne. A lovely acidity beneath the fruit give excellent balance. Long super duper after taste. At least 96 points and a exiting prelude to the evening.

1955 Ch l'Olivier (blanc)

Golden yellow colour. Honey and linoleum, stylish, soft and dignified. A component of sour dish-cloth started many propositions about variety, from Sauvignon Blanc to Chenin Blanc. And conclusively,  is was the "cat piss variant" of Sauvignon Blanc. Also flowery in the nose with bitter orange and hyacinth. Very fine and clean in the taste, fat and thick fruit without residual sugar. Long, rich and sturdy after taste. 92 points. Is this the good old Olivier blanc sometimes referred in literature?

1955 Corton Charlemange, Doudet-Naudin

Amber colour. A hint of Madera in the nose. Before anybody knew, it was a debate if a special stile or a too old wine. When knowing it's a white Burgundy, I interpret this wine too old and/or poorly stored. In the taste it is also a bit pushing in its Madera style to be fully appreciated. Judgement reserved.

1955 Domaine Balland, Bourgogne

Rather light, orange red. Decayed strawberries as is meet and proper for Pinot Noir. Soft, attractive and personal, lovely and almost perfect in the nose. Soft and wonderful also in the taste, lovely balanced but not top notch concentration. A lesser great wine scoring about 93 points.

1955 Ch Petit Village

Medium dark, brick red. A long debate if the smell was corked or maderized didn't result in agreement. The taste was also markt by this trouble and the wine is hard to judge.

1955 Ch d'Issan

Medium dark, brick red. Lovely sweaty horse, complex and elegant. Optimal balanced, not being a power pack but a lovely and consummate ageing have taken place. The 2000 d'Issan was served in parallel and I judged these equally good. Parker have rated the 2000 as high as 93 points, so consequently this count for the 1955 as well. These two wines are the best I ever tasted from this estate.

1955 Ch Talbot

Rather dark, brick red. Soft, lovely balanced, intense but "cool" in the nose. A lot of leather and sweaty horse, being the Bordeaux style I love (I am not that fond of the more harsh, forest style Bordeaux). Also smooth in the taste, very good balance with intact fruit. Long, goody, goody after taste. As good as the d'Issan.

1955 Richebourg, Morin

Dark, brick red. Lush, spicy and deep fruity in the nose made us confused about origin. Some smell of decayed berries and a marked acidity did fit into the puzzle when the varietal was uncovered. Really a damned sturdy Burgundy. The taste is a bit too marked by acidity, but doesn't load the overall impression that much. At least 93 points, and up to 96 if you have nothing against Burgundies relying on their acidity.

1990 - World Wine Championship revisited

Arranged and conducted by Mats Heiman

Semi-finals and final 2005-11-18 and -19

Quite remarkably, the top 6 positions were not occupied by any Bordeaux wines at all. Only two Medoc wines out of 18 wines did qualify to the final tasting, but none was a Bordeaux 1er cru. My personal reflection about this is that 1990 was not quite the ultimate year as anticipated for Cabernet Sauvignon to get fully ripened in the Bordeaux area. Merlot wines from Bordeaux were more successful, with a half dozen Pomerol and St Emilion wines showing up at the final tasting.

The other remarkable outcome was that the highest rated 6 wines was made from Syrah and the seventh from Pinot Noir. First at the 8th position, a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine from California showed up. While not being a Syrah biased freak in particular, I can't come around the fact that Cabernet was total inferior to Syrah in this 1990 tasting.

Below the wines are listed in the "official" ranking order, but with my own comments and points.

Final

Winner - 1990 la Landonne, Guigal

Dark, some brick red. Soft fruity but a bit restrained. Opens up in the glass, fine smoke, forest and stable, but not too much bacon and butcher. Very well done, but not the knock out for me as for many others, soft tannins and a long after taste. Will probably develop beautifully with bottle age. I assigned "only" 97 and not quite my winner wine. RP = 100.

2nd - 1990 la Moulin, Guigal

Medium dark, some brick red. Open, grassy, herbaceous, smoky smell, a bit of a caricature. Totally outstanding, animal, earthy and butchers shop in hte smell. Also the taste is very personal, with a hint of acidity bias, but so lovely in the after taste. Fully mature, but will hold for many years. I assigned 99 points and so do Parker.

3rd to 4th - 1990 la Chapelle, Jaboulet

Very dark, some brick red. Cold and lovely decayed in the nose, fantastic full and strong. Has some bacon and spice, violet and forest. The construction is high, wide, deep and beautiful. This colossal wine was one of my favourites and I gave it a conservative 99 points, it should have been 100. Parker = 100.

3rd to 4th - 1990 Ch Rayas

Medium dark, some brick red. Fruity, vigorous and youthful. Good balance, but not quite mature. Sweet ripeness and fiery with fine oak. Silky in the taste, rather long in the after taste with good balance, lovely and soft in the mouth. Strange to find this wine so youthful, while Parker has observed a tendency of over matureness. I assigned 98 points, and Parker 99 - 100.

5th - 1990 Hill of Grace, Henschke

Medium dark, some brick red. Ripe and warm smell, utterly complex and elegant, some refined eucalyptus with a beautiful matureness. Also complex in the taste, but not on the cost of power. Several times during tasting this wine, I put the question to myself - are you sure you are not trapped by the elegance. And the answer was each time, it has a supplementing monumental body. A great wine that has aged beautiful in the bottle. For me a 99 point wine.

6th to 7th - 1990 la Tâche, Dom Romanée Conti

Rather dark, some brick red. Venerable and relaxed in the nose, not quite open. Soft, warm smell which open up gradually. Some animal traces. Remarkable balance in the taste, a Swede get angry to not find anything to complain about. Long after taste of sheer class. My best Burgundy ever and 98 points. (I rated 98 before I realised it was Burgundy). Robert Parker 100 points.

6th to 7th - 1990 The Armagh, Jim Barry

Medium dark, certain degree of brick red. A neutral, winy feeling, lovely charm, liquorice and  cinnamon. Smashing, fat and mighty, but in a tight style, this wine will keep until doubling its age. A very long after taste. At least 98 points for me.

8th to 9th - 1990 Ch le Pin

Dark, some brick red. Very good straight and clean smell, concentrated and spicy. Still somewhat one dimensional on the palate, but with a splendid grip and a super duper after taste. Very balanced. I expect this wine to keep very good so there are still some years to consider selling rather than drinking. 96 points from me, 98 from Parker.

8th to 9th - 1990 Monte Bello, Ridge

Dark, certain degree of brick red. Almost sweet smell from ripe fruit, pure and clean. Unfortunately a bit shy and doesn't really open up. Very clean also in the taste, well made and nice. Like the smell the taste is a bit dumb. I consider 96 points, so it have clearly matured slow, but better than Parker anticipated 1993, with 93 points from him at that time.

10th to 11th - 1990 Ch Cheval Blanc

Rather dark, some brick red. Herbaceous and creamy, an intense and decadent smell with flowers, butter caramel and vanilla. Spectacular herbaceous also in the taste, with a complex and very long after taste. In the semi-final I rated this 100 but I was more conservative in the final with my 98 points. (In the final I used few 100 points, despite the fact that this was the most dense100 point tasting I ever visited).

10th to 11th - 1990 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection 

Medium dark, rather much brick red. Warm and kind in the nose, spicy and mint flavour. Very good balanced wine, but no super heights. Maybe too kind. I judged it 96 points. Neither a Parker favourite with 94 points.

12th - 1990 Ch Petrus

Medium dark, certain degree of brick red. Very personal forest type of smell, resin, cedar, tar and liquorice, tight and elegant. Good weight, lovely grip, power and elegance. Superb 99 points wine at an astronomical price. Personally, I did rank this wine much higher than above Monte Bello and Camus. Parker at 100 points.

1990 Ch Leoville Poyferré

Dark, certain degree of brick red. Overwhelming smell of stable and Provence. Open and accessible like a Pomerol, but with true Medoc attributes like cedar and tobacco. Fat and creamy taste, with good concentration, even if this suffered compared with the best 1990. For smell 100 and for taste 98 points, this wine has really developed nice in bottle. Parker find this vintage to be the best ever for the chateaux with 96 points.

1990 Ch Pichon Baron

Dark, ruby red. Cold Bordeaux, not being typical Pauillac, but more of pure Cabernet. Traditional firm texture, but  still soft and accessible. Coffee, tar and stable. Tough Cabernet also in the taste, but lacking expected stable. Harder in the taste than in smell. I ranked it 97 points, and Parker one point less.

1990 Ch l'Angelus

Dark, some brick red. Somewhat closed, but opens up. Classic type, cold and tight, dark berries. Rather marked by acidity, and a bit light in the after taste. Did not quite convince me. 96 points from me and Parker as well.

1990 Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse)

Dark, certain degree of brick red. Violets and some lullull over a very firm foundation. Really lovely fruit, mint and plums, but yet a bit closed. Like a straight cabernet wine with power and strength. Somewhat high acidity, discloses a lack of fruit. A disappointment compared with Parkers 100 points, I couldn't find stuff for more than 97 points.

1990 Ch la Conseillante

This bottle showed so much oxidation that it was hard to judge. One correct bottle of this wine was tasted in the semi-final, which I refer to below:

Medium dark, brick red. Very fine wine showing cabernet nose, like from sweaty horses. Very clean and fine but a little reserved. The taste is even better, well made balanced and refined with a long after taste. Complex and seductive. Super bottle worth 99 points, Parker only 97 points.

1990 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon

Very dark, ruby colour. Cold forest, pine needles, moss and fine oak. A lot of young and juicy black currant. Very full-bodied in the mouth, fiery and powerful but still with balance. Impressive. 98 points from me, and 96 from Parker (at 1994).

Semi-final

The two first wines did qualify to Final, and so did la Chapell, which was corked.

Winner - 1990 The Armagh, Jim Barry

Dark red, brick red. Liquorice, cinnamon, attractive, delicious, refined smell. Solid taste, but still balanced, like butter in the mouth, and a long, long after taste. A worthy but unexpected winner, who did ever know that Aussi fruit bombs can mature into this 99 points nectar. Qualified to final.

2nd - 1990 Hill of grace, Henschke

Rather dark, rather much brick red. Subtle smell with enormous refinement and complexity. Intense and rich. Eucalyptus. Warm, soft feeling. very attractive but not a "Harlan knock out". Subtle also in the taste, a very good wine. 97 points from me. Qualified to final.

3rd - 1990 la Turque, Guigal

Dark red, some brick red. Flowers, lavender, herbs, lovely complex smell. Balanced, not lush, but rather fine. Very good maturity in the taste, tannins are noticeable but fits in, long rich after taste. Parker 99 points, and 100 from me. Could be qualified to final, but was not selected because both la Landonne and La Mouline were already there.

4th - 1990 Hermitage, Chave

Rather dark, some brick red. Somewhat blunt in the smell, some maturity in the fine nose, but a bit hard to understand. Is it a hint of butchers shop? Flawless in the taste, but the wine is relying on its acidity. Rather long in the after taste. Not top notch for me but certainly 97 points, and 99 points from Parker.

5th - 1990 Clos de Tart

Medium dark, rather much brick red. Open and generous smell, somewhat grassy, oaky and decayed. Open up in the glass, becomes lovely. Complex taste with rather high acidity. Only medium length in after taste was a problem but it still merits about 96 points.

6th - 1990 Grange Hermitage

Very dark, some brick red. A bit closed, but fine and pure. It has problems to do justice to itself. Uncompromising taste with power and long after taste. Impressive. 96 points from me and 94 from Parker.

7th - 1990 Chateau Beaucastel, Hommage A Jacques Perrin

Dark, rather much brick red. A special smell reminding of oxidation was troublesome. Rather mature nose was very pleasant, but the overall feeling wasn't top notch. Add to this a somewhat pointed taste and the result is about 95 points. However, I was never close to Parkers 100 points. An explanation might be that this bottle had problems, strengthen by the fact that Parker found of youthfulness, while we found considerable maturity.

8th - 1990 le Pavillon, Chapoutier

Dark, ruby red. Cold and immature smell, clean and tough. Some marked acidity adds to this, so the smell become dismissal. Lacking fat in the taste, make me afraid of this wine will never mature. Nevertheless impressive after taste. My disappointment wine of this flight, ending up in no more than 93 points. Unbelievable that Parker say 100 sharp.

9th to 10th - 1990 Sandrone Barolo, Cannubi Boschis

Dark, some brick red. Slightly too much volatile acidities, otherwise open and nice, intense with its earthy setup. Very dry in the taste and long after taste, typically aligned to the style. Fine nuances and among the best Barolos I tasted. A couple of supports points is added for high individuality, which resulted in totally 97 points. Parkers 100 sharp is currently a bit hard for me to understand.

9th to 10th - 1990 Pegau Chneufdupape, Cuvée Reservée

Dark, some brick red. Piquant violets from a mature smell, clean and well made. Very rich wine, unfortunately still and a little sharp in acidity and tannin, long after taste. Worth 97 points in smell and, as Parker mean, 96 points overall. I bought a case of these in Skattkammeret of Sommerfeld & Kjär in Denmark, but my feeling is that this wine is more harmonic than my case, are there some variations ?

11th - 1990 Beaucastel Chneufdupape

Medium dark, brick colour. Well matured or nearly a bit over the hill (very seldom said by me:-), open and nice smell. The taste hasn't neither stand the time. This wine have always been a pleasure, but start to drink up. My point is 94, it has been a couple of points better.

12th 1990 Rosseau Ruchottes Chambertin

Medium dark, brick red. Lovely maturity, tight but still intense and open. Oak and a bit of decayed straw berries. The maturity is also very nice in the taste, with a medium length in after taste. Harmonic but slightly too lean in concentration. Parker is quite hard in his 87 points judgement.

Semi-final

The first three wines did qualify to the Final.

Winner - 1990 Ch Cheval Blanc

Rather dark, rather brick red. Herbaceous and Cabernet at the same time implies Cabernet Franc. Strong smell with superb weight. Dynamic and powerful in the taste, yet very soft, goes down the gullet like butter, long and clean herbaceous in the after taste. I did put 100 point on this, two higher than Parker.

2nd - 1990 Ch Pichon Baron

Very dark, certain brick red. Typically pure cabernet a la Pauillac, but not yet quite developed. Some spiciness fooled me a moment, but there were already some wet horses. The taste was a disappointment, more bony than expected from the smell. Also here pure and fine, but not top notch concentration. I was not quite as impressed as the rest of the tasters, and was satisfied with 97 points. Parker has 96 points for this.

3rd - 1990 Ch Conseillante

Medium dark, brick red. Very good sweaty horse a la cabernet, a bit shy but pure and fine. Wonderful taste, well made and balanced, refined with a long after taste. Complex and seductive on a firm ground. I did choose 99 points, 2 points more than Parker.

4th - 1990 Ch Tertre Roteboeuf

Dark, certain brick red. Rather hard attach in the smell, very intense, complex and authoritarian. Soft and nice in the taste, with long soft after taste, solid ground and midrange, complex and wonderful. I suggested 99 points and Parker 98 points.

5th - 1990 Ch Latour

Very dark, certain brick red. Round and fine in the nose, rich sweaty horse, full-bodied and intense. Blue mould cheese as Stefan hinted us. Pure Cabernet with weightiness, but yet soft and balanced. Very dry after taste, quite typical fat Pauillac. Also a 99er for me, while Parker have had 98 points, but has recently lowered his judgement to 96 points.

6th - 1990 Ch Margaux

Dark, certain brick red. Rich and powerful in the nose, wet horse and cabernet, but still infant. Fat and rich in the taste, but easy and charming, balanced and elegant. More elegant than Latour but not so powerful. I ended up on 98 points. Parker seems to appreciate the elegancy more than myself, and reaches 100 points.

7th - 1990 Ch Montrose

Rather dark, certain brick red. Spice almost as an Merlot, intense and charming, easy to love. Balanced but a bit to dry in the finish. Power and good length, but not the block buster I had expected. 97 points for me and 100 from Parker.

1990 - Ch Haut Brion

Medium dark, almost ruby red. Angular and a bit pungent, not exactly in my taste, Some cabernet and stable. The wine opens up in the glass and behaves better. Also somewhat aggressive in the taste due to lack of fruit. However, powerful and concentrated. After an adjustment upwards, I finally decide for 96 points, equally to Parker.

1990 Ch Leoville Las Cases

Medium dark, almost ruby red. Somewhat restrained, pure and well done, dark red berries, velvet wine with Medoc character. Good weight, classic dry with reasonable balance to fruit. 94 points from me, 96 points from Parker.

1990 Ch Clinet

Dark, some brick red. Intense smell of nuts and stable. Creamy context, with lovely balance, attractive and complex. The taste has fat and bombast, with long after taste. Nuts also in the taste make me suspecting oxidation and I get a feeling that this wine might be in danger. But a good effort worth 95 points, equally to Parkers judgement.

1990 Ch Lafleur

Rather dark, brick red. Wonderful smell, some herbs and spices, very nice. A solid foundation with good power. In fact, this is all I wrote, it was hard to get the attributes out of the wine. For me 94 points, but Parker consider that the massive potential is worth 97 points.

1990 Ch la Misson Haut Brion

Dark, almost ruby red. Cabernet oriented, a bit closed and anonymous with high acidity in the smell. Dry and bony, with an average after taste. At most 90 points. Hard to understand Parkers 94 points, are there different batches of this wine.

1990 Ch Haut Marbuzet

Dark, some brick red. Pleasant and intense, but pointed and mean. Decent balanced, acidity somewhat high and meagre fruit, long after taste. Parkers 94 points is a bit high.

1990 Domaine de Chevalier

Medium dark, rather brick red. Fine maturity, easygoing without enough flesh, not bad at all but meagre styled. Good balance in the taste, soft and nice, but still lacking flesh in the long after taste. A good small-sized wine, especially if comparing to much more expensive 1er crus. 92 points from me, only 88 for Parker.

1990 Ch l'Evangile

Medium dark, some brick red. The smell is shut in. The taste is hard in the mouth, no flesh and generosity. Points not exceeding 90 from me. Parker has consistently judged this wine at 96 points, was there problems with our bottle ?

1990 Ch Mouton Rotschild

Dark, certain brick red. Plenty of sweaty horse and stable, rather tight, some nuts in the smell which opens up. Rather bitter and dry taste, one of the lesser 1990ies of the tasting. Barely over 90 points. Parker is even more disappointed with 87 points.

1990 Ch Lafite Rotschild

Dark, ruby red. Shy and restrained, not at all my preference. Dried out , the worst of all 1990 tasted and below 90 points. Parker is a little more merciful with 92 points.

1990 Ch Troplong Mondot

Dark, ruby red. Yeast and acetone, intense smell, more like an Amarone. The like also in the taste. There might have been some problems with our bottle. A bottle of this at a 95+ tasting also showed a strange character.

Impressions from the exhibition and fair of the
13th Budapest International Wine Festival

9-12/10 2004

Gunnel and I spent Thursday and Friday to understand the diverseness of wines produced in Hungary. Where are the wines produced (see Hungarian wine map), who are producing them, what do they cost and what quality do they have? We tasted around 80 wines, most of them dry white wines, preferably from the Balaton lake area, and if not all quite memorable, half of them were interested enough interested to be referred here. The rejected half was wines that in best case were too thin, many of them to a degree of being unbalanced, and some wines even had minor flaws, such as dirtiness, oxidation or yeastiness. The setup of anonymous smell combined with rich taste was a common feature from many wines we tasted. And of course there were also some stars that singed for us. (1000 HUF ~ 4 €).

2001 Somlói Hárslevelü, Tornai Winecellar, stand 98

Medium yellow. Grass and hey, and maybe a hint of botrytis, rather rich and ripe. Marked acidity but soft, vigorous and youthful. 800 HUF / bottle. 89 points, very good for the price. A good start of the exhibition.

2002 Somlói Tramini, Tornai Winecellar, stand 98

Medium yellow. Not too good in the smell, and not the least reminding of gewürztraminer. The taste is neither a miracle. This note illustrate that wines from same producer and portfolio as the wine above can be very uneven in quality. After tasting one wine, we often got expectations that were not met by the next, both upwards and downwards.

2003 Badacsonyi Kéknyelü, Szeremley Huba, stand 99

Medium yellow. A bit sharp in the smell. Also a bit sharp in the taste. Rather ordinary wine. 11,4 € per bottle, a high price for this wine.

2002 Badacsonyi Rizling, Szeremley Huba, stand 99

Light yellow. Anonymous smell. Very soft taste, low in acidity and bitterness. This was said to be a blend of Rajnai and Olasz Rizling. About the same impression as above.

2003 Balatonfüredi Olaszrizling, Figula Mihály, stand 99

Light yellow. A lot of acetone disturbs the smell. The taste is much better, clean and delicious, soft acidity but somewhat bitter in the end. 4.8 € a bottle.

2003 Balatonfüredi Pinot Gris, Figula Mihály, stand 99

Light yellow. Very thin in the nose, like table water. Very good in the taste, well made, lively with round acidity and a nice after taste. 5.6 € a bottle.

2003 Csörnyeföldi Tramini, Bussay László, stand 99

Deep yellow. Lovely botrytis and typical gewürztraminer. Lovely wine, mild acidity with enough power and rather high sweetness. 23.8 € a bottle and 92 points, one of the very best we tasted.

2003 Balatonboglári Chardonnay, Chapel Hill, stand 12

Medium yellow. This winery use to get good critic but this was dull in the smell and cosmetically sweet in the taste. 800 HUF a bottle.

2003 Balatonszabadi Chardonnay, Illés Gyula és Fiai, stand 13

Light yellow. Dry and anonymous, Good fatness in the taste, but not entirely clean. As already said, anonymous smell and rich taste was found over and over again. 900 HUF a bottle.

2000 Balatonszabadi Merlot, Illés Gyula és Fiai, stand 13

Medium, ruby red. Good buttery soft fruit. Rather thin to be a Merlot, but fresh and agreeable. 2000 HUF a bottle.

2001 Figula Cuvée Szilenus

Deep yellow. Paper and anonymous. Powerful taste, a lot of acidity and fruit, new world richness with old world acidity. Very long after taste. 5000 HUF a bottle. 91 points. Worth the price if smell had been on up to par.

2002 Balatonaligai Zenit, Feindl Lajos, stand 46

Golden yellow. Clean fine fruit smell, but not up to the expectation from the colour. Good balance, rather sweet of a gluey kind and a long after taste. 1500 HUF and 90 points, much stuff for the bucks.

2003 Balatonaligai Szürkebarát, Feindl Lajos, stand 46

Rather light yellow. Wet paper, almost too much of that. Very good taste, no bitterness, no dirt, a neutral but powerful wine. 1000 HUF and 89 points, very good.

2001 Balatonaligai Olaszrizling, Feindl Lajos, stand 46

Golden yellow. Paper and smoke, fresh and fruity style. Very well done, sweetness is balanced and integrated which brings a lot of charm. 2500 HUF and 91 points.

2002 Szentgyòrgyhegyi Chardonnay, Gregorian Cellar, stand 35

Medium yellow. Anonymous paper smell. Fat and full but a bit hard styled, maybe originating from a marked acidity.

2003 Villanyi Olaszrizling, Vitenyi, stand 47

Medium yellow. Good fruitiness and spiciness. Fat with round, pure and fine fruit, and long in the after taste. 88 points.

2003 Villanyi Chardonnay Barique, Vitenyi, stand 47

Medium yellow. Warm, ripe and oaky smell accompanied by lemon and chardonnay characters. New world oak, round and rich. Gunnel believes that the oak is dominating over the rest.

2002 Szentgyòrgyhegyi Hárslevelü, BioVitis, stand 54

Medium yellow. Spicy and intense, seem to be some Botrytis also. Fleshy to be this variety, soft acidity of decent amount. A lovely Hungarian wine type, deserving around 90 points.

2002 Lesencetomayi Chardonnay, Da Bibere, stand 71

Deep yellow. Chardonnay character but unfortunately a bit oxidized making the wine suffering from freshness and focus. Good powerful fruit in the taste but also in the taste a bit oxidized.

2003 Lesencetomayi Chardonnay, Da Bibere, stand 71

Deep yellow. Fresh, young, mineral, Chablis styled smell. Reasonable fat, warm and nice but a hint of bitterness. Very clean. About 89 points.

2003 Lesencetomayi Olaszrizling, Da Bibere, stand 71

Medium yellow. Clean, fruity, mineral and fresh smell. Rather full, well made, good fruit level in a lighter style of wine. Quality almost as the one above, 88 points.

2003 Hajos-Bajai Olaszrizling, Sumegi Boraszat, stand 82

Medium yellow. Fruity and generous, but a trace of cellar moisture. The taste also has a cellar moisture component that I have hard to accept. (This component might be mixed with another component often seen in Hungarian wines, a slightly bitterness reminding of resin-mango-apricot-grapefruit-combination, which I have also found in some Wachau Riesling wines.)

2003 Balatonfüredi Juhfark, Salánki Családi, Aszofö, stand 77

Medium yellow. Mineral, raw, somewhat ripe smell of clementine and Riesling. Slightly oily in the taste, and without a distinct character. A very clean and attractive, wine in the 90 point area.

2003 Balatonfüredi Chardonnay-Pinot Gris, Salánki Családi, Aszofö, stand 77

Deep yellow. Typical character from both grapes in the smell. Lime and spices. Thick and lovely taste, mineral and fruit, totally dry with soft acidities. One of the best dry wines so far, 92 points. (We did visit this winery a day later, and from what we tasted there, it seems that the producer has brought only his most successful wines to this exhibition)

2001 Tihanyi Merlot, Salánki Családi, Aszofö, stand 77

Medium ruby red. Soft grassy, buttery smell of very god typicity. Acidity dominates because of the relative lightness for a red sturdy grape variety. Soft and fruity taste, very good but too light to earn a really high score. It seem to be a big challenge to make powerful red around the Balaton lake, 87 points for its true merlot character.

2003 Pannonhalmi Sauvignon Blanc, Szöllösi, stand 29

Light yellow. Light smell, typical sauvignon, soft and moderate green. Vigorous, soft and clean, good ripe fruit and not too green. Very good. 2000 HUF.

2003 Neszmélyi "Irsai Oliver", Szöllösi, stand 29

Light yellow. Muscat like smell, easy to love. The only taste problem is some bitterness in the after taste. 800 HUF.

2000 Tolnai Chardonnay, Bátaapáti, stand 63

Medium yellow. Intense in the smell (uncommon at this exhibition),  honey, fresh wet wool. Super rich in the taste, this is a very good chardonnay, long and harmonic after taste. By far the best dry wine at 94 points.

2001 Tolnai Chardonnay, Bátaapáti, stand 63

Medium yellow. A lot of two things - wet wool and oak. Also a lot of oak in the taste that did outperform the fruit. 92 points. 2490 HUF or 10 €, not very expensive for the quality.

2003 Somlói Hárslevelü, von Beöthy, stand 62

Light yellow. Fruity and agreeable smell. Full and fruity taste, better than the smell. 86 points. This was the best of several doubtful von Beöthy wines.

2002 Tokaji Furmint, Oremus, stand 95

Medium yellow. Fruity smell and absolute clean, class and elegance, some nice yeastiness from 6 month spent in new Hungarian oak casks on its yeast without racking. Elegant and clean also in the taste, easy but with kept concentration. Dry. 93 points for its elegancy. Interestingly, the demand for white dry wines makes even Tokaji producers to think of making this kind of dry wines. Furmint in itself is a high acidity and meagre variety that need oak and yeast to gain its body.

2003 Tokaji 3 puttonyos Aszú, Oremus, stand 95

Golden yellow. Botrytis, fresh and fruity, elegant smell. Full bodied and rich, nice botrytis and rather sweet. 93 points from the power.

1999 Tokaji 6 puttonyos Aszú, Oremus, stand 95

Golden yellow. Intense honey, a lot of botrytis but not excessively high, resin, fir cone. Very sweet, high round acidity in balance, floating honey, like a modern TBA or SGN. Absolute clean and elegant. 9.5 % alcohol. 98 points.

2000 Villanyi Chardonnay, Barrique, Bock, stand 103

Medium yellow. Nice fruit but too anonymous. Fat and rich taste, fit extremely well in the mouth, good after taste.

2003 Chardonnay Barrique, Pajzos & Megyer, Tokaj, stand 7

Light yellow. Citrus and pine apple, a hint of yeast, the wine has rested 4 month on its yeast in new oak casks. Rich and very Burgundy in style, good grip and marked round acidity. This wine comes from 40 year old vines within the Tokaj area, but may not be labelled Tokay because this variety is not approved here.

1994 Tokaji 5 puttonyos Aszú, Korona, stand 3

Amber brown. Botrytis with some oxidisation, like Kracher in Austria. Good balance in the taste, but too traditional oxidation. 91 points.

1993 Tokaji 6 puttonyos Aszú, Korona, stand 3

Amber brown. Roasted coffee and intense botrytis. Fat, honey, long and intense, Balanced but not ultimate in any way. 94 points

1993 Tokaji Aszú Eszencia, Korona, stand 3

Dark amber brown. Very intense but not the expected angel songs in my ears. Very sweet and light despite its power. 95 points.

1999 Tokaji 6 puttonyos Hárslevelü Aszú, Hétszölö, stand 6

Deep yellow. Fresh exotic with apricot tea, spices but no annoying perfume. Real fat and creamy, solid sweetness not being gluey, No oxidation as far as the nose can reach. 97 points, 8950 HUF for 50 cl.

Mårten Söderlunds fabulous Champagne tasting

2004-04-23

Thirteen Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne were offered, of vintages spanning from 1959 to 1990. One of them were slightly oxidised, and one had a suspicious petrol flavour (another one was exchanged for this reason), but the rest were in a marvellous condition. Thank you Mårten for such spectacular event.

1988 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Medium yellow. Classic, toasty with pronounced acidity of apple style. High in acidity and short in fruit, not the style I am attracted by, but nevertheless a very good champagne. Richard Juhlin have adjusted the point upward as this wine has matured in a way he likes, now being at 97 points. I doubt if this will ever turn into a balanced and complete Champagne. I even think that Robert Parker's is on the high end with 93 points.

1990 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Deep yellow. Rich smell of coarse rye bread and cardboard, intense and shameless, completely contrary to the above. A massive taste, an elephant in a china shop, long rich after taste and so easy and forward. Juhlin  put 95 points, so obviously he prefers the classic style like 1988. Parker states that this is one of the sexiest 1990 Champagnes and has been giving between 95 and 97. I agree (surprised?).

1985 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Medium yellow. Some acetone and a fine, elegant fruit in the nose. The taste is one of the weakest in the tasting. Robert Parker has 1994 given 94 points for this. My opinion is that 1985 has proven to not live up to the early high expectations and I mean this is barely over 90 points. Juhlin judge this to 96 points, and seems to diplomatically lump all Comtes de Champagne together by putting between 94 and 98 points on everything tonight.

1975 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Medium yellow. This was the wine that had a not insignificant mark of petrol, fir cone and resin and lavender. It was not completed sorted out if the wine should be like this, but probably not. Also see my note on the 1976. The taste was very pliable and smooth, and a very good wine. Judgement reserved. Juhlin says 96 points.

1973 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Medium yellow. Elegant sweet vanilla smell gave a feeling of Burgundy red wine, rich, balanced and complex. Also vanilla and sweetness in the taste, and a long acidity supported after taste. Many tasters did judge this to one of the top wines of the tasting. I find it very good, say in the 94 point area, but many wines this evening were significantly better. Juhlin is at 95 points.

1979 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Deep yellow. The ultimate combination of power and elegance. Grapefruits and oranges in the smell in a sober and dignified style. The only flaw was some dirtiness that almost disappeared by aeration. The taste was of huge proportions with a super long after taste. A very good Champagne of 96 - 97 points. This is also a favourite of Juhlin with 97 points.

1976 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Deep yellow. This wine started like the 1975 with petrol and resin. The supplier of both these two vintages were the same, so the question was if it is possible to damage a Champagne with this result. Mårten made a rush into his cellar and fetched a bottle purchased from another supplier. This was better, and I refer further to this bottle. Very elegant, attractive grapefruit and resin. The taste is unbelievable, broad and fleshy rather then powerful, hedonistic with another word, also sweet and exotic fruit, and a long and super complex after taste. My favourite during the evening with 99 points. Also Juhlins favourite with 98 points. Interesting enough is that Comtes de Champagne seem to have had their great time during the seventies when so many other wineries were at a slump.

1969 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Pale amber. Somewhat amontillado style in the nose, good fruit with splendid complexity. Also fabulous complex in the taste. Interpreted as a amontillado this wine has matured very well and deserves around 94 points. As a Champagne this is a bit too much oxidation.

1971 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Golden yellow. Bread, richness and sweet in the nose, but also less positive herbaceous and grass. The acidity has matured and smoothened well, but the taste rely too much on acidity, and the after taste is too unripe. Nevertheless a good Champagne at 94 points. Hard to understand Juhlins 97 points.

1966 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Deep yellow. Very classic smell, a bit shy and restrained with some charming sweetness. Good taste, but one can't blink the fact that the acidity outshine the fruit. 93 points. Juhlin also close with 94 points.

1964 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Deep yellow. Similar to the 1966 but even more marked by acidity. 92 points. Hard to understand why Taittinger could not find ripe fruit a year when so many of their competitors were unrestrainedly successful. Or is this bottle damaged. 96 points from Juhlin.

1961 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Golden yellow. Intense and youthful, but no problem with complexity. Lovely roundness, fat but coherent fruit, and a long potent after taste. Outstanding firm concentration. This wine have more to give from further ageing but can of cause be immediately consumed. 95 points by now and 98 points to come. Juhlin on 96 points.

1959 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

Golden yellow. Lovely, sublime nose with a lot of complexity. Delicious acidity more similar to a complex and mature still white wine. The taste is even fatter than the 1961, but the 1961 maybe wins on its purity and drive. This 1959 may also win slightly with cellaring, but it will not achieve the heights of the 1961. I rank it 97 points, similar to Juhlin.