Autumn 2008
2004 Espectacle, Montsant, Spain
Very dark, ruby red colour. Intense smell of raw fruit, sweet oak and alcohol. The taste is robust, with a splendid grip of round tannins, and soft fruit in a long after taste. For 99 Parker points this wine only lacks in elegancy and finesse, which may come with bottle age or not. Very exciting.
1990 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Very dark, brick red brownish colour. The wine stinks from wet horse and well cared stable, cedar wood and smoke. Totally wonderful in the nose, more Bordeaux type then a true Bordeaux. The taste is equally outstanding, soft nice acidity to keep the taste fresh, round and elegant tannins to get the body and to this - great concentrated cabernet fruit. I have always suspected that the best California red wines are really great, and here is the proof. Parker has assigned 95 points a long time ago. Fully mature it is a 98 point wine, and there are few bottles worldwide that mature into such pleasure.
2004 Sori San Loranzo, Gaja
Very dark, red ruby colour. Smell clear as a bell, medium intensity of white hart sherries, walnut and cedar tree in a luxury mix, still young and one-sided, very fresh but soft and silky. The taste is balanced, on the fresh and elegant side, but still being full bodied, with after taste sitting in the mouth for minutes. Judged by Parker to be one of the best ever Gaja, it is a favour to drink. I agree with Parkers 98 points, even if a Barossa marmalade Shiraz probably should outperform it on power.
Summer 2008
What has happened to the connoisseurs, no reports from anything extraordinary during the summer. There are two reasons, the first was two weeks in Caribian with lazy swimming and Tequila Sunrise. The other was moving into the promotion house in Hungary, a tree week hard work accompanied with some local whites from the Wine Weeks Festival in Badacsony.
Spring 2008
1994 Hermitage Vin de Paille, Chapoutier
Amber colour. Intense smell of linoleum, exotic fruits, honey and botrytis. Unbelievable thick and rich in the taste, a lot of integrated sugar, nice smooth acidity, jam consistency, fluid exotic nectar and again a massive botrytis. The after taste last for minutes and is totally clean. One of the best dessert wines I ever tasted and consequently Parker says 98+ points. Really something extra !
2000 Vigna d'Alceo, Castello di Rampolla
Dark, ruby red colour. Charming sweet smell, round and generous, very unlike an Italian vine, almost exotic dark fruits, figs and dates, open and tempting. Very concentrated, but with a very easygoing style, soft and harmonious, with a long and fiery after taste. I have tasted the 1999 at several occasions, but that wine is much harder, powerful and long-lived. Parker say 98 points to this, and I cannot do more than just agree.
Christmas and New Year 2007 / 2008
1990 Ch Rayas, Chateauneuf du Pape
Dark ruby-brick red colour. A lovely sweet nuance in the smell playing with the sourness, fragrant with stable as a fist class Bordeaux, this is top notch chateauneuf. Full-bodied, fruity, orange like, with long after taste and some acidity in the end. A real block buster to a Chateauneuf. Parker has assigned between 96 and 100 points, making this boutique wine to a hyper priced gem. Served by Bernt and Sofia on their role-playing New Year rave-up.
1982 Ch Leoville-Poyferrée, Bordeaux
Dark, ruby-brick red colour. Really excellent nose of stable and fruit in a classic but fat version. The taste is even more fat and full-bodied than above. A very good wine to veal rolls, served by Bernt and Sofia on their role-playing New Year rave-up. This wine first got 92 points by Parker, but he has heighten the point gradually to 94. I think he should go on to even double this rise.
2002 Sine Qua Non Proprietary White Whisperin' E
Deep yellow colour. Smell of fresh fruit, citrus and wool, although there is only 20% chardonnay. Here is also wax and stearin from rousanne as well as some fresh flower and herbs from the vioginer variety. Altogether this mix create a surreal exotic smell that is hard to believe, majestic and strong. This impression is followed-up by the taste, there is a thick and oily bottom that coats the mouth, on this there is a layer of crisp acidity for freshness and liveliness, and on top there are all the complex nuances of crisp components already mentioned. The after taste is massive and resolute, with a throat allergy as the obvious quality reminder. This wine is on its remarkably top now, which was underestimated to only 95 points by Parker in August 2004. In my thinking, this wine has matured very close to perfection by now, and is among the best white wines I have ever tasted. Surreal is the attribute, I am astonished !
2004 Bougros, Domaine William Fevre, Chablis
Light medium yellow colour. A smell of citrus, elegant acidity, crisp fruit and rather similar to e fragrant Riesling. The taste is very fresh from the acidity, contains enough fruit for this acidity being in classic Chablis balance with mineral and crisp fruit also in the taste. A delicious wine. Parker has given 95 points to Bougros Côte Bouguerots which should probably be is a better part of Bougros.
2004 Le Clos, William Fevre (Maison, not Domaine), Chablis
Medium yellow colour. A milder and softer smell than above, also a bit more restrained. Smoke, sweet fruit and elegance. The taste is really surreal, thick and oily, but with smooth acidity just below, full body with a long thick after taste. An outstanding combination of classic French elegance style and inventive California gutsy style. Parker has assigned 96 points for the "Domaine" bottling, but this negociant bottling can not be far behind, and is clearly better than the above.
1996 Valmur, Verget, Chablis
Strong yellow colour with some amber. Clearly a mature wine in the smell, some linoleum, but not oxidised. Complex, fruity, strong smell. The taste is rich and in a fantastic balance. The linoleum is perfect integrated in the wine. It is both strong and powerful as it is complex and challenge all senses. A white wine being on the to and deserving Parkers 93 - 96 points. (the above wine will probably take the notch when coming to the same age as this).
2004 Llanos del Almendro, Dominio de Atauta, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Extremely dark, ruby red colour. If the below was outstanding, this is even better, similar in style but a bit more serious, both in smell and taste. The small has the lush and silky fruit together with crisp oak that make angels singing in my ears. The taste is also quite unbelievable a number larger in size, with an after taste that never die. Parker has assigned 97 points ant it really is, if not more. Systembolaget had really a terrific offering for December 2007. This costs around SEK 700 which is reasonable but not cheap.
2004 Pintia, Toro, Spain
Extremely dark, ruby red colour. Open and nice smell, easy to understand and love. A hint of Tempranillo like the smell from Rioja. The taste is something very different than Rioja, full bodied, almost jammy fruit, with fresh and smooth acidity, again making the wine easy to like. Parker assign 95 points and I agree. Cheap on the Swedish monopoly for SEK 300.
Some vintage ports
Some good vintage ports were tasted as a preparation for some warmth in the Scandinavian winter. The other ports are referred at my site "memorable wines at Lundamunskänkarna".
2000 Taylor's vintage port
Extremely dark, ruby red colour. Open and attractive smell, alcohol and lovely ripe cherries, some coffee and leather, complex and fluffy. Soft and balanced in the taste, really class and beauty, with a long refined after taste. Not the ultimate power, but given the elegancy, the power accompany is remarkable strong. This is for the moment my favourite young port. 98 points from Parker is fully OK.
Autumn 2007
The easygoing summer is over and visits to the wine cellar quality area is increasing. Below is a worthy triplet plunder of lovely shiraz wines. The Barossa wine being a full throttle jammy fruit bomb and the Guigal the classic counterparts, one infant young and one mature middle aged.
2005 Kaesler the Bogan, Barossa Valley
Extremely dark, bluish red colour. Thick, almost painful concentration of sweet fruit in the nose, lovely oak and youthful freshness. Fat concentrated fruit in hte taste, smooth balancing acidity and super round tannins give an extraordinary coating in the mouth. One of the most fleshy wines I have tasted, and the best if to consider overall balance and texture. One could argue if elegance is not also required, but there is a lot of this that will be more evident when the puppyish has gone. Parker call this a Barossa when at its finest and assign 96 points.
2003 La Turque, Côte Rôtie, Guigal
Very dark, ruby red colour with some blue at the rim. Enormously amounts of oak and fruit in the smell, open and wild, but accompanied with superb elegance and subtlety, complex and lively despite the youthful fruit. The taste more like a classic wine design, with dryness and structure, but a true Francophile would possibly conclude overly extracted. This is the optimum combination of an atypically warm vintage and huge sized wines from Guigal. Parker suggest 100 points and speculate if this is not the ever greatest Côte Rôtie from Guigal.
1994 La Landonne, Côte Rôtie, Guigal
Very dark, brick red colour. A smell reminding of stable and cedar like a great Bordeaux, but a little more of bacon and butcher to confuse a Bordeaux lover. The taste is still backward, with pronounced tannins and acidity. But don't misunderstand me, there is a lot of fruit and extract in this wine, but the balance is on the dry side. Latest Point from Parker is 98, but maybe this is a bit high.
Spring 2007
2004 Caymus Special selection, Napa
Very dark, ruby colour. Fresh fruit and oak in a perfect match, an expensive feeling. Soft, pure and impressive. The taste is equal impressive, a new world fatness with the old world sharpness. Smooth in the mouth, perfectly balanced with a long after taste. What kind of shortage prevent this wine from a perfect score ? Parker first assigned 91-93 points, then raised the point to 96, but in my opinion yet another rise would be to expect.
Winter 2006
2001 Yalumba The Octavius, Barossa old vine Shiraz
Very dark ruby red. A fantastic complex smell from such young wine. Liquorice, flowers, soft oak and rich fruit. Very intense but with a lot of style and somewhat Rhône characters. The taste is perfectly balanced, smoth but tangible acidity, soft tannins and a lot of fruit extract. New world power with old world complexity. Parker has assigned 98 points which is quite obvious.
2001 Allegrini Amarone
Very dark ruby. An elegant and modern feeling, not so much Amarone style as most other from this district. The smell really brings luxury and richness with a distinct classic tightness. The taste is also profound, agressive but with a lot of potential. This review is made from memory one day after the tasting, but a check with Robert Parker tells that Allegrini Amarone is typically a 95 points wine, maybe this was the best so far, and deserving 96 points.
2003 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd "M", FX Pichler
Deep yellow colour. Not too intense but fat in the nose, not so different from a ripe Riesling, wax, honey and mineral, even some exotic mango in a mix with flowers and herbs, complex and lovely. Fat also in the taste, even fatter than expected from the smell, mouth coating from ultra ripe fruit, a long and impressive after taste. Ant the mammoth expression is not a bit on cost of elegancy and subtlety. This is the most impressive wine since long for me, despite it is the mediocre Grüner Veltliner that I don't recognise as a quality grape variety. A bottle from a purchase berserk at Wein & Co in Strassbourg some years ago. A controversial wine to judge as it is far away from a typical Grüner Veltliner, but in my world this is about 98 points. It is a pity that Robert Parker seem to offer microscopic interest for these great wines.
1995 Kistler Vine Hill
Golden yellow colour. Rich, fruity and oaky smell. Very mature and intense but keeping well together. Wet wool and linoleum, typical aged chardonnay. Absolutely fantastic in the mouth, smooth and gentle in contrast to fresh and lively acidity. Long vanilla after taste, the typical sweetness that is a combination of oak, alcohol and trace of sugar. I am not afraid to let wine rest in my cellar, but this youthfulness was almost a surprise. Parkers 93 has improved to 95 by time, splendid effort.
1997 Allegrini Amarone
Dark red colour with some brick in the rim. Open and lush smell, a lot of oak and fresh wood in lovely integration with the fruit, good focus and brightness. The taste has integrity and personality, a fleshy grip but smooth in the after taste. A small sweetness in the taste uncover its origin. Very good and clearly deserves Parkers 95 points. This is a very good modern and international styles Amarone.
1982 Ch l'Arrosée, St Emilion
Rather dark, brick red colour. Soft smell, mud and moss, resembles of rotten fruit a la Pinot Noir, but of Bordeaux style. Also a hint of sweetness and vanilla, a complex and hedonistic mature nose. The taste is on the dry tannin side and has lost some of its fruit. However, a delicious wine to food, such as an entrecote with fresh vegetables. Long, dry after taste without any lashes whatsoever. Parker is up to 95 points on a double magnum. The fruit is not up to standard for this point, but 93 is neither too bad.
1999 Villa Fidelia, Sportoletti
Very dark ruby red. A superb clean fruit, still a bit shy, but very classic cabernet. Young and square, but very promising. The taste is very harsh with a lot of tannins, but they are round and pleasant, and match food in a lovely way. This wine will newer be balanced according to the tannins, but more like a full-bodied Bordeaux, hardly not a lousy future. Parkers 96 points is adequate if you like this "classic" style.
Autumn 2006
2004 Villa Sandahl Pinot Gris Late Harvest Barrique
Medium yellow colour. A smell of typical Pinot Gris, wet paper, fresh fruit etc. Balanced, but to be honest, somewhat clumsy and one-dimensional. A good balance between acidity and sugar, on the sweet side but not artificially sweet. I had lost my confidence for this wine, but now it appears to have gone through its teenage crises. This is not ultimate excellent, but it is much better than anticipated. Maybe 90 points is adequate.
2002 Sine Qua Non Proprietary White Whisperin' E
Medium yellow colour. Very dynamic and fluffy, lovely dry chardonnay going on, clean and pure style, rather intense and very attractive. The taste is very good, soft and harmonious, excellent balance between fruit and acidity, very concentrated with a long after taste. This wine has matured in a superb direction, and I expect is to continue that way. Parker has assigned 96, and this is describing very well the status for today.
1993 Vigna Arborina, Elio Altare
Medium dark, brick red colour. Complex and attractive fruity smell, red berries like cherries and red currants, also liquorice and oranges, supplemented with a god attack in the nose. The taste is very harmonious for a 100% Nebbiolo wine, silky on the tongue with a smooth (but of course dry) aftertaste. I was surprised by the good quality and cried out 94 points. Afterwards I scanned the Parker database, but he has only tasted the Barolo Arborina, which got 95 points. I also saw that for some other vintages the Barolo fetch the better point, and some the reverse. In all senses this is a very good wine !
1982 Ch Cheval Blanc
Dark, brick red colour. Unmistakable outstanding wine is apparent from the very beginning, a nose of coffee, wet horse, leather, sweet ripe fruit and tasty oak, all in a mature wrapping. A complex smell of a great palette of nuances, each of them balancing all the others, lively and dynamic, truly great Bordeaux in the nose. The taste is still dry with noticeable tannins and acidity (can you still remember the incompetent critics, once referring to the 1982 vintage as atypically fruity and short-lived). The taste is now about mature, but will keep this level for many decades still, before falling apart in any way. A good wine for a real celebration, you will get to know in due time ! Parker recognise this wine to go through a down period, and has decreased his point from 100 to 99, but hope for 100 points again when the troubles get over :- ).
2004 Kongsgaard Chardonnay, Napa Valley
Medium yellow colour. Delicious Burgundy smell, a lot of citrus and grapefruit, some elegant butter and a hint of nuts. The taste has a lovely balance between fruit and acidity, both components supporting each other. Also here very similar to Burgundy, the massive acidity is covered by the likewise huge fruit. A splendid mix of new and old world. Parker suggest a reasonable 94 to 96 points.
2002 Amon-Ra, Ben Glaetzer, Barossa Valley
Red extreme dark colour. Some leather and wet horse in the smell, and somewhat more sturdy and compact than the Edelstone below. The smell and taste is more sun burnt in this wine than the below, which give it a touch of bitterness. Very smooth and compact in the taste also, but no big quality differences. To be honest, all these three Aussi wines deserve between 97 and 98 points, really a nice trio.
2002 Mount Edelstone Shiraz, Henschke
Red extreme dark colour. A sensational fluffy smell from all around the world, here are violets, tar, mint, wet horses, blackberries, fresh fruit and leather. So complex is seldom such a young wine. Mixed in the smell is also a ripe, sweet hint from crisp oak. The taste is actually fatter than the below Torbreck, with a super long after taste, but despite this here is no shortage of complexity. I should have liked to at least the points as below, but Parker limits this to 96 points. I still have the 1990 Hill of Grace in mind, taking the 5th place on Mats Heiman's "1990 - World Wine Championship"
2004 Torbreck Descendant, Barossa Valley
Blue-red extreme dark colour. A distinct nose of young fruit, so pure and fruity, blackberries and sweet of ripe fruit. Oak in perfect level. The taste is also distinct, with acidity and tannin of noticeable levels but not at all excessive. French in its stile, with classic tightness and will probably age in a traditionally old world way. Parker is very excited with 98 points. Maybe a point too much, time will tell.
2001 Bric dël Fiasc Barolo, Paolo Scavino
Medium brick red colour. Nice, mature smell, ripe and intense fruit with a typical acidity perception mixed with cherries and violets. A massive fruitiness also in the taste, with seldom seen fatness for a Barolo. A lot of tannins but nicely embedded in fruit. Me and Gunnel had the wine to several dishes, as an outstanding companion to food. Parker say 95 points and I agree. It will be interesting to see how this wine will evolve during next decade, but maybe the safest is to consume in the short run.
2004 Brewer-Clifton, Ashleys Chardonnay
Dark, yellow colour. Very fruity but a tendency to be fiery and alcoholic: Good oak and acidity smell. Shy smell for the moment. Thick in the mouth, with a lot of fruit and acidity. Nice to swallow but nothing for tame people. Given 96 from Parker which is adequate for this wine.
1982 Ch Beychevelle
Dark, brick red. Typically high quality Bordeaux, soft in smell and still a lot of fruit remaining.. Mature. Also smooth and soft in the taste like a pair of broken in shoes. Good balance despite a dry appearance. Long after taste. 92 points from Parker is quite adequate.
1994 Ch Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark red colour with some brick in the rim. Fresh and vigorous in the nose, intense, lovely and elegant classic cabernet with black currant and sweaty horse, but extended with some new world fatness. The same characteristics in the taste, fresh with an acidity that is noticeable but within balance. Also very smooth tannins within balance. The fruit is not jammy but clearly match acidity and tannins. Long, elegant after taste. Such constructive mix of old and new world makes me happy, and if there were a wee bit of higher concentration the wine would be perfect. Parker say 95 points with enormous potential. I think the potential is realized to at least 97 points by now.
1999 Cirsion, Bodegas Roda, Rioja
Very dark, ruby with some brick red. A luxury smell of forest, black berries and oak. Both elegant and powerful. New world character of mint and jammy fruit. Tempranillo seem to be flexible for different cellar treatment. Warm and generous in the mouth, fat with coating, and acidity and tannins in balance with the fruit. Long and sweet feeling in the after taste. Very good and live up to its 95 points by Parker.
Spring 2006
1993 Grands Échezéaux, Domaine de Romanee-Conti
Rather dark, brick red. Everything classics requested from a top Burgundy, such as dill & crayfish and slightly rotten strawberries. Restrained in intensity and not the creamy and warm style of fruit smell, but rather more of cold forest. Nice maturity with soft and delicate taste, however the taste is a bit too harsh and rustic. I have tasted better DRC and this is hardly above 90 points. This wine I selected to illustrate top level ecologic growing on a tasting with Spanish ecological wines. This wine was clearly the best and many of the Spanish wines were rather poor.
2003 Côte Rôtie, la Landonne, René Rostaing
Very dark, bluish red colour. Unmarried smell from black berries and expensive oak, elegant but still very childish. Surprisingly concentrated in the mouth, pure and clean, a pleasure for the palate. If a bit lesser in elegancy, it would be like an Aussi wine, fat with no corners anywhere. I would preferably to wait half a decade for the wine to developed the ultimate Shiras northern Rhone character, but it will be hard to keep the fingers off the 6-pack I bought. Parker assign 97 points which I believe is quite OK. Interestingly this wine is very unlike a Guigal Côte Rôties, which are much more classical with more tannins and acidities. If to take the price into account , I recomend this Rostaing, but if this is of no concern, of course Guigal take the notch.
1997 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Dark, ruby red. Very stylish and attractive cabernet in the nose. Pure aromatic fruit with a slight green tone. Very friendly in the mouth, well behaving and elegant but no lack of body and grip. The after taste is a bit green too, rather strange from this year. A well made Mondavi but not at all in the class of the 1991, my personal favourite of uncompromising sturdy Napa style. To some extent I agree with Parker, claiming that Mondavi is slipping in quality and concentration, but Parkers 92 points may be a bit hard.
2003 Ch Cos d'Estournel, St Estephe, Bordeaux
Very dark, ruby red. Luxury and expensive smell of crisp oak and black currant finesse. Also cedar and fruit in an over-explicitly intense smell. The taste is drier and more stringent then anticipated from the smell. Full bodied with significant but well hidden acidity and tannins. Very long in the after taste. A super duper Bordeaux and worth the 98 points from Parker. Not cheap to buy, but waiting gets expensive if you want some good Bordeaux in your cellar.
1982 Ch Batailley, Pauillac, Bordeaux
Medium depth, brick red. A lot of leather, cedar and wet horse. Really lovely in the nose, no hint of "over the hill" or any other problems, just pure well matured Bordeaux. The taste is equally fine, maybe not an ultimate concentration, but very well behaving. Superb balance with good flesh over tannins and acidity. Of course a rather dry finish of medium length. Parker have assigned 89 points Dec 1995 and 86 points Jun 2000. Both of these points are clearly below the performance of this bottle, 93 points would rather be adequate.
Late winter 2006
1991 Lawson's Padthaway Shiraz, Orlando
Dark, ruby red with some brick tone. Typically Australian eucalyptus and mint, pleasant and soft, with some rich creamy fruit. No sign of over matureness in the smell, rather a tight structure for still many years. The taste has personality, with a firm base and smooth fruit upon it. Good length in after taste, very agreeable, but not an exceptional thing of any kind. It is really a surprise how well an Australian medium quality wine can age in bottle. This wine have always been dark and backward and I had almost lost hope for it, but finally after 15 years it is a good balanced and attractive wine. Around 90 points.
1990 Côte-Rôtie, Les Grandes Places, Clusel-Roch
Dark, brick red. Stylish and elegant Sirah, a lot of white and black pepper and also the classic butcher shop with bacon and meat smell. Rather intense and very typical nose. The taste is smooth and very well aged, a firm core of tannin and acidity is wrapped by a lot of fruit. Elegant and classic also in the taste, a bit dry like it should but with balance and harmony. A wine for Francophiles and perfect to Gunnels gourmets lamb meat balls. Parker say 94 points, and if it only have had some more cream it would merit many more points.
1995 Solaia, Antinori
Dark, some brick red. Excellent nose, rather intense flowery smell combined with an rich aged Medoc. Very balanced and silky. The taste is also very Francophile, with smooth fruit and a long dry after taste. I had guessed Bordeaux if not knowing in advance, and being of such type, it was typically excellent to home made roast beef from fresh well hung meat. Parker has not judged this wine what I know, and I put 95 points on it. A bit fatter fruit (often the same goes for Bordeaux) had heighten the score with several points.
1990 Grande Année, Bollinger
Medium deep yellow. Intense smell of bread and overripe apples. Nice bouquet but somewhat lacking generosity. Classic proportions, evident acidity with good fruit, creating an easy and straight impression. For me perhaps a bit too classic, some more fat would be desirable. I bought this wine long ago, and it has always been classic on the limit of being meagre. Or as Parker phrase it - extremely backward. I totally agree with Parker's 92 points.
1995 Clos des Papes, Ch Neufdupape
Dark brick red. Excellent smell, something between a mature Bordeaux and a mature Burgundy. Rich in the nose, fragrant and flowery, fat and intense, just lovely. The taste is obvious rich to be from the "old world", tannin and acidity are clearly evident, but fruit cover most of it. The maturness is graceful, with silk and fat in the taste, and a long balanced after taste. Parker has alternated between 91 and 94 points, I think it will finally land in the higher end of this range. This is a typical example of a wine, despite being below 95 points, it is after all totally charming and admirable.
2003 Clos des Papes, Ch Neufdupape
Dark, ruby colour. Lovely almost perfumed nose of flowers, herbs and fresh
fruit. Open, welcoming style but also complex and rich in the smell. The taste
is equally good, a hot sweetness and in contrast to fresh acidity, backed up
with glycerine and fruit extract, elegant and easy but with chewable
concentration. The finish is fresh and super long. Parker suggest 96 - 99 points
and I would not be surprised if this wine matures into 99 points.
Lighter styled red wines like Burgundy, Rioja and Ch Neufdupape often lacks
fruit to cover its acidity, which is a style that most often don't catch my
interest. But this wine is certainly the exception to that rule, and this is one
of the best Ch Neuf I ever tasted. (I have read with slobbery about almost
perfect Ch Neufdupapes from 1998 and 2001 but not been able to buy anything of
it, but finally I found a case of this wine for a
price a don't dare to tell ...)
2004 Amon-Ra, Ben Glaetzer, Barossa Valley
Extremely dark, bluish red. Very expensive in the nose, crisp oak, really pure and clean fruit. Powerful smell almost like vintage port, intense, compact and well designed. The taste is powerful but on the elegant side. As the smell was, the taste is luxury and expensive, with a very clean impression. The after taste is not extremely long, but it last for half a minute or so. Parker has only assigned 93 points for this and that is hardly not true. It is not quite as good as Godolphin below but 95 points is not unrealistic.
2004 Godolphin, Ben Glaetzer, Barossa Valley
Extremely dark, bluish red. A bit heavier and even more compact in the nose than above. Else not a big difference, not quite the elegance as Amon-Ra but very promising. This wine has a higher level of glycerine than Amon-Ra, resulting in that this wine has it all. The acidity is more hidden under fruit and not so pronounced like the one below. A peculiar "sprizy" feeling on the tongue appear at first but disappear after some time. A long full after taste of giant proportions, very fine indeed. 96 - 98 points may seem high, but this is really something extra.
2004 Glaetzer Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Unfortunately, this wine was so easy to drink, that my tasting glass turned
empty before I managed to grab the pencil. Here are some comments from the top
of my head. Extremely dark, bluish red. The smell was clean and fruity like Amon-Ra
and Godolphin use to be. The taste is a real Chrille-pleaser, thick with ripe fruit and
super clean and long in after taste. I agree with Parker, that this wine earns
about 95 points.
Maybe I noted a hint of over-explicit acidity, both in smell and taste, and
maybe the wine was somewhat acidified. I am not capable of 100% judging weather this
is true or not, but if so, I have mixed feelings about it. Will added acidity
mature in harmony with the rest of the wine or will the acidity lay bare when
the fruit fades? But on the other hand, if the excessive acidity is natural and
emerge from too early harvest,
this is even worse for a red wine. But why not just make the wine from ripe
less-acidity grapes, and let the wine keep that low amount of acidity? I seldom find
red quality wine lacking in acidity, but very often the opposite.
Some wines from Fabien Stirn, Sigolsheim, Alsace
2004 Riesling Schlossberg
Medium depth, bright yellow. A bit shy in the nose, very elegant and with some paper components, no petrol at all. Despite over 20 gram of sugar per litre, this wine taste rather dry. Fabien explains that this is one of his "tricks" to hide sugar behind soft and elegant acidity. Young and currently hard to judge, 89 - 93 points. Ageing would be interesting to follow.
2003 Gewurztraminer Mambourg
Medium depth, bright yellow. Restrained smell of Gewürztraminer, perfume and roses without being vulgar. Very good balance in a well made style. Rather sweet and low in acidity. Very well designed also in the taste. For people not minding some sugar in the taste.92 - 93 points.
2002 Tokay-Pinot Gris Marckrain
Deep yellow colour. A fresh nose with typical Pinot Gris character, expressive and rich, with some paper smell embedded in fat fruit. A thick taste with good power from sugar and fruit concentration. A long and pure after taste. The acidity is fresh but without being pronounced. A good wine of the tastier schools in Alsace. For me this is about 93 points.
Chez Ingrid Atteryd and Mats Heiman
2002 Millsreef Cabernet Franc, Elspeth, Hawkey Bay, New Zeeland
Dark, ruby red. Fine Cabernet feeling, some stable and some green smell. Much tannin and rather tart. Herbaceous and a bit cold in the taste. Logic announcement that the wine was Cabernet Franc based. Good wine from this area, a bit over 90 points.
2002 Quilceda Creek, Washington state, USA
Very dark, bluish ruby red. Pure cabernet nose, no mint, no sweaty horse, no eucalyptus but pure cabernet. A lot of coffee and liquorice. A very concentrated taste, a boxing-glove in the mouth. Enormous length in the after taste. Something really profound. The winner of the evening together with the 1998 Run Rig. Parker suggest 97 to 100 points, and it must be in the upper end of this. Some days after the tasting I saw that Parker has assigned this wine 100 sharp in his Hedonist's Gazette stating "one of the finest wines I have ever put to my nose".
1996 Pahlmeyer Estate
Dark ruby red. Soft, fruity and intense, a hint of acetone, mature smell. Maturity in the taste, at its bets now ? It is a bit shaky in nose and body, and a little weak in the mid range. But of course not a bad wine, about 95 points.
1995 Shafer Hillside Select
Very dark, ruby. Soft like Merlot, not very Caberneish in the nose. A very genuine taste, very well designed but for one reason or another, it doesn't quite catch my interest. And I have tasted this wine many times with about the same result. Parker praise is and assign 99 points and comments "a stupendous wine, which is worth a special effort to obtain". Is it maybe that perfect, so a Swede miss it because he cannot find anything to complain about.
1998 Torbreck Run Rig 1998
Dark ruby red. Lovely tight style, compact and outstanding in the nose. Must be a sturdy grape like Cabernet. But it was a new world Shiraz. Concentrated, spicy, fine after taste. Intense taste, smooth without any sharp corners. The debate was if this or Quilceda was the best.
Christmas and New Year 2005 / 2006
2002 The Factor, Torbreak, Barossa Valley
Very dark, ruby red. A more perfumed nose than the Run Rig, violets, clove, and black berries. Fresh and youthful, elegant and not very oaky. The taste is even more elegant than the Run Rig, but not that concentrated. The acidity shines through in a doubtful way. But on the whole it is a profound wine, even if I clearly prefer the Run Rig. Parker have assigned 99 points to both, and I think that this is the correct level but should be distributed different, with 98 points for this wine and 100 points for the Run Rig below.
2002 Run Rig, Torbreak, Barossa Valley
Very, very dark, ruby red. Fresh fruit and dark berries, oak evident but not marked. Very elegant but with some tingle feeling. Not the heavy eucalyptus Aussi stile, rather more Francophile. For the moment the taste is the point, very concentrated and powerful, but still with balance and fruit over the firm body. This is what I expect from a young wine, a knock on the mouth with an attack that is lovely surprising and a finish that last forever. Enormous potential, will keep better than most Bordeaux wines, especially if considering the fruit capability to survival. Parker on 99 points, time will probably bring one more.
Autumn 2005
1993 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain
Very dark, ruby red. Outstanding fresh cassis a la cabernet, moreover a lot of intense complexity from some maturity like mushroom, moss, forest, violet, tar and dark berries. An infant that is evolving slow but in fact will get everything right with time. The taste in the same direction, smooth and lovely witch good youthful backbones and a superb rich finish. This is one ultimate proof of new world wines ageing at least as good as French wines, and often better. Good new world wines develop the same complexity as old world wines, but preserves the fruit in a much better way. Thing will change a lot during the next decade in favour for the new world. And one thing that have already happen is the glory of Robert Parker. Already 1995 he judged this wine exactly what I have described above (and I didn't check his protocol before I wrote mine, I promise). Certainly Parker have hade a challenge at that time, assigning points between 91 and 100 points, but his description is crystal clear. Read his protocols and compare ! I think this wine will end up on 97 points within 10 years, but it is a real pleasure to drink it already now.
1982 Ch Lagune, Medoc
Quite dark, brick red. Typical Medoc smell, antique feeling from leather, and dust, sweaty horse, cedar etc. Elegant and complex. The taste is still youthful and fresh despite age and minor classed châteaux. Rather fat and rich fat maturity, much better than I expected. (I took the last bottle of this wine to clean up my cellar from expected over mature stuff.) Good length and fine fruit. Not the very best Bordeaux but just below. Parker has lowered the point from 92 to 90 and this isn't fair. For me this wine is at least fetching 93 points.
1975 Ch Branaire Ducru
Medium dark, brick red. Lovely mature discrete smell, some antique dust, some cedar and tobacco. Very soft fruit with trace of acidity, no oxidation or cracking up. Marked tannins in the taste, slightly unbalanced but the softness is quite forgiving. Medium soft but dry after taste. This wine is approaching the end of its maturity plateau. Parker suggest 91 points, no reason to change that.
2004 Godolphin, Ben Glaezer, Barossa Valley
Extremely dark, blue red colour. A lovely mix of dark fruit and crisp, fresh oak, an expensive smell of luxury and hedonism. Yet another wine of the new world full throttle style intended for unbiased people cramming all kind of experience into their life. The same goes for the taste, a rich balanced wine with marvellous fruit content, covering a not insignificant amount of tannins and acidity. If to make any reservations, some of the acidity might be be artificially added, and that worry me for the ageing potential. Hopefully no problems at all, and if not so I agree with Parkers 96 - 98 points..
1996 Astralis, Clarendon Hills
Very dark, some brick red. Sensational fine smell, liquorice, violets, a bit eucalyptus and forest, a great personality like fine Bordeaux or Burgundy smell, but true Aussie, complex and fruity. I expected the nose to be the major advantage, but surprisingly the taste was even better. Soft an fruity, with a beautiful maturity, true power but soft as silk. Really world class stuff. Parker suggest 97 points and another 10 years in bottle. I have always estimated 100 points for this, and it seem to get closer each time I taste it.
2002 Jericho Canyon Vineyard, Ramey, Healdsburg, California
Dark, ruby colour. Very pure and clean in the nose, essentially of black fruit, oak and alcohol. The cassis tone is typical California mellow and rich in style, with nothing disturbing. The taste is incredibly soft to be Cabernet and Merlot, making it ideal for inpatient wine connoisseurs. This is a 14,7% relief, coming down from Turley and Arakoon 16% beasts. Parker is right with 96 points. If only adding a "Harlan knock down" feeling to this wine, it would be candidate for a perfect score.
2003 Old Vines Zinfandel, Turley
Dark, ruby bluish red. Rich smell of herbs and spices, fresh and young, and a bit alcoholic (16,4 %). Surprisingly elegant smell despite its powerful backbones. The taste is very rich in alcohol, maybe a bit unbalanced. But the wine behaves very well, smooth tannins and adequate acidity, nice and clean fruit. Long, elegant after taste with no bout of sharpness. Parker suggest quite correctly 94 points.
Summer 2005
2000 Quilceda Creek, Cabernet Sauvignon
Very deep, ruby red colour. Complex, fruity smell, violets and asphalt. Spicy but not mint a la California. Superb balanced, very ripe tannins and a soft acidity, really good and well made. Hot and sweet in the taste, but also style and elegance from the old world. Parkers 94 points is quite adequate.
2001 The Armagh Shiraz, Jim Barry, Clare Valley, Australia
Extremely dark, ruby colour. An elegant smell of eucalyptus, oak and juice. Really lovely combination of elegancy and intensity. Very harmonic in the taste, despite some hints of added acidity. Soft and pleasant with powerful attack and aftertaste. Deserving its 96 points from Parker, and with a graceful ageing it will catch some more points. But cross the fingers that eventual artificial acidity wouldn't cause any problem.
2000 l'Apparita, Castello di Ama, Toscana, Italy
Very dark, ruby red. Intense smell from roasted oak, very attractive and expensive feeling. A lot of cassis and black currant. Surprisingly high acidity and tannins in the taste despite this warm year. Rich and full-bodied, but too dry in the finish. A wine to be used with food. Points in the lower nineties.
World class Rieslings with Thord and Elisabet
Planned as a autumn kick-off for our vinery challenge in Hungary.
1996 Clos St Hune, Trimbach, Alsace
Rather deep yellow colour. Very surprising oxidation in the nose, not unlike a slightly over mature white wine. Is it defect ? The taste is intense, with the oxidation feeling at top.
This was an accident in my pedagogic planning. A 1995 of the same wine was forced cool to replaced the 1996.
1995 Clos St Hune, Trimbach, Alsace
Rather light in colour. A bit sharp in the nose, with some herbs and paper, rather shy on the whole but very clean and fresh. Pure and focused in the taste with just enough fat for the acidity. Not quite my cup of tea, but 93 points is fair.
2004 Pinot Gris / Rhine Riesling, Villa Sandahl, Badacsony, Hungary
Rather light in colour. An integration of pinot Gris and Riesling in the nose, and still some pear and candy shop. Somewhat ordinary in this flight and not world class level (planned but not yet realised :- ). Good structure in the smooth acidity, and a bit of residual sugar. 85 points from a challengeable taster.
2003 Kremleiten Riesling, Nigl, Austria
Rather light in colour. A slimmed and elegant Riesling, with a Pinot Gris tone, making it somewhat similar to the Villa Sandahl (not kidding). But have a better pronounced mineral character in the nose. Dry, classic Riesling with good concentration but a bit reserved and sexless. Some years in the bottle will help. 93 points. Available from Systembolaget at 269 SEK, a bit expensive.
2000 Loibner Steinertal, F. X. Pichler, Austria
Deep yellow. Also classic Riesling but accompanied with lovely fat petroleum. The combination of mineral and fat is spectacular. Soft and rich with a trace of sugar, the taste is also splendid. 96 points.
2000 Risling Brand, Zind-Humbrecht, Alsace
Almost golden yellow. Still fatter and richer than the Pichler. Herbs, petrol and exotic. The taste is creamy to a level rarely seen from Riesling, some sugar, and a long after taste. 97 points like Parker.
1983 Cuvée Frederich Emile, Trimbach, Alsace
Golden yellow. Buttery and waxy petrol in the nose, not liked by everybody. Fat and round taste with a marked smooth acidity. A gracefully aged wine. 95 points.
2004 Pinot Gris late Harvest, Villa Sandahl, Badacsony, Hungary
Medium yellow. Fine and smooth Pinot Gris smell with some fatness. A good and integrated sweetness, the acidity is very soft but should be enough (7 g/l). 88 points from a challengeable taster.
Also compared with above was the box wine "Foot of Africa". Interestingly, the quality of Villa Sandahl wines were right in the middle between this wine and the Nigl wine. This means, by backwards extrapolation, that "Foot of Africa" is approximately a 77 point wine.
Tastings during the cold spring 2005
1990 Charmes-Chambertin, Joseph Roty
Medium depth, some maturity brick red. A lot of personality build on a rather hard core, a lot of strawberries and forest, open and accessible in the nose. Also a lot of lovely matureness qualities, almost as being slightly oxidised, but it isn't. Again, a hard core in the taste, marked acidity and tannins, but very soften, with agreeable nuances developed by age. Hard to judge, a bit more pliability would have changed a lot. Between 90 and 95 points depending on what style you appreciate.
1989 Ch Lynch Bages
Very dark ruby/brick colour. A lovely smell of cedar, sweaty horse and black currant juice. Typical noble and ripe nose, absolutely clean and precise, without anything biting or disturbing. The taste is absolutely delicate, a fat and oily consistency with round attractive tannins and exact acidity to support freshness and backbones. This is my favourite Lynch Bages, and it surpasses vintages as 1990 and 2000. Parker assign points between 94 and 97, and it seems to mature into the higher end of this range.
Tastsing for the staff at Systebolaget Mårtenstorget in Lund
2002 Whisperin'E, Sine Qua Non, Ventura California
Deep yellow. Delicate wool and citrus, concentrated and powerful with exotic fruit. Lovely fat and rich brings a feeling of oily viscosity: The taste is not degenerating by leaving the wine to reach room temperature. Balanced wine with huge after taste. 95 points from Parker is fully adequate for this.
2001 Clos des Papes, Chateauneuf du Pape
Medium dark brick red. Sticky sweet and rich smell, surprisingly good and fat being a Chneuf. Rich and fat also in the taste, with some healthy tannins and acidity. Sweet from ripe fruit and a really good and long after taste. Parker's 95 points seem even conservative.
2002 Hollerin'M, SHEA Vineyard, Oregon, Sine Qua Non, Ventura, California
Rather dark, ruby colour. Elegant and ripe fruity, a bit shy, raspberries and strawberries. Lovely crisp and smoky oak. A real blockbuster Pinot Noir, but not heavy and spirituous. Soft balance after taste. 96 points from Parker is fair, this wine is better than most Burgundies.
2001 Midnight Oil, Sine Qua Non, California
Extremely dark, bluish red. Colossal shiraz, better than most Rhone peers. Both white and black pepper, bacon and ripe fruit. Very Francophile in the taste but still raw and unfinished. 96 points from Parker, maybe conservative if the wine matures as in the best of worlds.
Some of Systembolaget's Lustau Sherry tasted with friends
(Click here for a list of Systembolagets range of Lustau)
Manzanilla Pasada de Sanlucar Almacenista Manuel Cuevas Jurado, Lustau
Rather light yellow colour. Beautiful flor smell of bread and yeast. Youthful, a bit grassy and silky. Lovely also in the taste, like a common great white wine but extended with the flor nuance. A really long and balanced aftertaste. 93 points for those who like the style.
Amontillado Almacenista Miguel Fontadez Florido
Light amber colour. Angel singing in the smell. Silky and plush, with extreme elegance and aging attributes. Nuts and almonds in an intense and attractive nose. The taste is on equal level, but unfortunately there is a raspy feeling in the acidity which also appear in the infinite after taste. 98 points in the smell and 94 in the taste.
Amontillado del Puerto Almacenista Jose Luis Gonzales Obregon
Light amber colour. Rather similar with the above amontillado but somewhat softer and heavier. Lot of nuts in the intense smell. Fat and powerful in the taste, somewhat alcoholic, but in fine balance. Very long aftertaste. As good as above but 96 points from both smell and taste.
Palo Cortado Almacenista Vides
Medium amber colour. Somewhat shy in the smell, not quite up to expectations. Mild and fat in the taste, which is much better then the smell. Superb balanced, no hard edges anywhere. Long fine after taste. Around 93 points.
Oloroso Pata de Gallina Almacenista Juan Garcia Jarana
Dark amber colour. Fat and rich, some nuts and almonds, also a bit oxidation. The taste is really the thing, nuts and almonds, and thick, fat, oily, majestic taste. Acceptable elegant and subtle and such impressive power. 95 points.
Tasting during vinter 2005
2001 Veritas, Heyzen Vineyard, Barossa Valley
Very dark red colour. Sweet liquorice, grandiose smell, very subtle and silky. A bit reserved, but clearly high quality. Surprisingly elegant in the mouth, very balance with super concentration, effectively hiding all tannins and acidity. A very complete wine that Parker has undervalued by his 90 points. In my world this is at lest 93 points.
1990 Ch Couhins-Lurton, Pessac-Leognan
Rather deep yellow colour. Fat, creamy, almost buttery smell, more reminding of Chablis than Sauvignon (this wine is 100% Sauvignon). The taste is fresh and balanced, and nothing reminds about the 15 years in the bottle. Fantastic smooth and fruity, this is a tribute to the chateau and the grape. This wine is most often ranked around 90 point by Robert Parker, but for me this particular vintage is worth up to 94 points. (A couple of years ago, I was lucky to find several cases for around 25 € per bottle).
1995 Ch Montus, Madiran, France
Dark, ruby red with some orange rim. The nose is spicy and Bordeaux like, both strong and elegant, and also with a healthy amount of fruit. The taste is a bit dry, but a lovely classic style with just enough fruit. On its best now and in a risk zone of getting too dry if stored more. The 1995 Ch Montus Cuvée Prestige is still better and a real surprise from this corner of the world. Somewhere in the 93 points region.
2001 Herrenweg Turckheim Gewurztraminer, Zind-Humbrecht
Deep yellow colour. I pronounced waxy smell component, that don't recall the grape very much. However, it is a compact fruity nose and the smell is a mix of wax and expected rose perfume. The taste is also market by the oily wax tone, which surprise a bit, but again, agreeable with a good grip and power. Maybe the wine need some time to unknit its fruitiness. Robert Parker seem to call the waxy ton to be "smoked spiciness" and give it 90 points. I agree, but maybe one point or two might be added if the wine takes a smooth way in the bottle.
2002 Herrenweg Turckheim Gewurztraminer, Zind-Humbrecht
Golden yellow colour. Open, fruity, apricot nose, very charming and easy to love, unmistakable but restrained gewürztraminer. The taste has some sugar making it semi dry, but it will integrate to almost dryness. A lovely concentration and lush style, already quite approachable and will not get very much better with age. Clearly better than the above, let's propose 94 points.
2001 Greenock Creek, Apricot Block Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Extremely dark, ruby red colour. Fruity en masse, the typical Aussi lush style but with absolute control, a lovely combination between white pepper, sweet jammy ripeness, stringent spiciness, adequate vanilla, restrained eucalyptus and violet flowers. The taste is also fantastic with both sweet and salted liquorice of huge amounts from the very long after taste. The wine had no problem to match a moose (elk) file on red sweet pepper and walnuts, maybe depending on a suitable and balanced but nevertheless horrifying level of alcohol of 16 %. Parker suggest 99 points and I have no problem with this rating.
1996 Montiano, Falesco, Umbria, Italy
Dark, rather brick coloured. Fruity smell, somewhat high in acidity and not specially Merlot characteristic. Some oak and vanilla, but the acid smell is hardly letting through any sweetness. The taste is very smooth and pliable, but the acidity bias is damaging something that else is promising and well made. Both Gunnel and me have since long noticed a fairly high degree of acidity in all Montiano vintages, and it seems neither to integrate with age. In short, Robert Parkers 93 points is fair.
1982 Ch Talbot, St Julien
Dark, red brick colour. Just lovely cedar and leather nose, a typical soft and pure Bordeaux of Cordier style. Fruity and rich, no drying out or cracking up. The taste is equally super, complex, harmonious and concentrated. At top right now and will hold for some more time. Parker assign between 93 and 96 points, and this bottle is in the upper end of this interval.
1996 Fra Fulcó, Selecció, Priorat
Dark, ruby colour. The smell contain a lot of sweet cedar, with some pricking acidity and fresh fruit. The taste is in the same way but the acidity is much softer than feared. A silky wine with enough fruit to cover a lot of tannin and acidity. May benefit from some ageing, but maybe not gaining very much.
2000 Riesling Brand, Zind-Humbrecht, Alsace
Deep, yellow colour. Intense flowery smell, with a lot of ripe fruit and exotic nuances. Some petrol in the making, but still more fresh then mature. Very clean end exact in embedded in fatness and richness. The taste has a noticeable sweetness, but the rich acidity cover the most. The taste is really fat and rich, like a new world chardonnay. Impressing. I agree with Parkers 97 points.
1995 Kistler Dutton Ranch, Russian River Valley, California
Medium yellow. Gunnel, as well as Parker, declare this wine to be very Burundian. It smells of butter, lemon, wet wool and all other typical attributes. Very fresh, despite its age of 10 years, I would classify it to currently be on its maturity top. Lovely crisp oak accompany the stylish fruit. In the taste the wine behaves very well, round and smooth, but with excellent backbones to keep it upright. Long complex after taste. Parker suggest 93 points, but it is a bit conservative. I and Gunnel would rank it 95 points. Guess how it fits with fresh lobster and home made mayonnaise !
1983 Riesling "Hugel", Vendange Tardive, Sélectionné par Jean Hugel, Alsace
Deep yellow colour. A lot of smoke and petrol in the nose, accompanied with exotic components like apricots and honey. A very smooth taste with totally integrated sugar. A healthy level of ripe acidity brings stature to the fat wine mixture. Not a wonder of sharp contours and laser texture, but very agreeable in a somewhat old fashion style. A perfect match to champignon filled sole.
1991 Robert Mondavi, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Napa
Very dark, brick red. Rich, fruity smell, graceful maturity, pure cabernet leather, leaves and cassis. The taste invokes the real show, tough grip, wonderful concentrated fruit, superb balance between acidity, tannin and ripe fruit, razor blade edges despite its age and a fat, dry finish. The wine is still young with some bitterness still in the after taste, but what remarkable power and impact. I have always been impressed by this wine and tonight I was curious to the degree that a bottle went upstairs to the dining room. Lucky me having a case left. Robert Parker has fluctuated between 91 and 96, but this was a bottle at high end in this range. Luxury beverage to Tacos !
Tastings during Christmas and New Year 2004 / 2005
2000 Lidia Chardonnay, la Spinetta, Piemonte, Italy
Deep, yellow colour. Mineral and steely fruit and very different from the trendy oak chardonnay stuff that dominate the white market. Indeed some butter in the background, but the acidity is very fresh and remind of grape and rhubarb with a piquant vanilla. The taste is also mineral with some wool, like a crossing of Mosel Riesling and Aussi Chardonnay. The wine is very balanced but need a couple of years for settle the integration. I propose 90 points with potential up to 93.
2000 SoT LefrieC, Penedes, Spain
Extremely dark, ruby red. Intense, rather oaky smell with huge quantities of ripe and soft fruit. Expensive and silky, rather caberneish in style, a crossing between French style, Spanish toughness and new world richness. If to complain on something (to proof my Swedish genes) the tannins and dryness is a bit to marked despite the warm vintage, otherwise it is a lovely thick and exciting wine, smashing oak and a super duper after taste. This is said to be the first garage wine to emerge from the Penedes region with 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Carignan. It is also said to be bio-dynamically made. Parker has only judged the 1999 and 2001 vintages, and assigned between 93 and 94 points. If this vintage converge into harmony, I am prepared to assign 95 - 96 points.
2000 Swischen den Seen, Scheurebe TBA, nummer 9, Neusiedlersee. Austria
Golden yellow colour. Complex nose of exotic fruit as apricot, leeches and honey. Rich and thick, with a superb pureness and delineation. The taste is extremely sweet and thick, really viscous and full. Sugar is not yet too integrated but balanced with acidity. A very special wine that Parker likes for 97 points.
1970 Ch Gruaud Larose, St Julien, Bordeaux
Medium depth, brick red colour. Very good typical Bordeaux smell of coffee, chocolate, cedar, smoke and oak, everything smooth and integrated. Medium bodied, smooth and round, with the dryness a bit dominating, but not to a degree of lacking fruit. Parker is very suspicious about this wine, not believing it to progress in a successful way. But for one reason or another, this bottle was delicious, not suffering at all from being too hard or coarse, as Parker found it 1996. Very good and approaching 90 points.
Australian bargains
Most notably, the highly praised 2002 The Steading from Torbreck didn't crawl over the 90 point bar at this tasting. I did switch between the below glasses for more than an hour, but the Kalimna and Lehmann came out as obvious better wines.
2001 Kalimna Bin 28, Penfolds
Dark ruby red. Focused fruit of quality and style. Also complex in the nose, with a lot of finesse. A very good taste, a fine balance, and a really powerful after taste. If one check Parker, he is very reluctant against Penfold's recent vintages, and declare them clipped and overly acidified. In my way of understanding this Kalimna wine, this is not apparent here. I would say 92 points for this, and clearly a good price at 16 €.
2001 Barossa Shiraz, Peter Lehmann
Dark ruby red. Somewhat closed in the smell, but lovely hints of smoked sausages, bacon and butcher shop. A bit sturdy and youthful, but with a really long and fruity finish. Slightly inferior to the Kalimna above. I am very impressed from Lehmanns recent vintages. At a price of only 13 € this is a fine value.
1999 Command Shiraz, Elderton
Dark ruby red. Ripe and sweet smell of candied peel, at a degree of feeling burnt. Thick and potent blackberries. The taste is the point, so thick and chewable, with low relative level of acidity and round tannins, this wine is something for a hedonistic. Swedish critics say as usual over extracted, but I love such stuff. Parker seems also satisfied with 94 points, I am prepared to add one more.
Tasted wines during the autumn 2004
1975 Ch Giscours, Margaux, Bordeaux
Dark brick red colour. Fresh fruit of forest style, not the cedar and horse style. Gunnel had problems to come up with the origin, and the smell isn't too characteristic. It may also be the atypical tannic vintage that makes the wine restrained. Quite a miracle in the mouth, soft, elegant, balanced, charming and agreeable, this must be one of the best 1975 at all. Parker has stubbornly defended this wine over the 15 years I have read him, even at the time when it was totally closed and unyielding. 91 points has recently increased to 92, but I find good reason to continue upwards with a couple of points.
1994 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon 13th Anniversary
Very dark, some brick red matureness. Attractive and clean fruit mixed with soft oak tones of cedar and leaves. Intense and soft but not quite polished. The taste is powerful and strong, acidity, tannin and fruit in a convincing style, balanced but no compromise. Spectacular to elegant Asian nasi goreng and a pleasure standalone. One of the best Napa wines I have had, nearly in the Dominus 1991 class.
1989 La Chapelle Hermitage, Jaboulet, Rhone Valley, France
Dark, brick red colour. Apparently acid in the nose, very stylish and classic matureness of cedar, horse and decayed leaves. The taste is also very marked by acidity and tannin, a real classic wine, from conservative wine making with no compromises. Still very youthful and raw. I don't know if I have changed my mind, but I recognise a lack of fruit. But like Parker says, it is a 96 point monumental wine with a great future, no matter how dry it will become. At a value of 200 € one should maybe sell it and drink something more price worthy, but since I have purchased it at 20 € a bottle, the remaining half case will remain in my cellar for curious observation.
1999 Amarone, Allegrini, Italy
Dark ruby red. Intense and fruity, straight and uncomplicated in the nose, modern fruit driven style. Clean, if somewhat raw, a charming oxidation tone, balanced and agreeable. Intense also in the mouth, the acidity being on a noticeable level, but suits the residual sugar in a good way. A lovely modern wine for strong cheese accompany. Parker is totally right with 95 points.
1979 Ch Latour, Bordeaux, France
Dark brick red. Smashing leather, rotten leaves, sweaty horse and all typical attributes you can imagine. A lovely matureness in the smell. Light to be Latour, even the after taste is medium bodied and poor for this producer. Good balance but lacking some fruit. An 88 point wine like Parker suggest. Judge of my surprise when this bottle hit the table, after a company party with a wine tasting. It was extremely interesting to compare this 200 € wine with the 50 € Amarone above.
2002 Whisperin'E, Sine Qua Non, Ventura California
Medium, yellow colour. The nose remind of a lovely Burgundy chardonnay, but seems too spicy and oily for that. White Rhone might be more plausible. Open and intense in the nose, wax and nuts with a silky character. The taste is rich and oily, with number of layers of fruit and character. The wine is said to be made from 50% Roussanne, 31% Viognier, and 19% Chardonnay, mostly from the Alban Vineyard. Very impressive in all senses. After had having three wines from Sin Qua Non, I am totally overjoyed by these offerings. They fit exactly my hedonistic philosophy. Parker say 95, but I am prepared to add some points.
2002 Hollerin'M, SHEA Vineyard, Oregon, Sine Qua Non, Ventura, California
Rather deep, ruby red. Very typical Pinot Noir with noticeable sweet alcohol smell (15,4%). Rich, open nose, broad proportions and clearly new world character. The tongue is tickled by the high alcohol, that I first took for some remaining carbon dioxide. The fruit is extremely ripe, packed with glycerine and richness, and the wine is in balance, disregarded the high alcohol. I cross my fingers that it will age and integrate. Nevertheless, this is very special stuff, which is a pleasure to purchase and lay down in the cellar. Parker says 96, and I agree.
1996 Old Vines Grenache, Blewitt Springs Vineyard, Clarendon Hills
Dark, ruby red. An intense taste of fruit and acidity, sweet, ripe and spicy, very personal. Some residual sugar recall Amarone, but there is no trace of oxidisation. High in alcohol, high in fruit, high tannins, high acidity, or with other words, balance on a high level. Long raw after taste. Should rest in the cellar for another couple of years. Parker did assign 92+ a couple of years ago, and this plus is already two or three points. A very special wine.
1998 The Armagh Shiraz, Jim Barry, Clare Valley, Australia
Very dark red with some orange rim. Some matureness in the smell, soft components of leather and cedar, very attractive. A rather intense smell of pure fruit without any oak to distract. Very pure and harmonious Shiraz. The taste is soft and complete, a graceful aged Aussi wine. Francophiles claiming that only Bordeaux is capable to benefit with age should examine this wine (if they dare). The after taste is enormous, so don't be afraid that the harmony comes unsupported by power. Parker have only assigned 92 points for this wine, but I claim it is worth over 96 points. (Parker has indeed applauded the 2001 and 2002).
2001 Serpico Irpinia Aglianico, Feudi di San Gregorio, Italy
Extremely dark ruby red. A subtle smell of oak and fresh fruit, hinting of quality and high price. Like plush and silk in the nose. In the taste there are plenty of acidity and tannin but nearly almost hidden by massive fruit and spices, the wine is round and accessible with a soft and long after taste. The wine sits in the mouth forever. What a nice surprise from a obscure variety and producer. The only uncertainty might be if the acidity will become the harmony limitation component in the long run. But stick to Parkers advices, in this case 98 points.
1990 Nikolaihof Riesling Vinothek, Wachau, Austria
Deep yellow colour. Stylish petroleum Riesling, not very intense but unmistakable. Mineral, citrus and some ripe exotic apricot. The taste is bone dry, rich in ripe fruit but dominated by acidity. Gentle and refined by cellar ageing but probably hard and inaccessible in its youth, this is a typical traditional dry Riesling in all senses, for example it must have been early harvested despite hot weather (only 12,5% alc.) and with no residual sugar etc. The only modern element might be the biodynamic approach, including consideration of moon movement. Not quite my bag of wine, but very good to support elegant fish dishes. 92 points for me and upwards for masochists.
2001 The Factor, Torbreck, Barossa Valley, Australia
Very dark, ruby red colour. An expensive and stylish smell of Rhone character, ripe and hot, but still with some rawness. A lovely mix of bacon and eucalyptus. Thick and mouth coating in the taste, with a splendid softness on a very high level, this is as good as a wine might be. If to be pedantic, the acidification is still noticeable, but hopefully integrated into the wine after some cellaring. I agree with Parkers 98 points.
2000 Syrah, Cline, California
Dark, ruby red colour. Intense smell of a mixed palette, pepper, grass, pine, chocolate etc. The smell is more intense then elegant, it lacks some coherence and tightness. The taste is very rich and full, soft and charming, with a clean and attractive after taste. Fantastic 89 point wine for only 9 €.
2001 Penfolds bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, South Australia
Very dark, ruby red colour. The smell has a lovely combination of warm ripe fruit, sweet oak, eucalyptus and mint. Hard to resist despite being young and raw. The taste is very balanced and rich with a lot of lovely complexity. This has quite the opposite characteristics to the below Michael and which is best is a matter of taste. Around 30 € is fair for this wine. 92 points.
1998 Wynns Michael Shiraz, Coonawarra, Australia
Very dark, ruby red colour. A bit shy in the nose, not obviously bacon and pepper. The taste is on the stylish side with rather hard tannins and only a hint of oak, a rather Francophile thing from one of the the coldest climate areas in Australia. Good, firm after taste. A good wine around 94 points but is it worth 60 € ? Tasted aside by a 1998 Shiraz reserve from Fox Creek (see far below), but clearly inferior to this.
1993 Cabernet Sauvignon, Tasca d'Almerita, Sicily
Very dark, brick red colour. A raisin smell from very ripe grapes, almost like an modern non-oxidised Amarone. Plums, chocolate and sweet fruit. The taste is very rich, fruity and round with a very low level of acidity. Nevertheless, the taste behaves very good, a rich, long and matured after taste, yet being a proof of graceful and flawless ageing not necessarily based on excessive acidity.
2001 Castello di Fonterutoli, Chiant Classico, Mazzei
Dark, ruby colour. Intense, spicy, round fruit, liquorice, cedar and a considerable dose of oak in the smell. Soft ripe and sweet fruit, light and elegant body with some acidity and tannin. A wine that becomes better for each vintages as do the escalation of price. 30 € and 90 points.
2000 Sagrantino di Montefalco, Venticinque (25) Anni, Arnaldo-Caprai
Dark, ruby colour. Intense smell of neither cabernet nor merlot, but with the same weight and power, simply a new noble grape variety with an own distinguish character. The taste is really powerful and not for weaklings, market round tannins in abundant amount compete with the same level of ripe fat fruit. Impressive. Parker means 97 points and I find no reason to change that.
Tastings of excellent Austrian whines during summer vacations 2004
2003 FX Pichler Loibner Steinertal Riesling Smaragd, Wachau
Light yellow. Apricot, mango and other exotic fruits, also a green tone of nettles and spinach, embedded elegant minerals but more power and ripeness. Rather intense smell. Powerful with impressive fatness, some elegancy and somewhat bitter in the after taste. This will age to a bold powerful Riesling. Around 95 points.
2003 Prager Wachstum Bodenstein Smaragd Riesling, Wachau
Light yellow. Peach, gooseberries and a bit flowery with good mineral, elegant combination of green apples and sunshine honey. Subtle balance between fat and mineral, complex without length in of after taste. A bit reminding of Sauvignon. This wine fetch points for its elegancy at about the same height as the Pichler above.
2003 Franz Hirtzberger Spizer Singerriedel Riesling Smaragd
Light yellow. Grape fruit, apricot and plenty of citrus and minerals in the nose, like a fat Chablis. Fat and ripe in the taste, almost dramatic, without neither being fat nor bitter. Both elegant and powered, like a blend of the two wines above. Maybe a point better for the combination, which leads to 96 points, really good.
2002 Ratscher Nussberg Sauvignon Blanc, Weingut Gross, Südsteiermark Österreich
Light yellow colour. Crisp Sauvignon smell, not very green or herbaceous, but more of neutral grape fruit and pure acidity freshness. Rich taste of fresh fruit and balanced acidity, long after taste for being this kind of grape. Südsteiermark is a nice surprise for me, especially the very modern, clean and rich wines made here.
2001 Sauvignon Blanc Privat, Weingut Gross, Südsteiermark Österreich
Rather light, yellow colour. Intricate mix of raw gooseberry and delicate flowers, not very intense but pure and sharp. The taste is a bit sweet (semidry) but the overall impression is not connected to sugar. A crisp and tender acidity do balance the taste. A fat, vanilla and "late harvest ripeness" forms the long after taste. One of the best Sauvignon I have tasted, an old world stylish acidity with a new world ripeness and oakness. Around 95 points, I suppose.
2001 Berghauser Zieregg Morillon (Chardonnay), Tement, Südsteiermark Österreich
Yellow, medium depth. Elegant chardonnay with new fresh oak. Crisp and acid in the smell, cold and Chablis like, with a long sweet after taste. Reminding of an elegant Burgundy, but a bit too steely and fresh for that. A really good Chardonnay defending its own style and merits.
Sweet wine tasting with Martin Edegger and Sandor Mézö in Badasony, Hungay
1997 Clos St Urbain, Pinot Gris, Zind-Humbrecht
Deep yellow colour. Lush and fat in the nose, even a bit impolite. Grass, paper, pushy, not without class. Also burnt rubber or something equivalent. A semidry wine with a long fine after taste, also paper and grass in the taste, on the whole very reminding of the nose. A fascinating wine with its wild power, almost worth its 95 Parker Points.
2002 Caroline Selection, Domaine Edegger, Badacsony, Hungary
Deep yellow. Nice fruity smell, hints of botrytis, a lot of cinnamon and other spices and even fresh rubber but totally clean in its fruit. Semisweet, botrytis also in the taste, intense and fat in the clean taste, with a good length. This wine had a challenged competition in this tasting, but stood up well, with only a few points behind the most, say 93 points. Sandor had this tasting double blind, and recognised his own wine without help. We were all glad to see this wine doing so well.
2000 Pinot Gris Sonnenglanz, Vendange Tardive, Bott-Geyl, Alsace
Deep yellow. A little anonymous in the nose, opens up with grass and citrus. Cold semidry taste with crystal clear acidity, exotic fruit with a long and very balanced after taste. Sandor's favourite and 96 points from Parker.
2000 Gewurztraminer Sonnenglanz, Vendange Tardive, Bott-Geyl, Alsace
Golden yellow. Intense, absolute crystal clear acidity, stylish fruity gewurtz with some roses. Semisweet taste, clean and long after taste, rich, tempting, soft, oily ... My favourite and every bit as good as the previous if not better. A would rather say quite the reverse to Parker's points, that would be 95 points for the above and 96 for this.
1989 Bouvier Trockenbeerenauslese, Lenz Moser, Neusiedlersee, Austria
Light amber colour. Botrytis with overripe apples suggests a traditional wine making behind this wine. Rather sweet but light and dynamic, caramel, botrytis, apricot, complexity but unfortunately a bit dirty. I get the feeling that this kind of wines more and more get hard to offer on a modern international market. Say 91 points.
2002 Gewurztraminer Trockenbeerenauslese, Gross, Südsteiermark, Austria
Deep yellow. Excellent pureness in the fruit, artful simplicity in the smell, reminding of the label style. Pineapple, vanilla, a bit perfume, somewhat green like asparagus. As focused in the taste as in the smell, rather intense and sweet but balanced with lovely acidity. The back label tell about 12 % alcohol and 220 gram of residual sugar, that imples some 440 gram sugar / litre at harvest time, most impressing.
2000 Pinot Gris Selection de Grain Noble, Bott-Geyl
Unfortunately this vine was too corked to make justise.
1995 Nr12 Grande Cuvée, Kracher, Neusiedlersee, Austria
Amber colour. A wild nose of grass and intense fruit, lack some style and seem to be from the traditional side. Taste on the same way, very concentrated, about the same analysis parameters as the Gross above. I have tasted this wine several times, but nor until now been so aware of this being a very traditional style of wine. Parker suggest 96 - 98 and that is for power only.
2000 Grauburgunder, Trockenbeerenauslese, Harkamp, Südsteiermark, Austria
Amber colour. A lot of exotic fruits, complex and solid smell, impressive but unfortunately it has some traces from the "fungus" covered wine cellar. A lot of everything in the taste, concentrated fruit, plenty of sugar and high acidity, pointing to science fiction parameters 185 gram residual sugar together with 9,5 % alcohol. Apart from the hint of cellar fungus in the wine, i would like to just quote my 10 year old boy "this is the best wine I ever have had".
Another fantastic tasting hosted by Mats and Lena 2004-06-26
1990 Ch Pichon Baron, Pauillac
Dark, ruby/brick red. A lot of black currant and cassis, lovely balance, rich and fat, and damned good if to sum up. A sturdy Pauillac with a superb balance and long after taste. Really good and worth at least 96 points.
1989 Ch la Conseillante, Pomerol
Rather dark, but noticeable lighter than the above and the below. A lot of matureness and bouquet, a bit acidity and the elegant nose. Very well designed and good oily concentration despite its lighter appearance. A long after taste, but with my hand on the hart, I like the sturdy neighbours better. Maybe somewhat high with 97 points.
1982 Ch l'Evangile, Pomerol
This was the bottle I brought with me, so please be prepared that I comment as a party. Dark, brick red. A lovely matureness, not the slipping overly fragile kind, but the robust and "the feet on the ground" bouquet. Cedar, stable, plums, herbs and a lot of fresh fruit. Fat and rich in the taste, a bit softer then the first wine but surely not weaker, and a long pliable after taste. 96 points if you are neutral, a couple of more points if you like exactly this kind of stuff.
1991 Côte Rôtie, la Mouline, Guigal
Dark, ruby red. The smell a bit anonymous and cold, somewhat too high acidity. It opens up. The guesses ranged from Barolo to Rhone. A little too tannic and high acidity (or lackning fruit), not the power as the fuller Bordeaux wines above. I think this is not a representative and sharp 100 pointer like Parker suggest, more like 98 points or so.
1988 Côte Rôtie, Cote Brune, Gentaz Dervieux
Dark, ruby / brick red. Just a completely lovely smell of bacon, meat, pepper and everything. Fat and rich in the taste, long and fiery after taste, very complete. I found this wine to be the best of all wines tonight, but Parker has only 94 points for the regular Côte Rôtie. (I don't know if there are two wines, one regular and one specified as a Cote Brune?)
1988 Côte Rôtie, Brune et Blonde, Guigal
Dark ruby / brick red. Very intense and straight in the smell. Meat and bacon and a lot of fruit. Stylish and fruity, with a long fine after taste, we found this wine to be of equal quality to the other wines above. This wine was a kind of joke from Mats, but a very pedagogic one. When discussing this kind of paradox afterwards, we found that this virtual equality might occur in a situation when a "grand vin" returns from a low crisis level and on its way up it crosses a forward and easy secondary wine in full expression but on its way down.
Wine tasting happening at our place 2004-06-19
1997 Barolo Brunate, Ceretto
Rather dark, brick red. Intense smell of mature and ripe fruit. Liquorice, cherries, and a dosage of fine oak makes up the warm and stylish nose, and remind me of a good Bordeaux. A warm, fruity, smooth taste with considerable but not excessively tannins forms a modern style Barolo that is easily accessible. Parker has assigned 94 points, which is quite adequate. The nose suggest higher points, but there should have been some more fatness in the taste to earn that.
1998 Barolo le Rocche del Falletto di Seralunga d'Alba, Bruno Giacosa
Rather dark, brick / ruby red. A bit more youthful juice than the above. Also a bit more classic with cooler smell of forest and pine. The taste is more powerful than the above, more fat and oil is just the ingredients asked for, so lets heighten the points by 2. A long and rich aftertaste, rather dry as expected, but everything in fine balance. This is the second tasting of this wine within a week in order to really understand it. A conclusion is that it is in fact very concentrated and some points better then our favourite above. So for me it ends up around 96 points and falls within Parkers scope of 96 to 98. As you can see, dear reader, I am again a little more concordant with Parker.
1999 Barolo le Rocche del Falletto di Seralunga d'Alba, Bruno Giacosa
Rather dark, ruby red. Somewhat unevolved in the smell, with some youthful fruit like pine needles and herbs. Not as thick as the above, but of the same quality level as the Ceretto above. And not quite the sound balance between fat fruit and tannins as the 98 above. Parker suggest 96 points, maybe 1 or 2 too high.
2002 Savitar Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Mitolo
Extremely dark, bluish red. Everything at once, fruit, spices, mint, oak etc, but luckily not a caricature. Thick and chewable in the mouth, but stumble at the finishing line because it seem too heavy acidified. 93 points.
2000 Ch de la Negly, l'Anceny, Coteaux de Languedoc
Dark, ruby red. Hey, flowers like lavender, grass, herbs and somewhat Provencal in the nose. A bit reminding of Ch Neufdupape. The taste is so delicious and generous, it continuously flirts with you. Not the longest after taste I have encountered, but surely good enough for 96 charming points.
1999 Vigna d'Alceo, Castello dei Rampolla
Extremely dark, ruby red. Cassis and juice, but somewhat shy and cold in the nose. The surprise arise that the taste is a boxing glove, which has both the balance and the power, it is the old world classic body with the new world richness. I remember the 1995 Harlan Estate to be such wine, a knock down before you had a chance for guarding. I have tasted this d'Alceo three times and it has always won (alone or shared) the flight. It is a bit better then the below, and I add a point to Parkers 99 points.
1994 Dominus Estate
Very dark, ruby red. Some maturity with cedar and leather, like a good Pauillac. Also with this lovely hint of ripe sweetness, to balance the stylish design. I love the taste, a superb, thick and well made wine, complex and dynamic in the mouth. If to complain, the after taste is maybe lacking some power but undoubtedly has tremendous elegancy in place. Worth its 99 points.
Insignia tasting by Gomseglet, conducted by Marina Olsson, 2004-06-30
I have recently had some hard fights against some of Parker's points. Is our symbiotic friendship facing an end ? The fight started with the1998 Hermitage Bressards from Delas (not even memorable), that was impossible dried out and not near Parkers 96 points. It was succeeded by the 98 points 2001 Clos Erasmus, that was impossible to understand. This followed by the 91 points 1998 Insignia, that on the other hand was terrible underrated. To this come the 1998 Barolo le Rocche del Falletto, that is a suspicious light thing for the stratosphere 96 - 98 points from Parker.
1998 Insignia, Joseph Phelbs, Napa Valley
Very dark, ruby / brick read colour. Sweet, mature, very fruity with a good bottom, coffee, a bit herbaceous and somewhat restrained. Balanced and rich, with a really long after taste. Easy to like, tough but charming. I mistook this for the 1997 and can't for a minute understand Robert Parkers 91 points. I retasted this wine after disclosure of vintages, and I once again come up with at least 94 points. Did I neglected any quality parameter that stroke Parker so hard.
1992 Insignia, Joseph Phelbs, Napa Valley
Dark ruby with some brick red colour. Intense and generous, open and charming with a lot of fruit. A strong wine. but a little weaker then the other insignias. I had expected more from this vintage, and even if I wasn't the most eager promoter for this wine on the 95 + for 2002, it was then found by the majority to only be beaten by the 1990 Haut Brion.
1997 Insignia, Joseph Phelbs, Napa Valley
Dark ruby with some brick red colour. Liquorice, forest and fruit, somewhat tight in the nose. Soft and rich, but shorter then the 1997. I got so surprised by this fact, that I forgotten to note more. I began at 93 points, but can maybe go up to 95 points.
1995 Insignia, Joseph Phelbs, Napa Valley
Dark, brick red colour. A lot of liquorice, a lovely maturity, delicious and personal. Fat and rich in the taste, a smooth but powerful after taste of more than a minute. The best wine and deserves at least 96 points.
Spring 2004 continued
1998 Barolo le Rocche del Falletto di Seralunga d'Alba, Bruno Giacosa
Medium, brick red colour. Alcohol and acidity in the smell, a lot of light red fruit and very spicy, with pepper, clove and cherries. The taste is very mouth coating despite the light colour, oily in the texture with a long after taste, fiery and fat, with adequate acidity and tannins. A perplexing wine, this rather light colour but with this power in the taste. It is still hard to agree with Parkers 96 - 98 points, this is a couple of points too high.
2000 Solengo, Argiano, Tuscany
Dark, ruby red colour. A lovely smooth smell with a market cherry acidity makes one think of Sangiovese. But how wrong can one be, this is one third of each of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. A lot of vanilla oak in balance with juicy fruit and acidity. The taste is really fine and smooth, without being the least flabby, one of the most concentrated and smoothest combination I have tasted, being of the same rare type like the Campoleone below. For such type of wine it seems that Parker by default suggest 95 points.
2001 Midnight Oil, Sine Qua Non, California
Very dark, ruby red. Young and intense smell from schoolbook Shiraz, which Gunnel totally blind disclosed within a couple of seconds. A lot of pepper, black berries and meat. Also a good portion of fine oak. The taste is not different from Guigal's cru trio, intense, fat, a lot of power and backbones as well as an initial elegance and well behaviour. Very interesting Shiraz from an uncommon place in an obscure bottle with a still more obscure label. I had not bought this wine for 70 € unless Parker had guided me with his 96 points, a totally fair point for this odd creature.
2000 Campoleone, Lamborghini, Umbria. Italy
Very dark ruby colour. Soft and very pure fruit, more reminding of sophisticated cabernet then from the used Merlot and Sangiovese grapes. Cassis and stable in a generous and elegant style. The taste is on the same way, soft and easy, but with considerable back bones and body. A nice and balanced wine in modern style, fashioned by the genius Riccardo Cotarella. Parker suggest 95 points, but there may be another couple of points from further more muscles hidden beneath the photo model surface.
1997 Taylor's vintage port
Very dark ruby colour. A lot of young fruit and cognac spirit, intense and powerful nose. A very firm taste, powerful, sour, tannin harsh and sweet fruit. Not very integrated and not very accessible, but still a lovely wine to taste. Not reading Parker in advance, Parker's comments are quite similar, saying iron, full-bodied and spectacular concentrated, 96 points. A wine that now close up and will eventually blossom in ten or twenty years, maybe in the upper ninety point level.
1988 Ch Rieussec, Sauternes
Golden yellow colour. Lovely sauternes nose, a lot of botrytis with "Swedish bear glue", abundant vanilla oak and marked stylish, mature acidity. The taste is currently the point, very full-bodied and potent, strong acidity and masculine, a solid bottom of fruit and extract. After taste of concentration and botrytis. Parker has originally set 95 points but has lowered to 93. I think it will once again end up at the origin point when matured and better yielding.
2001 Ramey, Jericho Canyon Vineyard, Napa Valley
Extremely dark, ruby red. Violets, herbs, coffee, wood and oak in high quantities, as well as highly fruity. Very elegant and subtle in the nose, without being the least bit shy and restrained. Full-bodied in the taste, rich and strong in the moth, a lot of coating and power, but with a smoothness that is hard to imagine form such power house. Long, complex after taste that just melt away. Parker says 97 points and this is hardly an exaggeration. It is one of the best Napa wines I have ever tasted, comparable to the quality level of 1991 and 1994 Dominus Estate.
Mini tasting of recent released Italian wines from Systembolaget 2004-05-12
2000 Braida Barbera d'Asti Ai Suma
Dark, ruby red. A lot of fragrant cedar oak in the smell, clearly something for oak-fans. Also sweet fruit and charming acidity. Gentle in the mouth, smooth and warm (14,5 % alcohol) but rather short in the after taste. Barbera is said to preserve its acidity even under such extreme heat as this vintage, but maybe the the flourishing Barbera wasn't enough controlled to keep the yield at a serious level. Parker says 90 points and i agree. If looking for charm and pleasure, this wine is fully OK, but both the 1997 and 1998 I find much more genuine in concentration. Poor point per krona ratio for 495 SEK (~ 45 €).
1999 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric del Fiasc
Dark, ruby / brick colour. A lovely and sexy smell of sweet cherries and flowers. An open and accessible nose, not really expected from a young Barolo. The taste is very rich and fruity, of course characterized by marked acidity and striking tannins. Despite this setup, it must be regarded as a modern international style of wine, ideally accompanying food. If you agree with Parkers 94 points depends on your preferences and for what you use the wine. At moments when my stomach is in no need for Novalucol (acidity neutralizing stomach medicine) I may appreciate this wine but maybe 92 - 93 points is sufficient. I get the feeling that this wine will risk to loose fruit if cellared, so don't push the luck too much. Fair for 498 SEK (~ 45 €).
1999 Ceretto Barolo Brunate
Dark, ruby / brick colour. This wine has not the outstanding sweet and ripe quality as the charming Scavino Barolo above. It is equally rich, but more of forest and wet wood. The taste is good and rather similar to the Scavino, but a bit dryer and less charming. Parker (Daniel Thomases) says 89 points and I stick to that. Expensive for 495 SEK (~ 45 €).
2001 Sportoletti Villa Fidelia
Very dark, ruby colour. Stylish cassis smell, very fruity and some integrated oak, very well designed. Fantastic smoothness in the taste, it is unbelievable how modern wine making is capable to hide abundant tannins and acidity behind stylish fruit. A long and gentle after taste that remains in the mouth for long. Parkers 95 points seems fair. Before tasting this wine I questioned this vintage, but obviously it can be great in Italy. A bargain for 392 SEK (~ 35 €).
Tastings during spring 2004
1998 Ch Haut Brion Blanc
Deep yellow colour. An intense smell of herbs, ripe gooseberries, honey and apricot. Developed in the nose as a 20 years old wine, reminding of a blend of mature white burgundy and fino sherry (without oxidation). Lush and hedonistic. The taste in fine harmony with the smell, intense, complex and utterly balanced. The after taste is sublime and powerful at the same time. This vintage is very , intense, developed and lush and rather contrary to the stylish and classic 1997. Agree with Parkers 96 - 98.
1982 Ch Gruaud Larose
Very dark, brick red. An intense, complex smell of flowers, stable, cedar, pine, coffee, chocolate, tar and everything. Also a fresh acidity in the nose that hints about youthfulness. The taste brings me half way to heaven, so smooth and silky it is hard to believe, but without compromising power and backbones. I have had this wine a dozen of times and never tasted a bottle below 96 points, but this is the best bottle ever, and it is close to 100 points. Wine doesn't get much better than this. Still more unbelievable is, that this wine didn't cost more than 16 € when released in Sweden and Denmark.
1997er Riesling Haardter Burgergarten Auslese, Müller-Catoir
Golden yellow. Elegant and easy-going Riesling smell, flowers and some petrol, not so overall intense. The taste is the point, wonderful acidity and sweetness in perfect balance and integration. Long aftertaste from concentrated fruit but without being heavy or vapid. Not judged by Parker but I would suggest 93 points.
Golden Foil Club 2004-04-16
The quality level of the wines were not quite up to the high expectations on this tastings. It is stated from the tasting body that the quality level should target around 93 - 94 Parker points (or equivalent) for young wines and above 90 for older wines. My impression was that the average quality level did reach about 90 points. The wines that I did judge to fulfil the expected requirements were :
2001 Riesling Brand, Zind Humbrecht
Deep yellow. Very tough and a bit hard in the smell, nevertheless attractive. Somewhat herbaceous in the smell that was also present in the taste. Firm taste, with marked acidity and very well made. Dry, long after taste. Due to my resistance against high acidity I did only rank this as 93 - 94 point. Parker has put 98 points on it, and maybe this will show to be correct (also for my taste) if the wine will age gracefully over 20 years.
2000 Lynch Bages
Dark, ruby red. Spicy, oaky and fat smell. Already a hint of stable, also freshly ground coffee and chocolate. Very round in the mouth, super attractive with elegant acidity and powerful but smooth tannins. Just lovely. Some tasters didn't agree with my positive judgement, but I find this to be the type of Bordeaux that almost unbeatable by any other wines. Parker and I agree on 95 points.
2000 De Trafford, Cape Winemakers Guild, Stellenbosh, South Africa
Dark, ruby red. Eminent, sober style of Bordeaux, Some oak but not heavy marked. Fat and clean smell. The taste was very sweet from alcohol, balanced on the fiery side with a long after taste. Very charming but not quite up to the quality of Lynch Bages. This is clearly the best South African wine I have tasted and it approaches the magic 95 point level.
2001 Testamatta, Bibi Graetz, Tuscany
Extremely dark ruby with bluish rim. Mysterious anonymity in the smell despite the colour. Style and design. The taste is very harsh from pronounced tannins. Very long and fine after taste. The question is if the fruit will cover the tannins in the long run. For that risk I give this a rather large span from 92 to 96 points.
PS. Some weeks after this tasting, Robert Parker did come up with ratings for some of the other wines offered to the tasting. Amongst other, a rating for the 2001 Clos Erasmus did appear. I have experienced that young Priorat wines can be difficult to understand, but even with this in mind, I had great troubles to relate the 98 Parker points to this wine. And just a weak before this tasting, I did taste the 2000 Clos Erasmus (see below), which I remembered to be much more easier to understand, and worth its 96 Parker points. DS
Tasting for the personnel from Systembolaget, Mårtenstorget, Lund
This shop is may favourite supplier of such rare wines like below, so with this tasting I did want to return some bottles they have helped me to catch, as a reward for their service minded helpfulness to a pedantic and impatience customer like myself.
1998 Octavius, Yalumba
Very dark, ruby red. Seductive nose of fluffy Aussi Shiraz and oak, some acidity in the nose but clearly shining. An elegant taste with an acidity grip, lovely balance and long in the finish. The only problem with this wine was that the next was better. Deserving the Parker 97 points.
1998 Peter Lehmann, Stonewell vineyard
Very dark, ruby red. Fat and nose-stopping, mint and restrained eucalyptus. Ear-splitting fat and lovely marked tannins but still more ripe fruit, also a good deal of acidity. The body is creamy and the aftertaste even better. A mistook this to be the Octavius so how to reason about points. Parker has judged this 94 points, but it is good as the above, so 97 will be my definitive answer.
2000 Ch Margaux
Very dark, ruby red. Freshly ground coffee in abundant amount, clearly outstanding nose, a lot of oak but wow so integrated and focused. Crisp and just delicious. Has about the same body and balance as the wines above, but has head and shoulders above in the nose. A clear 100 pointer. The tasters, myself and Gunnel included, were all swept off our feet.
I did later arrange another tasting to really see which 1998 Aussi wine was the best. I included the two above wines 1998 Yalumba Octavius and 1998 Lehmann Stonewell and added a 1998 Fox Creek Shiraz Reserve which is my benchmark wine for this type of comparison. The outcome was a Trip-Trap-Trull result, with Lehmann having 96 points, Octavius 97 points and Fox Creek 98points.The Lehmann wine was the charmer, especial in the nose, but with lightest body and after taste, and the Fox Creek was the block buster being young and potential, with the Octavius somewhere in between. So this time I got rather in line with Parker !
Lebanon tasting with the Bergenfelz 2004-01-23
1988 Ch Musar
Medium depth, brick red colour. Intense and exciting nose on god and bad, a graceful maturity but unfortunately with some oxidation and dirt, not worse then it did disappear or harmonized with some aeration. Soft and elegant in the taste. A very good wine in the 92 point area.
1995 Ch Musar
Rather light, brick colour. Marked by acidity and a slight tone of acetone that I first took for oxidation. Fiery and roasted almonds with a late ripeness character and slightly oxidised (the smell probably was a mix of oxidation and acetone). Not as good as the 1988 but better then the 1997.
1997 Ch Musar
Medium depth, ruby colour. More elegant and clean then the other two Musar vintages, maybe more modern but not so exciting. Also very clean in the taste. A bit under 90 points.
1999 Ch Ksara
Dark ruby colour. Intense fruity smell of black currant, elegant and well made. Somewhat green but in no danger. A lovely clean taste with a pure and well made aftertaste. More full-bodied then any of the Musar wines. A bit over 90 points.
1989 Clos st Jacques, Rosseau
Medium brick red. Lovely Burgundy, fat strawberries and rotten meat, very fresh fruit, sweet and some oaky smell. A bit bitter in the taste, fruity but not fat, rather more elegant with a good length. Brought to the table to show different kind of medium-bodied wines, between "traditional" personal Musar and modern international Burgundy. 92 points.
Tastings during winter 2004
2000 Clos Erasmus, Daphne Glorian, Priorat
Very dark, ruby red colour. Violet, wet oak and liquorice, a sturdy smell reminding of concentrated Rioja or Valpolicella. First I mistook the wet component to be a light cork damage, but at the very end there is only fat fruit and fresh casks. The taste is the point, prone to attack with huge alcohol, acidity and tannin, but mild in its quality, this is a superbly balanced wine on a high level. Very personal in style, accessible already, but maybe even outlasting myself, I would like to add a plus to Parkers 96 points.
1982 Ch Branaire Ducru
Rather dark, brick red colour. Very sweet and intense nose of leather, clove and dark berries. Soft and silky in the mouth, the fruit is in no danger to fade but the wine is fully mature by now. Medium after taste of more elegance than power. A very good Bordeaux from the lovely 1982 vintage, clearly over 90 points, but lacks power for a real high score.
1999 Hermitage Bressards, Delas
Very dark, ruby red colour. Very polished, balanced and sober smell, youthful and fresh, with some pepper but not yet bacon and butchers shop. The same elegance in the taste, soft and fruity, and with hermitage and syrah power in support. Totally contrary to the 1998, which was hard and unyielding and lacked roundness and future. This 1999 will age gracefully and probably reach well above 95 points.
Australian top quality tasting by the Silveros 2003-12-27
2001 Clarendon Hills, Old Wines Grenache, Romas Vineyard
Medium dark, ruby colour. A strong taste of linoleum or the like. And somewhat reminding of Amarone. Also a taste of hard bitterness and blueberry. Much berries and jam also in the taste, but with a structure like any red wine. Very round and fresh. Compared to a Chateauneuf du Pape this is better than most of them, so a point over 95 is adequate in this kind of comparison. But compared to the below shiraz wines, this wine is heavy outperformed. It is not unlike the way a really fine Burgundy fail short, when mixed with powerful new world monsters.
1998 Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon, d'Arenberg
Very dark, brick red colour. A long and unfinishable discussion broke out, weather this bottle was corked or defect in any way. It certainly reminded us of a good mature Bordeaux with stable and wet horse, but being on the wrong side of the "bit of shit" border. Another bottle was opened, and was slightly fresher in its fruit. So it seems that this wine has some built-in unfresh, wet and dirty character. The taste neither convinced us, being marked by hollow fruit and bony acidity. José and Kristina have consumed several bottles some years ago and remember it to deserve 95 points, but obviously the wine has degenerate since then.
2001 Henry's Drive Shiraz Reserve, Padthaway
Extremely dark, ruby colour. Sensational intense smell of everything imaginable from a wine, spicy, ginger bread, smoked ham, as well as typical Australian mint and eucalyptus. The taste is like the smell, totally unbelievable thick and rich. All tannins and acidity was well hidden behind the massive fruit, having characters like toffee and liquorice. Super long after taste. I found this wine to be better in all aspects than both the Dead Arm and Grange below, but should it then be a 100 point wine. My conclusion is that if this wines (new proprietor and young vines) will be found to age like a Grange have proven, this is a 100 point wine. But as long we don't know where it will go, we have to build in some risk discount into the judgment, say minus 4 points, and we come up with 96 points like Parker do.
2001 Dead Arm, d'Arenberg, McLaren vale
Very dark, bluish red. Gunnel did correctly identify this wine directly, by its sturdy and raw acidity in smell and taste. Also somewhat green in the smell, but of course lovely fruit and restrained oak. Super clean and fresh, with tannins and acidity a bit uncontrolled. We entertain fears about this wine, as to ageing like the Coppermine wine above. But I use to be very observant on excessively acidity and I did never get an acidity "wake up call" from this glass of wine. If the fruit will keep the acidity back during ageing, I agree with Parkers 98 points.
1998 Penfold's Grange
Very dark, brick red colour. Sweet and expensive oak in the smell, compact and well made. But in no way extraordinary, and clearly inferior to the Henry's Drive above, regarding intensity and personality. A compact and powerful taste, with a very long aftertaste, this wine behave like a classic French wine. In fact slightly better (and longer) then the Dead Arm above and logically deserving 99 points like Parker suggests. Considered all superlative press this wine has got, I had expected more than just a perfect good wine.
Me and José here had a long discussion about wine critics. How often do they claim that the wine world get so monotonous and one-dimensional as a result from brain washer people like Robert Parker. Regarding Australian wines, they have had for long a chance for free to stretch out the wine world, but what do they come up with - the best Australian wines they are able to find are the French copies.
I think this depends on that our wine critics have poor integrity and rely to the habit to avoid blind tastings. It is far too easy to put a high score to the Penfolds Grange from a super vintage, wine journal buyers expect this, speculators expect this, the producer expect this. The wine critics himself thus creates less noise by looking at the label before he writes. But when it comes to lovely and super extracted (not overly pressed) wines, the critics get uncertain, and the puritans begin to lecture. For example, a cousin wine to the Henry's Drive wine above, the 1998 Fox Creek Shiraz Reserve, was sold in Sweden some years ago for €30, but recognized by our wine critics to be "over extracted" and a doubtful buy for that price.
Tastings during Christmas 2003
1989 Gewurztraminer SGN, Hugel
Deep, yellow colour. An intense smell from elegant gewurz, somewhat marked by herbaceous and botrytis. The taste is lovely integrated sweetness with acidity and melts in the mouth. Not overly exotic, more like a classic Sauternes. The length of the after taste is somewhat doubtful and I had expected some more thickness from an SGN of this super vintage and from such famous estate. There is a rumour that there exists two quality levels of Hugel SGN, the better of them marked with an extra "R" on the label. I have had both variants in my cellar, but have never tasted them side by side. This bottle is my last without an "R" on it, so I have missed the chance to compare with my remaining bottles with "R". I somebody knows if there is any significance by the "R", or if it is just sloppily made labels, please mail me on christer@sandahls.com.
1990 Ch Haut Marbuzet, St Estèphe
Dark, brick red colour. Soft, ripe, mature smell of cedar and wet horse, also some mushroom and forest. Soft also in the taste, with noticeable tannins and rather dry long after taste. This wine has refused to get mature, but now it seems to approach the hill top. Maybe there also are some variations and this was a special good bottle. It begin to deserve a point between 90 and 95.
1953 Armagnac, Ch Notre-Dame, Marcel Trépout
Dark, amber colour. Rich, intense, robust smell, fiery and hot with a kind of wooden turpentine component. More powerful then elegant, but memorable indeed. More refined in the taste, but still on the robust side. I have limited experience of Armagnac, and if not quite as good as the Rémy Cognac below, it was very good.
Abel 1er Cru de Cognac, Pierre Ferrand
Dark, amber colour. Elegant and fiery in the smell. No noticeable oak in the nose, more like flowers and perfume. Very light in the taste compared with Rémy, elegant and youthful, with a long after taste. Not quite my style of preference but very good.
Extra Cognac, Rémy Martin
Very dark, amber colour. Fat, sweet, compact oaky smell. Lush and rich, more elegant then the Armagnac above, but hardly mild and timid. Really good. Fat and oaky also in the taste, fine complexity and a powerful, long super after taste. The best Cognac I have tasted so far.
1989 Ch le Gay, Pomerol
Dark, brick red colour. Like the below wine, a lovely Merlot smell in the nose, but of a different type. The same herbs and butter caramel, but much more sturdy and pushy. The taste is also more sturdy and robust then the below, maybe also a consequence from the different vintages, but of about same quality around 93 points. Parker originally rated 92 points and surprisingly lowered that on subsequent tastings, one can wonder why ?
1985 Ch la Conseillante, Pomerol
Dark, brick red colour. A lovely smell of Merlot herbs, fresh ripe fruit and graceful maturity. Real elegance and class, not the showy style, but calm and gentle. The taste is not fat and powerful, but more typical 1985 feminine and Bordeaux dry. Round acidity and tannins, pure fruit, and a long dry after taste. Parker suggest this wine to be the Bordeaux of the vintage with 94 points, and it is senseless to argue against that.
1990 Vigna l'Apparita, Castello di Ama, Toscana
Very dark, ruby colour. Complex and attractive smell of ripe and mature fruit, plums and herbs, like a Pomerol if the hint of acidity had been softer. The taste is very youthful both on unevolved tannin and acidity. Nevertheless very attractive and graceful. I think the fruit will last for still a decade to let the tannin and acidity come around. A mid-ninety point from me and somewhat lover from my wife.
1990 Ch des Rochettes, Coteau du Layon, Loire
Deep, yellow colour. Intense smell of honey and tropical fruit. For me also the typical smell of Chenin Blanc "worn dish-cloth" (related to the chardonnay "wool glove"). Rich, pure and complex in the nose, this creates expectations on the taste. Which didn't fail, The balance is outstanding between massive smooth acidity, sugar and ripe fruit. Totally charming, despite that acidity and sugar will need yet another decade to get married. This must be one of those great estates that is not yet discovered. This will easily end in at 95+ points when mature.
1993 Penfolds Bin 707
Very dark, ruby colour. Despite the origin for the wine, the nose is dominated by cold black currant fruit with some acidity feeling. The taste is also somewhat based on acidity which gives a fresh and young touch, but not the charming new world attraction. Rumours says that Penfolds did excessively acidify their wines at this time. A good wine, specially with food, but it has lost much of its puppyish cuteness, which was predicted by Parker to meet 94 points.
2001 Descendant, Torbreck, Barossa Valley
Very dark, ruby colour. Elegant and ripe fruit and a lot of shiraz character a la Côte Rôtie. Super attractive with great style. Also a French oriented wine in the taste, marked acidity to back up the ripe fruit. Elegant but with a power base. Very impressive. This wine was tasted side by side with a 1998 Octavius, and while the quality was on equal level, the difference to this massive blockbuster were striking. Both wines belong to the upper ninety point level.
After a full day board meeting at Gästgivargården in Värnamo 2003-12-05
1989 Ch Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape
Dark, brick red. Somewhat a mix between some Bordeaux stable and Burgundy rotten fruit. Still youthful and immature in the nose, with soft fruit and graceful bouquet. The taste is on the same tack, young fruit and marked acidity builds the kernel of the wine. Strong and potential wine with 20 beneficial years ahead. I think this wine ends up at 97 points like Parker suggest.
Wine critics meeting in Lund, 2003-11-27
To keep prices reasonable, most wines presented was from rather unknown but coming estates. So the memorable thing with the wines are their good value rather then their absolute quality. Note that a 20 point scale was used this time, and judgements were kept quite conservative.
1996 Chassagne-Montrachet la Romenée, Verget
Deep, yellow colour. Elegant, stylish, some butter, Young and fresh and appropriate oak level. Soft in the taste, with market but smooth acidity and good fruit in balance. Superb wine. This was bought before these wine begun their price rocketing. 17 points at least on the 20 points scale.
2000 Ch Reignac, Bordeaux Superieur
Dark, ruby red. Very juicy fruit and smashing oak in a rich rather then elegant style makes the wine somewhat coarse and rustic. Nevertheless a bargain for 250 SEK. 16 point out of 20.
2002 Mitolo Shiraz GAM, McLaren Vale
Very dark, ruby colour. Somewhat cold and shy to be an Aussi wine. A lot of fruit with some bacon, but hardly eucalyptus and mint. Very fine oak smell. Sweet from ripe fruit contrast to the cold smell. Very soft and fruity, balanced with a low level of acidity. Parker expect this wine to reach 95-97 points, but I am not quite sure it will get over 95 points. Time will tell. At least 16 point on the 20 point scale. A super value for 300 SEK.
1999 Dom des Coteaux des Travers, Cuvée Paul, Rasteau, Côtes du Rhône Village
Referred two times already below. This wine seemed for me to be a point better then the two above, which is 17 points out of 20. Very good value for 420 SEK.
1970 Ch la Lagune, Haut Medoc
Medium, orange red. Lovely open straight Bordeaux nose with stable, cedar and complex mature bouquet. No oxidation but rather evolved. A fine balance on the dry side, and typical for the classic Bordeaux style. Rather long with the attractive balance between fruit sweetness and smooth acidity. One could argue that the wine lacks body to be a 16 point wine, but for some tasters the complexity and subtlety did more than enough fill that gap, resulting in even 17 points.
1997 Tokay Pinot Gris Sonnenglanz SGN, Bott-Geyl, Alsace
Deep, golden yellow. A schoolbook SGN with botrytis and exotic fruit, very fresh and pure with no hard edges. Ripe and sweet with a fresh acidity in a balanced taste. Long and attractive after taste around the smooth and supportive acidity. 18 points for me.
Golden Foil Club, 2003-10-24
Since all members bring an own wine (~500 SEK and mid-90 points) to the tasting, a nice palette were presented. The tasting notes are from Gunnel's protocol, with complements from me, and the best wines were:
1999 Dom des Coteaux des Travers, Cuvée Paul, Rasteau, Côtes du Rhône Village
Very dark, ruby colour. The smell is a knock-out for the nose, a lot of pine needles, fleshy bacon, butcher's shop and white pepper. The taste is fat and rich, almost chewable, with a bottom of warm ripe fruit. Appropriate tannin level and tannin also well integrated with fruit. Not on the elegant side, but the power is quite enough. The impression is still an upper-ninety point wine, the same level as last time I and Gunnel tasted the wine, see below.
2000 Siepi, Castello di Fonterutoli
Dark, ruby colour. Intense smell of elegant fruit like eucalyptus (indeed), violets and clean oak. Also rich fruit in the taste, in a fine balance with tannin and acidity, and a long, clean after taste. The last ti