Below I review the extraordinary wines that I have tasted at the Lund section of Munskänkarna. This tasting section is quite outstanding to offer fine tastings, I strongly recommend You to visit their tastings and home page.
Note, the Lund section of Munskänkarna always offers tastings of a broad range of admirably wines, but below I only comment the most extraordinary and memorable.
Old Champagne, 2007-12-11, conducted by Mårten Söderlund
As usual, Mårten was sparkling and exuberant, and the range of Champagne he brought to this tasting were nothing less than amazing. Thank for this tasting adventure.
1983 Champion, blanc de blanc.
Deep yellow colour. Lovely smell balance between toast and matureness, powerful and complex. The taste were fresh from the marked acidity, maybe a bit high for its own best, but very polished and rounded. A very long aftertaste build on the acidity. Some residual sugar.
Nineteen sixties Canard Duchen
Amber yellow colour. Rather much linoleum and mushrooms in the smell makes this wine sherry like, but the oxidation is low. Very soft and smooth taste, almost flat, but a good long after taste. Unfortunately, the complexity is ruined by too much linoleum.
1966 M Germain, blanc de blanc
Deep yellow colour. Very complex and perfect balanced matureness from fruit and acidity. Lovely fat and creamy taste powered up by beautiful acidity, also evident in the perfect after taste.
Nineteen fifties Moët et Chandon
Amber colour. Complex and personal smell of fruit candy, resin, orange, coffee and overripe apples. The taste reminding the smell, powerful also in the after taste. A point in the mid nineties, very good.
Nineteen fifties Heidsieck dry monopole
Amber colour. Fresh fruit and acidity, yet being a bit shy in the smell. Some oily feeling in the taste, fat but a strange shortage of fruit. However fine and balanced. A bit weak and deserving 93 - 94 points.
Nineteen sixties Pommery
Amber yellow colour. Dark chocolate, bushy powerful smell with noticeable linoleum which doesn't at all dominate. Very harmonious in the taste, but a clear lack of concentration. Altogether this shortage limits the wine somewhere at 91 points.
1976 Comtes de Champagne
Deep yellow colour. A fine tunes and complex smell in ultimate balance. Smoke, toast, leather etc indicates real potential. But the taste is the impressive thing, powerful, almost vulgar, and surreal for a champagne. This is more like a still white wine of huge proportions, and the after taste is consequently lasting forever. Really a super champagne, I put 98 points to it.
Nineteen sixties Krug Cuvée
Deep amber yellow colour. A feeling of sweet smell, lovely flattering, but no exaggerations in any directions, moderate toast, moderate acidity etc. The taste is the optimum balanced package of elegance and power, with a sweet feeling. Not as powerful as the above but clearly more refined. Hard to tell which is best, but to drink now a prefer this wine and give it 99 points. Maybe the 1976 Comtes above will surpass this in the long run ...
Vintage Port, 2007-10-25, conducted by Thomas Lindblad
2003 Dow's vintage port
Very dark, ruby red colour. Deep, rich smell, bark and coffee, round, harmonious, dynamic, excellent and all other words of a complex palette. Also the taste were rich and lovely, fluffy with perfect balance between (low) acidity and fruit. A surprise. Not the absolute concentration, but how lovely for drinking today. Obviously, this wine has soften a bite since Parker assigned only 94 points to it.
2003 Quinta de Noval vintage port
Extremely dark, ruby red colour. Somewhat pungent and hollow with a herbaceous and very spicy tone. The taste was similar, too much acidity (very strange for the hot vintage) and shortage of fruit and after taste. I didn't like this so much, and Parker is neither blown away with 94 points.
2003 Taylor's vintage port
Extremely dark, ruby red colour. Better than the above, but also suspiciously acid and not quite solid in the smell as the Dow above. Robust and a firm grip in the taste, very tannic but also a lot of fruit. Despite this there is a feeling of shortage of fruit, will forever be on the hard side. Parker assign 98 points, but I doubt if this is better than 96 points.
2003 Graham's vintage port
Very dark, ruby red colour. Very good smell, a bit cold but very homogenous, firm bottom and reminding me of the Dow above. Somewhat lacking backbones and a balance to kill for, this is as good as the above Taylor.
2003 Fonseca's vintage port
Extremely dark, ruby red colour. The only poor thing with this wine is the shy smell, but having that said, this is a stifled and balanced lovely smell. Dark chocolate and the like. Much tannins with a brilliant long after taste, really coating the inside of the mouth. Also this did give Taylor a match, being in the 96 points level.
1970 Fonseca's vintage port
Medium, brick red colour. Soft and worthy, balanced, great finesse, fluffy and complex. Rather strong smell, reminding of tawny port and sherry (without oxidation). The taste in the similar way, smooth and soft, a wee bit too much acidity and on the dry side. The only thing to wish was a better fruit bottom in the wine. Absolute perfect maturity, and despite a shortage in concentration, this wine should earn more than Parkers 93 points (it is almost 20 years he did taste this wine).
Lustau Sherry, 2006-11-30, conducted by myself
Last time I had a Sherry tasting for Munskänkarna in Lund was 1997-10-09, see protocol below, and now it was time again. Since then prices has rocketed on most top quality wines, but Sherry seem to keep high quality and low prices and thus remain a bargain. What is more, the Systembolaget had further lowered the prices to yet a new absurdly low level for some of them. Regardless of prices, some of the tasted wines are clearly memorable.
Manzanilla Amontillada Almacenista Manuel Cuevas Jurado
Light amber colour. The Fino character is clearly recognisable, and has aged in a lovely manner. Toast and nuts are typical components in the lush and silky smell. A great personality in the taste, a bit bitter, but with a super nice finish. This wine was a period sold for around 10 € for a 750 ml bottle. 96 Parker points.
Palo Cortado Almacenista Vides
Amber colour. Maybe somewhat simpler than above in the nose, a degree more coarse and not the same brilliant silky smell. The taste is in the same manner, a bit more coarse. Many in the audience claimed the straight opposite, so maybe this mostly is up to individual preferences. 94 Parker points for me.
Emperatriz Eugenia Very Rare Oloroso
Amber colour. Silky and smooth in the smell, lovely nuts and at least as good as preceding amontillados. Fantastic that a flor-less wine can develop complexity and smoothness like this. The taste is also smooth and soft like the smell. Superb body, balance and after taste. I think of at least 97 points for this wine.
Red stars from California, 2006-11-26, conducted by Jose Silvero
A really good attempt to offer the best from California. Some of the wines were clearly of the right stuff, some of them not as good as expected, but all of them memorable. (A wine tasting is seldom a highly predictable event.)
2000 Araujo Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard
Dark, some brick in the ruby red. Graceful cabernet, silky soft, elegant but restrained. A certain amount of stable and leather. Light in the palate, straight and easy, good length but a bit meagre. Certainly a lovely mature wine, but on the light side. I judged it 92 and Parker 91 points.
2002 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine
Extremely dark, ruby red. Wild character of forest, sturdy cabernet, Christmas spices, some salubrin, mushroom, hip and fish. Intense in the nose with a broad range of impressions but where on earth is the Pahlmeyer elegance. A stupendous coating of the palate, low acidity and jammy fruit. Extremely long. 95 points from me, one less from Parker.
2001 Shafer Hillside Select
Extremely dark, ruby red. Lovely crisp oak and pure admirable cabernet fruit. A seductive sweetness in the distance. Well kept together in the taste, rather abundant tannins rises the question if some more fruit had helped out. Somewhat one-dimensional. After revisiting the wine a couple of times its greatness become a little more evident, the taste has a splendid grip. Parker suggest 99 points, but I find it a couple to much.
2001 Ridge Montebello
Very dark, ruby red. Very French in its style, like a good and soft Bordeaux. Homogenous and stylish, cool and nice. Very harsh in the mouth and marked acidity in addition, makes the taste unbalanced. Here is however a really good length in after taste. Parker and I on 95 points, not my taste but will get better with bottle age.
2002 Caymus Special Selection
Very dark, ruby red.Fluffy and open smell, very charming, but somewhat restrained. Wow, what a box in the mouth. Like a Harlan boxing glow, compact fruit, like dry port wine. I suggested almost perfect score based on the power, but Parker give "only" 96 points. I use to be suspicious of Caymus special selection and have not tasted a really good vintage before this knocked me down.
2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Extremely dark, bluish red colour. Complex smell and many components emerging from acidity, fruit, stable etc. Still a bit restrained. The taste is better, se well made and harmonious. Oak and vanilla in beautiful balance to fruit, marked tannins, some sal ammoniac. This wine had not the unbelievable concentration as above, and I probably missed the key point of this wine, because it was so harmonic. (Swedish people are not happy until they find something to complain about). Parker rank complexity of this wine higher than the power of the above wine (as Parker use to :-) and give this 100 points.
2001 Abreau Madrona Ranch
Extremely dark, ruby red. More acetone and salubrin than is good for its own best, too inflated to be an elegant top wine. Much better in the taste, real rich and burlesque, a lightweight Harlan boxing glow. Somewhere in between of new and old world, like the new era Ch Pavie. Parker say 97 points and I agree.
Rising Stars in Barossa (and other top Aussis), 2004-11-26, conducted by Magnus Halväng
A super tasting for people like me, preferring rich and fruity wines. The usual discussion aroused, if these wines are "too much" or just "overwhelming pleasure". I certainly like these wines and always promote them, but there was a clear tendency that "real" wine tasters shouldn't bother too much about such toys. Almost all wines had a quality corresponding to 60 €, but Magnus have bought them much cheaper in Australia before the brands got well-known.
2001 Tin Shed, Single Wire Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Very dark, ruby red. Rich fruit, some edgy acidity, no eucalyptus and other exotic elements, just stylish, raw fruit. Dry and tight, and will always be on that side, a bit to dry for me. Long stylish after taste. 93 points for me. 20 €.
2002 Torzi Matthews, Frost Dodger Shiraz, Eden Valley
Dark, ruby red. First I got a strange green feeling from the nose. After being reminded of that the grapes have been dried three week before pressing, it was certainly a slightly oxidation I recognised. Somewhat like a Rhone wine, with white pepper and bacon. Soft in the taste, also here somewhat green and grassy. Rich with a lot of volume and long after taste. Hard to judge the quality of the "dried component", say 91 - 95 points. Parker assigns 90 points, a bit mean for me.
2002 Massena, The 11th Hour Shiraz", Barossa Valley
Very dark, ruby colour. Rich and lush, flirty fat fruit, coffee, cinnamon and blue berry. Packed with lovely fruit coating the mouth, long, sweet and charming after taste. A straight forward wine of high quality, 97 points, 20 €. Parker says 94 - 97 points.
2002 Spinifex, Indigene, Barossa Valley
Very dark, ruby colour. A bit closed in the nose to be Barossa Shiraz. Straggly but with style. Straight and forward in the mouth, but the acidity is a degree too pronounced. 93 points, 22 €. Here Parker is higher with 96 compared to my 93 points.
2002 Spinifex, Shiraz / Viognier, Barossa Valley
Dark, ruby red. Ripe, sweet, vanilla nose, sophisticated rather than sturdy, for the connoisseur. Soft and well behaving in the mouth, very well designed, maybe a bit to bitter in the aftertaste. 22 €, I liked this better than the previous, say 95 points.
2002 Schwarz Wine Company, Nitschke Block Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Dark, ruby red. Intense smell with rich fruit, but straggly and unpolished. Unintegrated also in the taste, but with lovely qualities of coffee, dark berries etc. 20 €, 95 points.
2001 Old wines Grenache, Romas Vineyard, Clarendon Hills, Barossa Valley
Rather dark, ruby red. Heavy, oily, fat small of extremely ripe and sweet fruit. Remarkable intensity and power from a difficult variety. Fat also in the taste, oily and fat, but the sweetness also with a perfect balance to nice acidity. A real different but great wine. As Parker, 98 points.
1993 Mount Edelstone, Henschke, Barossa Valley
Rather dark, some orange red. Archetypical new world eucalyptus combined with French style of structured fruit. Very round and agreeable in the taste, a bit to high tannin level, but in balance. This wine was said to be flawed by some tasters, but I could only see true personality. I agree with Parker on 94 points.
2002 Amon Ra, Ben Glaetzer, Barossa Valley
Extremely dark, ruby red. Raw fruit with crisp oak in large quantities. A real power pack in the nose, pure and clean. The taste is also of the same mould, pure fresh fruit, raw and wild in the mouth, marked acidity but within balance. At least 98 points. Parker 96 - 100 points.
2001 Henry's Drive Shiraz Reserve, Padthaway
Very dark, ruby red. For me this is a fabulous wine at the same level as the above. Intense smell of enormous proportions, warm, rich, open and flashy. Wonderful sweet fruit with a low acidity level. The proportions are equal to the taste, volume and power, with a long complex and dynamic after taste. At least 98 points. Parker 96 points.
Austrian Wines with Wachau focus, 2004-10-28, conducted by Arne Andersson
For many tasters, these high quality dry wines from Austria was a surprise. For me Wachau have for long been a favourite, and it is a pity that most wines from this tiny area never find their way to Sweden.
2003 Sauvignon Blanc Smaragd, F.X. Pichler, Wachau
Light yellow colour. Discreet, green and fresh smell. Some nettles and paper, but not a caricature in any sense. Rich and tasty, lovely body to be a Sauvignon. Really good, for me some points above 90.
2001 Grüner Veltliner Honivogel, Franz Hirtzberger, Wachau
Medium yellow colour. A bit tight in the smell, spicy and fruity but with a sharp tone. However, the taste is really rich and fat with a long after taste. Some bitterness in the finish is not a problem, maybe it disappear with some extended cellaring. Fantastic, the best Grüner Veltliner I have had and at least worth 94 points.
2003 Grüner Veltliner Pichl-Point, Weingut Schmelz, Wachau
Medium yellow colour. The typical Wachau queasy and congestion feeling in the nose, reminding of naphtha and turpentine from a moist cellar, that maybe relate to Grüner Veltliner. (It is a distinct perception for me, but I have not yet been able to connect it to a wine stile or variety). The taste is rich and majestic, the acidity very adequate low, with a balanced after taste. Nearly as good as the wine above.
2003 Grüner Veltliner Kellerberg, F.X. Pichler, Wachau
Medium yellow colour. Exotic green bananas, soft and majestic fruit and again a bit of the queasy and congestion feeling in the nose. The taste is well made, round and rich. Paper, spices and some naphtha. For people liking this stile (like me) it is easy over 90 points, say 92.
2001 Riesling "M" Smaragd, F.X. Pichler, Wachau
Medium yellow colour. "A bit of noble shit", fantastic smell being so exotic, majestic and rich. Expectations on taste were high and not quite met, the fatness and body did lack a bit, nevertheless very lush and well made and a lot of ripe feelings in the after taste. 95 points.
2000 Riesling Singerriedel, Franz Hirtzberger, Wachau
Rather deep yellow colour. Very straight and fine in the smell, open and honest, not a blockbuster but excellent rich and sophisticated. The overwhelming fruit may be mistaken as cheap and easygoing thirst-quenching juice, but I am sure this will mature to something special. Fat and sourish, but at the same time balanced and correct. An everlasting after taste makes it a 97 point wine.
1998 Leon Beyer Riesling Cuvee des Comtes d'Eguisheim, Alsace
Rather deep yellow colour. A Riesling caricature in the smell, petroleum and kerosene in abundant amounts brings me to a car greasing pit rather than an elegant wine tasting salon. One might say that also the taste is a Riesling caricature, because it is totally dominated by acidity. This wine is not the pleasant beverage like the fat Wachau stuff above. Over ninety in the smell and below eighty in the taste might result in an average 85 point. A wine for the classroom.
Divine - wines with an attitude, 2004-09-30, conducted by Gunnar Nordgren
Divine represents one of the most quality focused wine portfolios of all Swedish importers. This makes it very easy to promote my wines, Gunnar states. An it vas equally easy to taste them, and some was memorable indeed.
2001 Pisoni Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Ojai
Dark, ruby red. Grass, fruit, forest and some candy shop. No pronounced oak. Some raspberry but not he obvious Pinot Noir hint. The taste is unusual powerful to be a Pinot, so I was guessing around a bit before getting things right. Parker has assigned 91 points, and I find this point adequate. If it matures into something graceful, the point may escalate.
2002 Pride Mountain Vineyard Merlot
Dark, ruby colour. Grass and mud like an archetypical Merlot, accompanied with lovely sweet oak. A complex and elegant feeling with a lot of charm. The taste was also quite marked by oak, but not excessively according to my preferences. The underlying taste is rather restrained and Francophile, making this wine an ideal combination of the old and new world style. Parker have assigned 93 point to the 1997 and for me this must be of the same calibre.
2001 Sin Qua Non Midnight Oil, Shiraz
Dark ruby colour. My ringer for shiraz smell is a "nasal congestion", but this didn't appear at once. Nevertheless, the smell is elegant and delicious. The taste is even better, with a "perfect fit" feeling, very elegant and well-mannered. The perfect fit also goes with the after taste, long and smooth. Within a distance of 30 km from the Pacific coast towards the inland, the clime abruptly change from too cold to too hot for wine cultivation. The secret behind Sin Qua Non, Gunnar told us, is the clever mix from many different climate vineyards along this line. Parker says 96 and I add one or two to this. Clearly the wine of the evening.
2002 Old Vines Zinfandel, Turley
.Medium depth, ruby red. Rather tight and anonymous, a bit surprising to be Turley? The high expectation of this producer is neither met in the taste. Parker assign 89 - 91 points, and I agree, so this wine is not at the better end in Turley's portfolio.
2001 Pahlmeyer Merlot
Dark ruby colour. A merlot caricature, intense, grassy and muddy, cold smell without oak. Powerful and alcohol taste, thick and full. The expectations are also high here, having the 1996 in mind, but I have a mixed feeling for this vintage. I almost never say that a wine is too much, but maybe some elegancy and restraint would be in place here. Parker has assigned 91 points.
2001 Sine Qua Non Ventriloquist, Grenache / Syrah
Dark ruby. Burnt rubber and lovely clean fruit. An excellent taste on the "lighter side", wonderfully balanced with complex and long after taste. This producer is marvellous. Parker has assigned 92 points, it is a bit low.
2001 Arietta Block Hudson Vineyard, Merlot and Cabernet Franc
Dark, ruby colour. Cinnamon, chocolate, some merlot grass and mud, but not as obvious as the Pahlmeyer above. The taste was a disappointment for me, too high tannins and acidity for the fruit, and I don't think cellar time will help. Parker 92 points, for me not over 90.
Great White Burgundy, 2004-05-27, conducted by Magnus Hoffstein
Eight white Burgundies were presented, all of them of very good quality, ranging within the span of 90 - 92 points. Three extra wines from my cellar were presented as optional choices, all of them memorable.
1996 Chassagne-Montrachet la Romanee, Verget
Medium, yellow colour. Somewhat dumb and unyielding, bread and yeast, a little herbaceous. Sweet and complex underneath. A really classic taste, complex well-designed, powerful but smooth acidity. Long, long in the mouth. The audience were also fascinated. I agree with Parker's 94 - 97 points.
1996 Chablis Grand Cru Valmur, Verget
Deep yellow colour. Steely but sun-drenched smell, very complex and classic. Fantastic full and rich in the mouth, still youthful and bitter but delicious. Steel also in the taste, super long after taste. I think as good as the previous, but Parker lower to 93 - 96 points.
1983 Chablis Moutonne Grand Cru, Long Depaquit
Golden yellow colour. Majestic, buttery and linoleum, fat, silky and in lovely integration and balance. Not as bombastic as the two wines above, but not for the shy. No evidence of tiredness or oxidation, lively if at the quiet end. Not judged by Parker, but I would say 93 points.
Stairway to Heaven, 2004-05-25, Parker 95 - 100 points, conducted by myself
The idea is to select a range of wines from all around the world climbing up in quality point by point. For this kind of theme, also study my 95+ tastings on this site.
95 points, 1999 Ch d'Ampuis, Guigal, Rhone Valley
Very dark ruby colour. Lovely spicy smell of bacon and meat. Intense, crowd-pleasing vanilla oak. The taste correlate with the smell. One had desired a bit more creamy fruit to balance the tannins. Fine after taste, fresh and lively. 95 points sharp.
96 points, 1995 Pahlmeyer Propriety, Napa Valley
Very dark, brick red. Much cab in the smell, soft and silky, mature with cedar and vanilla in glaring contrast to forest and mushrooms. Fine coffee taste with a plenty of go, long fine after taste. Many of the tasters preferred the previous young vigorous wine in favour for this silky restrained one, but I find this a bit more powerful in the taste. 96 points is quite adequate.
97 points, 1994 Pesquera Janus, Ribera del Duero
Dark brick red. Mature and round smell, polished and elegant. Marked by dry and old oak, a pity that the wine had spent too long in casks. The taste is surprisingly powerful, with a good complexity and ripeness. Also here a fine long after taste. This wine was very weak, and not better than the first.
98 points, 1998 Fox Creek Shiraz reserve, McLaren Vale
Extremely dark, ruby colour. Elegant eucalyptus, peppery shiraz, intense and charming, beautiful like a baby rhinoceros. Super concentrated in the taste, without being heavy and clumsy. Fat, full-bodied with an super long after taste. Some taster, including the chairman of Lundamunskänkarna Rikard Albin, found this wine over extracted and playing to the gallery. I simply love the style and I was a bit impolite to the opponents, sorry for that :-). For me easily 98 points.
99 points, 1999 Vigna d'Alceo, Castello dei Rampolla, Tuscany
Extremely dark, ruby red. Pure cassis in the nose. Focused and narrow, not very intense, remarkable pure and clean, somewhat cold and a touch of iron. The taste is an unforeseen explosion, fiery and coating in the mouth, strong after taste of exceptional duration. Believe it or not, but this had more power than the succeeding Ch Pavie. It is worth 100 points.
100 points, 2000 Ch Pavie, St Emilion
Extremely dark, ruby colour. A copious amount of coffee and dark chocolate from excellent crisp oak, balanced with some wet horse and stable, and all packed into a fruit bomb. Warm, generous and delicious. Despite the concentration, the taste have a touch of lightness and fluffiness, in a correct balance it melts in the mouth. Also a lot of coating, with a super fine after taste. As Rikard said, this is the optimal mix of the new and old world. A bit over 100 points.
Round the World Festival, 2004-01-22
This is a tasting around 15€ per bottle, so normally there are nothing truly memorable to get. But two exceptions occurred this time.
1961 Clos de la Roche, Sylos
Rather light, brown red color. Fat and lovely Pinot Noir, a lot of rotten strawberries and everything else to expect from a mature Burgundy. Fresh despite its age, reminding of the old beautiful pop queen Cher. Remarkably, also the taste is aft, round and warm, with a lot of fruit despite the very mature appearance. Really outstanding, a point well above 90. Thank You Mårten, for bringing such beverage to a wine festival.
NV Oloroso, Pata de Gallina, Juan Garcha Jorana Almacenista, Lustau
Light amber color. A lovely sherry tone, some elegant oxidation without noticeable flor. Very intense and very silky. The taste is wonderful, in its own class compared with other round the world wines in the same price category. Very powerful without sacrificing its elegance, this has a super long finish. In the mid ninety points level.
Bordeaux 2000 vintage, 2003-11-27, conducted by myself
16 fine wines were offered at this tasting, ranging from 91 Parker point up to 100. The tasting was split into one regular tasting with 9 lower point wines and into one special tasting with the 7 top rated wines. All of the 7 top wines were memorable and some also from the regular flight, but notably not Cos d'Estournel. I present the wines beginning from the low points end. Please also visit the Bordeaux 2000 presentation slides.
2000 Ch Figeac, St Emilion
Very dark, ruby red. Some grass and herbs in the nose, most probably tracking Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Very seductive and flowery. Soft and centred around acidity, I get some problem with this style. If not a fat Garagist Wine I often prefer a powerful Pauillac over a St Emilion. Nevertheless, the Figeac taste was concentrated, charming and easy to understand. Robert Parker says 93 and I agree.
2000 Ch Haut-Bergey, Graves
Very dark, ruby red. Lovely and intense coffee style of smell, dark chocolate and truffle, combined with fresh oak , which was totally charming. Powerful in the body, but without loosing any coffee details, made this wine most impressing. Very long and with an outstanding balance. Parker suggest 94 points, but I could see one point more.
2000 Ch Pavie-Macquin, St Emilion
Very dark, ruby red. Merlot herbs and mire and butter caramel in the smell. soft, attractive and accessible. Wonderful soft and easy taste, round tannins and adequate acidity, the taste is better than the nose. For me this wine is inferior to the one above, despite the fact that Parker assign 95 to this.
2000 Ch Canon la Gaffelière, St Emilion
Very dark, ruby red. Lovely toast smell from oak combined with strong fruit on a solid chassis. Charming herbaceous Merlot. Elegant and powerful at the same time, charming and balanced, with a long after taste. 95 points from Parker and myself.
2000 Ch Léoville-Poyferre, St Julien
Very dark, ruby red. Dark chocolate, coffee, rustic based smell. A lot of rumbling fruit, sweet vanilla and truffle. Very powerful in the taste but not loosing proportions. Fat and rugged, but balanced with the fruit. A very long after taste. Not far from what I remember from the 1982 at same age. Deserves its 96 points from Parker.
2000 Ch Lynch Bages, Pauillac
Very dark, ruby red. Graceful oak and charming fruit. Also some stable and dill, a bit controversial maybe. Elegant and forward taste to be Pauillac, very different from for example the 1970, but much more like the 1982. I remember I did not buy the 1982 when it was offered to the Swedish market for two reasons 1) at that time the 1970 was cheaper at auctions in Denmark 2) the 1982 seamed too pleasing and easy. For now I have bought a case of 2000, and I expect them to age as graceful as the 1982 have done. That would transform the points from around 94 of today to 96 - 97 when mature. I suppose that Parker express this with 95+.
2000 Ch Pichon Baron, Pauillac
Very dark, ruby red. Forward in the smell with marked cedar and oak. Also some acidity in the smell accompany the sweet vanilla and form a smashing balance. One more elegant Pauillac, and it will be interesting to follow both of them. I judge 95 point until I see a little more of the ageing destiny.
2000 Ch Leoville Barton, St Julien
Very dark, ruby red. Unparalleled fruit with personality, strong and intense, but didn't show many nuances, even after aeration in the glass. The taste is the point, lively and lovely, fat fruit with huge tannins, without compromising complexity and balance. A great wine. Parker have backed from 96-99 to just 96 as the wine have closed down after release. I will not be surprised to find this wine back at 97 to 98 when mature.
2000 Ch Conseillante, Pomerol
Dark, ruby red. Sweet and ripe, but somewhat suppressed in the smell. Very fine, lush and orange. I cant help my feeling of power shortage in such wine as this. Wines from this chateau is certainly known for being on the light side, but this vintage is said to be a welcome change. I admit that the smell is at the level of Parker's 96 points, but the taste is hardly worth more than 94 points.
2000 Ch Pichon Lalande, Pauillac
Very dark, ruby red. This is classic Pauillac from a warm vintage, mocha coffee, truffle, dark chocolate, fragrant oak, green pepper and smoke. The taste is equally good and harmonious, powerful but not heavy, with a complex after taste. At least 97 points.
2000 Ch Margaux, Margaux
Very dark, ruby red. Ultimately refined in the nose, like the previous wine but a degree more pronounced. Like freshly ground coffee instead of just coffee etc. The taste was compact, significant but smooth tannins, a quite adequate acidity and just wonderful fruit. No problems with elegance, lively and complex in the mouth. A remarkable wine and clearly 100 points.
Alsatian wine tour presented, 2003-09-25
The wine tour was presented like in a slide-show as a "personal travel diary" and the tasting was to illustrate the superb price value to be found if visiting rather unknown coming estates. So no memorable wines presented this time but please have a look on the slide-show (by clicking this link).
If not each of these dozen wines were memorable, something would have been wrong in the selection. But nothing was wrong and all of the wines did really shine as did the audience. It should be commented, that Robert Parkers preferences did influence a lot when defining and selecting the flights.
1990 Bollinger RD 2002
Full golden colour. Bread and yeast, honey, nuts, apricot. Fat young fruit with some acidity of overripe apples. Fat fruit, sturdy acidity, rather dry with splendid length. I find this wine outstanding like also Parker do with 98 points, but I have heard from some of my wine friends that they do not appreciate this style.
1964 Dom Perignon
Copper golden yellow colour. A lot of nuts and taste bread in the nose, sweet alert fruit like the smell in a candy store. A bit oxidised. Coffee and chocolate. The taste is very personal with round after taste that carries on. Two different tasting schools did appear immediately, one half that was swept off their feet and the other just asking what the point is to mature champagne until it gets damaged like this. The observant reader might think by now that I was unrestrainedly positive and did consider 99 points for this.
2000 Riesling Rebberg, Kreydenweiss
Medium yellow colour. Soft, stylish Riesling, lovely mineral acidity, but somewhat low keyed. Also a bit flowery and exotic from the fine vintage. Sweet in the taste, very forward for a Riesling but enough acidity, world class but immature and restrained. Long fine after taste but not in the same class as the rest of the wines. The wine must undergo an impeccable maturity process to meet the 95 Parker points.
1998 Clos Ste Hune, Trimbach
Medium yellow, a bit greenish colour. Aromatic and fleshy, somewhat herbaceous, some acetone and burnt rubber and not surprisingly some petroleum. Light and fluffy in the texture of the taste and a little bitter in the after taste. A splendid classic future seem to be to hand. Impressive acidity and fruit. Robert Parkers 95 points is quite adequate and maybe a bit conservative if the wine will take age with grace.
2000 Riesling Brand, Zind-Humbrecht
Deep yellow colour. The contrary to the wine above, sturdy and fat, fills the nose with exotic fruit aroma, like Litchi and papaya. Thick, powerful taste with some sugar increase big proportions. 97+ by Parker is quite adequate.
1997 Haut Brion Blanc
Deep yellow, greenish colour. Hay and grass, somewhat herbaceous, damp paper and wet wood in the nose. Lovely oak taste, a wonderful acidity, so strong and potent. A long, long after taste. A positive surprise that a prestige wine also stand the proof of tasting. Even if the wine was questioned by some tasters, for me it was definitely worth 96 Parker points.
1997 Cuvée de l'Orrée, Chapoutier
Medium yellow, with a tone of copper. Straight and forward, sweet by concentred fruit, powerful without frills of any kind. The taste is massive with a moderate acidity, fleshy and straight oak. The proportions are huge and well packaged, a wine with a great future. A favourite for most tasters and close to 100 points.
1996 Corton-Charlemange, Verget
Deep yellow colour. Sturdy oak components mixed with shameless fruit, all properties from the wool palette and on the limit to resemble some oxidation. Thick fat fruit, sturdy acidity, powerful oak and uncompromising style of all at once. Such burlesque wine is really an asset in a world of ingratiate commercialism. 96 points for dedicated wine making.
1999 Sbragia Chardonnay, Beringer
Deep yellow colour. Wax and wool in the nose, inflated and powerful. The taste is pure and beautiful, toast from oak, a splendid wine with a long after taste. A rare event when the wine really moved me, 96 points now and maybe more if it takes on a coherent evolution.
1997 Mersault les Genervieres, Comte Lafon
Deep yellow colour. A classy smell, reminding of Riesling. A very soft and well made wine, but not too complex if to be honest. While the wines so far have been memorable for their quality, this is more memorable for the bad price-performance ratio. Worth 93 points or so and I can't understand Lafon's comment "it is the best wine of my life".
1994 McCrea Vineyard, Kistler
Fine yellow colour. A little of everything, some fatness, some fruitiness, some oak, delicious and stylish. Very pure and stylish also in the taste and a good, ripe and long after taste. But the overall impression is hardly of the calibre of the worlds best white wines. Points like the previous wine.
1995 Chablis Valmur, Verget
Deep yellow colour. The nose of fine wet wool and new baked bread. The taste also was subtle and strong at the same time. The acidity being uncompromising like the Corton-Charlemange but with a much more surrounded with a mature palette of complexity. The after taste was very long. This is one of the rare 100 Parker-points dry white wines, and thus being science fiction when to acquire. I find it slightly better than the previous Verget wine, but hardly 100 points.
1959 Puligny-Montrachet les Pucelles, D Genin
Light amber. A mature smell of nuts but not in the least oxidised. A good acidity and fresh lively fruit. A long and totally pure after taste. It merits easily 95 points. This wine was brought by Mårten to exemplify how good ageing potential there might be in a well made dry white wine.
A good way to ensure some memorable stuff being tackled, is to visit a tasting arranged by Nils Sternby. Specially if he brings the wines from his famous cellar, collected several decades ago, when old wines were not yet recognised by IT-millionaires. Nils guided us through the gone decades and boosted the tasting with many good stories from the wine world, a really nice evening.
Two bottle of each wine were opened and each bottle were poured to every other taster, in order to allow every taster to compare his bottle with his neighbours other bottle.
1941 Mersault, Dr Barolet
Full golden colour. Fat and leather at the opening, soft butter but with a vigour acidity. The taste was also soft and gentle, but also young and vigorous. Some nuts in the long after taste. Anyone could have been fooled by the age of the wine, I would have guessed ten years old or 20 at most. Impressive, are today's white Burgundy of this calibre ?
1961 Ch Malescot, Margaux
Rather dark, ruby colour, not very much brick red. Lovely, fruity smell, straight-backed and laser focused. Some cedar, pencil and a bit of mint. The taste was even more impressive, also very focused and straight. Not yet quite ready, will yield more with another 10 years in the cellar. Long and fine in the finish. Parker has rightly ranked it top level with 92 points.
1959 Ch Lagrange, Saint Julien
Rather dark, brick red. This was the quite opposite of the Batailly, inflated and jovial, very open and accessible. All this was combined with the classic stuff of sweaty horse and stable. The taste was dynamic with good balance, more coarse than elegant. Impressive, useful for "the more the better" moments of life.
1953 Ch Batailly, Pauillac
Rather dark, brick red. Somewhat shy at the beginning, fruity and clean, very classic Bordeaux with cedar and leather. Dry in the taste, but in very good shape, balanced and well-proportioned. Long fine finish. Impressive, useful for reflexive meditation.
1942 Ch Saint Pierre, Saint Julien
Rather dark, brick red colour. A strong mushroom smell did block anything else from the wine. Unfortunately, the mushrooms were not palatable at all and the wine more or less destroyed. The second bottle was a bit better but neither enjoyable. When tasting old wines, memorable is not always referring excellent wine but sometimes shockingly expensive vinegar :-).
1937 Ch Conseillante, Pomerol
Medium dark, brick red colour. Very rich and fat in the nose, sweet and buttery, lovely smell of cedar and tobacco. Rather dry in the taste, but soft and mature, charming and lovely, could easily been gulped down if one had unlimited supply :-). The reputation of the chateau may have biased the judgement, but this was really good.
1929 Ch Pique-Caillou, Merignac
Medium depth, brick red colour. Very forward in the nose, fat and rich and very pleasant. Fresh and well done. Super also in the taste. Certainly a bit dry, but round and charming and quite long in the after taste. The bottle I was served from was clearly better then the other.
1928 Ch Rouget, Pomerol
Rather light, brick red colour. Silky smell of Tabacco, paper and cedar. Fragile but free from oxide. On the stylish side, not very powerful but soft and flawless. Medium long and a bit too dry in the after taste. Fades after a while.
NV (believed to be 1910 - 1920) Vieux Chassagne-Montrachet, Dr Barolet
Medium depth, full red brick red. Lovely Burgundy smell, nice decadent fruit and an ageing of excellence. Hard to complain, but the showed a minor paper dryness. The taste were also splendid, with an acidity being its back bones. Dry fruit, but in no danger of cracking up. Impressive once again, even if red burgundy from this time were known to be fortified with some sturdy reds from sunny southern regions.
The three great chateaux Leoville Poyferré, Cos d'Estournel and Lynch Bages was chosen to exemplify what may be achieved from the two great vintages 1982 and 1990. It is not an overstatement to expect all these 6 wines to be memorable. Which they were found to be.
Of the two vintages, the 1990 seems to turn out as the better one. 1982s are still fat and hedonistic but will hardly be recognise for longevity. The 1990s are so well balanced and has the notch over 1982s in their firmer structure.
Of the three chateaux, the best was Lynch Bages. Both vintages from Lynch Bages were young and fresh with a splendid integration with softness and bouquet from age.
1982 Ch Leoville Poyferré
Dark, a brick brownish red colour. Fat, rich fruit with clear age. A tearful extent between dry maturness and sweet fruit, in a soft mode. Somewhat dry in the taste, power has overtrump the fruit. The taste will probably not ever come into balance. Today 94 points and tomorrow probably lower. Ten years ago this promising wine showed so much power and concentration, but the final answer seems to be that the fruit didn't stand the huge tannins.
1982 Ch Cos d'Estournel
Dark, brick red with some brown. A slightly suspicious nose of cellar and sherry, luckily it goes away with some airing. Somewhat lean in the taste and the fruit is not quite sufficient. Many times I have experienced this wine to have a strange nose, and each time a lower the judgement to a 90 point level.
1982 Ch Lynch Bages
Dark, brick red colour. Sweet, sticky smell of fruit and bouquet. No way any tiredness or ailments. Cedar, oranges, leather etc. The taste is on the same way, wonderfully balanced and refined. A graceful maturness is the case, still potent and luxury. Long, strong after taste of a 95 point effort.
1990 Ch Leoville Poyferré
Dark, brick red colour. A very open and noisy smell with a lots of everything. Perhaps lacking style, but fat and hedonistic. Very soft in the taste, with the acidity to carry it. Interesting balance between acidity and mature sweetens. 95 points, somewhat less if you prefer more elegance.
1990 Ch Cos d'Estournel
Dark, brick ruby red. The smell is marked by coffee, dark chocolate and cask roosting. Superb intensity, herbaceous and fluffy. The oak is too obvious and the tannins and acidity also seem a bit heavy for the fruit. 93 points will have to do.
1990 Ch Lynch Bages
Dark, ruby red. Dark berries, compact at fruit, some lushness. All this on a firm base of cedar and stable. Very well behaving. Sun in the taste, rich and fat with round tannins. A long after taste from a superb wine. At least 96 points.
The tasting covered the vintage ports from Graham, Fonseca and Taylor from the vintages 1970, 1977 and 1985. As can be imagined, these nine wines were all memorable.
The 1970s came out very strong and seemed more unevolved than the younger 1977s. Generally, I have always been more impressed by the 1970 powerful ports then by the more reputed and softer 1977. The 1985s were uneven, with the Graham port being the unchallenged star.
1970 Graham Vintage Port
Medium depth, brick red. Clean, fresh smell, somewhat fiery. Not a powerhouse, but gentle and elegant. The taste is delicious and in good harmony, maybe a bit on the lean side. Nevertheless a very good wine, the most elegant of the 70's. Around 95 points.
1970 Fonseca Vintage Port
Medium depth, brick red. Charming, inflated smell, not totally clean but very personal ant potent. Round and cream in the mouth, with elegance and some power. 96 points.
1970 Taylor Vintage Port
Medium depth, brick red. Fat in the nose with the typical Taylor "wet wood" component. Lovely and crispy nose with a lot of personality. Trace of wood also in the taste, but not negative for the wine. Long and powerful after taste, best of the 70's, deserve 97 points.
1977 Graham Vintage Port
Medium depth, brick red. Medium intensity nose, a bit woody and tired with somewhat burned fruit. The taste appeared similarly, tired and restrained. The after taste was however very long and rich. 93 points. The appearance of this wine has been very consistent since I slipped into the wine tasting business 15 years ago.
1977 Fonseca Vintage Port
Medium depth, brick red. Medium intensity, tired matured nose, and like the 1977 Graham it didn't do too much to sell itself. Very sweet and compact in the taste, elegant more like an ordinary red than a port. Not my stile, 93 points. This wine seem to vary and I have tasted better bottles of it.
1977 Taylor Vintage Port
Medium depth, brick red. Quite open in the smell, lovely and flirty, despite being powerful and vigorous. Both powerful and elegant in the mouth, balanced in all aspects, even in its sweetness. Impressive and worth 97 points. In all fairness it should be said, that I have also had more doubtful bottles of this wine, that reminded me of the dull appearance of the Graham and Fonseca.
1985 Graham Vintage Port
Very dark, ruby red. Still a little reserved in the nose, but potent and fruity in the underlying foundation. A lot of coffee, dark chocolate and oranges. A splendid taste, with youthful fruit and lovely balance, has a bright future. Finally a long, potent after taste. If this 97 point wine had only been a wee bit more concentrated it had deserved a perfect 100 score.
1985 Fonseca Vintage Port
Dark, ruby red. A lot of acetone and glue in the smell, sweet and elegant, but without really fruit backup. Not yet definitively integrated, the jammy sweetness on one side and bitter acidity on the other. 94 points.
1985 Taylor Vintage Port
Dark, ruby red. A hint of grass in the smell makes one somewhat suspicious. Powerful and lively, but also raw and ignoble. A mean taste concludes, this is not a strong vintage for Taylor, 91 points.
Eight samples from great Chateaux from the well reputed 1986 vintage were tasted. To be honest, I can hardly recognise this Bordeaux vintage to be at all memorable. Time has not put these wines into shape, they have not lost their harshness and the fruit begins to dry out. A clear exception to this is the Ch Mouton-Rotschild but this was not present in this tasting. The only wine in the tasting that has reasonably transformed age into beauty was :
1986 Ch Leoville Las Cases
Dark, ruby colour. A solid taste of forest and mushroom, with smoke, cedar, tar and a lot of black currant juice. Very full bodied youthful taste, with good fruit having an even struggle with the acidity and tannins. If you like to gamble, take a chance to save the wine for another decade. 96 points.
Very much pioneering is going on in Italy for the moment. There were many fine wines presented and also some memorable.
1990 Barolo Sperss, Gaja
Rather dark, brick colour. Very fruity smell, sweet from oak and mature fruit. A lot of typical Nebbiolo cherries. The taste has evolved in a fantastic way. Barolo might be to harsh, even when fully mature, but the Sperss is made in a modern international style and succeed to keep its balance. Parker have given it 95 points, but some points more may appear fair.
(For what reason the following wine will be memorable is yet difficult to determine. It has a hard time right now, but there is hope that it will come together and form something very special. But there is a certain risk that the wine will be memorable as a poor wine investment)
1997 Montiano, Falesco
Very dark, ruby colour. The nose is wild and raw without much refinement. Deep and intense nose of black fruit with mushrooms and oranges. The taste is also rather raw with notable acidity. It is indeed a powerful wine, but how will it integrate and get some elegance. I have noted the same evolution in other Merlot based wined from the new world, for example the 1992 Beringer Bancroft Range Merlot. These are so lush and smooth when just bottled and put on the market, but after some years they go into a teenage crisis. Parker has suggested 97 points for this wine so he expect the teenager to become a full-fledged adult.
As suspected, all of the presented vintages 1985, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994 were clearly memorable. Or as many tasters agreed on after the tasting, "it is seldom that so intensified high expectations are fulfilled, but this was such an occasion". Please also see some information about Dominus (in Swedish).
1985 Dominus
Very dark, brick colour. Not too mature in the nose, but some traces of cedar and barn. Pure and sumptuous. The taste is unfortunately tannin marked, and a bit dried out. However, a long, full and elegant after taste. This was the weakest of the vintages earning a couple of points over ninety, but many of the tasters didn't rate it that high. Rather unusual for Parker, he has made a huge change from 96 to 91 points.
1987 Dominus
Very dark, ruby colour with some amber in the rim. The smell is really lovely, sweet and complex, with black fruit, tar, violet, forest, cherry and tobacco. The taste is tight and elegant, without being unbalanced. A very Bordeaux like texture. Once again I was more positive with my 96 point compared to low ninety points from the other complainants. Parker has given 97 points, but he has not recently judged the wine.
1990 Dominus
Very dark, ruby to brick colour. The smell is not immediately to catch, but after a while I find sun-drenched sweet berries and black berries. Very pure and fine. The point is the taste, thick and creamy, despite some tannins remains to be resolved. A long caramel after taste. We all agreed (including Parker) that this was a mid ninety point wine.
1991 Dominus
Very dark, ruby colour. Very classic but a little reserved smell of black currant and other black fruit. The taste is a knock out of new world power in the class of vintage port, but without sacrificing elegance and balance. A super long aftertaste. Many of the tasters found it nearly perfect (100 points). Parker assigns 98 and 99 points.
1992 Dominus
Very dark, ruby colour. Diffuser and softer then the other vintages and somewhat herbaceous but not quite without classical tobacco and leather. Very accessible indeed, making it a great charmer. The taste is not the powerhouse of the 1991 and 1994 but more direct and charming. Most tasters were more attracted than me and gave it points in the middle to upper nineties.
1994 Dominus
Very dark, ruby colour. A cool smell of black currants, pine and tar. Still rather youthful and even raw. The taste is very complete and ideal, with a superb balance between tannins, acidity and fruit. If this continue to mature in this way, something great is to expect. Parker has the same idea, he begun at 97 points and have raised it to 99 points.
Thanks to ignorant Swedish wine critics, some extraordinary wines can be almost anonymously introduced on the Swedish market by the monopoly (called Systembolaget), and sometimes with a price level lower than one third of the world market level. So, for only a couple of 10 kronor (~ a couple of $) we were offered a glass of:
1998 Fox Creek Shiraz Reserve
Tremendously dark ruby colour. Luxury oak smell with accompanying huge fruit level. Not so marked by shiraz pepper or Australian eucalyptus, just lovely, silky fruit. The taste on the same way - sturdy, fruity and creamy, with low acidity and super round tannins. What a wine :=). Wonderful long after taste of oak and fruit. This wine already rivals anything else made to be drunk, and I cross my finger that it will evolve to something really great. Parkers 98 points seem adequate, and I propose a + to be added to the point.'
One month earlier Systembolaget released the little brother to the above, namely:
1998 Fox Creek JSM Shiraz Cabernet Franc
Extremely dark ruby colour. Lovely, fluffy, silky fruit, with nuances of pine forest, blackberry and pepper. The nose is very held together and harmonious. The taste is equally harmonious and creamy despite 14,5 % alcohol. The taste is hedonistic and seductive, with low fresh acidity and round tannins. Nearly as god as the Shiraz reserve above so Parker's 96 points seems a little low.
The ordinary flight didn't present anything really memorable, but there were some extra wines that were quite good.
1998 The Steading, Torbreck
Dark ruby colour. A good volume feeling in the taste, with fruit and acidity in fine balance. Yet somewhat shy. Very sunny in the taste, round mature tannins in good balance. Smashing but a little lean. Clean fruit and fine oak in the after taste. Robert Parker says 96 points and refers to a 45+ seconds after taste. I find this rating a bit high, but maybe the quality is so buried in clean fruit, that I didn't notice it.
1995 Clarendon Hills, Old Wines Grenache, Clarendon Vineyard
Medium brick colour. The nose has always been sensational since this wine was put on the Swedish market. Christmas spices, dill and clove in a never-ceasing stream, this leaves no nose unaffected. To this the taste adds fat and power in an surprising amount given the relative light colour. Robert Parker correctly assign 95 points to this wine.
1993 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707
Extremely dark ruby colour. Thick, fat smell containing splendid oak, elegant acidity and a rich fruit. Much more polite than I imagine this wine to be. Fleshy taste of course with a real Aussi stamp. The tannins are still high and will probably always remain a little to high. Nevertheless, this is a very well made and deserves its 94 Parker points.
Yet another ultimate wine tasting. Six wines with 100 Parker points and one with 99 points were tasted, and none of them lesser then memorable. Even the reference wine, 1996 Montiano from Falesco, was memorable for keeping up well with these exclusive wines, but costing only one tenth.
1989 Heimburg Gewurtztraminer Vendange Tardive, Zind-Humbrecht
Full golden colour. Coherent smell of wild roses, but so soft and smooth that the smell of this sometimes vulgar grape seems fine and polite. The same for the taste, coherent and balanced, melting on the tongue. A great wine that has matured in a splendid way, 99 points from Parker is not unfair.
1995 Côte Rôtie la Turque, Guigal
Dark ruby red colour with some bluish tone. Liquorice and pepper from a huge smell of fruit. A cheeky but piquant acidity carries the smell. A raw and young taste fills the mouth completely, with evident acidity. Still a good balance with a long fruity after taste. I am convinced that the acidity will be integrated by the powerful fruit after some years in the cellar. A clear 100 pointer.
1990 Ch Montrose
Very dark, brick red colour. Some white pepper and vulgar rotten fruit in the smell. A little odd and not very accessible. A monumental construction in the taste, fat, harsh fruit with a long after taste. A wine not only for my children but also for their possible children. Difficult to rate it 100 points right now, but if the wine mature in a successful way, it easily will achieve 100 points.
1986 Ch Mouton-Rotschildt
Dark brick red. It stinks of barn, sweaty horse, tobacco, cedar and even dung. Indeed a lovely smell. Melts like butter in the mouth, so devastating flirty and charming. The after taste just evaporate from the tongue. A prototype for Bordeaux, a clear 100 pointer.
1990 Hermitage la Chapelle, Jaboulet
Very dark, ruby red colour. Salami and butcher's shop in the smell. A bit hard and raw but not without complexity and dynamics. A good attack in the taste, with a wonderful, thick fruit and long, long after taste. Robust but in good balance and with a great future. The wine is rather accessible and obviously a 100 pointer.
1992 Taylor's vintage port
Very dark, ruby colour. Very fruity wine, with delicate violet and lilac. Harmony and elegance with a touch of calvados in the smell. A hint of bitterness in the taste doesn't worry, good harmony, moderate tannin, lovely acidity makes the port reasonably accessible. An elegant 100 pointer.
1997 Quinta do Noval vintage port
Very dark, ruby colour. Massive fruit like jam and marmalade but structured like silk, and noticeable cognac touch. Taste of remarkable fruit with a lot of authority, raw unintegrated acidity and tannin. Fills the mouth completely. This wine takes 100 point on sheer power.
Quite many good Zins from California was presented but not memorable, except
1997 Turley Cellars, Hayne vineyard
Dark ruby red colour. Rich and lush smell, complex fruit and gorgeous balance. Special touch of sour apples and mature wild raspberry. Splendid taste of lingonberry jam with a correct and long, long after taste in perfect balance. As good as expected, for example in the same league as Guigal's vineyard Côte Rôtie. Terrific !
The theme was sweet Sauternes from 1996. There was a few extra wines also, of which this was highly memorable:
1990 Ch d'Yquem
Fine golden colour. Fat, full fruit with great botrytis in appropriate quantity together with well-balanced oak. Creamy fruit in the taste with a super long after taste. Pure and intense. So far the best d'Yquem I have tasted, including 1959, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1983, 1986 and 1988. It has 99 points from Parker, by no means unfair.
The bloody event of the year. Quality and prices are extremely high. I have tasted the 1990 range (including the Romanée-Conti vineyard) once, several years ago, but it was not so easy as I expected to recognise them in the glasses. For example, I did fail to identify the la Tache and mixed it with the Grands Échézeaux. I never learn :=(
1990 Richebourg, DRC
Medium deep, red brick colour. Much berry smelling, rather intense, with some sharp acidity. Of course much lovely jammy, rotten strawberries, but anyway I regarded this wine as the most evolved and also the simplest of the flight. The taste was very smooth and polished, but could not really compete with the other wines. It was a surprise to me and everybody that this was the Richebourg. I put only 90 points, while Parker says 94.
1990 Romanée St. Vivant, DRC
Medium deep, red brick colour. Also much rotten strawberries in the smell, but more balanced and complex than above. Typically for the vineyard, this wine was the most harsh compared to its fruitiness, but not out of balance. Medium after taste, but still object for some storing. I judged the wine to merit 94 points, some points higher than Parker.
1990 Échézeaux, DRC
From the last tasting I remembered this wine to be quite dark with ruby/brick red nuance. Fat Pinot smell of complex, sweet, strawberry fruit. The wine fits very well in the mouth with superb balance between tannins, fruit and acidity, with long, balanced after taste. Really good and assigned 95 points. Parker judge it 92 points, equally to to his judgement of the wine above.
1990 la Tache, DRC
Rather deep, brick red. Deep pinot smell, somewhat sturdier and bitter than the rest. More forest and acidity, more of spices than of strawberries. The tannins are rather evident and that probably makes the wine to seem a little thin. The after taste is long but not longer than the Échézeaux. If the tannins will resolve and the wine will age graceful, this will merit a high mark, but for the moment I restrict myself to 96 points. Parker begun with 96 points but has upgraded to 99+ points. He has only retasted la Tache, so the other wines may be correspondingly low rated.
1990 Grands Échézeaux, DRC
Dark, brick red. The smell is not far from la Tache, with fruit from dark red berries rather than strawberries. This wine has the most superb grip and fatness of the 90'ies. A good portion of acidity and tannin gives accompanying backbones to the flesh, really superb, and I rated this highest with 97 points. Parker says 93 points. Given that the price is only half of la Tache this wine is good value for money (provided you can't do without a 1990 DRC).
A really El Dorado for wine lovers, with some hard-to-obtain wines offered not often seen on such open events. The festival was held in the beautiful Castle of Sofiero, north of Helsingborg.
A wine I have limited experience from is
1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, Shafer
Dark, ruby red. Beautiful smell of oaked cab, soft, lean and elegant without being hollow. The taste was not quite convincing, on the dry side and not so much new world. However, a frank and long aftertaste suggests some cellar storage. This is a good suggestion for a Bordeaux freak who can imagine to be unfaithful. Robert Parker first rated this wine 92 - 94, and later from bottle he raised the point to 98. I find the truth to lie somewhere in between, that is 95 - 96 points. Are there maybe bottle variations ?
Very good but somehow overrated I usually find both the two wines below
1995 Cask 23, Stag's Leap
Very dark , ruby red. Rather oaky with hollow fruit, a little bitter and green. A plentiful taste with good grip, but again a little hollow in the after taste. I gave it only 93 points. When checking with Parker (after delivering my own opinion :=), he is even worse, giving 88 - 90 ? for about the same reasons I had.
1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection, Camus
Very dark, ruby colour. Very fine balance between fruit and oak in the smell. Fine elegant acidity. The taste is supported by sweet, powerful fruit and expensive oak. This is a charming wine very useful if to convert a teetotaller. This is a real good special selection worth 95 points. Parker also agree here.
I have not yet tasted a less then excellent Togni wine. The 1993 was very good but better was
1996 Cabernet Sauvignon, Philip Togni
Very dark, ruby red. Soft, balanced smell with some herbaceous feeling, not yet very complex but promising. The taste is a copy of the smell, young, raw, bitter and long but with an excellent overall balance. This is a wine to bet on provided some patience can be raised. If time will bring up this wine successful, it will end up with 96-97 points.
Beginning from 1990 I have tasted Insignia quite a lot, and I am entirely impressed.
1991 Insignia, Joseph Phelps
1995 Insignia, Joseph Phelps
Both wines are deep red. Despite their different age, they are at the same maturity level. In the smell, the 91 is sturdy, spicy and powerful and the 95 a little more elegant, sweet and harmonious. Both wines have good balance in the taste, with rich, creamy fruit well ahead of acidity and tannin. Like the smell, the 91 has a powerful, unpolished after taste, while the 95 is softer and more well behaving. I give both wines 95 points, but to be used for different purposes. The 91 as an alternative to whiskey and the 95 for warming up before.
For the first time, and hopefully not last, I tasted
1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Harlan Estate
Dark, red colour. The smell is rather marked by new toasty casks, a little earthy and superbly balanced. The taste is shockingly explosive, like a dry port. This concentration is seldom seen without having negative impact on elegance and fluffiness. Such properties reminds me of a Guigal Landonne from a top vintage. This is so far the best California wine I have tasted, and 100 point seems easily adequate. Parker is more moderate with 99 points :=).
The real super-producers were not represented, but accidentally the producer below makes very special wines.
1995 Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, Joseph Roty
Dark, ruby colour. Tight, elegant smell of red current and strawberry combined with forest smells of pine and moss. A fantastic grip in the taste with harshness, but enough amount of fruit. A long, fine after taste. This wine ought to be laid down for another five years. I suspect this wine will merit 95 points when fully mature.
Several splendid and memorable wines were served from this legendary producer, represented by export manager Guy Bizot. (The only wine I didn't like was the 1990 Bollinger Grande Année Rosé.)
1990 Bollinger Grande Année
Fine golden colour. A pure and clean smell with elegance from mineral and somewhat hard acidity. Really intense in the taste, creamy and rich, with no risk of being overly acid. Superb, well made champagne. Almost mature and will keep for many years. I put around 94 points for this wine.
1985 Bollinger R.D.
Recently bottled (récemment dégorgé) in 1999. In fact lighter colour then the 1990 Grand Année above. A very intense smell, evidently bready and yeasty, but in a very elegant and complex way. The taste is wonderfully pure and focused, with a long after taste. A little rough in the finish made me asking Guy if the wine should be stored for a while. He claimed that this "freshness" was the point with this type of wine, which he recommended to be immediately consumed after the dégorgé. Hard facts for a necrophile ! This is a couple of points better than above, say 96 points.
1985 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises
Strong golden colour with a trace of copper red. Very elegant and a little shy when served (too chilled). Opens up with a lot of nuances - soft acid, elegant fruit, overripe apples, a little apricots and everything kept well together. But the taste is the point with this wine. It has extraordinary intensity and balance, forcing the acidity to an almost imperceptible level. It just melts in the mouth. Yet a couple of points upwards, as a suggestion 98 points.
An vertical of Gruaud-Larose was arranged and conducted by Georges Pauli, the chief oenolog at the chateau. The 1982 was clearly the best in my opinion but not all did agree on that. The wine had been decanted 5 hours in advance, and a long discussion followed if that had soften the wine too much.
1982 Ch Gruaud-Larose
Very dark and brick red. Soft and magnificent in the nose, but not too much maturity bouquet yet. A lot of coffee. The taste is equally good, also rather soft but with marked round tannins. Fleshy, fruity with fine attack. Long and very pure after taste. I have recently tasted this wine several times, and it has not quite lived up to my earlier expectations, right now I say 95 points rather than Robert Parkers 97.
Six various tastings are arranged. The first is a Pomerol 1989 tasting. The star is 1989 Ch la Conseillante but the real surprise (and maybe better) is:
1989 Ch Petit Village, Pomerol
Dark ruby-brick red colour. A totally charming, pure and clean smell. There is the ripe fruit balanced with crispy, burnt new oak. Rich and fat taste with long and fruity after taste. I give the wine 95 points, which maybe is too positive, if to reflect the insecure future potential of the wine.
The next tasting is a Ch Cos d'Estournel vertical of the vintages 1959, 1961, 1970, 1982, 1985, 1989 and 1990. The 1990 and 1982 are splendid but for those who likes mature wines the memorable one is:
1961 Ch Cos d'Estournel
Medium depth, brick red colour. The nose is very classic with cedar, sweaty horse and leather. No sign of tiredness but fully mature. The taste is in the same direction, utterly balanced, harmonious and complex. This has aged very graceful but it is not particular fat and concentrated. Thus, 94 points will have to do.
I did not visit the 1986 tasting but the general impression I heard of was that 1986 Ch Talbot was outstanding.
After this tasting the three Leoville estates are examined from the three vintages 1979, 1985 and 1990. The best vintage is 1990 and all the chateaux shows to be memorable. The two best are:
1990 Ch Leoville las Cases
Very dark ruby colour. A little tight first, but the smell opens up and offers delicious sweaty horse and attractive black fruit. The taste is even better, with a super attack and a long, long after taste. One can imagine good acidity and round tannins under the huge fruit level. An almost sweet feeling from the concentration. Parker alters between 96 and 97 points but I am convinced he will rise it to 98 - 99 points.
1990 Ch Leoville Poyferrèe
Very dark ruby colour. The nose is even fatter than the previous wine. Wonderful, complex mix of plums, leek and butcher's shop. The taste is not quite living up to the fatness of the smell, but none the less very concentrated. It is hard to pick the best of the two, but if I have to, I support the former and give this "only" 96 points.
The final tasting was a handful of well-reputed Medoc Chateaux from 1975. To make it short, not any was memorable, including the 1975 Ch Mouton-Rotschildt.
Unfortunately a co-ordination lapse caused the Comte Lafon wines to be impossible to obtain and taste. However, the audience were quite happy to only taste the Kistler wines without any good enough match from Comte Lafon.
California Chardonnay are generally said to be better from 1995 then 1994. As an exception that proves the rule, the Kistler 1994 wines are a bit fatter and sturdier then the wines from 1995.
1994 Vine Hill Road Vineyard, Kistler
Good yellow colour. Fine sweet fruit with classy wet wool. Discreet smell with good oak balance. Taste characterised by balance between oak, fruit extract and acidity. Very long delicious aftertaste. I did put 94 points without knowing that Robert Parker did say 93 - 95.
1994 Durell Vineyard, Kistler
Pale yellow colour. Rather tight nose with citrus and a hint of wet paper. Not too much oak in the smell. Powerful balanced taste with some bitterness. A length that is legendary and totally balanced but again with another slight bout of bitterness. This wine is slightly better than the previous and I judged it (without knowing in advance) equally as Parker, 95 points.
(In my rare bright moments I imagine that I understand Robert Parker, amen).
1978 Chave Hermitage (rouge)
Very dark, brick colour. Sweet, subtle, raisin smell. Fat, creamy, mature fruit, low acidity and hedonistic. Taste with perfect harmony, low acidity and rich. Unbelievable graceful maturity. Super long aftertaste. My scoring is 99-100, one of the best Rhone wines I have tasted and certainly the best that is fully mature.
1982 Chave Hermitage (rouge)
This wine is rather similar to the above. It is even more decadent but not quite as rich, I put 96 points of 100.
1990 Chave Hermitage (rouge)
Rather deep, ruby colour. A lot of white pepper in the nose. Splendid fruit, nice, warm feeling, special components like striking surface, sweaty horse and raisin. Taste more elegant than powerful, the taste perhaps not as good as the smell. I judge it 94 points. I was more impressed by the 1978, but Robert Parker score them in the reverse order.
1990 Ornellaia
Dark, ruby-brick colour. Soft, fine, personal smell. Fruity, coherent, lovely nose with perfect elegant acidity. Complete taste, simply outstanding. Apparent Italian acidity, not over-explicit, but fresh and elegant. I have tasted this before and have to repeat - this is as good as an Italian wine can get, I guess, somewhere in the 98 point area.
1990 Palazzo Altesini, Brunello di Montalcino
Medium depth, brick red. Massive wonderful oak, with dill like a graceful Rioja. Typical wooden Brunello. Like Rioja in the taste, somewhat dry and thin, but with a lot of aged personality. Very complex with a long aftertaste. Very different to the above and not so good, say 92 points.
1994 Masseto Merlot, Ornellaia
Dark ruby red. Complex smell with bacon, liquorice and spices. God fruit level, also in the taste, where the fruit balance is acceptable. This wine was the best of several 1994 super Tuscany's tasted (Vigna l'Apparita Castello di Ama, Sassicaia, Ornellaia). 1994 is a rather mediocre vintage.
A number of wines of obscure type and origin were tasted. The only that was really memorable was:
1988 Chateau d'Yquem
Strong pure yellow colour. Thick, fat fruit smell but closed for the moment. Some burnt oak. Imagination of silk. Wonderful fleshy fruit with all components in place. Botrytis, but not excessively levels. Very, very long aftertaste. A splendid wine in the 98-100 point class.
A good range of interesting Chapoutier wines was presented (for instance 1989 & 1990 Hermitage Sizeranne), but only one of their top cuvées:
1994 Hermitage le Pavillon, Chapoutier
Dark ruby red. Smell of dark red berries, pure and peppery. Lovely balance, but not so powerful in the nose as expected. Sausages and butcher. Fine soft tannins in the taste, young and very fine, but not really as powerful as expected. Given the vintage it is a fine wine, but Robert Parker's 96 points are maybe 2 points too high.
On this tasting many good wines were offered in the 90 to 94 points interval. They of course clearly deserve to get remembered if hadn't I been provided with such poor memory. What I was able to make a mental not of was :
1976 Côte-Rôtie, Jasmin
Medium depth, brick red. Cold, steely smell added with a mature bouquet. Some raspy component in the nose (acidity?), yet not oxidation. In the taste the acidity is perfect, this wine has aged in a lovely way, like Burgundy but without rotten strawberries. The taste get easily 96 points, the nose is a little odd.
1978 Côte-Rôtie, Brune et Blonde, Guigal
Dark, brick red. very balanced and focused fruity smell. Spicy but irritating pure. Very good balance also in the taste but with less proportions. Very pure and elegant wine. Some tannins left turn it dry in its long aftertaste. What makes this wine memorable is how splendid it has matured. It is a pity that such minor but potential wines often are drunk before they enter their maturity window. 92 mature points.
1991 Côte-Rôtie la Landonne, Guigal
Very dark, ruby red. Strong but elegant, fruity smell. Complex with pepper and fresh oak. The wine reach its peak in its taste. It is almost unbelievably powerful but yet elegant. Earthy, wild but smooth tannins with enough fruit. Parker score the wine to 100 points and I can only agree. Guigal's cru-wines are expensive but worth the price.
1971 Corton-Charlemagne, Louis Latour
Deep, golden colour. Compact, somewhat oaky, buttery and well-made sturdy Chardonnay nose. How fine the wine is becomes evident in the long, soft, warm aftertaste with a hint of oak. And what a youth, one could easily take this for a ten years wine. This bottle came from my cellar, purchased from the treasury of Knud Jörgenssen.
1983 Chateau Palmer
Dark, brick red. Much horse and barn. Somewhat tight but enough flesh. Harmony, balance, elegance and refinement. Open, lush nose with nice oak. Warm and soft in the aftertaste, relatively elegant but young and rough. This wine showed a bit better than 1992 Chateau Lynch Bages and that indicates 95-97 points.
1982 Chateau Cheval Blanc
Dark, brick red colour. Spicy, personal smell. Fat and full, with vigour in the acidity. Typical grassy. Sturdy taste, not completely integrated, neither mature. More disordered than I remember this wine to be. But You can already recognise a mature subtle science fiction wine. How good does it get ? It is still infantile and hard to judge, and as a mature wine I think it will land between 97 and 100 points.
1961 Chateau la Misson Haut Brion
Dark, brownish brick red. Leather, smoke, dust, barn, all the classic Bordeaux attributes. A totally integrated bouquet. A strong and balanced nose. Decadent well-hung meat, sweaty horse etc. etc... Equally fine in the taste with a charming long aftertaste. A great wine with a perfect score of 100 points of 100 possible. One of the single best matured wines I have tasted.
1983 Clos Ste Hune, Trimbach
Deep bright yellow. Sweet smell with wonderful balance. Nutty with mineral oil below. Complete with certain flesh. A complex palette of raw fruit, mineral, sweetness and soft acidity. Splendid mature Riesling fruit in the taste is counterbalancing the evident acidity in a ingenious way. Balanced aftertaste, long and dignified. One of the best Rieslings I have tasted, but the fact that it lacks a bit of body prevents it from a perfect 100 point score, 98 points is more appropriate I think.
1989 Clos Ste Hune Vendange Tardive, Trimbach
Deep bright yellow. Good balance in the smell but a bit closed. Solid fruit on a solid acid ground. High acidity also in the taste, but balanced with fruit and sugar. Compact and unyielding for the moment. Long, rich aftertaste. A great potential, and will probably challenge the wine above.
1994 Graham's vintage port
Very dark bluish ruby colour. Rich nose of cognac and raw grape must. Strong, almost pushing, spicy, fat and creamy smell. The taste is equally fleshy and creamy, with a long, long after taste having both elegance and power at the same time.
1985 Graham's vintage port
Dark, ruby colour. Interesting smell of a combination of mature Bordeaux and oranges. Nuts and toffee, harmony and integration, very complex. Slender-limbed rather than weightily in the taste, soft and complete with a long fine after taste. Robert Parker gives this wine 97 points and I agree. It is now (October-98) available in Systembolaget for 420 SEK, expensive but worth the price.
The very feminine, nearly loose 1977 Grahams vintage is highly praised, but has not blew me away like the wines above. The 1970 is the opposite, wild and uncontrolled and therefore neither quite memorable.
1963 Graham's vintage port
Rather dark, brick red colour. Fine elegant maturity, vital despite its age, rather strong smell. The taste is splendid, the ultimate balance between power and elegance. Still young, may rest another 20 years in bottle. Magnificent wine.
The tasting did cover 1980, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1989 1990 and 1991. All of them of course brilliant wines but above the crowd I found:
1990 Grange, Penfolds
Very dark, ruby colour. Powerful, young, juicy smell. Black pepper and flesh, vigour, balance, everything.... The taste in the same direction. Honest and in fine harmony with tannin, acidity and fruit in perfect marriage. Very good and most likely worth more than Robert Parker's 94 points.
1981 Grange Hermitage, Penfolds
Very dark, brick red colour. Positive smell of well-kept barn, with sweaty horses included. Mature Shiraz, dusty, antique, silky smell. Somewhat more dry in the taste than expected. The question is, will the taste round off or dry out in the future ? Nevertheless, this is a stunning wine, which deserves the 96+ point by Robert Parker.
Old East India Oloroso, Valdespino, bottled 1938
Dark amber. Nutty, rich, thick, creamy smell. The sherry "oxide" component is real subtle and sexy. Remarkable power but with silky elegance. The taste is rich but firm almost without sugar. The after taste is very long. The best Sherry I have tasted. I give it 98 points only to irritate you since it is not likely you find another bottle of this.
Vintages represented were 1979, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990. The one that clearly excelled was:
1989 Haut Brion
Very dark, brick red colour. Soft round cabernet smell, lot of cedar and barn. Coherent and classic. Spicy, strong delicious nose with roasted oak. Creamy taste with a warm long long after taste. Lush and well-made. Magnificent wine, worth a perfect 100 point.
The final optional and clearly the best wine was
1978 Richebourg, Dom de Romanée Conti
Rather dark colour with a brown edge. Sensational smell of vulgar, rotten fruit. Stylish and unbeatable Pinot Noir. Truffle, a bit salty, oily nose. The taste is very developed but no sign of tiredness. Splendid integration, a hint of a fine sherry (no maderisation) and another hint of a feminine Bordeaux. Long after taste. A super Burgundy and I think that Robert Parker's 94 points is rather mean.
The Quintarelli wines did stand out on this tasting:
1985 Amarone, Quintarelli
Rather dark, brick red colour with some brown at the edge. A bit of damp cellar in a clean way doesn't disturb the smell at all. Similar maturity as a Bordeaux but with raisin sweetness. Personal and fine in the nose. Mature taste with a fine and long after taste. The "oxide" tone is quite charming. A very good wine nearly matching the next.
1990 Alzero, Quintarelli
Very dark, ruby colour. Rather tight nose, much dark fruit like a young vintage port. Somewhat earthy but on the whole complex and balanced. The taste feels really sweet, but probably not from sugar but from the concentrated fruit extract. Thick, mouth-filling cool taste with soft tannins. A remarkable wine at least worth its 96 Parker points.