Quickly - name how many mature wines can you find in your local Alko wine shop for 23 Eur or less? Indeed, not many, and they are mostly Spanish Grand Reservas. And here is a treat, a 2001 Baron de Ley Gran Reserva, made of grapes grown in a good vintage, however with surprising resemblance to a semi-mature wine from another, more famous wine area...
A friend of mine tipped that the wine gives you the impression of a a left bank bordeaux - what, say that again? Oh just try it. The nose gives you leather, cedar, ripe plum, strawberry, spices and barnyard notes, evolving to even coca-cola after long decanting. The cedar notes would place this one up in the north in Saint Estephe, however the plum is more of a merlot character (which also cultivated on the left bank, however cabernet sauvignon dominates there), and the barnyard is trademark of tempranillo. After all, it is a tempranillo-meets-bordeaux style of wine.
Ok, a tempranillo from a good vintage, thus opulent fruit was the expectation. And the wine delivers just that, the palate is full of sweet fruit (cherry) mixed with cedar as well as vanillin, obviously from the long barrel maturation. A long, pleasant aftertaste which turns to dried raisins and cherry after long decanting. With plenty of structure, this one is completely in balance and should age well for at least the next 10 years. Full bodied however with integrated tannins. Be patient with this one after opening the bottle, a long decanting will reward you.
Jan 31, 2012
Jan 30, 2012
2007 Fratelli Giacosa Barbaresco (Neive)
Alko's new product list has a very interesting entry this mid-January - a barbaresco for EUR 16.70 (!!!) which is the price you would pay locally in the Langhe Region for a bottle, not in Finland with high alcohol taxes. And it was significantly cheaper than Alko's other barbarescos - thus a wine I could not wait to buy and test.
What to expect from a barbaresco with such a low price tag? Given that the local price has to be significantly cheaper than Alko's, which includes also shipping, taxes and profit margin attached to it. You would think that it is really cheap back at home.
Well, the wine is just that, it is noticeable barbaresco with a youthful feeling (vintage 2007, thus drank too young), with really beautiful light ruby colour. The nose is aromatic with the initial black cherry evolving to sweet black cherry, perfume and chocolate after 2hrs of decanting. With the usual high tannins, notes of black cherry in palate which evolves to dried herbs mixed with semi-sweet plum after decanting. However the dominating effect is that of tannin and alcohol with a slightly bitter but long aftertaste.
You get what you see - no surprise here, a young barbaresco however for the price you get actually ok/good value if you like nebbiolo and are not intimidated by some harshness in the aftertaste and have time for long decanting. In terms of fruitiness, I was left for wanting more. You really need to be patient with this wine.
By the way, nice strawberry aromas after long decating.
By the way, nice strawberry aromas after long decating.
Jan 27, 2012
2000 Taittinger Comtes Blanc de Blancs, 2001 Chateau Grillet, 2007 Tignanello, 1997 Chateau d'Yquem
Great way to start the week at restaurant Mange Sud which started Wine Mondays evening tonight.
2000 Taittinger Comtes Blanc de Blanc (Champagne)
Pale yellow with very small nice bubbles, this is a surprisingly perfumed champagne, on the nose like a basket of fresh fruits and flowers mixed together, with notes of citrus (100% chardonnay), toasted bread, lavender, nuts and cantaloupe melon in there.
The mouthfeel is really soft however crisp at the same time, and a pleasant, mellow mousse. Citrus like straight from a fresh fruit. Nuts and grapefruit there too. The nose gives you much, however this is more full-bodied than what the nose indicates. Actually surprisingly full-bodied. A very good champagne.
2001 Chateau Grillet (Northern Rhone)
A pale citrus colour, the colour was more pale than that of the Taittinger champagne tasted before. The nose is strangely musty, like a detergent - could it be the glass? Also the nose is faint. When changing the glass, nice aromas of dried orange and pear. It has to be the glass.
This is thick and round, a full-bodied white with an oily taste so typical of the Viognier grape. Surprisingly lot of acidity. Not really a match with my smokes duck breast, apple, nuts, celery remouade. Notes of pear and ripe cantaloupe melon on the palate. It left a slightly sour taste in the mouth, not from a good vintage and alcohol comes through a bit. This one is dissapointing, however the glass could have an impact, since the last drops of the wine were significantly better after changing to another glass. They had opened the bottle 5 hours before I tasted it.
2007 Tignanello, Antinori (Toscana IGT)
A ruby/purple medium+ intensive colour, youthful appereance. Big and bold. Blackcurrant and black fruits, ink, vanilla, oak and charred meat, and leather. Decanted 1.5 hours before tasting.
It is big and raicy, with a dense, powerful and peppery mouthfeel. Layered and turning into spiciness in the end. Big cherry and black fruit, tannic however not overly, will develop very nicely albeit a little short in acidity compared to its peers. Looong aftertaste, a result of great extraction in winemaking and good grapes. A good one.
1997 Chateau d'Yquem (Sauternes)
Nice to able to taste the world's best know dessert wine from a good vintage by the glass. This one has an intensive golden colour however is youthful in other attributes. Nose of apricot, melon, dried grapefruit, like a beautiful vanilla tart with grapefruits in it. The taste is really thick, however its beautiful acidity in combination with the luscious sweetness makes it so pleasant and sets apart from most of rivals in Sauternes. It is like drinking liquid gold. Perfectly in balance while being young, thus could be drank now however should be kept until 20+ years to enjoy to the full. Like on the nose, grapefruit on the palate as well as crisp green young fruit.
2000 Taittinger Comtes Blanc de Blanc (Champagne)
Pale yellow with very small nice bubbles, this is a surprisingly perfumed champagne, on the nose like a basket of fresh fruits and flowers mixed together, with notes of citrus (100% chardonnay), toasted bread, lavender, nuts and cantaloupe melon in there.
The mouthfeel is really soft however crisp at the same time, and a pleasant, mellow mousse. Citrus like straight from a fresh fruit. Nuts and grapefruit there too. The nose gives you much, however this is more full-bodied than what the nose indicates. Actually surprisingly full-bodied. A very good champagne.
2001 Chateau Grillet (Northern Rhone)
A pale citrus colour, the colour was more pale than that of the Taittinger champagne tasted before. The nose is strangely musty, like a detergent - could it be the glass? Also the nose is faint. When changing the glass, nice aromas of dried orange and pear. It has to be the glass.
This is thick and round, a full-bodied white with an oily taste so typical of the Viognier grape. Surprisingly lot of acidity. Not really a match with my smokes duck breast, apple, nuts, celery remouade. Notes of pear and ripe cantaloupe melon on the palate. It left a slightly sour taste in the mouth, not from a good vintage and alcohol comes through a bit. This one is dissapointing, however the glass could have an impact, since the last drops of the wine were significantly better after changing to another glass. They had opened the bottle 5 hours before I tasted it.
2007 Tignanello, Antinori (Toscana IGT)
A ruby/purple medium+ intensive colour, youthful appereance. Big and bold. Blackcurrant and black fruits, ink, vanilla, oak and charred meat, and leather. Decanted 1.5 hours before tasting.
It is big and raicy, with a dense, powerful and peppery mouthfeel. Layered and turning into spiciness in the end. Big cherry and black fruit, tannic however not overly, will develop very nicely albeit a little short in acidity compared to its peers. Looong aftertaste, a result of great extraction in winemaking and good grapes. A good one.
1997 Chateau d'Yquem (Sauternes)
Nice to able to taste the world's best know dessert wine from a good vintage by the glass. This one has an intensive golden colour however is youthful in other attributes. Nose of apricot, melon, dried grapefruit, like a beautiful vanilla tart with grapefruits in it. The taste is really thick, however its beautiful acidity in combination with the luscious sweetness makes it so pleasant and sets apart from most of rivals in Sauternes. It is like drinking liquid gold. Perfectly in balance while being young, thus could be drank now however should be kept until 20+ years to enjoy to the full. Like on the nose, grapefruit on the palate as well as crisp green young fruit.
1999 Chateau Phelan Segur (Saint Estephe)
Phelan Segur 1999 at 13 years old was nicely matured and intensive. When opening the bottle, the room was immediately filled with the sweet and spicy aromas of plum, rasperry, cigarbox, mint, leather spices and musk.
Intensive ruby colour. The mouthfeel does not have the same sweet & spicy feeling, it is in a sense much "drier" than what the nose indicated, starting as soft and round, however developing into a dense one with significant structure and backbone, leading to a very long aftertaste. This is dense, matured, with pencil, ink and pure black fruit dominating. Really full-bodied, there are plenty of tannins however they are integrated. Some green/vegetal notes on the palate in the aftertaste, from Cabernet Franc (which also gives body) and not-so-ripe Cabernet Sauvignon presumably. For the long storage, at 13 years old it could still be kept for 10+ years. The beautiful nose with plenty of aromas gave large promise however the mouthfeel was more one-dimensional.
It was made of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44.5% Merlot, 7.5% Cabernet Franc. The larger than usual Merlot content certainly attributes to the plum feeling - it seems that Merlot was more ripe than cabernet in 1999 and thus it's share in the Grand Vin is higher, while during other years 1997-2001 Cabernet Sauvignon dominated representing 55-62% share of the Grand Vin.
Jan 23, 2012
2000 Smith Woodhouse Late Vintage Port
Vintage 2000 was excellent for port wines, and it shows in this Smith Woodhouse LBV's big exctraction of black cherry, strawberry and blueberry jam, this one is round and thick - almost a jam-like port. Dense cherry, coffee, chocolate and oak in the nose. Alcohol comes through in the palate, which is remarkable because the sweet fruit appears so big - alcohol is almost too strong, i.e. it is not in harmony. Not a finesse port, more power than finesse here. This wine could be stored for a long time although LBVs are made for earlier drinking than vintage ports.
Jan 16, 2012
2000 Ceretto Barolo Bricco Rocche Prapo (Serralunga d'Alba)
Finally I opened a Bricco Rocche Prapo 2000 which I had purchased a couple of years ago to accompany some really nice 350gr entrecote steaks on a Saturday night at home.
The "Prapo" vineyard is located on the southern slopes of Serralunga d'Alba area in Barolo where Ceretto has planted 2.4 hectares since 1972, thus promising a more masculine version of barolo wines. And the promise was delivered in a package with some nicely developed fruit. The wine's large tannins craved for red meat. After decanting for nearly 2 hours, the sweet fruit of plum, cherry and fig notes was beautifully accompanied by notes of coffee, chocolate and vanillin, the latter obviously from extensive oak aging.
And oak aging is the tale of this wine - the wine was matured for as long as 30 months in 300 litre barrels. Ceretto's winemaking style seems to put a lot of maturation elements into the wine (alchohol, tannins, acidity), thus placing a requirement for ripe fruit to level with the maturation elements. Fortunately, this wine's fruit was ripe and survived the requirements. Tannins were somewhat high initially and were not fully integrated at this stage of maturation, thus dried mouth straight after opening. However they improved with long decanting.
The "Prapo" vineyard is located on the southern slopes of Serralunga d'Alba area in Barolo where Ceretto has planted 2.4 hectares since 1972, thus promising a more masculine version of barolo wines. And the promise was delivered in a package with some nicely developed fruit. The wine's large tannins craved for red meat. After decanting for nearly 2 hours, the sweet fruit of plum, cherry and fig notes was beautifully accompanied by notes of coffee, chocolate and vanillin, the latter obviously from extensive oak aging.
And oak aging is the tale of this wine - the wine was matured for as long as 30 months in 300 litre barrels. Ceretto's winemaking style seems to put a lot of maturation elements into the wine (alchohol, tannins, acidity), thus placing a requirement for ripe fruit to level with the maturation elements. Fortunately, this wine's fruit was ripe and survived the requirements. Tannins were somewhat high initially and were not fully integrated at this stage of maturation, thus dried mouth straight after opening. However they improved with long decanting.
Sep 9, 2011
Burgundy 2011 harvest blog 6
Finally, on Friday the harvest ended at Drouhin-Laroze! It is time for celebration, and the village of Gevrey-Chambertin was full of happy people as other domaines celebrated the end of harvest during the same day! A lot of great moments and hard work behind, it is a bit sad to leave these very nice people and go home - although I am heading down south to French Riviera after the week, to enjoy beach & sun for a couple of days!!!!!!!!
We gathered for a team picture during the last day at Drouhin-Laroze. The owners of the estate, Philippe and Christine, are in the forefront - who I would like to thank a lot!
The international body of the team consisted of two Swedes, one English and two Finns, while the rest were French grape pickers. Two fellow Finns, friends of Hanna-Mari, had already left home before this picture was taken. You can find me in the top row, 15th counted from the right.
Sep 8, 2011
Burgundy 2011 harvest blog 5
Again working at the cellar, where there is a lot of action. And a lot of cleaning. Cleaning is really important here, taking a lot of the time. However clean production equipment is very much needed for producing top-notch wines as the winemaker does not want any off-flavours to his or her wine due to poorly maintained equipment.
The sorting belt is some 5 meters long, we are two men pouring the belt full of grapes and 2-3 women / men sorting the unripe or rotten grapes from the belt.
After the sorting belt, the grapes are put through a destemmer into large vats, they are cooled with dry ice and the grapes are lifted to the fermenting vats with the dry ice for cold materation. The heat will be controlled in the fermenting vats and the actual alcohol fermentation will begin when desired.
The sorting belt is some 5 meters long, we are two men pouring the belt full of grapes and 2-3 women / men sorting the unripe or rotten grapes from the belt.
After the sorting belt, the grapes are put through a destemmer into large vats, they are cooled with dry ice and the grapes are lifted to the fermenting vats with the dry ice for cold materation. The heat will be controlled in the fermenting vats and the actual alcohol fermentation will begin when desired.
Sep 7, 2011
Burgundy 2011 harvest blog 4
Today I worked at the cellar at the sorting table, both at filling the table with grapes as well as sorting the bad ones out (the ones left after initial grape selection on the vineyard). This is the quality assurance before the grapes are destemmed and put into vats.
Some white grapes, i.e. pinot blanc, are in the mix with pinot noir grapes, which is not unsual here as some mutations have occured in the vineyard. They are ok to be put in the same tanks as pinot noir grapes we are told. The very presticious Musigny grand cru was 40 baskets, i.e. some 920 kg of grapes. Clos de Vougeot grapes were really good too, while Bonnes Mares generally good grapes with some unequal bunches.
Some white grapes, i.e. pinot blanc, are in the mix with pinot noir grapes, which is not unsual here as some mutations have occured in the vineyard. They are ok to be put in the same tanks as pinot noir grapes we are told. The very presticious Musigny grand cru was 40 baskets, i.e. some 920 kg of grapes. Clos de Vougeot grapes were really good too, while Bonnes Mares generally good grapes with some unequal bunches.
Sep 6, 2011
Burgundy 2011 harvest blog 3
Early in the morning we did village Gevrey-Chambertin crus and later the Chapelle-Chamberin grand cru, followed by Clos de Beze grand cru. The grapes especially in Chapelle-Chambertin were of excellent health, only a few bunches with rot. Thus the grape-picking goes a lot faster, as there is less need to cut out the bad grapes from bunches.
The catering is so nice here, after the 7.15 breakfast we get bread, cheese, charcuterie, water, beer or rose wine at 9.30am, a three-course lunch with wine at noon (2hr break), again bread, chocolate, beer and rose wine at 3.30pm, then after the work day is over, a three-course dinner with wine at 7.30pm. You are really kept well in these circustances.
The nights end really early, everybody is at bed at 9.30pm, so tired and ready to get some well-earned sleep. Good night everybody.
The catering is so nice here, after the 7.15 breakfast we get bread, cheese, charcuterie, water, beer or rose wine at 9.30am, a three-course lunch with wine at noon (2hr break), again bread, chocolate, beer and rose wine at 3.30pm, then after the work day is over, a three-course dinner with wine at 7.30pm. You are really kept well in these circustances.
The nights end really early, everybody is at bed at 9.30pm, so tired and ready to get some well-earned sleep. Good night everybody.
Sep 5, 2011
Burgundy 2011 harvest blog 2
Wake-up at 6.45 am, followed by breakfast with the team at 7.15am, be sure to be in a truck at 7.45am and at the vineyard 8am.
We work in teams of one "porteur", i.e. grape carrier, per 5-6 grape pickers, with the porteurs' 23 kg grape basket getting filled with grapes every 4-6 mins. We were 6 porteurs today, and 32 pickers if I counted right. Worked mainly in Gevrey-Chambertin village crus today. The porteurs' grape basket fills every 4-6 mins with 23 kg of grapes, which have to be carried to the truck waiting on the road. The grape basket itself weights some 5kg. Hard work, very hard work. The health of grapes is uneven, with meticulous work on cutting away the rotten grapes before taking to the winery.
We work in teams of one "porteur", i.e. grape carrier, per 5-6 grape pickers, with the porteurs' 23 kg grape basket getting filled with grapes every 4-6 mins. We were 6 porteurs today, and 32 pickers if I counted right. Worked mainly in Gevrey-Chambertin village crus today. The porteurs' grape basket fills every 4-6 mins with 23 kg of grapes, which have to be carried to the truck waiting on the road. The grape basket itself weights some 5kg. Hard work, very hard work. The health of grapes is uneven, with meticulous work on cutting away the rotten grapes before taking to the winery.
Sep 4, 2011
Burgundy 2011 harvest blog
This year, it is Burgundy.
Participating in the grape harvest in is always a fun experience. In 2011 I had the chance to do harvest work in the other favorite wine production area of mine, Burgundy (France), after participating in the 2010 harvest in Barolo (Piemonte, Italy). I hopped on a plane from Lisbon, Portugal where I had been in a corporate event needing my presence and arrived at Lyon-St. Exupery on Sunday 4th. After taking a train to mid-town, then to Beaune and another to arrive at Gevrey-Chambertin, I was ready to go work in grand cru vineyards among the best pinot noirs in the world.
The estate is one of the largest and well-known producers of the area, Domaine Drouhin-Laroze. And it will be very interesting to work at grand cru vineyards. Drouhin-Laroze owns 11.5 ha of vineyards while also purchasing a small amount of grapes from other producers for the Laroze de Drouhin line of wines which are made by their daughter Caroline. An impressive 5.2 ha of them are Grand Cru vineyards. The Grand Cru vineyards include the prestigious Le Musigny Grand Cru (0.12 ha, only two barrels made each year), while Drouhin-Laroze is the second largest owner in Bonnes Mares (1.5 ha). Grand crus located in Gevrey are Chambertin-Clos de Beze (1.5 ha), Latricieres-Chambertin (0.67 ha) and Chapelle-Chambertin (0.52 ha). Finally, the domaine owns vines in the upper part,of the large Grand Cru of Clos de Vougeot, also know as "Des Papes" (1.0 ha). Click to see a map of the vineyards: http://www.drouhin-laroze.com/us/pdf/carte.pdf
The pinot noir grapes ripened were significantly earlier in 2011 than in 2010 when the harvest was conducted as late as early October. More posts from harvest work to come soon...
Participating in the grape harvest in is always a fun experience. In 2011 I had the chance to do harvest work in the other favorite wine production area of mine, Burgundy (France), after participating in the 2010 harvest in Barolo (Piemonte, Italy). I hopped on a plane from Lisbon, Portugal where I had been in a corporate event needing my presence and arrived at Lyon-St. Exupery on Sunday 4th. After taking a train to mid-town, then to Beaune and another to arrive at Gevrey-Chambertin, I was ready to go work in grand cru vineyards among the best pinot noirs in the world.
The team had already done two full days of grape picking before I arrived, so I joined in on the third day (Monday). The team includes 40 persons this year in addition to the 7 normally working at the domaine.
The pinot noir grapes ripened were significantly earlier in 2011 than in 2010 when the harvest was conducted as late as early October. More posts from harvest work to come soon...
Aug 2, 2011
1964 Chateau Batailley (Pauillac)
One of the wine experiences of the year. Chateau Batailley's 1964 was in excellent condition, the wine has survived until this date in a remarkable fashion from a vintage hailed as not great, but rather mediocre in Bordeaux. The vintage was more favourable on the right bank, however this left bank Pauillac is still a relevant wine and totally enjoyable at 47 years of age. Actually, it could still be stored for some time as it shows no signs of getting "old", however for all you hedonists out there, this one is for you to enjoy right now.
Having bought the bottle from my favorite wine shop in Lyon, "The Flying Sommelier" (http://www.anticwine.com/), one of the better if not The Best wine shop on earth, we could hardly resist opening it. And in the end, we were really glad they had it in stock, as we would have been short of one big experience on this trip.
Brown colour with an almost yellow hue (ok, orange, however light). Mature bouquet is dominated by figue jam, turning into coffee which I personally love. Plenty of acidity here, the mature red wine still has rich fruit content which, together with acidity, created a mouthfeel of sweet liquor-like nectar although the wine is totally dry. Long aftertaste, hints of figue on the palate and after 1.5 hours of decanting, coffee flavours emerged. Tannins could still be felt. From very ripe grapes, the wine was potentially really heavy and full-bodied when young, however now developed into a charming mature full-bodied wine. It has aged beautifully, turning into fuit liquer, no leather nor animal notes here. Excellent.
Having bought the bottle from my favorite wine shop in Lyon, "The Flying Sommelier" (http://www.anticwine.com/), one of the better if not The Best wine shop on earth, we could hardly resist opening it. And in the end, we were really glad they had it in stock, as we would have been short of one big experience on this trip.
Brown colour with an almost yellow hue (ok, orange, however light). Mature bouquet is dominated by figue jam, turning into coffee which I personally love. Plenty of acidity here, the mature red wine still has rich fruit content which, together with acidity, created a mouthfeel of sweet liquor-like nectar although the wine is totally dry. Long aftertaste, hints of figue on the palate and after 1.5 hours of decanting, coffee flavours emerged. Tannins could still be felt. From very ripe grapes, the wine was potentially really heavy and full-bodied when young, however now developed into a charming mature full-bodied wine. It has aged beautifully, turning into fuit liquer, no leather nor animal notes here. Excellent.
Jul 30, 2011
2001 Guy Castagnier Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
I bought this Guy Castagnier's Bonnes Mares 2001 from the "Magnum" wine shop in Beaune which has an extensive collection of old vintage wines and is definately worth the visit if you visit Beaune. Magnum is located on Rue Carnot, check also the website http://www.magnum-vins.com/.
The wine was already a little turned from garnet to brownish in the glass, showing some age. Nose was like sticking your nostrils into a basket of nice freshly cut mushrooms and dried black and red fruit, all mixed together. Vintage 2001 was not a good one in Burgundy and it shows here with fruitiness being a little submerged under the underbrush and forest-floor notes. Usually in a not-so-good vintage, the "green" notes of paprika, stems etc. tend to show in wines, and so did in this one too. A pleasant bottle and priced at €60 was not too bad for the money.
The wine was already a little turned from garnet to brownish in the glass, showing some age. Nose was like sticking your nostrils into a basket of nice freshly cut mushrooms and dried black and red fruit, all mixed together. Vintage 2001 was not a good one in Burgundy and it shows here with fruitiness being a little submerged under the underbrush and forest-floor notes. Usually in a not-so-good vintage, the "green" notes of paprika, stems etc. tend to show in wines, and so did in this one too. A pleasant bottle and priced at €60 was not too bad for the money.
Jul 28, 2011
1989 and 1993 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, Concha y Toro, Chile
Wow. The 1989 Don Melchor represents the great winemaking tradition in Chile. In tasting one of the leading estates in Chile, Concha y Toro's, leading wine, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor, it was wonderful to see how well these wines were made in late 1980s and early 1990s and how well they mature and develop with age.
We have so few of these older vintages of Chilean wines available in Europe - however it's Wine&View bar to rescue.
The Wine&View at Helsinki Airport offers mature wines per small amounts (per cl), thus you are able get a tasting of really great and mature wines with a relatively low cost compared to buying a full bottle of mature wine from the internet. At the Wine&View bar, price of a small wine glass of 4 cl ranges usually from €7 to €22 or higher depending on the wine, however the cost is peanuts compared to the amount of effort, risk and costs involved in purchasing a similar bottle (75cl and far, far more expensive) from internet - if you are able to find what you want, that is.
And the mature Chilean wines are harder to get than mature European wines. Fortunately I was able to taste these two great wines, of which the 1989 stands superior. The 1989 Don Melchor was from a vintage of above average temperatures thus including significantly larger amount of alcohol (13.9%) and fruit ripeness than in the 1993 (12.2% abv.). Aging in french oak seems to suit these wines in long aging, as it had beautiful aromas of red fruit and chocolate while tannins were totally integrated. The 1993 was a good expression of the aging potential of these wines, and would be really worth a blog post in itself, however it was overshadowed by the outstanding 1989 in this tasting. Where could I find more? Please let me know if you read this blog and have an idea where to purchase from.
...
We have so few of these older vintages of Chilean wines available in Europe - however it's Wine&View bar to rescue.
The Wine&View at Helsinki Airport offers mature wines per small amounts (per cl), thus you are able get a tasting of really great and mature wines with a relatively low cost compared to buying a full bottle of mature wine from the internet. At the Wine&View bar, price of a small wine glass of 4 cl ranges usually from €7 to €22 or higher depending on the wine, however the cost is peanuts compared to the amount of effort, risk and costs involved in purchasing a similar bottle (75cl and far, far more expensive) from internet - if you are able to find what you want, that is.
And the mature Chilean wines are harder to get than mature European wines. Fortunately I was able to taste these two great wines, of which the 1989 stands superior. The 1989 Don Melchor was from a vintage of above average temperatures thus including significantly larger amount of alcohol (13.9%) and fruit ripeness than in the 1993 (12.2% abv.). Aging in french oak seems to suit these wines in long aging, as it had beautiful aromas of red fruit and chocolate while tannins were totally integrated. The 1993 was a good expression of the aging potential of these wines, and would be really worth a blog post in itself, however it was overshadowed by the outstanding 1989 in this tasting. Where could I find more? Please let me know if you read this blog and have an idea where to purchase from.
...
1997 Chapoutier Le Meal Blanc & 1997 Chapoutier Cote-Rotie
Northern Rhone in 1997. Chapoutier produces his Le Meal Blanc on the slopes of the Hermitage hill, the very same hill yours truly and my friend Vesa are going to conquer in a week during our wine trip to Burgundy & Northern Rhone. So it pays to get acknowledged of the mature Northern Rhone wines before the trip. Having tasted several red wines from the same slopes, this was the first time I tasted a mature white wine from the Le Meal.
The wine had a mid-intensive yellow colour with a soft and round nose of apricot and fruitiness, however some notable oxidation indicating that the bottle should be drank very soon. The palate was also soft and round with medium alchocol and acidity and dominated by apricot jam and minerality. This was a well produced wine.
However, the 1997 Cote-Rotie's fruitiness was not up to bar with the tannins and alcohol content, as the wine tasted more of maturation elements than substance in the form of fruit. I would say this was one-dimensional and overly tannic in fact. The wine is past its peak, as according to other sources, the wine was rich and full in palate when young - so I would recommend to drink yours quickly if you have them stored. This was somewhat dissapointing to experience, as otherwise the wine looked nicely matured in the glass by its colour and held promise when sniffed from the glass, with notes of leather there. However, this could be explained by bottle differences - how well you store it can have a significant difference in the life span of a 14 year old wine.
The wine had a mid-intensive yellow colour with a soft and round nose of apricot and fruitiness, however some notable oxidation indicating that the bottle should be drank very soon. The palate was also soft and round with medium alchocol and acidity and dominated by apricot jam and minerality. This was a well produced wine.
However, the 1997 Cote-Rotie's fruitiness was not up to bar with the tannins and alcohol content, as the wine tasted more of maturation elements than substance in the form of fruit. I would say this was one-dimensional and overly tannic in fact. The wine is past its peak, as according to other sources, the wine was rich and full in palate when young - so I would recommend to drink yours quickly if you have them stored. This was somewhat dissapointing to experience, as otherwise the wine looked nicely matured in the glass by its colour and held promise when sniffed from the glass, with notes of leather there. However, this could be explained by bottle differences - how well you store it can have a significant difference in the life span of a 14 year old wine.
Mar 22, 2011
2006 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-St-Vivant & 2004 Denis Thomas Echezeaux Grand Cru
The most prestigeous domaine in Burgudy. Some of the best pinot noirs around. One of the most sought-after wines. Need I say more? Tasted with friends who were as intrigued as yours truly about a Romanee-Conti.
2006 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-St-Vivant (Burgundy)
Romanee-Conti has 5.3 hectares in Romanee-St. Vivant vinyeard with average age of wines 34 years andannual production of 1,500 cases.
Five hours of decanting. Colour is a medium purple. Nose is charming and medium intensive giving you black cherry, perfume, lingonberry, even apricot and toffee, turning to some meatiness after long decanting.
Palate is medium/full bodied, very silky and soft with higher than usual acidity, well-integrated tannins, dominated by cherry fruit and lingonberry in the front palate, turning to meatiness in the mid-palate. After long decanting, notes of oriental spices (turmeric and saffron) develop and integrate nicely with the cherry. Very long aftertaste, stays in the mouth over 1min. Gives warmth, however only medium alcohol content. More one-dimensional than what the nose gave, but shows signs of developing nicely. The Romanee-St. Vivant 2006 is a meditation wine or enjoy it with bird game meat. Although the wine was approachable, needless to say it should develop for years which is the recommendation.
2004 Denis Thomas Echezeaux Grand Cru (Burgundy)
Denis Thomas is a small producer located right next to the Domaine de la Romanee- Conti estate in village of Vosne-Romanee. He was kind enough to stop his lunch for my visit and showed the cave. Bought two bottles from im, one of which was corked. This bottle was also unusual.
The colour is ruby however already sligtly developed thus browner than that of the Romanee-Conti - this is two years older. Redcurrant, musk, meat notes dominate supported by violet and mint, and with long decanting, the fruit turns sweeter and almond notes emerge.
The palate is full-bodied and has trademark cherry with clove, with meatiness and cigar box notes. However the fruit is slightly subdued. This bottle was not in a prime condition either.
Which one did the tasters prefer? One preferred the Denis Thomas, five the Romanee-Conti.
2006 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-St-Vivant (Burgundy)
Romanee-Conti has 5.3 hectares in Romanee-St. Vivant vinyeard with average age of wines 34 years andannual production of 1,500 cases.
Five hours of decanting. Colour is a medium purple. Nose is charming and medium intensive giving you black cherry, perfume, lingonberry, even apricot and toffee, turning to some meatiness after long decanting.
Palate is medium/full bodied, very silky and soft with higher than usual acidity, well-integrated tannins, dominated by cherry fruit and lingonberry in the front palate, turning to meatiness in the mid-palate. After long decanting, notes of oriental spices (turmeric and saffron) develop and integrate nicely with the cherry. Very long aftertaste, stays in the mouth over 1min. Gives warmth, however only medium alcohol content. More one-dimensional than what the nose gave, but shows signs of developing nicely. The Romanee-St. Vivant 2006 is a meditation wine or enjoy it with bird game meat. Although the wine was approachable, needless to say it should develop for years which is the recommendation.
2004 Denis Thomas Echezeaux Grand Cru (Burgundy)
Denis Thomas is a small producer located right next to the Domaine de la Romanee- Conti estate in village of Vosne-Romanee. He was kind enough to stop his lunch for my visit and showed the cave. Bought two bottles from im, one of which was corked. This bottle was also unusual.
The colour is ruby however already sligtly developed thus browner than that of the Romanee-Conti - this is two years older. Redcurrant, musk, meat notes dominate supported by violet and mint, and with long decanting, the fruit turns sweeter and almond notes emerge.
The palate is full-bodied and has trademark cherry with clove, with meatiness and cigar box notes. However the fruit is slightly subdued. This bottle was not in a prime condition either.
Which one did the tasters prefer? One preferred the Denis Thomas, five the Romanee-Conti.
Oct 5, 2010
2004 Fratelli Revello Barolo Vigna Gattera (from Annunziata di La Morra)
The 2004 barolos are from an exceptionally good vintage, thus I anticipated a big however still youtful wine worthy of cellaring. And the wine delivered just that.
The wine has a a medium purple / garnet color i.e. still youngish appereance for a wine of 6 years of age, i.e. a color not characteristic of the nebbiolo grape's usually more brownish appearance. However it did have an orange hue - now this is more characteristic for the grape. The nose has beautiful notes of ripe, as well as already dried, black fruits, perfume, musk, plum and tobacco, however no coffee here.
Tannins are rather big however offering good structure and not drying the mouth at all. The palate is full-bodied with ripe black fruit and excellent acidity. The high alcohol burns a little and continues to power itself through the palate. Although the nose did not reveal any coffee, there are cappuccino notes in the long aftertaste which turns into chocolate in the end.
Fratelli Ravello's 2004 barolo certainly introduces to try more wines from the Annunziata area within La Morra! The wine was already very pleasant at 6 years of age, it is a classy and quality example of barolo which will develop nicely for several years as it includes high alcohol, tannin, acidity and fruit content. It would be very pleasant to try this wine in another 6-10 years, however it is already very drinkable. Another prime example from barolo's 2004 vintage. I would rate this one very high, at 93 points out of 100.
Oct 3, 2010
Oddero tasting @ Oddero Estate
Oddero belongs to Barolo's traditional producers and produce a large range of wines. I visited the estate in La Morra with tasting organised in excellent english, with really friendly people welcoming to visit the estate. Thus I would recommend a visit, the estate is located in Fraz. S. Maria 28 - 12064 La Morra (Cn).
As a reflection from tasting their wines and especially their excellent Barolo Vigna Rionda 2000, I would recommend searching for vintages which are at least 10 years old for barolo. This is due to the fact that the traditional winemaking method puts a lot of tannins into the wine which need to soften and integrate into the wine with time. However it takes patience. For me Barolo Vigna Rionda 2000 was one of the highlights of the trip - year 2000 produced a very good vintage in Barolo and plenty of ripe fruit thus helping the traditional winemakers' balance the wines with the big tannins.
1) Dolcetto d'Alba 2009
From a really good vintage for Dolcetto, a wine of medium ruby colour with light fruit, the acidity is more emphasised here.
2) Langhe Nebbiolo 2007 - Already almost brown with an orange hue, Langhe Nebbiolos are meant for earlier consumption than barolos even though they are made from the same grape variety. Barolo wines command the best grapes and are matured longer in oak while Langhe Nebbiolos are usually made from nebbiolo grapes not grown in the Barolo DOCG area, are declassified barolo cru grapes or grown in vineyards lower in "value"). Perfume of dried red fruit with dark nuances and tobacco. Large tannins so signature of the nebbiolo grape, however lacks the structure of barolos.
3) Barbera d'Asti 2007 "Vinchio" - The sandstone soil of barbera vineyards located on the Asti side have more chalk than those on the Alba side. The wine was matured 12 months in Slavonian oak + 12 months in stainless steel. This single vineyard barbera is from vines 60 years old. It has interesting nose of underbrush, rasperry tea and some leather as well as oak. Nuances of cherry dominate the palate, however fruit missing still.
4) Barolo Classico 2006 (grapes from La Morra & Castiglione Falletto) - The Barolo Classico is intended for combining La Morra's elegance and perfume with Castiglione's more masculine structure. And the nose reveals beautiful perfume of roses so belonging to La Morra as well as dark fruit turning to rasperry so evident of Castiglione. Medium intensive colour of garnet with orange hue.
The fruit is semi-ripe in this one with the tannins overpowering due to young age and traditional winemaking where the wine sees 30 months of oak maturation. The fruit is slightly overtaken by other components, however should develop nicely with age. Aftertaste is long. Good potential here.
5) Barolo "Villero" 2005 (Castiglione Falletto)- A single vineyard barolo from grapes grown in Castiglione Falletto, the wine was first produced in 2004 thus it was only the secod vintage for this particular wine. The same grapes were used in other bottlings of barolo prior to Oddero deciding to craft a single vineyard wine.
A medium colour with an orange hue and fast legs. There is some banana in the nose (like I found in many of Fontanafredda's wines). I think the wine could have more structure to it given that grapes come from Castiglione Falletto, area known for its combination of both structure and finesse, and comparing to other local wines. The nose gives oriental tea and animal notes. Palate is medium to full bodied however not totally in balance as fruit is not ripe here and big, chevy tannins dominate the palate. Following traditionalists, the wine was matured in oak casks which are used for 30-40 years. The large tannins should soften with age, however this one nees a lot of time - maybe the fruit will not measure up even at mature phase.
6) Barolo 2005 Bussia Soprana "Vigna Mondoca" (Monforte d'Alba) - The Bussia vineyard in Monforte d'Alba is where widely know traditionalists such as Aldo Conterno, Prunotto, Fenocchio, and Colla grow some of their most important wines. Compared to the 2005 Villero, the colour of Bussia Soprana had more brownish look mixed with ruby, with an orange hue likewise. Again, the banana is in the nose, however mixed with nice dried fruit, raisins, oriental spices and flower aromas. The palate is again overpowered by tannins, and the 2005s are too young to be drank at this stage (only 5 years old in 2010). Again, the extraction is slighlty less than what some other producers are able to do, however I would anticipate that this develops better than the 2005 Villero.
Finally, I have to say that Oddero's 2000 Barolo Vigna Rionda was very good, and it really is a testimony to the aging potential, as well as need, for this producers' barolos.
As a reflection from tasting their wines and especially their excellent Barolo Vigna Rionda 2000, I would recommend searching for vintages which are at least 10 years old for barolo. This is due to the fact that the traditional winemaking method puts a lot of tannins into the wine which need to soften and integrate into the wine with time. However it takes patience. For me Barolo Vigna Rionda 2000 was one of the highlights of the trip - year 2000 produced a very good vintage in Barolo and plenty of ripe fruit thus helping the traditional winemakers' balance the wines with the big tannins.
1) Dolcetto d'Alba 2009
From a really good vintage for Dolcetto, a wine of medium ruby colour with light fruit, the acidity is more emphasised here.
2) Langhe Nebbiolo 2007 - Already almost brown with an orange hue, Langhe Nebbiolos are meant for earlier consumption than barolos even though they are made from the same grape variety. Barolo wines command the best grapes and are matured longer in oak while Langhe Nebbiolos are usually made from nebbiolo grapes not grown in the Barolo DOCG area, are declassified barolo cru grapes or grown in vineyards lower in "value"). Perfume of dried red fruit with dark nuances and tobacco. Large tannins so signature of the nebbiolo grape, however lacks the structure of barolos.
3) Barbera d'Asti 2007 "Vinchio" - The sandstone soil of barbera vineyards located on the Asti side have more chalk than those on the Alba side. The wine was matured 12 months in Slavonian oak + 12 months in stainless steel. This single vineyard barbera is from vines 60 years old. It has interesting nose of underbrush, rasperry tea and some leather as well as oak. Nuances of cherry dominate the palate, however fruit missing still.
4) Barolo Classico 2006 (grapes from La Morra & Castiglione Falletto) - The Barolo Classico is intended for combining La Morra's elegance and perfume with Castiglione's more masculine structure. And the nose reveals beautiful perfume of roses so belonging to La Morra as well as dark fruit turning to rasperry so evident of Castiglione. Medium intensive colour of garnet with orange hue.
The fruit is semi-ripe in this one with the tannins overpowering due to young age and traditional winemaking where the wine sees 30 months of oak maturation. The fruit is slightly overtaken by other components, however should develop nicely with age. Aftertaste is long. Good potential here.
5) Barolo "Villero" 2005 (Castiglione Falletto)- A single vineyard barolo from grapes grown in Castiglione Falletto, the wine was first produced in 2004 thus it was only the secod vintage for this particular wine. The same grapes were used in other bottlings of barolo prior to Oddero deciding to craft a single vineyard wine.
A medium colour with an orange hue and fast legs. There is some banana in the nose (like I found in many of Fontanafredda's wines). I think the wine could have more structure to it given that grapes come from Castiglione Falletto, area known for its combination of both structure and finesse, and comparing to other local wines. The nose gives oriental tea and animal notes. Palate is medium to full bodied however not totally in balance as fruit is not ripe here and big, chevy tannins dominate the palate. Following traditionalists, the wine was matured in oak casks which are used for 30-40 years. The large tannins should soften with age, however this one nees a lot of time - maybe the fruit will not measure up even at mature phase.
6) Barolo 2005 Bussia Soprana "Vigna Mondoca" (Monforte d'Alba) - The Bussia vineyard in Monforte d'Alba is where widely know traditionalists such as Aldo Conterno, Prunotto, Fenocchio, and Colla grow some of their most important wines. Compared to the 2005 Villero, the colour of Bussia Soprana had more brownish look mixed with ruby, with an orange hue likewise. Again, the banana is in the nose, however mixed with nice dried fruit, raisins, oriental spices and flower aromas. The palate is again overpowered by tannins, and the 2005s are too young to be drank at this stage (only 5 years old in 2010). Again, the extraction is slighlty less than what some other producers are able to do, however I would anticipate that this develops better than the 2005 Villero.
Finally, I have to say that Oddero's 2000 Barolo Vigna Rionda was very good, and it really is a testimony to the aging potential, as well as need, for this producers' barolos.
Sep 27, 2010
2004 G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe
G.D. Vajra's barolos have a reputation of being good value for money. While staying in Alba, I purchased a bottle from Enoteca Carosso (www.carosso.it) which has an extensive collection of fine Langhe wines as well as some Tuscan wines and lots of grappa to choose from. Vajra's Barolo Albe 2004 was only 29 eur which is cheap for a barolo of a great vintage. Although being a blend and cheaper than their flagship wine, the single vineyard "Barolo Bricco delle Viole", the Albe is not an entry level barolo. Albe is blended from grapes sourced from three different vineyards near from the town of Barolo. While being a traditional producer using large "bottes" made of Slavonian oak, the purpose of winemaker Giuseppe Vajra was to create a wine which is approachable young, thus he controls the use of oak per hectolitre of wine, thus keeping the wine's freshness and decreasing needed cellar time.
The color of the wine was non-barolo like, with only hints of brownish mixed with ruby, however with an orange hue. The wine developed nose of a typical barolo only after extensive time in glass. Initially it was redcurrants and spices, later turning to coffee and underbrush mixed with the redcurrants.
Extensive acidity, sweet alcohol and tannins nicely integrated giving structure but not drying the mouth. When developing with air, fruitiness increases, so this one needs time to open up. The overall perception is a warm wine which is approachable at 6 years of age and ok value for money. Some ripeness of fruit would be welcome, however decanting will help.
Image from www.carosso.it
Sep 25, 2010
Barolo 2010 harvest blog 1
Now off to Barolo, Piemonte, for wine harvest.
I was able to land a place for harvest at Azienda Agricola Sukula, owned by a famous Finnish chef couple Jyrki & Riikka Sukula. They own 2 ha of land in Meriame, which is located 2km from Serralunga d'Alba in the Barolo DOCG production area. Their nebbiolo vineyards are old, between 40-65 years, which is very promising for wine production. There is some barbera too which is sold to other producers as the estate concentrates solely for production of barolo.
The Sukulas have access to excellent wine making facilities as they are good friends of Giorgio Rivetti, owner of La Spinetta, and use La Spinetta's production equipment for their barolo.
The 2ha's of land owned by the couple is near the average in the Barolo production region, however too small to justify owning the production equipment. Thus the average producers either rent production facilities from larger estates or sell grapes to other producers. In Barbaresco there are also co-operatives (like Produttori del Barbaresco) who pool grapes from large amount of producers.
Can't wait for the harvest to begin. Nebbiolo is a grape which is harvested usually in very late September or early October, and this year follows the rule. I will be a tourist here in Alba and the nearby villages for a couple of days while waiting for the grapes to reach optimal ripeness. Most of my time I will be circling the wine estates, so more blogs to come from tastings in Piemonte.
1947 Bourgogno Barbaresco & 1985 Chateau d'Yquem
Helsinki Airport's wine bar should receive a medal of some sorts for the wines they offer for travellers. This time around I had the opportunity to taste the oldest wine I have ever tasted, 1947 Barbaresco from traditional producer Bourgogno, as well as the Chateau d'Yquem's 1985. What a treat.
The Yquem was beginning to reach its drink window at 25 years of age, still being some 5 years shy. These wines are for the very long aging. The wine looked in the glass like liquid golden, intensive colour. Nose was beautiful with exotic fruits and truffle honey, pineapple, with some "green" or herbaceous notes.
The taste was quite astounding, the mouthfeel of a young wine with high acidity, however more mature feeling in the aftertaste. Sweet aromas of pineapple, grapes, roasted almonds in the finish as well as some oxidation feeling. The aftertaste could have been longer, separating this vintage from the better ones. However excellent quality from a challenging year. The 1985 Yquem can be kept for a long time, supported by its really nice acidity.
The 1985 vintage in Sauternes is not listed among the better ones while this vintage is the only Yquem ever made of grapes picked as late as in December - it took very long for noble rot to develop that year. Some of the herbaceous feeling in the nose, which was much less evident in the taste, could be the result of a challenging vintage. Sauternes' 1985 vintage scored 79/100 points in WineSpectator, however they gave 94 points for this vintage of Yquem in 1999. A good effort.
The 1947 Bourgogno Barbaresco was really interesting in finding out how well a 1940s nebbiolo of a famous producer ages and what elements of the wine is still present today. Barbaresco has in some instances been considered the "little brother" to the king of wines and wine of kings, Barolo. However the little brother showed that it can, too, age beautifully, however naturally having a small issue with fruit which was already somewhat dissapeared:
The wine's colour was totally brown with medium intensity. Wonderful nose of coffee liquer, black tea, sweet fruit and cappuccino. Taste was in union with the nose in respect to the coffee liquer and black tea however also introduced Asian exotic spices. It still had brilliant acidity, together with mature wine's liquer-like characteristics. However fruit was already passed away, showing that the wine was well in decline in its life cycle. Tannins could still be felt in the mouth.
The Yquem was beginning to reach its drink window at 25 years of age, still being some 5 years shy. These wines are for the very long aging. The wine looked in the glass like liquid golden, intensive colour. Nose was beautiful with exotic fruits and truffle honey, pineapple, with some "green" or herbaceous notes.
The taste was quite astounding, the mouthfeel of a young wine with high acidity, however more mature feeling in the aftertaste. Sweet aromas of pineapple, grapes, roasted almonds in the finish as well as some oxidation feeling. The aftertaste could have been longer, separating this vintage from the better ones. However excellent quality from a challenging year. The 1985 Yquem can be kept for a long time, supported by its really nice acidity.
The 1985 vintage in Sauternes is not listed among the better ones while this vintage is the only Yquem ever made of grapes picked as late as in December - it took very long for noble rot to develop that year. Some of the herbaceous feeling in the nose, which was much less evident in the taste, could be the result of a challenging vintage. Sauternes' 1985 vintage scored 79/100 points in WineSpectator, however they gave 94 points for this vintage of Yquem in 1999. A good effort.
The 1947 Bourgogno Barbaresco was really interesting in finding out how well a 1940s nebbiolo of a famous producer ages and what elements of the wine is still present today. Barbaresco has in some instances been considered the "little brother" to the king of wines and wine of kings, Barolo. However the little brother showed that it can, too, age beautifully, however naturally having a small issue with fruit which was already somewhat dissapeared:
The wine's colour was totally brown with medium intensity. Wonderful nose of coffee liquer, black tea, sweet fruit and cappuccino. Taste was in union with the nose in respect to the coffee liquer and black tea however also introduced Asian exotic spices. It still had brilliant acidity, together with mature wine's liquer-like characteristics. However fruit was already passed away, showing that the wine was well in decline in its life cycle. Tannins could still be felt in the mouth.
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