SFWC February tasting.
Hosted by Peter, with a theme of "pairs"

Blind as usual.

A welcoming wine
Leflaive Mersault 2005
Bright straw with a buttery chard nose, soft entry with good fruit but a
little flabby, needs acidity, I thought a Catena chard. Most plumped for
France and Pouilly Fuisse was mentioned. I have a case so I hope it
improves. Not bad for a village wine.

First Pair
Pinot Grigio, Waihopai River, The Ned, Marlborough 2008.
A definite pink blush, cherryade and grapefruit nose and then a soft entry
of fruit juice and a long sweetness(unfortunatley), I thought an SB from CA,
worst wine of the night.

Pinot Gris Grand Cru, Spiegel, Dom Schlumberger, Alsace 2005
Bright viscous deep straw, apples and woodsmoke, almost perry nose, good
entry and a suprise to find it demi-sec. Quite full bodied with orchard
fruit, long. Most pleasant and good value at GBP 12.50

Second Pair
Morgenster Lorens River Valley Stellenbosch SA 2000
Deep red with tingling brightness, a meaty cigar box, mixed spice, soft
entry with some tannins crude and unbalanced, flabby, not agood showing at
GBP16.50 and the nose died in 30 mins.

Ch Senejac,Haut Medoc 2000
Thats more like it, deep with a hint of purple, classic claret, smoke spice
forest floor, the nose opened up over 30mins as the SA above died.Soft
entry, ggod spicy fruit and firm tannins, good bite, a little bitter finish,
but my kind of claret.

Third pair
Penfolds Bin 707 Cab Sauv, 1989,
very deep with hint of age, what a strange nose, metallic minty sherbet
pepper, (? Italian), not unpleasant but very odd for a CB, I thought
Sangiovese. Better on the palate, with ripe berry fruit and spice, very long
and finished a tad cloying. Is it and odd bottle, because on previous
occasions I have had 707, its appeal was its almost Pauillac likeness.

Ch Leoville Barton 1989, St Julien 1989
Appearance identical to the 707, what a nose of merde and farmyards, leather
and spice, blackcurrants, layer after layer, still big tannins, but good
berry fruit and spice, finished a tad short. Very nice.

Fourth Pair
Ch LL LascasesSt Julien 1970
Brick red with hint of orange rim, extract++, a wonderful ethereal nose of
old pipe tobacco, tomatoes and spice,soft entry with tannins gone, but still
fruit and woody berries. A wonderful old lady. On the slide but still
drinking well

Ch Giscours, Margaux 1970
Deeper than LLC mature, definite orange rim, again my new marker for
Margaux, salty seaweed and iodine, farmyard floor and spice, wonderful, a
sweet magical mouthful, tannins resolved, yet still fruit and cinnamaon.
OTT, but like LLC, a good drink.

and finally an extra
Moulin Touchais, Anjou, 1959
Liquid pale gold, bright as a button, a nose of honey bix coated with apple
sauce, wonderful, a soft balaced apple mouthful with sweetness and acidity
all in harmony, long and a real treat, even better I nailed it, and the
year.WOTN

The last three wines were a trip down memory lane. Peter and I had just
started our trip in all things wine. We were young professionals with big
mortgages etc, but our local saleroom had an auction of stock of a local
wine merchant. It was our first adventure, I had drunk my LLC and Giscours a
few years ago, but last night we had nostalgic swig.

As for the Moulin Touchais, it was bit of a cult wine in the late 70's, and
shows that a good Anjou from a great year can live a very long time.

JT