Lunch notes for January.

2005 Domaine La Soufrandière Pouilly Fuisse Climat La Roche – very
nice fruit in the nose, full and clean in the mouth, with a tart
finish with lots of lemon. Very nice.

1999 Delas Freres Gigondas Les Reinayes – an obvious Rhone just from
the nose, some good fruit plus pepper, moderate tannins, good finish.
Decent.

2000 Yves Cuilleron St. Joseph Les Serines - quite decent syrah nose,
a tad sweetish, round and smooth in the mouth with decent length and a
fair bit of soft tannins remaining.

1988 Beychevelle – funky slightly green Bordeaux nose, in the mouth,
lots of acidity but not much tannin. Drink up!

1982 Branaire Ducru - this one surprised me – light in colour, but a
mellow nose and fully mature on palate. Reasonably elegant but won’t
get any better.

1994 Haut Bailly – this was mine – I’d popped my first bottle a week
or two ago and thought I’d pull a vintage they’d never guess on them.
Excellent nose, tons of fruit and no hard edges, supple and medium
long. Very good.

1999 Abadia Retuerta – this wine from Sardon del Duero (not perhaps a
household word) was showing quite ripe fruit in the nose and followed
through with more of the same on palate with concentrated blackberry
and chocolate elements. Long sweet finish with well balanced acidity.

1999 Quinta da Cortezia Tinta Roriz – another ripe rich nose, but in
this case marred by an excess of dill. Otherwise a cookie cutter copy
of the previous wine.

1983 Taylors Port – colour starting to show a little paler than it
did when younger, only a little hot in the mouth, and with nice weight
excellent length and good acidity. Killer nose. I think this was my
favourite wine of the day.