On Mar 13, 2:07*pm, "Bill S." > wrote:
> Notes from a recent blind tasting lunch:
>
> 2007 Gayda Cuvee l’Occitane – Languedoc/Roussillon blend of Marsanne,
> white Grenache, Roussanne and Viognier. Lots of flavour, decent fruit,
> not bad.
>
> 1998 King Estate Pinot Noir Reserve – pinot nose and the right weight,
> with maybe a bit of excess ripeness in the nose, fruit only moderate –
> tired.
>
> 1996 Finca Valpiedra Rioja Riserva – very good nose with big fruit,
> good colour, good fruit levels on palate, not too sweet, soft tannins
> and good length. No hurry here.
>
> 1990 Ch. Les Ormes de Pez – oddly, RP has revisited wines he
> previously rated and downgraded them based on his recent tastings, but
> when I have tasted the same wines (notably this one and the 1970
> Latour) the wines are in fine shape. *Not sure what is going on with
> his cellar sources, but it can’t be anything good! *This wine showed
> as fairly dark with a very good nose of cassis and blackberry, with a
> bit of wood smoke, the tannins fully resolved, with good length.
> Drink now or in the middle term.
>
> 2002 Ch. Cos d’Estournel – my first taste of this. Dark wine still
> with purple edges, very nice nose of fennel and currant with a hint of
> thyme, gobs of fruit but the tannins are quite soft now, so while it
> will age well, it is delightful right now.
>
> 1989 Ridge Monte Bello – this was a fairly …well, crappy … vintage in
> Napa, and anything less than this would be pretty much a disaster, but
> this wine showed at least decently. Big warm nose with lots of fruit,
> it was rather Bordeaux-like, and the mediocrity of the vintage was
> manifested mostly in the shortness of the finish and lack of flavour
> definition at the end.
>
> 1920 Grand Cru des Carruades – sadly this bottle was toast, but an
> interesting way to end the tasting. The vineyards at Lafite include
> areas on the plain, and that area is called Carruades. The terminology
> on this old label was used into the 1960s at least, but wine made as
> the second label is now called simply *‘Carruades de Lafite’.

Thanks for the notes. I would concur with your comments on the '02
Cos. Lot's ahead but tasty now.