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Bill S. Bill S. is offline
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Default Lunch wines - Bollinger, Pegau, Fonseca

Tasting notes from Good Friday lunch.

Bollinger Special Cuvee (nv) – for a young wine this was showing a bit
of colour and some nice yeasty apple notes in the nose, rich on palate
with slightly more residual sugar than many Bruts and a slight
nuttiness in the crisp finish.

2010 Le Secret de Grand Batteau – a white Bordeaux made from excess
sauvignon blanc from good chateaux (a secret first growth,
supposedly). Lime in the nose, good acidity on palate, clean and crisp
but with plenty of character. Bargain. 100% sauv blanc.

2004 Damien Laureau Savennieres les Genets – now showing some colour,
with clean light fruit notes in the nose and a slightly oily mouth
feel, this is ready to drink now, at a perfect age.

2002 Tyrells Vat 47 Chardonnay (Hunter V.) – medium colour now, with
marked sulphur in the nose that slowly blew off, and slight oxidative
notes, but all in all an excellent interesting nose, decent length and
finish.

2009 Hollywood Hill Pinot Noir – well made pinot that had us thinking
definitely American, but from CA or Oregon. This Seattle area winery
did well with this one – pleasant varietal fruit nose, balanced in the
mouth with medium length. Quite good. $35

2003 Alain Javine Lirac Clos de Sixte – made by Grand Veneur, this
dark ripe offering was slightly tannin on entry and has a slight
bitterness in the finish, as well as a hint of anise. Very pleasant
and at peak now.

1995 Dom. Pegau Cuvee Lawrence CNduP – excellent wine that had the
rest of us shaking in our boots hoping we weren’t going to follow
immediately after with our wine. Big fruit in the nose, ripe with a
stony component, and excellent concentration of flavour in mid palate
with good length. No rush on this one.

1996 Muga Prado Enea GR (Rioja) - good deep colour, fruity nose with
a very notable coconut component, mild tannins, good concentration and
medium length. Should hold.

2004 Dom. de Saumarez Aalenien (Languedoc) – a winery established by
British financial industry members. Blend of syrah and Grenache, the
nose had leather, anise and cherry. Ripe fruit with good length, I
liked this better than some others did.

Ensemble Cellars release #3 – this Washington state wine bottle looked
like a gilded bathroom ornament – definitely for the designer crowd,
but the wine inside it was decidedly more serious. A multi vintage
blend (2004, 2005, 2006) of Bordeaux grapes, it showed lots of sweet
toasty oak in the nose, and, I swear, a hint of oyster sauce! Warm
mellow fruit, not too sweet, and medium length. Very decent. Would be
easier to take them more seriously if they fired their label
designer…..because the wine quality is there and deserves better.

1998 Katnook Odyssey – this top notch Australian Cabernet had a very
Bordeaux nose – so much so that we were thinking that’s what it was
until we tasted it and saw the up front sweetness. The only give away
was the oak, which was American, but otherwise the wine was much more
controlled and better balanced than many in this big ripe vintage.
Smooth and long.

1978 Guimarens Port (Fonseca) – colour now showing medium pale, a nice
warm nose with candied fruit and cocoa, finishing slightly acidic.
Pleasant Port.