Notes from a blind tasting dinner.

2004 Alvear Fino en Rama PX Sherry (Montilla) – vintage dating sherry
is unusual, but so is making a Fino out of Pedro Jimenez, normally
used in the very sweetest Sherries. Light in colour and light and well
defined in tast with a definite saltiness and a lengthy finish that
work well with the usual tapas – olives, sausages, nuts.

2007 Albert Mann Riesling Cuvee Albert – an early drinking wine that
showed the usual Riesling petrol hints in the nose, but soft with a
little remaining RS and a tad hollow in the middle, probably from lack
of acidity, at first, although with time in the glass it seemed to
attain a better balance, which makes no sense, but there you are.

1997 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet – slightly minty in the nose,
balanced and fairly rich with sweet fruit on palate. Nice and ready.

1967 Latour – this one had us really working as it seemed like a 1985
in many ways – colour, balance, tannin. We could hardly believe it
when told it was from the 60s and thought that it must be a big year,
1961, 1966, maybe right bank 1964, but no one came up with 1967. When
told that, we quickly narrowd down on about the oly wine of that
vintage that it could possibly be. The other first growths were
mentally ruled out – most having long ago lost fruit (I have never
tasted 67 Petrus, which I believe is quite decent, mind you). I got
decent fruit (probably, in retrospect, insufficient to have supported
my initial guess of 1985), some walnut notes and cedar in the nose,
good but not excessive acidity and no tannins left at all. Elegant,
over the hill, but a magnificent carcass!

1996 Faustino I Rioja Gran Riserva – yes, the one with the frosted
bottle. It had a slightly funky nose that had me thinking Rhone at
first and lots of wood (a definite Rioja hint). Smooth, though and
fairly pleasant.

1996 Produtorri del Barbaresco Ovello – nice typical nose with a hint
of rubber added, integrated and fairly together now, but still
carrying reasonable tannin, so should last a long time. I haven’t got
into my 96s yet so it was nice to get a peek.

1999 Fox Creek JSM – a blend of shiraz, cab and cab franc, this
vintage is not nearly as long lived as the marvellous 1998 nor the
also excellent 1997 (both of which I have stashed in some volume, as I
like them mature) but it was showing well with a nice sweet nose,
tolerable levels of oak, nice nuttiness in the nose, and the
obligatory mint, smooth and with soft tannin. Drinking well now and no
particular rush.

1993 Lindemans Pyrus – I stuck my wine in when I saw another Aussie
example. It had a warm cab nose (the use a Bordeaux blend of cab, CF,
merlot and Malbec in this). It was very extracted with red currant
notes, and again, the hint f mint, smooth and well developed , the
only shortcoming being that the nose was a bit reticent.

2000 Ch. de Pibarnon Bandol – a good one to stump us. This Mourvedre
based wine had a hint of pine in the nose, unusual but pleasant. The
wine was another extracted example with a hint of anise coming out. It
finishes quite dry.

1997 Finca Valpiedra Rioja Reserva – slightly hot nose with some band
aid, little tannin at this point, and a straight ahead rather one
dimensional wine that ends sweet but chops off short. Disappointing
(particularly as I have 3 in my cellar!)

1985 Rocha Port – I came across this while rambling about in my cellar
hunting for a Port to finish things off with. Last bottle, and I
thought it time to drink up. If you judge this wine as a typical
vintage Port, you would be disappointed and very critical, but when
tasted blind, not knowing what it supposedly should be, the wine fares
far better. It showed garnet colour, quite a lot of heat in the nose
and a lengthy finish where the flavours holed well. It is really like
a rather feisty tawny without the elegance, if that makes sense, and
with cheese it was very nice.

Hi Bill,

Finca Valpiedra was a success for 1997 which was not a good vintage for
Rioja. Usually it blends Tempranillo with some Cabernet Sauvignon, but
don't know if it is true for this vintage.

It was drinking ok a couple of years ago. Perhaps you had an off bottle,
but you will check, since you have a few more.

s.