Blind tasting notes, theme – southern France and Iberia


2006 Luca Chardonnay (Mendoza) – the starter wasn’t in theme, nor were
the finishing wines. This chard is well made, showing slight colouring
and a good varietal nose with a fair bit of oak, but far less than the
most excessive California or Australian woodies. Made by Laura
Catena, it saw 12 months in 30% new French oak, was matured sur lies
and came across as very finely balanced, slightly sweet on entry and
with a smooth lengthy finish with just the right amount of acidity.
This is the best Argentine chard I have tasted.

1996 Faustino Rioja Gran Riserva – right off the bat we were in
trouble, as this wine showed some real Rhone notes in the nose,
although also a perplexing vanilla note from the wood that would have
exceeded most Rhone wood use. Warm in the mouth with a titillating
acidity and good length.

1999 Brusset Les Hauts de Montmirail Gigondas – mellow smooth wine
with good length and soft tannin, and some nice dark fruit aromas in
the nose.

1998 Ch. St. Sosme Gigondas Valbelle – I trotted my wine out following
the Brusset as I thought it would be a nice comparison. It showed
good colour and enough of a floral element in the nose to have some
thinking I’d slipped in a northern Rhone ringer. It also had some
black cherry and a hint of smoked meat and olive, along with
significant black pepper. I liked this a lot. In prime drinking
window now but no rush.

2000 Brusset CduR Cairanne ‘Homage Andre Brusset – I was with the
person in the cellar in Gigondas when we picked this up and remember
being impressed with the wine. Big and with good weight and flavour
concentration, sweet nose and developed with time in the glass,
although I felt it fell a little short of what I’d remembered it to be
when tasted in France.

1999 Dom. Berthoumieu Madiran Cuvee Charles de Batz – I love tannat
and Madirans but failed to spot this one right off. It was very dark,
with a ripe rich nose of cassis and a bit of anise. Pretty young, but
coming around, I think this will improve with more time.

2001 Casa l’Ermite Tinto (Jumilla) – a blend of cabernet, Tempranillo
and monastrel, this wine was dark with a slightly funky nose, smooth
on palate, low tannins, ready to go and pleasant.

I then presented a trio of oddball dessert wines in increasing order
of age as a final course.

Beaulieu Vineyards Muscat de Frontignan (nv) – I brought this back
from the winery in about 1980 so it must have been made shortly before
that. I just never got around to drinking it and thought it might be a
bit of a stumper. It was a medium tawny colour, had a hot nose (18%)
that was sweet and quite nutty, rather like some Olorosos, and
presented quite well.

Fonseca Setubal 20 Year – made from Muscat as well, this one was
bottled in 1987 so was made with grapes from around 1967. This added
an extra dimension over the previous wine, which now seemed a bit
simple in comparison. There was an uplifting level of acidity, and the
ripe fruit aromas were not cooked, but mellow. Nice wine.

1947 Keo Commanderia – this wine is made from local grapes in Cyprus,
and although many are fortified, with only 14% this one wasn’t. It had
a distinctly orange tint to it, was quite hot (more so than the higher
alcohol BV) and there was a little varnish in the nose, as well as the
sort of raisiny concentrated flavours most often experienced in wines
made from Pedro Ximenez..

On Jun 18, 1:51*pm, "Bill S." > wrote:
> Blind tasting notes, theme – southern France and Iberia
>
> 2006 Luca Chardonnay (Mendoza) – the starter wasn’t in theme, nor were
> the finishing wines. This chard is well made, showing slight colouring
> and a good varietal nose with a fair bit of oak, but far less than the
> most excessive California or Australian woodies. *Made by Laura
> Catena, it saw 12 months in 30% new French oak, was matured sur lies
> and came across as very finely balanced, slightly sweet on entry and
> with a smooth lengthy finish with just the right amount of acidity.
> This is the best Argentine chard I have tasted.
>
> 1996 Faustino Rioja Gran Riserva – right off the bat we were in
> trouble, as this wine showed some real Rhone notes in the nose,
> although also a perplexing vanilla note from the wood that would have
> exceeded most Rhone wood use. Warm in the mouth with a titillating
> acidity and good length.
>
> 1999 Brusset Les Hauts de Montmirail Gigondas – mellow smooth wine
> with good length and soft tannin, and some nice dark fruit aromas in
> the nose.
>
> 1998 Ch. St. Sosme Gigondas Valbelle – I trotted my wine out following
> the Brusset as I thought it would be a nice comparison. *It showed
> good colour and enough of a floral element in the nose to have some
> thinking I’d slipped in a northern Rhone ringer. *It also had some
> black cherry and a hint of smoked meat and olive, along with
> significant black pepper. *I liked this a lot. *In prime drinking
> window now but no rush.
>
> 2000 Brusset CduR Cairanne ‘Homage Andre Brusset – I was with the
> person in the cellar in Gigondas when we picked this up and remember
> being impressed with the wine. Big and with good weight and flavour
> concentration, sweet nose and developed with time in the glass,
> although I felt it fell a little short of what I’d remembered it to be
> when tasted in France.
>



Quick question. I'm assuming that the Brusset is not available in the
US.

On Jun 18, 3:51*pm, "Bill S." > wrote:
> Blind tasting notes, theme – southern France and Iberia
>
> 2006 Luca Chardonnay (Mendoza) – the starter wasn’t in theme, nor were
> the finishing wines. This chard is well made, showing slight colouring
> and a good varietal nose with a fair bit of oak, but far less than the
> most excessive California or Australian woodies. *Made by Laura
> Catena, it saw 12 months in 30% new French oak, was matured sur lies
> and came across as very finely balanced, slightly sweet on entry and
> with a smooth lengthy finish with just the right amount of acidity.
> This is the best Argentine chard I have tasted.
>
> 1996 Faustino Rioja Gran Riserva – right off the bat we were in
> trouble, as this wine showed some real Rhone notes in the nose,
> although also a perplexing vanilla note from the wood that would have
> exceeded most Rhone wood use. Warm in the mouth with a titillating
> acidity and good length.
>
> 1999 Brusset Les Hauts de Montmirail Gigondas – mellow smooth wine
> with good length and soft tannin, and some nice dark fruit aromas in
> the nose.
>
> 1998 Ch. St. Sosme Gigondas Valbelle – I trotted my wine out following
> the Brusset as I thought it would be a nice comparison. *It showed
> good colour and enough of a floral element in the nose to have some
> thinking I’d slipped in a northern Rhone ringer. *It also had some
> black cherry and a hint of smoked meat and olive, along with
> significant black pepper. *I liked this a lot. *In prime drinking
> window now but no rush.
>
> 2000 Brusset CduR Cairanne ‘Homage Andre Brusset – I was with the
> person in the cellar in Gigondas when we picked this up and remember
> being impressed with the wine. Big and with good weight and flavour
> concentration, sweet nose and developed with time in the glass,
> although I felt it fell a little short of what I’d remembered it to be
> when tasted in France.
>
> 1999 Dom. Berthoumieu Madiran Cuvee Charles de Batz – I love tannat
> and Madirans but failed to spot this one right off. It was very dark,
> with a ripe rich nose of cassis and a bit of anise. *Pretty young, but
> coming around, I think this will improve with more time.
>
> 2001 Casa l’Ermite Tinto (Jumilla) – a blend of cabernet, Tempranillo
> and monastrel, this wine was dark with a slightly funky nose, smooth
> on palate, low tannins, ready to go and pleasant.
>
> I then presented a trio of oddball dessert wines in increasing order
> of age as a final course.
>
> Beaulieu Vineyards Muscat de Frontignan (nv) – I brought this back
> from the winery in about 1980 so it must have been made shortly before
> that. I just never got around to drinking it and thought it might be a
> bit of a stumper. *It was a medium tawny colour, had a hot nose (18%)
> that was sweet and quite nutty, rather like some Olorosos, and
> presented quite well.
>
> Fonseca Setubal *20 Year – made from Muscat as well, this one was
> bottled in 1987 so was made with grapes from around 1967. This added
> an extra dimension over the previous wine, which now seemed a bit
> simple in comparison. There was an uplifting level of acidity, and the
> ripe fruit aromas were not cooked, but mellow. *Nice wine.
>
> 1947 Keo Commanderia – this wine is made from *local grapes in Cyprus,
> and although many are fortified, with only 14% this one wasn’t. It had
> a distinctly orange tint to it, was quite hot (more so than the higher
> alcohol BV) and there was a little varnish in the nose, as well as the
> sort of raisiny concentrated flavours most often experienced in wines
> made from Pedro Ximenez..

Wow...can't beleive you had a bottle of the BV Muscat. I bought 6
bottles at the winery as gifts many years ago and ran across the only
remaining bottle in my cellar about a year ago. We opened and drank
it and it was far better than I expected.

No idea what is available in the US as I'm not there.

Yes, the BV was delightful. Still had the price on it- under $5!