Saina Nieminen
Saina Nieminen
A group of fellow arabophiles met up at my place for a little bite to eat (Lamb tagine with no dried fruit it in as that seems rather faux-arabesque) and a few Arabian wines:
Alvear Montilla-Moriles C.B. Fino is a very attractive Fino: very fresh and bright; it smells of flor, lemon and almonds; it tastes dry and intense but not unfriendly. Very charming.
Musar Rouge 2000 was still a rather dark toned, unusually tannic Musar - I like it, but it isn't one of the all time great Musars. In fact I like it alot! It is precocious and though I do prefer classic European dishes with Musars, it worked well with the tagine.
Musar Rouge 1999 was simply fantastic! I have felt that recent bottles of the '99 have bcome progressively more closed so I decided to double decant it in the morning before going off to uni and work - the harsh treatment worked and this was a treat! As classic Musar as can be: vibrant, lifted, sweet but savoury, tangy. The only thing wrong with the wine is that it is a decade or two too young. Lovely stuff.
Alain Graillot Syrah Tandem Domaine Ouled Thaleb 2006, Graillot's project in Morocco, had classic Syrah aromas (black olive, meaty fruit) but a bit sweeter than what the N. Rhone usually makes and with a very delectable peachy note like I sometimes find in Cte-Rties! It was well structured, too, so it wasn't only about the fruit. Really more a Syrah than a Shiraz. Better than the 2005. Nice!
Huerta de Albal Vino de la Tierra de Cdiz Taberner 2005 very, very dark. Anonymous and international in style: lots of oak (fancy French barrique, I guess), lots of fruit so ripe it has lost all distinctive features and so is just a bit pruny and sweet (no sense of Syrah here). Full bodied, moderate acidity, voluptuous fruit, sweet, harshly alcoholic - quite painful to drink. Pass.
For dessert we had some lovely Baklawa (brought back just recently from Palestine) and a water pipe with the classic mixture of two apples.
Alvear Montilla-Moriles C.B. Fino is a very attractive Fino: very fresh and bright; it smells of flor, lemon and almonds; it tastes dry and intense but not unfriendly. Very charming.
Musar Rouge 2000 was still a rather dark toned, unusually tannic Musar - I like it, but it isn't one of the all time great Musars. In fact I like it alot! It is precocious and though I do prefer classic European dishes with Musars, it worked well with the tagine.
Musar Rouge 1999 was simply fantastic! I have felt that recent bottles of the '99 have bcome progressively more closed so I decided to double decant it in the morning before going off to uni and work - the harsh treatment worked and this was a treat! As classic Musar as can be: vibrant, lifted, sweet but savoury, tangy. The only thing wrong with the wine is that it is a decade or two too young. Lovely stuff.
Alain Graillot Syrah Tandem Domaine Ouled Thaleb 2006, Graillot's project in Morocco, had classic Syrah aromas (black olive, meaty fruit) but a bit sweeter than what the N. Rhone usually makes and with a very delectable peachy note like I sometimes find in Cte-Rties! It was well structured, too, so it wasn't only about the fruit. Really more a Syrah than a Shiraz. Better than the 2005. Nice!
Huerta de Albal Vino de la Tierra de Cdiz Taberner 2005 very, very dark. Anonymous and international in style: lots of oak (fancy French barrique, I guess), lots of fruit so ripe it has lost all distinctive features and so is just a bit pruny and sweet (no sense of Syrah here). Full bodied, moderate acidity, voluptuous fruit, sweet, harshly alcoholic - quite painful to drink. Pass.
For dessert we had some lovely Baklawa (brought back just recently from Palestine) and a water pipe with the classic mixture of two apples.