Saina Nieminen
Saina Nieminen
I had a long chat about many things Arabic and a couple books that need to be written about said things Arabic with my thesis advisor. He is also a keen wine enthusiast so our chat ended up rather more inebriated than initially intended. But we did have some really good wines!
Klinec Furlanski Tokaj Jakot 2007 - Slovenia, Primorje, Gorika Brda, Medana
13,5% abv; 100% Tokaj Friulano but since Tokaj can't anymore be shown on the lable, it has been renamed Jakot. This is a lovely "orange" wine. It has a very perfumed and floral scent; dry, powerful palate with high acidity and a fair bit of tannin but also weight from ripe fruit - but there isn't even a hint of sweetness. Interminable. Lovely.
Spinifex Papillon 2006 - Barossa Valley
A nice wine from Barossa, with much ripeness but not too much, much mulberry aromas, but tempered with more savoury, bright, red toned fruit. Full bodied and rich but not too rich, nice tannins which make this a refreshing a drop despite fairly low acidity and much fruit. A good wine and a welcome change to most Barossas we see here.
Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py 2010
13%. Quite simply outstanding - on my first taste of this vintage, it feels like everything went just perfect for Burgaud and me. I have in most years enjoyed Burgaud, but have also usually found a little something that kept me from buying millions of hypothetical bottles - sometimes it has been a bit too reductive, sometimes a bit too harshly tannic. But in this 2010 everything falls into place: it smells very typical for Burgaud in being so dark toned and gravelly. It is tannic and tight, but the tannins are palate-cleansing and refreshing rather than simply drying and unpleasant. It is a hard wine, but it is rocky in a pleasant way for me. And since there is no over-ripeness, no excess reduction I can only love it. But it does need age: the joy I get from this is the joy I get in drinking a traditional Barolo far too young (perhaps more masochistic than I care to admit...)
Clos de Mounissens Vin de Table Français Aime et fais ce que tu veux!
A Bordeaux from David Poutays; 13,5% abv; vinifié sans soufre; 2008 vintage, but this isn't allowed on the label. A really love scent, very "natural" but not in a funky, dirty, unpleasant way. The fruit is dark toned and obviously Bordeaux, yet it is Bordeaux with a Cornelissen twist. Dense but lively and leafy palate, pleasantly sour and tannic. Having fairly recently tasted the 2005 version of this I can say that in ideal conditions this does age well at least for a few years despite no added sulphur - and a few years is exactly what this 2008 seems to need. Very nice!
Klinec Furlanski Tokaj Jakot 2007 - Slovenia, Primorje, Gorika Brda, Medana
13,5% abv; 100% Tokaj Friulano but since Tokaj can't anymore be shown on the lable, it has been renamed Jakot. This is a lovely "orange" wine. It has a very perfumed and floral scent; dry, powerful palate with high acidity and a fair bit of tannin but also weight from ripe fruit - but there isn't even a hint of sweetness. Interminable. Lovely.
Spinifex Papillon 2006 - Barossa Valley
A nice wine from Barossa, with much ripeness but not too much, much mulberry aromas, but tempered with more savoury, bright, red toned fruit. Full bodied and rich but not too rich, nice tannins which make this a refreshing a drop despite fairly low acidity and much fruit. A good wine and a welcome change to most Barossas we see here.
Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py 2010
13%. Quite simply outstanding - on my first taste of this vintage, it feels like everything went just perfect for Burgaud and me. I have in most years enjoyed Burgaud, but have also usually found a little something that kept me from buying millions of hypothetical bottles - sometimes it has been a bit too reductive, sometimes a bit too harshly tannic. But in this 2010 everything falls into place: it smells very typical for Burgaud in being so dark toned and gravelly. It is tannic and tight, but the tannins are palate-cleansing and refreshing rather than simply drying and unpleasant. It is a hard wine, but it is rocky in a pleasant way for me. And since there is no over-ripeness, no excess reduction I can only love it. But it does need age: the joy I get from this is the joy I get in drinking a traditional Barolo far too young (perhaps more masochistic than I care to admit...)
Clos de Mounissens Vin de Table Français Aime et fais ce que tu veux!
A Bordeaux from David Poutays; 13,5% abv; vinifié sans soufre; 2008 vintage, but this isn't allowed on the label. A really love scent, very "natural" but not in a funky, dirty, unpleasant way. The fruit is dark toned and obviously Bordeaux, yet it is Bordeaux with a Cornelissen twist. Dense but lively and leafy palate, pleasantly sour and tannic. Having fairly recently tasted the 2005 version of this I can say that in ideal conditions this does age well at least for a few years despite no added sulphur - and a few years is exactly what this 2008 seems to need. Very nice!