Mike Evans
Mike Evans
A much improved Yquem.
Saturday's tasting was a little smaller and slower than recent events with the group, which was a welcome change of pace allowing plenty of time to enjoy and come back to the wines, and to enjoy each other's company. I didn't take detailed notes, but here are my impressions.
NV Henri Giraud Champagne Code Noir - Yeasty, lemony, fairly full bodied, seems a bit high on dosage, which I don't mind.
1997 Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - Corked.
2013 Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - Saline, sea shells, and white peach and a little floral, I love this stuff.
2007 Lucien Le Moine Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes - A little woody and full bodied with plenty of fresh fruit, and enough minerality and acidity keep it from being unwieldy. Tasted blind, I was on the fence between a good California Chardonnay in a restrained style and a white Burgundy before concluding the latter for no good reason in particular.
2006 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot- Smoked meat and a little pepper and minerals spice the pure, elegant, and complex brambly fruit, with a little tang and velvety tannin to hold it together. It is pretty incredible now, but still on the young side.
1995 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie - Earthy, smoky, meaty, but still ample fruit, on a foundation of solid acidity and fine tannin, drinking great but with lots of life left.
2007 Pascal Marchand Latricières-Chambertin - Candied strawberry, light color and body though it put on body with air, it's fine, but not that impressive.
2009 Pascal Marchand Mazy-Chambertin - Earthy with a few herbs and solid ripe cherries, it shows the lushness of 2009 but has decent tannic structure lurking behind the baby fat and some complexity.
1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - Herbs, a little earth, and savory fruit, a lovely classic Chateauneuf that only shows the vintage in a little sweetness on the back.
2001 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Santo Stefano di Perno - Some tar, leather, and decent fruit, but impaired by elevated VA.
2001 Elio Altare Barolo Vigneto Arborina - Bizarre sediment, with lots of classic black chunks and some mysterious grey/white goo, pretty hot on the nose, a little better on the palate but quite modern and ripe.
1989 Chateau Lynch-Bages - Licorice, leather, black currant, still lots of life but it is aging slowly. Fantastic.
2003 Domaine du Pégaü Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - Fruity and fairly ripe, but with enough savoriness to keep it in check and no brett at all, a very good effort for the vintage.
1997 Chateau d'Yquem - Liquid creme brûlée. Mixed with a little 2013 Pepiere Clos de Briords, the added acidity and floral elements really makes it take off.
Saturday's tasting was a little smaller and slower than recent events with the group, which was a welcome change of pace allowing plenty of time to enjoy and come back to the wines, and to enjoy each other's company. I didn't take detailed notes, but here are my impressions.
NV Henri Giraud Champagne Code Noir - Yeasty, lemony, fairly full bodied, seems a bit high on dosage, which I don't mind.
1997 Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - Corked.
2013 Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords - Saline, sea shells, and white peach and a little floral, I love this stuff.
2007 Lucien Le Moine Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes - A little woody and full bodied with plenty of fresh fruit, and enough minerality and acidity keep it from being unwieldy. Tasted blind, I was on the fence between a good California Chardonnay in a restrained style and a white Burgundy before concluding the latter for no good reason in particular.
2006 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot- Smoked meat and a little pepper and minerals spice the pure, elegant, and complex brambly fruit, with a little tang and velvety tannin to hold it together. It is pretty incredible now, but still on the young side.
1995 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie - Earthy, smoky, meaty, but still ample fruit, on a foundation of solid acidity and fine tannin, drinking great but with lots of life left.
2007 Pascal Marchand Latricières-Chambertin - Candied strawberry, light color and body though it put on body with air, it's fine, but not that impressive.
2009 Pascal Marchand Mazy-Chambertin - Earthy with a few herbs and solid ripe cherries, it shows the lushness of 2009 but has decent tannic structure lurking behind the baby fat and some complexity.
1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - Herbs, a little earth, and savory fruit, a lovely classic Chateauneuf that only shows the vintage in a little sweetness on the back.
2001 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Santo Stefano di Perno - Some tar, leather, and decent fruit, but impaired by elevated VA.
2001 Elio Altare Barolo Vigneto Arborina - Bizarre sediment, with lots of classic black chunks and some mysterious grey/white goo, pretty hot on the nose, a little better on the palate but quite modern and ripe.
1989 Chateau Lynch-Bages - Licorice, leather, black currant, still lots of life but it is aging slowly. Fantastic.
2003 Domaine du Pégaü Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - Fruity and fairly ripe, but with enough savoriness to keep it in check and no brett at all, a very good effort for the vintage.
1997 Chateau d'Yquem - Liquid creme brûlée. Mixed with a little 2013 Pepiere Clos de Briords, the added acidity and floral elements really makes it take off.
