TN: Beaucastel and Graham with my sister

D

David from Switzerland

David Plattner
With dinner tonight.

Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1998
From half bottle. Full ruby-red, retaining a purple hue and center, a nice gloss and black reflections. Strawberry jam with a touch of beetroot, sage, rosemary and thyme. Mild mixed pepper. Ripe, round, smooth, very long, ending on a note of cocoa powder. Pure velvet, as well as clean and pure - for Beaucastel! dp 94(+?)

Graham Vintage Port 1994
Half bottle. Still nearly opaque ruby-black. One of the few 1994s (a favorite vintage of mine, most reminiscent of 1970 right from the start, as well as the finest vintage since) I've had doubts about for several years simply because 70% of the grape material wasn't foot-trodden as tradition would have it, but using the Remontagem machines Peter Symington was promoting at the time. It's now clearly past an unusually (even for Vintage Port) sullen phase, coming into its own, even if still youthful with upwards potential, even from this format. Sweeter and more milk-chocolatey, thick grapey plum, a hint of walnut, round and smooth yet structured and balanced (a hallmark of the vintage, same as 1970, has always been its early, as well as it's long-term potential for harmony). Mouth-filling, juicy, still firm, nicely tannic. Minor viscosity, reminiscent of sugary-caramelized strawberry with milk chocolate and mint. dp 95+/96?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

J'ai gaché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ - Roger Conti
 
David, thanks for the continued good reports, especially (for me, at least) for Beaucastel tastings.

Do you perhaps have a culinary background?

Your wine notes suggest an impressive talent for identifying non-common attributes.

. . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

David, thanks for the continued good reports, especially (for me, at least) for Beaucastel tastings.

Do you perhaps have a culinary background?

Your wine notes suggest an impressive talent for identifying non-common attributes.

. . . . Pete
Click to expand...

Thank you! I give cooking classes - does that count?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

J'ai gaché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ - Roger Conti
 
originally posted by kirk wallace:
And, bless you, David, you write in non-demotic English.
Click to expand...

Non-native speaker, marching to the beat of my own drum...

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

J'ai gaché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ - Roger Conti
 
originally posted by David from Switzerland: I give cooking classes - does that count?
Click to expand...

David, it surely has to.

Also, I forgot to mention, thanks for including your ratings as they help put your comments in perspective.

. . . . Pete
 
originally posted by David from Switzerland:

Non-native speaker, marching to the beat of my own drum...
Click to expand...

As the great lyric goes:

"Her English is too good", he said,
"That clearly indicates that she is foreign.
Whereas others are instructed in their native language
English people aren't."
 
Glad to see your '98 Beau showed well, David. The last three or four I've tried over the past couple of years have shown fairly poorly given how well the wine showed in its youth and the potential it seemed to have. They've kind of been a shell of their former selves, a bit dried up and unbalanced.

As for the Graham's, terrific wine and I agree with you on how special the '94 vintage is. There's a certain plushness to the texture of almost all the bottlings I've tried that's fairly unique to that vintage and there's terrific balance.
 
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