fredag 27. november 2015

En av de beste rieslingene Jon har drukket


Vinmøte Øistein 26.11.15

Til skatevinge med kapers og selvplukket kantarell..




Riesling Pechstein 2001, Bûrklin-Wolf
Fremdels funklende grønnskimmer som alltid er et godt tegn. Endel skifer og petroleum som modererer seg litt med luft. Elegant med god balanse og mineralitet. Flere var i Mosel pga. sødmen, men mineraliteten går en annen vei. Linær og fremdeles frisk og stram som ikke alle 14 år gamle GG`er har. Personlig vinstil (spesielt for Jon som mente dette var den beste rieslingen han har smakt) Moden og perfekt å drikke nå. 92 poeng

Vi har hatt denne tidligere i Vinklubben, sist i Stavern 2013

Riesling Peckstein GG 2001, Weingut Bûrklin-Wolf

Strågul mot gylden. Aromatisk, utviklet og moden munnfølelse. Kjempeflott duft, kanskje noe "flabby" syre, men alle var ikke enige i det. Oljeaktig og bør vel drikkes. 91 poeng. Vinmarken gir strammere viner enn Kirchenstûck.

Vi drakk denne også på vinmøte hos Roar 2.9.10: Transparent rik riesling med noe grønt skjær i fargen. En aromatisk  frisk og strålende GG med fast mineralitet og solid syrestruktur. Noen gjettet Alsace. Årene har stelt pent med denne vinen. 93 poeng



Cool Krug


Vinmøte Øistein 26.11.15


                                                     1996 Philipponnat "Clos des Goisses" Brut Champagne

Champagne Clos de Goisses 1996, Philipponat
Syrlig med en viss elde. Slank med eplekart og noe oksidativt. En seriøs ekstremvin. Igjen diskusjon om Bl.d.bl. eller ikke. Litt bitter ettersmak og denne kan fremdeles ligge. Endel rød frukt i en krevende munn. Solid, men fremdeles modent og friskt. Flere trodde dette var en eldre champagne enn 1996 og mange 1996 viser nå et modent preg. Men stålsyre avslører årgangens fantastiske markør. 65% Pinot Noir. Gogget i 2006. Geir Gjerdrum har gitt denne 97 poeng ? Vi nøyde oss med 93.




Champagne Krug Grande Cuvèe
Gylden, lys cognac, flat mousse med litt linoleum. Julemarsipan med endel tørrende tanniner som holder den godt oppe. Honning og særdeles vinøs. Litt uenighet om dette var en optimale flaske. Men spennende med litt gjenværende appelsinzest og friskhet. Synger på siste verset ? " Importado Firenze"..lurer på hvor Øistein fikk tak i denne :) Årgang mest sannsynlig 1978-1982. 93-95 poeng.

tirsdag 24. november 2015

Around the world


Vinmøte Kim 5.9.15


Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 Kanonkop, Sør Afrika
Jordlig og litt vanskelig nese, ikke bretty og vinen er OK, men bør drikkes. 86 poeng

Chateau Montrose 1995, Saint Estephe
Korket, ikke vurdert

Clos Apalta 2001, Casa Lapostolle, Chile
Søtlig eik, tørrer ut i finish. Rolland var konsulent. Fæl vin. Det er endel Carmenerè i denne.
82 poeng

Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 2000, Dunn, Napa
Sitrus, myggspray. Mangler dybde og trøkk. Are mente returflaske og det ble det. Ikke vurdert. Korken var helt tørr og smuldret opp. Varmt og dårlig lagret ? Kjøpt på Aker Brygge høst 2015



Riesling Auslese Westhofener Morstein 2005, Weingut Keller
Sitrus, god sødme, deilig transparent Keller-stil. Aprikos, ananas, årgangen, som ikke er all verden, passer den syrlige Keller stilen. 92 poeng.


Barolo Vigna Rionda 1999/2001/2004/2006 Massolino


Vinmøte Kim 5.9.15



Barolo Vigna Rionda Massolino 1999
Jeg blir ofte imponert av 99 årgangens syrenivå og friskhet, men begynner den nå å vise svakhetstegn ? Har mistet litt spenst og saftighet. Denne virker moden og har et lite snev av slapphet. Mangler energien som jeg forbinder med årgangen. Kan og bør drikkes framover. Ikke sikker på om dette var en optimal flaske. 91 poeng

Barolo Vigna Rionda Massolino 2001
God balanse og harmoni. Årgangen drikker godt nå, men kan fortsatt lagres. Har fremdeles stramheten og den er ultratypisk og litt "tight". Parfymert og deilig vin. 93 poeng

Barolo Vigna Rionda Massolino 2004
Synes ofte 2004 kan være bedre enn 2001, men nå var det omvend Synes årgangen nå fremstår litt flat og sjenert. Minimalistisk, klassisk  og skrinn vs. 06. Mangler også trøkket, lengden og opulensen til 06. 92 poeng

Barolo Vigna Rionda Massolino 2006
Rik, opulent og fremdeles med klassiske og rå tanniner. Men fremdeles elegant og en veldig vellykket Vigna Rionda. Bør fortsatt lagres. 94 poeng

  • Altitude: 330 m above sea level.
  • Total surface area: 2.3 hectares.
  • Soil composition: marly lime.
  • Training system and vine density: traditional Guyot; varying from 6.000 vines per hectare in the older part of the vineyard to 5.000 in the younger part.
  • Yield per hectare: 4.5 tonnes.
  • Average age of vines: from 30 to 50 years.
  • Harvest: manual, in the second half of October.
  • First year of production: 1982.
  • Total bottles produced: 8.400 750 ml bottles, 300 1.5 l bottles and 100 3 l bottles and 50 5l bottles.
  • Alcohol content: 13.5-14.5% vol., depending on the vintage.
  • Vinification and ageing: traditional Barolo par excellence, with fermentation and maceration lasting 25-30 days at temperatures which vary between 31 and 33°C. It is aged for a total of 6 years, 3 and a half of which in traditional large Slavonian oak barrels and the remaining 2 and a half in the bottle.
  • Note: the soil and microclimate of this hill make it possible to obtain wines with exceptional structure and potency. Traditional vinification fully enhances the gifts of this cru, respecting the natural predisposition for long ageing. Barolo Vigna Rionda expresses its best characteristics as time goes by.







mandag 23. november 2015

Vosne Romanee 2007 Premier Cru


Vinmøte Kim 5.11.15

Jancis Robinson:


Every new vintage that comes along tends to find itself characterised as 'a white wine vintage' or 'a red wine vintage' I can report that the view of the common burgundy-buying man with a loud voice is that 2007 is a white burgundy vintage. 
'Surprising' was the dominant adjective I heard in Burgundy last November from those who made it. By the end of May 2007, Burgundy's growers were convinced they had another 2003 on their hands – a year that would break all records for how early it had to be picked. April had been quite extraordinarily warm.'We were euphoric in April', reported Sylvie Esmonin of Gevrey-Chambertin. 'We sat out in the sun, cafés opened their terraces.' The flowering was difficult, extended and resulted in very uneven grapes, but was earlier than anyone could remember. The vegetation galloped ahead of itself and growers cancelled any travel plans they might have made for August in the expectation of picking even earlier than in the heatwave year of 2003. Looking ahead, some of them deliberately took steps to slow down the ripening process by making sure yields were not too low and the sugar-factories we call leaves not too numerous.
As it turned out, this was not so clever. June to August turned out to be, in the words again of Sylvie Esmonin 'complicated'. This is polite. In November 2008 she looked drained, and admitted, 'I said about '07, I hope '08 will be less stressful, but in fact it was worse'. 'Stressful' was also the word invoked by early-bottler Anne Gros of Vosne-Romanée to describe the 2007 growing season. The reason for all this stress was a summer that Bernard Dugat-Py of Gevrey-Chambertin called détestable. The problem was that these very precocious vines were then subjected to three months of cool, damp weather – not the usual warm summer punctuated by storms that kickstart the ripening process, but a slow, steady drizzle – perfect conditions for the development of the fungal diseases to which vines are so inconveniently prone.
Mildew and rot threatened throughout the summer, and vineyards needed far more attention far more frequently than usual. The season was particularly demanding for the many Burgundy growers now dedicated to organic methods (even if 2008 was an even greater challenge). Although as Fred Mugnier of Chambolle-Musigny pointed out, the sort of very early rot that affected the vines in 2007 is at least vanquishable, with an enormous amount of effort, in contrast to rampant rot in very warm weather at the end of the growing season. According to his neighbour Christophe Roumier, 2007's was 'the worst rot I've ever seen but it helped that it was quite cool so it was not as disastrous as it could have been.' Nevertheless, Roumier's 2007 harvest, which yielded 25% less volume than 2006, actually took three days longer because of all the sorting that had to be done.
What saved the harvest, particularly for the more rot-prone red Pinot Noir grapes, was the north wind that began to blow on 22 August and dried out the grapes, followed by fine, dry conditions for the harvest towards the end of August and early September. Some growers, particularly those whose yields were just too high, were panicked by the threat of rot into picking before the grapes had developed enough phenolic ripeness to counterbalance the acidity that remained in the grapes after the long, cool summer. And even the most reputable growers found themselves picking relatively early. For example, 2007 was the first year that Armand Rousseau ever picked in August other than in 2003 although, as Jeremy Seysses of Domaine Dujac pointed out, in fact the wines of 2007 turned out to be 'the diametrical opposite of those made in 2003, having low tannins and high acids'. He had never seen a vintage like it in his experience of the family domaine in Morey-St-Denis, which dates from 1994.
For Laurent Ponsot above the village of Morey, however, 'the charm of 2007 is the balance. You don't notice the tannins but they're there. I consider it a great vintage for us.' Certainly Ponsot's 2007s tasted exceptionally ripe to me – and apparently about half the cuvées are more than 14% alcohol – a truly exceptional ripeness level even if not one that was uncomfortably obvious on the palate. Ponsot picked most of his grapes between 10 and 20 September, but waited until 4 October to pick his highly successful white Aligoté in the Monts Luisants vineyard – unusually late for 2007.
This was a year which in general saw red Pinot grapes being picked before the (mainly Chardonnay) whites, for the reds were under greatest disease pressure – and many of the whites still had uncomfortably high acidity levels. Indeed, some of the white 2007s still taste just too tart and hollow. A high acid level is an attribute in a young white burgundy, but only so long as there is real substance and flavour as well. As winemaker Eric Rémy, who has now taken over from Pierre Morey at the biodynamic Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet put it, '2007 was an illogical vintage. We harvested quite early (1-7 Sep) but chaptalised because we felt that they were not going to develop any further'. Many makers of both reds and whites added a little sugar to their fermentation vats in 2007, so-called chaptalisation and legal in Burgundy so long as acid is not added to the same vat (allowing plenty of scope for 'creative' winemaking and book-keeping in less scrupulous cellars).
But if 2007 was a nightmare in the vineyard, then at least in the cellar those who had worked hard in the vineyard found it delightfully easy to vinify. Aubert de Villaine of the iconic Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was the first to make this point to me, adding with some satisfaction that each of his red grands crus is particularly expressive of its terroir, and aérien (another French word that is difficult to translate: sort of a cross between ethereal and the opposite of earthbound).
Certainly the 2007 reds are not big, muscular wines and the best were made with a gentle hand. Now that the all-important, softening malolactic fermentations are over (they were particularly slow and late because the portion of malic acid is high in 2007, and early 2008 was especially cool), the best reds have very pretty textures. Since last summer they have been tasting better and better and, with gentle tannins and acid levels that are not exceptionally aggressive, they are already a delight to taste. Acid levels in some reds even seemed a bit low to my palate, and some producers deliberately used more whole bunches than usual in an attempt to retain acidity, but the much longer growing season than usual seems to have built fresh, expressive flavours in the best of them.
The most frequently cited similar vintage is 2000, although, as Sylvain Cathiard of Vosne-Romanée (whose 2007s are particularly sumptuous) maintains, the fruit is a little fresher in general than in 2000. For Christophe Roumier they are more precise than the 2000s, which were also initially underestimated and have been so friendly over the last few years.









Vosne Romanèe Les Suchots 2007,  Alain Hudelot-Noellat
Overraskende rik og aromatisk. Litt grønn 04 stil, flere var oversjøsik på denne. Mye munnfølelse, relativt moden med myke kanter. 90 poeng

Vosne Romanèe Les Suchots 2007,  J. Cacheux
Mere lukket og grovere i formatet. Mangler eleganse og vinen trenger ytterligere lagring ? Noe ubalanse med søte bær mellom tørrstoffer. Virker som en produsent som sliter litt. 86 poeng

Vosne Romanèe Les Beaux Monts 2007,  Domaine Bertagna
Metallisk jordlig og lett i munnen. Grønn og vanskelig vin. Jeg har aldri blitt imponert av produsenten. 85 poeng.

Vosne Romanèe aux Brulèes 2007,  Domaine d`Eugenie 
Fremdeles tanniner, også her litt grønt med lette bittertoner i finish. Men bedre frukt og munnfølelse. 88 poeng.

Èchezeaux Grand Cru 2007,  Domaine Jean Grivot 
Røsket rett fra kjeller`n. Pen nese, her også litt stilkete og grønt. Burde vært luftet et par timer. Endel mere trøkk en de andre, men vanskelig i munnen. 91 poeng.

BYO Brunello 2010


Litteraturhuset 19.11.15


Brunello di Montalcino 2010, Podere Giodo
Frisk og syrerik, dyp frukt som er typisk for årgangen i Brunello. Jeg har tilgode å drikke en dårlig Brunello 2010 så vanskelig å si om dette er kvalitet fra produsent eller årgang. En ny "up and coming" produsent som jeg ikke har smakt før. Må få tak i noen flere flasker ! Ønolog Carlo Ferrini`s eget lille prosjekt. 3000 flasker pr. år. James Suckling har gitt denne 100 poeng ! 93 poeng




lørdag 21. november 2015

BYO rød burgund


Litteraturhuset 19.11.15


                                          






Nuits Saint Georges Les Vaucrain 2007, Robert Chevillon
Purpur, rå burgund i nesa og skikkelig godtteri krydder i nesa. Frisk og gjør endel motstand i munnen. Vinmarken gjør opp for en middels årgang. 91 poeng

Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 2010, Taupenot-Merme
Overraskende moden og tilgjengelig både på nese og i munnen, rik og dyp med endel eik. Men dette er godt og vellykket. Hvorfor lagre når det drikker såpass godt allerede. Denne vil nok ikke lukke. Det lages ekstremt lite av denne vinen. Fra en liten "clos" på 430m2 ! 
93 poeng

Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 2010, Domaine des Lambrays
Virker som en varm årgang, strammer godt inn med myggspray og appelsinzest. Elegant, god stamina og frisk syre. Rødbærsfrukt som er på vei til å lukke. 92 poeng

Fra newbordeaux.com:  Clos des Lambrays is the largest single plot of grand cru vines in Burgundy, at 8.8 hectares, although made up of three distinct microclimates. I'm here with Thierry Brouin, director and winemaker of Domaine des Lambrays since 1979. He's stayed with the estate through two owners - first hired by the Saier brothers, Fabien and Louis, then staying on when the German Freund family bought it in 1996.

'Morey is not the best known of the Côtes de Nuits villages, but it's wonderful,' he says with a proprietorial smile. 'It was known as the black sheep for years. It's three times smaller than Gevrey or Chambolle and many producers here preferred to concentrate on their vines in those more-prestigious appellations. In the days before the strict French appellation rules, they even bottled their Morey wines under the other village names. But I love the balance in the wines here.'

The Lambrays plot looks like one steep drop from where we're standing, by the famous gate that marks the northernmost point of the walled clos. No other grand cru in Morey extends as far up the hill, and horses are used to plough much of the land, as some parts are too steep for even small machines to enter. But head over to the neighbouring estate of Domaine Ponsot and look back sideways towards Lambrays, and you can see the land is in fact a series of undulating waves. 'This is what gives so many different expositions to the vines, with contrasting currents of air flowing over them. Each area needs different work through the season, and each is harvested differently, but this is what gives Clos des Lambreys its complexity’.

Clos des Lambrays is a whisker away from being a monopole – those single-owned vineyards that comprise the holy grail of Burgundy, a region where many vineyards are split between dozens of wine growers. Even this one, after the French Revolution, was divided between 74 individual growers, until slowly but surely they were brought back together again by 1868. But from the top of the hill you can see one tiny patch of vines, essentially a kitchen garden, that is walled off tightly from the rest. This handkerchief of vines belongs to Domaine Taupenot-Merme, and was planted by the family in 1975, seven years before Clos des Lambrays was awarded the title of Grand Cru. The Taupenot-Merme family has 430m2 of vines growing close to the house, producing between 190 and 200 bottles per year.

‘We don’t hide the fact that we would love to buy those vines and join the two parts of the property together again.’ says Brouin. ‘It is a constant concern that it will be bought by someone else, who will offer an un-refusable amount of money. The price pressure on Burgundy vineyards now is getting too intense.’

Clos des Lambrays itself is a rare prize – a vineyard of serious size for the area, in an (almost) single stretch of vines. Domaine des Lambrays also bottles a Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru, Les Loups, and an excellent Morey-St-Denis village wine, from a plot directly above the Grand Cru planted almost directly onto limestone rocks. The family also owns two white Premier Crus in Puligny-Montrachet, Clos du Cailleret and Les Folatieres.

‘Albert Freund bought the estate for €15 million in 1996. It is now worth I would estimate €100 million. My greatest worry is that it will be divided up again, because the strength of this wine is its complexity. If different winemakers all bottle their own Clos des Lambrays again, it will have lost its soul’.

Next door, at Taupenot-Merme, the owners are just as keen to preserve their part of Clos des Lambrays. The house that offers shelter to the dozen rows of vines is lived in by Virginie Taupenot-Daniel’s parents, but it is Virginie and her brother Romain who are in charge of the day to day running. They are the seventh generation of the family to make wine in the Côtes de Nuits. This is also a large estate, but follows more closely the typical Burgundy model of bottling small plots of many different appellations – 19 in total over 13 hectares across Cotes de Nuits and Cotes de Beaune, including seven Premier Crus and four Grand Crus. Clos des Lambrays is one, although Virginie admits that the quantity produced is so small as to hardly be seen as a commercial enterprise.

Both wines have the fragrant, soft elegance that is typical of the best Morey-St-Denis, with a touch more dense black cherry on the Domaine des Lambrays’ version. But it seems unlikely the Taupenot-Merme will be answering calls to sell any time soon. ‘These vines are part of our family history,’ says Virginie.

BYO litt varm Cabernet Sauvignon


Litteraturhuset 19.11.15

                                        




Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 1994, Ridge
Jeg fikk whiff av eik og Spania/grenache i starten på denne. Vanilje og senthøstede modne bær strammet seg godt opp i glasset etter 10min. God struktur, mer kjølig stil etterhvert. Ungdommelig og vinen holder seg godt. Men tror kanskje det ikke var en helt optimal flaske. 93 poeng

Vi hadde denne også på vinmøte hos Jon i september:
Monte Bello 1994 fra  Ridge er en veldig bra vin. Europeisk og bordeaux`s i stilen, intens med snev av lær og pepper, litt stilkete grønt og tydelig Cabernet Sauvignon. Harmonisk, ung, elegant, lett og annerledes, flere var på Cerreltalto og Brunello. Kjempevin som holder seg godt. Flere trodde dette var en yngre vin. 92 poeng.


Chateau Leoville Poyferre 1990, St. Julien
Uklar, rik og bretty. Mye trøkk i munnen med varm frukt, hest og stall. Jordlig og ikke en optimal flaske. NR.

Vi hadde denne på 1990 smakingen i mars 2014:

Kim: Solid og mørk. Infuserte solbær. En fantastisk rik munnfølelse med perfekt snert av friskhet og syre. Dette er ren glede ! Sursøt lang finish, litt varm touch i frukten. En utrolig sjarmerende og sexy vin. Den beste Poyferre laget ?  97 poeng.

Lars W: Blind. Minerals and black currants, some smoke; violent fruit attack inn the mouth - well balanced with acid and tannins,lot fruit sweetness (but not sweet in any way), fresh and ling. Very intense. Wonderful wine. 
(96 pts.)


fredag 20. november 2015

BYO Petrus fra Ungarn !!


Litteraturhuset 19.11.15

                                       



Gere Attila Pinceszete Kopar Solus Merlot 2007, Villany Ungarn
Purpur farge, rik og dyp. Briljant tekstur, smooth og Bordeauxaktig. Jeg var helt sikker på østside og dette var en morsom vin ! God balanse, helt ren. Bløt som en Pomerol, ryggrad som en Petrus. 91 poeng. (89 poeng og kr. 526,- på WS) Medtatt av Thomas.

Solus is a 100% Merlot only produced in excellent years, exclusively from grapes grown in the vineyard called Kopár in the DHC - Villány. Kopár which means “barren” is a reference to the sparse loess on limestone soil the vineyards are planted on. These low yielding, densely planted vines are the key to the wines quality. In Latin, SOLUS means unique, SOL means Sun, here it describes the singularity of the wine and its relation to nature. The wine has a lush bouquet of black macerated fruit, licorice and cocoa, the tannins are velvety fine, and the finish is long and nuanced.

Ikke helt toppers BYO wines ...

Litteraturhuset 19.11.15

                                                   








Lagrein Nusserhof Riserva 2009, Heynrich Mayr
Blåbær, dyp og intens farge, portvinsaktig nese, varm stil, jeg spurte Karl Kristian om dette var en optimal flaske og han mente det. Fruktig og saftig, men "varmskjæret" forstyrrer endel. Vinmarken ligger inne i Bolzano by. Lagring på botte / slavonsk eik. 86 poeng


Corton Hospices de Beaune 1982, Maison Bouchard Père & Fils 
Flat eldre vin uten tanniner. Flere dro til Piemonte. Endel rødbærsfrukt, men lagringsaromaene er på kanten nå. Tørrende og litt volatilt. Tappet for Vinmonopolet AS. 85 poeng


Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 1999, Alain Hudelot-Noellat 
Endel bitter og undermoden frukt. Kjølig frukt med solid struktur. Tørker ut i finish. Flere var i Piemonte også på denne. Igjen en skuffende Vougeot. 84 poeng


Barolo Cascina Francia 1998, Giacomo Conterno 
Transparent grønn og undermoden. Syrerik med lakris og korn. Urtete, stilkete og tørrer på finish. Veldig frisk, men en forferdelig dårlig Cascina Francia. Forhåpentligvis bedre med lagring. 83 poeng

Sassicaia 1998
Tydelig eik på nesa og heltre parkett i munnen. Vanskelige tanniner. Svir i munnen. Blir dette bra ? 82 poeng

Barolo Riserva Rocche dell`Annunziata 2000, Paolo Scavino
Voldsom solmoden frukt, tørrer ut i munnen og i finish, Frisk og god syre, men ubalansert. Vandig kant med 15% alc. 87 poeng.


BYO Champagne 19.11.15


Litteraturhuset 19.11.15






Jacquesson Avize Champ Cain 2002
strålende syrefrisk champis med ivrig mousse i en ungdommelig stil. Epler, karakterfull og flere mente denne bitre tonen i bakkant kom fra Pinot Noir. 2 g/l dosage. Et solid og godt autolysepreg, kledelige oksidative noter, årgangen holder seg godt. 93 poeng

Fra peterliem.com; a longtime wish of mine was fulfilled this week on a visit to Champagne Jacquesson, when I finally tasted the Vauzelle Terme, a champagne made exclusively from a steep and tiny pinot noir vineyard of the same name in the village of Aÿ. Jacquesson first produced this as a separate wine with the 1996 vintage, but it was so scarce and so highly sought-after that I never even got the chance to see a bottle. The next vintage of Vauzelle Terme is 2002, which won’t be released until 2010.

If you haven’t been following the house of Jacquesson lately, they are in the midst of a drastic restructuring to their portfolio that began in 2000, when they discontinued the Perfection non-vintage brut in favor of a numbered, highly vintage-specific cuvée. The first, Cuvée 728, was based on the 2000 harvest, while the current release, Cuvée 731, is based on 2003. The Perfection vintage brut had already been discontinued in 1989; Jacquesson continues to produce a vintage wine now (currently 1996), which takes the place of the Signature prestige cuvée. 

Most strikingly, however, Jacquesson is now producing three single-vineyard, vintage-dated champagnes: Dizy Corne Bautray, Avize Champ Caïn and Aÿ Vauzelle Terme. The first vintage of Corne Bautray, a pure chardonnay from a vineyard on the high slope between Dizy and Aÿ (and just up the hill from my house, incidentally), was 1995, and there was another made in 2000, which is currently available in the market (and it’s superb). The first Champ Caïn, a chardonnay from a chalky vineyard in Avize on the border with Oiry, will be the 2002 – Jacquesson already had an Avize bottling prior to this, but it was a blend of three parcels: Champ Caïn, Némery and La Fosse. In the outstanding 2002 vintage, Jacquesson produced all three wines together for the first time, and since Champagne Time moves very, very slowly, we won’t be able to see the true picture of the new range until these wines are released in 2010.

On my visit this week, Jean-Hervé Chiquet generously opened the three 2002s for me to taste, along with the 2000 Corne Bautray and the 2003 Terres Rouges, a single-vineyard, saignée rosé from Dizy. The 2000 is in current release, as I said, but the others were all disgorged the day before and thus presented without any dosage – the final dosage (if there is any) won’t be determined until the wines are released, of course, and will certainly be either extra brut or non-dosé. As a sneak preview, here are some brief notes, keeping in mind that the 2002s are still very adolescent and have another two years of lees aging to go.

Dizy Terres Rouges 2003
The first Terres Rouges, the 2002, was 100% meunier; the 2003 is 83% meunier and 17% pinot noir. This bottle is of course non-dosé, having been just disgorged, but it will be dosed at 3 g./l. when it is released in September 2008. Deep in color, this shows bold flavors of strawberry and red cherry, backed by notes of licorice and damp earth. It’s ripe and full in flavor yet doesn’t feel weighty, maintaining a graceful balance. 

Avize Champ Caïn 2002
Silky and fine, this feels ethereal on the palate, its fragrant, lemony aromas tethered by intensely chalky minerality. It has the marvelous sense of detail found in the best 2002s, and it’s a wonderful comparison between this, a classic Côte de Blancs chardonnay, with the Corne Bautray chardonnay from the Grande Vallée de la Marne. 

Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millènaires 1995
Lys, delikat, cuvee stil og veldig forskjellig mht. presisjon vs. den forrige champagnen. Deilig og kremet, med temperatur får den en voldsom rikhet med toner av sjokolade og kaffe. Stor i munnen og litt flabby for en 100% chardonnay, men det er litt Charles Heidsieck stilen dette. 91 poeng.

Veuve Cliqouet Millenium Reserve Rosè 1989
Bra syre og pen friskhet intakt i en årgang som kan mangle litt spenst i Champagne. Smør med bittert bitt og bra mousse gjør at den går bra til "Terrin ala pinnekjøtt". Litt tom munnfølelse og bør nok drikkes. 89 poeng




Josmeyer Hengst Riesling Grand Cru 1988
Gylden tydelig riesling med snev av petroleum og elde. Linoleum, slank i munnen, steinmineraler og moden frukt. Thomas var "spot-on" på årgangen. Bør nok drikkes. 87 poeng


BYO chardonnay 19.11.15


                                                








Puligny Montrachet Clavellon 2011, Domaine Leflaive med blek grønn farge, funklende og primær, litt thight og lite giving de første minuttene. Leroy-aktig reduktiv og jeg trodde det en stund var en Aligotè. Snev av alkohol, dette er ferskt og godt. Etterhvert multifasettert med honning og "leflaive" krydder med "kåpe" av citrus som gir den en veldig god friskhet. Hvorfor vente på ox når man kan drikke Leflaive unge ? 94 poeng

Puligny Montrachet Folatieres 1997, Domaine Leflaive med litt uren nese, ullsokk og snev av oksidasjon. Stor konsentrasjon og når det oksidative whiffet av etterhvert ble det en imponerende vin. Fet, god og lang ettersmak med toner av honningmelon, smør og nøtter. Den beste Leflaive 97 smakt ? 91 poeng


Kumeu River Chardonnay Matè Vineyard 2012; etter artikkelen i WoFW måtte jeg bare få tak i dette og teste hva andre synes. I WoFW triumferte denne produsenten, som holder til nord på nordøya NZ, over både Puligny`er og Meursaulter. Så dette så jeg fram til ! Smakte på den rett etter åpning som var lett; den har skrukork ! Den måtte i karaffel og kjøles ned. Kun da kan den hamle opp med sine søstre i Burgund. Den viser friske hvite blomster i en kjølig og tonet ned oversjøisk chardonnay stil. Hvis du leter finner du ananas og smørtoner bak der, og de kommer tydelig fram ved temperatur. Grønn, sitruszest og en overbevisende intens konsentrasjon. Deilig og rik i munnen. Men med temperatur sprekker den litt og blir endel voluminøs og aromatisk utfordrende. Men for en vin til ca. kr. 400,- !! Som er halvparten av hva du må betale for søstra i Burgund. 92 poeng.


Corton Charlemagne 2007, Bonneau du Martray

Reduktiv med snev av svovel, rik og kantete, veldig citrus og mineralsk, dette er lillebroren til 1993. Kompleks og stor munnfølelse, litt tropisk, bør lagres. 93 poeng 



tirsdag 10. november 2015

US champis & Kongsgaard




Vinmøte Kim 5.11.15






Champagne Bonnet Ponson Blanc de Noirs 2008 frisk og spenstig champagne med god frukt fra en god årgang til ca. kr. 320,-. Kan fremdeles ligge, emn ikke noe langtidsprosjekt. 85 poeng

Blanc de Noir 2011 Schramsberg, Calistoga En rik musserende vin og flere trodde dette var en champagne. Vellykket US som ikke blir for rik, men med bra presisjon og moderat fyldig munnfølelse. 87 poeng






Flighten var tenkt på å matche Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2012 som vel ikke ble helt vellykket. Noen i klubben delte spesialcuveèn The Judge for et par år siden og denne var skuffende "gammeldags" i forhold til spesialcuveèn. Brent, gul og overraskende "flabby" med spearmint og gul solmoden frukt. En amerikansk chardonnay i en 10 år gammel stil. Og såklart for dyrt til kr. 790,- 
85 poeng

Meursault Les Chevalieres 2011 Bernard Boissot-Vadot viste svovel og rå umoden frukt. tett og intens, men bør lagres. 92 poeng

Meursault Perrières 2009 Domaine des Comtes Lafon viste altfor mye svovel og ble returnert Aker Brygge. Vinmarken er en av de beste og skal vise eleganse.  
Ikke vurdert

Meursault 2008 Coche Dury  var en sitronkule, ren og litt lukket på den elegante siden, ikke den rå Coche-stilen. Veldig bra syre, bør fortsatt lagres. Men ikke en stor Coche. 
92-94 poeng