Vinmøte hos Kim i Vinklubben Kåte Rhoner 23. august 2012

Endelig var en sommer over uten en tropenatt. Deilig å møte høstmørket med gode viner...

Champagne Bollinger la Grande Annèe Brut 2002

Rik og deilig champagne, men sammenlignet med den neste champisen falt den igjennom. Tydelig dosage og en bra aperitif. Mangler endel snert, grei å drikke nå, moden og opulent stil. Kan fortsatt lagres. Noe bedre syre og struktur skulle den nok ha hatt. 89 poeng.

Champagne Cuvèe des Enchanteleur Brut 1996, Henriot

En uforløst og karakterfull champagne med frisk munnfølelse. En extremchampis med autolyse, gjær og toast aromaer. God presisjon, små bobler og veldig Grand Cru over dette. Virker litt knytt og den må lagres ytterligere, Viser årgangens fantastiske struktur og utvilsomt den beste Henriot smakt. Kjøpt på Vika polet. 94 poeng. 50% Pinot Noir - 50% Chardonnay. 10g / l.

The name “Enchanteleur” borne by this rare wine refers to the cellar workers in the days when vinification was carried out only in barrels. Their work consisted in particular of piling up the casks on wooden beams. It was said that they “put the casks on chantiers (gantries)”, that they “enchantelaient”... They traditionally enjoyed the privilege of making for themselves a small Champagne cuvée produced from the finest wines.

Bienvenues Batard Montrachet 1996, Domaine Henri Clerc

Noe søtladen nese, med innslag av aprikos, honning og lett anis. Mangler syre og struktur. Det var vel bare Kim som mente denne ikke var "over the hill". Ravgul med touch av lime på finish. Flere var i nord-Rhone pga lite friskhet. Marsipan og hint av oksidasjon. Tørket frukt og litt spiss i munnen. 87 poeng. Endel uenighet om denne. Jon P hadde denne med på en GF for ca. 10 år siden. Vant den White Wine of the Year ?

Coulèe de Serrant 1985, Nicolas Joly

Våte ullsokker, sjø, fisk og en spesiell lukt. Snev av honning med kandisert frukt og aromamessig en vanskelig vin. Men pen og korrekt streng Loire-syre. Eldre vin og den blir noe usjarmeende med linoleum, ingefær etc. Men den er god i munnen og det er en spennende vin. Igjen stor uenighet om kvalitet. 85 - 92 poeng.

Vi drakk Coulèe de Serrant 1986 på vinmøte hos Øistein i november 2010: Korngul vin med fyrstikk, svovel, blomster og asters i nesa. Snev av fersken og melon, slank noe smal og kort kropp for lengdeløp. Gassbind og en viss eleganse, men ikke en vin for alle. Jeg synes den mangler spenst og har for lav syre. Enig med en på cellatracker som skriver; “the kind of wine that is giving you an exam “ 83-87 poeng.

Christer Byklum skriver:
La Coulée de Serrant was planted with vines by Cistercian monks as early as 1130 and has had 881 (soon 882) consecutive grape harvests. It's a single AOC of just 7 hectares. Biodynamic guru Nicolas Joly is at the helm here. I've been a bit sceptical, especially after the monstrous 06 and 05's, (and oxidized!) but todays tasting of 08 and 09 makes me feel they might be back on track. Todays speach on how a cow see right through you and that snowflakes are individual may seem a bit far off topic.

On the other hand, when he talks about that a little of this, or a little of that may, or may not be harmfull in or on the soil. When he then says that a leech was nothing but a tiny seed a few months back, it's all easier to see how only a tiny piece of something, can have a good or a bad effect. Obvious really, even if it sometimes feels like a gospel choir should be on stage with him. Below are the two latest vintages, and some older ones tasted back in 2010 further below.

2009 Coulée de Serrant:
Pale lemon yellow. Nutty, creamy nose, sweet lilies, marzipan, bananas and a touch of VA. Rich palate, medium acidity, balanced, didn't get a look at the alcohol level, but this felt less alcoholic than the 05. Good length. 90

2008 Coulée de Serrant:
BU5249401 (498,-) Pale lemon yellow. Feels like there is some botrytis, creamy and some vanilla. More subdued marzipan. Rich palate, fresh acidity, lively and elegant, again, feels like a change of style. Long. 91

Straws want to reach high into the sky, they are tied with the sky according to Mr.Joly

2006 Coulée de Serrant:Golden. Massive nose of oxidation, alcohol and bananas. Lazy acidity overshadowed by alcohol and huge body, again unfresh and massive. At least ten bottles have behaved like this, from different cases, so I don't think it's bottle failure.... 75

2005 Coulée de Serrant;
Pale golden, almonds, tulips, floral, honney, orange blossoms, nuts, marsipan, intens and beautifull. Fresh acidity, elegant texture, almost velvety, so balanced, even with the quite high alcohol of 15%, one barely notice it way back in the finish. I have probably tried two dozen bottles of this, and this one is so different from the others, all of them oxidized in one way or the other, this one is just elegant, smooth and joyfull, with very different aromas. Bananas, melons, honney, pear, if this is how it should be, what a cool wine, but this bottle is, as stated above, nothing like the others. Very long finish. Lacks the minerality I associate with this wine though. 92 (On this one great bottle, the rest are low 80's....)


2002 Coulée de Serrant;
Dark lemon, high fill, no sign of sepage, but soaked cork. Intence minerality, some apples and yellow plums, petroleum, dust, cellar and fresh mushrooms. Medium body, fresh in a weird way, lots of acidity, lots of intencity, some oxidized notes, long aftertaste, different but good, needs decanting. Can be left in the bottle for weeks without much happening. 86

Not as oxidized as 05 and 06, but still, much of the same. Major difference is actually less alcohol, and that always helps.

1996 Coulée de Serrant;
Dark golden, soaked cork. Again this almost insane minerality, pear, stone, leaves, schistes, some mushrooms, actually more youthfull than the 02!. Medium body, extreme intencity, massive and fresh acidity, yellow plums, apples and pears, acidity never gives in, very long finish, but still a bit oxidized........88

So, how much older do we have to go, to get rid of the oxidation.........

1994 Coulée de Serrant;
Golden, cork only half soaked, this one leaps out of the glass, again this massive minerality, honey and melon, grapefruit, flint and schistes, unripe pear and is it botrytis back there? It almost has this Sauternes tropical fruit over this increadible massive minerality, it want's to love you and kill you at the same time, dry and crisp finish, still some oxidation. 92

I like them better and better, mostly because the oxidation and alcohol level both seems to drop with age......

1991 Coulée de Serrant;
Paler than the 94, still golden, again soaked cork, but it's a older bottle. Not as intence as the 94, otherwise more or less exactly the same, more gentle, shorter and easier, more forgiving, but still a bit oxidized, and as a lighter one, it shows better. 87

1990 Coulée de Serrant;
Golden, explosive minerality again, honey melon, fresh pears, honey and nuts, even when decanted for two days, nothing much happens in any direction, but the acidity is lazy, a bit lean body and all the honey don't mach, like the oposite of a fat girl with a bit too small top. And still oxidized.........84

So, trying wines from 16 years from oldest to youngest, all sharing a very similar style, except the lowering of alcohol, and to some exctent, oxidation, but it is still very much a part of the style.

1989 Coulée de Serrant;
Lemon yellow, more mature smelling, dust, leaf, minerals, quite less oxidation than the 90, flint, plaster and lemon, a bit steely and lean, not that long and an acidic finish. 83

1984 Coulée de Serrant;
Golden, a bit closed, some minerals, apples, pears, much fresher than the 89 and 90, massive nuts, probably how a squirrel feels when it has the cheeks filled with hazelnuts, lean, acidic, a bit short finish. Still some oxidation, great balance, but a bit short. Nothing happened during 24 hours open, in the bottle. 86

Seems to get fresher again after two a bit dissapointing bottles of 90 and 89.

1980 Coulée de Serrant;
Deep straw yellow! First light colour, and that at almost 30 years of age! Some smoked meaty notes, flint, hints of melon, more citrus, then oysters. This is really different. Even more, almost massive citrus with more air, fresh and lively minerality, very elegant and great balance, leaner than all the others, and so much fresher and more youthfull, actually has the fat girls 14,5 alcohol, but this one knows how to dress, and looks smart. Very long finish. 90

So. This last one, doesn't have any oxidation at all. Is this more of the style that made Coulee de Serrant world famous? It was an impressive old bottle from a lesser vintage. I preffer this style. Has the style gone more back to its roots? I don't know, I didn't taste them young, but from those two young vintages (and bottles) today, I keep my fingers crossed.

Clos St. Hune 1997, Trimbach

Betydelig lysere farge enn de andre. Kruttlapper, flint, melon og hvite blomster. Hva er foskjellen i duft mellom blomster, sommrblomster og hvite blomster ? Men det som gjør vinen er en fantastisk steinaktighet og mineralitet. Høy konsentasjon, lavt utbytte og en god friskhet (til å være Alsace) Litt uforløst og kan fremdeles ligge. Men for dyr mht. hva du får av annen hvitvin til kr. 1 200,-. 90 poeng

Dette sa Nils Are Økland om vinen i april 2011: Clos St. Hune 1997, Trimbach: Ekstrem klarhet, en mosaikk av musk og skifermineralitet på duft. Slank, med en matt kalkaktighet i munnen. Syrlig, lyst sitruspreg bølger mot det kalkaktige i en bevegelse som ikke tar slutt. Sammenlignet med stort anlagte Grand Cru-viner fra Alsace er Clos St. Hune som en Clos fra Dauvissat sammenlignet med rike sentralburgundere.

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 1993, Bordeaux

Gylden, marsipan med gule plommer. Oksidativ stil, mangler endel friskhet og igjen ble det stor diskusjon om kvalitet. 80-89 poeng. Jeg tror ikke dette var en optimal flaske. Eller den skulle vært dekantert og luftet mere.

Vi drakk Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 1988 i vinmøte hos Knut 24.11.11; Gylden med litt brun aroma. Småoksidert, vanilje, voks og gassbind. Litt skjemmende alkohol, men etterhvert vokser vinen med honningtoner og det oksiderte preget avtar. Litt uenighet mht. kvalitet. Gamle hvite bordeauxer krever mye av sin smaker ! 90 poeng

 

Christer; Pale golden, nuts and minerals, touch tropical and oxidized. Fresh acidity, short first, getting longer and more layered with air. After an hour oxidation started to let go, getting ever more complex and fresher, after three hours oxidation was gone, and the wine turned out to be beautiful. 92-93

Oppgaven her var å gjenkjenne gamle smaksnotater i Vinklubbens historie. Først ute var denne:

·         En utrolig vin som nå begynner å bli moden. Varme og svidde bær i nesen. Alkohol, power, ingen ……. for pyser. Ost i nesen, kaffe og mørk frukt. Frisk grønn pomerol-aktig stil. Rik moden merlotaktig med veldig god og frisk syre. Alle var i bordeaux. Sirkusvin, men disiplinert. En meget vellykket flaske. Elegant, men litt svidd varm eik. (Oktober 2009) kr. 740,-  

Valpolicella 1997. Dal Forno 

       De klarte å feste riktig notat til riktig vin , men de var både i nord-Rhone og USA på denne. Mørke varme bær med en fremdeles veldig fresh munnfølelse. Ingen antydning til svakhetstegn på denne. Smaksnotaet fra 3 år tilbake passer godt fremdeles ! 91 poeng.

 

Smaksnoatet de fikk delt ut var:

·         Elegant. Litt lukket og tørr. Åpner seg etter hvert. Årgangstypisk og best på duft. Mager og litt mye syre. For lite frukt ? 91 poeng (31.8.2000)

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1988, St. Julien

Overraskende frempå stil, vinen oozzer parfymerte blomster og var særdeles innbydende. Elegant og deilig. Denne vinen har virkelig blomstret opp fra en "tornerose" søvn og jeg ville vel aldri gjettet 1988 som årgang. Viser at denne årgangen ikke nødvendigvis tørker ut. Moden, balansert og flott. Ikke antydning til papparoma som mange 80-talls Ducru`er har. 92 poeng.

                                                   

Grange 1982, Penfolds:

Smaksnotate de fikk var:

·         Voldsom nese av eukalyptus. Intens med tonnevis av fruktkonsentrat. For mye av alt og for lite nyansert. ”Parkerized” vin. Søtladen og lang. 91 poeng (20.5.2000)

 

       Eukalyptus, søtladen og lang ettersmak. Flere var på Hill of Grace. Imponerende intens, nesten lik som da vi hadde den for 12 år siden. Veldig shiraz i nese og munn, dype og rike skogsbær/bjørnebær. Mangler noe friskhet nå, Øyvind likte ikke denne. 85 - 91 poeng.  

 

Deep brick red. Perfumed red cherry/ redcurrant/ tea leaf/ aromas with some raisin notes. Rich red cherry/ damson plum/ tea leafy flavours with fine slinky/ chocolaty tannins and underlying savoury notes. An idiosyncratic Grange at its peak of development. 94% Shiraz 6% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Moden flight:

Clos du Marquis 1985, St. Julien;

Litt undermoden og grønn i munnen. Ikke noe typisk 1985 mykhet her ! Men vinen bør drikkes. 88 poeng.

Fra winedoctor:
Clos du Marquis, introduced with the 1902 vintage, thereby pre-empting the appearance of the plethora of second wines by many decades, is sourced not just from young vines or rejected fruit but from a dedicated section of vineyard quite separate from the Grand Clos to the west of the town (many authors describe its origin as the Petit Clos, a smaller section of vineyard on the south-side of the town, but literature I have from the estate seems to contradict that). The vines to the west are surrounded on all sides by those of other second growth properties, including those of Barton and Poyferré. As the vines in this section have matured, so has the quality of the wine, and hence to consider it a second wine (as in second class) is a falsehood; rather this is a different cuvée, from a different vineyard of some quality and potential, hence its ability to challenge many other châteaux of the Médoc.

Chateau Trotanoy 1978, Pomerol:

Sigarkasse, bordeaux, grønn. Flere var faktisk på Chateau Neuf du Pape. Herreskuff. Are var imponert av denne. Paprika. Deilig moden nå. Vi drikker for lite Pomerol ! 93 poeng.

Planted acreage : 18 acres

Grape varieties : 90% Merlot - 10% Cabernet Franc
Type of soil : A mixture of gravel and clay, and heavy clay
Production : Approximately 25,000 bottles


This famous growth, whose soil was too hard to work and thus called “trop anoi”
(too annoying) in medieval French, is located on one of the most beautiful parts of
the plateau of Pomerol and was purchased in 1953 by Ets. Jean-Pierre MOUEIX.
The fascinating soil diversity - half gravel mixed with clay and half deep black clay -
with the presence of “machefer” or iron pan in the subsoil brings power and depth
as well as complexity to the wine.
Château TROTANOY’s vineyard was one of the few not to freeze in 1956 and

today, it is comprised of very old vines, the average being close to 35 years. As for

other Ets. Jean-Pierre MOUEIX estates, the work done in the vineyard is fastidious -

severe pruning in the winter, regular ploughing, crop-thinning, de-leafing, manicuring

the clusters in the summer - and allows a perfect ripening of the fruit. The must is

vinified in small concrete vats and the young wine matures in 50% new oak barrels

for about 18 months.

 

 

Barbaresco 1967, Produttori del Barbaresco:

Lys rød kant med mørkere kjerne. Klassisk stil og vinen holder seg godt. Utrolig at dette er en standard Barbaresco, men nok endel enkeltvinmarker i denne. Frisk, sursøt og vellykket. 91 poeng.

From rarewine.com:

Thoughts on the Vintages

1990: All of the wines were there for the taking. They were forward, lush, fruit-driven and marked with the classic accents of licorice and forest floor. A pleasure to drink now, each should age effortless for years to come.

1982: The ’82s are a wonder. Amazingly bright, powerful, and dense, while still having youthful charm, they will easily provide years of delicious, refreshing, seductive pleasure. Is this the year to rival ‘96 for complexity and brilliance?

1979: These wines showed softer fruit, a velvety acidity, and very fine tannins. Lost in the shadow of 1978, this is an under-appreciated vintage for Produttori. The ’79s have complexity and richness, but with real elegance. At present, they’re giving much hedonistic pleasure.

1971: The heralded ‘71 vintage did not disappoint, especially with its heady perfumes and fascinating transition of flavors. Still showing fruit but with more emphasis on the earthy, truffley, autumnal potpourri, these wines continue to deliver thanks in part to their sound frame of acidity and tannin.

1970: The sleeper vintage of the tasting. Who knew these wines had so much in common with the 71’s? Freshness, acidity, fruit, and elegance are abundant. Perhaps not as concentrated as 1971, but nonetheless, the ’70s have depth, and are very impressive.

Two of Produttori's 1967 single-cru Barbarescos: Pora (left) and Moccagatta (right).

1967: Another vintage that tends to be overlooked, but this is an important one for Produttori, since this was the first harvest in which the cantina bottled single-cru wines. Produttori’s 1967’s are at their peak of maturity. Perfumes of truffle, aged tea, spice, and warm earth are intriguing and complex. The flavors, too, have evolved and show layers fresh, classic Barbaresco fruit. Stunning wines.

Impressions of the Crus

All of Produttori’s nine crus were exhibited at the tasting, which offered a unique opportunity to understand not only their differences, but how traditional Langhe winemaking can bring out the essence of each site.

Asili proudly displayed its characteristic richness while showing the warm growing conditions of its site. It’s easy to see why this cru is so well loved.

Moccagatta showed excellent balance in the ripe 1967 vintage, thanks mostly to its cooler microclimate.

Montefico showed characteristics of its calcium-rich site, where the sun rises late in the morning. Bright acidity and freshness of fruit go with it and give the wines a youthfulness, even in their maturity.

Montestefano had its signature too, a wonderful floral intensity, at times reminiscent of violets. It’s soil shares the higher calcium content of Montefico, as well as the nice acidity, but with a more tannic structure.

Ovello, like Moccagatta, proved that its site gives excellent balance and freshness in the warmer, riper vintages. It delivers roundness and elegance.

Pora showed more truffles and earthiness but with a lush, fruity mid-palate that transitioned back to the subtleties of the soil; a fascinating flavor profile for a cru.

Paje, located next to Gaja’s iconic Sori San Lorenzo, offered an outstanding balance of sweetness and acidity, with excellent length.

Rabaja is one of the warmer sites, giving the wines a riper, more concentrated feel, with a good amount of tannin to help focus the flavors. There was a persistence and strength to the Rabaja wines that reminded me of Asili’s richness. The complexitiy from this site is really excellent.

Finally, perhaps the least-known Produttori cru, Rio Sordo, was an epiphany. A slightly cooler site, set within a bit of a geographic bowl, it warms more slowly and retains acidity in the fruit. While not as muscular, Rio Sordo is all about the freshness, balance, and purity; restraint definitely has its place in the Barbaresco pantheon.

The Wines

1990 Asili Riserva: Beef blood, black pepper, and a hint of menthol framed the ripe red fruit aromas. A lithe entry gave way to a complexity of mature flavors with characteristic Asili richness. The ever-changing aromas and flavors suggest that this wine will continue to develop while maintaining the forwardness of the vintage.

1990 Rabajà Riserva: Dusty, slightly musty aromas with a hint of forest floor transition to flavors of black licorice and ripe black fruits, suggesting the general warmth of this site. Perhaps a bit more advanced than the ‘90 Asili but with a long, captivating finish.

1990 Rio Sordo Riserva: A dark brick color forecasts the youthful, bright, and perfumed aromas. Seemingly younger and fresher than the ‘90 Rabajà and ‘90 Asili, with a pure Nebbiolo flavor profile. Being from one of the slightly cooler growing sites, this is one of the highlights of the vintage. Vibrant with pinpoint balance.

1990 Montestefano Riserva: Earthy, slightly meaty aromas, with a hint of licorice. As aromas transitioned into flavors, a violet floral theme showed. The wine is bright and youthful with nice acids. Has the strength and weight of the cru. A favorite in the making.

1990 Centenario: A special bottling, in magnums only, combining all nine crus to commemorate the creation of “Barbaresco” wine in 1894. Concentrated aromas and flavors of blood sausage, licorice, and ripe red fruits with a complex, forest-like note. A muscular wine that will enjoy a long life. Classic Nebbiolo.

1982 Montestefano Riserva: A fountain of powerful aromatics ranging from dusty, bitter herbs and iron to notes of salve, violets and raspberries. Bold, rich, youthful flavors with great acidity and finish. Powerful and delicious. Somehow combines concentration with elegance. Wow!

1982 Pora Riserva: Floral, fruity, high-toned notes that moved to anise and a slight nuttiness. A subtly soft entry led to mouth-filling fruit preserves balanced by great acidity and good tannin. Dances from overt and opulent to focused, intense Barbaresco. Earthy and mushroom notes, too. (See similarities in notes for ‘71 and ‘67 Pora Riservas.)

1982 Montefico Riserva: Opening with an earthiness and a hint of herbs, the nose developed complexity and revealed sour cherries and sandalwood. With a powerful entry, this young wine’s flavors were reminiscent of its nose with sour cherries and spices being predominant. Bright acidity made for a very long finish. Amazing!

1982 Paje Riserva: A rich, complex nose beginning to show some maturity. On the palate, a superb balance of fruit and acidity, with tannins that are slightly drying, but providing good support. Delicious now, but should drink well for a few more years.

1982 Ovello Riserva: Slightly advcanced brick color. The sweet fruit-cake nose was a pleasant surprise, while the palate was buoyed by bittersweet chocolate notes. A slightly lower acidity compared to the other 82’s makes it weighty and velvety. A pleasure.

1979 Asili Riserva: Wonderful bouquet of dried fruits with notes of strawberry, sassafras, loam and a touch of anise. On the palate, the wine showed strawberry and sassafras framed by nice tannins and the signature richness that is Asili. Very enjoyable.

1979 Montefico Riserva: High-toned, mushroom and earth aromas. A strawberry-like floral quality evolved and the nose became fresher than the other ’79s. Montefico’s good acidity is there but the earthy, forest potpourri flavors were not quite as delineated.

1979 Ovello Riserva: Captivating perfume of warm earth, strawberry, and classic rose water. The palate is bright and firm, with saddle leather, brown butter, spice and good acidity, all focused nicely by the tannins. The complex, mature flavors are intense but with a seemingly paradoxial satin-like delicacy.

1971 Rabaja Riserva: Baked plum, allspice, warm apple donut aromas are quite enticing. Nice acidity and woodsiness on the entry with saddle leather and spicy flavors, finished with a cran-cherry note on the long, focused finish. Supple, elegant, and surprisingly fresh. Really nice.

1971 Montestefano Riserva: Wonderful baking aromas, freshly roasted almonds, with the signature floral-violet note typical of this cru site. Hickory nuts and a nice truffle quality emerged with more time in the glass. On the palate, a lean entry leads to a slightly woody and tannic but ripe concentration of fruit flavors. Impressive.

1971 Pora Riserva: High-toned aromas of earth and truffles, classic Barbaresco, merge on the palate with bittersweet chocolate and firm tannins. There is a fruit compote-like fullness to the palate, but the finish is long and direct. Great balancing act of richness and elegance.

1970 Rabaja Riserva: A light brickish color is accompanied by high-toned notes of salve and a hint of soy sauce. The palate shows more freshness with light red fruit qualities of rhubarb and strawberries and a hint of nuttiness. Nice astringency keeps the focus and gives length. I was surprised by the strength of this vintage.

1970 Ovello Riserva: Mushroom, earth, and truffle aromas make for a wonderfully complex nose. A cool entry with nice acidity gives way to strawberry and cranberry. Graceful and persistent. This wine shows how good the 1970’s really are.

1967 Pora Riserva Speciale: Perfumed bouquet of earth, mushroom, and autumnal leaves with a touch of caramel. Soft red fruits and saddle leather with some wood tannins on the palate. A bit less complex than the others, but continues the Pora tendency to blur the line between fruitiness and earthiness.

1967 Moccagatta Riserva Speciale: Spice, salve, and a touch of menthol throughout the continually changing bouquet. Beautiful spice and dried red fruit flavors, notably sour cherries, glide over the palate. Silky and sweet. Even fresher and more complex than the ‘67 Pora. Incredible for a 42-year-old wine!

 

 

Barolo 1961, Fontanafredda

Lys vin, litt ugjennomsiktig og uklar. Sjøsalt, synger på siste verset. 1958 Barolo ? 88 poeng.

Fra hjemmesiden: The harvest 1961 was characterized by a production of grapes extremely rich in sugar and in concentration, due to very high temperatures reached during summer and fall. Since the cellar techniques used at that time did not allow the control of the temperature during fermentation, it occurred that temperatures over 40° would block fermentation process , leaving unpleasant sugar residues in the wine, or uncontrolled malolactic fermentation in wines with residual sugar would cause development of acetic bacteria that would totally compromise the quality of the wines. Luckily we at Fontanafredda had most part of our Barolo production not hit by those problems. Infact we can still count on some availability of Barolo 1961 of great quality. 1961 has an intense garnet color with light orange reflexes.

The nose is rich of fruits in alcohol and hints of citrus. Notes that recall tar and leather. In the mouth the sweetness of alcohol melts with the still present tannins leaving a persistent aftertaste of licorice and tobacco.

 

 

 

Chateau d`Yquem 1996, Sauternes

Sitrus, men mangler endel zest, renhet og syre. Overraskende mørke toner allerede. Elegant, tydelig engelsk marmelade, noe bitre toner. Ikke ren nok. Igjen en skuffende flaske. Men 1996 er ikke all verdens Sauternes årgang. 0,375. 86 poeng.

Vi drakk denne på vinmøtet ifjor hos Kim:

Lett i anslaget og ikke det typiske tunge tropiske smaken man kanskje kan forvente. Konsenrert rikt fatbruk med tydelig vanilje som kan gjøre vinen litt uelegant nå. En konsentrert rik og deilig vin med tydelig aroma av ananas. Tror den vil bli bedre med lagring. 91 poeng.

Og et tidligere SN fra 2009:

Overraskende utviklet mørk farge mot engelsk marmelade. En nesten uelegant nese overkjørt av fat. En merkeklig turbosert sauternes som mangler nødvendig eleganse. Litt innslag av plast og grønn kant gjør vinen  uharmonisk. Generelt for mørkt fruktbilde og for lite snert og citrus. 90 poeng

Fra winedoctor.com;

Château d'Yquem (Sauternes) 1996: A rich and maturing hue, a golden orange hue. Hints of toffee on the nose, which I find rather obvious, along with scents of bitter Seville oranges; sure, there is elegance here, but it comes with that firm suggestion of bitterness too, and there is also a faintly volatile note. Hints of almonds. Supple, quite savoury style, with some dry wood elements. Rich, honeyed, complex, bitter fruits, with touches of burnt toffee. Good but not a great example of Yquem. Tasted at aBordeaux dinner. 16.5/20 (April 2012)

Château d'Yquem (Sauternes) 1996: Dense, fairly well concentrated, with an evocative nose, and a fine spine of acidity. There is good botrytis character here too, as well as a little residual oak. Full, creamy, rather light-footed and delicate, but this gives a nice balance based on that fine and firm acidity. It has elegance, and a very good length. Whilst not a great Yquem, it is certainly very fine for the vintage. I think my last score may have been a little harsh, although that time it was lined up against a number of superior vintages, including the 1997 and 1990. From a Bordeaux tasting with Bibendum. 16.5+/20 (April 2007)

Château d'Yquem (Sauternes) 1996: Average temperatures. Dry September, late botrytis. A moderate gold colour – but not the depth of the other vintages on show. Smoky white fruits, showing good depth of mature fruit aroma, and some good quince notes, but little botrytis otherwise. Full, sweet, maturing fruit. There is a mineral depth that adds interest here, and although botrytis character is subtle I like it more than other 1996s I have tasted. I like this, taking into account the weak vintage for Sauternes. 15.5/20 (November 2004)

 

 

 

Vin Santo 1994, Castell`in Villa

Grov og rik dessertvin. Creme Bruleè vin. Mye alkohol.Nøtter, mangler eleganse. Svir litt i munnen. 82 poeng.