|
|
TN: Bordeaux & Burgs, Austrian SB, etc at Triomphe The official Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts convention was in Bordeaux this year, but a nice contingent of Northeasterners who couldn't make it held our own little mini-convention last night. We had the private room at Triomphe. Restaurant did an excellent job. A LOT of bottles were opened, and I did my best to note the ones I tried: Dry and off-dry whites: 1999 Pierre Matrot Puligny-Montrachet "Les Combettes" A bit less open than last bottle I had of this. White fruit, chalk and iron. Nice but not exciting. B Next up were 2 bottles of Styrian Sauvignon Blanc than Emily Weissman (winemonger.com) had sent me. I believe vinification is pretty similar, so an interesting lesson in terroir. 2003 Erwin Sabathi P=F6ssnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc Mineral and white flowers, good gooseberry fruit B+ 2003 Erwin Sabathi Poharnig Sauvignon Blanc Smokey, with a flinty note. Fruit seems a tad riper here. B-B+ I'd like to taste these from a less ripe vintage- I think a little extra acidic zing might make for a great SB. 1998 Robert Weil Trocken QbA I approached with trepidation after some recent '98 Muller-Catoir trockens (good, but WAAAAY too young, shockingly austere). But this was pretty open and ready for business. Pleasant wine well-above the label level (but it is Weil after all). B 1986 Nikolaihof Sp=E4tlese Trocken Yippee yi yo. Pungent cheesey nose (but I mean that in a good way). Great acidic backbone. Fruit's in the background, but it's nice (white peach) fruit. Mineral, petrol, smoke. A- 1995 L de la Louviere (Pessac-Leognan) This little Pessac seems tired. C+ 1996 Ramonet Caillerets (from magnum) Sweet ripe white fruit, nice nuances of mushrooms, earth and mineral-chalk. Got better as night went on. A- 1988 Staatsweingut Kloster Eberbach Steinberg Sp=E4tlese Can't read my notes on this one, but it didn't really sing to me. B- 2001 Carbonnieux (Pessac-Leognan) Nice, crisp, mineral, forward. B-B+ 2003 Weins-Pr=FCm Wehlener Sonnenwuhr Sp=E4tlese Light on the nose, ripe on the palate. Like most 2003s, I wish it had more acidity, but a pleasant enough Riesling. B On to the reds: 1996 Jadot Clos de Vougeot Good balance, fruit ripe yet with an acidic counterpart. Smooth with good finish. B+ 2001 Lafarge Clos des Chenes Volnay 1er A bit hard at first, this needs a little time to round out, though I don't think it's a wine to really age. Very good effort for a tough vintage in Volnay. B+ 2002 Jadot Clos de Vougeot Dense sweet fruit over a pretty impressive structure. Ripe tannins, deep iron streak, big Burg with good future. A- 1975 Palmer Fully resolved tannins, herby, minty, leathery. Nice balance of mature fruit and good acidity. A- 1999 La Mission Haut-Brion Smoky, balanced. Tannins still sticking out a little, but another example of a good 1999 that will be an excellent bottle at age 10-15. A--B+ 1996 Pontet-Canet This is usually a favorite of mine, but this bottle I found rather unappealling. PD says it's just tight. Warm red fruit, but not a lot backing it up. C+-B- 1982 Branaire Now this was showing nice. This surprise star at the '03 BWE convention showed well again. Warm lush '82 fruit, mostly resolved tannins, enough acidity to balance the fruit lushness, strong finish. A--A 1996 Sociando-Mallet There were 4 separate bottles of this, I think all aerated quite a bit. and open with tobacco notes over a rich fruit framework. B+ 2000 Roc de Cambes (Cotes de Bourg) Ripe red fruit with a little hint of spice. Not showing a lot, but this is an awkward time for many '00s. B- 1999 Pavie Yeah, it's ripe -even overripe, but less so than the '98 or '00. Pleasant big modern St-E that I'd rather drink sooner than later. B 1990 La Tour Pin Figeac (Moueix) Red fruit, some leather, some leafpile. Finish a bit short. I've had much better bottles. B--C+ 1990 Gazin Ok, I admit I'm a slut for these open voluptuous '90s. Rich ripe fruit (red and black plum) with some chocolate and spice. Long finish, lovely wine. A 2001 Ch. Faugeres (St.Emilion) Medium-bodied, balanced, with light toasty oak and blackberry fruit. Most of bottle was left, I tried tonight with a big steak and salad. Showing more minerally with the oak pretty integrated. I'm putting my couple bottles away for a bit. B+ 1998 Domaine de Chevalier (Pessac-Leognan) Earth and tobacco over a solid core of black fruit. Some oak, but becoming integrated. Another good '98 Graves. B+ 1998 Pavie-Decesse Big cbuttis fruit, some leadpencil and cigarbox, ripe tannins. Needs time, but lovely. A- 1989 Branaire Ducru I remember liking this though thinking young, but notes are non-existent and I don't remember particulars. 1975 Montrose Ah, "poopy diaper" as a friend refers to it. Bretty nose, but balanced for my tastes. Mostly resolved tannins, decent remaining black plum fruit. B+ 1996 Lafon Rochet I've loved couple previous bottles of this, but this wasn't doing it for me last night. Tannins seemed obtrusive, and the fruit was more lurking than introducing itself. Probably just closed, but an C+-B- A white interloper: 2001 Guigal La Doriane Condrieu I'm really prepared to not like an oaky Condrieu, but this is nice. Sure, oak stands out a little, but good acidity for a Viogner helps a lot, and it's a nice floral-vanilla sip with some cheeses. B+ And then the dessert wines: 1983 Vereinigte Hospitien "Sanctus Jacobus" Wiltinger Holle Eiswein Wonderful balance of tropical and stone fruits, some petrol, and a wet-stones minerality. Acid prefectly balancing the sweetness. I've been known to say I like Eiswein's better young, but I might not say it again! A- 1997 Dobogo 6 Puttonyos Tokaji Asz=FA I found this flat and almost maderized. I'm no Tokaji expert, but this one didn't appeal to me. C 1995 Ronchi di Cialla Verduzzo I eagerly tried this, as a light and elegant Verduzzo di Ramandolo was one of the best dessert wines I've tried. This medium sweet wasn't as appealing to me - more oxidized-tasting, with ok ripe fruit and medium finish. B--C+ I had seared sea scallops with a mushroom-truffle-foie gras butter. Went better with the red Burgs than the white- would love to try with totally mature Barolo. I had lamb chops with foie gras stuffed prunes and spinach as my main course. A port reduction meant this paired best with the bigger reds- Pavie Decesse, etc. Triomphe did an excellent job. Thanks to John "PappaDoc" Dawson the organizer. Very good night. Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency
|
||||||
