Forgot to post about this, a very good line-up last weekend! Highlights included a wonderful 25 year old Chinon and saying that if the La Landonne was a northern rhone, I’d kill myself.
2016 Eric Morgat Savennières Fides
Haven't tried this producer because I've read about bottle variation but wow this was on. High acid, lemon curd and cream that suggested oak use, very good weight (from lees contact?) and power but the fruit was delivered in a chiselled manner. Beautifully balanced wine.
1996 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Cuvée Crescendo Clos de l'Echo
Perfect cork. Now this was definitely a Bordeaux ringer. Forest floor, tobacco, and just a lovely nose of strawberry. On the palate it is elegant and light, still young with plenty of fruit and just a hint of greenness. Got this at auction for substantially more than release price (but still way cheaper than a good Bordeaux), and all I can say is wow Cab Franc can age.
2000 Château Léoville Barton
Softer and lusher than expected, sweet red fruits that made me think it was heavy on Merlot. For a vaunted vintage I thought it would have more structure but this was more similar to the 2001 than 2005 or 2010. Still too young for my liking.
2016 Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée 3.14
Was looking forward to this given the good reviews for 2016. Expressive nose, but on the palate it surprisingly had less structure than the 2013 which I liked a lot. Plenty of mineral red fruits as usual with Foillard but the weight that I expected didn't emerge fully for this bottle. Agree that it might be an earlier drinking 3.14.
2017 David & Nadia Chenin Blanc Skaliekop
Brought this as a ringer to compare against a Loire Chenin. Slightly heavy handed on the oak that has yet to integrate. On the riper side, not as taut as I would like. Made in a bigger, more overt style similar to the basic Chenin that I tried a couple of weeks ago.
2006 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
I said that if this was northern Rhone I'd kill myself - shows what I know. But to be fair I don't drink at this price point often, this was thanks to a very generous friend. The heavy oak use that made everyone think it was a Bordeaux blend of some sort, possibly from the south. On the nose and palate, the fruit was rather muted compared to a glorious 1999 that I tried a couple of years ago. Still painfully young, but I am not sure how long it'd take for the oak to integrate as the fruit doesn't seem to be sufficient to support the massive structure.
2017 Famille Perrin Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Sinards Blanc
Blend of Clairette, Grenache blanc, Roussanne. Rich profile, lots of oak that felt like the winemaker was trying to mimic Burgundy. Didn't have the waxy texture that I associate with Rhone whites, but definitely aromatic and low acid.
2004 Domaine de Peyre Rose Coteaux du Languedoc Clos Syrah Leone
Another one where almost everyone thought it was a Bordeaux blend. Made in a clean and modern style but didn't have anything that stood out. Over time it became rather disjointed and alcoholic, almost like an unbalanced Aussie Shiraz.
2016 M. Chapoutier St. Joseph Les Granits
Rather nondescript wine, these are always a little too polished to tell the terroir of their origins.