TN Olympics Opening Weekend Tasting Notes

Philipponnat BdN 2016 is a bit of an oddity, though not in an unappealing way. Pale gold colour but with an evident faint pink tinge. Good nose with lots of lemon and tangerine citrus, sour cherry fruit, bread dough. Palate has good fruit heft, excellent acid cut, lovely texture but feels a bit disjointed and incomplete. Enjoyable though. I guess it will settle down.
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2010 Geyserville is outrageously good at the moment! Still plenty of black fruit cakey fruit but a gorgeous top layer of fresh raspberry and blueberry fruit and pot pourri perfume. Beginnings of woodsy evolution too. Palate has integrated nicely, now softly complete and harmonious. It has that deft combination of ripe fruit, sour fruit and structure that I love in this wine. At the earliest stages of mature drinkIMG20240726204724.jpgability, plenty more to come here.
 
Ian Hampsted said:
Yes Simon Jason has kindly offered me a half of 2016 Meyney, which I will pick up in mid August.

I am not particularly optimistic on the 2016 but am hopeful that it will an improvement on the 2014 because the 2016 vintage did not need souping up. The problem with the 2014 is that the winemaker(s) clearly tried to fashion an extracted and concentrated wine in a cool non solar vintage. The result speaks for itself. I am sure that this will soften over time but I doubt this will ever resolve into a wine that I will ever enjoy. Given the nature of the vintage there is perhaps more hope for the 2016, let’s see.

The HB 04 has been very slow to evolve but now drinking very well from 375 format. It was just backward and tannic but not unbalanced in the way that the 2014 Meyney clearly is, and which tastes like Angelus from the mid noughties.
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I opened my first Meyney 16 last month and thoroughly enjoyed the concentration and balance. Good fresh acidity and the fine grained tannins were knitting in well. It showed great promise for the future.
 
I ‘look forward’ to trying the 2016 Sean - albeit with some trepidation. What got me suspicious about modern Meyney was a post by Robert Alfert on WB, which I rarely visit. He is a true Bordeaux aficionado and our palates tend to align closely - he used to post on BWE, even though I never actually met him in person - he posted this on WB with his tin hat on:

TN: 2016 Meyney - a contrary opinion

That is what piqued my interest - specifically re the 2016:

“As I sit here on the second day following this wine, I feel like somebody stuck a 2 x 10 oak plank in my mouth and I’m sucking on it for no other reason other than the fact that I’m desperately trying to discern some aesthetic, spiritual, or intellectual pleasure out of this wine. I found none. I really have not liked many recent vintages of this once-heralded château. Quite a shame since the wines from the 1980s were glorious.

He is right about 80s Meyney from the Cordier stable. They weren’t far behind Gruaud Larose and Talbot.

“I dumped it. I’m done with these two days of suffer. Time for the whisky!

Hence I wanted to see for myself especially after another glowing review from Jim on BWE on the 2014.

2014 Chateau Meyney has been uncorked and other ramblings.... - Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts
 
Ian Hampsted said:
I ‘look forward’ to trying the 2016 Sean - albeit with some trepidation. What got me suspicious about modern Meyney was a post by Robert Alfert on WB, which I rarely visit. He is a true Bordeaux aficionado and our palates tend to align closely - he used to post on BWE, even though I never actually met him in person - he posted this on WB with his tin hat on:
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Perhaps part of the problem lies in drinking 8 year old claret. Surely the jury must be out until twenty plus years after the vintage.
 
A couple of relatively minor drops delighting over the weekend and delivering above their QPR. The first was the '22 Sharpham Dart Valley Reserve - picked up last weekend in Devon after some enthusiastic reviews here a week or so ago. I have to say I am in hearty agreement, this was not life changing but it was a delight on a sunny Saturday afternoon. If I was served blind I would have probably picked it as slightly floral native Italian white from Alto Adige or somewhere similar. Lovely acidity underpinning some lovely early summer fruits. Very much liked by Mrs D so will probably get some more of this, and at 11% is a pleasant change.

'17 Didier Fornerol Cotes De Nuits Village - Rue des Foins - have just looked up what I paid for this and it appears it is not quite as minor as I had first thought (that is clearly Burgundy for you!!) I was expecting this to be a little lighter given the vintage but it showed some depth of colour and a lovely dark fruited nose with a lifted finish. A lovely balanced wine but not necessarily likely to improve further with additional time in bottle.

'09 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett - Served with homemade kimchi & pork belly stew. My last bottle of this and it just over performed as ever. A fully evolved nose with hints of petroleum and lush ripe stone fruits. Perfect balance and poise through the palate with just a touch of richness overlaying a perfect lick of acidity. Holding its own and with the food and lovely foil. I had two glasses and put the rest back in the fridge overnight. Finished off the next day on its own as an aperitif, it was even more delightful and a wine that you could sit an contemplate on a warm summers evening with a smile on your face.

08 Paul Bara Grand Millesime Grand Cru Brut - Rolled this out on Sunday afternoon and boy is it in a good place right now. Lovely golden colour showing a bit of its age, the nose sails the senses with buttered oven warm brioche, with a hint of honeyed sweetness and some light red summer fruits. The palate is both fulsome and balanced with a fabulous length and structure but with a fresh liveliness of a mountain stream. Possibly the best bottle I have had of this to date
 
Richard Zambuni said:
Perhaps part of the problem lies in drinking 8 year old claret. Surely the jury must be out until twenty plus years after the vintage.
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Agreed. Just because modern winemaking means you can doesn't mean you should.

I bought a Ch Poujeaux '16 in France a few weeks back and it was a good wine but I just couldn't enjoy it. Interestingly I had a bottle in BKK about a year ago and was really impressed which I think is a reflection of how calibrated (or de-) my palate gets over here in the absence of many mature wines.

In the UK I was still struggling with '06's and regretted an '08 and especially enjoyed a 1970 Haut Brion.
 
Richard Zambuni said:
Perhaps part of the problem lies in drinking 8 year old claret. Surely the jury must be out until twenty plus years after the vintage.
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The problem with that line of reasoning Richard is that there are so many 2014s and 2016s - at around this level - or higher - already drinking very well and providing a lot of pleasure, without the intrusive oak and extraction. Two examples that immediately spring to mind are 2016 Reserve de la Comtesse and Alter Ego. Even 2016 Montrose for that matter - and 2014 Montrose. Neither appear to suffer from over extraction or overoaking. The 2014 Meyney was a bit of a throwback to the bad old days of Parkerised over extraction. It reminded me of 2005 Angelus a wine I tasted around the same age with the same shortcomings (the then winemaker at Angelus is the consultant at Meyney, which is a bit of a red flag in itself). Having said that, time should have a healing and ameliorating effect on these wines, but they seem out of step with the recent welcome trend to less extraction and less oak.
 
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Alex Jagger said:
Agreed. Just because modern winemaking means you can doesn't mean you should.

I bought a Ch Poujeaux '16 in France a few weeks back and it was a good wine but I just couldn't enjoy it. Interestingly I had a bottle in BKK about a year ago and was really impressed which I think is a reflection of how calibrated (or de-) my palate gets over here in the absence of many mature wines.

In the UK I was still struggling with '06's and regretted an '08 and especially enjoyed a 1970 Haut Brion.
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So much about wine is about context and expectation; in terms of enjoyment one can manipulate those quite easily-I'd be excited to open a good 2016 claret with a Thai meal in a way that I wouldn't be with roast lamb, for example, even if it is a counterintuitive way to procede. That's one of the reasons I love very tannic reds with fish.
 
Ian Hampsted said:
The problem with that line of reasoning Richard is that there are so many 2014s and 2016s - at around this level - or higher - already drinking very well and providing a lot of pleasure, without the intrusive oak and extraction. Two examples that immediately spring to mind are 2016 Reserve de la Comtesse and Alter Ego. Even 2016 Montrose for that matter - and 2014 Montrose. Neither appear to suffer from over extraction or overoaking. The 2014 Meyney was a bit of a throwback to the bad old days of Parkerised over extraction. It reminded me of 2005 Angelus a wine I tasted around the same age with the same shortcomings (the then winemaker at Angelus is the consultant at Meyney, which is a bit of a red flag in itself). Having said that, time should have a healing and ameliorating effect on these wines, but they seem out of step with the recent welcome trend to less extraction and less oak.
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They could turn out to be disappointments for sure Ian, but given the style they'll need time. I hope I'm still rocking up to Bordeaux dinners when the time comes to find out. Incidentally, I did buy a few bottles of the 14, 15, 16 and 19 Meyneys on the back of Neal Martin's positive notes. It's not normally a château I follow though.
 
  • 1978 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (29/07/2024)
    PnP. €109/b. Well kept bottle, middle-neck filled, cork pulled out in one perfect piece with Durand. Still dark burgundy in color, not showing its age . Clean nose with just a touch of that Cordier funk. Tannins mostly resolved, just slight firmness on the mid-palate. Good acidity and rather elegant for a St Julien, time did wonders to this bottle. Drinking in its maturity plateau with many years ago, quite an impressive showing tonight, a pleasant surprise. Sadly my only bottle. (94 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker

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Chiu Lin said:
  • 1978 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (29/07/2024)
    PnP. €109/b. Well kept bottle, middle-neck filled, cork pulled out in one perfect piece with Durand. Still dark burgundy in color, not showing its age . Clean nose with just a touch of that Cordier funk. Tannins mostly resolved, just slight firmness on the mid-palate. Good acidity and rather elegant for a St Julien, time did wonders to this bottle. Drinking in its maturity plateau with many years ago, quite an impressive showing tonight, a pleasant surprise. Sadly my only bottle. (94 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker

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Usually the case with Gruaud Larose. It's the ugly duckling that always turns into a swan.
 
Yesterday was the latest episode of Sunday supper BYO at Chez Bruce, unfortunately there was a last minute withdrawal but Steph stepped up to fill the spot, a couple of decidedly dodgy forumites were ensconced on a nearby table when we arrived, so we were able to swap a couple of tastes between us which was fun, a very fresh 2002 Cristal was quite a treat

the kitchen was on reliably good form, I had a sea bream dish which involved mushroom duxelles and cuttlefish which was fantastically tasty although not really instagram material and was brilliant with the pinots, I ate it long before thinking of a photo :)

Caillez-Lemaire Champagne Vinoteque
Best not to serve this too chilled, plenty of mature aged notes, some honey and grilled nuts, blossoms with air, needs food, still some freshness but quite oxidative, quite a big vinous wine, interesting stuff. A special selection for Sip Champagne, 200 bottles made. 2004 base and 210 months on lees

2016 Chave Hermitage blanc
the first time trying this wine for most of us I think, the nose took a bit of coaxing to come out and was still a little reticent, the palate was all about the balance, a little honey, yellow plums, greengages, some cashew, more acidity than I expected which really held it together, very stylish and would be fascinating to see how this develops

2011 Kusuda Pinot Noir
Very pale in colour, still looking and tasting young and fresh, quite a stemmy nose even though I read he hand destems his fruit, really improved with air, lovely cherry and dark raspberry fruit and cleansing acidity

2001 Louis Remy Latriciere Chambertin
oh yes, this smells of mature burgundy alright, a violet top note balances the more earthy undertones, good dark cherry fruit still, perfect drinking right now I would say, will probably last for a bit too, I really enjoyed this, and interesting comparison with the kusuda being different ends of the same scale

Chez Bruce are closed soon for a summer break, but I shall try to revisit this byo Sunday again when they are back if anyone is interested
 
  • NV Marie Demets Champagne 'Intransigeance' Extra Brut - France, Champagne (29/07/2024)
    How on earth is this 1 g/l dosage extra brut? This must have the most RS of any champagne I’ve ever tasted. Some bruised red apple and oranges on the nose. Intensely, shockingly sweet citrus on the attack. My initial thought was this was a sec or even demi sec, not extra brut! Imagine a bolly sc with lots of citrus sweetness and focus.
Posted from CellarTracker
 
Some work stuff went my way yesterday so I’ve had a few nice bottles to commemorate. It happened to late in the evening yesterday so the bottle of comtes 06 I had chilling was left in place of this;

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Although I enjoyed the fresh, Morey spice my wife suggested it had bitterness on the finish and wasn’t a patch on the 2020 GLC Nebbiolo of the previous night. I’d say this is not ready for business but I still enjoyed it despite Mrs R’s protestations.

This evening the comtes was enjoyed outdoors from Jancis glasses, what a treat. Like good white burg with bubbles.

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Back indoors a text book July dish of toad in the hole with a Sadie grenache.

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This was very evolved, it walked the tightrope but the lovely line of acidity kept any hints stew in the fruit in check. Lovely freshness. Very enjoyable but it’s his whites I truly treasure.
 
Chiu Lin said:
  • 1978 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (29/07/2024)
    PnP. €109/b. Well kept bottle, middle-neck filled, cork pulled out in one perfect piece with Durand. Still dark burgundy in color, not showing its age . Clean nose with just a touch of that Cordier funk. Tannins mostly resolved, just slight firmness on the mid-palate. Good acidity and rather elegant for a St Julien, time did wonders to this bottle. Drinking in its maturity plateau with many years ago, quite an impressive showing tonight, a pleasant surprise. Sadly my only bottle. (94 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker

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My Eureka bottle, I can still taste it's 15yr old incarnation as I type :)
 
I half expected the Burlotto (from a mixed auction case) to be shot and on opening worried that it was oxidised but with a little air this is a balsamic mini barolo and really vgi served cool with some pasta that I didn't have to cook. Reminds me slightly more of their Aves Barbera than their barolos. The last glass was the best you will be surprised to find.

I accidentally bought some Schaefer spatlese from the L&W offer today after already filling my boots with Kabinett at HR earlier this year and I spied this 2009 in the wine fridge so why not? Absolutely delicious - mango, musk and ever-changing fruit salad. Not as outrageous as the 2023s by any means, but just what I need on a warm London evening. Just two sleeps till my break..
..
 

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Dan Baillie said:
  • NV Marie Demets Champagne 'Intransigeance' Extra Brut - France, Champagne (29/07/2024)
    How on earth is this 1 g/l dosage extra brut? This must have the most RS of any champagne I’ve ever tasted. Some bruised red apple and oranges on the nose. Intensely, shockingly sweet citrus on the attack. My initial thought was this was a sec or even demi sec, not extra brut! Imagine a bolly sc with lots of citrus sweetness and focus.
Posted from CellarTracker
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I'm so surprised about this Dan. I see here how experienced you are with fizz, so don't doubt your impressions at all, but I work with these guys in SG (having been introduced via Linden who has them in HK) and have never tasted the wines as sweet like you describe. However, I was in Asia recently and poured a few grower wines that I know to be very dry and feedback from some very knowledgeable tasters mirrored your comments above. I didn't get this with any Marie Demets - although we did serve Les Fins a couple of times - but with Pertois Moriset and Brigitte Fallon. My only question mark was whether wines from very ripe base vintages - such as 2018 - in combination with richness from extended lees ageing, was giving an impression of sweetness.

I guess it's possible but it doesn't change the fact that I'm sure you're used to tasting Champagne that fits the above parameters and not finding it sweet.

Either way, if an opportunity arises, it would be fascinating to taste some of these with you. Not to prove anyone right / wrong, just to try and understand more.
 
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