TN Weekend 7-11 Feb 2025

PhilWilkins

PhilWilkins

Location
UK
2005 La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Pure’ - Stunning purity from century-old Grenache vines. The nose is lifted and complex with wild strawberry/cherry/raspberry/dried rose petals/garrigue, evolving into liquorice/orange peel/black tea. The palate is seamless, with a gossamer texture and fully resolved tannins. Subtle spice/dried herbs/crushed stone add depth leading to a long lingering finish. Still maintains elegance and freshness if well-cellared. Almost a pinot noir in a Chateauneuf cloak. It is at its peak and will hold beautifully for another 5-10 years. 15%vol 97pts

2005 La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Fiancee’ - A blend of century-old Grenache (50%) and young vine Syrah (50%), making it a more structured and darker wine. Black cherry/mulberry/smoked meat/coffee grounds dominate, now joined by secondary leather/tapenade/mushroom notes. The palate is balanced, with softened tannins and a savoury edge with soy/dried herbs/black olive with a lingering spice-driven, slightly drying finish. Drinking now but not my style. 15%vol 88pts

2009 La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Pure’ - A more opulent take on ‘Pure’, showing the ripeness of the vintage while retaining finesse. The nose shows raspberry/kirsch/blackberry/dried lavender/garrigue, evolving into dried rose petals/wild herbs/ground pepper. The palate is deep and layered, with a velvety texture and tannins that are fully integrated but still provide structure. Sweet spice/dried thyme/graphite adds complexity, leading to a long, lingering finish. Almost at peak now but will hold effortlessly for another 10+ years. 15% vol 94pts

2015 La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Pure’ - A more precise and energetic expression, capturing the vintage with remarkable depth. The nose is lifted and intense, with wild strawberry/cherry/pomegranate/sandalwood, developing into liquorice/smoked tea/iron filings. The palate shows a remarkable balance between its plush fruit, acidity, and ultra-fine tannins. Subtle notes of graphite/liquorice/dried flowers emerge towards the finish, which is long and pure. Still evolving, with at least another 15+ years of potential ahead. 15% vol. 94pts
 
2019 Kelly Washington Pinot Noir, Gibbston Valley, Central Otago, NZ

Already showing a browning edge, very aromatic nose with charred oak, earth, black cherry, and something slightly animale but in a good way. Light bodied but full of flavour more baked cherry. Nice pinosity. This reminds me of Martinborough Vineyards Pinot from the late 1980s that was amongst the first NZ Pinot I had in the early 90s. Is that style still available? Certainly quite different to the bigger wines now typical of Central Otago. Seems fully ready and at peak now. 91.
 
On holiday so took some wines with me:

Te Mata Estate Elston Chardonnay 2016: I love Elston with a bit of age on it, and at 9 years, this didn't disappoint. Marzipan, peaches. Lovely.

Felton Road Bannockburn Chardonnay 2019: Much lighter in style, somewhat simple. Lacks the complexity of the Block 2 & 6. Much preferred the Elston from the day before.

Ch Gruaud Larose 1990: Had a cooler day yesterday so decided to open this up. Bit of the 'Cordier funk' going on, which I like. On the downward slope perhaps but this developed more muscle as the evening wore on. So much so, that I didn't want this bottle to finish. A real treat.

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recent fare, wine journey continues, dry January kicked firmly into touch:
Blankbottle Orbitofrontal Cortex 2022
Classic Blankbottle vibe, I think I could pick them out any grape, any bottle, there is just a Blankbottle house style, which is fun given the infinite grape varieties, very pleasant albeit they are getting pretty expensive these days (well over 30 often pushing 40)
TWS Moulin a Vent 2019
Very solid, a more beefy a gamay than i'm used to but well in balance and delicious, good value for sure at under 20
Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge 2018
When you check the CT and someone says "I bought a 6 pack and they were all corked" it's a worry.
Guess what... Luckily it's just one visit to the sink, and lesson learned.
Jean-Louis Tissot Arbois Savagnin 2020
"I know Tissot? Albeit I'm naive to Jura, but let's try it." The vendor did not correct me...
Huge bruised apple as a tasting note, my wife said it tasted like her late uncle's home-made, which i'm slowly realising is a clue towards oxidative.
Pretty good all told, very palatable, albeit there is another Tissot, I get that now.
Rolly Gassmann Silberberg de Rorschwihr Riesling 2021
Struggled with the sweetness of other Gassmann's (well, duh.. you live and learn) but this was very nicely balanced on that end, some sweetness but nothing imposing and generally decent and easy drinking
 
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Continuing on the theme of crashing Majestic disappointments, Parcel Series Old Vine Barossa. It’s only 2022, but the nose just screams ‘alcohol’, with a hint of mulberry. Smooth yes, easy to drink yes, but then it has gone. It doesn’t taste of anything! Weird.

Opened because I fancied one glass of red (big run tomorrow) and was suspicious that the rest might end up in food. Bad and good call simultaneously.
 
Went pretty large this evening. A couple of foodie treats in the house (black truffle and mangalitza tenderloin) so decided to start things off with a Comtes 08 (the rest to be drunk while rugby watching tomorrow), then the Haut Brion 98 I got from a swap with an esteemed forumite, which was all I could have hoped for.

This wasn’t quite ready after a 3-4 hour decant, with a bit of mustiness and some fenugreek suggestive of oxidation, but it miraculously shed the years with further aeration. A kaleidoscopic aromatic profile that constantly reinvented itself in the glass. At times a classic cassis, tobacco and lead pencils, then more exotically perfumed, then blueberry, plum, violets and a hint of lavender. An occasional whiff of overripe strawberry. It comes across as quite alcoholic on the nose and the legs in the glass reinforce that impression. It’s got excellent grip on the palate and a long finish, but it’s a tad on the lean side and the sweetness of fruit on the palate doesn’t really come through. Overall, though, a fascinating wine to try at this stage of its evolution and plenty still left in the tank.
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Lovely evening with friends old and new. The idea was to taste 2015s from the Northern Rhone, which might *just* be getting ready now. The wines were kind to us, nothing disappointed, and i even went shopping part way through the evening.

2015 N RHONE AND FRIENDS - Noizé (08/02/2025)

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The theme was 2015 N Rhone, with one older wine added in to give some context. The restaurant did very well - they are reliably excellent with the food, and are so wine friendly one almost feels guilty.
  • 2015 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
    Pale gold colour. Wonderful nose - initial whiff of wallpaper paste (which may or may not have been placed there by autosuggestion - someone mentioned wallpaper paste and I immediately smelled it) and a real vibrancy to it, lemon pannacotta and just a whiff of incense. On the palate, a kind of butterscotch breadth but...there's that non-acid finish that I still don't quite grok. Others are raving about this, and I can quite see why, but I don't quite get the tune. Couldn't help thinking how much better this would be with a small pinch of tartaric acid...
  • 2015 Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie Reserve - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
    Purple colour. On the nose, a kind of dense florality, give it a swirl and a deep sniff and the earthiness comes out. On the palate - again dense, the tannins are nice, a little grainy, but oh so very present. There's lovely fruit in here but the glossiness is a little hard to get past. Of all the reds tonight this is the one that feels the least ready to drink.
  • 2015 Ferraton Père & Fils Ermitage Le Méal - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
    Purple, but slightly less so than the preceding bottle. Very perfumed nose - violets, on the palate more blue fruit, a dense tannic core that is refined, fine grained, not quite gentle but quietly confident. There's a real joy to this, and as well as a quiet refinement. Waiting for several years for the next one.
  • 2015 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
    Purple / garnet colour. On the nose - yes more violets, evidently it's a violet day, and a gentle balance to it. On the palate - this doesn't take itself too seriously, it's somewhat lighter, somewhat easier to drink and...zing - a slight thrill, like someone unexpectedly stroking your neck when you were daydreaming about something else. Of the 15s.
  • 2015 Guillaume Gilles Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
    Colour - back in the deep purple zone. There's dense blue fruit. My handwritten notes start to get hard to read by this stage but this is great, there's lovely grip and density, that brooding Cornasien character but nothing animale or out of balance. This was super - very pleased to have a couple in the cellar.
  • 2006 Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
    Is this the last year he made this wine? Maybe. Anyway. Goosebumps. Compared to the preceding 2015s this was much lighter, less substantial. That lovely earthy character though, just the hint of nosebleed, the acid is still there at its core. Lovely to taste alongside those youths - I suspect they will age differently, and likely even surpass this with some age, but this is just drinking lovely now.

2015 is clearly going to be excellent. I would love to do a repeat of this dinner in 10 years time. My sense is that, more than any other region, N Rhone reds can have an alchemical reaction when very good wines can become 2 or even 3 levels better at the right age.
Posted from CellarTracker
 
Back to the 08 Comtes I opened yesterday. My first time with Comtes, I think. An aristocratic elegance and hauteur is immediately apparent. There’s risen bread dough and yeast, later a bit of toast too. Clementines and orange peel. Something a bit rounder and riper too—papaya? Quite a steely edge. A barest hint of wood smoke. It’s intense and buzzing with energy on the palate, with a some lemon serbert prickle on the tongue. A wine to admire, certainly, but I’m not sure I love it.
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Ken Oliver said:
Back to the 08 Comtes I opened yesterday. My first time with Comtes, I think. An aristocratic elegance and hauteur is immediately apparent. There’s risen bread dough and yeast, later a bit of toast too. Clementines and orange peel. Something a bit rounder and riper too—papaya? Quite a steely edge. A barest hint of wood smoke. It’s intense and buzzing with energy on the palate, with a some lemon serbert prickle on the tongue. A wine to admire, certainly, but I’m not sure I love it.
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Ken,
If this is indeed you first time with Comtes, whilst you started with a highly regarded vintage your comment about admiring rather than loving it may well become the epitaph for the 08 vintage champagnes and perhaps trying a Comtes from another vintage might be worthwhile.
 
Thom Blach said:
Or even malic. I certainly understand the sentiment but Rhone whites are usually more custard than rapier and we should probably embrace them for what they are.
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No, I don't think they need any acid adding to them. The balance is quite fine, in this wine at least, between fresh flowers, solvents, dry extract, huge, enormous power and, in all honesty, frightening amounts of booze. It was truly excellent and for me one of the wines of the evening in what was a really great line up of bottles.

It was bloody marvellous to be able to make it into London again and I hope I can contrive to make it into Town on a regular basis. My back surgeon did a quite incredible job on me. Fancy meeting for lunch somewhere, Thom?
 
Leon Marks said:
Lovely evening with friends old and new. The idea was to taste 2015s from the Northern Rhone, which might *just* be getting ready now. The wines were kind to us, nothing disappointed, and i even went shopping part way through the evening.

2015 N RHONE AND FRIENDS - Noizé (08/02/2025)

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The theme was 2015 N Rhone, with one older wine added in to give some context. The restaurant did very well - they are reliably excellent with the food, and are so wine friendly one almost feels guilty.
  • 2015 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
    Pale gold colour. Wonderful nose - initial whiff of wallpaper paste (which may or may not have been placed there by autosuggestion - someone mentioned wallpaper paste and I immediately smelled it) and a real vibrancy to it, lemon pannacotta and just a whiff of incense. On the palate, a kind of butterscotch breadth but...there's that non-acid finish that I still don't quite grok. Others are raving about this, and I can quite see why, but I don't quite get the tune. Couldn't help thinking how much better this would be with a small pinch of tartaric acid...
  • 2015 Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie Reserve - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
    Purple colour. On the nose, a kind of dense florality, give it a swirl and a deep sniff and the earthiness comes out. On the palate - again dense, the tannins are nice, a little grainy, but oh so very present. There's lovely fruit in here but the glossiness is a little hard to get past. Of all the reds tonight this is the one that feels the least ready to drink.
  • 2015 Ferraton Père & Fils Ermitage Le Méal - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
    Purple, but slightly less so than the preceding bottle. Very perfumed nose - violets, on the palate more blue fruit, a dense tannic core that is refined, fine grained, not quite gentle but quietly confident. There's a real joy to this, and as well as a quiet refinement. Waiting for several years for the next one.
  • 2015 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
    Purple / garnet colour. On the nose - yes more violets, evidently it's a violet day, and a gentle balance to it. On the palate - this doesn't take itself too seriously, it's somewhat lighter, somewhat easier to drink and...zing - a slight thrill, like someone unexpectedly stroking your neck when you were daydreaming about something else. Of the 15s.
  • 2015 Guillaume Gilles Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
    Colour - back in the deep purple zone. There's dense blue fruit. My handwritten notes start to get hard to read by this stage but this is great, there's lovely grip and density, that brooding Cornasien character but nothing animale or out of balance. This was super - very pleased to have a couple in the cellar.
  • 2006 Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
    Is this the last year he made this wine? Maybe. Anyway. Goosebumps. Compared to the preceding 2015s this was much lighter, less substantial. That lovely earthy character though, just the hint of nosebleed, the acid is still there at its core. Lovely to taste alongside those youths - I suspect they will age differently, and likely even surpass this with some age, but this is just drinking lovely now.

2015 is clearly going to be excellent. I would love to do a repeat of this dinner in 10 years time. My sense is that, more than any other region, N Rhone reds can have an alchemical reaction when very good wines can become 2 or even 3 levels better at the right age.
Posted from CellarTracker
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This was a truly brilliant line up of bottles. The nearest to readiness was the Renaissance (my first taste of this cuvée) and I was a tiny bit disappointed by it compared to the Clape Grand Vin. But it was still good.

If Leon has left any on sale anywhere, I would recommend making a special effort to get some Gilles Cornas. Yes, it's modern Cornas, but it's the real thing! Older bottles can be bought at what are bargain prices for the scintillating quality. The 22 is getting a bit expensive in France because people have really caught on to him now. First order Cornas that will age brilliantly. Don't forget to buy Bourg and Lionnet whilst you are at it!

I agree the Ogier had furthest to go, but I was rather charmed by it's refinement and elegance. Quite beautiful with a long, pleasure giving life ahead of it.

Best bottle of Ferraton I've ever had!

I thought the Climens was a little tired, as Paul correctly concluded, don't buy your Sauternes in half bottles.

The Michel gave me a cold thrill of goosebumps. Not as good as the 05 that Leon kindly opened a few years ago, but the fellow was a greatly underrated master of Cornas. Gilles is his student and has a lot of his vineyards; they are in safe, loving hands.

So wonderful to be able to meet friends for a fun little meal in London! I've missed going to Town so much!
 
Jonathan Kalman said:
Thank you and pleased to read a favourable review of the vintage. For reasons that are not remembered by me, I am (for me) holding quite a lot of 2015 N Rhône.
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You are a wise man. By this showing, and many others I've done in recent years, 15 is a super vintage. No hard edges, super depth of flavour, real charm. Just a dream vintage across the Northern Rhône.

I know you have some Graillot and I think you can start drinking that over the next couple of years, but even though Graillot's wines are not what they once were, in a vintage like this there's no rush.

As Leon suggested, these wines will be showing really well in ten years and, if my friends are still speaking to me, I will try to arrange a repeat of this in 2035. These wines have the legs to last and last. If you give them a serious decant you can drink them now with lots of smiles. Really you should be coming back in 5+ years. What fun you'll have. I wish I had bought more, I'll pleasure myself immensely with the bottles I have.

Top, top vintage!
 
  • 2011 Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (6/2/2025)
    Wow I was stunned when I smelled this. Had no idea how a Bojo managed to have a knockout nose that reminded me of a Bizot; incredibly aromatic and lifted with stemmy spice and hints of potpourri and mocha. Palate was a slight letdown (also like the Bizots that I have experienced haha) with sour cherries dominating that might come across as thin to others. Still an incredible value at S$58 landed, definitely the best nose that I have seen at this price point. (92 pts.)



WINE CULTURE TASTING WITH ARTHUR CLAIR - (8/2/2025)

Met Arthur briefly at the 2022 La Paulee in Singapore but glad to meet him in a more intimate setting where he could share more. He brought us through six 2022 wines, and said that it was one of the best vintages in recent times. In contrast, 2024 was a wipeout with even less yield than 1981. Nevertheless he will still be making separate cuvees, unlike some others that are declassifying or blending their 1er crus. He was thankful that 2023 was a bountiful vintage, but noted that it was not uniform as some areas like Marsannay saw reduced yields due to dryness.

The wines showed the Bruno Clair house style of delicate, pretty red fruit that I absolutely adore. Arthur shared that the wines have seen more gentle extraction and stem inclusion, which is a response to climate change as much as it being the in-vogue style. There was still a balance to be had since excessive stem inclusion could mean that freshness was at the expense of acidity. I also asked about the transition and the role of Philippe Brun, and Arthur said that the presence of Philippe was very helpful in the transition to him and Edouard. Really enjoyed the tasting, and looking forward to visiting the domaine in April.
  • 2022 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay Les Grasses Têtes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay
    Quite lifted with delicate, slightly sweet cherry fruit. More structure than the SLB and Vosne Champs Perdrix that came after. 30% new oak, usually needs more time than the Longeroies (a mix of 5 plots) which is more approachable.
  • 2022 Domaine Bruno Clair Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Jarrons - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru
    First time tasting this cuvee, same soil and exposition as La Dominode (which is one of my favourite cuvees from the domaine with vines planted in 1902). Relatively younger vines planted in 1987, thought this was noticeably lighter with higher acid. Quaffable but not as much stuffing as the other wines on show.
  • 2022 Domaine Bruno Clair Vosne-Romanée Les Champs Perdrix - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
    I always have a soft spot for this wine and unsurprisingly it was my favourite of the line-up. Very pretty with silky tannins, but with an impressive structure underneath in an iron first velvet glove way. A barrel of Reignots used to go into this but since 2018 Arthur has bottled Reignots separately. Put my money where my mouth was and bought a bottle after (and got Arthur to sign it).
  • 2022 Domaine Bruno Clair Morey St. Denis En la Rue de Vergy - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis
    From a plot above Clos de Tart. My friends commented that this was a little sweet (which I agreed) so I asked for the leftovers from the previous session to taste. Quite saline and silky for a Morey, but with a bluer fruit tinge than the others in the line-up.
  • 2022 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos du Fonteny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
    Arthur described this wine which is situated near Ruchottes as the most Chambolle of his Gevrey plots. Did a comparison with the fresh pour and the leftovers from the previous session, again I preferred the glass which saw more air. Clearly Gevrey with earthy notes and more obvious tannins, but still retaining the house style of pretty red fruit. My second favourite of the line-up today.
  • 2022 Domaine Bruno Clair Bonnes Mares - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
    Again did a side by side of the fresh pour against the bottle from the previous session. Preferred the pop and pour this time - vibrant fruit behind a towering presence and serious complexity. Some hints of stemmy spice, clearly the most weight out of the wines today. The other glass that had seen more air unfortunately was shut as hell, which probably means this should be left alone for a while.


 
Davy Strange said:
This was a truly brilliant line up of bottles. The nearest to readiness was the Renaissance (my first taste of this cuvée) and I was a tiny bit disappointed by it compared to the Clape Grand Vin. But it was still good.

If Leon has left any on sale anywhere, I would recommend making a special effort to get some Gilles Cornas. Yes, it's modern Cornas, but it's the real thing! Older bottles can be bought at what are bargain prices for the scintillating quality. The 22 is getting a bit expensive in France because people have really caught on to him now. First order Cornas that will age brilliantly. Don't forget to buy Bourg and Lionnet whilst you are at it!

I agree the Ogier had furthest to go, but I was rather charmed by it's refinement and elegance. Quite beautiful with a long, pleasure giving life ahead of it.

Best bottle of Ferraton I've ever had!

I thought the Climens was a little tired, as Paul correctly concluded, don't buy your Sauternes in half bottles.

The Michel gave me a cold thrill of goosebumps. Not as good as the 05 that Leon kindly opened a few years ago, but the fellow was a greatly underrated master of Cornas. Gilles is his student and has a lot of his vineyards; they are in safe, loving hands.

So wonderful to be able to meet friends for a fun little meal in London! I've missed going to Town so much!
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Actually, I'm going to expand on this. @Richard Zambuni is absolutely correct to love Cornas, it's one of the best buys in the world at the moment. The whole AC is about 110ha, tiny - the size of a medium sized Bordeaux producer, yet you can get things like Lionnet 22 for only £40 a bottle. The wines are glorious and show so much variation, plus they improve over decades.

Dumien-Serrette is affordable. Bourg, who I think just owns under 2ha is easily accessible. Lionnet is delicious and a lot of fun. Gilles is brilliant. Cuilleron's lieu-dit les Cotes is very enjoyable. All these producers are making proper Cornas that is reach of even my wallet even though the total production of Cornas is so small. Any affordable producers you'd add to the list, Zambers? Oh Domaine de Tunnel are good. Just buy. You'll be so richly rewarded.
 
Davy Strange said:
You are a wise man. By this showing, and many others I've done in recent years, 15 is a super vintage. No hard edges, super depth of flavour, real charm. Just a dream vintage across the Northern Rhône.

I know you have some Graillot and I think you can start drinking that over the next couple of years, but even though Graillot's wines are not what they once were, in a vintage like this there's no rush.

As Leon suggested, these wines will be showing really well in ten years and, if my friends are still speaking to me, I will try to arrange a repeat of this in 2035. These wines have the legs to last and last. If you give them a serious decant you can drink them now with lots of smiles. Really you should be coming back in 5+ years. What fun you'll have. I wish I had bought more, I'll pleasure myself immensely with the bottles I have.

Top, top vintage!
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Am aligned with you on Bourg and Gilles, but will have to seek out some Lionnet to try. Curious why do you think that Graillot wines are not what they once were, I thought that recent vintages have been excellent with '19 being a particular knockout.
 
Melvin Yeo said:
Am aligned with you on Bourg and Gilles, but will have to seek out some Lionnet to try. Curious why do you think that Graillot wines are not what they once were, I thought that recent vintages have been excellent with '19 being a particular knockout.
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Oh Graillot is still good, but I don't think (the massively missed) Alain's son Maxime makes wines as good as my old friend. That being said, I've bought a few magnums, mainly La Guiraude, that I think will be perfectly enjoyable when they are 10-15.
 
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