Weekend drinking 12 and 13 April

Jaboulet La Petite Chapelle Hermitage 2013

Had with Duck breast and mushroom sauce with bacon and cabbage.

On opening and decanting, a wonderful bouquet of forest berries, bacon an tapenade wafted. I immediately regretted opening 3 hours before drinking, but shouldn't have worried. Whilst the ripe fruit has demurred and evolved, smoky meats and pepper come and a floral note come through.

That ripe concentration of fruit sings in the mouth. Blackberries and blueberries with a touch of raspberry in the finish. Hints of spices. Soft ripe tannins are fully integrated and offer balance to the fruit and decent acidity. Full bodied and a long length. Cracking wine.IMG_20250413_172736.jpg
 
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Holy moly. 2009 Clos Rougeard Blanc Breze. What a great surprise.

One of my neighbours brought this over today.... or rather the last drops of it. "I thought you might appreciate the last drops"... Someone had opened it at their house last night.. he is not a wine person but said "It seemed quite nice, so I did some research and thought fkn hell this is expensive....Paul will want a taste"

I've had this wine once before 10 years ago and it was sensational. The last 10 years this has moved at a glacial pace but is now an incredile mix of lemons, beewax, acidity and a soft maturity.

Edit: Note to self - get a better class of friend!
 
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kevin heatherington said:
See posts above.

Cotes du Ventoux (Jaboulet) 1981.

Someone, who has a few of these, gave me this bottle recently with a comment see what you think. In a remarkable condition. The cork was firm and came out whole. I slow oxygenated for 6 hours then decanted for 30 mins before drinking. Colour of blood with lots of amber but still red. Nose is a mix of redcurrant fruit and orange peel. Fragrant. Tastes faded but still with plenty of decent redcurrant fruit. No signs of decay or decline whatsoever. A wine that has aged perfectly into very old age for what it is (modern equivalent sells for around £10). Soft and simple but a delight. 89
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There are a number of older jaboulet with unreadable labels appearing at auctions recently. Wish I had bought them!
 
Paul J a i n e s said:
Holy moly. 2009 Clos Rougeard Blanc Breze. What a great surprise.

One of my neighbours brought this over today.... or rather the last drops of it. "I thought you might appreciate the last drops"... Someone had opened it at their house last night.. he is not a wine person but said "It seemed quite nice, so I did some research and thought fkn hell this is expensive....Paul will want a taste"

I've had this wine once before 10 years ago and it was sensational. The last 10 years this has moved at a glacial pace but is now an incredile mix of lemons, beewax, acidity and a soft maturity.

Edit: Note to self - get a better class of friend!
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If only we had similar neighbours. Though after 35 years next-door is being sold, so there is hope.
 
  • 2022 Martin Vajčner Welschriesling Welschriesling II - Czech Republic, Moravia, Znojmo (12/04/2025)
    Orange tinged; citrus & spicy note including ginger; sufficient acidity, apples & spice, easygoing; finishes well. Drink soon. (87 pts.)
  • 2023 Vin Noé Isaac - France, Vin de France (12/04/2025)
    Murky! High tone, rose hip on bouquet; fresh & zippy fruit which has bite; snazzy finish. 'Interesting'! (85 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker


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L’Esprit de L’Eglise 2013 was abysmal, continuing the theme of avoiding 2013 at all costs. Bland, I wouldn’t have guessed Merlot never mind Pomerol. There’s a new world glycerin-y feel to it but then nothing. Day two it’s acquired an unpleasant amyl volatility and I’m not even going to cook with it. Reduced to £13 in Tesco, do not be tempted. I wouldn’t buy again at £5.

On the other hand,
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This is excellent. Darts all over the tongue in a way that’s had to pin down. A delightful, food friendly, Sunday afternoon friendly wine in anticipation of a slow cooked leg of lamb but also a perfect match for salt and vinegar peanuts.

There was a Chablis too but that was forgettable.
 
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Getting into training for the Tuscany Wimps later this month. A 2012 Brunello Di Montalcino from Il Poggione. We had with with a wild mushroom risotto. I added a bit of leftover BBQ chicken from yesterday and the smoke from that really brought everything together. Hint of amber at the rim but good red colour. Nose is an interplay of sour cherry and mushroom with a hint of smoke and menthol. Really good maturing fruit, restrained, forest floor notes, very clean fruit. Light tannins, acidity is there but doesn’t show itself but enhances the fruit. Fine sour cherry fruit. Very classy wine. 92.
 
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It’s the hope that kills you.
My previous encounters with these two had been top notch, best in class showings. Unfortunately not today…

2004 Taittinger CdC, a reasonably advanced colour, but nothing alarming, the nose full of energy and promise. Unfortunately the palate was dilute, divest of any vigour, not an undrinkable wine, but a shadow of what it might be.

1999 Soldera Brunello di Montalcino. The nose was dominated by VA, some high quality fruit is detectable on the palate, but submerged under a blanket of acetate. Fine tannins on the finish.
 
  • 2015 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pora - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (13/04/2025)
    1/9 (first of cru collection pack) , very good cork. Decanted off sediment (minimal) and immediately served. #14,979.
    Medium garnet core, pale garnet rim. Quiye youthful, bright red cherrry, touch of darker plum, soil and fig notes. Touch of nutmeg. Medium bodied, bright but at the same time quite rich with red cherry fruit, touch of soil, lovely soft tannins, vibrant/crisp acids, touch of orange peel on the good length harmonious finish. Drinking well but with plenty in hand too. (91 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
 
Some wines we enjoyed over the weekend

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Chateau La Fleur De Gay 2008

This is ripe, delicious and fully mature Pomerol, with plummy, tobacco and floral notes. It is 100% merlot and a highish 14% abv for not a particularly warm vintage; it is decadent and like biting into a bar of chocolate. I find it surprisingly advanced and mellow for its age, but while it won’t repay further keeping, it is not about to fall off its perch either. For drinking now…93 pts…I still have a lot of this left if anyone is interested.

Xavier Gerard St-Joseph Blanchard 2016

When I see the word Blanchard I am reminded of the French economist Olivier of the same surname, one of the rudest, most conceited people I have ever met. Trying not to allow these negative thoughts sully the experience the first whiff of this immediately lifted my mood, and brought a contemplative smile to my face. Second out of a sixpack, the first tried in the summer of 2022 with some forumites was notably - even painfully - youthful, but this has come along nicely in the last three years, and is nearly into its drinking window. This is a really serious kit delivering Northern Rhone typicity in spades and almost to an exaggerated extent, with vivid notes of violets, tapenade, raw meat, game and herbs in abundance. It has good acidity and structure to age well…I will try my next one in a couple of years…92pts now with upside

Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto 2018

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I bought, and paid quite a lot for, two bottles of this wine on the basis of a tasting note by Susan Hulme MW. I subsequently bought a sixpack late last year at a knock down price, and now it turns out you can buy it even cheaper. Turns out her tasting note, copied below, was 100% on the money…but rather than 98 pts I would more conservatively give it 96 pts.

The 2018 Bruno Giacosa Barolo is very rich and hedonistic, with ripe strawberries and rose hip and notes of incense, lilies and violets. It is a lovely nose, persistent, intense and enticing and on the palate it is like falling into a soft velvety bed of rose petals. It already has such beautiful harmony and poise. It has a lush, sensual texture of crushed velvet, and is full-bodied without feeling heavy. There are plenty of dense, savoury tannins extending the very long finish, creating a combination of seductive charm and power. This is something special, a great achievement in this vintage. Wait 2-3 years at least but I would not want to miss that young fragrance.
2025-2052

98

Susan Hulme MW, The Wine Independent, July 2022

Chateau Latour 1985, double magnum, ex-chateau

First glass…

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Last week I was a late entrant and interloper at Richard’s Northern Rhone dinner and on Saturday, I gate-crashed Jono’s 40th birthday lunch so I could taste some of his Latour, which in a sense made me a freeloader. But in my defence, I also went along to wish him a happy birthday (!) and made amends in other ways, including 15 years ago when we famously popped a bottle of La Tache 1985 to celebrate his 25th…

Second glass…

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I didn’t know that Jono had, only very recently, sourced this bottle from the Chateau itself, which only released the wine in 2025. To say that the wine was pristine would be an understatement. Likewise to say it was in the perfect spot would be also an understatement.

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This wine had the poise, majesty, gravitas and imprimatur of a fully mature Latour, with a gorgeous, medium-bodied and seductive attack of ripe berry fruit, with cigar box, tobacco and cedar notes. It has such supreme elegance and effortless refinement and grace, with a tad still of residual grippy tension...97 pts…even though Latour has sometimes been seen to have been behind some its first growth rivals in this vintage this is right up there with the best experiences of the 1985 vintage I have ever had.

The birthday boy with his partner Ella

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Ian Hampsted said:
Xavier Gerard St-Joseph Blanchard 2016

When I see the word Blanchard I am reminded of the French economist Olivier of the same surname, one of the rudest, most conceited people I have ever met. Trying not to allow these negative thoughts sully the experience the first whiff of this immediately lifted my mood, and brought a contemplative smile to my face. Second out of a sixpack, the first tried in the summer of 2022 with some forumites was notably - even painfully - youthful, but this has come along nicely in the last three years, and is nearly into its drinking window. This is a really serious kit delivering Northern Rhone typicity in spades and almost to an exaggerated extent, with vivid notes of violets, tapenade, raw meat, game and herbs in abundance. It has good acidity and structure to age well…I will try my next one in a couple of years…92pts now with upside
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Sounds like you've had a great run Ian, and Happy Birthday to Jono.

I've had my eye on a case of this for a while but not tried although I bought the 23, sounds better than I thought.
 
Antoine Singer said:
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Having been advised by Tom B that 2008 Burgs needed to be drunk before too long, I opened this wonderful Grivot Vosne les Reignots 2008...
The wine was light, balanced, red fruit, mature with fine tannins, the acidity was present but not invading, not the deepest but a very pleasant companion under the sun.
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Melvin and I were up in Reignots enjoying the views yesterday!

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Are you going down to Savoie?

Last Autumn when we went and collected our allocations, I did the same and picked a couple of left over berries in the 3 appellations Reignots, Romanée and Romanée Conti which we tasted back in the hôtel… no tasting notes…
 
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