TN Weekend Drinking 14-16 March

Leon Marks

Leon Marks

Location
London
  • 2005 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (15/03/2025)
    A small glass served with a view to finishing the bottle tomorrow. Glass was not *quite* as small as planned. On pouring - there's a sharp earthiness there - Brett? With a bit of time - 15-20 mins - this really blows off and you're left with a lovely, clean if still a little earthy nose, and a vibrant palate - structured but still fruit clearly there. Rereading my last note when this was served blind - hard to imagine this as anything other than Rioja but - what tricks the mind can play on us. Anyway - this was lovely, pleased to have a couple more in, and it went well with Brie and Severance.
  • 2010 Château Poujeaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc (15/03/2025)
    Garnet colour. Lovely nose, all cedar and cigar box and a hint of rainy churchyard. The palate is well put together but not quite as expressive - a hint of roundness and some cherry stone on the finish.
Posted from CellarTracker
 
2020 Il Cascinone Barbera D’Asti Superiore D’Annona

This has been my go-to Barbera since I first encountered the superb 2001 back in 2007. Several bottles of that followed and were then succeeded by the superb ‘07, decent ‘12, decent ‘15 and in my experience variable ‘16. So my first taste of this vintage which isn’t released every year. A coravined glass yesterday was dark and brooding. It has softened a touch and is much better today. Dark colour and already throwing a bit of sediment. Dark cherry nose with a hint of liquorice, impressive and deep. This has always been a full bodied Barbera deserving of its Superiore designation. More black cherry flavours, nice freshening acidity, dark fruited and impressive. Should drink well for 5+ years. 91.
 
kevin heatherington said:
2020 Il Cascinone Barbera D’Asti Superiore D’Annona

This has been my go-to Barbera since I first encountered the superb 2001 back in 2007. Several bottles of that followed and were then succeeded by the superb ‘07, decent ‘12, decent ‘15 and in my experience variable ‘16. So my first taste of this vintage which isn’t released every year. A coravined glass yesterday was dark and brooding. It has softened a touch and is much better today. Dark colour and already throwing a bit of sediment. Dark cherry nose with a hint of liquorice, impressive and deep. This has always been a full bodied Barbera deserving of its Superiore designation. More black cherry flavours, nice freshening acidity, dark fruited and impressive. Should drink well for 5+ years. 91.
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First came across this at Byrnes in Clitheroe. Not for the faint hearted and plenty of oak - I’m a regular buyer too.
 
Great day today - went up to Glasgow to look at a College for my boy - first time in Glasgow - beautiful sunny weather (it is always like that, yeah, @Tom Cannavan ??)

Ended up having a cheeky Guinness in a pub that also had hundreds of whiskies (Potsill) which was perfect - but I was driving when I got back to LHR so no-go for me.

My favourite moment? We got off the bus from Glasgow airport and the first thing we saw at 08:30 was 2 seagulls beating the crap out of each other over a chip.

An old lady next to me said "Welcome to Glasgow"

Anyway - back home now after a 3am start gunning down a Tertre 2005 which is in a superb place. Previous bottles were quite soft of rounded - this one has lovely tannic bite.

My boy loved Glasgow so it is in the "highly probable" side of the ledger now - which I'm really happy about
 
The 1998 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Laurence has evolved gracefully, showing a mature garnet hue with some bricking at the rim. The nose is deeply savoury, with dried blackberry/spice/leather/cinnamon/ layered over notes of old oak/garrigue/a touch of truffle. The exotic spice notes of clove/cinnamon/liquorice/tobacco are now more integrated, adding depth rather than flashiness. On the palate, the wine is silky and composed, the fruit softened but still present, framed by resolved tannins and a lingering acidity that keeps it vibrant. There’s an effortless balance here, the power of its youth now channelled into complexity and finesse. Remarkably drinkable, this wine has moved from strength to subtlety without losing its core identity. Chateauneuf at its finest! 14.5% 96pts.

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Drinking vicariously tonight being halfway through Monastic March (not actually a thing just needed a break from a festive season which started in September and had the potential to last until the summer). Spent today brewing beer and sorting the cellar. Delighted to find nearly a dozen bottles of various 90s red Burgs I thought I had drank, a 76 LLC I was sure I’d had 2 years ago (maybe I had two) and a 6-pack of 99 Musar I have no recollection of buying. But then it has been a long ‘season’.
 
Baron de Montfaucon Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2023 - Mostly from 80yo Clairette vines with a bit of Viognier and Grenache blanc in the blend; 13% abv.
Really nice, almost neutral scent. It's not neutrality in the sense of Muscadet or unoaked Chardonnay but it kinda goes in that general style so it's "almost" neutral: good citrus aromas, "minerality" whatever that may be, maybe some leesy character, very slight floral notes like I expect from something that has Viognier in the blend but gladly not full-on Viogniericity since I rarely like that kind of aromatic assault. Rich, sweet fruit flavours on the palate but it doesn't feel heavy or oily as some white Rhônes do. It actually seems like it would have decent acidity which isn't something I associated with these grapes. It tastes rather like a Muscadet or Chablis with added sunlight - with a drop of something floral in there too. Pretty nice.
 
Mosbacher Forster Ungeheuer GG 2016 w pork schnitzel tonight. Hugely grippy, powerful wine, loads of acidity and dry extract. Tight on the nose. Exciting but probably needs another 5 yrs in the cellar. My wife loathed it and I've got 2/3rds of a bottle to watch over the next few days.
 
Nigel Lierop said:
Mosbacher Forster Ungeheuer GG 2016 w pork schnitzel tonight. Hugely grippy, powerful wine, loads of acidity and dry extract. Tight on the nose. Exciting but probably needs another 5 yrs in the cellar. My wife loathed it and I've got 2/3rds of a bottle to watch over the next few days.
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Happy for you to send or bring dregs thisaway Lionel.
 
Paul J a i n e s said:
Great day today - went up to Glasgow to look at a College for my boy - first time in Glasgow - beautiful sunny weather (it is always like that, yeah, @Tom Cannavan ??)
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Well, friends came round on a surprise visit clutching a chilled bottle of MCC and we sat in the garden for two hours enjoying the sunshine. Typical March weather really :)
 
Paul J a i n e s said:
Great day today - went up to Glasgow to look at a College for my boy - first time in Glasgow - beautiful sunny weather (it is always like that, yeah, @Tom Cannavan ??)

Ended up having a cheeky Guinness in a pub that also had hundreds of whiskies (Potsill) which was perfect - but I was driving when I got back to LHR so no-go for me.

My favourite moment? We got off the bus from Glasgow airport and the first thing we saw at 08:30 was 2 seagulls beating the crap out of each other over a chip.

An old lady next to me said "Welcome to Glasgow"

Anyway - back home now after a 3am start gunning down a Tertre 2005 which is in a superb place. Previous bottles were quite soft of rounded - this one has lovely tannic bite.

My boy loved Glasgow so it is in the "highly probable" side of the ledger now - which I'm really happy about
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Paul,
My son went to, and is still a PhD student at Strathclyde University. In his fourth year...
We've been to Glasgow a few times for visits. Shame about the 7 hour drive!
It's a great place.
Potstill is great place for a pint or a whisky.
We were told the following...
"You'll have more fun at a Glasgow wake than at an Edinburgh wedding"...
Cheers...
 
Paul J a i n e s said:
Great day today - went up to Glasgow to look at a College for my boy - first time in Glasgow - beautiful sunny weather (it is always like that, yeah, @Tom Cannavan ??)

Ended up having a cheeky Guinness in a pub that also had hundreds of whiskies (Potsill) which was perfect - but I was driving when I got back to LHR so no-go for me.

My favourite moment? We got off the bus from Glasgow airport and the first thing we saw at 08:30 was 2 seagulls beating the crap out of each other over a chip.

An old lady next to me said "Welcome to Glasgow"

Anyway - back home now after a 3am start gunning down a Tertre 2005 which is in a superb place. Previous bottles were quite soft of rounded - this one has lovely tannic bite.

My boy loved Glasgow so it is in the "highly probable" side of the ledger now - which I'm really happy about
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The Pot Still is a great pub-well done for finding such a gem. I’m sure your boy will have a great time if he ends up in Glasow.
 
The Sorrenberg is the 2017. Golden colour - not particularly expressive on the nose. Dried yellow fruits and brioche on the palate - blind I would say aged Meursault albeit for a slight bitter note (quince marmalade?) which gives pleasing bite.
The Jadot is clealry too young - slightly sturdy, darkish fruits - and has the structure to age well I think. Should be rather nice in 10.

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Nigel Lierop said:
Mosbacher Forster Ungeheuer GG 2016 w pork schnitzel tonight. Hugely grippy, powerful wine, loads of acidity and dry extract. Tight on the nose. Exciting but probably needs another 5 yrs in the cellar. My wife loathed it and I've got 2/3rds of a bottle to watch over the next few days.
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I appreciate that wine is subjective and we all have our own tastes....
.... but on this occasion she is just wrong! And will be more wrong tomorrow and probably even more wrong the day after that.
 
SATURDAY NIGHT SUSHI AND PARADISE - (15/03/2025)

  • 2016 Clos Floridene Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves
    This has been under corovin, stored upright in the fridge for 8 weeks or so. Golden colour. Waxy nose, hint of cut grass and some lemon. On the palate - lovely mouthfeel, waxiness ayain, there’s lovely fruit and intensity here but in the middle and at the end, a kind of bitterness that throws it out of balance. If you were served this at an event you’d probably be pleasantly surprised, but as I contemplate it, doesn’t quite work, and I think it’s just slightly on the wrong side of the oxidative / oxidised divide.
  • 2020 Complant Chardonnay Linda Vista Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
    Bought from Flat Iron Wines in San Francisco. A shockingly precise 11.76% abv. Slightly less pale yellow than I was expecting. Lovely, well balanced fruit - there's a tautness, good acid - not showy but not astringent either. A slight - something on the nose? Green apple. Bugger, it's not is it? It is. Even pristine, expensive looking corks aren't immune. Real shame. NR (flawed)
  • 2017 Complant Chardonnay Linda Vista Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
    Opened after the 2020 was cursed by the TCA fairy. Bought from Flat Iron Wines in San Francisco. Another shockingly precise ABV - 12.13%. Pale gold colour. Slightly ecclesiastical nose, hint of candied lemon perhaps, and a slight reductive note. On the palate, lovely structure - just as a slight aside, you know when you ask yourself "was it really corked?" - well taste these two side by side and yeah, it was. There's clearly oak but well behaved, works well with the acid to give this a lovely structure - blind, would I know this was New World? I don't think so. This is really nice - just restrained, well put together chardonnay, not sure if it's trying to be Burgundy, but I don't really think it's trying to be anything other than what it is.
  • 2005 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
    Last night's bottle. Stored upright in the fridge. Oh yeah. Lovely nose, earthy, bramble, dark fruits. On the palate - long, concentrated and oh so present. There's a lightness from the fruit and the acid, and a kind of thin streak of tannin in the core, but also a breadth and a confidence here. There's a hint of sourness and a stone fruit finish, but then the finish just somehow picks up and it keeps going. This can't quite decide whether it's snuggling in a duvet or keeping warm in a much loved old wool suit, but either way I am pleased to be drinking it.
Posted from CellarTracker
 
2022 JEAN-PIERRE GUYON DINNER - (15/3/2025)

Was excited to try the range of 2022 Jean-Pierre Guyon wines given the cult status that they have attained. All of the wines were vinified with the “tri en nuage” technique, i.e 100% whole clusters were cut up by hand; the central stems of each bunch were removed while leaving the pedicels. Thought the candied fruit style was pulled off well here, and my clear favourites were the two Vosne 1ers with top spot going to the Brûlées.
  • 2022 Jean-Pierre Guyon Nuits St. Georges Les Argillats Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges
    100% Pinot Blanc. Rather sweet with tropical, honeyed fruit at first but gained acidity as it warmed up in the glass. Too rich for my taste. (89 pts.)
  • 2022 Jean-Pierre Guyon Chorey-les-Beaune Les Bons Ores - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chorey-les-Beaune
    Had the signature house style of sweet, candied fruit but was too airy for me. More of a fun, easy-drinking wine in the mould of a Bojo. (90 pts.)
  • 2022 Jean-Pierre Guyon Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru
    A step up from the Chorey-les-Beaune. Slightly darker in fruit profile but still firmly in the red spectrum, liked the depth on the nose and structure on the palate here. Became more candied with air. (91 pts.)
  • 2022 Jean-Pierre Guyon Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
    Some VA and very pretty, slightly candied red fruit. Made in an approachable style but I was hoping for more depth. (90 pts.)
  • 2022 Jean-Pierre Guyon Vosne-Romanée Les Charmes de Mazières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
    Similar to the Vosne village but with more structure and power. Excellent depth for a village-level wine. (92 pts.)
  • 2022 Jean-Pierre Guyon Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru En Orveaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
    A clear step up from the other wines, this was much more exuberant with the Vosne spice on full display. Lovely aromatics with cinnamon spice and mocha notes, palate had elegant and silky red fruit. (93 pts.)
  • 2022 Jean-Pierre Guyon Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Brulées - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
    Fresh strawberries and some smoked tea notes on the nose. Very pretty, sappy red fruit on the palate with a superb texture. Terrific balance between power and elegance here, definitely an iron fist in velvet glove type of wine. My favourite in the flight. (94 pts.)
  • 2022 Jean-Pierre Guyon Mes Nuages - France, Vin de France
    Made from plots below Corton, aged in new oak then ceramic barrels. Oak influence was overbearing to me here, felt like there was insufficient fruit to stand up to the oak treatment. Not as refined as the other wines. (88 pts.)
  • 2008 Jean-Pierre Guyon Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru En Orveaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
    Someone brought this to compare the new and old style but unfortunately this was advanced despite the perfect cork, thought this was from the 1970s. NR (flawed)
  • NV Girard-Bonnet Champagne Grand Cru À mi-chemin - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
    Base 2018 and 2019. Disgorged oct 2022, 2g/l dosage. Guessed this as a BdB because of the strictness and taut acidity. Similar to previous impressions, this was woolly and anaemic. Think more recent iterations and the higher cuvées are huge step up. (87 pts.)
  • 2020 Etienne Sandrin Champagne Le Bruyant - France, Champagne
    My contribution. 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Blanc. Disgorged 7 Feb 2024, 2g/l dosage. Pale salmon pink in colour, plush red fruit but with high acidity. Very pleasurable, have liked what I’ve tried from this producer so far. (92 pts.)
  • 2016 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Bolorée - France, Champagne
    Disgorged Apr 2020. Ripe citrus fruit with a slight green apple tinge. Excellent acidity and energy, but I think prices for these are out of whack. (93 pts.)
  • 2023 Aubert Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons - USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
    Initially this was quite green and acidic so I thought this was a young aligoté (!). After a couple of hours the oak and sweetness became much more apparent. Not the most cohesive wine now. (89 pts.)

 
Mark Roper said:
This has a lovely freshness to it that I don't remember previous bottles having, also good weight and balance. 1st bottle I've had in a good few years though (2021).
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It can be a lovely wine Mark, but ideally needs to be 14% or less to be properly balanced given the low acidity of the marsanne/roussanne blend. I'm glad you enjoyed the 2016 - do you know the alcohol level on that vintage?
 
Mark Roper said:
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This has a lovely freshness to it that I don't remember previous bottles having, also good weight and balance. 1st bottle I've had in a good few years though (2021).
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I’m pretty sure Jon Bubb and I have shared one or two of this particular vintage and would agree to its excellence. Slightly too many hot wines in other vintages for this to be an automatic purchase though.
 
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