What are we drinking as September comes to an end 28-30 weekend ?

Nobody else opened this yet ?

Ah well that Combottes did not get opened and as I have a scratchy sore throat virus thing it won't this weekend either .

Perhaps something more rustic - a Gigondas perhaps from Saint Gayan.

 

As it happens, a lovely half of St G’s 2005 Gigondas last night.

 

From last night.

‘09 Dom Perignon
‘06 Rauzan Segla
‘15 Bichot NSG 1er Cru Chateau Gris
‘09 Pieropan Amarone della Valpolicella

The ‘09 Dom Perignon was superb. Floral, precise, and focus, almost like a Grand Cru White Burgundy. So good that I ordered a 6-pack today, even though I don’t buy much Champagnes. Both Rauzan Segla and Bichot were still way too young, too much tannins, need more cellar times to smooth them out. The Amorone was rich and powerful but good balance.

 

or St. C Simon? If not a typo, who is the producer?

 

St Gayan, as per James’s initial post.

 

A 2009 Roccolo Grassi Valpolicella

 

Dom Wachau 'Granit' Gruner Veltliner. Full-bodied and steely.

In the £3.99 bin at Lidl today, along with Pfaffl Riesling and some Harslevelu.

 

Only able to have a glass tonight so not opening anything grand. Had a notion for Rioja so gambled on Baron de Ley Reserva 2014. What I wanted was tannin and French oak. Success! No coconut or Grenache in sight.

 

Off to Noizé tonight for dinner with eight friends. We're opening a magnum of Pol 98, followed by three chardonnays (well the Batár if a blend but mainly chardonnay) served blind: 2014 Querciabella Batar, a 2011 Oakridge Chardonnay 864 Funder & Diamond Vineyard Drive Block and a 2005 Fevre Chablis Le Clos. Should be fun to see who can guess what. As a nice treat we're also having a double magnum of 1999 Fontodi Vigna Del Sorbo, which should be delicious and to round things off returning to champagne with a few bottles of 1996 Henriot. Yum. Can't wait and very much looking forward to seeing what is on the food menu as well!

 

A glass or two of Sorrel Crozes 2015 Blanc while Mrs A watches Strictly before out to friends’ house for dinner.
Not the perfect aperitif but at hand and rather delicious.

 

2006 Leflaive “Bastard”-Montrachet tonight, surprisingly bearable.

 

This one. Rudolf Trossen’s Schieferstern Purus. Stripped back Mosel Riesling.

 

Chandon de Briailles Savigny 2001. Spectacular for what it is. Genuinely spectacular. Transparent, weightless, perfect. Last of a case !

 

Have split a bottle of Cottonmouth NV with the wife. From Hampshire. I suspect a high-ish dosage, but no coarseness, fine mousse, and a sense of richness rather than clumsiness. I'll be back for more.

Now moved onto Cotier Sauvignon 2016 from Mornington Peninsula. Easily the best SB I've ever tasted from Australia, which I realise may be damning with faint praise for most folk on here, but is genuinely funky in both senses of the word. I suspect some skin contact, there's a very strong hint of peas on the nose, and again on the palate, high acidity, long finish. It's not cheap (approx 25 quid) but I think worth a revisit.

 

Out of interest, what was stripped/back out in this wine David? Most Mosel doesn't see wood and the alcohol levels are low, so I guess that might leave sulphur...

 

Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabaja 2004 with a friend over lunch. Nothing stripped back here. It bursts from the glass in a blaze of dark fruit, dried flowers and liquorice. You could inhale this all day. On the palate there are layers of dark fruits, tar and tobacco. It is powerful and richly textured perhaps more Barolo than Barbaresco. There is minerally backbone and plenty of acidity to provide welcome energy and lift. The tannins are a treat. Throw in to the mix that trademark Bruno Giacosa elegance and finesse and you have a very special wine indeed. It might even convert the Nebbiolo naysayers on this forum.

 

A splendid, crispy, medium bodied bottled of Lafons Clos de La Barre Meursault 2013. Lots of citrus aroma, great acidity and very, very young. Great for the vintage, reminding me a bit of the best 1993s which are still drinking well. Again a Diam 30 cork.

Then a perfectly mature Haut Bailly 1988, ripe, at peak but good for another 5-8 years. Tobacco, leather, ripe red berry fruit, well integrated tannins, nice dark ruby colour with only a slight hint of brown at the edge, pairing nicely with our steak & onion sauce. All in all a wine wise beautiful evening.
Cheers
Rainer

 

Demougeot Monthelie La Combe 2013 - lovely, light, perfurmed with a whack of funk.

2 bottles of corked sweet wine earlier in the day harshed my (wife inflicted) gardening buzz

 

About to open the 2013 La Nerthe CdR Villages.

 

Mags of mature Roederer NV (purchased 2009) and Fourrier 2014 Bourgogne Rouge followed by a half of 98 Mas Amiel Maury tonight. All showing well.

 

An enjoyable Bordeaux by Boyd Cantenac '15 - juicy, balanced, just enough savoury edge to offer prolonged interest and compensate for the lack of complexity. A well made and nicely judged wine.

I've enjoyed a fair few bottles of this from '11 and '15 vintage - the '11 actually showing a little development, Margaux perfume and warm gravel notes.

I've never seen it in the UK but if anyone spots it at less than a tenner its well worth a buy and compares favourably to say - the also excellent for what it is - BBR Good ordinary Claret.

 

Some lovely bottles with dinner last night. Comtes 06 was gorgeous, real class. Thibault Liger-Belair Moulin a Vent VV 2014 a plush and fully loaded Beaujolais akin to N Rhône Syrah, smart but I prefer a touch more delicacy. Luigi Einaudi Nei Cannubi 2006 was a super bottle to accompany a mushroom risotto topped with a smidge of Partridge. We moved onto a Piedrasassi PS Syrah from Santa Barbara. Stemmy punchy Syrah of real quality, woke the taste buds! Finished things off with a Pichon Lalande 1999 recently acquired from Ed Bolland. Smashing bottle. Soft and resolved, not a blockbuster and all the better for it!

 

Drunk over two evenings:-

Domaine des Accoles 2012 'Chapelle' - thank you again to Guy D for prompting re this tasty wine. Main take for me on this one the obvious importance of correct temperature serving as it was becoming a bit soupy first evening at room temperature.

Domaine Diconne 2016 Auxey Duresses (Blanc) 'Terres Folles' - value in Burgundy €15 & worth all of that. Wouldn't normally open so young but wanted to try before a further opportunity to acquire more - which I'll pursue. Monsieur Diconne is my kind of 'man of the soil' direct vigneron. Could spend a lot more time with him. Same day this was purchased also bought direct a very good Mercurey Blanc well off the beaten track at €12.

 

Yes indeed, Richard. A natural wine with possibly no added sulphur. It just seemed even more naked than say your average non-GG trocken.

I admit it’s a wine that is hard to describe. I know others here have drunk Trossen’s wines (Russell Faulkner for one). I wonder whether they agree that these are, well certainly for me, the most unusual Mosel wines I have tasted.

Would I recommend Trossen? Maybe as a way of exploring the limits of what is current in the region (including location of course). Not for easy going pleasure.

Rudolf Trossen is something of a guru these days, a newly discovered old guy (I suspect he does look older than he is?) doing things for years the same as the young guys with the beards are doing today.

His wines would seem less out of place in the Loire than here, I think. But as a wine experience I found the bottle fascinating. Dry, mineral and “natural”, though definitely tasting as intended.

 

Organic/Bio since 1979...