possibly a little young yet but very nice…
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Last night’s tipple on a Zoom call with old college friends.
2000 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Jaffer-Sonnenuhr Kabinett
Lovely wine, beautiful light yellow colour. Sweet nose, citrus and apple fruits with homered sweetness. Follows through to the palate, lovely smooth mouth feel, hint of honey cut by lovely sharp grapefruit and apple fruits, a bit sweeter than I’d have expected from a Kabinett, served blind I’d have guessed Spätlese. Very moreish wine, really enjoyable,
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And this afternoon’s wine.
2009 Batailley
Shared on a video call with a close friend who had the same wine, we each drank half a bottle, saved the other half for our next chat in a couple,of days.
Deep deep ruby colour, lovely powerful nose. Deep sweet cassis fruit on the nose, chocolate and violet. The palate has a lovely smooth velvet mouth-feel, the richness of 2009, sweet cassis fruits, nice acidity, subtle chocolate tannins, nice violet hints. Classy plump claret, well balanced between structure and fruit. It’ll be interesting to have the other half on Tuesday.
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I cooked roast beef for lunch and to accompany, I dug out one of my “drink up soon” bottles, a Penfolds Bin 28 from 2001. Almost a disaster at the start as the cork began to disintegrate, but managed to cross screw and get it out with just a few little bits in the first taster glass. This has stood up remarkably well, and in fact I’m still enjoying it while listening to some music this evening. I have a couple more bottles and they will probably be drunk within the next 6 months…
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Having delved into the deepest recesses of my wine store to check on the bottles of Penfolds Grange (ok, back of cupboard), I came across a couple of bottles of these.
I now remember that I put them there about 20 or 25 years ago to avoid temptation. They were really nice at the time but still a bit fierce.
Anyway, last night I tried one of the 1993 Argiano Rosso di Montalcino.
Wow, worth the wait! It went very nicely with a homemade chilli con carne. It was still quite spicy and woody but had mellowed out to perfection (wine that is, not the chilli).
Only downside was that my son is here during lockdown. Of course, I’m pleased he’s here, but splitting the bottle 3 ways was unplanned.
Maybe I will save the remaining bottle to drink with my wife for our 30th wedding anniversary in 2023 - the wine was made the year we got married.
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Time to drink the good stuff like there’s no tomorrow* #18
Weingut Feiler-Artinger ‘1000X’ Cabernet Franc Merlot 2013
Rust, Austria, 13%
The Bordeaux 2019 samples have all now been tasted and drunk (not only by me - I have happy neighbours!), so it’s time to raid the wine stash once more…
I tasted this wine with the charming Kurt Feiler a few years ago at his family winery. I absolutely loved it, and asked if it would be possible to buy a bottle. “Sure!” he said “But it’s not labelled yet - is that a problem?”
“Not at all”
So, he got me a bottle, and promptly drew the label on it! I almost wanted to keep it forever, and in wine terms, I probably could have. But the knowledge of its deliciousness won over, and so I opened it tonight.
Feiler-Artinger’s top wines are called 1000-something, after the years since Austria’s founding (the year of release (2 years after the vintage) + 996 years. Which, somewhat optimistically, their website claims is ‘easy to understand’ (for example: “Die Nummer ‘1014’ ist ebenfalls leicht erklärt: Jahrgang 2008, abgefühlt 2010. 2010 war bzw. wurde Österreich (ostarichi) 1014 Jahre alt.”)
This is the top red wine, so, perhaps refreshingly Kurt has simply called it 1000X. At least, I think that’s how it works.
But it’s what’s inside that counts. This is 87% Cabernet Franc, and could therefore be labelled only as such, but the small amount of Merlot throws a veil of softness over the very Austrian pinpoint precision of the Cabernet Franc fruit with its crispness, defined blueberry fruit, chalky tannins and sweet allspice. There’s oak, too, but it plays a supporting role (as it should - all too often in Austrian red wines the oak strong-arms its way to the front and overwhelms the purity of fruit that the winemakers can - almost uniquely - achieve). The sheen of vanilla and smoke overlies the crunchy vibrant fruit and both vie for your attention in the best possible way. It’s fresh and delicious, and I will be back for more, irrespective of the labelling!
*There might be no tomorrow
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I’ve not tried their red wines, but if it’s anything like their whites then I’m very jealous.
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My shopping seems to be increasingly confined to the local M&S, simply as there are rarely queues (except for the Home Bargains ‘next door’!) compared to all the other supermarkets and I detest queuing.
Have had a couple of bottles of this new addition to their range recently, not bad at all:
Another bonus with this particular M&S is that they’ve moved most of their stock to a chilled aisle with good variety. Has always surprised me that many other supermarkets have small chiller cabinets containing a tiny selection with many bottles of the same items which don’t appear to sell in any quantity rather than true variety.
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I too have a few bottles of C-P courtesy of Robin. Excellent fizz and great value. They sell other excellent bubbles that we have happily consigned to the recycling. The Daumas Gassac is also a favourite after visiting in 2007. I bought a number of vintages direct from the vineyard including 2011 which I only started on last November. Samuel Guibert, Aime and Veronique’s son has been a great host at various dinners and both the story of the vineyard (including their contribution to the defeat of Mondavi’s efforts to “invade” the Aniane as recorded in the film Mondovino) and the evolution of both the red and white cuvees have Been a source of pleasure. In some ways, there are parallels with Musar, with a complex white blend that can evolve for years and years and a red that benefits from plenty of bottle age. Thanks for giving me a prod to open some!
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Gruaud Larose 2010 half bottle
Video chat with a very dear friend who had a half of the same wine at the other end of the chat. (Note to self, when travelling down to London next don’t forget the decanter and glasses that were beside the case of wine.) lovely classy young claret, deep ruby colour. Powerful cassis fruit on the nose, followed by lovely cedar and tobacco tannins. On the palate, again cassis and cherry fruits, sweet and mouth-filling, balanced by some lovely chocolate and tobacco tannins, a hint of something green (some stalks left in, or that slightly vegetal note that Larose often has?), and then liquorice, flavour lingers for a long time. It’s a lovely ripe fruit Bordeaux with enough complex tannins to keep it very interesting. Very enjoyable wine, thumbs up from both houses.
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Little bit of fun on Zoom yesterday with David Guimaraens Head Wine maker at Taylors, Croft & fonseca
some new cocktails with Port, YES Port - Croft Pink, Taylors Chip Dry - loved the Chip Dry ice and slice of orange skin - Taylors Port en tonic has been a classic, Croft Pink and tonic also refreshing
liked the theory but the pratical was the best!
have another Zoom tasting today with Jean -Luc Colombo - pics to follow
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I think ‘Ten Minutes by Tractor’ is one of the best names for a winery.
And the wines are lovely, too!
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Chateau Courac 2013 this evening.
A rather pleasant Cotes du Rhône villages.
‘Frédéric & Josephine Arnaud have run this 88 hectare estate since 1995. Courac is in the hills, high up above the village of Tresques, north-west of Châteauneuf du Pape, and benefits from extremely well drained soils and very good exposure to the Mistral. Since taking over the property, the Arnauds have worked with remarkable energy to restore the vineyards and winery, with the intention of making largely tank-made wines which show maximum purity of fruit. Their prices are also extraordinarily reasonable, making these among the best value wines in our portfolio.’
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Evening Eoink
I have a case of this, bought en primeur but still in bond, and am resisting the urge to get delivered for now. Its a promising review and I wonder what you think an ideal drinking window might be for this?
Cheers
Hi Chris, this was from a half bottle, so probably a year or so more evolved than full bottles. It was lovely now in a plump fruit with good structure way, I’d say with an hour or so in decanter it’s starting its drinking window. Another 3-4 years to get some more aged flavours, but it’s really attractive now, and I’d say it’s got another 15 years or so at least. I have a case of the ‘08 and after this I’m thinking of cracking that and watching the evolution over the next few years. If I had the ‘10 I’d probably wait another year or 2, but I do like more mature evolved wines than a lot of people.
Thanks for that, its really useful as I think my preference for more mature wine mirrors yours, hope the 2008s turn out well, will keep an eye out for further reviews
I’ve been tempted for some time to start on the 2005s I laid away for the future but so far have resisted the temptations, will post again if and when that changes…
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Wines from yesterday Zoom tasting with the force of nature Jean-Luc Colombo, had not tasted since March,
Loved both the white and reds esp loved the Sain Perry, have fish pie this evening
The reds are so pure of fruit focus, delighted to be working with these guys from July, hope to visit in September
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Bought in 2007 while on holiday in Bordeaux with friends
I still have a dozen or so bottles from the trip but have a note on this one to remind me that it seemed to have been priced incorrectly and I paid 3.24 euros, I think there may have been a problem with the decimal point…
…should have gone back for more :o(
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