November lunch notes:
2002 Larrivet Haut Brion – lots of colour, given the age. Decent nose, decent flavours, and medium length. Pleasant but not outstanding. Nice to get a decent white Bordeaux.
1991 Ch. Musar – the white Musar is Serge Hochar’s favourite even over his red. Lots of colour, an intense and interesting nose with some pear and spice, big flavours, and long finish. Only a hint of oxidation.
1995 Dom. Santa Duc Gigondas ‘Hautes Garrigues’ – snagged this one out of the cellar at the last minute, sitting up among some others waiting for tasting. Plums, iron/blood spice and (surprise) garrigues in the nose, medium body with excellent flavour depth, long and fresh. No rush.
1997 Terra d’Or Cote d’Aix en Provence – this Chapoutier wine was quite dark and dense with cassis and spice notes in a fairly ripe nose, quite a sweet entry and good length. Interesting. Drinks well now.
1982 Ch. Phelan Segur – this St. Estephe surprised me when the label was revealed – it was batting above it’s expected level. A slight pong in the otherwise typical Bordeaux nose, smooth on palate with a bit of green impression, and a slight sweetness at the end. Not bad.
1999 Ch. Malescot St. Exupery – must have been a full moon, we were turning this into a claret fest! This Margaux offered up a funky sausagey nose with some cocoa, but it seemed strangely flat in taste in the middle, smooth in feel but a bit monolithic and without any complexity.
1999 Ch. Barde Haut – a St. Emilion that I’d never tried before. .Rich sweet nose with plum and cedar, mellow and smooth on palate, very tasty and ready to roll.
2004 Van Zeller – sweet multi-vitamin nose simple wine without great length , a bit cloying at the end.
1987 Fonseca Guimaraens Port – I recall with delight meeting Bruce Guimaraens several times, but had never had this Port. Unlike other houses that take grapes from a specific vineyard and make single quinta ports (Vargellas etc.) this is a vintage Port made from blended grapes from their properties, made in a lesser vintage. Sweet nose with coffee and chocolate, and maybe a hint of anise, very ripe but not too sweet in the mouth. Very pleasant.