Notes from my monthly business lunch:
1989 "R" - the dry wine from Rieussec, and a bit odd in that it was, according to the person that brought it, primarily Semillon. Normally all of the Semillon gets incorporated into the sweet wine, and whatever Sauv Blanc is left over gets fermented dry. Often the dry wine gets some Botrytis affected grapes which is evidenced in the nose rather than in the taste - I've seen this in several vintages of "Y", the dry wine of Yquem. This one however, was quite dry, with no Botrytis, a fair bit of colour, and a lot of oak in the nose. Pretty decent in the middle, but showing a bit of maderisation at the end that indicates it is at the end of its life. Interesting to start a lunch with Sauternes and end with Port!1986 Ch. La Tour Martillac - a Graves at the peak of drinkability, with a sweet cherry and vanilla nose, smooth in the mouth, the tannins a slight bit on the hard side, but I doubt the wine will improve with more age.
1988 Ch. Clerc Milon - this Pauillac had a funky Rhonish or Burgundian nose at first, but it finally blew off and left a typical fruit and oak nose. Medium bodied with the tannins quite soft although they did seem to harden a little at the end. Good now and I think it has some time to go.1989 Ch. Moulin Pey Labrie - a Canon Fronsac wine we don't see here much, although I know the Fronsac Moulin Haut Laroque. Dark with a slightly warm sweet nose, smooth and sweet in the mouth - perfect luncheon claret.
1993 Estancia Meritage - 65% cab, 25% cab franc, 10% merlot. This one broke our string of Bordeaux rather obviously. Big time oak, but enough fruit to back it up. Sweet and forward in the mouth, the tannins resolved, good length, a pleasant wine.1999 Pirammima Petit Verdot - Another dark wine with a spicy nose, very smooth and friendly and drinking very well right now. Identified almost immediately by an attendee who was an obvious fan. One of the best renditions of a varietal petit verdot I have tasted.
1999 El Vinculo - an old vines Tempranillo made by Alejandro Fernandez (Pesquera) in La Mancha. A big, sweet nose with lots of vanilla and some cherry, a bit simple. Forward in the mouth, with good level of fruit that carried through the end. Very nice wine, but at a price that makes one question the QPR.1999 Charavin Dom. des Coteaux des Travers Cuvee Paul - a Cotes du Rhone Villages Rasteau made in very small quantity as the reserve wine of this house, and priced suitably highly. 20 months in new oak was immediately evident in the nose, and it had a smooth weighty presence in the mouth, almost a biy blowsy. Nice with cheese.
1985 Fonseca - Drat! I checked my cellar, and I don't have any of this lovely Port, although I have some 83 I should get around to trying(finding). Some nuttiness in the nose, the wine not too sweet, and showing quite youthfully, although everything was well integrated. I nailed the vintage but not the producer. Nice way to end a lunch.