SFWC February tasting. Hosted by Peter, with a theme of "pairs"
Blind as usual.
A welcoming wine Leflaive Mersault 2005 Bright straw with a buttery chard nose, soft entry with good fruit but a little flabby, needs acidity, I thought a Catena chard. Most plumped for France and Pouilly Fuisse was mentioned. I have a case so I hope it improves. Not bad for a village wine.
First Pair Pinot Grigio, Waihopai River, The Ned, Marlborough 2008. A definite pink blush, cherryade and grapefruit nose and then a soft entry of fruit juice and a long sweetness(unfortunatley), I thought an SB from CA, worst wine of the night.
Pinot Gris Grand Cru, Spiegel, Dom Schlumberger, Alsace 2005 Bright viscous deep straw, apples and woodsmoke, almost perry nose, good entry and a suprise to find it demi-sec. Quite full bodied with orchard fruit, long. Most pleasant and good value at GBP 12.50
Second Pair Morgenster Lorens River Valley Stellenbosch SA 2000 Deep red with tingling brightness, a meaty cigar box, mixed spice, soft entry with some tannins crude and unbalanced, flabby, not agood showing at GBP16.50 and the nose died in 30 mins.
Ch Senejac,Haut Medoc 2000 Thats more like it, deep with a hint of purple, classic claret, smoke spice forest floor, the nose opened up over 30mins as the SA above died.Soft entry, ggod spicy fruit and firm tannins, good bite, a little bitter finish, but my kind of claret.
Third pair Penfolds Bin 707 Cab Sauv, 1989, very deep with hint of age, what a strange nose, metallic minty sherbet pepper, (? Italian), not unpleasant but very odd for a CB, I thought Sangiovese. Better on the palate, with ripe berry fruit and spice, very long and finished a tad cloying. Is it and odd bottle, because on previous occasions I have had 707, its appeal was its almost Pauillac likeness.
Ch Leoville Barton 1989, St Julien 1989 Appearance identical to the 707, what a nose of merde and farmyards, leather and spice, blackcurrants, layer after layer, still big tannins, but good berry fruit and spice, finished a tad short. Very nice.
Fourth Pair Ch LL LascasesSt Julien 1970 Brick red with hint of orange rim, extract++, a wonderful ethereal nose of old pipe tobacco, tomatoes and spice,soft entry with tannins gone, but still fruit and woody berries. A wonderful old lady. On the slide but still drinking well
Ch Giscours, Margaux 1970 Deeper than LLC mature, definite orange rim, again my new marker for Margaux, salty seaweed and iodine, farmyard floor and spice, wonderful, a sweet magical mouthful, tannins resolved, yet still fruit and cinnamaon. OTT, but like LLC, a good drink.
and finally an extra Moulin Touchais, Anjou, 1959 Liquid pale gold, bright as a button, a nose of honey bix coated with apple sauce, wonderful, a soft balaced apple mouthful with sweetness and acidity all in harmony, long and a real treat, even better I nailed it, and the year.WOTN
The last three wines were a trip down memory lane. Peter and I had just started our trip in all things wine. We were young professionals with big mortgages etc, but our local saleroom had an auction of stock of a local wine merchant. It was our first adventure, I had drunk my LLC and Giscours a few years ago, but last night we had nostalgic swig.
As for the Moulin Touchais, it was bit of a cult wine in the late 70's, and shows that a good Anjou from a great year can live a very long time.
JT