Solihull Fine Wine Society, October tasting.
Due to the abscence of most of the members, six of us sat down to an impromptu at Adrians. The original tasting was white burgundy, but when told the cost EACH would be more than £60, we voteds for the alternative.
What an alternative, all to do with terroir, only six wines, fortunate for me as the driver. Blind as usual. All wines had been hastily decanted so all were a little dull.
The first three wines were a special release from the D'Arenburg Estate in OZ. We tasted the three wines that make up the assemblage of "The Custodian
2002"
The wines were Grenache from three different soil types which would then be blended to make the wine.
The Custodian, Grenache, 2002. LOAM. Brick red with no brown., a very restrained nose, some fruit but hard work to get anything,
The Custodian, Grenache, 2002, SAND & CLAY, looked just like Loam, Wonderful soft spice, organic nose, old leather, opened up over an hour. Soft entry, good fruit and tannins, spice and cinnamon, very long, Wonderful.
The Custodian Grenache, 2002, DEEP SAND. Colour as the above, A subtle restrained nose which was complex but I could not make a decision on the grape. Soft entry, slightly austere with fruit and an excess of vanilla.
What a difference between the same grape from the same area with three different soil types. Adrian did not have the final assemblage so I did a DIY mix of 1)40%, 2)30%, 3) 30%, not very good, all of the joy of 2, subjugated by the dullness of 1.
The second flight of three Southern Rhones
Ch Mont Redon 1995, brown edge, good extract. A very bland sweet simple nose, which evolved in the glass to release a delicate floral hint. Soft and very approachable palate, spice and some maderisation?
Vieux Telegraphe, 1995, brown edge, wonderful spice organic tobacco, old claret but not French, wonderful. Austere tannins, long pencils and spice, perfumed, long. I wrote "nectar", thought it was a Musar.
Beaucastel, 1995, oh dear, corked a bit or Beaucastel. It seems that Beaucastel can have a strange nose, but this strange.? Heated argument about the nose and palate. Smelt of old dishwasher water to me. Sweet austere palate.........bitter. I hope this is corked because I have some.
NOTE, must buy more Vieux Telegraphe and less Beaucastel.
John