Vinoculation

Hi everyone, it’s been a while since I posted. I have been flat-out with vintage for Archery Summit in Oregon, USA, but that is definitely another story. I am now back in Vancouver, Canada, and among other things I am back working for Liberty Wine Merchants. Sunday the second of December saw the staff from the store gather at our fearless leader Drew’s house to say goodbye to Kalen. She has been one of our full time staff members and a wonderful asset; she will be greatly missed.

We also gathered because of the kickass lineup of wines we had put together for the occasion. Here is the line up with my impressions of them:

2005 Chelalem Dry Riesling
Beautiful aperitif wine, smooth and balanced, green apple and crisp minerality. Not overly complex, but got me salivating.

2004 Bret Brothers Vire Clesse
A lovely golden hue. Complex orange sorbet, melon and vanilla oak on the nose with a boarding house scrape of pure butter on the nose. Loads of ripe peach cobbler and butterscotch on the palate. Seamless balance.

1999 Leroy Savigny les Beaune
Deep golden color. The nose was complex; it started out hazel-nutty and creamy with a slight aldehydic note, accompanied by thistle honey and a vegemite note. This carried through to the palate which was deep and yet delicate with masticated candied lemon and a mealiness like old champagne without the bubbles. Charismatic.

2002 Domaine de la Bongran Vire Clesse
Creamy oak and white peach on the nose with a dustiness which I couldn’t place at first. It was botrytis, but it took me a while. Yes this is a botrytis affected, dry, white Burgundy. Opulent white grape and gala apple on the palate with a round, full mouthfeel which was offset by a back note of oak-derived astringency. Attractive and forward, the smoky botrytis character - described as fish paste on the nose and toffee gala apple on the palate - was delightful.

1992 Remossenet Santenay ‘La Comme’ 1er Cru (Mag)
Light brick in color. All earth and secondary masticated bramble fruits on the nose, this is offset by mergez sausage and meat jus, and then there is a lifted botanical note of cut violets and freshly split wood. Later I detected a wonderful peppermint tea leaf aroma. The palate was stewed plum and blatant black cherry with spice and power, flawless integration and a lifted smoky/savory lingering finish. Balanced acid and light extract. This wine went through a myriad of changes. Fascinating.

1993 Remossenet Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru
‘Oh yeah’ escaped my lips. Big, plummy complexity with earth and forest floor etc etc etc just amazing, I didn’t taste or talk to anyone for a long time, instead just savouring the layers of aroma leaping from the glass. Wow. The nose is everything I expect and more from Grand Cru
Burgundy and it was still changing and giving 3 hours later when I finally finished the last few ml. The palate was power and finesse personified. The first thing I notice is the mouthfeel; higher extract than the wine before, wonderful light yet firm grip of tannin, like a father holding his daughter’s hand waiting for the light to turn. Then it turns green, and releases a flurry of action too complex for words, each component is distinct yet they are part of the enchanting whole. The wine was still bright and fresh yet so well integrated. This wine moved me.

1999 Ponderi Al DO Conterno ‘Il Favot’ Langhe Nebbiolo
The man behind this wine is a Piedmont traditionalist. He won’t call a wine Barolo unless it is made in the old school fashion. The grapes for this wine come from Barolo vineyards and he would have every right to call it Barolo if he chose. He does make a Barolo in the old school fashion; this bottling however is made in a more modern style with French oak. So he chooses to name it Nebbiolo because to him, it is not Barolo.

The darkest, deepest purple colour I have seen in a Nebbiolo. The nose is classic Nebbiolo; dark and milk chocolate with baking spice and pot puree, dried rose and bath salts. The palate is all liquorice and high notes of currant, along with lashings of tar and leather. The wine is big and grippy, with oodles of tannin, but the good, chewy, mouthwatering kind.  A medium length finish which was warm and slightly tired.

1993 Zillikin Saarburger Rausch Spatlese
Diesel and lemon rind with river stone and moss. Pear and apple, caramelized. The palate is tart and creamy initially like natural yogurt, with lush strawberry and a zingy lime finish. Great Riesling used extremely effectively as a palate cleanser/refresher.

1993 Château Musar
Slightly pongy and sulfidey to start with, deep and brooding with VA and an old log cabin aroma. Plums and currants with sweat. The palate has more fruit though it is intensely focused and spicy with lovely oak and skin tannin. It becomes very aromatic with lashings of vanilla and cassis. Meaty. Warm and comfortable. Plum jam. Round, soft and supple after time in the glass. Fresh acid with a briar and earth finish. Slightly hot on the back palate.

2001 Majella ‘The Malleea’
Deep and inky. Mint and cranberry on the nose, restrained and slightly smokey with creamy almond nut. Great big fruit bomb with opulent mouthfeel, dried plums and fresh blackberry, mintiness carries through. Menthol accompanies the slightly astringent tannins. We decanted it too long and I was told that the heal of the bottle post decantation was better. The wine was still wonderful though.

2003  Bischoflichen Weinguter Scharxhofberger Auslaese
Lemon cheesecake with a touch of petro-diesel forming. Zesty palate with more cheesecake, gala apple and fresh feijoa crumble overtones. An effervescent mouthfeel though no residual CO2 that I could see. So much gala apple and pie crust. Yum-oh.

1990 Moulin Touchais Coteaux Du Layon
Old sweet Chenin at its finest. Sweet yet grassy aromas, manuka honey. Layered and lush with steely acid backbone. Cinnamon and nutmeg with fresh nashi pear. Accumulation of oxygen had caused a complex array of cooked fruits. Balanced. The wine then moved into orange rind and marshmallow with smoke and heather on the nose. Drops into a slightly aldyhidic but long finish.

2003 Baumard Clos de Sainte Catherine Coteaux Du Layon
Treacle and feijoa on both the nose and palate, though not as complex as the previous wine. Raisined and sweeter though. A rich and viscous mouthfeel. I lost tasting focus at this point but the wine was delicious.

2005 Domaine Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux Du Layon
Sweet, rich and good….I AM DONE (These were my actual notes)

Thank you everyone involved it was a special evening to long be remembered. With the Grand Cru Burgs coming out on top for me (as they should).

Till next time…

Cheers and good health,

Dave.