Verkostungsnotiz Dezember 2006: Zwischendurch

 

 

1997 Bartolo Mascarello, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy: No Score


Immediately after opening an average quality Barolo if a bit more austere as usual for a 1997 Barolo. Would have scored this with 90 points. After one day in the open bottle brown in color, a dusty nose and TCA taint in taste. 2nd bad bottle out of six. 4 to go. Seems a bad vintage for Mascarello. 

From memory. Not blind. Not decanted. Small ISO standard tasting glass. Bottle count reduced by one

 

2002 Cornulus, Noblesse du Terroir, Pinot Noir, Valais, Switzerland: 84


Optic: Very light ruby, light rim, good viscosity, no sediment.
Bouquet: Oaked vanilla.
Taste: Medium to slim body, low fruit, low acidity, silky but not intense tannins. Medium finish, slightly bitter tannins.
Overall: Quite acceptable with something to eat, solo boring.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 11 for bouquet + 15 for taste + 5 for overall = total score of 84.  Not blind. Not decanted. Small ISO standard tasting glass. Bottle count reduced by one.

 

1990 Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge, Rhône, France: 93


Optic: Medium ruby, light brick rim, fat tears, baked sediment.
Bouquet: Animal barnyard, resinous dark and red fruit, sweet phenolic.
Taste: Medium body, crisp acidity, persistent velvety tannins, slightly funky fruit, good balance. Long finish, slightly sweet-sour tannins in the long aftertaste.
Overall: This wine has according to a recent analysis a content of about 1,6 mg/l 4-EP (leading substance for brett) - this should render this wine to an undrinkable broth if 4-EP thresholds should be of any meaning. Mystery of wine chemistry - certainly a great wine.
Score: 50 + 4 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 18 for taste + 8 for overall = total score of 93.  Not blind. Not decanted. Riedel Vinum Syrahglass. Bottle count reduced by one.

 

1990 Pibarnon, Bandol Rouge, Provence, France: 90



Optic: Medium ruby with orange hue.
Bouquet: More than moderate brett, resinous, medicine.
Taste: Medium body, mature dark fruit, crisp acidity and slightly coarse tannins. Long finish, bretty tannins in the aftertaste.
Overall: This wine (at least another bottle) showed with 4.4 mg/l the 10 fold concentration of the annoyance threshold for 4-EP - the brett note is harmless in this regard. Nice wine (at least with extended decanting) nevertheless, more or less at maturity peak. If brett is a fault depends on the producers style and the consumers thresholds and tastes.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 17 for taste + 7 for overall = total score of 90.  Not blind. Not decanted. Small ISO standard tasting glass. Bottle count reduced by one.

 

1990 Guigal, Hermitage Rouge, Hermitage, Rhône, France: 92


Optic: Dark garnet, bright, some sediment.
Bouquet: Mature dark red fruit, volatile phenols with brett note.
Taste: Medium to medium full body, mature red fruit, solid acidity, soft velvety tannins, good overall balance. Medium long finish, persistent soft tannins in the aftertaste.
Overall: Great bottle if you are not overly sensitive against brett.
Score: 50 + 4 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 18 for taste + 7 for overall = total score of 92.  Not blind. Not decanted. Riedel Vinum Syrahglass. Bottle count reduced by one.

 

1990 Moccagatta, Bric Balin, Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy: 92


Optic: Light garnet, light brick rim, good deal sediment.
Bouquet: Bit pungent, mature dark red fruit, resinous, earthy, herbs.
Taste: Medium body, hint of mature dark red fruit, good acidity, sweet velvety tannins, only a hint of red fruit. Long finish, soft sweet fruity tannins in the aftertaste.
Overall: Great bottle.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 14 for bouquet + 17 for taste + 8 for overall = total score of 92.  Not blind. Not decanted. Riedel Vinum Syrahglass. Bottle count reduced by one

 

1994 Guigal, La Turque, Cote-Rotie, Rhone, France: 86


Optic: Dark garnet, bright, fat tears.
Bouquet: Very fragile nose, phenolic hint.
Taste: Medium body, decent acidity, slightly palate impregnating, masked fruit. Long finish, sweetish masked fruit in the aftertaste.
Overall: Bad bottle. Score therefore questionable.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 12 for bouquet + 15 for taste + 6 for overall = total score of 86.  Northern Rhone Vintage 2003 Tasting Graz 20061216. Single blind. Decanted shortly before tasting. Generic white wine stemware.

 

2001 Bründlmayer, Ried Ladner, St. Laurent, Langenlois, Kamptal, Austria: 90


Optic: Light garnet, light rim, brick note, fat tears, bright.
Bouquet: Slight animal note, else clean red fruit, velvety.
Taste: Medium body, bright acidity, clean red fruit, soft velvety tannins, good balance. Medium long finish, clean soft fruity tannins in the aftertaste.
Overall: Nice bottle from a wallflower variety. Already mature.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 17 for taste + 7 for overall = total score of 90.  Not blind. Not decanted. Small ISO standard tasting glass.

 

2005 Fondrèche, Nadal, Cotes du Ventoux, France: 90


Optic: Dark purple with violet hue, tints the glass, dense tears.
Bouquet: Fresh crushed dark fruit, toast, phenolic touch.
Taste: Plump body, primary raspberry fruit, good acidity, bit coarse tannins, despite the high alcohol content not hot. Medium long finish, fruity slightly coarse tannins in the aftertaste
Overall: Powerful wine. Not very elegant but very warming on a cold winter evening. Good match with spicy food.
Score: 50 + 4 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 17 for taste + 6 for overall = total score of 90.  From memory. Not blind. Not decanted. First Riedel Vinum Syrahglass then small ISO standard tasting glass. Bottle count reduced by one

 

1995 Salvioni, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: 87


Optic: Medium ruby, light rim, brownish hue.
Bouquet: Mature, herbs, lovage.
Taste: Medium body, bit flat, mature fruit, some acidity, smooth tannins. Medium long finish, mature smooth tannins in the aftertaste., slightly hot.
Overall: Rather mature but not exciting.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 12 for bouquet + 16 for taste + 6 for overall = total score of 87.  From memory. Not blind. Not decanted. Small ISO standard tasting glass.

 

2002 Dagueneau, Silex, Pouilly-Fumé, Loire, France: 90


Optic: Watery yellow, bright, high viscosity.
Bouquet: Clean sweet yellow fruity nose with a hint of Botrytis.
Taste: Medium full body, intense but soft acidity, sweet yellow fruit, low in tannins. Medium long finish, very soft yellow fruity tannins in the aftertaste.
Overall: Just another very well made white wine with clinically clean fruit - not my main point of interest, but today a perfect match with smoked salmon.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 17 for taste + 7 for overall = total score of 90.  Not blind. Not decanted. Small ISO standard tasting glass. Bottle count reduced by one.

 

NV Bonneau, Les Rouliers, Vin de Table, Chateauneuf du Pape, Rhone, France: 89


Optic: Light ruby, bright, fat tears.
Bouquet: For a Bonneau a very clean rather decent dark fruity nose.
Taste: Medium body, low fruit, some acidity, bit harsh tannins. Medium to long finish, slightly bitter tannins with some sweet alcohol in the aftertaste.
Overall: For a N.V. (probably 2005) table wine (lowest possible french wine category) quite excellent.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 16 for taste + 7 for overall = total score of 89.  Not blind. Not decanted. Small ISO standard tasting glass.

 

1998 Vignalta, Cabernet Riserva, Colli Euganei, Italy: 89


Optic: Dark purple, tints the glass, coarse sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
Bouquet: Animal barnyard whiff.
Taste: Medium full body, soft dark fruit, good acidity, velvety tannins, mature. Medium long finish, mature tannins in the aftertaste.
Overall: Acceptable bottle after a corked one.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 17 for taste + 6 for overall = total score of 89.  From memory. Not blind. Not decanted. Riedel Vinum Syrahglass like generic restaurant stemware.

 

2000 Vignalta, Gemola, Colli Euganei Rosso, Italy: 90


Optic: Dark ruby, bright, good tears.
Bouquet: Clean soft dark fruity.
Taste: Medium body, clean dark red fruit, soft acidity, velvety tannins, good balance. Medium long finish, soft fruity tannins in the aftertaste.
Overall: Good match with local food. 70% Merlot for softness.
Score: 50 + 3 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 17 for taste + 7 for overall = total score of 90.  From memory. Not blind. Not decanted. Riedel Vinum Syrahglass like generic restaurant stemware.

 

1997 Prunotto, Bussia, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy: 88


Optic: Dark garnet.
Bouquet: Dynamic nose: First vanilla hint, then some vegetal barnyard, finally kitchen herbs.
Taste: Medium body, low fruit, tartish acidity, velvety tannins. Medium long finish, tartish tannins in the aftertaste.
Overall: For me not very typical for a Barolo 1997 - caramel fruit is missing. Although served a bit too cool it is possible that this bottle was not stored perfectly and is therefore too early "overmature".
Score: 50 + 4 for optic + 12 for bouquet + 16 for taste + 6 for overall = total score of 88.  From memory. Not blind. Decanted shortly before tasting. Generic Syrahglass.

 

1997 Fontodi, Flaccianello, Tuscany, Italy: 91


Optic: Medium ruby/dark garnet.
Bouquet: Animal barnyard.
Taste: Medium body, red dark fruit, good acidity, soft tannins, good balance. Medium long finish, soft velvety tannins of slightly dusty texture in the aftertaste.
Overall: Nice bottle.
Score: 50 + 4 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 17 for taste + 7 for overall = total score of 91.  From memory. Not blind. Decanted shortly before tasting. Generic Syrahglass.

 

2000 Vignalta, Cabernet Riserva, Colli Euganei, Italy: 94


Optic: Black purple, opaque, dense tears, tints heavily the glass.
Bouquet: Black ink, iodine.
Taste: Full body, dense velvety texture, dense dark fruit, good acidity, soft powerful tannins, very good balance. Long finish, intense velvety tannins of black ink quality in the aftertaste.
Overall: Wine of insistence.
Score: 50 + 5 for optic + 13 for bouquet + 18 for taste + 8 for overall = total score of 94.  From memory. Not blind. Decanted shortly before tasting. Generic Syrahglass.

 

2007-01-06/Schriftführer e.h.