Blindtasting 25 August 2009

Back in Norway and expensive wines at the Vinmonopolet, it's always a pleasure to participate to the "1855 wineclub". 4 bottles on the agenda last night;

Bottle 1

Medium deep dark red colour with a typical Bordeaux nose, very silky smooth taste with no tannins and some additional acidity. The panel was confused by the Bordeaux nose and the Barbera d'Alba taste, but landed on a foreign (outside France) Cabernet Sauvignon.

Over all score 16,6: Ch Changyu Castel 1995 from China! Cabernet

If your target is to confuse the panel then this is the wine for you!

Bottle 2

Slightly deeper dark red colour with a red rim. Comments related to Margaux in Medoc was given immediately due to a very delicate and elegant "Bordeaux nose"wood, leather,coffee, long solid taste with smooth firm tannins and very good balance. A very nice bottle of wine with the panel agonising close as Lascases is from St .Julien (a few km´s away)

Score of 17,7: Ch.Leoville Lascases 1997

Unfortunately this was the last bottle in the host wine cellar, but luckily we still got 6.

Bottle 3

Same dark red colour as 2, but with a very red brown rim indicated old age. Nose of wet wool, cedar, coffee, forrest, cassis etc again leading the panel to Medoc. The taste even smoother than the previous one with no tannins just a silky long taste. Oldest guess was 1989.

Score 18,85 ; Ch. Leoville Las Cases 1978!!

This just shows the potential of this chateau, 31 years old! Imagine!

Bottle 4

Very dark deep red colour. Big nose of mint,dried fruit, minerals, big mouthful with too much alcohol. Panel out of Bordeaux and seeking strong Cabernet from other parts of the world although the acidity and alcohol content should have advised them otherwise.

Score 17,35: Amorone della Valpolicella 2001 Cecilia Beretta

All in all a very good tasting indeed by our host from mid Norway. Next event is set for 28 September.

Comments

Leoville Lascases 1988

Last week was a special week for me as I received my last pay check from my previous employer. An event that required some sort of celebration with some good friends. Of the many bottles opened during that evening was a Leoville Lascases 1988. This Bordeaux wine from St. Julien is second Grand cru classee but it has the quality of a first growth. This chateau was also the wine that made me change from beer to wine as I had the pleasure of tasting a Leoville Lascases 1945 back in 88. The 1945 just knocked me off my guard and I remember thinking what a fantastic wine it was and what an experience to drink this wine from the year when world war 2 ended. I was in shock and I then just decided to enter into the world of wine. I have always had a soft spot for this chateau ever since. And to my pleasure it has been performing well at much more reasonable prices than the much more expensive first growths in the 1855 classification. Nowadays a bottle of this wine costs around ...

Condrieu 2014 by Cuilleron

In the steep hills north in the Rhone valley there is a small appelation which is called Condrieu. Here the rare grape of Viognier is grown. A grape not well known to many people but which gives a fantastic wine when grown here. It is a full bodied white with a very pronounced and overwhelming smell of flower, peach, apricot, tropical fruit etc. The taste is dominated by ripe fruit, medium acidity and a long finish. Very good to outstanding quality. This is not a white for the fainthearted as the style is rather opulent. But with 2 year old Comte it is the perfect match. Cuilleron (manager) has many different styles. The wine is pricy and rare to get hold of. Condrieu 2014 "La Petite Cote" Yves Cuilleron ca 30€ or 400 nok

Chianti Riserva 2016

Castello de Farnatello has a basic Chianti and a Riserva on the market. Both of them are good value for money. We tried the Riserva the other day, in two different glasses; Riedel Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The Syrah glass is more closed at the top (to the right). The colour of the wine is medium red and the nose discrete smell of cherries, leather and nuts. Attractive acidity with a firm well balanced taste. This is perfect with lamb for ex. 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot has been added to the wine as well and that gives it more body than the pure Sangiovese. And which glass works best? The Syrah glass enhances the smell much more than the CS glass in which the wine seems much more closed. Chianti Riserva 2016, Castello de Farnatello Ca 230 kr or 13euro

Life is too short to drink bad wine

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