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 ...

Pecharmant wine district

Pécharmant is a wine appellation in the hills to the North-East of the market town of Bergerac , France. Pécharmant is the best known of the wines from the Dordogne subregion and the wines have been classified as AOC since 1936. The identification "Pécharmant" dates from 1946 and new AOC since March 13, 1992. First produced in the eleventh century, Pécharmant is the oldest collective of vineyards in the region of Bergerac. "Pécharmant" comes from the words "Pech" ( "Hill") and "Charmant" (Charming), thus meaning "the charming hill." Pécharmant vineyards are well exposed to the sun and the soil consists sand and gravel from the Perigord, and containing a deep layer of ferruginous clay called "Tran." Pécharmant is a blend of at least three varietals predominantly Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Côt, and Malbec. These varietals produce a wine suitable for holding from four to ten years, typically tannic...

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

Life is too short to drink bad wine

Search This Blog