Tuesday, June 21, 2011

A Dozen 2009s

It'd been a while since I'd caught up with The Rascal, but there he was, at the tasting billed as a Dozen 2009 wines, a vintage generally deemed to be a top one in Europe. Cheeky as ever, but with insight and the ability to sum up a person's character in just a few words. The twinkle in his eye leaves you in little doubt why he has that moniker from me...

And the wines? A 2009 von Hovel Oberemmeler Hutte Riesling Kabinett of great delicacy typical of the Saar. Subtlety is the key word here, and an easy wine to miss in a line-up, followed by 2009 Geltz-Zilliken 'Rausch' Riesling Kabinett, with lovely purity, steel, and a hint of decadence by way of its honied notes. Gorgeous. The third German wine a 2009 H. Thanisch-Erben Berncasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese was marked by reduction, but carried far more typical Middle Mosel weight. Given a decade plus, these reductive wines can come together amazingly.

French whites began with a 2009 Ch. Gaudrelle 'Turonien' Vouvray Sec, crisp, clean, white florals and stonefruits, a little leanish for me, butagain with delectable delicacy for others. Chardonnay next with a 2009 Corsin Macon-Villages, again a lighter style, but showing complex oak barrel nuances and remarkably sweet fruit. A step up was the 2008 - yes, an error - 2008 Corsin Saint Veran 'Vieilles Vignes'. More depth, more concentration and interest, and better with an extra year of bottle age. Worth the extra asking price of $6.00 over the previous wine.

The top 2009 Bordeaux wines are yet to be released, but two cheapies gave an indication of what's to come. A lovely primary fruited, spotlessly clean, supple wine with real Merlot tobacco was the 2009 'Comtes de Tastes' Bordeaux. It makes some of our Merlot wines 2-3 times the price look wrong! More what I expected was the 2009 Ch. Fongaban Cotes de Castillon, darker and with more extract, but a little rustic, as can be the case.

A bracket of Rhone wines finished off the 2009 line-up. Firstly the 2009 Fondreche 'Mas O'sud Cotes du Ventoux, plump, ripe, lush and an easy approach with a juicy burst through the palate. The 2009 Vendemio 'Regain' Cotes du Ventoux was lifted with a little VA, which reduced the real fruit expression, but more structure was the key. A wine to take a wee gamble on. Far more gutsy and traditional with the taste of garrigue that is often written about was the Aphillanthes Cotes du Rhone Villages 'Vieille Vignes'. Blacker fruits and earth too. Much more to look at in the glass. Then finishing with a 2009 Ch. Saint Cosme Gigongas, the classiest of all the reds, with fine-grained tannin structure and a stylishness to the near opulent fruit.

The Rascal never puts the pressure on you to buy anything, and that's his charm. SWMBO and I will order a few of these wee gems soon...

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