Outpourings

It was a bit of a reunion with the old crew from a wine show a few years ago. A lot has happened since then, and when we all got together, out came all the news and what was on our minds. The Chairman and the Jelly Bean Girl were in transit, so it was a welcome stop-over as far as SWMBO and I were concerned. The Sabre Girl and Hutch we had met up with recently, and they had plenty of family news too. Pouring of wine helps the process, and a general pairing of them helped make the reunion a vinously interesting one.

As is the norm, bubbles really set the scene well. A 2003 Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Champagne was delightfully rich, up-front and nearly bold. The dosage was particularly evident, and made the wine lush in a vintage that could have resulted in flabbiness. Then came the 2002 Pol Roger Champagne Rose, possessing that elegance that marks the house style. Succulent and with a luscious finesse, the soft red fruit characters totally harmonious.

Moving on to whites, two absolutely divergent styles. The 2004 Jaboulet Saint-Peray ‘Sauvageres’ was a wonderful surprise. Real freshness for this 100% Marsanne, with lovely white stonefruits and delicate spice from the oak. Initially pleasing was the 2007 Paulinshof Brauneberger Kammer Riesling Spatlese ‘feine herb’. Lovely rich honeyed nose, but oddly lean and lacking substance on palate, despite the 12.0% alc. The wine seemed forward, and even more so as we drank it.

A bit of a lead-in with a lighter red was the 2006 Montille Volnay 1er ‘Carelle sous Chapelle’. We’ve loved this before, for its elegance, but tonight much more substantial, with dense fruit, structure and a bit more oak than I remembered. This ended up being wine of the night…

The main course was served with a quartet of wines. Actually two pairs, each pair being a 1986 and 1985 together. Wynns ‘John Riddoch’ Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, and Ch. Montrose St Estephe represented in both vintages. In some ways, the vintages should have been of the same ilk. 1986 more ageworthy, and 1985 more classic. And that’s how they turned out. The Aussie pair stole the limelight. The 1986 dense and dark, with firmness and boldness. Real concentration and time to go. That super-ripe fruit and powerful oak in balance. The 1985 was more gentle, more layered, and flowed across the palate with nuance. Most of the group plugged the 1986, the Chairman and I went for the 1985. The clarets were more secondary in character, both showing some horseyness. Drier too, and without the fruit sweetness. The 1986 rather locked up, and austere, being rather hard, but with concentration. Maybe this could go another two decades? The 1985 softer and broader, more evolved, but also more bretty. These French numbers just weren’t that enjoyable!

The night was ending, so came the 2004 Ch. Rieussec Sauternes. I love the elegance of this vintage, Semillon oiliness and waxy textures, just enough ripeness and kindly botrytis. So drinkable. The Riuessec very modern and shiny, and with style and impeccable cleanliness. This ‘New World’ style seems to be more prevalent with the Rothschild ownership. Whatever the reason, it was still a hit at the end of the evening.