Lull Before the Storm

A note on a few bottles that came before the end of last year. You always have a few drinks with good catch-up friends, and sometimes, the wines are so good, they shouldn't be forgotten:

Led in by a non-intrusive, pleasant 2007 Sileni 'Cellar Seln.' Pinot Gris, we had a wonderfully luscious 2007 Framingham Select Riesling which had that perfect German balance and just a hint of toast. Yummy stuff. Followed by a 2006 Sacred Hill 'Wine Thief' Syrah, a really drinkable archetype expression of the grape. A nice evening with the ski fiends (oops, friends).

The next night with the ski fiends again saw a rich 2008 Montana 'B' Brancott Sauvignon, sensational 2007 Craggy Range '7 Poplars' Chardonnay, elegant and tobacco-y developing 2004 Redmetal 'Mt Erin' Merlot/Franc followed by something different: a 1978 Ch La Lagune Haut-Medoc. Still fresh, a little acidic and coolish, showing how the vintage was saved by the miracle Indian Summer. Now three decades later, its true, less than great character shows. But, no brett, and nice secondary and tertiary flavours. It will hold another decade easily, at this modest expression level.

The next day and night, in order of style, there was also a well-weighted, varietal, sufficiently ripe 2008 Framingham Viognier, decent-bodied 2008 Redmetal Rose, a modern, juicy and fine 2006 Cazes Cotes du Rousillon Villages 'Hospices Catalans', made from Grenache and Syrah, a superb 2007 Redmetal 'Resolution' Merlot that just grew in the glass, and a 2003 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir that also grew in the glass. Tight and a bit funky at first, this filled up the glasses with its complexities - a sign of how good 2003 was in Martinborough. Our guests, the Doctor Duo, were impressed.

This was the lull before the storm.

Meeting Mr Parker

We know the real Mr Parker. Not the one whose points and scores are taken too seriously. The Mr Parker we know is a true wine lover, serious, but down to earth, and with exceptional taste. He's generous to a fault, and the best friend one could ever have. His partner, Lovin' Lorna keeps him on the right track and prevents him being like the other Parker. SWMBO and I finally caught up with Mr Parker after a few months of non-contact. We can never quite do enough, but we tried with a couple of bottles from the cellar. Here's how lunch went:

Strawberries and pineapple with a Drambuie-infused creamy dip. Taittinger Folies Marquetterie NV, the new 1er cru expression, was weighty and textured, with a touch of TCA to the autolysis. Good stuff nevertheless. Then a 1976 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. Golden, still some bubbles, solid and dense, with great fruit weight, but a little oxidation peeking in. Amazing taste sensation and very vinous.

Artisanal Chicken Parker Pie. All made by Mr Parker, including the pastry. 1982 Ch. Haut-Brion. This was great Bordeaux. Classical Graves resin-brick taste profile. Amazing richness, depth and life ahead - 15-25 years possible. Yet a subtle dryness to match the pie. Equally matched in fascination by a 1972 Penfolds Grange. Controversial year, with variability in bottling. Complex and developed red wine, but still Grange personality. A little acidic, but worked very well with the pie, making both wine and food more alive. No hurry.

Then a walk around to corner to Cutting Karl, the journo. A 2006 Chapoutier 'Invitare' Condrieu. Soft, but weighty and rounded. Apricots and ginger. Savoury and mouth-filling. Then another softie, a 1983 Knyphausen Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Auslese. Golden, caramel and toffee with burnt toast nuances. Low acid as Rheingau tends, but still with an elegance. Should have been consumed a decade plus ago, but still in a holding pattern.

Then back to home with a swag of pressies, totally unexpected. A brief session with Mr Parker and Lovin' Lorna. But one packed with goodies in every sense. We owe them, yet again.

Pairs

It's been a busy time with work, so the old treasures have taken a break. But last weekend, a big group of us were eating and drinking, and it was appropriate to add on a pair of old pairs of wines.
A look at a couple of reds at a quarter of a century of age. 1983 Ch. Chasse Spleen alongside a 1983 Cooks Private Bin Fernhill Cabernet Sauvignon. Surely the French aristocrat would be superior to the Antipodean upstart? Not so. While the claret was not old or fading, it was packed with brett. The Kiwi wine was a little unripe and greenish, but it was clean and fresh. Both were surprisingly drinkable. A pair of wines that reminded us to keep an open mind.
Then the next night, a pair of Wynns 'John Riddoch' Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignons. From two vintages which writers and critics say that they will be interesting foils to each other in the future. Both rated top years, the 1990 a perfectly ripe year which the Aussies rated better. The 1991 from a cooler, more elegant vintage, which trendy(at the time forward thinking, cool-climate espouser) types and New Zealanders liked. The 1990 was gloriously integrated with superb cedary notes. The 1991 more earthy and a touch grubby. It might have been a bad bottle, but I couldn't see how it could be better than the 1990. A pair of young ladies present preferred the 1991, 'cos it was their birth year!

Distance

Our special and notable visitor, who we see every quarter or so was in town again to do some work. Also in town was the tall Waiheke man, expounding his wares and the Island's. Down here, in Welly, it's quite some distance to that popular spot in the Hauraki Gulf, and the wines from there just don't get the exposure or the continued promotional push. But the tall Waiheke man overcame distance and re-ignited the flame for these northerly wines in many of the wine lovers down here.
So a dinner out at our favourite pan-Mediterranean eating house was in order. A drop of the ever-improving Bollinger 'Special Cuvee' was madatory before heading out. Fresher, more subtle than in the past, whilst retaining the complexity that the house is known for. At the restaurant, a lovely introductory 2007 Neudorf Moutere Riesling, Germanic in style and delicious, the sugar noticeable, but not intrusive. And a taste of a yet-to-be released 2007 Obsidian 'Weeping Sands' Syrah, lovely and spicy, with a touch too much oak toastiness showing at this early stage.
But the feature was a comparison of 1983 Ch. Haut-Brion and 1983 Ch. La Mission-Haut-Brion from the outskirts of Bordeaux city. Neighbours and rivals at the time, and the distance between the properties negligible. Yet in taste and style terms, the distance was a gulf (not a Hauraki Gulf!). The HB started out piercingly resiny-woody and linear with lightness and leanness. The LMHB full with lovely ripe Cabernet. It looked good. Then through the night, the ethereal nature and harmony, plus subtle nuances came out with the HB. It had 'line and length', and was indeed beautiful. However, our special visitor put a case forward for LMHB with its richness and size. Volume was a feature. Both had the Graves 'bricky' note, but it didn't dominate. Pleasingly, neither wine showed the dreaded brett that seemed to be pervading the clarets at the time.
We had a pleasant night with an old friend and a new one, both who live some distance away. But with friends, distance doesn't matter.

Sweet Success

After a good night's work, we needed a few wines to settle down. Winemaker men from Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago were in attendance.
First up was the new Bollinger Special Cuvee Rose NV. Fuller, softer, broader than the regular 'blanc' Special Cuvee with sweet berry fruit aromas appearing in and out. Not quite the sweet success it was at its first showing a few weeks back.
Then on to a mystery red, which most of us failed in playing wine options. The 2002 de Vogue Chambolle-Musigny was pretty meaty, full and bretty. Or was it lady-bug excretion as with the 2004s? But it all worked in spite of these menaces. More an expression of the vintage than of de Vogue? It was somewhat atypical for de Vogue from whom I expected something more fragrant and ethereal. A sweet success? I'd say so.
Followed by two Sauternes. Would these be sweet successes? The 1986 Ch. Lafaurie-Peyraguey was pale, lifted by VA, but tight and youthful. A lovely dry finish put Hawke's Bay wine man in a spin, as he wished he could replicate it. This was a wine that could handle another decade easily. Then on to the 1989 Ch. d'Yquem, in a half bottle. Intriguingly darker coloured with more evolution. Broad and barley-sugar like, this was medium weighted and still very lively. It didn't climb all over the previous wine, but we imagined what a 1986 Ch. d'Yquem would be like. Both this and the Ch. Laufaurie-Peyraguey were really sweet successes.

Down the Line

It is amazing how things look as you go on. Down the line, you can make a better judgement or final call. We had Mr Marlborough Riesling in town, and after a good night out, we thought that some Cabernet-based wines would be fun, but also perverse. Our humour was not lost on him, as he said "I'm not familiar with this type of wine, but I'll give it a go..."

So on to some 25 y.o. reds. First up was 1983 Te Mata 'Coleraine'. Youthfully red and bright in fruit. Seemingly primary, how odd! But there it was, in beautiful condition, though the bottle was a bit ullaged. As we tried the other wines, this seemed greener, especially to SWMBO. But the next day, still vibrant and fresh, and only a little cool. Down the line, this was surprisingly good.

Next was a 1983 Ch. Beychevelle St Julien. In its day, it was deemed a little dilute. Not a great success, but an Englishman's wine, an elegant wine that is not in your face. On the night, beautifully clean and refined. Everything a claret at a quarter of a century should be. If there was a fault, it dried on the finish. Down the line, this was very fine indeed. A bit of a surprise and a stunner.

Then thirdly, a 1983 Ch. Talbot St Julien. Brett city here. But full and fleshy still. Those who don't mind not knowing the appellation or the variety would enjoy its game and meat flavours. It could have come from anywhere, I suppose. If such things as provenance and varietal identity matter, then the wine is a disaster. We were in the second camp. In its day, it was a wine that punched above its weight. The owners, Cordier, at the time, were hot. Down the line, it was a pity that brettanomyces ruined it.

We gave the three wines our best shot, but couldn't finish them. We called in reinforcements - the Master of the Universe, a good guy friend who is positive on everything. He liked all three wines, so he got to take them home. A good thing to cement our friendship, and keep us 'sweet', down the line!

Old and New

A late-night session with Hammer and Makka of the Marlborough Mafia showed the difference between old and new. Often, the old and traditional can look superb, and we can revel in their glory. But in truth, we have moved forward, and the new looks even better. Generally.

After a slap-up feed, we opened up three 1985 wines. Hammer and Makka were both in shorts when these wines were made! First up was a very smart 1985 Te Mata ‘Awatea’ Cabernet/Merlot. Dark, medium weighted and ripe enough. Quite pleasant, really. And good for an oldie, we thought. By consensus, this was the best of the three. Next was the first-ever Stonyridge ‘Larose’ from Waiheke Island. Yes, 1985 was their inaugural harvest. Lighter, more acidic, and greener. Hammer and I found it the least of the trio, but SWMBO and Makka liked it after the ‘Awatea’. It was at least clean. Next was the controversial one. 1985 Ch. Talbot from St Julien. The proverbial zoo, with horses, meat and leather. Brett rearing its ugly head. But sweet and with substance on the palate. Hammer and I could handle it, and it did settle down a bit. But SWMBO, the brett Nazi couldn’t go near it. So an old Kiwi winner!

We needed a treat, so down to the cellar, and out popped a 2002 Yalumba ‘Octavius’ Old Barossa Shiraz. Too tight at first, but developing gorgeous liquorice and spice flavours on a serious palate. It had to get past the VA lift, but, it got better and better. A ‘next day’ wine.

To the ridiculously new. SWMBO brought out some brand-spanking new 2008 rosé wines. 2008 La Strada was pretty and pretty light. 2008 Muddy Water was vibrant, but a spoiled beauty with something grubby there. Curiously enjoyable, though. And then a 2008 Ata Rangi ‘Summer’ Rosé. Excellent fruit, but a touch phenolic and grippy. Should mellow out the roughness in a few months. New wines, but not impressive.

So to a sweeter end. A new 2006 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese. How do the Germans attain that special balance between what Hugh Johnson calls ‘fruity-acidity’, sweetness and low alcohol, to make an absolutely yummy wine? The Schaefer family do it consistently. The have with the wines of old. And they still do, with the wines of new.