Alban, Haut Batailley, Montrose, Oreno

[bills]

Monthly blind tasting lunch notes

Carles Andreu Cava Brut (nv) – excellent persistent mousse, lots of green apple in the nose, finishes just very slightly off dry with good acidity. Nice Cava.

1998 Champagne Lenoble Brut Rose– a pinkie made from 80% chard 20% PN. No apples in the nose here – it was all strawberry ( or some thought raspberry). Nice.

2000 Louis Michel Chablis Prem. Cru Montee de Tonnerre – dry mineral nose, soft, pleasant and possibly overly subtle in terms of flavour….

2004 Petales d’Osoyoos – BC Bordeaux blend made by affiliate of Gruaud. Medium dark colour, a nose of ripe sweet fruit amply laced with dill and a hefty whack of pepper which instantly lets it out of being mistaken as Bordeaux.. Decent wine at $25 Can.

1989 Ch. Haut Batailley – I’d had this wine young when it was all about fruit, but hadn’t tried it for some years. This time around it showed a slightly perfumed nose otherwise typical fruit and a bit of oak, and on palate, while it still had sufficient fruit it was no longer lavish, ending with good length, quite dry. Quite a change but still a nice claret.

2000 Ch. Lanessan – this usually modest Haut Medoc showed quite well. Dark, with a sweet ripe fruit nose, and low acidity iot is ready to roll – and that means I better start hunting my cellar for mine (I also see I am supposed to have some 95 and a solitary, and probably deceased 1978!)

1990 Ch. Montrose – I don’t think I can recall a nose with as much animal or Burgundian funk from a Bordeaux – a real barnyard performance, but not off-putting at all, at least for me. While the tannins seemed almost resolved on initial tasting, it was clear as that perception changed with airing that there was still a strong backbone to this wine – it stiffened up as you looked at it. Drinkable now, it has a long life ahead. Should be about ready to drink by the time I find mine in the cellar…

2000 Alban Grenache Eden Valley – this one had us all over the place as we just couldn’t’ nail the varietal. Purple wine with a sweet nose, and pretty good fruit, a tad flat in the middle, but ending well.

2001 Alban Reva Syrah – similar, but a step up in terms of nose – sweeter, with the telltale black pepper, much more Rhonish and with better length.

1999 Castello Banfi Brunello – good showing from the regular bottling – dark with still firm tannins, but good fruit and excellent with food at this point.

2000 Sette Ponti Oreno – ended with a Super Tuscan (cab, merlot and sangio). Dark, with thick legs, a bit warm in the mouth and a marked bitterness in the dry finish, this wine was relegated to last serving position simply because the restaurant hadn’t tasted it before, but it worked out well as a cheese wine.