An appriciation of a great week-end.

[Andre]

Too much of our life involves planning.

This time I just let it fllow...

Cote-Rotie Brune et Blonde, E. Guigal 1998.

Dark red cherry color with plenty of depth.

On the nose: gentle soft fruit, dominating oak, raspberries, ripe plums and some more oak to finish this impression.

Smooth enrty with sharp acidity, peppery with some citrus flavors. Dominating spice on the finish allow little fruit expression.

Young and still closed now dominated by oak and spice.

Drink 2007-2012.

Tasted August 5th 2005.

Hermitage E. Guigal 1980.

Brick red with lighter rims and considerable depth.

Dry earthy aromas rounded with sweet dried fruits and hints of leather.

Several more minutes and this beautiful nose continues to develop into a ripe and complex mature wine. Excellent balance with toasted oak and mild buttery bouquet.

Smooth entrane with still a fine acidity, medium bodied, soft tannins and a consistant and long finish. Classic aged Hermitage flavors are very well expressed in this wine.

Gentle sweet and complex with a long impressive finish.

This is a great drinking mature Rhone wine that was well worth the long anticipation.

Drink 2005-2007.

Tasted August 5th 2005

Castas do Carneiro Castelao e Tinta Roriz, Estremadura 1998.

Dark deep intense red color with an almost black center.

Soft on the entrance with a good concentration of red berries and plums mixed with assorted spice flavors namely pepper and nutmeg.

Plums and cherries dominate the concentrated fruit and are coated with a fair amount of spice and backed up by good back bone. Acidity.

Medium bodied with chewy tannins and a typivcal balance between spice and fruit.

The wine becomes softer after 25 minutes.

Drink 2005-2007.

Tasted August 5th 2005

Chateau Haut Veyrac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1994

Lighter red moving into brick colored rim.

Slow to open with a bit of dust coating the mild spice and slowly immerging fruit.

A medium bodied wine wih a mildly toasted finish with enough acidity to back up the spicy and appealing raspberry syrup flavors.

Perhaps too soft on the entry now that the wine had lost its body and complexity in need of no less than 30 minutes of patience for the raspberry to surface.

A basic well-rounded Saint-Emilion with a mild fruity character.

Drink now.

Tasted August 5th 2005.

Chateau Belgrave, Grand Cru Classe Haut Medoc 1990Dark berries with some mild spice and cassis

Medium + body, sharp flavors with a mild and round acidity.

Complex gentle and very pleasant showing excellent balance.

Ripe, drinking beautifully and enjoyable.

Drink 2005-2006.

Tasted August 5th 2005.

[cellartracker]

Thank you for the notes. Indeed, I had the 1998 Brune et Blonde last Fall from 375ml, and it was quite tight even then. Wow, what a showing for a 1980 Hermitage, even a basic negociant cuvee! You just have to (well you don't really HAVE to but I do) 1990 Bordeaux. There is something about ripe vintage Bordeaux that just works so well for me. Here is my note on the Brune et Blonde:

1998 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (10/26/2004)

Tasted from 375ml. This is a young and delicious Côte-Rôtie. The nose offers up notes of roasted meat and tapenade. On the palate the acid is quite aggressive showing a bright, cherry personality. (With a grilled ribeye this gets along wonderfully!) Savory and mineral laden with nice balance and a suave, silky texture. This wine has a long way to go before it really blossoms. With more air, a bit more structure starts to come forward on the palate. (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Edited August 11, 2005 by cellartracker (log)

[Andre]

Thank you and welcome,

I find it hard to term Guigal as a "basic negociant" as he may prove to be much better than many others in his field and his records starting from the seventies are an impressive proof for that.

Edited August 12, 2005 by Andre (log)