Heidsieck, Gloria, Kistler, Jaboulet

[bills]

Dinner with friends, all wines served blind:

1990 Hiedsieck Brut Champagne – now has some colour, showing complexity in the nose, and very appley in the mouth, lots of flavour, youthful

1998 Dom. Latour-Giraud Meursault Cve Charles Maxim – citrus and smoke nose, medium straw colour, clean, with fair length, at least for the acidity, but the fruit seemed to chop off a bit short.

1995 Kistler Chardonnay Lot 2 – vanilla and tropical fruit nose on a wine that was also showing some colour. Sweet fruit at the end in the mouth. Better with food.

1988 Poderi il Pallazino Grosso Sinese – an IGT – except that IGT hadn’t yet started, so it was still a Vino da Tavola.The nose easily betrayed the country of origin, and it was also evident it was sangiovese, but I thought it could have been a 1990 – it was showing well with good balance, ready now but will hold.

1970 Ch. Gloria – a cru bourgeois from an excellent year, this wine was showing (as 1970s often do) as being younger. Obvious cabernet nose with a hint of green. Still tannin, but drinking really well.

1970 Ch. Cissac – another cru bourgeois from the Medoc, this one in magnum. Sweeter cocoa nose, showing more tannin and more oak, but lighter on palate in the middle. Interestingly , signed on the back label by Harry Waugh – apparently he did this for this chateau?

1983 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle – sweet spicy nose, brown edges, full and showing ripeness in the mouth, but more a middleweight wine with black pepper and some leather coming out with time. An astringency in the finish.

Buller Fine Old Muscat – an Aussie liqueur Muscat, with medium dark colour, hot nose, sweet and soft in the mouth, with some almond in the finish.

Edited November 14, 2006 by bills (log)