WTN: Old World Reds

[Brad Ballinger]

Some of the Twin Cities wine-obsessed crowd gathered to drink wine. The theme was Old World Reds, which is usually the theme even when no theme is announced. In the order I drank them…

1986 Trevisiol Prosecco Spumante. The person who brought this said, “I bet you’ve never had a 20-year old Prosecco before.” “Still or spumante?” I replied, just to be difficult. Anyway, there was plenty of fizz and activity in the wine. To my palate it was like drinking liquid yeast. There was a faint nutty flavor, but not much else. I think I’ll continue to drink prosecco sumpanti young.

1989 Trimbach “Cuvee Frederic Emile” Riesling, Vendange Tardive. Nose of mandarins and limes. Lackluster acidity, and fat in the mouth. Revisited at the end of the evening, there was more emerging minerality, but texturally the wine left me wanting.

2004 Glatzer Blaufrankisch, Carnuntum. Young, grapey nose that also gave off a bit too much alcohol for me. Tart, crushed berry flavors and plenty of acidity. Not showing much depth or complexity.

2000 Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet, Morgeot la Cardeuse Premier Cru (Monopole). With how lovely this wine is drinking now, I can’t imagine how much joy it will provide with some more age on it. Nose that reveals nettles and freshly turned earth, a bit of smoke. Harmony and balance in the mouth – nearly seamless. Mout Rainier cherries, some spice, fine tannins. A complete package.

1997 Michel Gros Vosne-Romanee, Clos des Reas Premier Cru (Monopole). En magnum. Cloudy appearance (but it spent one hour on a bus prior to opening). To use a cliché, it smelled like Burgundy (whatever that’s supposed to mean). Nice acidity level, and a good “snap” to the fruit. Some earthy undercurrent.

2000 Tenuta di Capezzana “Villa di Capezzana” Carmignano. Carmignano is a small DOCG west of Florence, and was given special designation because it is one of the few places (only?) in Tuscany where the cabernet sauvignon vines have been there centuries before Antinori and others ever conceived of anything Super Tuscan-like. 80% sangiovese, 20% cabernet sauvignon. Tank fermented. Botti and bottle aged. No barrique. Anise, smoke, and spice swirl around blackberries on the nose. Ripe, juicy, lush black fruits in the mouth. Sweet tannins. Mouth-watering acidity. A nice discovery.

1998 Canon Saint-Michel, Canon Fronsac. Corked.

1996 Haut Marbuzet, Saint Estephe. Yet another in a string of Left Bank 96s that doesn’t even come close to disappointing. Probably my wine of the night (with the Chassagne and Brunello close behind). Currants, spice, coffee, vanilla on the nose. Wonderful textural harmony with integrated, resolving tannins. Lacks the edge and coarseness of some other Saint Estephe wines I’ve had. Luscious cassis core. Easy transition to a long and pleasant finish.

1992 Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac. A fleeting musty whiff gives way to a menthol-dominated nose. Fading fruit. Unraveling texture. Probably showed better a few years ago.

1997 Biondi Santi “Villa Poggio Salvi” Brunello di Montalcino. Powerfully mineral-driven nose that shows graphite, smoke, and finally ripe cherries. Still fairly tight, giving glimpses of the complexity that will reward patience. Balanced now. A sleeping giant.

1994 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Smells like citrus and iodine. Thin tart fruit. Moving on.

1995 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Much more like it. Has a peppery, spicey, olive-y nose, and a much more developed flavor profile that includes blueberry, cherry, and a bit of smoke. But appears to be in a mid-developing stage. Still needs some air, and probably more cellar time. Thank you to the person who brought it because I have only one in the cellar, and I’ll let it sleep.

1989 Chateau de la Font du Loup Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The most “CdP-like” nose of the three CdP wines. Black olives, black pepper. Alas, more fun to smell than drink. Watery fruit and lack of structure.

1997 Guy Breton Morgon Vieilles Vignes. Tasting it at this time because the person who brought it was a late arrival. Vegetal, with tart plummy fruit. Can’t really say how it would’ve been five or so years ago when I’d want to drink it.

1991 Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas. This is a single-quinta Port Taylor made in 1991. When many other houses declared 1991 a vintage year, Taylor showed restraint and release the Quinta de Vargellas instead. I wasn’t sure if I was going to open this wine or not, but the corked Canon Saint-Michel was mine, and I felt some guilt about that, so… A nose of chocolate and the blackest blackberries that makes me want to shrink and dive into the glass. Luscious fruit in the mouth with gripping, teeth-staining tannins. I’ve not had much vintage port in my life, so I’m not sure about the following comment, but it appears as if this wine’s drinking window is just starting to open, and I could see giving it at least a couple more years.

There was also a bottle of something called Domaine la France Cidre de Glace, Cuvee Speciale – an “ice cider” from Quebec. Tasted like baked apples in applesauce.

[LOS]

I liked the Lafite rather better than you seemed to. I also drank it before the Capezzana. It was certainly aging but showed plenty of cedar and tobacco.

The Morgon had a fair whiff of sulphur when popped, and just kep putting on more and more sulphur the longer it was open. I thought it was nice on the palate, but boy did it have some sulphur!

I have more 94 Beaucastel. I hope the other bottles show a bit more life.

[Brad Ballinger]

I'm sure several of us will have different impressions of the wine. At events such as that one, it's hard to take any notes with confidence. You're drinking such a tiny bit, and impressions are influenced on what you had prior and after. As we both know.

I would guess the 94 Beaucastel was an off bottle.