What I remember from this weekend’s very fun cottage trip
2014 Chateau Talbot
I aired this out for a day. When I tasted it at the UGC for that year, it was my wine of the night. It was most people’s wine of the weekend, and I really enjoyed this. Rosehips twirl around red berry and plum fruit nose. The palate has the berry and slightly sweet currant mixed in. Not deep, the term “open-knit” really applies here, as there was a fine, gentle freshness to the wine. I do wish that I’d bought more than one bottle. With a little air, no problem trying one now, though it should easily keep at least a decade more. I kind of am thinking “baby Comtesse” though without that wine’s fabulous sophistication. Still…
2009 Daniel Rion Vosne Romanee Les Beaux Monts
Our friend Tammy brought this and it was just lovely. Decanted for about an hour before I got to it. This does have the velvet sophistication that I can find sometimes in Vosne and is not in any way heavy or showing any surmaturite. Instead, strawberries, touch of cranberry and a shaving of cocoa make their presence felt on the tongue. All of it sort of shimmers there–the mouthfeel is delightful. Finish is a trifle short, but there’s plenty to like about this wine.
2013 Hidden Bench Chard
This was from a mag (I think my friend Walter brought this) and is still showing good, stable apple fruit with some creaminess and a glint of unripe pineapple. What it’s missing for me is extra intensity and persistence. I think the wine is fine and is a great cottage sipper/quaffer, but I also wouldn’t leave any of these more than 2 years from this point.
2007 Chateau Rieussec
I brought this as well and also gave it a day’s slow-ox. And wow, was this ever ready to play ball. Vanilla cream, buttercream, graham cracker, apricot and peach are all playing around here with fine honey interweave in the bouquet. Can a wine be racy and sultry at the same time? 2 days later, it has settled into a banana-tinged caramel candy with apricot and orange notes. The 07 Climens is a bit better (I haven’t had 07 D’Yquem) but not much. From a diminishing stash of mine, I would love to restock on this and will be on the lookout. 94
1989 Chateau Suduiraut
Walter has a bunch of these—some from an original buy and some from a recent-ish rebuy through the LCBO. That second set are the wines I got a hold of and I think this bottle comes from that set. From half, it’s decent, but no more. You can get at sweet yellow fruit and a little of the orange/citrus idea, but the wine does seem a little tired. It’s something that perks up with food (in this case, my peach amaretto fruit soup) but this set of half bottles, anyway, sees this wine in decline.
2018 Biale Black Chicken Zin
I think my friend Dianne brought this and it was always going to get opened for the tomahawk steaks we had for Saturday dinner. This is a great and restrained version of this iconic wine. Lots of bramble and some herbs buttress the black plum and blackberry base. What I like to see and feel is the restraint and balance it shows as it makes its way down your throat. Touches of meats and even maybe a tiny bit of black licorice, but overall a very surehanded feel to this bottling. Liked this a lot.
Slainte
Mike