TN : various wines in a small tasting including 96 St-Pierre

[Nicklasss]

A friend here, restart a wine tasting group. It was about time as I was missing all the serious and talking about wine. So last Wednesday was our first tasting, and the theme was red over 40 $. Really large theme, gave me some problem to chose the wine... I finally brought 3.... and let chose the group. For this first tasting, uncovered bottles.

First wine was the 2004 Flaccionello. This wne has a nice cherry red color. Nose was completely strange, with aromas of potato skins, earth cherry, earthy humus and... finally wet cardboard. That last smell let me immediately think that the bottle was wrong. I'm mouth, well violent acidity and super stringency in final...no fruit. So a bad bottle. E replacement bottle has been opened and tasted last. The Flaccionello was probably the worst bottle with a default I have ever taste.

Second wine was the 2005 Chateau Batailley. I had this bottle not so long ago, and find it nice. Again, not a lot of Pauillac style, but the color : deep red. Seducing nose of light wood, sweet red berry fruits, vanilla, more sweet rasberries. In mouth, fruity attack on red berry, smoky balanced rasberries, light cedar on final, with oak and medium tannins. Smoke also on the final. Nice wine, should age nicely for 10-15 years. TN : 90+.

Third wine was my contribution, the 1996 Chateau Saint-Pierre. Deep red, with light brown rims. Nose of violet flowers, light blackcurrants, tobacco. Maybe soft spices too. In mouth, masculine austere blackberries, minerals, long light bitterness, astringency of the tannins, more balckberries on the final. Good wine, but kind of unidimensional. Liked it, but don't think it will improve. TN : 89-90.

Fourth wine was the 2002 Numanthia. I have appreciated the 2004 Rick brought to Washington this year, so I was excited to discover the 2002. Darker wine that night. Nose was close to start with, but opened on vanilla, chocolat, brown sugar, cherries, smoke, red berries and rasberries. Complex with more air. In mouth, full of flavors of rasberries, red berries, licorice, moderated biterness, promising one bloc final, full of torrified coffee and perfumed. Really good and promising. TN : 91+.

Fifth wine was the 2007 Télégramme, second wine from Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Of course, lighter color of the night. Nose, wit htime, was one of the most interesting that night. Morello cherries, herb like thyme, small acidulated strawberries, menthol, black and red licorice, piquant and finally orange skin a bit like Grand Marnier. Super interesting nose. In mouth, quite primary and ripe, with sweet confit red berries, candy, sweet cherries, light warm final, medium lenght. Nose was more interesting than the mouth, but I can see that the wine is really young, and might become something really interesting. TN : 89-90+.

The replacement wine for the Flaccionello was the 2000 Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino from Frescobaldi. This wine was my favorite that night, for the drinkability. Dark red color, with nose of light green pepper, nice fruit like zin berries, elegant, more cherries and roses. In mouth, superb balance, nice red fruit, red cherries, light bitterness, licorice, black chocolat, humus. Final on blackberries and red, medium tannic feeling and good lenght of 25-30 seconds. Really nice. TN : 93. Don't think it will improve more.

So that was a nice tasting, with no bad wine, except the bad bottle of Flaccionello. When you take lot of time to focus on the wine you drink, and you tke the time, it is even more interesting what can be discovered. And we were only 5 guys, so really fun for the discussions too.

Nic

[stefan]

Your usual interesting selection of wines, Nic. I would have expected the St. Pierre to be better.

stefan

[Jay Winton]

Thanks Nick. I bought 6 of the 07 Telegramme as the price was under $30 and supposedly it received lots of the primary Telegraphe juice due to the outstanding vintage. I've found wines from this producer, especially in good vintages. take time so hands off even this 2nd wine for a while.

[JonoB]

Nice note on the 05 Batailley; A chateau I am quite fond of, and perhaps I may have to pick up some of that vintage now... as it seems to be one of the few 05s where the price hasn't skyrocketed!

The 85 and 97 that I've tried recently have shown well and been very tasty, although they remind me more of St. Julien than Pauillac.