TN from last days and watch out for the Bierzo DO

[Nicklasss]

Some TN on multiple wines opened since the last week.

1997 Leeuwin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Serie : I bought that wine 9 years ago (already?) in British Columbia. I wanted to open it since a year approximately. Dark red color. Nose, really fine and reminding me... Bordeaux! Earthy leather, dark berries, currant spices aromas. Blind, I would have never guess Australia. But in mouth, the wine is Australian. Ripe red and dark berries fruit attack. Warm alcohol. Jammy fruits all the way, with good spices and the signature of many Aussie wines, concentrated blueberries final. Good amont of tannins. I liked that but, missing a bit of finesse in mouth. TN : 90. I think this could stay in the cellar another 5 years.

2006 Qupé Central Coast Syrah : An inexpensive Syrah, made in California. I'm a fan since a few years. That 2006 is nice. Light to medium red color. Nose is really a mix of California and France. Nose is meaty, leather, smoky, with a good core of rasberries. In mouth, not really defined yet, but still a good concentration of rasberries, red berries, herbs, smoke and (this is a bit negative to me) a medium final on candy pink peppermint. Probably still young. Everything is there to make a really good 20 $ wine, in 3-5 years. TN : 87+.

2005 Chateau La Fagotte : Haut-Médoc, same owners than Chateau d'Aurilhac. La Fagotte is a nice 2005. Oriented on the fruit first. Dark red color, mix of rasberries, dark berries, plums with light sweet vanilla on the nose. In mouth, really good concentration of fruits, same flavors as the aromas on the nose. Add a jammy long finish, on ripe tannins, and oak wood. Convenient, well done and drinkable now. TN : 88-89.

2006 Chapoutier Belleruche Côtes-du-Rhône : It is good to go back to that little C-du-R. Sometimes, you don't need to pay 100$ to get a satisfying wine. That wine is a typical little Rhône wine, perfectly done. Medium red color. Nose of roasted garrigue style, with spices, black olives, black berries and roasted grape skins. In mouth, medium concentration but again a nice mix of fruits (roasted dark berries, plums), guarrigue (thyme) and other (light black pepper and smoke). Really good. TN : 88.

2005 Pittacum : This is a spanish wine from the DO Bierzo. I encourage you strongly to try a wine from that DO. Bierzo is the new popular DO of the moment, that was pratically unknown 1-2 years ago. Located in the North West of Spain, it is mostly planted with Mencia grapes/vines, that are really old (>40 years, often wines made with vines older than 60) and under a dry climate. The wines are still cheap, but for how long? The 2005 Pittacum is a really nice wines. Dark red color. Nose of dry clay, blood, strong rasberries and dark berries, noble oak wood, vanilla, plums, white pepper. in mouth, well it is not the most refined, but it is a medium concentration mixture of concentrated red berries fruits, light brown sugar, minerals and oak (French and American). Long fat sweet tannic final. Al in all, super convenient, sexy, lush but not overdone. I like that DO. TN : 90. Other wines from Bierzo to try : Petalos (made by a relative of Alvaro Palacio, with his supervision) or Tilenus (made with Mencia >70 years old, having a bit more elegance than Pittacum or Petalos, so even more interesting).

I will buy more Bierzo as I think they can probably age well.

Nic