TNs: some death row wines!!

[JonoB]

2005 Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons"; Vincent Dauvissat
nutty, round, minerals, creamy, orange peel, cooked lemons, limes, balanced. Complex, green, herbs, minerals, sea air, saline, raw fish, fennel, menthol, oyster shell, rosemary, basil, eucalyptus, wax, lanolin, lovely length, round... Really lovely. ******(+) or [4.5+4.5+4.5+4.5=18/20]  

1998 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "Les Amoureuses"; Vincent Girardin
smoke, shale, crisp, round, plum, wild raspberry, soft, round, deep, complex and in need of time to unfurl, subtle and restrained, black truffle, leaves, herbs, balanced and in need of more time to unfurl, a touch of black fruit, rounded freshness, subtle soft complexity that keeps one intrigued and wanting another sip. A touch of wood to integrate still but this is lovely! A touch of spice and chilli, how wonderful will this be when fully mature! This is just at the beginning of its drinking window. Smoke, truffle, bonfire; it keeps changing in the glass. Saline, sea breeze, salt and seashells. Superb and hard to gauge how well it will improve. *****(**+) or [4.5+5+4+4.5=18+/20]

1994 Cabernet Sauvignon; John Abreu
rich, but herby and fresh, round and elegant, tobacco, cedar and a touch of wood spice, cassis, blackcurrants. Again at the beginning of the window... Vanilla, decaying leaves, forest floor, a very good Bordeaux lookalike. Nice length, quite good breathe, really lovely... ****(***) or [4+4.5+4.5+4.5=17.5+/20]  

1992 Intistieti; Vino da Tavola di Toscana: Gianfranco Soldera
iron, minerals, black plum, cherry, smoke, a touch of kirsch, herbs, Sandstone, raspberry, red plum, a touch of zippy acidity, Liquorice, a bit of freshness that hints of VA. Iron ore, minerals, really interesting... Really classic Sangiovese nose! It isn't getting better, it just is, and it is obviously Tuscan Sangiovese. It is flawed, it isn't great, but it is exciting and does what I want this to do. ****** or [4+4+4.5+4.5=17/20]  

2007 Spätburgunder, Cuvée Max: August Kesseler
rich, powerful Pinot fruit, a touch of herbs, but lacking freshness, very un-German more Central Otago Pinot. Nice length, but it really doesn't taste German. ****** or [4+4.5+4.5+4=17/20] as a wine but as a Spätburgunder? 15/20  

[Comte Flaneur]

That was the second last of the 05 VD Vaillons from the case, and it was brilliant...exactly as Jono described, the fennel notes were beguiling...it is a shame how one has to race through cases of white burgundy for fear of the dreaded pox...Jono's Amoureuses was indeed lovely and I think a long long way from its apogee, maybe ten or more years. It was cocooned. The Abreu was a one and only purchased in the late 90s...it was very good indeed. Classic leafy Californian cabernet, still quite young and exuberant. If I had to criticise it, it didn't have a lot of complexity for a $300 17 year old wine. The Intistieti was the last one of a case bought at Christies in 2000. It was a good example and really holding up well, rough around the edges and politically incorrect - lots of obvious flaws, which added to its allure. The spatburgunder was the only disappointment, fat round and blousey.

[DavidG]

So I open a thread about "death row wines" (What the heck is that about?!? Premox?) and I see Ian extolling the virtues of his "brilliant" case of VD. What is this board coming to?

[Ramon_NYC]

I've only had one Soldera ever.
So, if I ever get invited to a "death row" party, and a Soldera will be present, I'm in. I know a few priests to invite, too, if needed.

[salilb]

Soldera is indeed pretty amazing stuff. A bottle of 98 Soldera BdM recently was probably the best Italian red I've had in a few years.

[JonoB]

"Death Row" as in going to be killed by a cork-screw and some large glasses!!

Ian's words in an email, not mine!!

[JonoB]

At initial entry, I did worry that the Chablis was Poxed, but then it just added complexity and subtlety the longer it stayed in the glass. It was a lot more mature than I would have expected but that may be a function of the fact that "Vaillons" for me is the most entry level and generally least exciting of plots on the whole, but in the right hands.

[Comte Flaneur]

Yes it was quite forward for a 2005 VD, and I thought for a minute it could be poxed. I wouldn't trust these to reach age ten without a few poxridden experiences. But it is a bloody brilliant wine.

On the Intistieti there is a story behind this. I was dining in Siena in 1998 or 1999 and wanted to order something good off the lsit...was thinking Solaia or something like that, but all the Solaias, Sassicaias and Tignanellos were very young and the somelier recommended Intistieti 1988, which I had never heard of. Not only was it mature but a good deal cheaper: IIRC much less than 100, 000 Italian lira (60 euros). It was absolutely sublime, and then I noticed it was Gianfranco Soldera's VdT super-tuscan. I resolved to track some down before the word got out, but did not have any luck until a parcel came up at a Christies auction in 2000. I bought cases of the 1985, 1988 and 1992, the former two for about 500-600 pounds the latter for 200 pounds. The 1985s were very flawed unfortunately, marred by excessive VA. The case of 1988 was also marred by VA but not to the same extent. Unfortunately none of the bottles matched that sublime example in Siena, but some were quite good. The 1992s were more reliable, but not great. The one we had on Saturday was one of the better ones.

I have had a couple of the Soldera Brunellos, which have been outstanding, but not worth the premium over Salvioni imho.