What are we drinking in the Omicron ominous?

[Ianjaig]

In all my years I have never sipped a NZ wine that really wowed me. I’ve have a handful of good Pinots mainly from Martinborough but even some very expensive (for NZ that is, not DRC priced) that were just ordinary wine despite lots of oak and attention.

I’m not sure why I ever bought a 12 bottle case of the Spy Valley but I’ll probably send the reminding 11 bottles to auction.

Cheers
Mark

Being an Australian Mark, you may have an automatic unconscious bias towards anything from NZ though (only joking…)!
To be fair, I have never rated any Marlborough Pinots, and as you state, much prefer those from Martinborough (and less so Central Otago).
I always thought Spy Valley was a mid to lower tier wine as you see it a lot in the Supermarkets/ bars and restaurants over here, so its a shame it cost you so much.

The only NZ wines that I drink regularly (and cellar as they do reward it) are some Chardonnays (Kumeu, Te Mata, Clearview etc).. and NZ Syrahs (eg Te Mata Bullnose et al)…

[Claudius2]

Ian
Actually I like Noo Zeelund products and over here we get a lot of fresh food from NZ - fruit and veg, cheese, meat et al. And NZ things are pretty popular here. We are however seeing a lot of discounted Aussie wines lately after the Chinese Govt bullshit tariffs.

In relation to wine styles there are plenty of Australian areas that I’m not mad on either. I did a tour of the Hunter in May and with a few exceptions I found the wines to be disappointing and the place has become too commercial for my like. Most wines there were too expensive for their quality level though plenty of stale samples did not help.

I’ve done a few trips thru the NZ winery areas and yes I’ve found numerous wines I’ve really liked but I’ve just not been blown away yet. Yet I keep trying, seriously. I’ve also been to various local tastings of NZ wines and the average quality is okay if you like the style. Many locals here still think that Sav Blanc is actually drinkable…..

Cheers
Mark

[Nicklasss]

A bottle of the 2015 Tronquoy Lalande St Estèphe was glorious last Saturday. Complex, great and alreaydy very drinkable.

I read this is made by the Montrose team...

[barsacpinci]

Had two beautiful wines this past weekend that I pulled out for a wine tasting dinner I thought was this weekend but got the date wrong, so I drank them.
2010 Larmandier VV du Levant extra brut - over two days, first day showed tons of apricots and second day lots of baked apples. Fine mousse and wonderful mouth feel. I have several more bottles in cellar I will sit on.
2005 Daniel Defaix Cote de Lechet Chablis - citrus and tropical fruits with a touch of sherry to it. Tons of layers in this wine. It went down quickly. I should have purchased more of this gem.

[JimS]

Opened a 375ml of 2009 Lynch Bages recently - honestly a bit bummed! I’ve LOVED many bottles of this estate from the 80’s and 90’s but recent examples from more modern vintages just don’t really do it for me. Technically correct, a good wine, was not at all closed down, etc. but also very pedestrian without much nuance to really draw me in. Maybe it’s me, but I just found it a bit boring without character.

At a work dinner, opened a 2019 Ch. Gloria - really my first experience opening any 2019 Bordeaux (better to do it on the company dime I reckon!). What was interesting was we also had opened a few Napa cabs, and to be honest, blinded, it’d be hard to tell the difference outside of the cedar core and freshness of young Bordeaux - very “creamy” and the tannins were nearly imperceptible to my palate. I will be super curious to see how this vintage progresses over time - super drinkable right now, and juicy in the sense that this wine just keeps you wanting to drink it rather than slow down and contemplate it. If representative of the broader vintage, can say I definitely prefer 2016 amongst modern vintages and feel like 2016 will probably reward aging a bit more.

[Comte Flaneur]

This

At the Andrew Edmonds restaurant in London’s Soho district last night I chose this off the list, at three quarters the price of retail in the unlikely event you could actually source a bottle. This is a rare specimen, with 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% semillon, it has a lively grapefruit zest on the entry with a luxurious palate characterised by waxy lemon rind and lime citrus and other exotic fruits, cantaloupe, acacia, thyme, saffron and lemon grass, with laser like precision and perfect acidity. There is nothing brash about this wine but it is effortlessly classy, 94 pts.

[JimHow]

Opened a 375ml of 2009 Lynch Bages recently - honestly a bit bummed! I’ve LOVED many bottles of this estate from the 80’s and 90’s but recent examples from more modern vintages just don’t really do it for me. Technically correct, a good wine, was not at all closed down, etc. but also very pedestrian without much nuance to really draw me in. Maybe it’s me, but I just found it a bit boring without character.

Thanks for the report JimS.
With the exception of the 1996 and 2000, and Ian’s support for the 2016, I have seen virtually no enthusiasm here on BWE in the past 22 years for post-1989 Lynch Bages. To me I have found them “boring and without character.”

[stefan]

1998 Haut-Bailly with cheese soufflé. Concentrated, leaning toward the modern style, but with Graves typicity. A shy nose is a drawback. Very good for a $25 wine (2000 price; current outlay is $150+).

[jckba]

‘85 vs ‘00 Lynch Bages flight from the other night and as much as I love the ‘00 (from on release through now), there really was no comparison as the ‘85 was and still is in the zone with beautiful aromatics and a seamless integration on the palate.

[Comte Flaneur]

The 2019 Lynch which I went ‘all in’ on continues to get decent reviews:

The 2019 Château Lynch-Bages is stunningly good, and it's going to be interesting to compare this to the 2018 over the coming decades. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 75% new French oak, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, freshly sharpened cedar pencil, spring flowers, smoke, and graphite, with an almost liqueur of rocks-like minerality. A massive, incredibly concentrated Lynch-Bages, Jean-Charles has hit a home run in the vintage, and this sensational wine has building, perfect tannins, insane purity, and a finish that won't quit. It has the purity, finesse, balance, and depth to offer pleasure not only today but to evolve for 40 to 50 years. Smart money will hide these for a good 7-8 years, but wow, what a wine. Bravo.’ JD 100 Points

[JoelD]

‘85 vs ‘00 Lynch Bages flight from the other night and as much as I love the ‘00 (from on release through now), there really was no comparison as the ‘85 was and still is in the zone with beautiful aromatics and a seamless integration on the palate.
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I've loved both, multiple times. I wonder if the 2000 will reach the levels of any of the 80's. It doesn't seem to have as much structure, but could it be like the 1985 in 15 years? I think maybe, but lean towards no. What are your thoughts?

[Nicklasss]

The 2019 Lynch which I went ‘all in’ on continues to get decent reviews:

The 2019 Château Lynch-Bages is stunningly good, and it's going to be interesting to compare this to the 2018 over the coming decades. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 75% new French oak, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, freshly sharpened cedar pencil, spring flowers, smoke, and graphite, with an almost liqueur of rocks-like minerality. A massive, incredibly concentrated Lynch-Bages, Jean-Charles has hit a home run in the vintage, and this sensational wine has building, perfect tannins, insane purity, and a finish that won't quit. It has the purity, finesse, balance, and depth to offer pleasure not only today but to evolve for 40 to 50 years. Smart money will hide these for a good 7-8 years, but wow, what a wine. Bravo.’ JD 100 Points

Comte Flaneur, according to these comments, the 2019 Lynch Bages should be great.

By the way, this is almost the same description that JD and RP did about the 2009 Léoville Poyferré, another great wine.

[Racer Chris]

Workman’s dinner

My note from Cellartracker on the 2014 Ch. Senejac: Another great bottle of this. A little closed on the first glass drank the evening before. However after keeping the stoppered bottle in my wine fridge overnight, the rest was very enjoyable around a simple dinner of chicken-garlic ravioli in sauce and green beans Almondine. A lot of fun to drink now.

[stefan]

Last night Judd convinced me that corned beef is an appropriate centerpiece for a fine meal. We were not sure what wine would match well and tried two very different ones: 2009 Sociando Mallet and 2011 Pegau CdP. The SM is very black has has strong tannins that, however, are not teeth staining, and there is still some discernible oak in the mouth. The fruit is primary and dark. Overall it is fine to drink now with beef even if it is still quite a way from prime time for many of us. With the corned beef alone it was better than the CdP. On the other hand, the Pegau, which is a bit further along than the SM, matched better the whole plate, which included cabbage and mashed potatoes.

[Blanquito]

Nice, Bill. Was this the normale Sociando or the reserve bottling with the different label, the Cuvée Jean Gautreau?

Sounds like it was the normale but I thought you said you purchase the special cuvee in the other thread.

[stefan]

It was the Cuvée Jean Gautreau, Patrick. I just forgot to mention that in this post. Actually, you have to have sharp eyes to find Sociando on the label as it appears only in the symbol.

[Blanquito]

It was the Cuvée Jean Gautreau, Patrick. I just forgot to mention that in this post. Actually, you have to have sharp eyes to find Sociando on the label as it appears only in the symbol.

Thanks, Bill. Given the ripe, presumably forward 09 vintage, I hoped this one was primed for a Howing, but it sounds like I should leave my stash of the 09 alone for another Blanquito. Are you optimistic about its ultimate potential? Did it stick out as a notably Napaesque vintage?

[stefan]

Patrick, my guess is that the 2009 will surpass the 2005 but not match the 2003 as those two older vintages are at this time.

[stefan]

Last night Judd roasted a duck and I opened 1986 and 1985 Leoville Barton that I purchased last week. The '86 was tired, but the resolved tannins were enough for the duck. The blackberry taste was proper and there were no secondary or tertiary overtones. Late in the bottle the smell suggested low level TCA contamination, which would explain the muted flavors.

The 1995 is just a step behind the wonderful 1996 Barton. Perfect for the duck, it also had primary blackberry flavors mixed with some redder fruit. $185 including tax is a bit steep for this wine, although I would be delighted to find it on a restaurant menu at around $200.

Tonight Judd & T celebrated their anniversary at Spruce in SF and Rye went to a cooking event with former classmates, where they made flat bread and vegetarian tikka masala. Lucie ad nd I ate leftover duck and drank 2003 Smith Haut Lafitte. This Graves tastes very good with blueberry and boysenberry flavors but without the gravel that I expect from a high quality Pessac-Leognan. Moreover, it has essentially no bouquet! As I have said before, the 2003 Bordeaux seem to be falling apart. I intend to finish mine 2003s in the near future.

[Ianjaig]

Mommessin Juliénas 2020

Only had a few glasses of this over the weekend but was impressed enough to go back and buy some more.