Some wines from the last few weeks

[Nicklasss]

It has been a crazy period lately at work, looking forward some holidays soon.

A few comments about some noticeable wines opened in the last weeks.

2009 Pommery Grand Cru Royal : a great Champagne for the price. This has chalk, flowers, salty, white flesh fruits, power, length, and still lot of bubbles for 15yo. Other i opened still very good, but not at the Pommery level : Taittinger Prélude Grand Cru (richer but less definition and length), 2015 Nicolas Feuillatte Grand Cru (100 % pinot noir, powerful, slightly austere, red berries, lot of terroir minerals) and N.V. Nicolas Feuillatte (rich fruit, almost sweet, nice but forgivable).

One night, we opened 2008 Jean Gautreau Sociando Mallet and the 2010 Sociando Mallet. Both were deception. The 08 with thin fruit, lot of old sweet vanilla oak. The 2010 so concentrated on black fruits, and tannic oak that the wine is too severe and the final was hard. Go figure.

Another night, 2020 Amiral de Beychevelle well made, concentrated, very St Julien, still young but promising. Hard to say it is second wine status, looks better than some other properties first wine… 2015 Lafon Rochet was spectacular to me. One of the best Lafon Rochet i had (giving more than the 2016 at the moment) with great concentration of rasberries, black currants, ink, flowers. Intense, tannic, perfumed and long in mouth. Just WOW! Another great wine that night has been the 2016 La Fortuna Rosso di Montalcino Late Release. Great light sangiovese fruits, minerals, spices from the wood, thyme and bay leave. In mouth, amazing how the wine is light body, but complex, fills the mouth and very long. Another WOW!

[Claudius2]

Nic
I have a full case (12 OWC) of the Sociando Mallet. Will it ever come around??
Cheers
Mark

[Nicklasss]

Hi Claudius.

I have reserves: i have opened 3 bottles up to now and i can’t say any was very enjoyable. Clearly a 2010 not for me.

[ericp]

Is 2010 headed for 1995 status, where the drinking window doesn't open until age 20-25+ for some of these wines?