5.6.40
Fine Wine Diary The Bailey brothers have now tasted 12082 wines in 28 years 6 months and 14 days
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Diary index

31/12/1996 (RJB)

28/12/1996 (TNB)

23/12/1996 (TNB)

Oz 20/12/1996 (TNB)

in Oz 17/12/1996 (TNB)

OFW Xmas tasting 12/12/1996 (TNB)

CU Blind tasting team 11/12/1996 (RJB)

09/12/1996 (TNB)

CU Tasting Team 01/12/1996 (RJB)

The Diary - December 1996

31/12/1996 (RJB)

The three Champagnes consumed on consecutive evenings, the first and third bought in the last month so no 'extra' bottle age - the Jacquesson of unknown source.

  • Alfred Gratien Brut NV My first bottle of wine for 26 days - much needed! The first taste was rather odd, with oxidative flavours (reminding me of my disappointing sip of Krug earlier in the year). However, these disappeared to leave a well-structured fizz that has potential for further bottle age. An excellent wine to celebrate Emily's arrival. 90
  • Jacquesson Perfection Brut Another lovely Champagne (it's best to wet the baby's head in style). Drinking slightly better than the Gratien at present with mineral flavours and good balance. 90
  • Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial An easy Champagne without the greeness that Moet can have. Enjoyable, without ever quite matching the previous two wines. One of the best bottles of Moet I've had. 88
  • Gevrey Chambertin Clos Prieur 1994, Frederic Esmon Good clean ready-to-drink Pinot. 85
  • Zinfandel 1994 Zeigler Vineyard, Joseph Swann Leathery with some menthol. Interesting wine in a somewhat odd style. 88
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 31/12/1996   Return to top

28/12/1996 (TNB)

  • Bollinger NV Brut Typical Bolly, good fruit and heavyweight.
  • Riesling 87 (Petaluma) Alive, spicy, but otherwise no great complexity. Not bad.
  • Botrytised Riesling 88, Gold Capsule (Petaluma) Limey, but secondry characteristics overtaking fruit. Excellent BA weight with good acidity. Perhaps not going to improve though?
  • Keyneton Estate 94 (Henschke) From a half. Deep concentrated fruit, wrapped around and almost obscuring excellent structure. What "Oz claret" ought to be like!
  • Shiraz 94 (Mt. Langi) Hard to obtain in Oz. Rhone-like berry fruits, but softer (although not excessively so). Spicy and quite long, but not so complex perhaps. Lacks the taughtness to be great, but nice. 89.
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 28/12/1996   Return to top

23/12/1996 (TNB)

  • Ch. Tahbilk Shiraz 91 Well-mannered cherry/blackberry shiraz. Well structured, but a bit simple in the end.
  • Croser 88 Not aged very gracefully, at least in the finish. It was a half though.
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 23/12/1996   Return to top

Oz 20/12/1996 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 20/12/1996   Return to top

in Oz 17/12/1996 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 17/12/1996   Return to top

OFW Xmas tasting 12/12/1996 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 12/12/1996   Return to top

CU Blind tasting team 11/12/1996 (RJB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 11/12/1996   Return to top

09/12/1996 (TNB)

  • Gewurtz Steingrubler VT 94 (A. Mann) Rich fruit, lychees and rose-petals, rather good length. Near pudding-wine sweetness, with good acidity. 92 (50 cl bottles -- OFW, 15 quid approx)
  • Domaine Bon Gran 89 (Thevenet) Large stylish chardonnay. Close attention required to convince oneself this is distinguishable from a top Puligny or similar!
  • Barolo Cannubi Boschis 92 (Sandrone) Very un-nebiollo. Good colour density, notable (but well-integrated) vanilla oak. Concentrated fruit, but no obvious varietal characteristic. Tannins there when you look, but not intrusive. Probably for earlyish drinking. A class act in an iffy vintage, but so atypical. 89 (?+)
  • Diedesheimer Hohenmorgen Auslese 89 (Bassermann-Jordan) Petrolly in a slightly woody way (the way that gives it a bad name). More or less kabinet dryness. Austere. I'm not very keen. 83.
  • Roederer NV Been in cellar six years. Lovely eveolved biscuity chardonnay notes. Roederer does keep well! 91.
  • Moet & Chandon NV Glass at theatre. Seemed very green. Is Moet not giving enough bottle age?
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 09/12/1996   Return to top

CU Tasting Team 01/12/1996 (RJB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 01/12/1996   Return to top