5.6.40
Fine Wine Diary The Bailey brothers have now tasted 12082 wines in 28 years 6 months and 15 days
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Diary index

Gang of Seven 28/01/2002 (RJB)

A 40th Birthday Dinner 26/01/2002 (TNB)

19/01/2002 (RJB)

Whites from Alsace, the Loire, Germany, Austria and Italy 19/01/2002 (TNB)

12/01/2002 (RJB)

Wine group at M.D.'s 10/01/2002 (TNB)

Oddbins Fine Wine Xmas tasting 06/01/2002 (TNB)

The Diary - January 2002

Gang of Seven 28/01/2002 (RJB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 28/01/2002   Return to top

A 40th Birthday Dinner 26/01/2002 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 26/01/2002   Return to top

19/01/2002 (RJB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 19/01/2002   Return to top

Whites from Alsace, the Loire, Germany, Austria and Italy 19/01/2002 (TNB)

  • Cochemer Goldbaumchen Eiswein 1983 (J. Koll) Not profound - I think one was still allowed to make Auslese-quality Eiswein in 83. Intense grapefruit flavours and good concentration though. At 10 per cent alcohol this makes ideal sipping as I reinstall all the software on my laptop. Just about ***
  • Vouvray 1989 (Chateaux Gaudrelle) Approximately demi-sec I would say (I think this property makes just one wine which is drier or sweeter according to the vintage.) Nice mature grass and Summer hay flavours and nice acidity. Very pleasant. ***
  • Savennieres Clos du Papillon 1990 (Baumard) I have not been impressed by the way this wine has aged - it seems just to have gone a bit flabby and dull at the stage you would hope good Loire Chenin would be coming round to drinking. This is a good producer of sweet wines, but while this was pleasant in its youth it has deteriorated. *
  • Riesling Herrenberg Kabinett 1998 (Maximin Grunhaus) Dry, slightly closed at present, lemony, a splendid apperetif at 7.5 per cent alcohol. **(*)
  • Riesling Steiner Hund 1997 Spatlese (Nikolaihof) Lemony fruit, bone-dry, quite taught and focussed but a touch of rich more tropical fruit is emerging that bodes well for the future. Good length. Stylish wine. This Austrian wine will probably be a very top three stars in time. ***
  • Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese 1993 (Dr. Loosen) Spicy kerosene honied nose, rich (for spatlese), ripe, sherberty, decent acidity. Quite evolved and forward - for fairly short-term drinking. A good **
  • Saarburger Rausch Spatlese 1993 (Zilliken) Rich, herby, nettle-like fruit. Splendid acidity but the whole package will in this vintage be relatively early maturing. **(*)
  • Erbacher Hohenrain Spatlse 1964 (Lamm-Jung - Deinhard selection) Fading a little and quiet lightweight but the fruit is still fresh - attractive drinking in a modest way. **
  • Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile 1990 (Trimbach) Lovely, refined spicy nose that I am reluctant to describe as "kerosene", dry, long, ripe and rich and yet a citric side to the fruit gives it a tightly restrained elegance. I suspect this is just starting to emerge from tightly-wound youthfullness. Excellent. ***(*)
  • Soave Classico Superiore Vigneto du Lot 1998 (Inama) This makes an interesting pair with the Foscarino below: at first gulp this is more modern, a shade international in style - there is a suggestion of quite a lot of oak and an almost Chardonnay character. After a while though the fruit became more almond and peach-stone, rather fine if still a bit more forward and in-your-face than the Foscarino. Another strong wine but I prefer the restraint of the (slightly cheaper) Foscarino. ***
  • Soave Classico Superiore Vigneti di Foscarino 1998 (Inama) Gentle honeysuckle nose, intensely honied but restrained palate with a touch of spice from new oak. Indeed, I think there is a bit more oak than one immediately notices. Good length, nice acid, all in all very well-balanced. May even improve a shade. A good ***
  • Falanghina 2000, Taburno (Cantina del Tuburno) Falanghina is an ancient variety, perhaps responsible (along with the interesting Aglianico) for the "Falernian" revered in Ancient Rome. My New Year's resolution is to get to understand Italian whites a bit better, but this is a bit neutral to my mind while being a pleasant enough dry white. *
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 19/01/2002   Return to top

12/01/2002 (RJB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 12/01/2002   Return to top

Wine group at M.D.'s 10/01/2002 (TNB)

Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 10/01/2002   Return to top

Oddbins Fine Wine Xmas tasting 06/01/2002 (TNB)

  • Champagne Cordon Rouge NV (Mumm) Reasonably nice yeasty nose. Big, slightly sweet, slightly clothy palate. A move to a heavier dosage has been going on for a while apparently. No more than **
  • Sauvignon blanc 2000 (Katnook) Peach, hints of asparagus, quite "full" on the nose. Lowish acidity - green fruit - potentially a bit flabby. Not for keeping - might go a bit vegetal. A good *
  • Meursault Premier Cru Charmes 1998 (Baron de la Charriere) Burnt toast (a touch too much "toasty oak"?), heavy fruit. But the oak is nicely integrated on the palate. Good perhaps, but I am not wild. This is Girarden's "other label". **(*) just.
  • Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot 1999 (Baron de la Charriere) Perfumed, vanilla, a hint of dishcloth on the nose (someone said, and I knew what they meant). Lowish acidity, a bit of grapefruit on an otherwise slightly anonymous palate. There's a lot of richness too - perhaps in an awkward phase. **(*)
  • Beaucastel blanc 2000 Grapey. Full and waxy. Thick texture, lowish acid. Biscuits. Interesting wine - probably rather young. **(*)
  • Pinot Noir 1999 (Tunnel Hill) Appley, beetroot, big, gamy, cooked-fruit, in-your-face mouthful. Quite dry. I'm not sure about this. But an interesting bottle of wine at the price (9.99). **
  • Cotes de Beaune Village 99 (Carillon) Slightly unripe-seeming, red fruits, very dry, slightly simple. Needs food - awkward finish. *
  • Clos de Vougeot 1997 (Bertagna) Refined red fruits. Ripe yet dry, balanced palate. ***
  • Les Cotes Sauvages 1996 (Edmund St John) Scented, almost white wine character, liquorice, quite soft but dry and balanced. A rather curious balance of tannins though. Slightly hot finish. A combination of stewed fruit and acidity. A good **
  • Cote-Rotie 1999 (Bonnefond) Refined, smooth, New worldy sort of character but with some of the "bacon-fat" of the appelation. Round enough, big enough, but a little bit dull. *
Tasting notes added to Fine Wine Diary 06/01/2002   Return to top