Over Christmas there is normally one wine that lets you down, doesn’t look quite right on the day, or is plain stuffed because of the cork. Not this Christmas. I’m happy to report that over some suitably rich and wonderful food with my family, that the wines presented as one hit after another . . . a bit like a U2 concert.
Jacquesson Champagne No. 734 – Had this last Xmas and a year later it was just as enjoyable. Powerful, creamy, some beautiful strawberry fruit, all underpinned by an insistent acidity. 4 Stars
2009 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling – So good. Great drinking right now, but also has everything to enable you to leave in the cellar for another 10 years should you wish. Citrus, bath salts, florals, and a beautiful mineral streak. The mid palate power and length of finish is something to behold. 4.5 Stars
2004 Marcarini Barolo La Serra – The La Serra vineyard in La Morra offers some of the more approachable, early drinking Barolos, but in saying that this is a wine that at 8 years of age has many a year in front of it. Elegant and yet with an intensity of beautiful fruit. Florals, cherry, liquorice, spice, and a lovely orange note. Finishes very savoury with drying tannin. Loved drinking this. 4.5 Stars
2002 Penfolds Grange – In one sense this is quite drinkable now given the beautiful balance in the wine, but in another sense it is just a baby and it will be years before it reveals all its charms and complexity. Having decanted it for 4 hours, and then tasted it over a couple of hours, it felt like it still had only half unfurled. While there is no doubting this is of South Australian Shiraz stock, it is also particularly elegant and savoury. Berries, plums, a beautiful liquorice, coffee oak, soy, and a lovely meatiness. The balance between fruit and savouriness is bang on for my tastes. Fine tannins provide an unobtrusive yet unwilting structure. A great wine that will evolve and improve over the next 10, 20, and probably 30 years. Give it a very long decant if you are drinking it sooner. 4.5 Stars ++
Stanton and Killeen Grand Rutherglen Muscat – At times Rutherglen Muscat can be like drinking liquefied rum and raisin chocolate, but the thing that marks this Muscat out is its freshness and acidity. It’s beautifully rich and luscious, and was great with plum pudding, but is restrained and textured all the same. With an average age of 25 years there is complexity in spades with flavours of dark chocolate, caramel, molasses, coffee, leather and a lovely nuttiness. 4.5 Stars
Now for some new years eve drinking . . .
2 comments:
I feel dirty just talking about it but managed to pickup (or a friend did at least) 2 bottle of Marcarini Brunate 06 and some Dampt Les Preuses 07 for just £79 in the UK. The joys of the English market!
And the frustrations of the Australian market and the WET! If you think about it too much you'd never buy any imported wine in Australia
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