2006 Dusky Goose Pinot Noir
A big but very structured wine, it still tasted like a Pinot but with everything dialed up. An extraordinary nose revealed notes of raspberry, candied cherry, spice and vanilla. The palate didn’t disappoint after high expectations based on the nose and the flavours continued to evolve long after opening. A bold but structured wine which we enjoyed very much.
Excellent
Read More
2006 K Syrah Phil Lane
Dark red in appearance with aromas of cherry, blueberry and a touch of blackberry. A medium plus body with a very smooth, almost plush, soft mouthfeel. Drinking at its peak now, it is very balanced but lacks the structural components to age further. Not the Charles Smith monster Syrah, much more restrained than some of his more flamboyant efforts. The only knock on this wine is that it is a bit one dimensional, lacking complexity. It has a playing-it-safe element that keeps it from appealing to the intellect. Still, a very enjoyable, pleasure-driven wine.
Very Good/Excellent
Read More
2000 E. Guigal Chateau d’Ampuis Côte-Rôtie
A bit tight when we first pulled the cork, but it opened up beautifully as the evening progressed. Medium red in colour with a hint of brown showing some age but only slightly. Floral notes and red fruit on the nose with cherry and spice on the palate. A very elegant wine that you would not mistake for being New World…a subtle, feminine, finesse wine that we would call a Pinot-lover’s Syrah. An excellent wine in a not particularly great vintage in the Northern Rhone.
Excellent
Read More
Most of us wine enthusiasts have harboured, either secretly or not, the dream of some day owning a winery. Cristom Winery, in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, is the story of a man who actually pursued that dream and created one of the top wineries in the state.
2002 Numanthia
This is like the Spanish version of a Napa cult cab; and it works. Deep, impenetrably dark, the colour of a California Central Coast Syrah. Complex nose of blackberry and raspberry joined by brown spice notes and a notable whiff of vanilla. The mouth feel is soft and plush and at age 13 it is fully mature, tannins are integrated and there is just enough acidity to keep all that fruit from going over the top. The blackfruit flavours are very intense, more reminiscent of a younger wine. Full body with a long finish. This is surely a wine that will polarize opinions: we loved the outrageous body , mouthfeel and larger than life presence. Rajat Parr would HATE this wine for those same reasons. Vive la difference!
Excellent
Read More
Recent Comments