Category Archives: Tasting Notes

Notes on wines I have tasted

April 16, 2013 · 2:58 pm

Taittinger – 16/01/2012

Brut Reserve
Quite pinot noir dominant, good autolysis yeast notes, excellent extension on the palate.

2011 Chouilly Grand Cru Chardonnay
Very delicate and refined nose, great acid balance, quite rich and full, very broad citrus.

2011 Mesnil-sur-Oger Chardonnay
Quite rich and developed, amazing watercress clementine, balanced and rich in depth, creamy malolactic influence, bright citric elegance.

2011 Pierry Chardonnay
Tight and fresh, more approachable, broader and softer, good fruit character.

2011 Sezanne Chardonnay
A significant contributor of acid in the assemblage.

2011 Montagne de Reims Pinot Noir
Dirtier earthy berries, fuller and more astringent, not a great component.

Taittinger chef de cave

Taittinger chef de cave

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 2:43 pm

Bodega Nanni – 22/12/2011

Torrontes 2010
Clean rich fruity nose, nice texture of fruit, very bright and tropical.

Rosato 2011
Fruity dark berries and cream, richer and warmer style, quite textural but out of balance.

Tannat 2009
Smoky cooked fruit, oaky dominance and hidden fruit, broad and heavy yet soft, achieves balance somehow, big and bold.

Torrontes Tardio 2010
Floral citrus aromas, good freshness, very spicy, not heavy or cloying.

Bodega Nanni wines

Bodega Nanni wines

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 2:39 pm

Bodegas Etchart – 22/12/2011

Privado Torrontes 2011
Nice floral fresh gewurztraminer style apricot blossom and pear notes. Great acidity and freshness on palate, a bit of texture, really approachable and clean.

Reserve Torrontes 2011
Tighter more delicate nose, hints of parmesan, texture and volume, richer and more vibrant, great length, balance and warmth.

Gran Linaje Torrontes 2010
More delicate honeyed nose, very full volume richness, rosemary, ebbs and flows on the palate, fuller texture.

Reserve Malbec 2010
Dense and full juicy dark fruit, very fruit-sweet and soft vanilla tannins. Plump and approachable.

Arnaldo B 2008
Good structure and weight, balance of fruit and savoury sweetness. Sweet and sour pork ribs, elegance and complexity, still reasonably simple.

Bodegas Etchart tasting

Bodegas Etchart tasting

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 1:27 pm

Bodega Colome – 21/12/2011

2010 Malbec San Osidro – 1700 m
Different to Mendoza, less plum and more berry fruits, more intense and less floral. Soft yet concentrated, cured meat and cheese texture, great acid fruit balance.

2020 Malbec Colome – 2300 m
Darker more grapey and pruney, richer darker texture, softer yet fuller, acids more integrated, somehow more vibrant.

2010 El Arenal Malbec – 2600 m
Even darker in colour, dustier earthier dark fruits, very elegant subtle nose. Not as intense on the palate, much more complex and generally better than Mendoza.

2010 Syrah Colome – 2200 m
Nice dark fruit but some interesting shell-fish aromas. Different kind of freshness and balance, very different kind of syrah.

Colome wines

Colome wines

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 1:14 pm

Catena Zapata – 19/12/2011

Catena Chardonnay 2010
Very bright vibrant citrus and melons. Clean fresh and bright, tiny amount of oak influence, hints of texture and weight, friendly yet fresh and dry.

Catena Alta Chardonnay 2009
Creamier lees derived notes, richer and fuller, excellent balance and freshness. Texture and elegance, good structure and acids, peach orange notes, builds on the palate.

Catena Malbec 2009
Nice and soft, plump and fresh, good balance and tannins. Length and a bit of texture, acids quite good, a little savoury.

Catena Alta Malbec 2008
Earthy savoury, much more depth and development of fruit. Great balance and texture, not jammy or over-ripe.

Nicolas Catena Zapata 2007
Vibrant intense nose, good but great? Good complexity but lacks subtlety and depth, has some velvety characters, new oak gets in the way a bit.

Catena Zapata tasting

Catena Zapata tasting

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 12:39 pm

Luigi Bosca – 19/12/2011

Gala 3 2009
Mango, honey, rich ripe fruity tropical paw paw and guava. Textured and rich, acids but quite hollow, not very well balanced.

De Sangre 2009
Very floral lavender aromatics. Good texture and subtlety of fruit although dried in nature, some complexity on the back, acids quite pronounced.

Finca los Nobles Cabernet Bouchet (Franc) 2006
Rich ripe blackcurrant, very juicy and bomby, no green or earth notes, soft full and weighty, hot and jammy.

Seleccion de Granos Nobles Gewurztraminer 2009
Quiet aromatically, small white florals, glazed lime. Textural sweetness well balanced, length and density, acids add vibrancy.

Malbec D.O.C. 2008
Nice dark fruit spice and earthy lavender. Intensity without weight, achieves good balance of all components.

Luigi Bosca tasting

Luigi Bosca tasting

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 12:26 pm

O. Fournier – 17/12/2011

B Crux Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Floral grassy kiwi and apple, grapefruit and passionfruit. Lovely and light freshness, crisp fruit acid, straightforward and clean, a touch of length and texture.

B Crux Blend 2007
Bright and fresh for its age, full intense yet not heavy, concentrated red fruits, has a Spanish flair to it, great balance and texture.

Alpha Crux 2003
Fruit retention, black olives and capers, benefiting from age. Lovely softness and length, structure and acids, savoury.

Alpha Crux Malbec 2008
Interesting earthy menthol notes, good but not great, soft full round and broad, nothing really special about it.

O. Fournier Mendoza wines

O. Fournier Mendoza wines

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 12:14 pm

Carmello Patti – 16/12/2011

Malbec 2007
Deliciously soft and elegant, persistence and length, earthy aromatics. Rolls across the palate, mouth-filling, great savoury character.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Gorgeous aged characters, not harsh at all, invitingly savoury, so much complexity, balanced fruit with maturity.

Gran Assemblaje 2003
Still showing fruit on the nose with serious complexity and maturity, insane balance, structure and elegance, silky soft yet firm, wonderful integration and restraint.

Carmello Patti wines

Carmello Patti wines

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 12:09 pm

Achaval-Ferrer – 16/12/2011

Malbec 2010
Extremely dense in colour. Stewed plums, dried fig, very extractive and heavy, cooked character, tomato sauce, meaty texture, smoky sausage.

Quimera 2009
Bordeaux nose but much riper and more reductive, slightly brighter floral cassis, better integration and balance. Still very tight and tannic, heavy and very ballsy.

Finca Altamira Malbec 2009 (Uco Valley)
SLightly brighter fresher fruit, intensity of fruit but more elegant softer tannins, still very extractive though.

Finca Mirador malbec 2009
Darker more brooding subtle fruit, broader more developed and soft sweet tannins. Almost has a distilled character, balsamic reduction.

Achaval-Ferrer tasting

Achaval-Ferrer tasting

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 11:50 am

Argento – 16/12/2011

Pinot Grigio 2011
Lovely light crisp simple style with reasonable texture.

Torrontes 2010
Very floral musky talcum nose, light clean and fresh, not too fruit sweet.

Bonarda 2010
Wonderful vibrancy and balance, nice currant fruit, good acid bites, light and soft yet structured.

Malbec 2010
Juicy tight red fruit, bright and light, great acids to add vibrancy, good concentration.

Reserva Malbec 2010
Better concentration and tannin texture, density and length.

Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Nice and dark density, good soft tannins, full mouth, nice balance and softness.

Argento tasting

Argento tasting

Leave a comment

Filed under Tasting Notes

Tagged as , , ,