Category Archives: Tasting Notes

Notes on wines I have tasted

December 2, 2012 · 7:20 pm

Chateau de Beaucastel – 21/05/2012

Roussanne Vielles Vignes 2010
Spicy floral apricot and honey with some nashi and cumquat. Ripe rich fruit-full and bold, very textured warm and spicy, youthful and heavy, very powerful.

Chateau de Beaucastel Rouge 2009
Spicy violets, crushed red earthy flinty mineral rhubarb. Fresh bold bright and vibrant, good clean tannins, full warm and powerful, elegant yet approachable.

Chateau de Beaucastel Rouge 2005
Denser and earthier, quite full and still quite tight yet picking up some maturity on the nose. Full teture and depth, generous yet developing leathery tannins.

Chateau de Beaucastel Rouge 2001
Stinky reductive and funky, showing bret notes, greatly developed yet subtle. Showing a lot of complexity, balsamic, slightly faecal, quite long with subdued fruit, very shut-down on the palate.

A large bottle of Chateau de Beaucastel

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December 2, 2012 · 5:27 pm

Clos des Papes – 21/05/2012

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2011
Very creamy, rich with vanilla and biscuit, quite textural ripe and carrying some residual sugar. Melon, pear, apple fruit, creamy thanks to malolactic, wonderful depth and purity.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2004
Starting to get some mature notes of apricot blossom, honey, dried fruits, a little like mature riesling in fact. Rich volume, fruit sweetness, creamy almonds ice cream, rich fulla nd evolved.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2010
Olive (black) oil, very spicy peppery with blackberries. Extremely tight and bold, very concentrated, crushed herbs, cumin, brambly and tight.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2009
Rubier fruitier plummier and bolder, more simple chocolate pie. Bold jammy fruit explosion, face smash, alcohol, well integrated clean finish. Power and restraint but very big.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2004
Showing the bottle development on the nose, stinky earthy wild fungal but still subtle. Silky refined elegant and savoury on the palate, gentle caressing tannins, still fresh and young however.

Clos des Papes

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December 1, 2012 · 12:50 pm

Domaine Didier Dagueneau – 30/11/2012

Pouilly-Fume Blanc 2010
Totally different aromatics for a sauvignon blanc, amazingly complex, very mineralic but a maturity to the green herbaceous characters I’ve never seen before. Bright intense and fresh, yet full of fruit, very vibrant, mouth-filling, insanely complex, refined yet offering so much. Such assuredness in a Pouilly-Fume, it’s hard to believe. I need to know how…

Pur Sang 2010
A lot more subdued, quiet and complex, showing a lot more flint minerality but very subtle, deep floral elements, haunting. Wonderfully rich but not heavy, waves of complexity across the palate, fine and elegant but with precision, interesting grapefruit and some green pineapple as well, but not fat at all.

Buisson Renard 2010
Deeply complex and rich on the nose, wonderful concentration of fruit and minerality, not heavy but expressive. Somehow more masculine and serious. Very broad in an amazing way, not at all heavy, rich, creamy or cloying. Wonderful acidity and freshness, but shifting wonderfully. Exceptionally long. So much ageing potential I want to cry. A little bit of a savoury edge.

Le Mont Damne Sancerre 2010
Brighter and more floral, quite crisp and chalky, some tropical notes that are very restrained. Great ripeness good fruit, balanced acids, great finish. It’s just lacking a little depth and concentration. I think it is to do with the age of the vines (7 years). Perhaps the wine is too young, perhaps I am expecting too much. Improving with each taste.

Silex 2010
Brooding intense, very stoic and serious, slightly closed and very young, but wonderfully delicate and complex. Great clean and pure fruit, definitely in the greener spectrum. The flint seems to bring out the greener notes of the variety. Persistent racing and razor sharp, bitingly young, needs quite a few years to open and flesh out. Crisp to the nines.

Silex 2009
Riper and deeper, less concentration and density, more fruit and richness. More floral and even a little candied compared to the next vintage. Already showing much better than the 2010, more open and expressive, fruit is more apparent, quite ripe but not heavy or full, certainly not in the fat tropical area. The green is not showing in this wine, perhaps vintage specific. Still very young and brisk, nice bite to the back palate needs more time to soften.

Clos de Calvaire 2008
Lovely complex salted capers but very subtle, steamed asparagus, but also lovely fresh and ripe citron and kiwi fruit. I’ve never seen such complexity in green characters. Dense and concentrated but not too intense, bright fresh, integrated acids and exceptional balance of alcohol. So uniquely savoury, not overt fruit.

Cuvee Pirate 2008
Quite clearly riesling on the nose, but a very good example. Planted on flint it has the characters of the soil, quite dense and concentrated but different structure to German or Alsatian rieslings. A really good example, certainly a wine of interest worth ageing.

Les Jardins des Babylone 2010 (100% petit manseng)
Rich creamy tropical pineapple papaya, a little smoky and leesy. Quite concentrated and sweet on the palate, deep and fruity, very rich and full but not cloying. Good length, excellent balance, still enough acid to carry everything. Not a simple sweet wine, but approachable nonetheless.

Les Jardins 2007
Slightly smokier and more closed, more minerality and petrol aromas. Much denser and heavier, a lot of sweetness and density, I think it is a little heavy and the alcohol stands out a little bit. Too aggressive, the balance was better in the 2010.

Domaine Didier Dagueneau

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November 29, 2012 · 6:35 pm

Serge Dagueneau – 29/11/2012

Chasellas 2011 (Pouilly-sur-Loire)
Less of the play-doh, seeing more minerality, slightly on the talcy side, very mineralic but nice fruit too. Full and ripe, offers more on the palate and in the fruit, minerality disappears a little, but actually offers something. Perhaps vine age? Later harvesting? Still quite dry and a little green.

Tradition 2011
Lovely and vibrant fruit, excellent concentration, excellent balance of the green elements, lovely and enticing but also approachable on the nose. Juicy bright clean balanced, excellent fruit harmony but also plenty of citrus and orchard fruit. Good length and extension, clean herbaceous finish.

Clos des Chadoux 2010
Much smokier and crushed floral concentration, on the talcy side of mineralisation, very intense but bvery subdued fruit, will take a little longer to express. Riper richer but also lighter, very complex, some late salty savoury elements to it, will get more interesting as it ages. An exceptional wine, very high quality.

La Leontine 2009
Slightly darker in colour, more intensity but still very bright. A little more density but showing much more oak characters compared to the other wines. Oak very prominent in youth but very well balanced, adding complexity that will age well. Round and dense, good on the mid-palate, fruit yet to express.

Les Filles 2010 (vin non filtre)
Really intense and dark, more in the masculine side. Deeper more earthy and rich, less brightness of fruit, quite closed for the time-being, needs a little more to express. Looking warm and too textured for now, needs to develop.

Serge Dagueneau

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November 29, 2012 · 6:05 pm

Domaine Chatelain – 29/11/2012

Chasselas 2010 (Pouilly-sur-Loire)
At first it smells like play-doh. Then the very tight brisk fruit comes through. Thin crisp no real character, not much point drinking it really. Alcoholic water. Different, but not really that interesting. Quite biting.

Harmonie 2010
Lovely and vibrant, nice and concentrated, bright fresh fruits with a good measure of green elements. Not a lot of minerality, to be expected at this level. Exceptionally well balanced, vibrant and full without any heaviness or density, warm and a little textured, well delivered.

Les Chailloux Silex 2010
Much more mineralic, very flinty and smoky (understandable). Very focused and precise, cuts like a razor. Lovely and ripe on the palate, very expressive in fruit, warm and full but great concentration and complexity of minerality.

Les Charmes Chatelain 2010
More complex, deeper and slightly toastier, richer and riper, some stone fruit with the citrus, very subdued floral elements. Concentrated and intense, wonderfully developed fruit and minerality, toasty around the edges, brisk and very textured for now, needs a few more years.

Prestige 2008
Slightly more floral, deep and rich, wonderful concentration, really complex but at the same time very rich ripe and vibrant, wonderfully deep fruit. Minerality will show in a few more years. Not the same structure, much better, wow in the mid-palate, exquisite expression of sauvignon blanc.

Domaine Chatelain

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November 29, 2012 · 4:59 pm

Domaine de Ladoucette – 29/11/2012

Classic 2009
Crisp brisk and minerally, fresh bright citrus fruit notes, a little floral, some nice blossom notes, but very clean pure and inviting. Generous weight and texture on the palate, mouth-filling fruit and acidity, a touch on the warm side perhaps dude to vintage conditions. Delivers everything you would hope for at this level. Ageable too.

Chateau du Nozet 2006
Slightly deeper and more giving on the nose, less precise and mineralic, riper and slightly more floral components. Also showing a very slight maturity to it, perhaps oxidative? Richer rounder deeper, a little creamier with a very late honey element to it. Not as bright and crisp as the first wine. Ageing nicely, still plenty of acidity.

Grand Millesime 2005 (late release)
Still a little closed, but also very subtle and complex. Showing the floral elements but without the intense mineral components. Round and inviting on the nose, but still good fruit. Still wonderfully crisp and fresh, contained and assured, wonderfully dense and complex minerality, builds a little on the palate. Still far too early, needs another five years to begin to open up a little more.

Domaine de Ladoucette

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November 28, 2012 · 7:50 pm

Henri Bourgeois – 28/11/2012

L’Elegance de Petit Bourgeois 2011 (Vin de Pays)
Very grassy herbaceous green fruit, crisp and varietal in character. Bright fresh and generous, again varietal in nature and nothing particular about it. Well made commercial wine.

Les Baronnes 2011 Sancerre
Showing a little more minerality and restraint, less obvious varietal characters, crisp pure and fresh. Lighter and fuller at the same time, more extension, balance and breadth to the wine. Generosity but also a little more warmth and texture. Good ripeness.

Pouilly-Fume 2011
Slightly more subdued on the nose, not as bright but also a little riper profile. Denser but cleaner at the same time, more in balance and harmonious, more focus and drive on the palate, not as obvious and not as warm. Better character for the style, and more pleasant drinking. Does have a slight sweatiness to it, they probably sell heaps of it.

Le Mont Damnes de Bourgeois 2011 Sancerre
Smokier and much more mineralic, flinty and granitic on the nose, very interesting and complex. Gentle on the palate, some nice viscosity to go with the freshness and fruit ripeness. Herbaceous and nice green fruit character, reflective still of the variety more than the appellation.

La Demoiselle 2011 Pouilly-Fume
Again, less obvious on the varietal character, perhaps more reflective of its terroir than the sancerre wines. Some green olive, unsalted capers, quite mineralic. Subtle complex yet approachable and fresh. Good extension on the palate, fruit flavours linger quite nicely. Perhaps vintage better in Pouilly than in Sancerre.

Jadis 2010 (unfiltered)
Bright tropical and floral on the nose, quite ripe and fresh but not overt. Peach texture(?), nectarine, apple, pear and grapefruit, quite tropical but not typical of the variety. Bold full expression, really ripe and fruity, pleasant and a crowd-pleaser. Perhaps went through malo?

Jadis 2006
More developed but still in the tropical realm, showing some lees influence on the nose too. Deep and full, good extension, softening in fruit intensity compared to the younger vintage. Looking a little creamy in texture, round and broad, fills the palate with good fruit and acid balance. Still quite young.

La Bourgeoise 2010 (flint area)
Has that stinky smoky complex nose of barrel and lees stirring, but also intense and ripe tropical notes. Certainly showing its flintiness, but will show more in time. Rolls across the palate, but actually stops a little short and flat. Promising start but disappointing finish. Not too much of anything, good fruit, good acid, just doesn’t have the logical conclusion. Nice and rich and broad though, perhaps needs more time in the bottle.

D’Anton 2010 (silex)
Flintiness smacks you in the face, very expressive jumps out of the glass. Ripe and tropical, quite a lot going on in the wine. Exuberant is the word. Much better balance and extension, nice and ripe tropical fruit fills the mouth, well contained acids, very young and will benefit from age.

D’Anton 2002 (silex)
Opening up nicely, flint and lees subsiding and richness ripeness of the tropical stone fruit expressing more. Quite intense and fruit sweet, no green edges to it at all, big and bold expression, still very young though. The characters seem to come in stages; first mineral, then fruit, then winemaking, then maturity.

Etienne Henri 2010 (new oak vinification)
Toasty marmalade notes, quite intense but not too powerful in expression. Ripe low-yielding crop, high acidity and density, quiet at the moment, still to early to see the true potential and character.

Les Baronnes 2009 (pinot noir)
Clean pure, balance between red fruit and a little spicy stalk note. Pleasant easy-drinking varietal style. Good consistency and delivery.

La Bourgeoise 2009 (pinot noir)
Like raw pasta, kind of doughy, spicy red fruits. Pretty quiet actually, not showing a lot. Bright fruit sweet currants and cherries. Deeper and tighter tannin structure, quite long in tannins in fact, a little overworked and unsubtle.

Le Chene Saint-Etienne 2002 (pinot noir)
Deep hauntingly complex, smoky meaty and mushroomy, very subtle red fruits. Not heavy but pretty dense, good acids, breadth but it’s all about the savoury elements with this wine. It will continue to evolve, but I’m concerned there’s not enough intensity and weight to it to fill out the structure. Seems to indicate umami on the nose but doesn’t deliver on the palate.

Vendage de la Saint Luc 2007 (late harvest, 45g/L sugar)
Lovely smoky flinty minerality, not showing much fruit for now quite subdued. Full flavoured, but also very well balanced acid and sugar. Sweet and fruity but also contributing a lot of savoury elements like minerality and a very delicate hint of green characters. Not obviously sweet and certainly not cloying, a wonderfully diverse food companion.
A barrel of Henri Bourgeois wine

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November 28, 2012 · 7:47 pm

Jean-Max Roger – 28/11/2012

Menetou-Salon 2011 (sauvignon blanc)
Quite bright, very classic varietal characters, plenty of fruit and grassy cat piss vegetal notes. Very basic, clean and fresh, nice fruit not heavy or overly ripe, not tropical, good balance pleasant more of an aperitif style wine. Freshness is the key.

Pouilly Fume 2011
More subtle subdued and elegant, delicate yet ripe fruit, somewhere between pear and citron. Riper fuller mouth feel but still very pure and fresh. Slightly rounder with a little more warmth and depth to it. Lingers on the palate longer than the previous wine, introducing a little more savoury character.

Les Caillots 2011 (blend of different plots with the same soil type)
Quieter and more assured, some intensity and depth aromatically, slightly shy fruit. Much broader and leaner on the palate, more depth and minerality again, more sea-shell characters, I want some oysters with this wine. Tight and focused acids, purity yet some extra dimensions that will develop in time.

Cuvee C.D. 2011
A little more expressive aromatically, showing more vegetal herbaceous notes, even a hint of spice as well. Good ripeness, well integrated but also complex fruit, nice balance and minerality spice coming through on the palate. Certainly more varietal in character but still sancerre. Texture and some depth.

Cuvee G.C. 2011
Deeper more complex nose, somehow earthier and even a little mealy in the nose, perhaps through natural ferment and lees-stirring? Some complex cheesy characters showing through. Fuller yet all on the mid-palate, quite dense but nor seeing the right balance or extension on the palate.

Cuvee C.M. 2011
Back to minerality and sea-salt influence aromatically, purity of fruit, a little floral as well. Depth weight and power, very expressive and full fruit. A little bit warm though, heavy on the alcohol out of balance. Quite concentrated but also disappears on the back palate relatively quickly, also quite green.

2011 Vielles Vignes
Very quiet and complex nose, not showing much for now, perhaps even a tad reductive. Great depth and intensity on the palate, a full textured ripe mouthfeel with some alcohol to support. Very powerful expression a lot going on, but the oak is very young and dominating for now. Needs one year to subside and open up a little before drinking.

Vielles Vignes 2010
Ripe rich yet savoury, very complex creamy and toasty, floral but also ripe fruit and dried/toasted herbs. Full expressive and concentrated fruit, dense toasty yet subtle oak, good structure, great complexity, minerality showing very well, slightly flat and sour finish though, still developing?

Vielles Vignes 2008
Quite intense nose, very floral but also some sweet(?) sea shell notes, juicy almost tropical fruits, even a bit candied. Soft subtle smooth and rich, yet showing some nice maturity and depth, broad and silky through the palate, does sancerre gain more sexiness as it ages? Probably. Generous yet mysterious.

Vielles Vignes 2007
Tighter more acidic tropical fruits, particularly pineapple, minerality comes through a little later. Oak has subsided and integrated by now, barely noticeable. Wonderfully complex yet still very alive, youthful and rich, great layers and waves across the palate, excellent balance of fruit and savoury, still plenty left in it.

Rose 2010
Meaty and mature on the nose, a tad flabby and probably on the way out. Pleasant but lacking enough freshness and fruit. Good acids though.

Rose 2011
Brighter tighter and juicier, more inviting on the nose. Good berry characters, but still an interesting meaty edge to it. Nice and savoury, a complex nut and cheese side to it. Concentrated, a little bit of woody vegetal character, certainly a food wine.

Menetou-Salon 2010 (pinot noir)
Very light in colour. Bright fresh fruity berry notes, lively and enthusiastic almost like a Beaujolais. Fresh juicy cherry and strawberry, great crisp light and fresh varietal style. Pretty good for the style, good value, an excellent quaffer.

Cuvee la Grange Dimiere 2010
Quite soft clean nice and precise, very focused and pure, but with some complexity as well. A touch savoury around the edges. Lovely depth balance finesse and elegance, nice minerality and supportive acids, clean and precise in terms of varietal character, intense but not at all heavy. Great character.

Cuvee Vielles Vignes 2010
Deeper tighter toastier nose, darker berries and more concentration. Juicy full fruit expression, dense and more tannin from fruit and oak, more powerful and expressive, but softens quite nicely on the back. Still early needs a few more years to soften around the edges.

Cuvee la Grange Diniere 2009
Soft and lean, good red fruit with a hint of mint herb and rosemary. Bright intense yet very balanced and fresh, intense on the mid-palate, quite full tannins and slightly masculine on the back. Fuller expression, some poached pear in red wine. Deeper and certainly more appealing to lovers of fuller red wines.

Cuvee Vielles Vignes 2009
Very closed and shy on the nose, yet to open up. Full silky and expressive but still with good tannin concentration. Still developing and softening, actually some excellent potential. I’m being more impressed with the red wines of Sancerre.

Cuvee la Grange Diniere 2008
Toasty slightly meaty nicely concentrated, dense but subtle fruit. Excellent balance, very pure yet complex great fresh fruit but some minerality coming through, juicy bright fresh yet complex with good length.

Cuvee Vielles Vignes 2008
A very pretty nose, some floral elements with the fruit, elegance yet approachability, depth yet brightness. Classic pinot noir characteristics, soft silk tannins, some tasty new oak very late on the palate showing there is still plenty of youth left in the wine. Very long and complex, continues to evolve.

Cuvee Vielles Vignes 2006
Classic pinot noir maturity, dense but showing more mushroom earthy notes. Developing a little quickly to be honest, not sure about the more recent vintages standing the test of time. Still excellent for the price. Toasty and very concentrated youthful tannins, much fuller and denser than the younger wine. Very different extraction maceration.

Cuvee Vielles Vignes 2000
A very nice stink to it, needs to breathe a little bit to open out. Classic burgundy style of old world with lots of wild complexity. Some serious Asian food characters; reminds me of eating at a Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant on Victoria Street, Richmond. Classic umami! Bean shoots.

The Jean-Max Roger white wines

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November 28, 2012 · 7:35 pm

Roland Tissier – 27/11/2012

Sancerre 2011
Juicy floral ripe fruit, kiwi pineapple, quite tropical with plenty of ripe citrus elements. Very bold and aromatic, inviting and fresh. Bright clean, good on the front palate, very fruity and quite broad, pleasant and extremely drinkable but not at all complex.

Sancerre 2009
More floral but similar in character to the 2011. More orchard fruit than citrus or tropical, even a little white berry character. Bright nice minerality, lovely and supple, quite subtle as well, long on the palate, great fruit complexity, builds a little and then sits quite nicely.

Saint Benoit 2006
Concentrated dense and complex, more masculine and serious, still quite youthful and locked up. Bold expressive on the mid-palate, quite intense texture and very long. Amazingly the barrique character is still showing as youthful after six years, battonage adds an extra layer of character. Minerality is wonderful but hard to see around the oak and fruit for the time-being. Give it another five years and it will really start to open out and show more character on the back of the palate.

Saint Benoit 2010
Wonderfully complex yet concentrated, exceptional balance between fruit, floral, minerality, a little flint and mineral character yet to truly express itself. Express but so subtle and sumptuous. Ripeness but elegance, balance, structure, harmony depth and length, excellent quality, but I need to see it again.

Sancerre Rouge 2011
A little volatile on the nose, too stalky and oaky, out of balance. Medicinal on the nose. Quite simple on the palate, broad and lacking in structure. Drinkable but not a great example.

Enamel tanks at Roland Tissier

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November 28, 2012 · 7:29 pm

Domaine du Nozay – 27/11/2012

Estate 2011
Clean crisp fresh fruits, very (very) subtle green herb aromas, but mostly about the crispness of the fruit and freshness of the acids. Quite bold and expressive on the front palate, lot’s of lovely ripe fruit, citrus leading very much into tropical characters. Really lovely and full in flavour, fills every corner of the palate, but fades quickly and freshly. Perhaps a much riper part of the appellation? Leaf thinning making a big difference in the final ripening of the berries?

Chateau du Nozay 2011
More subtle and subdued, quieter and more reflective, showing a little more influence of minerality, a little sea influence, I want some shell fish style. Rounder yet bolder, builds on the palate, wonderful depth, not a lot of concentration, harmonious but also young and reflecting the oak treatment a little at the moment. Sample a little cold to be honest. Will actually age quite well, I’d like to see its trajectory. Some texture lingers on the palate. Less fruit more savoury vegetal influence.

Domaine du Nozay wines

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