SITT 2008
The Specialist Importers Trade Tastings
25th
February 2008
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
After missing SITT in 2007 because I was visiting Californian
winemakers, it was good to be back at this, one of the most interesting
and civilised of the wine trade's busy tastings diary.
Laytons Wine
Merchants
2006 Mount
Edward Riesling,
Central Otago,
Very minerally, fragrant riesling nose.
Very good palate. This
has a
lovely balance and represents a very pure expression of riesling. 90/100
Very nice nose – hugely attractive.
Rich, full palate. Very
nicely
done. Very
attractive. 89/100
2005 Riesling
Vieilles Vignes,
Domaine Jean Sipp,
Good nose with some minerals. Fair
palate. This has
balance and a decent
weight in the mouth, with some concentration, but it’s not
the greatest and
overall feels a bit simple. 86/100
The Wine
Treasury
A light, delicate, cherry and raspberry fruit nose.
Good, fresh attack, followed by some grippy
tannins on the palate. At
the moment,
it’s feeling a bit hot and needs time.
Though is there enough there to help it last? 85/100
2004 Chianti
Classico,
The nose has some nicely integrated cherry fruit and tar. Good palate.
Good, but not at the price (RRP £23).
88/100
2002 Cabernet
Sauvignon, Arlewood
Estate,
A very attractive, clean cabernet nose with good fruit, subduing the
prominent
oak. Attractive
palate. This is a good,
pretty classic
2005 Pinot
Noir Las Alturas
Vineyard, Belle Glos,
This has a super nose – a very precise young pinot noir
– soft and open. Glorious
palate: soft and very open. This
is a top quality Californian pinot.
93/100
2004 Syrah,
Bilancia,
The nose has some very attractive, gentle black fruits.
Very attractive palate, with a nice and easy
black fruit character and decent grip on the finish.
89/100
2005 Pinot
Noir, Migration,
A lovely nose: very, very poised and elegant.
Super palate, again with huge elegance.
The zinginess of young pinot appears on the finish. 89/100
2006
The nose has very soft, really quite minerally black fruit along with
some
chocolate. Rich in
the mouth, with velvety
black fruits and a touch cocoa. 90/100
2006 Ancient
Vine Zinfandel, Cline
Cellars, California,
14.5%
More precise and more elegant than the straight zinfandel. Lovely rich palate. Very nice concentration,
but without being
overblown. 91/100
2006
A nice clean rich palate and nose.
Fairly straightforward as
2005
Conundrum Wines White Table
Wine
An interesting nose; rich, creamy and full with lots of layers of
interest. Super
palate. Very
complex and full. 91/100
2007
Deviation Road Pinot Gris,
A rich, pear-y pinot gris nose. Lighter
on the palate than on the nose. Very
delicate attack which really fills out in the mouth.
87/100
2006
Chardonnay, Duck Pond
Cellars,
A fresh,
clean
chardonnay nose that feels quite delicate. Very rich in the mouth,
tasting a
bit spirity. Not at
all living up the
nose. Not my style
at all. 77/100
2006
Sauvignon Blanc, Duckhorn
Vineyards,
This has a touch of semillon in the blend.
A clean nose, not especially redolent of sauvignon blanc. Lovely rich, ripe palate. Very much a
2004
Lemon and IPA nose. Decent
palate. Nothing
special. 82/100
2006 Domaine
des Gerbeaux,
A lovely nose – spot on with great balance and interest. Lovely palate: very
refined and elegant. A
bargain at the RRP of £9.50.
89/100
2006
Semillon, L’Ecole No. 41,
A very attractive, subtle lemony-creamy nose.
Quite forward on the palate.
More
of an interesting wine than an unreservedly enjoyable one. 85/100
2006
Rosacroce Ronco dell’Angelica,
Azienda Agricola Midolini, DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy, 13.5%
This is a 100% tocai friulano (but they’re not allowed to put
that on the label
now). It has a
lovely floral nose with
hints of hay. Rich
and full on the
palate, unfortunately tending to over-extraction, though there is
decent
acidity still. Not
the best tocai
friulano. 82/100
2005 Nero
d’Avola, Morgante, IGT
Sicilia, 13.5%
A rich, chocolatey, dark plum nose.
Good
open palate. A bit
simple maybe. 86/100
2004 Armador
Syrah, Odfjell
Vineyards,
This has 5% Malbec in the blend. It
has
a very bright, attractive nose. There’s
ripe, sweet blackberry fruit on the palate, and a hint of chocolate. On the finish,
there’s a bit of grip that
rescues it from simplicity. 82/100
2004 Napa
Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Napa Valley, California
A stunningly fragrant ripe blackcurrant nose is followed up by sweet
black
fruit on the palate, and then a bit of a spicy, oaky bit. Rather hot on the finish. 87/100
2006 Pinot
Blanc,
This was served way too cold, but it seemed to have subtle, pleasant
peach
flavours. Seems a
very pleasant wine,
but on this tasting it was dulled by the cold.
84?/100
2005 Artemis
A big cedary nose, feeling nicely balanced and integrated. This is very nicely put
together and an
impressive wine. Very
definitely a Napa
Cabernet, but avoiding the excesses of the poorer examples. 93/100
2006 Pinot
Blanc, WillaKenzie
Estate,
An attractive, rich nose with concentrated stone fruit.
Very attractive on the palate: very poised
and elegant, but with a nice weight.
Works very well. 91/100
2006 Pinot
Noir,
A very attractive nose. Lovely
light,
fresh palate. Fresh
and zingy. Rather
nice.
89/100
An attractive soft nose with white fruit flowers.
Nice weight on the palate, with a hint of
residual sugar. A
very fine wine. 90/100
2004
Gewurztraminer, Domaine Rolly
An elegant rose petal and lychee nose.
Good balance and restraint on the palate: not too in your
face. A nice entry
level gewürztraminer. 89/100
For the Love
of Wine
For the Love of Wine is a small enthusiastic family company,
specialising in
This is a blend of 50% pinot noir, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 10%
chardonnay. It has
a very subtle
nose. Decent, clean
palate. This is a
simple, basic pink fizz. Nothing
wrong with it, but nothing to
particularly recommend it, though the price (RRP £9.95)
isn’t bad for a
traditional method pink fizz. 82/100
2006 Petite
Arvine du Chamoson,
René Favre et Fils,
A very fresh nose: quite lemony with a nice, gentle minerality. Rather nice on the palate,
with some ripe,
very tropical fruit flavours. But
there’s also an underlying acidity that keeps it fresh and
almost racy. 92/100
2006
Arcangelo Rosso, Tamborini
Carlo Eredi, Ticino DOC
This is a Merlot from southern
Based in
Quite a full, rich, almondy nose.
Quite
full on the palate, with a yeasty, salty, complex overtone. A nice, full-flavoured
manzanilla. 90/100
This is a blend of 60% sauvignon blanc, 20% macabeo and 20% riesling. The sauvignon blanc is
dominant on the nose,
but with the others showing through, and maybe a touch of oak?: quite
an odd
nose. This is
really quite unusual on
the palate, but very far from unpleasant.
Interesting stuff. 88/100
2006
Montenovo Godello, Bodegas
Valdesil,
The nose has fresh melon and green grapes.
A nice round palate, but with good freshness. Light and clean. Very pleasant. 87/100
2006
Calderona Rosado, Bodegas
Frutos Villar,
An attractive strawberry/raspberry fruit nose.
Good palate. It’s
a basic rosé,
but good enough. Falls
off a bit towards
the finish. 84/100
2005
Valderroa Mencia, Bodegas
Valdesil, Valdeorras, Spain, 13%
A light, fresh nose with soft plums and raspberry.
Very impressive, characterful, easy
drinking. Very
attractive. Nice
balance and very good length. 93/100
1999 Finca
Los Altos Gran Reserva,
Bodegas Fernando Castro, Valdepeñas, Spain, 12.5%
A lovely mature nose, very much with a gran reserva feel. On the palate this has a
really good, old
Spanish feel. At
just £7.45 a bottle,
this is an absolute bargain. 90/100
2006
Miralmonte Tinto Joven, Tinto
de Toro, Bodegas Santa Eulalia, DO
A bright,
young
blackberry nose. Fresh,
lively and zingy
on the palate. 86/100
2004
Calderona Roble, Bodegas
Frutos Villar,
A good clean nose. Nice
palate. A bit
non-descript. But
attractive and easy. 84/100
2004 Riberal
Crianza, Bodegas
Santa Eulalia, Ribera del Duero,
The nose has slightly tarry black fruits with some nice integrated oak. This has a lovely classic
Ribera del Duero
feel. Lovely palate. Quite serious stuff. I’d put it more
at reserve level if forced to
guess. Excellent
length. 91/100
2005 Marin
Old Vine Garnacha,
Bodegas Ignacio Marin,
There is restrained black fruit on the nose, along with some dusty oak. Very good on the palate,
with a nice,
impressive, generic Spanish feel.
An
unchallenging wine, but it works very well.
88/100
2004
Mainetes, Bodegas San
Dionisio,
This is a blend of merlot, monastrell and syrah.
It has a fairly straightforward nose with red
fruits and some woody spice. Clean
and
unchallenging on the palate. Nice
stuff. 87/100
2000
Viña Alberdi Reserva, La
Rioja Alta,
A gorgeous minerally Rioja nose. Lovely,
spot-on palate with red fruits and great balance.
Very good value at around £11.
90/100
2006 Onda
Nova Syrah, Adega do
A dumb, sweet black fruit nose. A
good,
simple, basic syrah. 84/100
2004 Cortes
de Cima,
A very attractive nose with restrained, balanced hedgerow fruits. Very nice on the palate. There’s good
development on the palate and a
nice character and depth. 89/100
2004
Aragonês, Vinho Regional
Alentejano,
A bright, floral, fragrant, very deep red fruits nose; almost
raisiny-curranty. Lovely
palate. Rich and
very concentrated, tending to
sweetness. 88/100
Yeo &
Co
Yeo and Co, run by James Yeo, are specialists in South African wines
from
boutique wineries.
This has a slightly sawdusty and slightly spirity chardonnay nose with
some
pears and peaches. Rather
in your face
and obvious, oaky chardonnay on the palate.
84/100
2001
Chardonnay, Cape Point
Vineyards, Wine of
2006
Sauvignon Blanc, Cape Point
Vineyards, Wine of
2005
Semillon, Cape Point
Vineyards, Wine of
2002 Noble
Late Harvest Semillon,
Cape Point Vineyards, Wine of
2006
Chardonnay, Ataraxia Mountain
Vineyards, Wine of Origin Western Cape
Much more restrained and elegant than the Cape Point, this has a round
and
fragrant nose. Very
attractive and very
good on the palate. Working
well for
me. 92/100
2007
Sauvignon Blanc,
2006
Serenity, Ataraxia Mountain
Vineyards, Wine of Origin Western Cape, 14.5%
This is a blend of
2007 Chenin
Blanc, Bosman Family
Vineyards, Wine of Origin
This has a nice fresh citrussy nose with some oiliness.
Very good palate. Clean,
fresh, and nicely balanced. Very
persistent length. 91/100
2005 Cabernet
Sauvignon, Bosman
Family Vineyards, Wine of Origin
A nice, spicy cabernet nose with a gentle floral note.
Nice, focussed palate.
Though it turns a bit green on the finish,
which just lets down the overall impression a bit.
87/100
2005 Jean
Daneel Signature Chenin
Blanc, Coastal Region
This has a really gorgeous nose; very inviting with lemon, lanolin and
a touch
of honey. Very good
palate: precise and
focussed. Very
impressive, with huge
character and depth. Stunning
stuff. 94/100
2002 Jean
Daneel Signature red, Wine
of Origin Franschhoek
This is an equal blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. It has an impressively
balanced nose. Superb
palate. This is
beautifully made and drinking
beautifully. 94/100
2003
Morgenster, Morgenster
Estate, Wine of Origin Stellenbosch
This is a merlot-cabernet blend. It
has
a lovely, precise nose – very focussed, with rather minerally
black
fruits. Very nice
on the palate: very
focussed and very elegant. Very
much in
a French style, which makes me wonder just how south African it is. 90/100
2001 Lourens
River Valley,
Morgenster Estate, Wine of Origin Stellenbosch, 14.5%
Again, a blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Not a terribly impressive
nose, which feels
very French, like a youngish claret.
This really feels French on the palate.
There’s lots of minerality, and it’s
much better in the mouth than it is
on the nose. Nice
poise. 89/100
2003
Veenwouden Private Cellar
Classic, Wine of Origin Paarl
A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and malbec.
A nice interesting nose with black bruits,
some redcurrants with a nice woody background.
Very good on the palate – very expressive and
balanced – with a nice
exotic, spicy character. 90/100
2003 Merlot,
Veenwouden Private
Cellar, Wine of Origin Paarl
A ripe, focussed merlot nose, though a bit lacking in character. Lovely soft palate, though
it’s rather
international. Nice
grip on the
finish. 86/100
Top
Selection is a small, privately owned importer that deals in wines from
family-owned domains.
This is a blend of 85% sauvignon blanc and 15% muscadelle. The attractive nose is
very fragrant and
floral. Attractive
palate, feeling just
off dry, but with nice minerality too.
Easy and attractive.
Actually,
I’m quite impressed by this.
89/100
2003 Tokaji
Cuvée, Istvan Szepsy,
A lovely floral, fragrant nose. Elegant,
but remarkably rich for just the cuvee.
91/100
2002 Tokaji
Aszu 6 Puttonyos,
Istvan Szepsy,
A big nose, full of apricot tart scents.
Superb balance on the palate.
Very fine acidity. Top
stuff. 94/100
2004 Melis
Chardonnay, Parés Baltà,
A very slight, uninteresting nose.
Very
powerful on the palate: they seem to have really extracted
chardonnay’s spirity
side. Very
unimpressive. 78/100
2003
Grüner Veltliner Eiswein,
Anton Bauer,
A very precise, focussed GV nose.
Very
elegant and clean on the palate. A
very
fine sweet wine. 92/100
2006
Scharzhofberger Riesling
Kabinett, Egon Müller,
This isn’t give much away on the nose.
On the palate, it’s definitely on the
medium-sweet side. This
isn’t really the most impressive of
Kabinetts that I’ve had, and it seems a bit dilute. A disappointing wine from
Egon Müller. 83/100
1997 Riesling
Wiebelsberg Grand
Cru Vendanges Tardives,
A very oily, petrolly nose. Very
nicely
balanced palate, and very precise.
Possibly, it’s a bit lacking in character and is
almost tending towards
a more Germanic style. 87/100
2005
Cuvée Celine, Clos Le Comte,
AC
A slight, forward, Sauternes nose.
This
is a decent, fairly basic Sauternes, though it has a bit of a raw edge
on the
finish. 83/100
1998 Henri
Giraud Fûts
A deep, slightly oxidative nose with floral stone fruit. Much more elegant on the
palate than the
Esprit de Giraud. Works
well. 87/100
NV Esprit de
Giraud, Henri Giraud,
Champagne, France
A full, spirituous nose. Very
full, rich
palate. A bit
coarse. 83/100
2005
Château de Fosse Sèche,
Saumur Blanc, France,
13.5%
This has a somewhat unfocussed, peachy chenin nose.
But it redeems itself on the palate: really
lovely, with nice concentration, but remaining very clean throughout. 91/100
2006
Verdelho, David
A bright, fresh nose but without much character.
Light, crisp and fresh in the mouth.
There’s some structure, but overall
it’s a
bit uninteresting – though it is served very cold. 86/100
2005
Grüner Veltliner Grande
Reserve, Anton Bauer,
A restrained nose, giving little away.
Fairly rich and full on the palate with some apparent
sweetness. Just
feels a bit average. 84/100
2006
Châtea Haut Musiel, Grenache
Blanc, AC Côtes du Rhône Villages, France
A fairly restrained nose. It
has nice
balance on the palate. This
has good
character for a 100% Grenache blanc.
Very persistent in the mouth, developing that real white
Rhône
nuttiness. 91/100
2006 Muscat,
Domaine Gresser, Alsace,
France, 12%
A very restrained, delicate muscat nose.
Light, delicate attack, and then the muscat character
builds in the
mouth. This has
impressive restraint,
particularly for a muscat, and even an elegance.
92/100
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Last updated: 25 April 2009