Building on the success of SuperBOWL 2002, 2003,
and 2004 SuperBOWL 2005 again took place in Glasgow at the end of October..
Nothing to do with bowling or some obscure American sport, this was a meeting
of British On-line
Wine Lovers,
and it was super.
On 29th October 2005 a number of those wine lovers, readers of and
contributors to the wine-pages.com
forum, together with some winemakers as distinguished guests, attended a day of tastings, seminars and a grand dinner
at the Corinthian in Glasgow. The event was organised by Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com,
to whom huge thanks is due.
There were several off-line meetings and tastings over dinner the previous
night: you can read my notes from the off-line at Restaurant Rococo by
following
this link.
seminar 2: Rioja Old and New (I didn't attend this - for
notes on the wines, see the
report on Tom's
website (the link isn't yet working as the report hasn't been published
yet - 9/11/05)
The wines were supplied by those attending and by a number of sponsors: see
the report on wine-pages.com
for further information.
Walk round tasting
These are largely in the order tasted, but bear
in mind there were a couple of interruptions for the Gravner and Prosecco
seminars.
It's worth pointing out at the beginning that, combined with the seminars, this
was a huge collection of wine (and there were dozens that I did
not taste - I ended up ignoring all the Burgundies and almost all the clarets,
for example). Inevitably some wines suffer either by
comparison or just by the sheer bulk of competition. Others suffer from the
speed of tasting, my being distracted by something else, or the lack of repeat pourings to reassess at leisure. Others suffer from not being drunk with food.
Caveats over, here we go ...
2005 Vin
bourru, Sauternes
Looks like cloudy apple juice. Very obviously still fermenting. Yeasty, spirity
nose. Actually not at all bad a flavour. Obviously not something you want to
drink too much of, because of the likely after effects, but it's actually fairly
pleasant. A touch sweet, a touch spritzig. Fine.
1964
Vosne-Romanée, Faiveley
I brought this, but only quickly sniffed it to check it was ok and took a little
swig. Seemed really rather good, full mature, but still with some life.
1996 Cuvée
Spéciale Cabassaou, Domaine Tempier, Bandol
A gently perfumed nose. Remarkably elegant fruit on the palate. Quite advanced.
Very Good Indeed.
1989 Chateau
Musar, 14%
A palish raspberry red colour. Fragrant, high toned nose - glorious essence of
Musar! Really attractive wine. Gorgeous. Love it. Excellent.
2001
Montsalvat Costers de Vilella, Cellers de la Cartoixa, Priorat, 14%
A youthful purple. The nose is very violetty and perfumed. Good length with soft
tannins. Very Good Indeed.
2000
Agiorgitiko, Gaia Estate, Nemea, Peleponnese
A very curious nose that eventually resolves to new leather and mûre. Very
smooth and ripe. Firm, grippy tannins. A bit overripe and very international.
Very Good.
1986 Petite
Sirah, Ridge, York Creek, California, 13.2%
Even garnet colour. Very elegant, sweet cherry fruit on the nose. Lovely mature
palate. Really nice, elegant fruit. Lovely balance. Excellent length. Excellent.
2000 Opus One,
Napa Valley, 14%
Youngish even ruby. Sweet berry fruit. Very sweet fruit on the attack. Lacks
structure and elegance. But there's a lot of tannins on the finish. Good/Very
Good.
NV Pleiades
XII, Sean Thackrey
A weird strawberry jam nose. Sweet fruit on the palate. Pleasant and easy, but
lacking structure. Good.
1994 Orion,
Sean Thackrey, Napa Valley, 13.3%
Rubbery raspberry nose. Decent palate. But it's very hot and quite dried and
drying. Lot of tannins too. Good/Very Good.
2001 Old
Telegram Mourvedre, Bonny Doon, Santa Cruz
A nice perfumed nose. Good, nicely perfumed palate with a gentle textured
fragrance. Excellent.
2001
Provenance Vineyard Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 14.5%
Quite Musarey on the nose with high-toned cassis. Sweet and very confected on
the palate. Unpleasant.
2003 Siduri
Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, 15.1%
An even, curiously mature looking burgundy colour. A closed, overripe pinot noir
nose. Sweet and very jammy on the palate. Better after, when it has very good
length, with some bitter cherry kernel flavours. Not for me. OK.
2002 Graacher
Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium, 8%
AP Nr. 3 561 024 32 03
An attractive, straightforward Mosel riesling nose with a bit of sherbert.
Lovely, full, very pleasant Kabinett. Very Good Indeed.
1985
Dorsheimer Pittermännchen Riesling Auslese, Michael Schäfer, Nahe, 8.5%
AP Nr. 1 763 076 17 86
A sweet, minerally petroleum wax nose. Lovely elegant palate with some
caramelised apple flavours. But, as often with the Nahe, overall, I just find it
a bit lacking. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
2003 Ürziger
Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett, Dr Loosen, 8.5%
AP Nr. 2 576 162 61 04.
Stinky nose. Oversweet, sherbetty and confected on the palate. OK.
2003
Deidesheimer Mäushöhle Riesling Auslese, Josef Biffar, Pfalz, 7.5%
AP Nr. 5 106 026 072 04.
Gorgeous nose. This is a remarkable wine. Really delicate and elegant with
gorgeous balance. Excellent.
2001
Burrweiler Schlossgarten Spätburgunder Weissherbst Auslese, Meßmer, 8%
AP Nr. 5 016 095 18 02
A pinkish straw appearance. The nose is very slight, but on the palate it's
richly perfumed. Really rather nice, though it doesn't do it for me. Very Good
Indeed.
2003
Edesheimer Ordensgut Cabernet Sauvignon Beerenauslese, Anselmann, Pfalz, 14%
AP Nr. 5 021 015 16 05
A vibrant, youthful purple. Really elegant, perfumed nose. Rather curious on the
palate. Not at all oversweet. Curious perfumed notes in the mouth. This isn't to
my taste. Very Good?
2003
Dornfelder Beerenauslese in Barrique gereift, Anselmann, Pfalz, 14.5%
AP Nr. 5 021 015 12 05
Rather oaky nose. Very perfumed nose. Very curious wine. Not fantastic. Good-ish.
2003
Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Kurt Hain, 8%
AP Nr. 2 596 432 23 04
A very pure, fragrant nose. Huge elegance on the palate. Lovely balance. Totally
integrated. Excellent.
1997 Riesling
Schlossberg, Cuvée Ste Cathérine, AC Alsace Grand Cru, Domaine Weinbach,
13.5%.
The nose is concentrated and waxy. Very powerful on the palate: very minerally
and very concentrated. There's a touch of residual sugar, but the wine's
characterised by its very good balance. Needs food. Very Good Indeed.
1989 Pinot
Gris Kitterle, AC Alsace Grand Cru, Domaines Schlumberger, 13.5%
An oxidised nose with honey and banana, that didn't really seem to augur well
for the wine. But no problem. Very rich and weighty - maybe a touch blowsy, I
suppose. Very nice though. Would make a very nice aperitif. Very Good Indeed.
1990 Tokay
Pinot Gris Vendanges Tardives, Rolly Gassmann, 13.5%
There's rich tropical fruit on the nose, underscored by a VT ripeness. Lovely
balance. Very fine indeed. Excellent.
1985 Ch.
Bellerive, AC Quarts de Chaume, Loire
A funny, stinky nose. Concentrated and very individual with lots of character in
a rather rustic style. OK.
1990 Chablis
Fourchaume 1er cru, Caves Duplessis, 12.5%
An old, slightly oxidised nose. Quite fine on the palate with some of the
oxidation showing, but not marring it at all. Really quite fine with very rich,
buttery notes on the finish. Very Good Indeed.
2001 Rasteau,
Domaine Gourt de Mautens (Jérôme Bressy), AC Côtes du Rhône Villages, 14%
A very elegant nose with delicate red fruits. Good palate with a real elegance
and purity of fruit. Really nice restraint. Very Good Indeed.
1998 Cornas
Vieilles Vignes, Tardieu-Laurent, 13%
A remarkably young appearance. Deep crème de mûre nose. Very ripe fruit on the
attack. Quite open and inviting. But it has a very international feel. Very
Good/Very Good Indeed.
2000
Châteauneuf du Pape Les Hautes Brusquières, Cuvée Spéciale, Domaine de la
Charbonnière
A very young nose with ripe brambles. Open and round. Not especially impressive.
Very Good.
2000 Les
Lézardes, Domaine René Rostaing, 12.5%
A light, maturing ruby colour. Lovely elegant, aromatic nose. Glorious attack.
Lovely balance. This is a very fine wine indeed. Delicious. Excellent.
The Mystery
Wine, which I think turned out to be a Domaine Laroche Chablis of some
description (details anyone?)
Mid straw. Fairly ripe tropical fruit nose, which makes me think of pinot gris.
Quite a refined palate. Delicate fruit flavours - tropical fruit with a light
toasty spice. Good fine wine. Very drinkable. Very Good Indeed.
(I was heading off to NZ pinot gris for my guess.)
2002 Frux
Frugis Shiraz, Ulithorne, Mclaren Vale, 14.5%
A nice, precise nose with an interesting gamey note. Good balance on the palate.
Quite serious with good depth. Very fine after. Very Good Indeed.
2000 Cabernet
Sauvignon Merlot, Joseph & Dina Grilli, Primo Estate Winery, Limestone Coast,
South Australia, 14.5%
Made by an Amarone method, the label says. A deep, very ripe nose. Very
international styling. Absolutely fine and quite pleasant, but very
uninteresting and soulless. Very Good.
2001 Tilenus
Pagos de Posada, Mencia, DO Bierzo, 13.5%
A round, leathery nose with some hedgerow fruit. Ripe and pleasing on the
palate. Interesting character and a sweet nutty finish. Very Good Indeed.
1973
D'Oliveiras Reserva Verdelho, Madeira
Glorious nutty nose - and quite sherrified. There are almondy raisins at the end
of the nose. Glorious orangey attack. Lovely deep flavours. Fairly concentrated.
Gorgeous flavours. Very fine. Haunting length. Excellent.
Smoked salmon terrine
(essentially, lots of slices of smoked salmon squashed together in a terrine
- fine, but not the most wine friendly of starters)
Carrot and coriander soup (this
wasn't very good - it hadn't been sieved at all, and so was very stringy,
and hadn't even been particularly well processed, so it was oddly textured,
and there was a bit too much coriander. )
Grilled breast of
Grampian chicken with a gateau of haggis, neeps and tatties, baby carrots
and a light Arran mustard and herb jus (this was good - nice chicken, not
overcooked, and the accompaniments were well done too. Though I
thought the mustardy sauce was a bit of a challenge for many wines.)
Citrus Mascarpone
Cheesecake with passion fruit syrup (this was jolly good and the best made
dish of the meal.)
Numerous wines were provided by those attending
- on occasion they came thick and fast! Of necessity some of these notes
are rather brief! More or less in the order drunk.
1978 Barbeito
Sercial, Madeira
A decent nose. Very young. Attractive, if a bit spirity. Very Good +
1986 Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Fritz Haag
Rich, minerally and peachy on the nose. Feels fairly old to me, and I'd guess at
1983. Very Good Indeed.
1995 Maximin Grünhauser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese, Von Schubert, AP 3
536 014-9-96; 8% abv
A very closed nose, with just a hint of creaminess. Rich and really rather
tight. Some ripe fruit and lots of taut acidity. Far too young. Very Good
Indeed.
1979 Grüner Veltliner Langeloiser Kirchengarten, Weingut Willi Bründlmayer
An interesting perfumed nose: quite citrussy and not at all belying its age.
Very rich on the palate, when it is clearly showning some age. White pepper on
the finish. Very fresh and clean. Very Good Indeed.
2002 Ch. Hostens-Picant, AC Sainte-Foy, Bordeaux, 13%
A pleasant light, crisp nose. But a bit muddy. OK.
1983 Romanée Saint Vivant, Alain Hudelot-Noellat
A rather murky appearance. quite hight oned on the nose with signs of advanced
ageing. Quite sweet fruit on the palate. Quite drying in the mouth and probably
a bit dried out. Good.
1997 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos Saint Jean, Domaine Amiot Guy
A remarkably light colour. Very light, cherry fruit with a touch of high tones
on the nose. Light and very delicate on the palate. There's a hint of heat and
spirit on the palate, yet the overall impression is of delicate, fragrant red
fruit. Very Good Indeed.
1978 Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, Marqués de Murrieta
A very delicate, very elegant nose. Really lovely attack. Superb balance Nice
tannic structure. Excellent.
1978 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Silex, Louis Arnaud
A lightish nose - just a touch high-toned. Remarkably burgundy-like. Very
light-bodied with charming sweet fruit. Completely unlike Châteauneuf! Very
Good/Very Good Indeed.
1996 Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No. 1, Cabernet Sauvignon, 13%
A very closed nose with just a bit of very deep blackcurrant. Sweet ripe fruit
on the palate, but quite restrained. Nicely understated. Soft, grainy tannins on
the finish and persisting after. Very Good +
2003 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese * feinherb, Kees-Kieren, 12%
AP 2 583 092 16 04
Quite a powerful nose, clearly with Auslese weight and very minerally and pure.
Lovely balance on the palate. This has a really nice weight followed by a lovely
clean, dry finish. Very Good Indeed.
2003 Bonny Doon Cardinal Zin Beastly Old Vines, 14%
A very young colour. Very atractive berry fruit on the nose - very open and
inviting. Very open on the palate. Fruity, young, fragrant. Quite delightful.
Very Good Indeed.
1988 Hermitage La Chapelle, Paul Jaboulet Aîné
Quite young-looking. The nose is very mushroomy. Nicely evolved. Not bad at all.
Good finesse. Very Good Indeed.
1995 Hermitage La Chapelle, Paul Jaboulet Aîné
An earthy nose with a hint of brett. Quite sweet, very pure fruit on the attack.
Builds well in the mouth. Powerful tannins take over on the finish. Very
Good/Very Good Indeed.
1995 La Grange Neuve de Figeac, AC Saint-Emilion
A nice fruity nose with decent depth. Quite round and open on the palate. Good
balance. A firm tannic structure is evident on the finish. Very Good Indeed.
1994 Riesling Schoenenbourg Grand Cru Sélection de Grains Nobles, Marcel
Deiss, AC Alsace Grand Cru
A very pure, very tight nose. Immense elegance. Very pure and delicate. A very,
very classy wine. Superb balance. Excellent.
1990 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques, Domaine Esmonin Michel et
Fille, 13%
Very high toned nose, almost like pure acetone. Very sweet dried out fruit on
the palate. Very high toned. Unpleasant.
1993 Edesheimer Forst Spätburgunder Eiswein, Weingut Werner Anselmann, Pfalz
AP 5 021 015 27 94
This looks like a twenty-year tawny. A gorgeous nose, but bearing no resemblance
to pinot noir (or anything else): quite nutty on the nose. On the palate it's
sweet and feeling a touch oxidised. Fairly concentrated. There's almost a touch
of tannin on the finish. Weird. OK/Good.
1988 Château Suduiraut, AC Sauternes
A nice, remarkably young Sauternes nose. Fairly sweet and full. Very pleasant,
but a bit simple and rather disappointing. Very Good.
1988 Jacques Beaufort Champagne Doux
A dull nose - a touch appley. Tastes like fizzy sweet cider. Yuk.
1977 1977 Maury, Vin Doux Naturel Vielli en fûts de chêne, A. de
Volontat-Bachelet
A very clean, sweet and fruity nose with no oxidation evident. Lovely
sherry-like palate - just off-sweet. There's a touch of spirity heat on the
finish. Very Good +
2001 Frascati Frascati Cannelino, Cantine Conte Zandotti, 500ml, 11+3%
abv (whatever that means)
A late harvest Frascati. Pale gold appearance. An interesting, light, fragrant,
floral nose. Very delicate palate. Nice depth. Really quite pleasant. Clearly
only late harvest weight than heavily botrytised. Very Good Indeed.
2002 Bor Forrás Ausbruch, Blaufränkisch-Cabernet Sauvignon, Ferdinand Pieroth,
Mátraalja, Hungary, 11%
An Ali Downes special.
Green hedgerow nose. Very sweet fruit. Really quite pleasant. Very simple
though. Very Good.
1961 Château Meyney Prieuré des Couleys, AC Saint-Estèphe
A really good colour - I'd put it mid-1980s on the colour. Pretty nice nose,
quite high toned, but very attractive. Quite sweet fruit. Attractive wine,
showing its age. Very Good Indeed.
1983 Warre's
A sweet, pruney nose with a chocolatey background. Very spirity on the palate,
with sweet dried fruits. Very Good+, but it's not doing it for me.
1995 Ch. La Tourette, Pauillac
A sweet nose with a hint of VA. Tastes pretty much as it smells. Good.
1976 Bereich Wannegau Huxelrebe Auslese Lila Lackkapsel, Rheinhessen, Jakob
Gerhardt
Orange caramel colour. Powerful sweet nose - very powerful and perfumed. But on
the palate, it doesn't live up to the promise of the nose and it's just a bit
old and simple. Good.
1998 Domaine du Closel, AC Savennières , 12.5%
Quite a sweet, fragrant nose. Remarkably powerful flavours. An interesting wine.
Very Good Indeed.
1999 Anjou-Villages, Domaine Patrick Baudouin, 12%
Light strawberry/cherry fruit on the nose. Quite nice. Light tannic structure.
Very Good.
2004 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve El Delirio, Botalcura, Casablanca Valley, Chile
Pale, greenish straw. Very powerful nose with lots of green pea, gooseberry and
cat's pee. Very crisp attack with lots of acidity, but it quickly widens and
fills on the palate. Crisp green fruit flavours and very herbaceous with a not
entirely pleasant sour note appearing on the finish and lasting long after.
Exceptional length. I'm not entirely sure what I make of this wine. It seems a
bit industrial and maybe over-extracted? Good (?)
L'Étoile, Select Vieux Banyuls
Feels quite old on the nose - it has a slightly maderised feel. A bit ordinary
as VDNs go. Very Good+
