Mark Squires' E-Zine on Wine

Tasting Notes
January/February, 1998

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        Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)

• 1994 Pinot Gris "Rangen-Clos St. Urbain" Vendange Tardive (Zind-Humbrecht)
  Very sweet, very long, rich and thick. Beautiful, powerful nose signals how much fruit is going to land on your tongue. Despite all the sugar and sweetness, the wine retains balance and the finish denotes richly concentrated fruit. For pinot gris, well, pinot gris doesn't get much more concentrated. 94 points.
• 1994 Gewurztraminer "Heimbourg" Vendange Tardive Zind-Humbrecht)
  Contrasted with the Hengst VT in this vintage, this wine is remarkably elegant, relatively austere for a ZH Vendange Tardive, and unusually subtle. Yes, off dry. But it has none of the sugary aspects of the Pinot Gris VT, above, and more like what you would get in VTs in the mid-80s. As it airs out in the glass, a lot of the sugar that is there seems to blow off quickly, the varietal characteristics of the grapes come to the fore, and this wine seems just about perfect, although not quite like a lot of flamboyant VTs. It will last for a decade, maybe two, yet it is drinking well now, too. Just when you wonder if this wine is maybe too subtle, the core of fruit blossoms into something fat and rich that coats your tongue and leaves a long, intense finish. I greatly preferred the Hengst VT in this vintage, and thought the Clos Windsbuhl regular bottling clobbered both, but the classically rendered Heimbourg will make traditional gewurz lovers very happy. 92 points.
• 1990 Riesling "Comtes d'Éguisheim" (Léon Beyer)
  A fully open signature Riesling that is drinking perfectly now, from one of Alsace's traditional producers. This wine is neither flamboyant nor overly sweet, but the fruit has blossomed, floral notes on the nose are beautiful, and the wine is in impeccable balance. The texture of the fruit is all velvet, round and soft, with little of the lean, steely austerity that Rieslings in Beyer's style can sometimes show, especially when too young. Nice finish. 91 points.
• NV Crémant d'Alsace (Barmès-Beucher)
  Remarkably rich and toasty Crémant, a terrific example of its type. For $12, Crémant does not get any better. Creamy, frothy, packed with fruit, a terrific value, an excellent wine, period. 90 points.
• 1993 Gewurztraminer "Steingrubler" (Albert Mann)
  A lot of the flamboyant sweetness that this wine showed when very young has blown off. It seems now like classic gewurz, all lychees and spice, although surprisingly more restrained than the last couple of times I had it. Shows good depth, good length. Grand cru gewurz from a fine producer. On release, this was a mere $20. 90 points.
• 1995 Pinot Gris "Rosenberg" (Barmès-Beucher)
  Off dry, caramelized finish. There's a lot to like in this wine, but the sweetness is a bit cloying on the finish, and it lacks the depth of, say, the Steingrubler or the Rangen, above. Still, excellent wine in most respects. 88 points.
• 1996 Pinot Blanc "Vielles Vignes" (Meyer-Fonné)
  Yikes. Pinot Blanc just doesn't get much better than this. Drinking beautifully now, this pinot blanc reminds one more of the quality level of the Beyer Riesling, above, than a normal pinot blanc. Surprisingly rich and velvety, the fruit is flavorful and fragrant. Of course, this is a 1996. It won't show like this in a decade, as it lacks the depth and concentration level to age. But aging is not what pinot blanc is about. This wine does its job beautifully, hitting on all cylinders, doing everything one could possibly ask of this type of wine. Remembering that my scores are relative, 93 points.
• 1994 Muscat "Goldert" (Zind-Humbrecht)
  One of the more unusual Muscats in Alsace, the Goldert always holds better, and takes longer to open. The last bottle I had about a year ago was totally dumb. This one has now blossomed. As with all great Muscat, the fragrance is just gorgeous. These wines are almost a shame to drink; the floral bouquets with hints of tropical fruits remind you of a fresh, spring day, and certainly the wine can't be any better than it shows after its fragrance. And so it is. The wine has nice body, with a lot more ripeness than in a lot of Muscats, good flavor and is drinking well. But smelling it is invigorating. 90 points.
  

  Australia (except dessert/sparkling)

• 1994 Shiraz "Clarendon Hills Vineyard" (Clarendon)
  I didn't care so much for this wine when young, but it's pretty super now, and going to get a lot better. Although it's drinking well now, I would say optimum drinking time would be in a year or two more. Rich and thick, redolent of cherries and raspberries, this is sweet and flamboyant, more unctuous than a dry red wine deserves to be, and unrelenting in the flavor it keeps delivering. Proof that Aussie shiraz has little to do with French syrah. Maybe also proof that Clarendon shiraz has little to do with Aussie shiraz. :) Save it for when you're in the mood for something unusual, ripe and, yeah, maybe a little kinky. 93 points.
  

  Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)

• 1989 Chateau Monbrison
  Elegant, silky cru bourgeois that gives away absolutely nothing. Good balance, still youthful in terms of grapey aspects, and simply delicious. Cru bourgeois doesn't get much better. 90 points.
• 1966 Chateau Malartic-Lagravière
  Gentle, pleasing wine that is maybe just a bit past peak in terms of intensity of flavor, but still offers a lot. Yet, you can't ask much more of it at this stage of its life. None of the oxidation, tea leaves or other signs of decay one often gets in older, somewhat fading wines. There is still a short burst of supple tannins, although it fades quickly. The texture of the wine seems comfortable. An odd choice of words, but you're just sure that if you're nice to this wine and don't upset it too much, it will be good to you, too. 89 points.
• 1975 Chateau Quentin
  This St. Emilion in body seems impeccable. It is still rich and weighty. Yet for all of that, it is "off" somehow. The finish betrays odd notes, perhaps of decay, and the wine has little other flavor or appeal. It does a lot right, but seems just to fall short of exceptional. 86 points.
• 1985 Chateau Certan de May
  A little more austere than I'd like to see in a 1985 Pomerol, some burnt caramel on the mid-palate and some tea leaves of oxidation and decay on the finish. The decay is slight, though, the wine is elegant and still flavorful, the fruit still has some velvet, and while it was claimed by some that they had had better bottles of this, it still was a reasonably complete, if unexceptional bottling. 88 points.
• 1989 Chateau L'Angelus
  A stunning wine, tasted after several hours of decanting. Smoky overtones, nuanced and complex, yet layered and velvety, this wine is in perfect balance, makes no missteps and does about everything you could want a 1989 St. Emilion to do. Long, beautiful, finish that is even lusher than the wine, even after hours of decanting. It would have been interesting to see how this showed without the decanting, but after hours of decanting it seemed fresh and pristine. 95 points.
• 1990 Chateau La Conseillante
  Sure, you COULD spend your money on Petrus. But you could get several bottles of this for the same price, and at least equivalent quality. Some would say better. This is quintessential Pomerol. A stunning bouquet precedes a rich, deep, lush wine that rolls around in your mouth and coats your tongue. Long, sweet finish. With air, it kept putting on weight and developing, not only not thinning out, but getting thicker and richer. This wine is about to go through a dumb stage, I think, and at that point, it will need another five years of cellaring before it recovers. So, if you want to commit infanticide, this is a good time. Superlative Pomerol. 97+ points, not at peak yet.
• 1982 Chateau Lynch Bages
  After opening this, there was some obvious evidence of leakage. Yet, the wine was still remarkable. The somewhat burnt tar finish indicative (to me) of a wine that has suffered a little marred the whole. But the wine still shows remarkable lushness some fifteen years after bottling. A slightly damaged wine this rich, this velvety, this ripe, this old? What contrarian suggested that the '82s are fading? Try some pristine, well stored bottles, buddy. Or even this one. 92 points.
• 1985 Chateau L'Arrosée
  This has less flesh on it than any 85 L'Arrosée I've had. I tend to like them youngish, and I haven't had any in a couple of years, so perhaps this is representative, perhaps not. It is, however, almost Burgundian styled, pretty nose, charming, elegant, but a little too thin for a major Bordeaux in a rich vintage. A lot to like, but well short of exceptional. 87 points.
  

  Burgundy (except dessert/sparkling)

• 1989 Charmes-Chambertin (Serafin)
  A wine that is drinking perfectly, and won't be any better ever. This wine admittedly lacks some depth and concentration. As grand crus go, it is not exceptional. But it is charming and elegant, the fruit retains intensity of flavor, it develops in the glass and drinks easy. You could do a lot worse. 88 points.
• 1994 Chevalier-Montrachet (Niellon)
  Like a lot of 94 whites, this seems a little thinner and more watery than it should be. Niellon delivers his trademark long, leesy finish, and the wine develops a little in the glass, but the fruit just isn't there for the big wine treatment, and for its status it is a bit too thin and diluted, and lacks intensity. A short term wine. 87 points.
• 1988 Givry 1er Cru "Clos Salomon"
  I liked this a lot.  Givry at age 10 this good is a revelation, even acknowledging that 1988 is a vintage that tends to produce long lived wines.  This is fully open, absolutely ready to drink and infused with cherry flavors and sweet fruit. There isn't much of a sharp berry edge that you get in most Burgundy, but the fruit is super on its own terms.  The finish is a bit short and the wine doesn't develop a whole lot thereafter, so it loses a few points there,  but it holds well when open and goes down easy. Round and soft and lovely for current consumption.  89 points.
• 1992 Clos de la Roche "Vielles Vignes" (Ponsot)
  As they say in Burgundy, there are no great wines, just great bottles.  The first bottle I had of this (from a different source) was simply fantastic, and others who have it had in similar condition have raved as well, calling it the wine of the vintage. This was still good, but a lot of superlatives were lacking. The wine opened a bit tight and charmless, and while it eventually opened and developed well,  acquiring some velvety texture and more flavorful fruit, it never came close to delivering the intense flavor and mouth coating texture of the prior bottle I had. Whether that is because this bottle was not stored as well before I acquired it, or because the extra six to twelve months has proven that it is a short term wine for current drinking, I won't know until further experiments. Of course, having to experiment with Ponsot is not a bad thing.  :)   89 points.
• 1988 Santenay "Gravières" (Jessiaume)
  Jessiaume in good vintages makes big Santenays that belie the appellation's reputation for modest, good value Burgundy. This 88 has rounded into form, and is now fully open, on the gentle side,  but still vibrant, and a long way from showing signs of being tired. Reasonable finish, excellent integration of all components. 88 points.
  

  California/USA (Red) (except dessert/sparkling)

• 1993 Zinfandel "Geyserville" (Ridge)
  Funny thing, this is one of Ridge's weak vintages. It is losing a bit of fruit, and lacks the depth and elegance of, say, the 1990 to compensate. It is still sweet and fragrant, still rich and ripe. If you didn't know what a great Ridge vintage was like, you would never guess this has slipped a notch. Drink these babies up; they're tasty now and as ready as they will ever be. 88 points.
• 1991 Cabernet "Cask 23" (Stag's Leap)
  This is a wine that can easily get lost in the shuffle. Like a lot of Stag's Leap wines, it is focused and elegant rather than big and heavy. It seems almost berry flavored, loaded with charm and subtle intensity. A wine that doesn't scream out to you at first, but keeps getting friendlier and friendlier. Drinking nicely now, will continue to improve. 91 points.
• 1976 Cabernet Reserve (Beaulieu)
  Thinning and decaying, this wine has relatively little of interest. If you like them on their way to the grave, so be it. The oxidation, the tea leaves on the finish and the smell of decay are all bad enough. However, the fruit has no lushness and the flavors are muted to boot. The wine is not a disaster, certainly, but it has lost most of its charm and fruit. It is of interest now mostly to those who like this sort of thing. 82 points.
• 1986 Cabernet "Howell Mountain" (Dunn)
  I'm still waiting to taste a Dunn I really like. As they age, they all tend to show like this. Mouth drying tannins on the finish---we all knew that!---and, here's the surprise, relatively lean, austere fruit. This was always a wine with a "big wine" reputation, and to me that means fruit first and foremost. The question was always whether the fruit would match the tannins, and certainly a lot of people said no. But it is surprising how muted the fruit is here and how light the wine seems. The fruit is not just overwhelmed by the tannins, which have moderated somewhat except on the finish, but seems too modest. It would seem, gulp, almost elegant. For me, too little fruit with too little flavor, and ultimately marred by an astringent finish. 85 points.
• 1994 Dominus
  Rank this as a legendary cabernet, something people will use as a benchmark hereafter. Big, thick, deep and long, this wine still doesn't seem clumsy or overbearing. That's because the fruit is lush and velvety, the tannins supple and ripe, the wine amazingly approachable at the moment. Serve this blind and watch it put a lot of big name Pomerols to shame. 97 points.
• 1994 Cabernet (Colgin)
  Distinctive cabernet that will be another 1994 legend. This wine is not as big a the Dominus, is more focused, and at the moment is marked by a bit more oak, which should integrate completely with the fruit given some time. Herbal notes create unusual overtones rather than cabernet varietal characteristics, but I suspect this will blow off with age. The wine is surprisingly open now, given Colgin's track record, but look for it to close down and be a long term, slowly developing wine that will always have considerable intensity and the ability to develop and change. The auction market is going crazy on this wine, and frankly just about no young wine is worth the prices this is getting. But it's the real deal. 94 points.
• 1990 Cabernet "Special Selection" (Caymus)
  Silky, elegant wine that has good fruit and anisette characteristics, probably as a result of the heavy overlay of American oak. This wine has so much going for it, that you could only wish the oak were a little less obvious and better integrated. Nine years out, the oak is not likely to integrate much better, and is destined to overwhelm the fruit always. The wine tastes great, is otherwise in great balance, and is hard to dislike entirely from many aspects. It's just marred by too much oak for the amount of fruit present. 89 points.
• 1994 Pinot Noir "Santa Maria Valley" (Lane Tanner)
  This wine seems to have developed a bit of a cult following. I just can't understand why. Perhaps it is because the producer seems almost to make it a crusade. Here's an elegant wine. It's feminine. It has finesse. So much for all those wine writer types. (Here, insert especially, from their point of view, no doubt, Robert Parker.) Well, although I tend to like wines with more depth and concentration, in pinot noir, at least, there's a serious place for elegance and finesse, as long as those words do not become euphemisms for lack thinness and lack of concentration. This wine's problems have nothing to do with the so-called elegance issue though. It is a little too light, and a little too lacking in depth to some extent. But its bigger problems center around its vegetal aspects. Burgs that have gone a bit wrong can often show like this, green and stemmy. The wine does a lot right, has nice texture and perfume, but lacks the purity of flavor that a really elegant pinot would provide. The wine has also developed poorly since my first taste of it, when it seemed to have a hard tannic veneer that I thought covered nice fruit. Not bad. Hardly a crusade or a cult wine, though. 85 points.
• 1995 Sangiovese (Atlas Peak)
  The price has crept up (where hasn't it???) a bit on this regular bottling--which I bought in Pennsylvania for around $15. However, I have seen it selling for around $11 elsewhere.  The quality remains good. The wine is a touch tart on opening, but has excellent structure and balance otherwise.  It blossoms nicely, revealing some cherry nuances.  It is subtle on flavor, like most sangiovese, but has more than a lot of "real" ones.  The tannins on the finish are reasonably refined and will moderate in six to twelve months. The wine develops in the glass nicely, although ultimately it is a bit short and simple.  Good performance,  and at  the $11 level a superb buy.  87 points.
• 1994 Dominus
  Rank this as a legendary cabernet, something people will use as a benchmark hereafter. Big, thick, deep and long, this wine still doesn't seem clumsy or overbearing. That's because the fruit is lush and velvety, the tannins supple and ripe, the wine amazingly approachable at the moment. Serve this blind and watch it put a lot of big name Pomerols to shame. 97 points.
• 1994 Pinot Noir "Hellenthal" (W.H. Smith)
  Routine pinot that has a reasonable bouquet, some nice cherry notes, average concentration, and a modicum of charm. Not bad wine, but does nothing exceptional, lacks a good finish,  not much depth.  Pleasing, but hardly a premium wine to kill for. 85 points.
• 1994 Syrah (Truchard)
  I had never heard of this Syrah, but chalk another victory up to California's Rhone Clone assault. How many good syrahs are there? Well, see below, plus Bedford Thompson, Swanson and others.  Truchard has a winner. The wine opens showing very concentrated fruit that ends in an almost sugary finish due to the ripeness of the fruit. Yet, the wine has loads of character. It develops well in the glass, and with air shows leather and anisette nuances.  I will be interested to see how this evolves, but it looks like a wine that both needs and will greatly benefit from two to three more years of cellaring.  Tight and muscular. A winner. 90 points.
• 1995 Syrah "Durrell" (Edmunds St. John)
  This is probably America's benchmark Syrah at this point. It seems to get better every year. When I last had this, bottled but pre-release,  it seemed a bit dumb. No more. Call this a wine that pulls out all the stops,  except that  in weight it always remains moderate. The fruit is super ripe,  rich, sweet and utterly pristine. It seems like concentrated essence of syrah on the finish.  The texture is pure velvet. The nice thing is that it will hold and develop. This grapey fruit bomb,   remarkable as it is, will also develop character and show off some structure. If I had to search for a criticism, I could say that the finish should be a bit better and more complex,  the depth a bit deeper.  But in blind tastings, I wonder how many famous syrah based wines this would trounce?  92 points.
• 1994 Sangiovese (Silverado)
  Unlike the Atlas Peak, this wine, and the Firebreak below, aim for bigger statements in the Italo-clone arena. The Silverado was an incredibly forward, grapey wine when young, around the time of its release.  Today, it has gained a little character, but its predominant impression is still of sweet fruit.  It opens a tad tart, but develops nicely into a medium bodied, ripe wine.  The flavor is very pleasing, and a lot of "real" sangiovese could only wish they did so well.  88 points.
• 1994 "Firebreak" (Shafer)
  To me, this is the best Italo-clone in the American market. It has it all. When young, it had so much tannin and was so tight that it was hard to find.  I thought it would come around, and it is starting to.  It still opens very tight, and very tannic.  The tannins moderate quickly, though, and the fruit levels seem twice as concentrated as the Silverado.  The fruit is not as forward or sweet, but the finish is much better, the depth and intensity on another level.  This wine is evolving beautifully and of the Italo-clones I've tasted, none has ever showed better. 91 points.

• NV Champagne "Cramant" Grand Cru Blancs de Blancs (Guy Larmandier)
  Gorgeous artisanal champagne that combines toasty, creamy fizz with good acidity, crispness, good length and ageworthy fruit. A find, and a blend of 1988 and 1989 vintages. Exceptional. 93 points.
• NV Geoffroy Reserve Brut 1er Cru
  Crisper, less deep, and less concentrated than the Larmandier, but tightly focused and very pleasing in a light, effervescent style. 89 points.
• NV Feuillatte 1er Cru Rosé
  This readily available sparkler is made in a crowd pleasing style. Fruity, seemingly slightly sweet, with cherry overtones, it is saved from mediocrity by a good finish. It has no pretensions of grandeur. It is simply a well made, crisp, readily accessible, fruity and forward champagne. 87 points.

• 1969 Port "Boberg Reserve" (KWV)
  This South African "port" is a head turner, and an incredible value at just $25. The 1970 was perhaps a bit deeper and lusher, but this has pure and fully open fruit, and a tannic backbone for further aging. The fruit is a little thinner than on the 1970, but it is sweet and delicious with red berry overtones. . A startling find. 90 points.
• 1994 Moskateller Durkheimer Trockenbeerenauslese (Darting)
  Amber color belies the fact that this wine needs lots more age. At the moment the acidity is dominating the sweetness and it seems oddly restrained for a TBA. I find these pick up weight with age, but still, where's the syrupy characteristics? Crisp and pleasing, but nowhere near what I expect in a great or even very good TBA.  Others have said other bottles showed differently. This is how this one showed. 87 points.
• 1980 Port (DOW)
  This is a port that lacks greatness, but has considerable charm and is rounding into shape.  The wine opens with some relatively supple tannins, and evolves into a flavorful, pleasing whole.  Can't afford 77s?  Try some 1980s. Easier to drink, loads of charm, more supple, and  a LOT cheaper.  89 points.
• NV Tokay "Rosewood Vineyard" (Chambers)
  Interesting, hard to find wine from Australia.  The specialty cuvées can be very expensive, costing upwards of $60 a half.  The regular bottlings are under $15 and provide a  pretty good insight into how the others show.  This is unique as a wine. It seems more like a creamy brandy. The closest thing I can think of is a Beaumes de Venise.  It lacks the harshness of brandy, but lacks the voluptuousness or extreme sweetness of most dessert wines. This is, in fact, probably best served as an aperitif.  It goes with basically nothing.  Good length.   Subtle, intense flavors.  On opening, it holds more or less forever. Too different to rate; it is what it is. It will offend no one, I think, but many will wonder what the fuss is about.

  Other

• 1993 Tenuta Farneta Bongoverno
  Interesting Italian wine that has elegance, flavor, a soft, gentle aspect and enough velvety fruit to command your attention. Perhaps, a bit thin, lacking a bit of depth. But charming. 88 points.
• 1996 Riesling Kabinett "Herrenberg" (Maximim Grünhauser)
  Terrific Kabinett in all respects. Young Kabinett can often be too tart and acidic, but this is blooming and open, with surprisingly rich, ripe fruit. The acidity is there, and it comes through mostly on the crisp finish that has just a hit of lemons. Slightly off dry. 90 points.
• 1996 Chardonnay Montes Alpha Special Cuvée
  This Chilean chard is a revelation. I'm not sure it's available yet in the USA, but it will ultimately sell for around $18. It's creamy and buttery, long and leesy, tastes even better as it warms up (a good sign) and no one would guess it's "only" Chilean. A lot of California chards and Burgs could only wish they delivered this much flavor and character for under $20. Its main flaw is depth. It's a 1996 and drinking just fine now. It doesn't seem to have the intensity to be a great ager. That is, we're not talking 1992 Le Montrachet. Still, this is an extremely impressive effort that wowed a table full of cynics. I'll be interested to see whether it develops as I think. For now, ignoring aging issues, give it 90 well deserved points.
• 1994 Cabernet Porquenó Reserva "R"
  This special reserve Chilean cab (the "R" is the special reserve, as opposed to the ordinary reserve, which frankly didn't seem all that much different) is not imported into the USA, at least not yet. It will sell for under $20. It opens fruity and lush, and seems like a good mid-level cab. It does not develop overly well after that first hit of fruit blows off, but there's a lot here to like, good varietal character and velvety, if not particularly deep, fruit. 87 points.


Rhone / Southern French

• 1997 Tursan "L'Imperatrice" (Caves Cooperative)
  This little known appellation is very small, and has only a few vignerons.  This wine is a nice little aperitif with some tropical fruit, and a touch of sweetness, but is disappointingly thin and airy.  Inoffensive, modest, light and airy.  Chef Alain Dutournier seems fond of it, although I can't imagine why.   I think it little more than a refreshing palate cleanser. Ready to drink now.  78 points.
• 1994 Madiran (Barréjat)
  Here's a nice little Madiran from a producer I bet you don't know.  A rich grapey start turns into a moderately tannic wine. The young fruit is supported by a nice structure, and it has flavor, depth and intensity.  Ok, it's not a great wine, but it is a great buy.  Also an Alain Dutournier favorite.  88 points.
• 1996 Jurançon (Chateau Jolys)
  Slighly off dry, too thin to be much more than an aperitif, this wine nonetheless mascarades as a dessert wine. Pleasing, pure, but wholly unexceptional and lacking any depth whatsoever.  80 points.
• 1994 Côte Rotie (Guigal)
  A delicious Guigal.  It's amazing how sweet, grapey and fruity this wine starts out.   The fruit is rich and velvety, soft and supple.  The tannins are so overwhelmed that you don't notice that they were there until the wine has had an hour to breathe.  When they do show up, the tannins are supple are ripe.  This wine seems just a little short on depth and intensity, but it is long on appeal and flavor.   It might not be a long term wine, but it is irresistible now.  90 points.
• 1985 Madiran (Chateau Montus)
  For me this has always been a benchmark Madiran, and this most recent tasting (in France) has done nothing to change my mind.  The wine opens a touch rustic, with leathery nuances, but then it blossoms. The fruit becomes silkier, proceeds to open up, and the velvet coats your tongue.  The finish is superb, and the wine still has a tannic backbone to support further aging.  I wonder if it will improve more, but it surely will not decay for many more years.  Sensational balance, somehow producing great depth, flavor and the appearance of  restraint at the same time. Shows more elegance than you think you could find in Madiran.   Nice nose of roasted chestnuts.   Lovely wine.  92 points.
• 1994 Cotes du Luberon (Domaine de Fontenille)
  I've reported on this last year,  and then the wine seemed harder and tannic, and took a long while to open in the glass.  It badly needed some cellar time, a year or so has helped it immensely.  This is one of France's great value wines, usually around $10.  Now, it showing some silky elegance and sweet fruit.  It has opened nicely, but it still holds well in the glass. The finish is a bit short, and now that the tannins have moderated, you can discern that the fruit lacks a bit of depth,  but as a $10 wine this is a big winner. 88 points.
• 1989 Hermitage "Monier de la Sizeranne" (Chapoutier)
  Overshadowed by the 1990, this wine shows more elegance and charm, some tannin on the finish, and the ability to develop in the glass. Its character was revealed as it sat for a considerable time; the first tastes were pleasing but a bit dumb. It is not an exceptional wine, but it is a very good one that can be cellared safely for years, and probably should be.  88 points.
• 1989 Chateauneuf du Pape (Chateau de la Gardine)
  Ripe, succulent CdP that shows lots of aging potential. The fruit is rich, the structure is there, and this wine will improve for sure with some cellaring. I rather liked it tonight, finding its velvety texture and strawberry nuances perfectly charming now. It's in the plateau of optimal drinking time, but not quite at peak.  90 points.
• 1966 Chateauneuf du Pape (Chateau de la Gardine)
  A wine that has held miraculously well and provides tremendous amounts of pleasure at this stage of life.  The fleshiness has gone, and some acidity is popping out to the fore, but the wine is still in excellent condition. It has an earthy, rustic demeanor with nuances of leather and smoke, the flavors are still of fruit and not of decay, and hours later it has not given up.  Thinning, but not exactly dying. I liked it a lot better than I expected.  Of comparable quality to the 1989, but, of course, very different. Only time will tell whether the '89 ages as gracefully.  90 points.
• 1994 Syrah "La Rosine" (Ogier)
  Disappointing wine.  Modest and medium bodied, this wine does nothing to excess, including deliver much flavor. It has some pleasing nuances and some grapey forwardness. It seems to be drinking just fine now.  Unexeceptional, but a very good value.  85 points.
• 1994 Cote Rotie "Champin le Seigneur" (Gerin)
  Somewhat strange Cote Rotie that has the very forward, slightly "bubblegum" nuances of  a wine that had some carbonic maceration. The wine doesn't seem to have much structure or character, the fruit is one dimensional and simple. It is pleasing as a short term wine that is not worth obsessing about, but no more.   87 points.
• 1995 Chateauneuf du Pape "Cuveé Etienne Gonnet" (Domaine Font de Michelle)
  Up front and very ripe grenache flavors make this a wine that delivers. The tannins are a little too forward at the moment, although relatively supple,  but the wine is in good balance and simply needs a couple of years in the cellar. Oodles of fruit, perhaps not enough rich velvety texture.  A forward, slightly flamboyant wine that is hard to dislike. It will be interesting to see how it develops, as I have no experience with this estate.  89 points.
• 1985 Gigondas (Raspail-Ay)
  Gigondas does not age much more gracefully than this. Oh, you can tell the fruit is beginning to dry out, and the tannins are going to outlive it.  There's a faint smell of oxidation on the nose, but it does not follow through on the palate, which seems sweet, still concentrated and alive.  The finish is lovely, too, but the flavors have been muted a bit by age. It has passed peak a little, but still provides a lot to enjoy. 88 points.
• 1995 Condrieu (Chapoutier)
  Some wines just seem to deliver great nose.  Muscat comes to mind. Forward Viognier often does the same. This wine, though, never came close to tasting as good as it smelled. The pear aromas and aftertaste were fun, but the thin, seemingly diluted body made the wine boring and uninteresting. 84 points.

   

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  Copyright © 1998, all rights reserved, Mark Squires.