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This weekend Chateau Grand-Pontet (Saint-Emilion) 2000 and Chateau de Saint Cosme (Gigondas) 2005.

The Bordeaux, one of my earliest EP purchases (from Laithwaites STWC), has been drinking beautifully over the last 10+ years. Continued not to disappoint but strangely evaporated in the decanter and a second bottle was required. As GEAG would say "proper Bordeaux". Perfect now, with lovely soft fruit and tannin and a delightful roundedness in the mouth, but no rush to finish if it's been well stored.

The Rhone, another EP purchase (from The Wine Society), a very different experience. After a two hour decant, meat and spice on the nose, although maybe still a little closed. Palate dominated by tannin and not much else. Needs more time to soften? Very little sediment when decanted.

@ nac - 'minor wines' from the 2000 Bordeaux vintage have been a delight since about 2005. I have long since drunk all mine purchased EP (Cissac, Tour St Bonnet, Tour de By (£55/dozen IB, sob), Haut-Batailley, Fonbadet).

winesecretary wrote: ↑11:30 Mon 09 May 2022 @ nac - 'minor wines' from the 2000 Bordeaux vintage have been a delight since about 2005. I have long since drunk all mine purchased EP (Cissac, Tour St Bonnet, Tour de By (£55/dozen IB, sob), Haut-Batailley, Fonbadet).

Interestingly MWH has a case of the Cissac 2000 for £420 (£35 per bt)...

2000 was my first proper EP Bordeaux purchase - four whole cases! Grand Puy-Lacoste, Lagrange (Pomerol), Grand-Pontet and de la Riviere. A few of each remain.

Nothing exciting recently apart from an Enrico Santini 2001 Montepergoli (Bolgheri Rosso DOC). Drinking well, probably not going to get any better.

I opened a bottle of Nicolas Feuillate 2004 Champagne on Sunday. Sadly it was corked; only the second bottle of corked Champagne I’ve ever opened, the previous bottle being another one of these.

Opened a bottle of Chateau Gloria 1988 last night. It's drinking at its peak and was damn delicious with none of the brett I encountered in the last bottle of claret I tried a couple of weeks ago (which was Grave Figeac 2015 - why is anyone in Bordeaux still making wines which reek of brett? Oh yes, because they have such bad quality fruit that they need to hide the flavours of the fruit behind a wall of horse manure.)

A quite lovely bottle of Morey St Denis 2013, Domaine Dujac over lunch at Hambleton hall on Saturday. Pinot noir both ethereal and earthy, which is a very difficult line to tread.

Sunday 5th June - World’s End "Rocksteady" (Proprietary Estate Reserve Red Wine - Napa Valley) 2014. Cab Franc & Merlot Bordeaux-ish blend that blind you'd probably guess as Left Bank.

Part of the Jonathan Maltus empire.

Very good. Might improve. Lovely now.

Monday 6th June - Craneford "John Zilm" Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

The last bottle from several cases of Craneford wines picked up from a broking list a few years ago. Worked out around £10 per bottle.

Mature, but no obvious "browning" with plenty of black fruit on the nose still. Well balanced with nice acidity and some soft tannin. Oak, chocolate, and plenty of fruit to taste. Still pretty good, but surely more than the stated 14.5%.

Shame I don't have any more.

18/6/22 - Le Gavroche for 25th Wedding Anniversary Dinner with Mrs NAC.

Started with a half bottle of Guigal's basic (ie not La Doriane) Condrieu 2019. Drinking nicely now and a perfect accompaniment to initial tasting menu courses of crab and salmon.

Then Grange de la Peres 2009. Utterly sensational. Perfectly mature, with complex notes on nose and palate. Also less than one third of the cost of the cheapest bottle I can find retail. First time I've had one of these since the last of three EP bottles of the 2000 about 10 years ago.

Finished with a glass of Vin de Constance 1992. Not past it, but over extracted. OK, but wouldn't want it again.

@ nac - that sounds like a lovely dinner! Congratulations to you and Mrs NAC, also, on achieving the quarter-century.

Congratulations for 25 years! Here's to many more!

winesecretary wrote: ↑07:10 Tue 21 Jun 2022 @ nac - that sounds like a lovely dinner! Congratulations to you and Mrs NAC, also, on achieving the quarter-century.

Many thanks. If you've not had the tasting menu there I can definitely recommend it.

Clarification point, having just checked my records...
Turns out that the Domaine de la Grange des Peres I had some of years ago was the 1994. Three bottles were purchased from La Vigneronne in February 1997 for £50 all in. Lay & Wheeler have one bottle for £1,200.

nac wrote: ↑15:16 Tue 21 Jun 2022 Turns out that the Domaine de la Grange des Peres I had some of years ago was the 1994. Three bottles were purchased from La Vigneronne in February 1997 for £50 all in. Lay & Wheeler have one bottle for £1,200.

...which is an absolute bargain when compared to the 1992 - at £7,200 per bottle.

Congrats on the silver Wedding Anniversary!

Krug NV (161st edition) - based on the 2005 vintage but going back to 1990, disgorged 2012, so 10ish years since release.

Pretty heavy duty (as you'd expect) and most definitely a food Champagne. Easily stood up to the chorizo accompanying the cod.

Excellent now but will last forever.

Dandelion Vineyards "Legacy of Australia" Pedro Ximenez XXXO

Final half a glass from an un-Vac-u-Vined half bottle that's been sitting in the fridge since last Summer when supplied and opened (and the remains then kindly donated) by SCD at Chez Doggett.

Being open for 11ish months has had no impact at all.

Beautiful raisened nose that hints at the sweetness to come. And it does... In the mouth, definitely a PX but without the cloying sugar of its Jerez cousins. The technical notes on the maker's website say 252g/l residual sugar - compared to 450+ for the Sherry version. This, with fairly high acidity gives a PX that's actually drinkable and you'll want another glass (or three).

Apparently 18.5% alcohol, but feels like less.

Really very good with the advantage that an open bottle will clearly last for ages. If you can find some then highly recommended.

2003 Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Two cases of 12 purchased en primeur. This was the 12th bottle, so 12 remain (which, I would suggest, is a result).

Absolutely no sign of any "burn" on nose or palate from the ridiculously hot vintage that was 2003.

Still plenty of nice primary fruit but with some development alongside. Very very nice & a "proper" Bordeaux.

Perfect now, but no rush to finish up. If well stored then this should easily continue to drink well for another 10 years.

Almost tempted to open a second bottle but have to start work stupid early tomorrow so will resist.

nac wrote: ↑20:48 Sun 10 Jul 2022 2003 Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Two cases of 12 purchased en primeur. This was the 12th bottle, so 12 remain (which, I would suggest, is a result).

Absolutely no sign of any "burn" on nose or palate from the ridiculously hot vintage that was 2003.

Still plenty of nice primary fruit but with some development alongside. Very very nice & a "proper" Bordeaux.

Perfect now, but no rush to finish up. If well stored then this should easily continue to drink well for another 10 years.

Almost tempted to open a second bottle but have to start work stupid early tomorrow so will resist.

Willpower equates to tensile strength of a Kit-Kat.
Second bottle opened.
Blame Mrs NAC for leading me astray.

But can report that second bottle as good as first.

After two weeks of all-inclusive in Andalusia, where the choice of wine was red/rose/white and delivered via a tap, thought I'd open something nice on return to home...

Domaine de la Vougeraie, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, 2002. One of twelve bottles obtained en primeur from Laithwaites in 2004 (for significantly less than you'd have to pay now). Has developed nicely over the last 15ish years of drinking and now showing good secondary aroma and taste notes. Fully mature, but probably plenty of time left to finish any up. Really rather pleasant.

Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases) produced.

nac wrote: ↑21:00 Fri 29 Jul 2022 After two weeks of all-inclusive in Andalusia, where the choice of wine was red/rose/white and delivered via a tap, thought I'd open something nice on return to home...

Domaine de la Vougeraie, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, 2002. One of twelve bottles obtained en primeur from Laithwaites in 2004 (for significantly less than you'd have to pay now). Has developed nicely over the last 15ish years of drinking and now showing good secondary aroma and taste notes. Fully mature, but probably plenty of time left to finish any up. Really rather pleasant.

Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases) produced.

For a moment I thought that was going to read:
Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases)…left in the cellar

Doggett wrote: ↑21:45 Fri 29 Jul 2022

nac wrote: ↑21:00 Fri 29 Jul 2022 After two weeks of all-inclusive in Andalusia, where the choice of wine was red/rose/white and delivered via a tap, thought I'd open something nice on return to home...

Domaine de la Vougeraie, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, 2002. One of twelve bottles obtained en primeur from Laithwaites in 2004 (for significantly less than you'd have to pay now). Has developed nicely over the last 15ish years of drinking and now showing good secondary aroma and taste notes. Fully mature, but probably plenty of time left to finish any up. Really rather pleasant.

Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases) produced.

For a moment I thought that was going to read:
Only 1,846 bottles (153 cases)…left in the cellar

If only...

2009 Gevrey-Chambertin, Domaine Dujac

A good correct garnet

Lovely classic Burgundian nose of earth and tea rose.

The palate more austere, the fruit hidden behind a wall of tannin and requiring slurping to extract. But very much present.

Lots of chocolatey tannins on the finish.

A fascinating conundrum. Under-decanted (one hour), not ready, or never going to come round? I think there's good wine in there. A lone bottle so who can tell...

A bottle of PJA’s Hermitage La Chapelle 1996 - mature and very savoury. Delicious drinking. Mature but no hurry to drink up.

Vinatigo vijariejo blanco 2020 from the canary islands.

Golden in the way good Meursault used to be

Nose of apricot and peach stone. Reminds me of Y De Yquem. Or maybe even a white Rhone?.

Quite a lot of glycerol on the front palate, very white rhone like. But then aromatic and dry and saline on the finish, almost like a good dry sherry. Nutty. Salted cashews?

13.5. Well worth the thirty quid it cost as a learning point alone. But it's also good drinking.