Archive for category Wine Tasting Notes
2013 in review… What a year!
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on December 30, 2013
As 2013 draws to a close, it seems only appropriate to pause and take a look at the what happened during the year… and of course to make a difficult decision on choosing my favourite 2013 wine!
In summary, 2013 has been very kind to me, right from the get go in January during the 2011 Burgundy En Primeur tasting, followed by countless tasting events (I confess, mostly Burgundy :-P) and further blessed with the opportunity to visit the cellar doors and vineyards in 3 very popular Australian wine regions, Hunter Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. I’ve also managed to conquer my past misconception and ‘fear’ of Spanish Rioja and try wines from new regions in Canada and Japan.
In conclusion, I remain amazed at the effort each wine maker puts into making the wine, regardless of quality. Their dedication, passion, energy and soul is directly reflected in the glass.
The grape which I have drunk most remains Pinot Noir and this varietal still creates so much excitement. Pinot Noir wines, even though it is not blended, can taste so different just by the vintage, the soil (or as the French proudly call it, terrior) and not to mention the wine making style.
My wine highlights of the year are:
1) Artadi Pagos Viejos 2004. A fantastic Rioja wine, yes it is not their flagship ‘El Pison’ but I sense this wine will be a superstar once it enters its drinking window.
2) De Iuliis Shiraz LDR Vineyard 2011. My favourite Australian Shiraz so far. It suits my palate perfectly (yes I was also lucky enough to try the Rockford Basket Press Shiraz but prefer this).
3) Paringa Estate Pinot Gris 2011. Pinot Gris is usually the most unassuming wine ever. It is generally served as a very simple aperitif. However, the Paringa Estate Pinot Gris is just exceptional, even more so when it costs on A$20 a bottle. http://www.paringaestate.com.au/Winery/Restaurant/Product/Detail/Estate%20Pinot%20Gris%202011–13. I am not trying to plug wines (and I am in no way getting any kickbacks from the estate) but this wine really is magnificent. As the saying goes, there’s Pinot Gris and there’s PINOT GRIS 😛 😛 😛 !
4) Innocent Bystander Moscato in a can. I have never wine served in a can before, let alone a sweet Moscato. This is so unassuming but is sooooo cool. Love it especially since the wine tastes fab (for those who like sweet wines) too!
5) Mugnier Le Musigny 2007. I had so much hopes and expectations for this wine… but in the end it was an underwhelming experience. The wine felt so light. I guess Musigny fans cherish the elegance and finesse but surely some power can elevate this wine even further?
In the end, wine should definitely be shared with great company, especially the people you love and enjoy being with. This undoubtedly will turn any good wine into a great wine and it will elevate a great wine into a lovely ELIXIR!
After thinking long and hard, my favourite wine for the year is the Vougeraie Charmes Chamberin Les Mazoyeres 2007 (surprise, surprise, its a Burgundy). I’ve now had this wine on numerous occasions, next to Le Musigny and Richebourg and surprisingly, I still love this wine, especially on a price to quality ratio.
Having said that, the most special wine I’ve had in 2013 was the Burguet Chambertin Clos De Beze 2005. The wine is still far from reaching its peak but given the company and occasion, this great wine was elevated to a magical level… I’m not sure if listening to Damien Rice’s Blower’s Daughter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YXVMCHG-Nk whilst appreciating this wine elevates it even more, but it can’t hurt can it 😀 .
Finally, my thanks goes to all the winemakers who have poured their heart and soul into making all the wines tasted this year. I am also grateful to all my friends throughout the world who have shared this wonderful year with me, either it be in tasting wines, visiting wineries or just hearing me babble about wines in general. Last but not least, thank you to you all who reads this blog as I am not a professional wine critic, merely a keen drunk who enjoys trying anything alcoholic.
Happy New Year and may 2014 be an even better year for everyone!
Grand Cru Burgundy extravaganza… Is it worth it?
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on December 8, 2013
Ahhh Burgundy, the reference point of all pinot noirs. What is it about this region that makes its wine so intoxicating and so alluring? Is this a temporary infatuation or is this permanent love?
Frankly, Burgundy is a very complex region to understand. Not only are there so many different villages, there’s also the different grading of vineyards within the same village… and we haven’t even begun talking about the producers yet. Yes there are the famous producers such as DRC, Leroy, Rousseau, Mugnier which I think you need to be a billionnaire or win the lottery to be able to afford and drink nowadays (burgs being the latest Chinese craze is adding fuel to the fire) but somehow I doubt these wines score highly in the quality to price ratio. Which is why I jumped when I was presented with an opportunity to taste some of these Grand Cru wines at a specially held dinner by BBR. Since we are talking Grand Cru here, I have also taken the opportunity to add some of my other GC Burgundy drinking notes.
The wines for the dinner was shown in pairs by region, Corton Charlemagne for the whites, Musigny for the first red flight followed by Clos Vougeot.
First the pair of Corton GC
Benjamin Leroux Corton Charlemagne 2010 GC
Nose: Lovely showy nose. Honey, white flowers, pear and a hint of butterscotch
Taste: A lovely balance with a good velvety texture. Full bodied and relatively fruit forward.
Finish: A lovely 20 sec+ sweet finish
Patrick Javilier Corton Charlemagne GC 2010
Nose: Mineral with a hint of white flower. This nose is a lot more subdued when compared next to Leroux
Taste: Light medium bodied, fine acidity with minerality lingering . A more classic style
Finish: 20 Sec light finish
As the night wore on, the wine began to open up more and the fruits then decided to come out to play…
Mugnier Le Musigny GC 2007
Colour: Light red ruby
Nose: Compact and very herby. Red fruits with a hint of Asian spice.
Taste: Light to medium bodied, strong acidity but a good structure. Hint of pepper and asian spice
Finish: 20 sec finish which I felty was a tad short given the quality of the producer and the vineyard.
This wine is light with good structure. One can just about taste the red fruits but they were quite subdued and required time to open up. Is this wine worth £400 a bottle???
Domaine De la Vougeraie Le Musigny GC 2007
Colour: Deep red colour
Nose: Sweet red fruits, hint of cassis and vanilla
Taste: Medium bodied with a good velvety texture, good fruit length.
Finish: 25 second sweet tannic finish.
A lovely wine which I actually prefer over Mugnier’s
Meo Camuzet Clos Vougeot GC 2002
Colour: Dark Red with a hint of purple
Nose: Hint of vegetal dryness, red and black fruits with a hint of cassis
Taste: Good and velvety smooth texture. Medium Bodied and feels a bit hollow towards the end.
Finish: Shorth-ish 15 sec finish.
Meo Camuzet Clos Vougeot GC 2000
Nose: Hint of Vanilla, red fruits and boiled sweets
Taste: Good velvety texture, red fruits with a hint of Asian spice. Ezxcellent balance.
Finish: 25 seconds of gorgeous fruity tannins.
What a lovely wine. I was surprised that I prefered this wine to the 2002 and also to the Musigny’s. My WOTN.
The following notes were from subsequent dinners which I was lucky enough to saviour some excellent GC burgundies.
Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne GC 2008
Nose: White fruits, white flowers and honey, hint of minerality and butterscotch.
Taste: Light medium bodied with good fruit following through. Low acidity and good balance
Finish: 20 sec finish
Grivot Richebourg GC 2006
Nose: very dense nose, raspberry, hint of blackcurrant, black cherries, violet and vanilla
Taste: medium full bodied, good acidity, dense fruit with an excellent balance. Sweet tannins
Finish: 30 second finish of concentrated fruits and sweet tannins
A lovely wine. Shame it is so ridiculously expensive!
Tasted Nov 2013
Colour: Dark red, very youthful even though it has been in bottle for over 7+ years
Nose: Black cherries, blackberries, hint of Vosne spice and vanilla. Very young wine.
Taste: Good balance, medium bodied with good structure. The fruit was a bit subdued by the lovely tannins.
Finish: 30 sec+ Finish.
A lovely wine but it obviously needs another 5 years to bring out the monster inside!
In conclusion to the opening question, is Grand Cru burgundy worth it? It ultimately boils down to a matter of choice and personal judgement. The wines are very good but for the big name producers, the pricing of late has just been stratospheric. Having said that, the fun and beauty is to try and find quality GC wines from the lesser well known producers and revel that one has picked up a bargain by getting very good juice at a fraction of the price of the famous producers. Now that is definitely one of the reasons why I LOVE burgundy!
Back to the ‘Old’ world…
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on August 27, 2013
Spending over a month in Australia has definitely helped in improving my understanding and appreciation of Australian wines. Interestingly, it has also helped solidify my wine preference. There are lots of very good wines in Australia but, I’ve realised that I am a crazy fan of aged old world wines which focuses more on balance and the wines being velvety smooth.
I do have lots of friends who are big fans of strong and powerful red wines (such as Barossa Valley Shiraz’s) and I can completely understand their preference. Post my trip, I have been checking my wine notes of recently tasted old world wines and I can happily say…”Honey, I’m Home!”
Tasting
Lumiere Histoire 2011
OK… after all this talk of old world wines, what is a Japanese wine doing here :-P. This is an interesting wine from Yamanishi prefecture which I recently tasted with a few friends in Tokyo. Tasted: June 2013.
Nose: Cheesy smell, hidden white flowers, white pear
Taste: medium light body, smooth body, no acidity, no dryness.
Finish: no finish to think off.
I admit, this is not my first choice if I have one.
Champagne Lahaye, Blanc de Noir NV.
Tasted June 2013 when I visited my friends in Singapore. I’ve had this on numerous occasions and it does not disappoint.
Nose: almonds, lemon zest, hint of green apple
Taste: great balance, medium weight, good acidity,
Finish: decent finish of 20 second
A v v nice champagne to go with Chinese food (tasted with Teochew cuisine)
Clos des Papes 2001
Nose: red and blackberries, strong cherry nose, hint of white pepper
Taste: good smooth texture, secondary flavours of berries and plum. Hint tannin
Finish: long finish of 30 second
A very nice GSM blend from this legendary producer. Given its age, all the harsh tannins have receded leaving a lovely smooth texture. Tasted along the champagne with Teochew cuisine. Lovely!
Blain Gagnard Chassgne Montrachet Caillerets 1er Cru 2009
Tasted July 2013
Colour: pale straw yellow
Nose: oily, white apple, pear, white flower, honey
Taste: beautiful silky texture, typical Chassagne body with the fruit taking centre stage. White flowers and good acidity
Finish: white apple and pear finish. c25 seconds.
Lovely wine and keeps on improving in the glass. After lots of swinging, the wine opens up to velvety smoothness.
Cathiard Vosne Romanee Aux Reignots 1er Cru 2008
Tasted July 2013
Colour- dark ruby red
Nose- dense mix of red n black fruits, hint of vanilla, upon opening smells like a Pauillac then reverting back to a Vosne nose.
Taste- velvety smooth with power! Good balance between fruits and tannin. Hint of mint @ finish.
Finish- long minty finish of over 30 seconds.
A very good wine that is bound to put on more weight and improve with age.
Jean Grivot Vosne Romanee Village 2005
Tasted August 2013 in Sydney Australia.
Nose: beautiful red and black fruits, cherries, velvety rose perfume, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium bodied, good fruit, velvety fruit,
Finish: good 20 second sweet fruity finish.
A good wine but shame about paying the WET tax in Australia.
Domaine Tollot-Beaut Chorey Les Beaune 2010
Tasted August 2013
Nose: cowpat at first, then slowly opened up for red fruit, cherries, raspberry,
Taste: acidic taste, red fruits, medium light body, simple structure.
Finish: 15 second finish.
A decent and simple glass of burg. On of those daily wines if you can afford it.
Domaine De la Vougeraie, Gevrey Chambertin Les Evocelles 2009
Tasted August 2013
Nose: red fruit nose, green muskiness from the oak, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium bodied, red fruits, slight hint of acidity
Finish: short finish of 15 second
Interesting wine with the potential to add on weight after a few more cellar age.
Domaine De la Vougeraie, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2007
Tasted August 2013
Nose: red fruits, strawberries, hint to green, velvet texture, hint of mint
Taste: medium full bodied, red fruits, good texture, velvety smooth
Finish: 25 second finish
On a different level to Evocelles even though it is from the 2007 vintage. Good concentration.
Olivier Leflaive Meursault Tillets 2010
Tasted August 2013
Nose: white flower, lemon peel, hint of honeysuckle
Taste: sweet fruits, hint of apricot, slight acidity. Good texture.
Finish: 15 second semi dry finish.
Relatively simple wine given the price. Not sure if I am paying for the wine or for Leflaive???
Sebastien Magnien, Beaune !er Cru, Les Aigrots 2006
Nose: red fruits, strawberries and raspberries, hint of vanilla and lavender.
Taste: red fruits, started out light but gained weight once opened, good texture with a slight acidity
Finish: fruity finish of c20 seconds.
A half decent wine. Shame I only have a bottle.
How to add flavour to wine… and make any wine a Grand Cru!
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on June 26, 2013
I recently read an interesting article in the UK’s Guardian stating that wine tasting is junk science.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/23/wine-tasting-junk-science-analysis
This got me thinking… do we really know how to taste wine or is that just a whole bunch of codswallop??? One of my theory about the variation is that wine is ever evolving. Think about it, how many times have you had wine that tasted so tight upon opening but after a nice dinner, it opens up and you regret you drank most of the bottle too soon? Or a wine smelled so fruity and floral upon popping the cork but faded within 20 mins (that is how I got my negative Rioja experience- now thankfully cured).
But I think all the above is just trimmings at the edges. I think there is a quick sure fire way to add flavour to any wine and make it taste better. And the secret is… drumroll… drink it with REALLY GOOD COMPANY!!!
Yes some of you might be disappointed that I wasn’t suggesting adding black pepper to a glass of Syrah to enhance the peppery taste etc. But I do believe that who you drink wine with does make a huge difference and the impression on the wine. Remember Einstein’s quote of relativity: “When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity.”
So make sure you drink your wines with good company, the wines would definitely taste better!!!
Anyway, here’s some of the wines which I have been drinking in May 2013…
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer 2009
Colour: pale Orange
Nose: lychee, peachy, sweet
Taste: hint of dryness, semi sweet, good velvety texture like 50% of a dessert wine
Finish: short finish of 10 second
Overall a nice aperitif but a bit too sweet if drunk as a main meal, although next time I want to try this wine with some Thai spicy and sour dishes.
Chocolate Block, South Africa Pinotage 2011
Colour: deep red
Nose: merlot nose, red fruits, slight reduction, hint of mocha
Taste: slight acidity, creme de cassis, goos chewy texture, fruity, medium bodied
Finish: short finish of 15 second.
A good simple n fruity wine. Very easy to drink.
Louis Jadot, NSG, Les Cras 1999
Colour: pale ruby red
Nose: red fruits, raspberries, hint of strawberries, slight vegetal and hint of minerality,
Taste: Medium bodied, slight acidity, good weight n balance. The fruits have taken a back seat for the wines but are there. A hint of cherry @ finish
Finish: 15 second finish.
A nice wine which is showing well given almost 14 yrs of age.
To PC or not PC, whilst being sandwiched by an Italian and an Aussie
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on May 14, 2013
Do you remember the days when you were young and you hung out with your mates all day long without even thinking twice. Sadly, as age catches up and everyone else has different priorities, it seems harder and harder to catch up with old mates… which is all the more reason to treasure these gatherings and drink good wine! 😀
Recently, my uni mates and I arranged for a long overdue catch up (like all good 3 Michelin stars, we had to book over 1 month in advance). The location was a nice private kitchen in TST and we decided to have a mini vertical of a chateau that is currently gaining superstar status, Pontet Canet. Like all good wine tastings, we choose an Italian to get warmed up (after some bubbly of course) and a strong Aussie Cab Sauv to make sure we were all tipsy at the end of the night.
After a quick taste, it become blinding obvious that PC 2001 was denser and needed more time so we enjoyed the wines in this order; Chianti Classico, PC 2002, PC 2001 followed by Majella Coonawarra
Overall, it was a great night which was also educational the difference in vintages was more pronounced when tasted side by side. Bravo to my friends who brought the wines and I can’t wait for the next gathering!
Nose: very fruity nose of black fruits and cassis, hint of herb and mint,
Taste: medium bodied, a bit light for a Chianti, low acidity, easy to drink but a bit hollow on the mid palate.
Finish: short finish of 10 second
An OK bottle but I felt it was lacking the usual Chianti fruitiness. Perhaps it would’ve benefited with more aeration?
Nose: liquorice, dense red fruits and a hint of blackcurrant and mint,
Taste: red fruit and wine gums, slightly tannic, good fruit and medium bodied,
Finish: 20 second finish
A good wine. The wines are easy to drink and delicious when paired with food.
Nose: denser than 2002, black fruits, creme de cassis, hint of herb, sweet black fruits like blueberry, hint of vanilla
Taste: sweet red fruit, slight tannic dryness, this is still a young wine! Medium bodied and with a very good and silky texture
Finish: 30 second fin with a coffee aftertaste.
A very good wine with nice fruit. I was amazed at the finish when I sensed some coffee aftertaste…
Nose: oily texture, concentrated black fruits, alcoholic nose, hint of medicinal cough syrup
Taste: sweet cabernet sauvignon made in a new world style, not tannic, very fruity with a slightly reductive nose.
Finish: 15 second finish
A solid wine which expresses Coonawarra Cab Sauv well without being overextracted. Shame we had it after the 2 PCs!
Some old Bordeaux tasting notes
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on May 13, 2013
I’ve been trying to do some spring cleaning lately to organise my wine notes better and came across a small selection of Bordeaux wine notes tasted voer the past few years. Looking back at these notes makes me really wish I am holding a glass whilst writing these notes but alas, sanity won. Anyway, hopefully I will have a chance to open the same bottle and compare notes in the near future!
Tasted June 2011.
Initial reaction upon opening the cork:
Nose: Very strong aroma of black berries and blackcurrant. There is a hint of vanilla even though there is 12+ yrs of age. Impressive! Tight with lots of potential.
Colour- dark brick colour with a slight degradation at the rim.
After decanting for 2 hours-
Taste- chewy but smooth tannins. A hint of vegetal with a silky texture.
Finish- Good smooth finish. I could still feel the wine after 45 seconds.
Very good wine
Tasted end of June 2011.
Decanted for over 6 hours.
Colour- Ink purple colour. Very concentrated.
Nose- sweet vanilla nose with a whiff of alcohol. After some swirling then the smell of red berries start to come out.
Taste- Very nice taste with a very smooth silky texture. The wine is very balanced. There are some secondary red berries too.
Finish- a nice 45 sec finish with smooth tannins.
A very very nice wine where everything seems to come together nicely.
Tasted- December 2011
Nose- Blackcurrant, black berries, violets. No hint of vanilla.
Taste- silky smooth texture with a nice perfume and a hint of flint.
Finish- Good 45 sec finish with soft tannins.
A very elegant wine.
Tasted March 2012
Colour- dull brick colour. Very musky Given the age.
Nose- musky to begin with, followed by a nice raspberry and red fruits.
Taste- nice taste of liquorice candy. A bit sour which could be the age.
Finish- a shortish finish of c20 seconds. A tad sour aftertaste.
This wine is clearly over its peak. However, it is still a very pleasant wine nonetheless, especially after all the muskiness evaporates
Tasted December 2012 in Magnum
Nose: Hint of vanilla, cranberry and violet
Taste: Smooth texture with a simple red fruit enveloping the mouth
Finish: c20 sec finish.
Tasted December 2012.
Nose: Good nose of tobacco, vanilla, liquorice and leather
Taste: Good velvety body, smooth acidity and soft tannins.
Finish: c30 sec finish.
A lovely wine with the typical Margaux elegance
Winston's Wine World 
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