Bibendum tasting and more wines at home

26 January

Bibendum tasting, London

Very difficult tasting. Over-crowded. Annoying room lay-out and catalogue: could not move easily from room to room, nor get anywhere near the wines. Tasted a few essentials needed for assignments, and left.

Riesling 2009, Wolf by Ernst Loosen

From Pfalz region – terroir more mineral than others. Superb.

Blue Slate Riesling 2009, Dr. Loosen

A fruitier style – lovely. Prefer previous.

Wehlener Riesling Kabinett 2007, Dr. Loosen

Perfectly constructed. Body, acidity, perfect balance – serious extracts.

Bernkasteler Rielsing Beerenauslese 2006, Dr. Loosen

Big, ripe, intoxicating fruit underscored with a perfect dose of lively acidity.

Riesling Grand Cru Osterberg 2008, Cave de Ribeauville, Alsace

Beautiful restraint and minerality.

Pinot Gris 2007, Jean Baltenweck, Alsace

Organic range. Very well-done. Elegant, discreet fruit and huge minerality.

Barbera 2009, Riva Leone, Piedmont, Italy

Salty minerality. Beautifully perfumed, but too alcoholic, hot and unbalanced.

Barbaresco 2008, Riva Leone

100% Nebbiolo…still too young but full of potential – strong varietal character and balanced tannins – to see.

Barolo 2006, Riva Leone

100% Nebbiolo…aging very well. Perfectly balanced. Clean, straight-forward, well-made.

Fico Grande Sangiovese 2010, Poderi dal Nespoli, Romagna

Very young, obviously. Nice minerality, correctly made. But more than that? A solid start, but will have to see.

Pinot Noir Alto Adige 2008, Alois Lageder

I love Pinots from AA…but this one was boring and had that medicinal cherry bon-bon taste that high-yield, thin, metallic Pinots can have. Attending producer was in fine fettle – rude, rude.

Krafuss Estate Pinot Nero 2007, Tenutae Lageder

Stunning, well-made: from nose to finish. Perfumes of lavender and silk, lively palate with good acidity, but not too much. Volnay in style. Superb.

Rully 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes Vincent Girardin 2007, Burgundy

(Bourgogne blanc) Thin, diluted, too much grapefruit (industrial-flavoured yeasts), little extracts, lacking structure and texture. Commercial in style. Typical of the 2007’s (a “restaurant” vintage) but this one did not do well at all.

Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru En Virondot, Domaine Marc Morey 2004

Good matiere, solid, but over-oaked. Lacking acidity.

Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Folatieres Domaine Alain Chavy 2004

Superb. Well-balanced. Good extracts. Will cellar very well.

Meursault Domaine Matrot 2006

Very powerful – solid extracts and fruit. Well-balanced. Will cellar.

Meurault 1er Cru Blagny Domaine Matrot 2004

Intense and powerful fruit and matière. That typical “gout de vas”: the mineral, saltiness from the bottom of a stream.

Life from Stone Sauvignon blanc 2010, Springfield Estate, South Africa

I love this estate – tasted them first in South Africa in 2001. But this SB is too New World in style for me. Too overt and obvious. Prefer their Chardonnays.

Wild Yeast Chardonnay 2008, Springfied Estate, South Africa

Mineral and crisp, clean, big and fruity but restrained and elegant at the same time. Rivals a lot of the white burgundies lately.

Methode Ancienne Chardonnay 2006, Springfield Estate, South Africa

Even better. Solid, elegant, complex and layered. Perfect minerality and acidity. With that goût de vase you find in older white burgundies…so salty and earthy.