Chateau Arnauld 2000

80 points

Pretty ordinary claret.  Muddy.  And this is a good vintage.

Seppelt jaluka chardonnay 2006

Oaky, nice oak but gives a raspy finish.

Corona de Castilla prestigio 2004

Ribera Del Duero. 14%

American oak. Not special.

Grosset piccadilly chardonnay 2005

87 points

Adelaide Hills, South Australia. 14%

Unexpected herbaceous aromas. Polished wine with considerable glycerol yet also green characters.

Couhins la gravette 2006

80 points

Pessac Leognan, France. 13%

More Sav Blanc than white Bordeaux. Clean and simple.

Warre’s 1963

89 points

Seemed very sweet a true dessert wine. Perhaps because I had no eaten anything sweet prior?

Chateau Lagrange 1998

90 points

Saint Julien, Bordeaux, France

Very attractive in a warm toasty oak style. Oddly overshadowed by Lascimbes 2001 and (less surprisingly) Lafite 88 on the night.

Chateau Lascombes 2001

90+ points

Margaux, Bordeaux, France. 13%

The Wine Doctor said this vintage of Lascombes appeared oddly forward, though delicious. But that’s not really the sort of wine I encountered. This is youthful, quite dense with a good deal of slightly intrusive oak. I enjoyed the meaty flavours (unusual for Margaux), it’s an interesting wine.

Lascombes is returning to fine form after a reported poor patch in the 90s.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1988

96 points

Pauillac, Bordeaux, France. 12.5%

Surprisingly youthful colour, with a luminousity that suggests acidity.

Fresh yet complex, and rather delicious inviting aromas. Classic cedar, touch herbaceous. Perhaps more like Margaux.

Fine elegant long wine, with a surprising (for 20 years old) tannic finish – but a long, not hard short, finish. This is very good. Such confidence to make such an impressive wine without making a blockbuster, nothing is forced and yet it is still concentrated and clearly built for age.

I don’t think this wine has peaked yet, perhaps 5 more years and then expect it to plateau for 20 years. Which is all very impressive – this must be a good bottle i.e. great cork.

Sepp Moser Banfalu 2001

74 points

Apetlon, Burgenland, Austria. 13%

I know nothing about this medium bodied dry red (bought in Hamburg).  Slight mushroom tones on the nose.  Dilute fairly plain wine.  Drink now.

Clos Floridene 2004

89 points

Graves, Bordeaux, France. 13%

Quite a lovely left bank Merlot dominant blend. Fresh. Good substance and attractive oak – really needs another couple of years.

Denis Dubourdieu shows he can make very good reds as well as whites.

Meerea Park hell hole Shiraz 2003

90+ points

Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia. 14%

A pure line of firm ripe flavour. Needs another 3 years at least.

Kabminye Hubert Shiraz 2001

88 points

Barossa, South Australia. 14%

Good value. Developing some aged greasepaint ( added acid) character. Rather sweet though, needs to be carefully matched to food. Imagine if they had used American oak!

Taltarni Shiraz 2002

90+ points

Pyrenees, Victoria, Australia. 14%

Rather fine, beautifully balanced Shiraz. Building in flavour ( best in another 3 years). Elegant.

Mount Pleasant Elizabeth semillon 2003

87+ points

Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. 11.5%

More forward than usual, or perhaps forward is the wrong word, the difference here (presumably due to the hot vintage) is that the wine is soft with lanolin character. But it is still fresh and young. Great price.

2008 Bordeaux vintage harvest begins

Decanter magazine’s website reports that the the 2008 Bordeaux vintage harvest is underway as of the 4th of September.  White varieties only at this stage, reds are 3-4 weeks away:

“Harvest dates all over the region are around two weeks behind usual, due to a lack of sunshine throughout the growing season. There is, however, generally less rot in the vineyards than last year, due to good weather in the last two weeks of August.  But rain started falling again earlier this week.”

Fruit quality on the whites is looking good.  We’ll have to see for the reds.  Having spent much of the growing season in Bordeaux (see earlier report) I’m expecting them to be better than 2007, but not expecting a ripe concentrated vintage like 2000 or 2005 (and thankfuly nothing like 2003).

Look what The Weather Channel is forecasting, more mild Summer:

Les Hauts de Pontet Canet 2001

87 points

Pauillac, Bordeaux, France. 13%

Quite stylish, ruby red currant sort of wine. Not the concentration of a classes growth. The aromas reminded me of kiwi Cabernet.

Nice wine but I had secret hopes it would be better given the Grand Vin from 2001.

Les Hauts de Pontet Canet 2001

87 points

Pauillac, Bordeaux, France. 13%

Quite stylish, ruby red currant sort of wine. Not the concentration of a classes growth. The aromas reminded me of kiwi Cabernet.

Nice wine but I had secret hopes it would be better given the Grand Vin from 2001.