Home > Vintages and Regions > Other Wines > Odd Bottles

Odd Bottles

A collection of tasting notes from a local meeting. (7/2/02)

Tasting Notes

Tasted in February 2002. Click to locate stockists:

Bonny Doon Ca'del Solo (Santa Cruz, California) NV: An interesting, grassy, lemon-drop fruit nose here, with plenty of leafy, herbaceous nuances. Nice weight on the palate, balanced with pleasant acidity, and there is some good fruit. It develops a touch more sweetness, power and spice on the finish. Very easy to enjoy, this would be a great choice for summer quaffing. 15/20

Albert Mann Pinot Blanc Auxerrois (Alsace, France) 2000: A great nose here, rich and expressive, full of pear and melon fruit. It has some fresh, green notes which only make it seem potentially more refreshing. The palate has lovely weight, with a creamy texture, perhaps bordering on oily, but with a grainy, grippy edge. Fine acidity, some spice and plenty of fruit. This is how I like Alsatian Pinot Blanc - full of fruit, easy to drink and unpretentious. 15.5/20

Michel Bridy Rully Les 4 Vignes (Burgundy, France) 1999: Served blind. Plenty of black fruit on the nose, with slightly rubbery, leathery notes. Very expressive. A dry palate, packed with powerful black fruit, with ripe, smooth tannins providing some good structure. Correct acidity. This wine still needs time. 16/20

Villa Pigna Rozzano (Marches, Italy) 1998: Piles of ripe, dense, sweet red berry fruit on the nose here, with a lick of oak. A glossy feel to the palate, with some elegance. Soft tannins sit well with correct acidity and smooth fruit. There are some roasted herb and sausage notes which add interest. Spiciness on the finish. 16/20

Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa, California) 1996: This has a characterful, classic Cabernet nose. There are some earthy notes, together with tobacco and fruit. There is a lovely sweetness to the fruit on the palate, but nowhere near as over the top as I expected. It is a big wine, but not flabby, with great fruit, sufficient acidity and ripe tannins. 16.5/20

Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant (California) 1996: Purchased at the cellar door. This has some vegetal notes on the nose, together with some hot, stewed fruit. Nevertheless it has great texture on the palate, with an intensity of spicy, animalistic flavours. It has a mouthfilling presence, and seems almost elegant. Compared to the 1999 which I tasted recently this is very enjoyable, despite the worrisome nose. 16.5/20

Maglieri Shiraz (McLaren Vale, South Australia) 1996: One of my favourite vintages of this wine, before quality seemed to drop off from 1997 onwards. It's packed with fruit, lots of toffee oak, mint and liquorice on the nose. The palate has bags of fruit, spice and powerful oak. Enjoyed by the group as a whole, although I found it a little tiring. It reminds me of the Jaboulet Domaine de Thalabert 1996 - too much toffee and caramel oak - although this should integrate with time. A popular wine on the night, though. 15.5+/20