The 1997 Vintage: Other Tasting Notes
Kicking off this ‘Rest of the World’ instalment of my tasting of wines at fifteen years of age (the wines, not me) is a lone wine from Champagne, the 1997 La Grand Année from Bollinger. Although I have heard Matthieu Kauffmann and Stephen Leroux of Bollinger speak very highly of this vintage, for me it has always been the least exciting example of La Grand Année in recent years. The same could perhaps be said of the 1997 Cuvée Frédéric Émile from Trimbach which, although in itself a good wine, is certainly outclassed by other vintages I have tasted.
Moving swiftly on to the Rhône, here was another selection of wines which showed well, but not brilliantly. The fruit for all these wines was hanging on the vines as I limped past in my aged Roadster, which adds a frisson of sentiment to the tasting, but being more calculating and cold about it none of these wines were stellar. The 1997 Châteauneuf du Pape from Château de Beaucastel showed nicely, as did the 1997 Cornas from Noël Verset (although I have had other bottles which have tasted more convincing than this one). Nevertheless other subsequent vintages would show these wines for what they really are I think, which is good, perhaps even ‘worthy’, but certainly not excellent.
Much more convincing delights came from other regions, with superior performances from Fritz Haag and Weingut von Hövel in Germany, presenting two very fine 1997 Spätlesen from the Oberemmeler Hütte and Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr vineyards, from Fonterutoli in Tuscany, the 1997 Castello de Fonterutoli having long been a favourite of mine, and Ridge in California, where Paul Draper seems to have made a very decent 1997 Geyserville. Other regions and countries had their turn in the limelight, although I shall not detail every one of them. I can not overlook the final wine, however, as rounding off the tasting in a manner most suitable, the 1997 Vintage Port from Graham’s showed a beautiful composition, even if it did seem a little more evolved than my last taste a few years ago (as, perhaps, it should be). Other vintages, such as 1994, may well be superior, but there is plenty to enjoy in this vintage too from the Douro, I think. (4/12/12)
