The Wine Log Blog

A blog of my wine tastings and reviews for anybody who likes wine or just wants a good wine recommendation. This site will be especially useful to those in Ontario, Canada shopping at the LCBO. You can search my reviews by using the search bar located at the top of the page. ----Note: Try refreshing the page if you don't see anything new!----

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Once in Awhile Wines

One of my favourite things about this wine affliction I’ve developed, and I’m sure I’m not alone on this, is opening that bottle I’ve been saving for a special occasion. Good company, good food, and good wine are a combination that has made for many a memorable evening. To me, great wines always seem better when they are shared. Sure you could drink that Cheval Blanc in a Styrofoam cup at a fast-food joint, but we all know that it would be even better if we shared it with someone we cared about while munching on some tasty grub.

I would never open the following wines on a regular day, not just because I can’t afford to, but because when I bought them I didn’t just think about how good they would be, I thought about the occasion.

2003 Clio – Bodegas El Nido
Right out of the bottle the nose explodes with raspberry jam, plum, spices, some cassis, cured and smoked meat, dark vanilla, and coconut cream. The coconut cream lingers a long time, evidence of the barrel treatment. The substantial oak adds sweetness to the nose and finish, but this wine has the stuffing to carry the oak without being smothered by it. With time in the glass a Port like spice note comes out and a curious freshly squeezed orange juice element. Suave and satisfying. 70% Mourvèdre with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. 96 Wine Advocate: “…creme de cassis intermixed with licorice, espresso roast, chocolate, and toasty oak. Its broad, intensely flavored, super-opulent personality offers up great fruit, plenty of glycerin, and a heady, long finish.” $57 95

2006 Amon-Ra Shiraz – Ben Glaetzer
This wine was a stunner. I decanted half the bottle and kept the rest in the bottle which turned out to be a good idea, because some of the delicate aromatics were lost after a few hours – proof that decanting doesn’t necessarily improve a wine. Very deep and engaging, a pure expression of the grape. Savoury soy sauce, Asian spices (cumin, black pepper), fruity chocolate, loads of blackberry. There is something mysterious and dark about this wine that is hard to articulate, like it’s hiding something in its depths. After 4 hours in the decanter medicinal aromas of menthol and an aroma that very strongly reminds me of a topical rub for sore muscles come out. Long finish with well structured fine tannins. 97-100 Wine Advocate: “…smoke, vanilla, pepper, Asian spices, coconut, espresso, blueberry, and chocolate. Thick, rich, layered, and complete, this monumental wine offers extraordinary intensity and length. It requires 10-15 years to fully evolve and should easily last through 2040.” $85 98

2004 Vintage Charles DuPuy – Mas Amiel
And now for something completely different. Ever heard of Maury? Unfortunately I hadn’t heard of this appellation in the region of Roussillon before this wine. It’s made from Grenache in a slightly off-dry style. Strongly reminiscent of Port but with an explosion of spices (black pepper, black tea), nuts, minerals, cured meat, grape skins, and sour cherry jam. The sweetness is balanced out by firm tannins. It becomes more like a nutty Tawny Port with time. This could stand with most Vintage Ports no problem. 93 Wine Advocate: “From Grenache planted in 1914, the 2004 Maury Vintage Charles Dupuy fills the nose and mouth with dried cherries, black raspberry preserves and cocoa, laced with vanilla, walnuts, shaved bitter chocolate, and szechuan peppercorns. This amazingly intense, penetrating, complex wine has a fine-grained tannic backbone yet vibrant forward fruit and viscous, opulent intensity, so enjoy it now or anytime over the next two decades.” $60 94

2005 Château Suduiraut
This comes from the highly touted 2005 vintage this was even better than I expected from the ratings. Amazingly penetrating nose of Sauternes smoke (botrytis), beeswax, caramel, candied pineapple, apricot and honey. Round and mouth coating with a long, long finish. Fresh acidity prevents this from being heavy or cloying. Absolutely love the nose! Not far off from the 2003 Chateau d’Yquem. Noticed some added complexity the next day with Riesling like petrol along with molasses and candied pineapple. Ratings are all over the place with this one: 92 International Wine Cellar “A powerfully fruit-driven Sauternes with superb depth, but it's almost too rich today”, 95-100 Wine Spectator prerelease “Better than 2003”, 93 Wine Spectator after release “…dried pineapple, honey, pear, caramel…”, 96 from Wine and Spirits, 18+/20 Jancis Robinson. $55 for 375mL 96

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