Curiously, I believe this appellation no longer “exists,” having been redefined out of existence by the INAO. Of course on anything but a technical level that is a ridiculousness; wines from this area now go by the “Chaume” label, pure and simple. At least, I think so…
Château le Crock 1996
No doubt many have remarked that French wine labels often lose something in translation.
Tyrrell's Vat 9 Hunter Shiraz 2007
I didn’t buy any Vat 8 this year, so with this note I conclude my tastings of new release Tyrrell’s reds. Unlike the 4 Acres and Old Patch, this wine is still available from cellar door.
Domaine des Baumard Vert de L'Or Sec 2000
Hard drive failures, like acts of God, can offer a useful perspective on what’s important. But mostly, they serve to highlight how badly prepared you are. In any case, my data are now residing on a redundant store whose blue LEDs periodically, reassuringly, blink at me. Time to open another bottle of wine.
Domaine des Baumard Savennières 1995
Onwards with the aged Loire Chenin tastings. This wine should make an interesting companion piece to the 1995 Domaine aux Moines sampled a few days ago.
Domaine aux Moines Savennières-Roche aux Moines 1995
On the nose, a powerful, almost off-putting, aroma of overripe fruit. Initially, oxidised characters were dominant, but the longer it sits in glass, the fresher it seems to get. The most flagrantly aged notes have receded to expose some youthfulness, although there’s no mistaking this as an older wine. Sharp tropical fruit, honey, a more savoury note (perhaps related to oxidation), but with a whole range of complexities too, floral and sherbet-like in character
Changes
Minimal is great, but after a few challenges associated with Full Pour’s last “look,” we’ve refreshed the site to a slightly more conventional, and hopefully usable, format. Enjoy.
Bannockburn Shiraz 1998
Mumm Napa Sparkling Pinot Noir NV
Either I’m getting arthritic before my time or else Mumm Napa are using some amazingly tight corks, but as per usual I had a hell of a time getting the cork out of this bad boy.I was surprised to see that this wine is a fairly dark red; it looks an awful lot like Honest Ade pomegranate blueberry drink (for you Aussies, this is an organic soft drink that’s something like a premixed cordial). Heck, it could just be pomegranate juice if we’re going by loks here. On top of the wine, there are some bubbles – lots of them – which somehow don’t look particularly elegant. They’re kind of like tiny color inverted cod roe, but I digress.It smells of strawberries and unaired broom closets. It tastes like medium quality Moldovan pinot noir, which is to say fairly good in a musty direction. It comes across as fairly dry with a short finish that hits a fruit leather, somewhat tannic note and holds there; I like it, but it seems abrupt, inelegant.Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of this. It pales by comparison to good Aussie sparkling shiraz, and Moldovan sparkling reds (eg Cricova) are far more entertaining. On the other hand, it doesn’t taste like any other Californian sparkler I’ve had, which is I suppose a good thing, and yes, I would be happy to drink this at any time (I love sparkling red wine). But is it good value?
Château Moulin Riche 1996
This is the second wine of Chateau Léoville Poyferré