Château Castigno Secret du Dieux Saint Chinian 2011
Colour: Clear medium ruby
Nose: Lower intensity nose, dates, ripe red cherry, touch of plum sauce, liquorice.
Palate: Dry, medium+ bodied, medium acidity, medium+ tannins. Plum, red cherry, touch of pine.
Finish: Medium+ finish, spice and dark fruits.
Score: 76/100
Drinking well now, could also use a few more years in the cellar.
Bolla Le Origini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2009
Colour: Clear medium garnet
Nose: Surprisingly savoury nose, roasted red pepper, smoked meat, undertone of dried cherry, plum, and a touch of peppercorn.
Palate: Dry, medium-full bodied, medium+ acidity, medium tannins. Cherry, plum, integrated oak, Chinese five spice, hints of tobacco.
Finish: Long finish, soft plum.
Score:82/100
The roasted red pepper note caught me off-guard, surprisingly savoury and dry for Amarone, guessing more producer these days trying to go for a drier Amarone rather than an off-dry style.
Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino 2011
Colour: Clear medium garnet
Nose: Cured meat, white-out, cherry, dried strawberry, raspberry, plum, and a touch salt.
Palate: Dry, medium-bodied, high acidity, medium tannins. Plum, cured meat, liquorice, cherry candy, touch of dry flower.
Finish: Long finish, touch of oak and salt.
Score: 84/100
Still needs a few more years to get things together, got good complexity and structure to back it up. While the 2011 is approachable now, I’d say cellar for at least 3-5 more years and check back.
Gundlach Bundschu Vintage Reserve Red 2012
Colour: Clear dark purple core
Nose: Strong liquorice, blackberry, blackcurrant, green leafy note, oil paint, hint of eucalyptus.
Palate: Full-bodied, medium+ acidity, high grippy tannins. Plums, black currant, black cherry, touch of green note again, mineral.
Finish: Long finish, plums and oak.
Score: 82/100
Prime example of really ripe crop, have decent complexity and structure for further development, the tannins needs to be soften up for another 5 or so years. Personally not my style.
Macallan Cask Strength 58.4%
Region: Speyside
ABV: 58.4%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Container: Spiegelau Whisky Snifter
Colour:Mahogany
Nose: Sharp ethanol, rich stewed red fruits, walnuts, biscuit, raisins, milk chocolate, candied orange, strawberry, plum.
Palate: Raisins, cinnamon, ginger, orange, red fruit jam, toffee, stewed plums.
Finish: Long finish, lingering cinnamon, ginger, strawberry, oak, and oak tannins.
Score: 89/100
The Macallan CS is an exceptional sherry bomb, which I think was last sold for about $80CAD which would be a steal. It’s a tad pungent on the nose, and a tad too hot for 58.4% on the palate. But it’s complex with waves of red fruits, and nutty chocolate notes on the nose. Part from the usual red fruits, it’s also loaded with spices, especially ginger, with a drying finish.
Can’t imagine this is the same distillery that bottles such amazing whisky, but at the same time introduce us with tier not-good-at-all colour series. This leaves me wanting to try out some older Macallan Single Casks.