Tag: Wine

Wine Review – John Duval Eligo 2008

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John Duval Eligo 2008

Country: Australia
Region: Barossa Valley, Eden Valley
Grape: 100% Shiraz
ABV: 14.5%

Colour: Deep purple, slight clear garnet on the edge

Nose:
Clean, medium+ intensity, fully developed. Plum, blackberry, blueberry, pepper, savoury smoke, oak, graphite, touch of leather

Palate:
Dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins, medium+ alcohol, full body, medium+ flavour intensity.
Plum, saline, black cherry, blackberry, liquorice

Finish: Long finish, pepper, integrated oak, waves of dark fruits for a good 15-20 seconds.

Score: 88/100

A great wine from the legendary Australian wine maker – John Duval, and Eligo being their flagship wine. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Fully developed, with some structure to hold onto its prime for at least 2-4 more years, would highly recommend drinking in the near future if you still have a bottle.

The nose is rather intense, showing a great balance of fruit, matured notes, and the classic peppery spice. On the palate, abundant of mellow black fruits, liquorice, and pepper, with a touch of saltiness, followed by a long finish that lingers for 15-20 seconds.

This is a very good wine, riding right on its prime. Although not as complex as a I thought it would been, the wine as a whole is well composed, from the nose, flavour, mouthfeel, and finish. Not the typical fruit bomb of Barossa, but shows a nice balance of power and elegance.

Wine Review – Pierre Sparr Alsace Gewurztraminer Reserve 2016

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Pierre Sparr Alsace Gewurztraminer Reserve 2016

Country: France
Region: Alsace
Grape: Gewurztraminer
ABV: 13%

Colour: Medium- straw

Nose: Rose pedal, lychee, orange flower water, light honey, faint green tea

Palate: Touch of residual sugar, off-dry. Medium- body, medium- acidity. White flower, chalk, grapefruit

Finish: Medium finish, crushed stone, citrus zest, lemon

Score: 77/100

A rather textbook example of Alsace Gewurztraminer. The usual aromatic nose of rose pedal, lychee is definitely present, with orange flower water, light honey, and faint suggestion of green tea on the back end. The palate is off-dry, and simple, could do with more acidity, fresh notes of citrus and minerals all the way to the finish. I would drink this within a year or two.

Wine Review – Chateau La Fleur Pourret Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009

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Chateau La Fleur Pourret Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009

Country: France
Region: Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AOC
Grape: Merlot based Red Bordeaux Blend
ABV: 13.5%

Colour: Dark purple core, light garnet on the edge, showing some sign of age

Nose: Potpourri, smoke, integrated oak, plum, black raspberry, blackberry

Palate: Full-bodied, dry, medium acidity, medium+ tannins. Plum, tobacco, integrated oak, raspberry

Finish: Long finish, plum, drying

Score: 83+/100

I rather nice Bordeaux at this price point, showing signs of maturity, but still have the structure to live on and further develop. The nose is very generous, potpourri, smoke, dark fruits, with a nice integrated oak aroma weaving in and out. Drinking very well now, similar to the nose on the palate, with a nice touch of tobacco giving it extra complexity, followed by a long, drying finish. Perfect paring to a nice prime rib roast. Drink now, or hold for 3-5 more years.

Wine Review – Clarendon Hills Liandra Syrah 2006

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Clarendon Hills “Liandra” Syrah 2006 [Clarendon Hills] [Wine-Searcher]

Country: Australia
Region: Clarendon
Grape: Syrah/Shiraz
ABV: 16%

Colour: Dark purple core, lighter on the rim.

Nose: Ripe black fruits (blueberry, blackberry, plum, blackcurrant jam), chocolate, raisin, bacon fat, touch of herbal, spice.

Palate: Full bodied, medium acidity, medium well-integrated smooth tannins. Plum, blackberry, metallic (iron), vanilla, clove, pepper.

Finish: Long finish, lingering metallic and spicy notes. Well-integrated alcohol.

Score: 87/100

The wine is showing very well, all the components fully integrated with one and other.

The nose was very intense, with concentrated black fruits, chocolate, raisin, bacon fat, a touch of herbal tone that I associate with aged Syrah/Shiraz, and touch of pepper. The nose overall is very balanced, allowing each component to shine through the waves of black fruits, showing a great deal of complexity.

Moving onto the taste, a wonderfully aged, full bodied Syrah. Despite the 16% alcohol, it is very well integrated, drinking more like a 14-14.5%. Aside from the abundance of black fruits, there is this metallic, iron note showing throughout the palate, with a touch of vanilla, clove, and pepper forming a long and lingering finish.

This is a very good wine, with some unusual note going on (the metallic note on the palate), overall a very pleasant tasting experience. The wine is ready, drink before 2020.

Wine Review – Chateau Latour Grand Vin 1990

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Chateau Latour Grand Vin 1990

Country: France
Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux
Grape: Bordeaux Blend
ABV: 12.5

Decanted for 2 hours, evolving ever since.
Nosed on both Zwiesel Enoteca Bordeaux Premier Crus, and Zalto Burgundy glass.

Colour: Dark garnet core, brick rim.

Nose: Sweet tobacco, worn leather, red currants, dark cherry, dried rose pedals, floral perfume, Chinese sun-dried tangerine peel (Chenpi), wood spices.

Palate: Dry, medium acidity, medium+ silky tannins. Dried plum, red currants, chenpi, mineral, blackberry.

Finish: Long finish, tobacco, sweetness.

Score: 89+/100

One of the legendary vintages of Bordeaux, 1990, from one of the top winery – Chateau Latour. Decanted for three hours. The 1990 Grand Vin opens up with a powerful bouquet of dried rose pedals, sweet tobacco, and worn leather. Followed by waves of matured dark and red fruits, and a distinctive sun-dried tangerine peel aroma (Chenpi), and a faint suggestion of spice.

The palate is silky, still packs abundant of fruits, the Chenpi note from the nose carries over, touch of minerals, with a lingering finish of sweetness that almost massages your throat.

To be honest, this was actually a rather “underwhelming” wine, after having the 1982 previously, this is a few notches down on the power and layers of complexity of the 1982. The wine is still holding strong after 8 hours since the initial decanting. Hopefully 10 more years this wine will develop more complexity, as I still have another half-bottle lying in the cellar.

Glenelly Estate Grand Vin 2010

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Glenelly Estate Grand Vin 2010

Country: South Africa
Region: Stellenbosch
Grape: 36% Shiraz, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot
ABV: 14.5

Colour: Dark purple core, medium brick on the rim.

Nose: Black raspberry, dusty, blueberry, cassis, leather, smoke, touch of spice.

Palate: Full bodied, medium tannins, medium acidity. Savoury, dried tomato, blackberry, pepper, clove, cherry.

Finish: Long finish, sour cherry, mineral, integrated oak.

Score: 82/100

Really well integrated wine with good structure. On the savoury and rustic side, could do with more quantity of fruits on the palate, drinking very well now.

Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 55, 57 Comparison Review

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Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 55, 57 Comparison Review

Batch 55

Region: Speyside
ABV: 60.9%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Old Gold

Nose: Vanilla, chocolate, perfume, dried fruits, cinnamon, Christmas cake, raisins, orange peel, nuts.

Palate: Malt, honey, chocolate powder, oak, orange peel, candied apple, cinnamon, ginger.

Finish: Long finish, oak, cinnamon, clove, salt, pepper.

Score: 88/100

Dropped by a point from last time I reviewed side by side with the batch 53, as my experience of whisky have gone up.

Batch 57

Region: Speyside
ABV: 60.7%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Old gold, but a shade lighter than 55.

Nose: Raisins, cinnamon, ginger, menthol, touch of mineral water, oily chocolate, orange zests, damp oak.

Palate: Clove, cinnamon, ginger, nuts, oak, damp tobacco, chocolate, orange peel.

Finish: Long finish, malt, oily oak, more baking spice.

Score: 86/100

The 55 and 57 are quite different, and 55 still remains my favourite in the 52-57 range. While the 55 and 57 are both very rounded, the 55 appears to have more sherry influence, and more of that dried fruit and chocolate character that I prefer, the 57 seems to be on the earthy, mineral side, while having a dialed down sherry bombness. Interestingly the 57 also a shade lighter than the 55, could this be a batch of younger malts?

Benrinnes 13 Year Old 1998 (Cask: 6868) A.D. Rattray Cask Collection

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Region: Speyside
ABV: 56.8%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask type: Sherry Butt

One of 270 Bottles

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Amber

Nose: Raisins, prunes, dried dates, vanilla, pine, oak, hint of nutmeg.

Palate: A bit hot on the palate. Strawberry, cherry syrup, red fruit jam sweetness, touch of minty coolness, dark chocolate, oak, pepper, ginger, oak.

Finish: Long lingering finish, pepper, ginger, oak, mineral.

Score: 88/100

Very surprising for a 13 year old, certainly got some heat on the palate. Surprising amount of oak influence, I am almost certain it was a PX Sherry cask due to how syrupy it was on the nose. Rather complex on the palate at the same time a bit dry, getting spicy towards the end. Overall a very good cask, and very reasonably priced.