Some good reviews in this month's Decanter, starting with Steven Spurrier's reflections on Mas de Daumas Gassac's current release, the 2011:
'An elegant concentration produced from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1973 blended with 15 other grapes. Midi warmth softens the Cabernet austerity to give vigorous individuality. A brilliant wine.'
I rather like that last sentence, I must admit. However, I slightly disagree with Steven over the wine's drinking dates: he suggests it can be broached this year which is, of course, true but, as with all vintages of this wine, it will be so much improved with time. I wouldn't touch it until 2018 at least. I also note that he cites the price as £30; I must be undercharging!
A few pages on in the same issue sees a review of the 2011 vintage in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. After 2010, this was never going to wow anyone but there are some superb wines nonetheless. It is a shame that none of Raymond Usseglio's wines were tasted as I suspect they would have done rather well in this tasting, especially the Mourvedre-rich Part des Anges. Beaucastel was also missing too, perhaps unsurprisingly, rather like you don't often see Latour in a round-up of left bank Bordeaux.
A very respectable 17/20 was awarded by John Livingstone-Learmonth, the UK's leading expert on Rhone wines, to Domaine de Cristia's wine - 'Ripe berry and plum nose with sweet meat, liquorice and spiced new oak. Palate shows red fruit with a fine-tuned pickup of tannin. Garrigue finish.' - and also to Christophe Coste's Chateau Capucine - 'Attractive, fragrant garrigue notes with savoury, toasty oak. A good heart of richness with thyme and flint. Garrigue touches along the late stages.'
I confess I haven't even tasted this last wine yet. Christophe hasn't put any of the Capucine wines in front of me since the debut 2009 vintage. This was one of the wines I showed at Trinity last month then had to vacuvin after the tasting because I was just starting the Dryathlon. I expected it would have fallen apart by now but when I pulled the stopper off, it was as fresh as it had been three weeks earlier. I should probably reassess my views on vacuvin as a means of preserving wine. The 2009 was a superb debut but, for me at least, still needs a couple of years to develop some secondary characters.
I rather like that last sentence, I must admit. However, I slightly disagree with Steven over the wine's drinking dates: he suggests it can be broached this year which is, of course, true but, as with all vintages of this wine, it will be so much improved with time. I wouldn't touch it until 2018 at least. I also note that he cites the price as £30; I must be undercharging!
A few pages on in the same issue sees a review of the 2011 vintage in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. After 2010, this was never going to wow anyone but there are some superb wines nonetheless. It is a shame that none of Raymond Usseglio's wines were tasted as I suspect they would have done rather well in this tasting, especially the Mourvedre-rich Part des Anges. Beaucastel was also missing too, perhaps unsurprisingly, rather like you don't often see Latour in a round-up of left bank Bordeaux.
A very respectable 17/20 was awarded by John Livingstone-Learmonth, the UK's leading expert on Rhone wines, to Domaine de Cristia's wine - 'Ripe berry and plum nose with sweet meat, liquorice and spiced new oak. Palate shows red fruit with a fine-tuned pickup of tannin. Garrigue finish.' - and also to Christophe Coste's Chateau Capucine - 'Attractive, fragrant garrigue notes with savoury, toasty oak. A good heart of richness with thyme and flint. Garrigue touches along the late stages.'
I confess I haven't even tasted this last wine yet. Christophe hasn't put any of the Capucine wines in front of me since the debut 2009 vintage. This was one of the wines I showed at Trinity last month then had to vacuvin after the tasting because I was just starting the Dryathlon. I expected it would have fallen apart by now but when I pulled the stopper off, it was as fresh as it had been three weeks earlier. I should probably reassess my views on vacuvin as a means of preserving wine. The 2009 was a superb debut but, for me at least, still needs a couple of years to develop some secondary characters.
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