chenin blanc

mixed sweets

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

I’ve posted about fortifieds recently, so its time for some sweet wines! All tasted “blind” except the Fighting Gully Road.

2002 baumard

2002 Domaine des baumard Clos de sainte Catherine 13%
Coteaux du layon, Loire Valley (chenin blanc)

Citrus peel and oranges, apple and pear, Light bodied but fleshy, honey and tropical fruits on the palate, and some residual sugar (40g/l?). Although chenin blanc has naturally high acid, this one looks a little underfruited.

Drink now, 90 points

2003 Marcel Deiss Schoenenbourg 11.5%
Alsace (grand cru), France. The label is traditional/retro, but under time pressure, I forgot the photo.

Musk and sultana, honey and kerosene, youthful but soft.

Identifying the origin as Alsace was straightforward – but varietal composition was a challenge, My guess was Riesling, but its a  field blend; with apparently 50-60 g/l, residual sugar, close to my assumed 45g/l). Deiss makes a number of field blends, and I’ ve had a mix of wonderful and awful from this producer. 2003 was the Euro heatwave, when some clever folk in Alsace picked ahead the official notice (if they had pickers and staff)..

Bravo! Drink soon, 92 points

2012 Jones botrytis Muscat 9.2%
Rutherglen, Victoria
Roses, floral herbs, vaguely like a vermouth! No problem, interesting little wine.

Drink now, 90 points

2017 fighting gully road

2017 Fighting Gully Rd Petit Manseng moelleux 12%
Beechworth, Victoria
Bright gold colour; mango, bruised apple, just ripe pineapple, and pear drops. This is sweet (60g/l?) , but acidity propels the wine along. Almond flavours and mixed tropical fruits. I liked this wine a lot, but the mix of scents and flavours won’t please all. Yet I kept nudging the score upwards with each taste. I recently revelled in their 2021 Sangiovese –  a label to search out.

92 points, drink to 2025

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One sweet, one strong

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

1996 SA Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux 1er trie 12.5%
Chenin Blanc, Vouvray, Loire Valley (biodynamic since 1990).

Huet is a famous maker, with a range including sparkling, sec, demi-sec and sweet. Clos du Bourg is regarded as its “top” site. Chenin Blanc is a high acid white wine variety, entirely undistinguished in Australia (although it played an important role in old Houghton White Burgundies, and there are a few brave producers persevering, such as Coriole).

1996 huet

The cork was unremarkable but had performed its task, and the colour was bright gold. Despite its sweetness level (70 g/l?)  this wine was deliberately served with a meal as a savoury white wine. The acidity was completely integrated and concealed the inherent sweetness. Apricot, cumquat, baked apple, honey, marzipan and shortcrust; resoundingly fresh and savoury in intent (regardless of its  analytical sweetness).  Super-complex, it was just a delight to drink and a reminder of the potency of the best wines of the Loire (much harder to find in Australia than they deserve).

Drink to 2030, and 94 points (for surprise value, a higher score is warranted)

1971 Metala Vintage Port
Langhorne Creek, South Australia, likely Shiraz.

Langhorne Creek is not a “renowned” area for VP styles in Australia, but it’s full of surprises. Its longstanding contributions to the red wines of Wolf Blass cannot be ignored. Bleasdale makes an array of excellent Malbecs – and much more- Lake Breeze deserves greater recognition,  as does Bremerton.

The label of this wine had effectively disintegrated, but it’s understood to have been recorked (and possibly tweaked) in 2015. Huon Hooke has an illuminating article on the recent buyback of the Metala brand here.

But it was another knockout to drink – another 51-year-old wine consumed only weeks after the All Saints.

Liquorice, dark fruits, cream and pie crumble, dark berries, dried fruits and the most startling feature was its freshness – a lovely piece of history.

Drink to 2030 and 93 points

Two sweet old world wines

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

2007 von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 8%
Mosel, Germany. A clear dark straw colour, this wine from Maximin Grunhaus shows tropical fruit especially mango plus a touch of mint. The palate is slightly oily, with some bitter herb, ripe red berry and red apple. It’s not the sweetest Auslese -style encountered (although acidity is balanced). Some grippiness is evident but not unduly intrusive – and my preference would be for earlier drinking while this wine retains its fruity zestiness.

In the likely realm of bottle variation, drink to 2025, 90 points

1964 Moulin Touchais 12%
Loire, Chenin blanc. The Loire valley is home to a range of chenin blanc from dry to botrytised (and other varieties). Chenin Blanc’s versatility means it can produce sparkling wines, the dry Savennières and sweeter styles but I seldom see the wines of Bonnezeaux or Quarts de Chaume in Australia. Chenin blanc in Australia however is generally innocuous, although it was once a mainstay of Houghton White Burgundy and I recall a stunning botrytis example in the 1981 St Leonards. I have also tasted some delicious South African examples.

The sweet wines from Moulin Touchais have a reputation for extreme longevity, and I’ve tasted other examples from Marc Bredif back to 1959, and have a few Domaine Huet tucked away. The Moulin Touchais wines are apparently picked in two passes – the first early while it is full of acidity, and a later harvest when it has ripened further; these are then blended.

1964 moulin

The bottle was opened and decanted at a restaurant and I didn’t see the cork, alas. The wine was a glowing gold in colour and showed the tell-tale varietal apple aromas, with some honeysuckle and spiced sultana notes. There was also a touch of straw oxidation, but not disconcerting, the palate exhibited wax, apple, honey,  citrus, some nuttiness and refreshing texture – and at a guess 50 g/l residual sugar. There was plenty of life in this old wine, and it seemed to become richer, more mouthfilling, vigorous and harmonious over the evening, and it matched particularly well with fish courses.

Again, at this stage of life, variation is expected, and I was well pleased with the result, especially the improvement with extensive aeration.  Drink to 2030, and 92 points.

2008 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos Habert 13%

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

From a small appellation opposite Vouvray, this is Chenin Blanc, but not what we are familiar with in Australia. Chris Kissack’s site is a tremendous resource.

Here, Chenin blanc is typically grown in warmer regions; and contributes fairly anonymously in blends where its acidity helps. There are some exceptions (Coriole, Peel Estate, and from New Zealand, Millton) but it’s a slender set of resources. Chenin blanc formerly was a mainstay of Houghton’s White Burgundy (which blossomed with a few years age), and I recall a truly striking 1981 St Leonards botrytis version.

Chidaine has a huge reputation, and I purchased this wine for a bargain price (under $40) a few years ago.

2008-chidaine

This wine is an exceptional experience; lemon to light gold in colour, it presents an exciting, exotic set of aromas and flavours. Quince, pineapple rind, ripe red apple, lime juice, yellow pear and freshly cut grass are all present,  It’s meshed with perhaps 20 g/l residual sugar which is swallowed by the balanced, refreshing acidity. Lastly, that set of flavours hangs around with a honeyed, thick, textured mouthfeel.

A fabulous match with varied cuisine (many Asian dishes,  fish, white meats) this VFM wine will kick goals for many more years.

Drink to 2030, 95 points