Moss Wood 2008 & Chateau Lalande Sourbet 1990 – what i’m drinking at the time 18.01.2012

Waz up peeps! We got some treats today, a classic from the Margret River and a Cru Bourgeois with some age.

Moss Wood 2008 & Chateau Lalande Sourbet 1990

Had a BBQ with my folks and the in-laws tonight, both supplying the quality you see before you; my dad with the new school, in law with the old. Lets dive in!

Moss Wood

Moss Wood Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River 2008

I have had this guy at the Frenchy’s dinner here. As far as I can remember, I was very impressed and tonight was no different. Decanted for about 1.5 hours, this guy is 14.5% alcohol and as far as I know is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This has a very “strong and silent type” nose, almost brooding with upfront bold black currents soaked in rum. There are little bits of cherry, bark and aged wood as well as some wet grainy earthy tones. It’s very faint, but way in the background is the sweetness of aromatic tea which you have to look for. If you let it breathe a little longer, it develops a buttery toast vanilla flavour which adds to it’s already rich, lush and seductive nose. Very sexy.

Attack is lean and straight away you find it to be a very balanced wine. Nothing fights it way to be heard and all the nuances work together in harmony. Then, the acidity kicks in at the mid palate and it tangos with purple fruits, blood plums. Then the tannins pull it back and adds liquorice, leather and turns the sweetness into toffee or caramel. All the while, it’s very silky and smooth, think of that feeling you get when you see oil being poured out. There is some tantalising chalky bits towards the end which diffuse the flavours and finishes long and warm. The flavours transition into crystalized oranges and “asian coffee” i.e. some milk chocolate, hint of condensed milk with a slight mix of coffee,

Expertly balanced, incredible and almost faultless, the only thing I felt was a let down is the warmth on the finish. This is a killer. It goes for around $90 but seriously, you will not be disappointed. With the complexity you get now, imagine what will develop in time. Simply stunning. It gets Ken’s stamp of approval.

Chateau Lalande Sourbet

Cru Bourgeois, AOC Haut Medoc, 1990

Label time. Cru Bourgeois is the classification for the non 1855 Bordeaux classification. It ranges from Cru Bourgeois Exceptionels, then Superieurs, then just Bourgeois. I believe that this classification only applies to the Medoc region so it should give you a hint that its most likely a Cabernet dominated blend. Both label nor Google gives me a breakdown of the percentages so you guess is as good as mine. It does tell you that its 12% alcohol so expect a lighter style, and its French.

We decanted this for about 15-30 mins, it is 22 years old so you don’t want it to fade away. The nose comes off as wet socks, concrete, chinese vegetable soup and has a musky, wet aspect. It really reminds me of a veggie that looks like morning glory but I cannot put my finger on the name. It also strangely has a canned peach or dried fruit, specifically apricot touch at the end. Initially I thought we were in for some corked wine.

The first mouthful hit me with wet stone and rocks. The mid palate developed more mouthfeel and weight, giving the wine a heavier and solid body. There is very little fruit sweetness or acidity and weak tannins are in the forefront. Loose overall structure, extremely gravely and arid in flavours – think of a peach or apricot seed that you have been sucking on for too long, gets a bit dry and bland but has some residual fruit flavours, then throw in some celery sticks and blood oranges. Finish is watered down dryness, soup bones and a hint of bitter melon.

Ok, so initially I suspected that this guy was way overdue. However, it got way better and better with larger mouthful and the more you drink. It coats your mouth better and blends in with the first, second, third sip and builds up. The flavours get more distinct. It a very mature wine and the flavours coincide with it; dusty, dried fruit instead of bags of flavours. You get to sit and almost drink time. I think that our palates were tainted by the bigger bolder flavours of the Moss Wood and it diminished the flavours of this wine both on the nose and palate. I was “desensitized” in a way. I found the experience very interesting and wondered how many times this has happened to me! Be sure to have some bread with you and some coffee beans to clean you nose and palate because I think that this is actually a pretty nice wine and something you grow to appreciate. Drink with mushroom? Actually could do this with a light cigar! Nice effort.

Still, go buy the Moss Wood, before I do 😉

Kenny

Chateau Haut-Madrac Cru Bourgeois 2007 – What i’m drinking at the time 7.12.2011

Bonjour fello winos! Today I decided to try to trick my dad into liking french wines. Not just any french wines, cheap/inexpensive french wines. Does such a thing exist? We shall soon find out. I bought this bottle about a year ago for around $20, the same time I bought the Cheval Noir.

Chateau Haut-Madrac Cru Bourgeois 2007

Fancy pants name, let me break it down for you. Chateau Haut-Madrac just means it’s from such and such a place. It also tells you that it’s from Medoc appellation meaning left bank Bordeaux, which leads you to think Cabernet blend (this is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot). It also says “Mis en bouteille au Chateau” which means, and I’m sure you’ve guessed, bottled at the Chateau. The last thing is Cru Bourgeois which translates to table wine and thus not having to abide to any requirements. So, how did it fare?

Very dusty nose, deep green earthy flavours with a raisin like fruit characters. very old and leathery and black tea. The attack on this wine is mild with some fruit acidity and then some sweet and spicy notes like sweet paprika. There is also a mix of bitter and tannic notes towards the end, think of burnt wood and that black tea. There is not much difference to the initial taste and the mid palate, only that you get some black coffee flavours coming through but its firm and bold in structure throughout. Finish is very long and lingers, little bit grippy  on the mouth and some orange rind. If you have had chinese red bean desert and get that little hint of dried orange peel you know what I mean. It also has a dusty finish but the dust is very brief but noticeable and doesn’t stick to your mouth. Its gives off the illusion of an aged and old wine and you have to double-check the label to see its an 07.

This guy was double aerated and decanted for about 30mins. definitely would have liked more time in the decanter since I liked it more and more as I drank this. Initially I would have said it’s a bit simple in favours but these tea and coffee with some of the raisin fruits get in there after a while. I think it was a surprise of a wine, I think I expected less from it. I think it’s probably worth the price tag but I think some of the italian blends are better value at this price point.

Initially my dad didn’t like it, too tannic and dusty but as the night went on, he got more and more of these old leather, burnt wood and coffee/tea notes which you don’t find often in younger wines which I think piqued his interest. A good start.

Not a bad wine, better for some palates. Still, the hunt for high quality and low low prices continues…

Kenny