Le Chevalier de Sterimberg 2011

On the nose (acacia) honey, nuts and caramelized citrus aromas. In the mouth very elegant and superbly balanced. The finish is characterised by an explosion of flavours. The aftertaste is subtly discreet, but stays around for quite a while.

This Hermitage Blanc is a blend of 2/3 Marsanne and 1/3 Roussanne, both indigenous of the northern Rhône Valley. Continue reading “Le Chevalier de Sterimberg 2011”

Clarendon Hills Onkaparinga 2005

On the nose, at first simpler than I expected, with spices prevailing over the black fruits flavours. Menthol and balsamic notes come forward and predominate the first impression. After a while, plumb and blackberries aromas come more to the stage and after one hour dominates.  Continue reading “Clarendon Hills Onkaparinga 2005”

Clos Des Forêts Saint Georges 2009

Seductive and sophisticated bouquet of forest floor, earth, eucalyptus, mushrooms and some strawberries. Overall a very nice aromatic complexity. (On a bit less poetic tone: at first it did remind me of cola.)

In the mouth as elegant as on the nose. Light and full, old and young at the same time. Subtle flavours of cherries, strawberries and bees wax. Continue reading “Clos Des Forêts Saint Georges 2009”

Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta Valpolicella Superiore 2010

On the nose primarily coffee, cacao and cherry. Some vegetable notes are also clearly detectable and they accompany you in the mouth till the end, with a rough feel that I personally find a bit disturbing, but could also be peculiar to this unique wine. Continue reading “Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta Valpolicella Superiore 2010”

Costamagna 2013

It reminds me of a Mon Chéri, the famous single-wrapped chocolate, consisting of a “heart” of cherry floating in a liqueur and contained in a bittersweet chocolate shell.

In fact, although in a fairly discrete way, the 14.5% alcohol reveals itself from the first sniff, giving a sensation of fruits under spirit. The time spent in the barrique adds a clear chocolate flavour.  Continue reading “Costamagna 2013”

Kurni 2009

26 November 2017

I’ve been looking forward to trying a bottle of this highly praised wine for a few years.

Last year I got to sip a very young vintage at a wine tasting, where Marco Casolanetti (the producer) himself was pouring the wine. The wine was a bit linear, but very rich and showing a lot of fruits. Continue reading “Kurni 2009”

Trentasei 2009

8 November 2017

On the nose, the wood and the alcohol dominate the fruit. Some eucalyptus’ notes, but not much complexity. After a while more fruit shows up, but it soon fades away.

In the mouth less rich than you would expect from a wine made with grapes that get raisined before fermentation. The persistence is also disappointing. Continue reading “Trentasei 2009”