2004 Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône Blanc - this wine did not disappoint, with a sweet and slightly oxidized nose and notes of pear and apricot. Surprisingly very ripe on the palate with a bit of butter and a slightly bitter finish.
2006 Lucien Le Moine Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets - from arguably the best plot of land in the appellation, this was a beautiful wine from a vintage that's overshadowed by the great 2005s. Reasonably sweet on the nose with farmy, bacon fat and Asian spice notes. Drinking pretty well now even without much aeration.
1989 Jaboulet La Chapelle - I've been waiting to open this bottle for some time now, and it wasn't bad. Initially a bit grassy and a hint of vegetal notes, it opened up to reveal lots of sweetness with ripe prunes, pine needles and a little "hot" and alcoholic. On the palate it was smooth but still full-bodied, although it faded and by the end the finish was somewhat acidic.
1989 Troplong Mondot - another wine I've been dying to open. Classic Bordeaux with peppery and smoky nose, a reasonable amount of fruit core with a full-blown palate and a long finish. Was this bottle deserving of the 96 points from Parker? Not quite.
2003 Sassicaia - a generous contribution from a fellow diner. The wine is still young but you can see the potential. Nose of sweet fruit, black cherries and smoke. Still a bit alcoholic. The captain actually knocked the bottle to the ground as he was opening another bottle... fortunately it didn't break.
2007 Mollydooker Carnival of Love - I was sure that the wine would be too young, but my friend was pretty set on opening this and sharing it with everyone. We opened the screw top, poured a bit of the wine out into a separate glass, then my friend proceeded to shake the bottle vigorously in an attempt to aerate the wine. Apparently this process - called the Mollydooker Shake - is recommended by Sparky and Sarah Marquis who are the proprietors of the winery. I can certainly understand why. These wines are total fruit bombs and people seem to want to drink them very young, so the only way to make these wines palatable was to be unconventional and shake things up a little! Well, as much as I have a preference for big wines, this was still too much for me. Huge, sweet nose with coffee, toffee, vanilla, caramel, cotton candy, tangerine, iron and mineral notes. Very alcoholic at 16%. I think people should wait a few more years for the edges to wear off a bit...
Full post on dinner is here.
I appreciate your listing. It has inspired me to look into a bottle I've had for some time that I am unfamiliar with. Have you tasted or know the value of a bottle of 1987 Fechy Appellation d'origine (Les Martins Grand Vin De La Cote Vaudoise)?
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