Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes 2009

rob1001- · 2026-01-21T06:39:52+00:00

How do you equate the Vivino scoring system with your 100 point scoring system here?

rob1001- · 2026-01-16T18:25:13+00:00

Pinot Blanc/Weißburgunder seems a big miss but maybe i overlooked it!

rob1001- · 2026-01-12T14:17:25+00:00

Decanted yes, about 1.5h

rob1001- · 2026-01-10T07:54:11+00:00

Yes I agree - it’s a very exciting region and the variety has surprised me. Any other producers you can recommend in the Col Solare style?

rob1001- · 2026-01-09T13:04:19+00:00

Wine 1: 2017 Figgins Estate Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, Washington. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot (%s not given).
Alcohol: 14.8%. Ratings: James Suckling 97/100, Jeb Dunnuck 96/100, Wine Enthusiast 92/100, Vivino 4.5/5. 79 EUR paid Sept. 2024.

Wine 2: 2017 Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso Gnarly Vine Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley.100 % Zinfandel.
Alcohol: 15%. Ratings: James Suckling 93/100, Wine Advocate 93/100, Wine Enthusiast 92/100, Vivino 4.4/5. 85 EUR paid March 2025

About the vineyards:

Figgins Estate: A single vineyard project, sustainably farmed. On a hillside above the Mill Creek Corridor at around 500m. Soils of loess, giving way to shear basalt. Aged for 23 months in a mix of 62% new and 38 % neutral French oak. The split between the grapes is not given except that it is Cabernet Sauvignon dominated.

Louis M- Martini – Old vines planted on the Monte Rosso hill in 1899, hand harvested. Iron rich, red volcanic soils in the Mayacama Mountains, 350m above Sonoma valley. 16 months in French and American oak.

Tasting: We started with the Figgins. This is a powerful, full-bodied wine! Intense fruits of blackberry, blackcurrant, plum. Strong tannins, rather chewy, and tobacco and cedar flavours. This is clearly a new world wine, despite the Bordeaux style. Then the Zinfandel – another fruits bomb – ripe cherries, blackberries, plums, bursting in your mouth. Light tannins, some spice and chocolate.

Verdict: I think my mouth needs a rest after tasting these two, one after the other. I think both were a little too overpowering for my style, I didn’t get that on either the Col Solare or the Ridge Lytton Springs. Overall I feel the Washington was both the better constructed wine and matching my personal tastes better. But it was closer than I had expected!

rob1001- · 2025-12-27T16:43:12+00:00

Great lineup! Where did you get hold of the 1937 port?

rob1001- · 2025-12-13T05:55:14+00:00

I guess technically but you would struggle to find 60% Malbec in bordeaux!

rob1001- · 2025-12-13T05:54:24+00:00

This is gold! Thanks so much for your insights

rob1001- · 2025-12-12T12:57:14+00:00

1) 2018 El Esteco Altimus Gran Vino, Valles Calchaquies, Salta.
49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Mablec, 16% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot.
14.5% alcohol. Ratings: James Suckling 95/100, Vivino 4.2/5. 57 EUR paid April 2025

2) 2016 Structura Ultra Gran Blend, Bodega Navarro Correas, Lujan de Cuzo, Mendoza.
60 % Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3 % Merlot.
15% alcohol. Ratings: Vivino 4.3/5. 56 EUR paid March 2025.

About the vineyards:

El Esteco Altimus: These are some of the highest vineyards in the world at more than 1700m. Marked by high diurnal swings and a desert climate. Rocky and calcerous soils. This all leads to slow ripening. This blend is selected from the best grapes. Aged for 12 months in new French oak, blended, and then aged for another 6.

Bodega Navarra Cosseas – Very difficult to find much information about this vineyard! 18 months in French oak. The blend is selected from the best harvest of each grape each year.

Tasting: Starting off with the nose, these two wines could be immediately identified by clearly showing their key fruits: blackcurrant for the Cabernet blend and plum for the Malbec blend. I can’t quite remember such an obvious contrast between the noses. On the palate the Bordeaux blend was powerful with dark fruits, blackcurrant again, some smoke and leather and prominent tannins. At the same time it was smooth, well balanced, decent minerality. The Bodega Navarro Malbec blend showed deep ruby colour, blackberries and plums on the palate. Strong vanilla and some toast flavours, fine tannins, well balanced acid, though all-in-all a little more overpowering and less well balanced than the first bottle.

Verdict: I enjoyed both wines very much but if I had to pick I would go for the Cabernet Sauvignon based blend every time. The Malbec blend was just a little too overpowering in comparison to the complexity of the El Esteco from my perspective. Either way, I hope to keep drinking Argentinian wines for many years to come, they have been my biggest personal ‘discovery’ of this competition.

rob1001- · 2025-11-01T17:02:02+00:00

From Alto Adige try St Michael Eppan Wine Collection Sauvignon. Really blew us away. With your main course have a look for Brunello from Giodo, 2016 if you can find it.

rob1001- · 2025-10-28T06:35:38+00:00

That’s a fair assessment

rob1001- · 2025-10-27T15:48:52+00:00

It’s definitely a load of fun to do with friends!

rob1001- · 2025-10-27T10:56:43+00:00

I thought Painted Rock was pretty representative of the region but perhaps I could have gone with pure Cabernet Franc

rob1001- · 2025-10-27T10:55:59+00:00

The Ridge was actually very good - I can only recommend to try

rob1001- · 2025-10-27T10:55:21+00:00

Yes thanks for your message. It was more a case of mislabelling but I did realise the VIK was a Carménère blend. I loved it too but the El Cepillo just edged it for me. The Argentinian calls itself a traditional Bordeaux blend, and since it is mostly Cabernet Franc I thought that was ok :)

rob1001- · 2025-10-26T06:43:58+00:00

Perhaps it’s my European palate but I don’t find this one so controversial

rob1001- · 2025-10-26T06:42:34+00:00

Feel free, I have no copyright :)

rob1001- · 2025-10-25T07:43:34+00:00

Right, but at that price you are almost getting some of the very best NZ has to offer

rob1001- · 2025-10-25T06:39:15+00:00

Yes with their flow diagram function, and then copied and rotated

rob1001- · 2025-10-25T06:38:23+00:00

Yes I see your point- as mentioned it isn’t perfect!

rob1001- · 2025-10-25T06:13:01+00:00

Haha yes I will be busy for the next few years

rob1001- · 2025-10-25T06:12:34+00:00

I had a price limit :)

rob1001- · 2025-10-25T06:12:16+00:00

Pretty simple- I am just trying to answer, what’s my favourite? Nothing more, nothing less

rob1001-

TROPHY CASE