yak@yakshaya.com
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Volnay 'Santenots' 1990 L. Jadot
12/98. Bought in auction Feb-98 for $45 (Imported for $65 net).
I think good Volnay 1er Crus are the most satisfying wines of all the Cote de Beaune reds.
The present bottle's 'ullage' was somewhat low with visible stains on the cork.
COLOR: Medium-light ruby-red. Noticeable clearing around the rim.
NOSE: Very nice, very forward perfumed nose. Mature plums, wet forest floor, delicate 'Bourgogne Nose' - all combine to bring out an elegant and very pleasant nose.
TASTE: Ripe fruit on the palate. Good acidity but hardly any tannins. Smooth and velvety. Very tasty if not extremely complex. Quite obvious that this particular bottle underwent accelerated maturing process due to the less-than-perfect cork.
LENGTH: Medium-length but pleasant aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium-bodied, more elegant than complex. Not lacking in winyness or flavor though. Pronounced acidity and weaker structure (due to the slight leakage) than could be expected, but very tasty nevertheless.
OVERALL: Excellent wine, despite its condition. Nicely reflects the Volnay terroir.
MARK: 17/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.
Vieux Chateau Certan 1990 Pomerol
12/98. Bought at auction July-97 for $90 (imported for $100 net).
I have tasted this wine once before and liked it very much. A Merlot-based wine that does not have the 'heavy' Merlot feel.
I read somewhere that before the rise of Petrus, Vieux Chateau Certan was considered the top wine of Pomerol. It is presently owned by the same owners of 'Le Pin'.
COLOR: Pretty dark, but less so than what I usually expect of a Bordeaux. Only thin clearing around the rim.
NOSE: Rich, elegant, clean and very appealing nose. Hints of caramel and spice on top of black forest fruit and some smokiness. The more the wine stayed open the more enticing and beautiful the nose became.
TASTE: Warm and mouthfilling. Full of flavors with very good stuffing that became more and more apparent as the wine stayed in the glass. Does not possess the 'intellectual' complexity of the top Medoc wines, but very tasty and appealing.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Certainly not a light wine though very far from a blockbuster. Plenty of winyness with very pleasing relations between fruit, alcohol, acidity, tannins, and noticeable wood - all of which are amply there.
OVERALL: Superb! Very drinkable now but will open up and keep for years to come.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.
yak@yakshaya.com
| Yak's Home Page |
Introducing Yak |
Yak's Rating Scale |
Yak's Burgundy Primer |
Tasting Notes Archive |
Wine & Food Adventures |