Katzrin Chardonnay..... Clos de la Roche..... Barolo 'La villa'.....

Chardonnay - Katzrin (Israel)	1995	Golan Wineries

4/99. Acquired locally Mar-97 for $23.
A limited edition of Israel best white wine.
COLOR: Medium-deep yellow, what one would expect from local Chardonnay.
NOSE: Complex nose of minerals and white fruit with discernible toasted wood tones. Much more profound than what is normally produced here though not as fat or as elegant as top Meursault or Puligny.
TASTE: Very tasty and mouthfilling. Neither primarily fruity nor buttery, but with a lot of personality. Style and presence are all over the palate. Matched up well with the (hard to match wine for) Gefilte Fish.
LENGTH: Only medium length with oaky aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full-bodied Chardonnay that could stand up to any kind of food. A bit too oaky for perfect balance. It will be interesting to see if and how this wine age.
OVERALL: Excellent. A serious Chardonnay that is head and shoulders above anything else produced here.
MARK: 17/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Clos de la Roche 'VV'		1992	Dom. Ponsot

4/99. Acquired at the winery Apr-96 for $40.
Ponsot Clos de la Roche is [or rather can be] one of the very best (B) on earth. The trouble with Ponsot is that instead of tuning his rigid methods to nature's changing conditions he waits for nature to comply with his methods. The funny part is that nature often (though not always) does...
1992 was a mediocre vintage in Bourgogne but some wines turned up deliciously tasty if not really fit for the long haul.
COLOR: Medium-light color, even for (B). Plenty of sediment even on this relatively young bottle.
NOSE: Delightful nose of red forest-fruit wrapped in a complex yet delicate 'Bourgogne Nose'. Fresh barnyard rather than rustic cowshed aromas with raw meat and wet earth tones.
TASTE: Simply delicious. Rich, multi-flavored wine with enough winyness, complexity and nuances to suggest a true Grand Cru. Perhaps without the depth and extreme concentration of a great vintage, this wine [at this pint in time] is silky smooth over a good backbone to give immense pleasure. Its light acidity and myriad of delicate flavors matched perfectly with the concentrated chicken broth.
LENGTH: Medium-long and excellent aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium to full body. Rich, multi-dimensional and well-integrated wine. Very good fruit and light tannins that are balanced by light acidity. Smooth and charming with excellent grip and noble proportions. The only effect of the weak vintage is on the depth and concentration. But who cares?
OVERALL: Superb! A really fine achievement from a great parcel of vineyard by a great (if stubborn) winemaker in a mediocre vintage. At or around its peak now.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Barolo 'La Villa'		1990	Seghesio

4/99. Acquired in auction Jan-97 for $75 (imported for $101 net).
I know pretty little about Italian wines except that I love them (when they are good!). This is my first taste of this specific Barolo.
COLOR: Dark deep-purple color. Especially impressive following the Clos de la Roche...
NOSE: Attention-grabbing powerful and enticing nose. Complexity and depth beyond description! Red and black forest-fruit together with essence of flowers, chocolate and whatnot.
TASTE: Huge wine on the palate with tons of sweetish fruit, super concentrated winyness, ample but soft tannins and good acidity. Combined with the heavenly Beef Stroganoff this was an unbeatable team up.
LENGTH: Extremely long and beautiful. Each sip is finished with sweet aftertaste in spite of the ever-present tannins.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A true blockbuster but not of the in-your-face fruity type. Deep, rich, concentrated and extremely tasty. A wine of gigantic proportions yet perfectly balanced. A couple of hours have passed since I finished my glass and I still have the sensation all over my mouth...
OVERALL: Extraordinary!!. A truly great wine. The best Italian I've ever had. In ten years time this wine will be a serious candidate for a perfect marking!
MARK: 19/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.