Preamble Tasting July 1999
Magic Carpet Wines for the Glorious Twelfth
Kevin Crowley
Perfect weather and excellent wines al fresco in our host's garden.
1. Caliterra Sauvignon Blanc, Mondavi, Central Valley, Chile, 1997
Lovely nose with grassy notes. Very oaked on the palate, good fruit behind
almost hidden. Some toffee as it warmed up. 12.5%
£7.29
2. Chablis, Domaine Maladiere Champs Royaux, 1997
Big nose. Surprisingly grassy for a Chardonnay. Very dry, woody; a bit
more approachable as it warmed. Seriously overpriced but then you have
to pay for designer labels.
£13.79
3. Guigal Cotes du Rhone White, 1997
Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier etc. go into thiscuriously honeyed wine with
a tannic sharpness. Nice aftertaste.
£8.50
4. Riesling Hugel, Alsace, 1994
Very little nose, but that was possibly a result of the anti-mosquito
aerosol permeating the atmosphere. Became petrolly as it warmed. Very
dry, quite sharp; a bit disappointing. Probably needs more time, and this
is a good price.
£9.50
5. Chateau Meaume, Bordeaux Superior, 1995
Nice colour, lot of Merlot - quite soft.Quite pleasant but a lot of tannin
and maybe not enough fruit. Johnson says 4-5 years so this is probably
as good as it gets.
£8.00 +
6. Gran Sangre de Toro, Torres, Penedes, 1995 
Lovely deep red. Carignan and Grenache. Smashing nose, hot country smell,
lots of body, fruit and soft tannins. Concentrated; vanilla and fruit.
Bottle says will last 7-10 years. 13.5%
£8.00
7. Capello di Prete, Rosso del Salento, Candido, 1994
This is the middle sibling, between Salice Salentino and Duca d'Aragona.
Lovely bittersweet nose complements a clear deep orange red colour. Lovely,
fruity with enough tannin and a great amaro taste. Negroamaro grape.
£7.99
8. Stellenzicht Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa, 1994
Deep purple red, most pleasant nose. Very sharp taste almost overpowered
everything, fruit came through eventually. Will improve. Others liked
it much more than I.
£11.99
9. Marques de Marietta, Rioja Reserva, 1994
Nose of pencil parings. Clear orange red. Mainly Tempranillo, with two
years in oak and two in bottle. Will keep 4, 5, 10 years more.
£10.69
10. Nuit St. Georges 1er Cru, Domaine Robert Cevillon, 1995
Not much orange rim. Dry strawberry nose. Big tannin grip, puckering.
Quite ripe but won't mature till 2005. Sturdy, muscular wine. Lovely.
£27.00 approx
11. Quinta do Carmo, Alentejo, 1988
Huge dark red wine. Powerful, typically hot counntry, Iberian nose. fruity,
some tannin, jammy, big, good grip.
£14.95