Weekly Tasting Report (Aug 8-14, 2020): Australia, France, Italy, USA
James tastes in the Red Room in James Suckling Wine Central in Hong Kong.
A powerful and structured Brunello di Montalcino leads this week’s tasting highlights, alongside wines from Burgundy, Barolo, Bolgheri, Alto Adige, Clare Valley and a new Champagne play from rapper Drake.
The Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Nastagio 2015 (97 points) continues the lineage of impressive and age-worthy Brunellos from this outstanding vintage. James found the rich and chewy tannins still quite polished, as well as “focused and pretty” with a “purity of fruit that is very, very impressive.” This is a formidable wine that needs some three or four years to integrate and soften but make no mistake, it is the “best ever wine from here.”
Rapper Drake (a.k.a. @champagnepapi on Instagram) released two Champagnes under the Mod Selection label last year and has now added some new cuvees to the range. James tasted these in Hong Kong last week and was very impressed across the board, with the top two highlights emanating from the excellent 2008 vintage.
The Mod Sélection Champagne Vintage Rosé 2008 (96 points) combines fruit density with a fine texture and “really pleases both your mind and your palate.” The “extremely structured and powerful” Mod Sélection Champagne Vintage 2008 (96 points) is “Champagne with density and a framework of phenolics, bubbles and acidity” and really shows the prowess of the 2008 vintage, marrying power and focus.
The MOD Selection Champagne from the Canadian rapper Drake is serious quality Champagne.
From the prestigious Burgundian Grand Cru Corton, one that is renowned for producing consistently powerful pinot noir, the Domaine Faiveley Corton Grand Cru Clos des Cortons Faiveley 2018 (96 points) is a “solid Corton … full-bodied with tight, fine tannins, focused depth of fruit and excellent length.” James noted it really is “quite muscular for the vintage” and will benefit from three years rest before drinking.
Two wines from Donna Olimpia are featured this week. The 1898 Bolgheri Superiore Millepassi 2017 (96 points) is a “sleek and polished” blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot with “a tight palate and very finely crafted tannins.” The Donna Olimpia 1898 Bolgheri 2017 (95 points) is “a really beautiful red with aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, sweet tobacco, lightly toasted oak and cigar box” that follows the same blend as the Superiore. Both will benefit from three or four years of bottle age.
A truly unique wine from the Alto Adige, the Cantina Tramin Gewürztraminer Epokale 2013 (95 points) has been aged in a mine for six years in the region. It has “fascinating aromas of oyster shell, dried apricots and pineapple … a beautiful core of medium-sweet fruit” and “just the right amount of bitterness at the end” says James.
An aged white from Australia, the Pikes Riesling Clare Valley The Merle 2015 (95 points) “shows a delicately aged streak of lime butter and some light toastiness through wet stones, fresh lemon zest and peel.” There’s a lot of potential still to come in this wine with impressive concentration and balance, the finish holds still-fresh citrus fruit flavors. It is a selection of their best riesling each vintage.
Finally a duo of Barolo 2016s to join the procession of highly rated wines that this exceptional vintage has produced. From Serralunga, the Schiavenza Barolo Cerretta 2016 (95 points) has a powerful imprint of tannin, “yet the tannins are fine-grained and impressive” noted James. The sleekness of the 2016 vintage tames the finish nicely here. And the Virna Barolo del Comune di Barolo 2016 (95 points) really charms with “gorgeous aromas of lavender, tile, ripe strawberries and some cherries.” James found this “really finely crafted” and “full-bodied with a very tight, linear palate.”
There’s something for everyone in this week’s wrap of our top rated wines. We hope that, wherever you are, you drink well and stay safe.
– Nick Stock, executive editor