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Beaune - Clos des Mouches (blanc)..... Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon.....

17-Feb-95

Coming Sunday is my birthday and we plan to go out to a fancy restaurant in town. So this evening, we had a VERY nice dinner with VERY nice wines at home with another friend. A white (B) and the best Israeli red.
Nutrition, of course, compliments of she who must be obeyed:

Shrimps, deep fried in beer, on strawberry sauce bed
_____
Vichyssoise soup (lentils and potatoes)
_____
Beef stew cooked in beer, served with fried onions on plain rice
_____
Cheese and Sabra (cactus) fruit
_____
Apple pie

Beaune - Clos des Mouches (blanc) 1992 J. Drouhin

2/95. Acquired from Beaune Dec-94 for $27 (imported for $34 net).
The beautiful white wine from the famous Beaune 1er Cru vineyard that is one of the crown jewels of the Domaine Drouhin. My first 1992 white (B).
COLOR: Medium viscous yellow.
NOSE: Superb aroma. Fresh apples, rich crisp clean bouquet. Very strong if not overpowering.
TASTE: Delightful celebration in the mouth. Hints of honey, fresh grapes, mouth filling fat taste with a touch of youth crispiness. A pleasure on the palate! Not a great accompaniment to the shrimps because of the sweet sauce, but superb with the Vichyssoise soup.
LENGTH: Very long aftertaste, developing in the mouth long after the last drop has been swallowed.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Quite 'fat' texture for such a young wine. Tannins are still felt a bit, though along with the alcohol and acidity, contribute to a perfectly balanced white (B). The wine accompanied the first two courses and matched beautifully.
OVERALL: Excellent wine and excellent value. Dorit says "Order six more bottles before it'll be too late". It will surely keep at least this good for few more years.
MARK: 17/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


Yarden - Cabernet Sauvignon 1985 Golan Wineries

Bought locally Oct-93 for $70.
The most famous Israeli Yarden Cab at half price! Only 4950 bottles made of this Special-Reserve edition (and only 2 left 'chez moi'). Left open to breath for an hour.
COLOR: Very dark, almost black red. No signs of paling. Even the look of it in the glass implies a very serious wine.
NOSE: Velvety mixture of earth, vanilla, black-fruit, tobacco, licorice and god knows what else. Actually, it is very difficult to tell aroma components apart, as this wine has become one homogeneous entity.
TASTE: Smooth, totally mature Cab. Complex but subtle taste, not especially fruity. Every sip commands attention. An excellent accompaniment to the beef stew, then to the cheese. A great wine no doubt, yet - a bit tired or maybe tiring.
LENGTH: Medium length, but multi-layered, very pleasant aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full body though not heavy. Very elegant, aristocratically bred wine. Tannins totally resolved, weak acidity well balancing the weak tannins and adding to the feeling of a wine whose qualities do not lie in fruitiness alone.
OVERALL: Obviously a very serious wine that may appeal more to the 'intellect' part of wine-lovers than to their soul. Everything about this wine (especially its market price < g >) commands respect. Though faultless, and probably rated higher by serious Cabernet experts, I find it lacking in one department - It is no match for a great (B) where words like voluptuous, enticing and seductive come to mind.
MARK: 17+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.


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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.