Barolo 'Bussia'..... St. Joseph..... Ch. Canon.....

Barolo 'Bussia'			1990	Prunotto

10/99. Bought in auction Mar-97 for $55.
I am not an expert on Italian wines, but I have found there are two kinds of Barolos. The kind I love (manly but lush, fat and fruity) and the kind I hate (manly too but tannic, oaky and very structured). I have had this wine a year ago, so I knew it belongs to the first group.
COLOR: Medium-dark color, some clearing around the rim. Lots of sediment.
NOSE: Red fruit and floral elements bursting out of the glass. Complex secondary aromas add to the breadth of the nose spectrum. Well developed, rich and enticing. Super!
TASTE: Plenty of fruit and winyness fill the mouth with multiple tasty flavors. Very focused on the palate, with good grip. Receding soft tannins support the nice backbone.
LENGTH: Medium length with flavorful aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full-bodied wine of thick texture. Excellent fruit, winyness and structure. Medium acidity to balance the soft tannins. Very well balanced.
OVERALL: Superb! Perhaps not a super-star Barolo, but certainly a wonderful wine approaching its peak. Will have no problem to keep at the top for many more years.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

St. Joseph 'VV'			1994	R. Trollat

10/99. Bought in auction Sep-97 for $45.
A rare cuvee made from very old Syrah vines. I had this wine before and was somewhat disappointed as I expected more from a wine so hyped by R. Parker.
COLOR: Basically dark and impressive, as befits a Syrah Rhone wine. Noticeable clearing around the rim though, with no trace of sediment.
NOSE: Peppery nose with very forward fruit and obvious elements of 'Rhone Nose'. Distinct and expressive though medium-keyed bouquet. Good but not great.
TASTE: Good flavors and winyness though not particularly graceful and elegant. Nevertheless, the wine expresses distinct personality and style. On its own, some hard tannins and a bit overly acidic for the meagre fruit. Yet with the flavorful aubergine soup the wine smoothed out and became really good.
LENGTH: Surprisingly long and persisting aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium-light bodied. Simple and forward fruit with no great concentration or finesse. Slightly too acidic for perfect balance. Even in a low-key version. Still, enough personality and expression to merit attention.
OVERALL: Excellent. Perhaps this sounds a bit strange after my above relative 'bashing', but that would be wrong on two accounts. a) The wine is good!! My quarrel (if I have one) is with Mr. Parker setting such high expectations when he waxes poetic about this wine. b) If I don't particularly like a wine style but can see it is well made and recognize qualities which may appeal to others I try to resist demoting it harshly. (Hey Yak, why all this apologetics?)
MARK: 17/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Maybe.

Chateau Canon	1989	St. Emilion

10/99. Acquired in auction, Mar-97 for $90.
My only previous experience with this 'super-second' St. Emilion are two bottles of the extraordinary 1982 Ch. Canon.
COLOR: Dark and beautiful violet-red, hardly any clearing towards the rim.
NOSE: Deep, warm, rich and elegant. Semi ripe black fruits with additional tones of wood, tobacco, pencil-tip and fragrant vanilla. Really enticing.
TASTE: More sweetish fruit on the palate. Quite concentrated with excellent grip and focus. Complex and multidimensional flavors. Supple, stylish and extremely satisfying.
LENGTH: Very very long and firm aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Fullish bodied with all the elements in measured (though not restrained!) quantities. Fruit, concentration, winyness, tannins and acidity all in the medium-plus range. Perfectly balanced.
OVERALL: Superb-plus!. Maybe not as lush as the 1982, but a wonderful, exquisitely-crafted wine that is very drinkable now but will give pleasure for many many years to come.
MARK: 18.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.

Reach Me? yak@yakshaya.com

Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.