2008 LIBRARY COLLECTION RESULTS

1998 VINTAGE



Score out of 100 Style Producer Wine Name Country Tasting note
89 Port Adriano Ramos Pinto Vinhos SA Late Bottled Vintage 1998 Portugal Ripe plum with jammy aromas, rich fruit palate but with a very green edge, big chewy blackberries, figs and raisins. Lush and round. Drink from 2010 - 2016.
90 Red Bodegas Primicia Casa Primicia Gran Reserva 1998 Spain Intense, funky, herbaceous and tobacco like notes on the nose, supple and subtle, evolved with dried fruit character, quite restrained but vibrant with fine dry tannins and a long finish. Drink now through 2015.
86 Red Brothers in Arms Brothers in Arms Shiraz 1998 Australia Meaty aromas with some evident liquorice and black fruit, lots of black cherry on the palate with grippy tannins and a long finish. Drink now through 2010.
91 Sparkling Champagne Mailly Grand Cru Champagne Mailly Grand Cru les Echansons 1998 France Pale yellow, showing development on the nose, nutty and buttery on the palate, good acidity with a lingering finish. Drink now through 2013.
95 Sparkling Champagne Taittinger Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1998 France Biscuit nose, creamy and rich on the palate, quite seductive, lovely fizz with intense bready character. Long finish, toasty and lemony. Drink now through 2020.
93 Sparkling Champagnes P&C Heidsieck Piper-Heidsieck Rare Millesimé 1998 France Lovely fizz, lively mousse, very youthful on the nose with hints of lemon. Very fresh style, balanced with biscuity, brioche character. Has plenty of time and will develop nicely. Drink now through 2018, 2020 if in magnum.
88 Sparkling Dr Andrew Pirie Pirie 1998 Australia Deep golden colour, huge intensity of autolytic character. Well structured fruit with creamy, lemony acidity, balanced and lingering on the finish. Drink now through 2010.
96 Off dry Erich Machherndl Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Kollmitz 1998 Austria Bright, full, yet youthful colour. This is a lovely, balanced wine, fresh and lively with notes of white peach and apricot, rounded but vibrant flavours. Delicious now but will keep up to 10 years. Drink now through 2018.
90 Red Hans Kristian Jorgensen Cortes de Cima Reserva 1998 Portugal Big, ripe, smoky, showing some development. With ripe, sweet fruit on the palate and generous acidity, fine tannins and a long, sweet finish. Drink now through 2012.
91 Red Howard Park Cabernet blend 1998 Australia Good depth of colour, showing some age. The aromas have good clarity revealing black fruit, spice, gentle potpourri. Lively fruit on the palate, youthful, balanced and relaxed. Drink now through 2013.
88 Red Jim Barry Wine Jim Barry McRae Wood Shiraz 1998 Australia Evolved colour with tobacco and spice on the nose, still quite fresh on the palate and the fruit is still very much alive. Drink now through 2010.
95 Red Peter Lehmann Wines Stonewell Shiraz 1998 Australia Very youthful and oaky on the nose, quite woody on the palate but has plenty of underlying fruit. Ripe, spicy, blackberry fruit that still needs time to develop. Drink now through 2018.
90 Port Sogevinus Fine Wines Kopke 1998 Vintage Port 1998 Portugal Deep colour, sweet violets and aromatic nose, tight and earthy. Sweet and fleshy with intense flavours and long lingering finish. Drink between 5 and 10 years.
95 Red Te Mata Estate Winery Te Mata Estate Coleraine 1998 New Zealand Very attractive colour, showing a little maturity. Soft, sweet and lively black fruit. Crisp and elegant, well balanced with long length. Drink now to 2012.

2003 VINTAGE



Score out of 100 Style Producer Wine Name Country Tasting note

85 Red Adriano Ramos Pinto Vinhos SA Duas Quintos Reserva Especial 2003 Portugal Deep colour, very port like nose without the alcoholic kick. Structured with ripe tannins, long, lush finish. Drink now through 2010.
89 Port Adriano Ramos Pinto Vinhos SA Late Bottled Vintage 2003 Portugal Very dense black fruit, chocolate palate. Fruit forward with a spirity, warm, berry ripeness. Still very young. Drink from 2010 - 2014.
96 Port Adriano Ramos Pinto Vinhos SA Vintage 2003 2003 Portugal Deep purple in colour, very clean on the nose. Soft on the palate with tea-leaf complexity on the finish. Keep for another 5 years and then enjoy for 10. Elegant, very good.
90 Red Adriano Ramos Pinto Vinhos SA Duas Quintos Tinto 2003 Portugal Rich and youthful with perfumed aroma. Dense, quite closed, but lovely, bright, black fruits. Good structure with lots of aging potential. Drink now through 2015.
91 Red Adriano Ramos Pinto Vinhos SA Duas Quintos Tinto Reserva 2003 Portugal Dark ruby with good, sweet fruit, floral nose and a hint of cedar wood. Rich blackberries and flowers, very ripe tannins with good length. Drink now through 2013.
90 Red Alain Brumont Château Bouscassé Vieilles Vignes 2003 France Garnet in colour with a powerful, rich nose. Ripe, black cherries, big mouthful or chewy fruit with tangy acidity. Still full tannins but starting to soften up, will benefit from a bit more time. Drink now through 2015.
96 Sweet Alain Brumont Vendemiaire 2003 France Rich and heavily honeyed, creamy late harvest style with racy acidity on the palate. Beautiful balance. Drink now through to 2025.
89 Red Alain Brumont Château Montus Prestige 2003 France Deep colour, quite pungent on the nose, liquorice and dark fruit palate. Quite a modern style, with ripe, lingering tannins. Drink now through 2014.
86 Red Arnoux & Fils Seigneur de Lauris 2003 France Medium depth with cedar scented aromas, quite floral with red fruit on the palate. Still lively and balanced with good acidity and a lengthy finish. Drinking now.
92 Red Bodegas Primicia Carravalseca 2003 Spain Rich, red fruit with a peppery spicy aroma, youthful and powerful, modern palate. Well balanced spice with a long and structured finish. Drink now through 2015.
90 Sparkling Champagne Mailly Grand Cru Champagne Mailly Grand Cru l'Intemporelle 2003 France Quite fat, rounded and rich with biscuit brioche, tangy pineapple and lively acidity. A very fresh and zesty style with a long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2012.
88 Red d'Arenberg The Dead Arm 2003 Australia Deep colour, pushing to the rim of the glass. Sweet, sappy and concentrated, crisp acidity with good concentration. Quite lengthy. Drink now through 2011.
85 Sparkling Domaine de la Vougeraie Fête de Famille 2003 France Very developed nose with complex nutty character, yeasty and bready, good mousse, creamy and very well balanced. Drinking now.
87 White Domaine de la Vougeraie Vougeot 1er Cru 'Le Clos Blanc de Vougeot' 2003 France Golden colour with attractive, lactic notes. Ripe, almost viscous on the palate with a slightly phenolic finish and lingering length. Drink now through 2010.
88 Red Fattoria di Valiano 'Poggio Teo' Chianti Classico DOCG 2003 Italy Just beginning to show development, vanilla, liquorice and herbal aromas. Full, plumy palate with stewed, jammy fruit. Long, persistent and intense on the finish. Drink 2008 through 2012.
92 Red Fattoria di Valiano Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2003 Italy Appealing red plum, bright and juicy style, structured fruit with grainy tannins, very ripe and warm with a lingering finish. Drink 2009 through 2015.
95 Red Fattoria Varramista Spa Varramista 2003 Italy Deep colour, showing maturity. Dense, concentrated with good balance and lovely acidity. Rounded fruit intensity on the finish. Drink now through 2012.
88 Red Finca la Chamiza Finca la Chamiza Martin Alsina 2003 Argentina Deep colour, ripe, bright fruit with spirity warmth on the palate. Firm but good tannins, very pure Malbec character. Drink now through 2010.
85 Red Hamilton Russell Vineyards Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2003 South Africa Pale colour, substantial maturity. Aromas of raspberries with a greenish edge. Palate is quite smoky with attractive complexity and earthy finish. Drinking now.
88 Red Hans Kristian Jorgensen Cortes de Cima Reserva 2003 Portugal Showing some maturity, black cherry and smoky character on the nose. Quite rounded with crisp acidity. Good length and intensity. Drink now through 2012.
91 Red Howard Park Cabernet blend 2003 Australia Deep colour, starting to show maturity. Ripe and dense with black fruit aromas, smoky with black cherry character on the palate. Crisp, minty and balanced on the finish. Drink now through 2014.
88 Red Jaffelin Santenay 1er Cru Beauregard 2003 France Clean, cherry fruit, phenolic tannins, well structured with ripe, round character. Angular with good acidity, pungent finish. Drinking now.