Tasted these two dessert wines over the Holidays:
1. Ch.Doisy Vedrines AC: Sauternes (13.5%; MeBaC) Hertiers Casteja/Barsac 2001: Deep golden/amber color; strong apricotty/peachy/bit botrytis fairly ripe/figgy/fig newtons bit butterscotchy light earhy some complex nose; slightly sweet light butterscotchy/oak some modest botrytis/peachy/apricotty fairly tart/tangy bit complex flavor; long light apricotty/peachy/light botrytis fairly tart/tangy light butterscotchy/Fr.oak slightly sweet bit complex finish; the acidity gives it a somewhat of a sweet/sour character; not as rich & lush or complex as I'd expect of a 20 yr old Sauternes; seems to be drying out a bit; a pleasant aged Sauternes but a bit disappointing.
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2. Andrew Quady Elysium Calif Black Muscat (15%) QuadyWnry/Madera 1984: Med.dark color w/ much browning; very strong black muscat/muscatty very fragrant/floral slightly old Port/alcoholic some cedary rather complex nose; soft some alcoholic very sweet intense muscatty/black muscat/grapey/floral slight Porty fairly complex flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long quite sweet intense muscatty/black muscat/grapey/floral bit alcoholic slight earthy finish w/ light tannins; no signs of oxidation but the black muscat dominates & not much evolution is shown like an old Port that you'd expect of a 40 yr old wine. $11.00 (Q)
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3. Trimbach GWT AC: Alsace Vendanges Tardive (13%) Trimbach/Ribeauville 1997: Deep golden/some browning color; strong GWT/hair oil light botrytis/peachy/apricotty rather passito/late hrvst quite complex beautiful nose; rather tart/tangy quite sweet some GWT/hair oil/spicy fairly sweet (8%-10% r.s.) rather late harvesty/passito slight botrytis/peachy/apricotty fairly complex very rich/lush flavor; very long/lingering strong hair oil/GWT/spicy fairly late hrvst/passito somewhat complex finish; not a lot of botrytis & mostly a late hrvst/GWT character but a lovely example of a VT GWT.
$22.00/hlf (LB)
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More erkajerk from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. The Quady Elysium & Quady Essensia (Orange Muscat) are both examples of Calif Angelicas. They are wines that are boosted in alcohol by addition of pure grape brandy to stop the fermentation & leave the wine w/ residual sugar. By law, they must ferment up to 0.5% alcohol afore the brandy addition, but I think that is not widely followed.
This is essentially the same wine known as Ratafia in the Champagne region and Pineau des Charentes in the Cognac region.
This 1984 was probably about the 2'nd or 3'rd Elysium that Andy made. I've not had much good experience w/ these Quadys aging into anything interesting. They just seem to keep their grapey character forever.
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2. I wanted to show my son what a great old Sauternes was like. We served it w/ a Loisin Creme Pannetone from DarrellCorti w/ a Contratto Apertif Creme Anglais. It was a bit of a disappointment as it was not as rich/lush as I was hoping it to be.
Tom