Geoff Coupe's Blog

Reflections on life at “De Witte Wand”…

Wines I Have Known

This is a list of wines that I have drunk, along with my ratings. I’ll update this list on an irregular basis… The ratings system is very simple – from one to five stars:
 
– Affordable, easy drinking­­☆
– Good stuff☆☆
– Very good☆☆☆
– Excellent, for special occasions☆☆☆☆
– I’ve just died and gone to Heaven☆☆☆☆☆
You can tell I’m no expert of wine, I just know what I like (the cry of the Philistine down the ages, I hear you say). Well tough, it’s my list. I only have two five star entries, both for dessert wines, interestingly enough, even though I’m basically a red wine drinker. One is for Chateau d’Yquem (and I still have a half bottle nestling in the cellar – yippee! It’s now gone – sigh). The other is for Tokaji Eszencia, which I was lucky enough to be able to taste through the generosity of a friend of mine. He was presented with an exceedingly rare (and it goes without saying, expensive) bottle as a birthday present from his wife, and he poured out a glass for me to try. What’s that Dutch expression? Like angels pissing on your tongue… Yep, that comes close…
Alión☆☆☆Ribero del Duero – Owned by Vega Sicilia
Allegrini☆☆☆☆Amarone
Apaltagua☆☆Envero – Carmenère\Cabernet Sauvignon
Argiolas, Antonio☆☆☆Turriga
Bellingham Wines☆Chardonnay
Bessa Valley☆☆Enira 2011 – Merlot/Syrah/Petit Verdot
Bonny Doon☆☆☆Le Cigare Volant – Grenache
Borgo di Colleredo☆☆Gironia – Montepulciano and Aglianico
Bouchard Pere et Fils☆Chablis
Brolio, Castello di☆☆☆Chianti Classico
Campo alle Comete☆☆Cabernet Sauvignon
Cantine Due Palme☆☆☆Domiziano – Negroamaro
Cantine Due Palme☆☆Squinzano – Negroamaro/Malvasia
Cap de Mourlin☆☆St-Emilion
Carramimbre☆☆Crianza
Carramimbre☆☆☆Reserva – Ribero del Duero
Casa Gualda☆☆☆great value wine
Casa Lapostolle☆☆Merlot
Casillero del Diablo☆☆Merlot
Castaño, Bodegas☆☆Pozuelo
Castell del Remei☆Blanc Panell – blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Macabeo
Castell del Remei☆☆Gotim Bru – blend of Temp/Cab Sauv/Merlot
Castelo de Medina☆☆Syté 2010 – blend of Syrah/Tempranillo
Castillo de Monjardin☆☆ 
Catena☆☆Catena – Cab Sav
Catena☆☆☆Catena Alta – Cab Sav
Catena☆☆☆☆Nicolas Catena Zapata – Cab Sav
Catena☆Alamos – Chardonnay
Catena☆☆☆Catena Alta – Chardonnay
Chablisienne, La☆Chablis
Chakana Wines☆☆Malbec Reserve
Chateau Batailley☆☆☆Pauillac
Chateau Bel-Orme-Tronquoy-de-Lalande☆☆Haut-Médoc
Chateau d’Yquem☆☆☆☆☆Words fail me
Chateau de Clapier☆☆Grenache/Syrah/Pinot Noir
Chateau Dufort-Vivens☆☆☆Margaux
Chateau Gloria☆☆☆St-Julien
Chateau Haut-Bage Averous☆☆The second label of Lynch-Bages (Paulillac)
Chateau Haut-Batailley☆☆☆Paulillac
Chateau La Conseillante☆☆☆☆Pomerol
Chateau Labégorce☆☆Margaux
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey☆☆☆☆Sauternes
Chateau Lagrange☆☆Not the estate owned by Suntory, the other one… (Pomerol)
Chateau Lascombes☆☆Margaux
Chateau Latour-Martillac☆☆Pessac-Léognan
Chateau Les Ormes-de-Pez☆☆☆St- Estèphe
Chateau Lilian Ladouys☆☆St-Estèphe
Chateau Meyney☆☆☆St-Estèphe
Chateau Musar☆☆☆A Cab Sav from the Lebanon
Chateau Pichon-Longueville☆☆☆Second label: Les Tourelles de Longueville (Pauillac)
Chateau Ricardelle☆☆Combemale Rouge
Château Ste-Michelle☆☆Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon
Chateau Talbot☆☆☆St-Julien
Cloudy Bay☆☆Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon
Codorníu☆☆Cava
Collefrisio☆☆Falanghina 2010 – “a backgound of green tea”
Condado de Haza☆☆☆I think better value than Pesquera (Ribero del Duero)
De Bortoli☆☆☆The “Noble One” is certainly that (Noble Semillon)
Domaine Clavel☆☆Copa Santa, a blend of Syrah, Grenache and occasionally Mourvèdre
Domaine Usseglio Raymond et Fils☆☆Claux Rouge
Domus Aurea☆☆☆Beautiful (Cabernet Sauvignon)
Duboeuf, Georges☆☆Fleurie, Julienas
Edwards, Luís Felipé☆Carmenère
Edwards, Luís Felipé☆☆☆Doña Bernada
Edwards, Luís Felipé☆☆LFE 900
Errázuriz☆☆Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon
Fontanafredda☆☆☆Barolo
Freixenet☆☆Cava
Frog’s Leap☆☆Cabernet Sauvignon
Gaja☆☆☆☆Barbaresco
Gaja☆☆☆☆Dagromis – Barolo
Geyser Peak☆☆Chardonnay
González-Byass☆☆Tio Pepe (Fino Port)
Groot Constantia☆☆Pinotage
Herdade da Comporta☆☆Red: made from Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Franca grapes
Hogue Cellars☆Chardonnay, Merlot
Kaapzicht Estate☆☆Cabernet Sauvignon
Kanonkop☆☆☆Pinotage
Kendall-Jackson☆Cabernet Sauvignon
Klein Constantia☆☆Sauvignon Blanc
Kleine Zalze☆Cellar Selection – Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc
Laufener☆Gewürztraminer, Riesling
Laurel Glen☆☆☆Counterpoint – Cabernet Sauvignon
Lidio Carraro☆Agnus – Cabernet Sauvignon
Luce☆☆☆Lucente – Sangiovese/Merlot
Marchesi di Gresy☆☆☆Barbaresco
Marques de Murrieta☆☆☆☆Castillo de Ygay (Rioja Alta)
Marqués di Riscal☆☆☆Rioja Alta
Martinez-Bujanda☆☆☆Conde de Valdemar – Crianza
Masi☆☆☆Amarone
Michel Torino☆Sauvignon Blanc
Mondavi, Robert☆☆☆☆Napa Valley Reserve – Cab Sav
MontGras☆☆Zinfandel
MOMA☆☆Zangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon/Rubicone
Palo Alto☆☆Palo Alto Reserva 2008 – Merlot/Syrah/Tempranilo/Viognier
Paradigm☆☆☆Merlot
Pasqua☆Valpolicella
Pasqua & Fazio☆Nero d’Avola
Penfolds☆Rawson’s Retreat (Cab Sav), Bin 128
Penfolds☆☆Bin 28 (Shiraz)
Pesquera☆☆☆Ribero del Duero
Peter Lehmann☆Art Series – Shiraz/Grenache
Planeta☆☆Chardonnay, Syrah, Nero d’Avola
Planeta☆☆☆Santa Cecilia – Nero d’Avola
Quady Winery☆☆☆Essencia, Elysium (Muscat)
Ramos Pinto☆☆☆Tawny Port
Ravenswood Winery☆☆☆Zinfandel
Rimauresq☆☆Rimauresq Cru Classé 2007
Rosemount Estate☆☆☆Coonawarra Show Reserve – Cab Sav
Rupert & Rothschild☆☆☆Baroness Nadine – Chardonnay
Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun☆☆AOC Saint-Chinian Prestige
Sandalford Wines☆☆☆Element – Shiraz/Cab Sav
Santa Ana☆☆La Mascota – Cabernet Sauvignon
Simonsig Estate☆☆Pinotage
Stag’s Leap Winery☆☆☆Petite Syrah
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars☆☆☆☆Fay – Cab Sav
Tokaji☆☆☆☆☆Essencia – a religious experience
Torres☆☆☆☆Mas la Plana – Cab Sav
Torres☆☆Gran Coronas – Cab Sav/Tempranillo
Torres☆Sangre de Toro – Grenache/Cariñena
Torres☆☆Nerola – Syrah/Monastrell
Torres☆Viña Sol – Paradella
Valdivieso☆ – ☆☆☆Wide range from easy drinkers to very good wines, both white and red
Vecchia Torre☆Vermentino 2011
Villa Maria☆☆Sauvignon Blanc
Viña von Siebenthal☆☆Carmenère
Wolf Blass☆☆☆Black Label – Cab Sav
Wolf Blass☆☆☆☆Platinum Label – Shiraz
Wolfberger☆☆Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris
Wynns Coonawarra Estate☆☆Cabernet Sauvignon
Yarra Yering☆☆☆☆Cabernet Sauvignon
Zenato☆☆☆Amarone

6 responses to “Wines I Have Known”

  1. Cher Avatar
    Cher

    And you are still standing?? LOL (just kidding) Cher

    Reply
  2. Cher Avatar
    Cher

    I see that you like the dry wines best. I love Brazilan suave wines, French Burgandy, and Martini & Rossi Asti Spumanti, the opposites of the varieties you like. My Grandfather used to make wine from the grapes on the property here, but it was so strong we would put soda in it before drinking it… Italian Concord grape wine…WOW..maybe like the religeous experience you had with that was it Japanese wine or saki. Cher

    Reply
  3. mroakc Avatar
    mroakc

    You like Yquem? If you haven’t already, I’d say it’s worth trying a decent Trockenbeerenauslese (or perhaps Eiswein, or both). I’d say they might merit four of your stars for me.

    Reply
  4. Matt Healy Avatar
    Matt Healy

    My wife and I spent 12 days in August vacationing in Greece; we had a wonderful trip to that lovely country including a tour of the Skouras Winery. Back in the USA, we’ve been enjoying the Greek wines available at our local shops, including a couple from Skouras. We knew little about Greek wines prior to this trip.

    Reply
    1. Geoff Coupe Avatar
      Geoff Coupe

      I’m afraid I know nothing about Greek wines at all. I’ve drunk retsina whilst on holiday of course, but once back home it never seems to taste the same… Skouras sounds interesting, and Hugh Johnson rates it, so I should try and hunt down some examples. Thanks for the tip.

      Reply
  5. Matt Healy Avatar
    Matt Healy

    Yeah, Retsina, like the Frascati one finds all over Rome, doesn’t seem to travel very well.

    I don’t know how much Greek wine the Dutch shops carry but here in the US only the larger wine shops carry any Greek wines. So far Skouras wines have been the best of the Greek wines we’ve sampled since getting back home. We decided not to take any bottles back in our luggage for fear of a mess if the gorillas handling baggage got too rough with ours (and of course it’s no longer allowed to carry bottles of wine through Security).

    Reply

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