25.11.2007
1999 Domaine Du Pegau Cuvee Reservee
Following up from my earlier TN. My second bottle from the same case as the original TN. Different experience - the band-aid notes are secondary to a complex nose with strawberry, leather, spice, mint - some meatiness. Medium bodied and dry with prominent tannins balanced by a fine acidity. Not a huge amount of fruit on the palate - but a balanced wine - a pleasure to drink now but I am certain this will 'improve' for at least a further 5 years.....does not have the olfactory splendour of the 2000 or the power and structure of the 2001..

08.11.07
1999 Domaine Du Pegau Cuvee Reservee
Opened and immediately splashed into Bordeaux type stemware. Translucent garnet, not particularly expressive nose, but Oh-So-Pegau. Tobacco notes ( some might say herbaceous) initially followed by smoky meat with other things in the background - mostly liquorice……mmmm …..medium bodied and rather simple on the palate, collapsed a bit.….reminded me of the 2002…is this right? Aggressive finish. Purchased recently from an impeccable source, I have no idea what ‘release’ of 1999 this is….however, it is not the splendid 99 that I remember tasting 2 years ago. Odd. Going through a dumb phase?

08.11.07
2000 De Bortoli GS Reserve Shiraz
Mature colour, garnet with a hint of bricking on the rim. Gorgeous nose of sweet black fruit, earth, tar, liquorice and smoke. Resolved with black cherries, smoke and asphalt - long finish. Balanced and refined. I have noted some bottle variation with this wine -but only one has drop below excellent. This is fantastic value at around £8 a bottle. What a house wine - would hold its own in good company. 93pts