Tasting Experiment

Tasting Experiment

Peter Lehman ‘The Futures’ 2006 (Barossa, Australia)

vs

Domaine les Goubert ‘Cuvée Florence’ 2003 (Gigondas, Southern Rhone, France)

The story of two wines decanted and drunk over three nights. A lesson in the difficulty associated with giving a note or score based on a single snap-shot tasting of a wine. Also a lesson in the difficulty of judging when to open, decant and serve a wine to see it at its best!

Night 1

Fillet steak

The Futures: inky dark, open nose redolent of a classic Barossa syrah-bruiser though perhaps showing a little more restraint than the styles of old. Dominant young red fruits and more than a touch of oak on the nose. Attractive but one dimensional for me. Palate similar – heavy in a good way; powerful, meaty, weighty. But not particularly complex. 16/20.

Cuvée Florence: showing a little age at the rim. Nose relatively closed, with some mature character typical of a ‘rural’ southern Rhone blend. Palate rather flat and thin, but otherwise well balanced. Angular – needs food to partner it. Good finish. 15.5/20.

Night 2

Sirloin steak

The Futures: opened up considerably, not necessarily different in character but just more of everything. Black spice coming through to the fore much more. Palate tasting broader, rounder but still lacking in a little complexity. 16(+)/20.

Cuvée Florence: What a metamorphosis! Having been seriously disappointed by this last night, it has changed almost out of recognition. Huge, opulent, complex nose. Spice, tobacco, and coffee all come across. The palate is broad and expansive, with seemingly much greater fruit that just wasn’t perceptible last night. This would easily pass for a middle-ranking Chateauneuf-du-Pape in a blind tasting such is the depth of character that has now evolved since opening. Trounces ‘The Futures’. 16.5-17/20.

Night 3

Beef joint and Yorkshire pudding

The Futures: Remarkably little change or development; this is certainly not tiring yet suggesting a long potential cellar life ahead of it. Similar note to last night.

Cuvée Florence: Developed a little further and perhaps faded a touch since the splendour of last night. Perhaps a few more years ahead of it for the bottles yet to be opened, but I would suggest keeping it much beyond then. For the scorched 2003 vintage this is a very good showing. I now look forward to tasting the 2001 still to be broached!