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What do you think?
Recent Tasting Note
- Wine Tasted:Tasting Notes:Another gift, another regions' gem, this time from ESPANIA. This gemstone of living love has hearty full forward fruit black raspberry and young strong grape, yes grape, flavors and is a delightfully easy to handle. No demonic tannins, no brutal alcohol, no toxic medicine alkaline involuntary shudder (mein Gott, I hate that!) as an after-taste consolation prize when you swallow. It is as nicely balanced as can be, not sweet but on the dry edge, solid as a rock full weight, with a real "made from grapes" message; not loam (earthworms) or tobacco nor leather; not funky. Holy mackerel, what fun we got here, ja? 50% grenache, 25% tempranillo, 25% Cabernet sauvignon blend with 10 months in French und American oak and 14 more months in the bottle. Bravissimo!
Champagne Vintage Chart
By Loren Sonkin| 2002 | 94 | D/H |
| 2001 | 86 | D |
| 2000 | 88 | D |
| 1999 | 89 | D/H |
| 1998 | 90 | D/H |
| 1997 | 89 | D |
| 1996 | 97 | D/H |
| 1995 | 93 | D |
| 1993 | 88 | D |
| 1992 | 90 | D |
| 1991 | 89 | D |
| 1990 | 94 | D |
| 1989 | 93 | D |
| 1988 | 94 | D |
| 1986 | 88 | D |
| 1985 | 88 | D |
| 1978 | 91 | D |
Vintage Charts should be used for a generalized guide in lieu of specific knowledge about a bottle or producer. The better wines from a vintage will generally have longer lives and cellar better. The ratings are as follows:
RATING:
95-100 Spectacular. Most producers made very good wines at all levels
90-94 Excellent. The best wines should be great. Consistency throughout the vintage.
85-89 Very Good. The best producers made top wines. Inconsistent thru the lower levels.
80-86 Good. Many producers made good wines with some inconsistency at the bottom.
75-79 Middling. Choose your producers carefully. Only the best may have made a top wine.
70-74 Below Average. Tough vintage to make good wines.
Under 70 A Poor vintage. Spend your money very carefully.
STATUS:
D=Drink
D/H=Drink or Hold
H=Hold
Comments
I was just given a bottle of champagne - something about which I know next to nothing. It says Carello, and then, under that, Asti Spumante. I can't find a date anywhere on the bottle. How do I know what year it was produced?
First, it's not Champagne. Champagne comes from a specific area in France.
Second, if you don't see a date then it's a blend of wines from more than one year.
Hi. Your "champagne" is actually a sweet sparking wine from the Piemonte region of Italy. It is probably not a specific vintage and no matter because this type of wine is fairly consistent from one year to the other thanks to blending. Drink it with desert and not before a meal.
Its not a champagne - its a fizzy wine from Italy. Best to drink with dessert
We have a 1979 Tattinger Comtes de Champagne Chardonnay.
How would you rate this wine? Does it have any notable value?
Thanks,
Bill - bwls@earthlink.net
I have a Moet and Chandon 1988 Champagne. I believe this is still drinkable - yes? Why is it that cmpagne seems to have a longer lifespan than white whines?
That bottle should be drinkable if it was well stored. Many white wines will last longer than you might think, if well stored. Still, I think the effervescence does help the wine age.