Multi: Six LBV TNs from the late 1990s
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:52 am
Last weekend my father-in-law and I tasted the following LBVs against each other blind:
A Graham 1998
B Taylor 1999
C Taylor 1995
D Noval 1997
E Dow 1998
F Niepoort 1999
Taylor ‘95 had been open for over a year (!) and unsurprisingly had a deep brown appearance and a hot alcoholic molasses nose. The rest, thankfully, were new bottles.
The Noval and Dow came in both of our top twos with each of us having a different 1st and 2nd preference.
Noval ’97 stood out for me straight away as it was the only wine which was opaque. It had an opaque deep crimson appearance whereas the others had mid to deep brick red-crimson colours. It had a wide, open, cool, blackcurrant and blueberry nose preceded the palate of light, exceptionally smooth and refreshing blackberry flavours.
Dow ’98 was a mid-deep brick red colour and the third darkest after the Noval and Graham. It had a muffled and fruity nose followed by very smooth and lingering black fruit flavours.
Graham ’98 was slightly darker than the others (except Noval) and brick red with a slightly alcoholic nose and lighter sweeter cherry flavours.
Taylor and Niepoort ’99 were surprisingly similar in many ways including their mid-deep crimson colours. Both had not very attractive quite chemically aromas with the Niepoort’s being far tighter, and both had rich, creamy, lingering and blackberry flavours.
I thought the difference in quality (or is that just difference in style?) was pretty significant when you think that the prices are all within £3-4 of each other.
A Graham 1998
B Taylor 1999
C Taylor 1995
D Noval 1997
E Dow 1998
F Niepoort 1999
Taylor ‘95 had been open for over a year (!) and unsurprisingly had a deep brown appearance and a hot alcoholic molasses nose. The rest, thankfully, were new bottles.
The Noval and Dow came in both of our top twos with each of us having a different 1st and 2nd preference.
Noval ’97 stood out for me straight away as it was the only wine which was opaque. It had an opaque deep crimson appearance whereas the others had mid to deep brick red-crimson colours. It had a wide, open, cool, blackcurrant and blueberry nose preceded the palate of light, exceptionally smooth and refreshing blackberry flavours.
Dow ’98 was a mid-deep brick red colour and the third darkest after the Noval and Graham. It had a muffled and fruity nose followed by very smooth and lingering black fruit flavours.
Graham ’98 was slightly darker than the others (except Noval) and brick red with a slightly alcoholic nose and lighter sweeter cherry flavours.
Taylor and Niepoort ’99 were surprisingly similar in many ways including their mid-deep crimson colours. Both had not very attractive quite chemically aromas with the Niepoort’s being far tighter, and both had rich, creamy, lingering and blackberry flavours.
I thought the difference in quality (or is that just difference in style?) was pretty significant when you think that the prices are all within £3-4 of each other.