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Tasting Notes Blog - Printer-Friendly Version
-April, 2009
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009 WT042909-01. 07 MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE, DOMAINE DE LA BATARDIERE - (FRANCE LOIRE) Long time, no see. And it’s just as rewarding as it’s been for decades–going back to the Frank Schoonmaker era. Rich and full and soft and tender in the 07 style. And aromatic. Pear and soft melon. Mineral and preserved lemon. Ideal 07 Muscadet./ Yes, it continues to show its soft and rich, relatively succulent 07 side. But there’s no lack of race, piquance. It has cut, vibrancy, and a mouthwatering acidity. Well balanced wine. Very popular with the group. 16.3. WT042909-02. 07 ESINO BIANCO VERDICCHIO-TREBBIANO, TERRAZO - (ITALY) 80/20. DOC established in 1995. Near Ancona in central Marche. Full for verdicchio, and even for trebbiano for that matter. There’s clarity as well as body though. Firm apple, pear, mineral, straw./ Sleek and bright, with nice, edgy acidity. Hint of fig. Nicely tuned, entirely palatable, even quaffable. Very popular with the group. 16.1. WT042909-03. 07 CHATEAU COURONNEAU, BORDEAUX BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Half each sauvignon gris, sauvignon blanc. With a chance to taste a fresh sample and have more time to study it, I like this even more than the desk sample offered a couple of weeks back. And it was very popular with the group too–even before I told them that it is half sauvignon gris, a grape that fascinates them. That varietal lends fullness and richness as well as unique aromatic properties. There are cool, green, quince like airs and richer peach and nut-like nuances. Unique./ Yes, this has the lushness of sauvignon gris versus blanc, as pinot gris versus pinot blanc. And the sauvignon blanc provides cut and lift, grass and pepper. Lively and enticing. Rich and texturally large. Well integrated. Wow! Tremendous! 16.6. WT042909-04. 07 TWO ANGELS HIGH VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - (U.S.) Well, this has real Lake County sauvignon seductive richness, like the Buena Vistas of old. Pear and honeyed citrus. Apple, pineapple, papaya, capsicum./ Both sweetness and cut through the long finish. Nectar and grapefruit. Wine of place. Impressive. 15.9. WT042909-05. 07 CHARLES KRUG NAPA VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - (U.S.) Unique among California sauvignons. It’s very fresh, lifting, tingly. It smells more of apple and quince than gooseberry and stone fruit. With air comes passion fruit galore./ Yes, this really sings. A unique flavor of nettles and some citrus aspects: lemon-lime, tangerine, citrus peel. And there’s a tonic astringency. Neat stuff. Nothing else like it. 16.2. WT042909-06. 08 BODEGA LURTON VALLE DE UCO PINOT GRIS - (ARGENTINA) Whoa! Really surges forth to swell up the nostrils with cool, penetrating airs of high altitude NE Italy style pinot grigio./ The palate is fatter and richer, moving closer to an Oregon style. Fig, white peach, cream, roasted nuts. Very clear varietal character all through to the long finish. Well liked by the group. 16.0. WT042909-07. 07 SIERRA VISTA UNOAKED EL DORADO CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Plenty fresh. Cool, incisive, clear. Apple-citrus chardonnay purity./ Sweet and soft and round. Very bright. Tasty. As nice as it could be. They do well at this. 16.0. WT042909-08. 07 WENTE MORNING FOG LIVERMORE VALLEY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Tropical fruits, bubble gum, pear drops, and spicy oak./ Sweet and sassy. Well crafted. Popular style. Goes down easy. Always a best value. 16.0. WT042909-09. 08 CARTLIDGE & BROWNE CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Good pinot tart and black cherries, strawberry, and tea. More Oregon, Euro, than the 07. This has a sense of accomplishment already. Not too early to put on the market./ Yes, the fruit is cool and bright. Some sense of oak in the background, but it’s not nearly so much of a factor as in the 07. Lots of peels vigor. Great acidity. I like this better than the 07. 16.2+. WT042909-10. 07 ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO, AVIGNONESI - (ITALY) Boy, unique for the DOC. Lots of cherry, coffee, and leather. The fruit is really dense and rich for this DOC. And the wine really ripe without crossing the line. Is this 07 talking? Sense of time in cooperage, if not outright oakiness./ Oh, but there’s definitely oak influence on the palate. Sweet oak as well as sweet fruit. And some oak tannin. Incredibly complex flavor range: blackberry, chamomile, tea, fennel, peppercorn, smoke, nutmeg, cinnamon cake. Intense and focused. Really loaded, even for Avignonesi. Yowsa! Very well liked by the group, which almost finished the bottle before I got to it. 17.0+. WT042909-11. 06 COTES DU RHONE, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Reduced, 06 cool and confined. But there’s plenty of dark fruit potential here./ Tight.. 06 sleekness, acidity, light grip. Plenty of tannin. This will need some time. Anything but commercial. Wait and see. These have improved with age in past vintages. 15.4+. WT042909-12. 05 CAIRANNE COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, DOMAINE BOISSON - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Wow! Lots of vibrant peppercorns and other spices. Blueberry, cassis, violets, chamomile. And garrigue. Deep and black, genuine Cairanne style. In fact, it’s textbook Cairanne./ Big, fat, powerful, heady, tannic, full bodied and full textured. Huge, really. Classic Cairanne magnified to Chateauneuf proportions. Very well liked by the group. Some thought this the best Cairanne they’d ever tasted. I think the Oratoire Saint Martins are more complex, but there’s no denying the incredible intensity of Cairanne characteristics in this one. 17.0+. WT042909-13. 04 TRENTINO TEROLDEGO ROTALIANO RISERVA, MEZZACORONA - (ITALY) Dark and hearty. Warm and strong. Big black fruit. Riserva size and barrel-age breadth and depth./ Sweet and large. Massive and impressive riserva wine, but time in barrel has obscured the varietal character, and the sheer ripeness of the fruit–unusual in this area–detracts from terroir, originality. This just as well could be a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva. Good wine though. With a good future. 16.2+. WT042909-14. 07 HEARTLAND STICKLEBACK SOUTH AUSTRALIA RED - (AUSTRALIA) Cabernet, shiraz, dolcetto, grenache. Ripe, tarry, and concentrated. A potpourri of botanicals, eucalyptus, black fruits and currants. .Heady, warm, sweet. Baked fruits. Talks warm climate./ Sweet and strong. No denying its presence, its power, its generous delivery. Needs equally evocative food choices. 15.4. WT042909-15. 05 BALLENTINE OLD VINES NAPA VALLEY ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Sweet and sassy, heady, visceral. More Sonoma than Napa. Sweet oak too. Black fruits, vanilla, walnut. This delivers a lot of aroma and force./ Large and sweet, with intense raspberry flavor. Some sense of Napa elegance on the palate. The oak is well integrated at this stage. Nothing 05 reticent about it. 16.7. WT042909-16. 07 BOWERS HARBOR LANGLEY VINEYARD OLD MISSION PENINSULA RIESLING - (U.S.) On the sweet and soft side. Rich and peachy. Rheinhessen-like. / Sweet and soft. Sweet citrus. Elegant minerality. Popular with the group. 15.8. WT042909-17. LAMBRUSCO DELL EMILIA AMABILE, CORTE VIOLA magnum - (ITALY) Light-hearted and sweet cherry-berry aromas delivered in abundance by its delicate, frizzante effervescence./ Yes, fizzy, tickling, and right. Apple and berry. Spiced tea, cinnamon, clove. Uncomplicated pleasure. The real deal at a very attractive price. Very popular with the group. Had several thinking this would be a good sangria base. 15.7. WT042909-18. 03 DOW’S LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORTO bottled 2008 - (FORTIFIED) Oh, yes! The Dow purple berries. The pitchy concentration. The wood spices. Here, the power is under control, and the quality of the spirit is fine./ Wow! Sweet, black, strong, fruity, balanced, long. Another winner in this series. 17.2+.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 WT042209-01. 08 NIEDEROSTERREICH GRUNER VELTLINER TROCKEN, HOFER liter - (AUSTRIA) Fresh and bright. Fruitier than most, and than past vintages of this. Pear and melon more than apple and legume./ Yes, flavors confirm aromas. And there’s a bit of apple peel bitterness too. Plus dried flowers and sage. Fresh and perky. Good acidity. Dry but not austere. Seems to have more substance than previous Hofer liters. 16.0. WT042209-02. 07 BURGENLAND GRUNER VELTLINER, HOPLER - (AUSTRIA) Some H2S to start. Let it breathe, or decant it. The extra ripeness and power of a Burgenland gru-ve. Pungent apple, stone fruit, and legume aromas./ Dry, full bodied, minerally. Attractive once the sulphur flees. 15.6. WT042209-03. 08 TERRA ANDINA VALLE CENTRAL SAUVIGNON BLANC - (CHILE) Really racy and strikingly catty. Sharp and penetrating. Grass, lemon peel, white pepper./ Good grip and zing. Tensile and tangy. Lots of grapefruit. Real sauvignon blanc. 15.7. WT042209-04. 08 CHIWAY SAN ANTONIO VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - (CHILE) Mild, soft, ephemeral. Seems a warmer climate style. Pear and apple rather than citrus. Even peach./ Yes, mild, understated. Has modest grip though. And gooseberry cut and good acidity. 15.8. WT042209-05. 07 GIRARD NAPA VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - (U.S.) Large, full bodied California style of sauvignon, but not without measures of cut and refinement. Grapefruit and white stone fruits./ Full indeed. Ripe apple and quince, with some elegant floral overtones. Dry, with nice, cool composure. Welcomes food, more poultry than fish. 15.9. WT042209-06. 07 CHABLIS VIEILLES VIGNES, DOMAINE SEGUINOT-BORDET - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Wow! Full of material. First it swells up the nostrils, then it fills the void. Old vines mass, concentration. 07 fruit focus too./ Yes, very full. Loquat, quince, calcaire. Even a grainy aspect seldom shown by Chablis chardonnay. Great concentration of both fruit and terroir. A Monster Truck Chablis. The Talk of the Tasting. 17.1+. WT042209-07. 07 NORMANDIE CIDRE BOUCHE BRUT, ETIENNE DUPONT - (FRUIT) Ripe apple with a burnished quality and bottle bouquet. Chamomile effect too./ Appley, spicy, distinctive. Clean and polished. Fine mousse. 16.0+. WT042209-08. 07 CARTLIDGE & BROWNE CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) True to pinot , and quite strong and sweet in the California vernacular. Good 07 fruit quality and intensity. And there’s a complex of wood aromas too./ Yes, woody. Warm spices and vanilla. These are still floating on the top but will sink in with bottle age. Good acidity. Pretty well balanced, if a bit on the sweet side. Well liked by the group–including
the
Europhiles–because of the wood complex. But, alas, the 07 has just been replaced by the 08. Stay tuned. 15.9+. WT042209-09. 07 LAN ZUR MAULE MERLOT - (CHILE) Kosher. Do they make a rose? Lan Zur’s Rose? Sweet and bright and fruity. Some peels./ Some candied fruit. Some brett. Sweet-tart. 14.7. WT042209-10. 07 LAN ZUR MAULE CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (CHILE) Kosher. Harder, less fruity. Cabernet versus merlot. Cherry-berry-currant varietal character./ Cabernet astringency. A bit harsh. Speaks cabernet. 14.2. WT042209-11. 05 CHATEAU LA GRANGE CLINET, 1ERES COTES DE BLAYE - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Real 05 refinement, clarity, purity. Nice come hither fruit sweetness./ Black fruit clarity on the palate too. Well composed and generous. There are some drying tannins though. They give promise. Well liked by the group, and fairly priced as 05s go these days. 16.3+. WT042209-12. 06 CHIANTI CLASSICO ROBERTO STUCCHI, COLTIBUONO - (ITALY) Large and tight. Good 06 amplitude, composition, youthfulness./ Not as tight as the nose suggests. Deep, plummy, even sassy. It’s true to type, elegant, and well proportioned. Time will further loosen its 06 bonds. 16.5+. WT042209-13. 07 DOLCETTO D’ALBA COLOMBE, RENATA RATTI - (ITALY) Good and sweet, dense and plummy. Clear headed, easy, tender. Well sized too. Aeration brings bright cherry varietal joys plus floral accents./ Yes, sweet and cherry toned. Cherry cola. Hint of nutmeg. Fresh and juicy, while displaying real depth and density. A stunning beauty, with good acidity. Stylish, sincere, approachable. I’d say the best vintage I’ve
tasted
for drinking in youth. It’s got come hither appeal, but it’s not frivolous; it has plenty of material. Well liked by the group. 16.7+. WT042209-14. 07 ROSSO PICENO STUPOR MUNDI, BELPOGGIO - (ITALY) Clear and complex. Cherry candy. Neat stuff. Fruitier than previous vintages. An appealing combination of lift, darkness, and depth. Turns denser and more serious with airing, while not losing its brightness and clarity./ Fruity on the palate too. With a nice display of vinosity as well as primary fruit character. Hints of marjoram, licorice, and bay-laurel.
Fine grained
tannins. Well balanced. Will continue to take on weight and depth with bottle age. Another winner in this series, each vintage quite distinct from the others. 16.0+. WT042209-15. 04 SALICE SALENTINO RISERVA, DR. COSMO TAURINO - (ITALY) One of the freshest, most youthful, least rancio influenced of the series. 04 dark fruit tempered and expounded upon by long cask aging./ Lush and full textured. Beautiful ripe fruit and barrel-age concentrated riserva sweetness. Sweet, smoked, cured meats. Well balanced. Super now, and will age famously too. Well liked by the group. 16.4+. WT042209-16. 06 TERRA ALTA SEXTO, HERON - (SPAIN) 33% grenache, 30% carignan, 20% tempranillo, plus cabernet, syrah, and lleudoner pelut noir (garnacha peluda) from vineyards ranging from 15 to 80 years. Aged 9 months in new, 1-, and 2-year old French oak barrels. Oh, bright, fresh, northern, cool, deep, black, sweet, complete./ Great acidity. Youthful tannins to shed yet. Terra Alta coolness. Needs time. Back to the style
and
quality of the 04. 16.2+. WT042209-17. 06 JUMILLA MONASTRELL, JUAN GIL - (SPAIN) Lovely, sweet southern mourvedre. Big, dense, and savory, featuring well integrated plum, herb, cedar, and other woody elements. More intense and serious than the Wrongo Dongo that Gil makes for broker Jorge Ordonez./ Wow! Tremendous! Really concentrated and beautiful on the palate. Delicious, black cherry like flavors. Fine tannins. Well balanced. Very long aftertaste.
I like
this much better than the 05. 16.5+. WT042209-18. 05 RIOJA CRIANZA, BODEGAS LAN - (SPAIN) Fresh 05 fruit style with discreet crianza barrel aging influences. Not outwardly woody like some crianzas. Subtle wood spices./ Again, fruit and spicy wood statements, neither exaggerated. Subtle, well proportioned, integrated. A lovely 05 that will fill out further with bottle age. 16.3+. WT042209-19. 04 COTES DU VENTOUX, MARQUIS DE SADE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Delightful, fresh, dark 04 fruit style. Ideal at this stage. Its best showing yet. Sooo bright. Cherry and berry aromas./ Fine fruit, peels, garrrigue. Fine grained tannins. Well balanced. Will continue to improve. 16.2+. Wednesday, April 15, 2009 WT040809-01. 07 COTES DU VENTOUX BLANC, TERRAVENTOUX - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 50% grenache blanc, 50% clairette. Round, ripe, lush, and pleasant. Lot of melon aromas. Full–that’s grenache. Vinous. No perfumed varieties, these./ Yes, mainly vinous rather than fruity. That’s what most southern Rhone varietals are like. Both dry and rich. Unobtrusive, and has body so will be useful at the table...and non competitive with
the food. 15.7. WT040809-02. 07 BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE, GOISOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Man! Is this big, bold, full, forceful, textured!. Pungent, rocky. Wet stone minerality./ Wow! Incredible presence–full bodied, powerful. Grape, wheat, grain bin. The most explicit aligote I’ve tasted, it sure does make an immediate impact. 16.8+. WT040809-03. 07 MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE VIEILLES VIGNES CUVEE CHOISE, DOMAINE DES DORICES - (FRANCE LOIRE) Oh! This just sings! Aromatic apple aroma. So full and intense is swells the nostrils trying to get it all. Big, bombastic Muscadet on steroids./ Yes, body and character–equal presence on the palate. Good acidity, and that classic Muscadet tender spot in the middle. Dry-flower, sachet highlights. A complete
Muscadet with old vines concentration. Very popular with the group. 16.4+. WT040809-04. 08 COTES DE GASCOGNE, DOMAINE DE RIEUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Mainly ugni blanc. Scented though. Some gros manseng? Rich and fruitful, plentiful, event powerful. White peach../ Rich and expressive. Good and stimulating, ripe acid piquancy for balance. 15.6. WT040809-05. 08 RUEDA VERDEJO, MARQUES DE IRUN - (SPAIN) Full fledged, full scented verdejo. Not the less ripe style that’s more like a sauvignon blanc. Botanicals, citrus peel, ripe orange, melon rind, florals./ Yes, bay-laurel. Substantial on the approach, followed by lively, fresh acid bite. Good astringency. I like it for its frank verdejo statement. 16.1. WT040809-06. 08 COTES CATALANES MUSCAT SEC, DOMAINE DE BLANES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Light, leafy, minty muscat approach. Orange blossom, potpourri. Nice and crisp in its sec style./ Wow! Is this ever floral in the mouth! Grandma’s scented soap, bath powder. Absolutely perfumed. Full muscat astringency accompanies the dryness. An attractive face of muscat. We noodled food associations and came up with light luncheon
fare, especially salads–like chicken salad, shrimp salad, potato salad. Definitely has its place in the muscat family and world of mealworthy wines. 16.0. WT040809-07. 07 COTES DE VENTOUX ROSE, TERRAVENTOUX - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 60% grenache, 40% syrah. Richness, freshness, and precision. Well focused still. Very pretty aromas of flowers and small, wild berries./ Has lost some brightness and vigor since last year. Still a strawberry fruit character though, and a refreshing astringency to the finish. Still useful at the table. 15.3. WT040809-8. 08 COTES DE PROVENCE ROSE RESERVEE TRADITION, CHATEAU DE ROUET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fresh and more appley than red fruited. Fermentation odors still. Good promise though./ Yes, to my tastes this is still in the formative stages. I love the potential though. See you in May-June. Which is when, after all, it will be shipped. 15.8+. However, others in the group and on the staff like it right now. Jorge notes:
Ahh! Soft, seductive strawberry and raspberry. So balanced and elegant. What a treat...totally. 16.2+. WT040809-9. 08 COTES CATALANES ROSE LE CLOT, DOMAINE DE BLANES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fresh and uplifting. Good and pure berry focus even in youth. And good potential./ Cool, crisp, fresh, blue fruited. Refreshing acid cut. This is already well formed. Yes! 16.1+. WT040809-10. 06 COTES DE PROVENCE RESERVEE TRADITION, CHATEAU DU ROUET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) The fruit is a little edgy still, like a lot of young Provence rouges. Good and tart for food though. Seems to be the red wine style in these parts./ Yes, good fruit and figure (Mae West bottle too). Red and black fruits, tobacco, spices, flowers. Plenty of volume for an 06. Fine acidity, tannin, balance. This delivers. 16.4+. WT040809-11. 06 COTES DU VENTOUX, TERRAVENTOUX - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 75% grenache, 25% syrah. Sweet, strawberry grenache plus the syrah dark berry facet./ Lots of body. Shades of both varietals. Very beautiful dark fruits, spice, tobacco, tar. Pretty amazing Ventoux. 16.2+. WT040809-12. 06 COTES DU VENTOUX TERRES DE TRUFFES, TERRAVENTOUX - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Half each grenache and syrah. Firm, black fruited. Young./ Yes, very young. Lots of tannic grip. Lots of material. Dark, tough, full of potential. Will certainly take longer to prove itself than the above. 16.2++. WT040809-13. 07 COTES DU RHONE, DOMAINE DU GRAND PRIEUR - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Ripe and sassy. Black fruits, berry, plum, peppercorn, spiced meat, cigar box. The positive traits of this cuvee exaggerated in this fine 07 vintage. Almost overwhelming!/ Good and traditional Rhone style of this source: whole bunch fermentation with stems extracts drawn out too. Yes, the flavor, the grip, the classicism. Plenty of material.
Really sings on the aftertaste. Very, very popular with the group. 16.2+. WT040809-14. 06 PLAN DE DIEU - COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, DOMAINE DU PASQUIERS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Gold Medal - Orange. Young and tight. 06 fresh, even a little tart./ Wow! Fine fruit and peel and material. Balanced and loaded. Young; needs more time. 16.4+. WT040809-15. 06 SABLET - COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, DOMAINE DU PASQUIERS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Deep, with a plush center and firm, large framework. Very elegant fruit and flower highlights, including violets./ Yes, flowers, dark fruits, spice. As well as body and grip. Tannin and extract material. This is showing more than it did last fall, whereas the Plan de Dieu seems to be showing less. 16.6+. WT040809-16. 08 YECLA MONASTRELL, CASTILLO DEL BARON - (SPAIN) Young and sweet and southern. Easy going, generous. Deep and ripe and purple. Fine poise./ Good fruit, grip, material, and flavor. Complete Yecla monastrell, really. I like this better than the 05. Fine value. 16.3. WT040809-17. 07 YECLA MONASTRELL, FLOR DEL MONTGO - (SPAIN) 85% monastrell, 15% syrah. I guess the EU doesn’t require 100% varietals any longer. Oh! Volume, depth! Alluring and pretty plum, dark berries, fennel, and flowers aromas. Excellent./ Again, just seductive! Plumpness and grip and range. Great acidity, fine tannin, balance, cohesion. Yow! Fabulous value. Total class. This really shows its all. Very popular with
the group. 16.5. WT040809-18. 06 CALATAYUD GARNACHA OLD VINES, FLOR DEL MONTGO - (SPAIN) 85% grenache, 15% syrah. More compact, needs more time. Shows great old vines depth and concentration./ Yes, has class and panache. Dark fruited, young. 16.7+. WT040809-19. 07 CORBIERES, CHATEAU ETANG DES COLOMBES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Classic Corbieres with substance and form and style. Freshness, grip, blackness, potential, all./ Yes, all the form and class one could want from Corbieres. Sleek, spicy, fully packed. Great acidity, poise, potential. This takes me back to the 78. Well received by the group. 16.4+. WT040809-20. 06 AGUARIBAY ARGENTINA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) From the Argentine project of the Edmond de Rothschild group. Shows lift and class. Good oak, in balance with the fruit. Sour cherry facet of malbec. And blackberry and chocolate. Pretty, elegant, sophisticated, rich./ Yes, good oak and acidity and that claret like discretion. This definitely shows a Bordeaux touch that’s virtually unique among Argentine malbecs.
I mean, traditional claret, not Michel Rolland style. A great value. 16.1+.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 WT040809-01. 07 COTES DU VENTOUX BLANC, TERRAVENTOUX - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 50% grenache blanc, 50% clairette. Round, ripe, lush, and pleasant. Lot of melon aromas. Full–that’s grenache. Vinous. No perfumed varieties, these./ Yes, mainly vinous rather than fruity. That’s what most southern Rhone varietals are like. Both dry and rich. Unobtrusive, and has body so will be useful at the table...and non competitive with
the food.
15.7. WT040809-02. 07 BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE, GOISOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Man! Is this big, bold, full, forceful, textured!. Pungent, rocky. Wet stone minerality./ Wow! Incredible presence–full bodied, powerful. Grape, wheat, grain bin. The most explicit aligote I’ve tasted, it sure does make an immediate impact. 16.8+. WT040809-03. 07 MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE VIEILLES VIGNES CUVEE CHOISE, DOMAINE DES DORICES - (FRANCE LOIRE) Oh! This just sings! Aromatic apple aroma. So full and intense is swells the nostrils trying to get it all. Big, bombastic Muscadet on steroids./ Yes, body and character–equal presence on the palate. Good acidity, and that classic Muscadet tender spot in the middle. Dry-flower, sachet highlights. A complete
Muscadet
with old vines concentration. Very popular with the group. 16.4+. WT040809-04. 08 COTES DE GASCOGNE, DOMAINE DE RIEUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Mainly ugni blanc. Scented though. Some gros manseng? Rich and fruitful, plentiful, event powerful. White peach../ Rich and expressive. Good and stimulating, ripe acid piquancy for balance. 15.6. WT040809-05. 08 RUEDA VERDEJO, MARQUES DE IRUN - (SPAIN) Full fledged, full scented verdejo. Not the less ripe style that’s more like a sauvignon blanc. Botanicals, citrus peel, ripe orange, melon rind, florals./ Yes, bay-laurel. Substantial on the approach, followed by lively, fresh acid bite. Good astringency. I like it for its frank verdejo statement. 16.1. WT040809-06. 08 COTES CATALANES MUSCAT SEC, DOMAINE DE BLANES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Light, leafy, minty muscat approach. Orange blossom, potpourri. Nice and crisp in its sec style./ Wow! Is this ever floral in the mouth! Grandma’s scented soap, bath powder. Absolutely perfumed. Full muscat astringency accompanies the dryness. An attractive face of muscat. We noodled food associations and came up with light luncheon
fare, especially
salads–like chicken salad, shrimp salad, potato salad. Definitely has its place in the muscat family and world of mealworthy wines. 16.0. WT040809-07. 07 COTES DE VENTOUX ROSE, TERRAVENTOUX - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 60% grenache, 40% syrah. Richness, freshness, and precision. Well focused still. Very pretty aromas of flowers and small, wild berries./ Has lost some brightness and vigor since last year. Still a strawberry fruit character though, and a refreshing astringency to the finish. Still useful at the table. 15.3. WT040809-8. 08 COTES DE PROVENCE ROSE RESERVEE TRADITION, CHATEAU DE ROUET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fresh and more appley than red fruited. Fermentation odors still. Good promise though./ Yes, to my tastes this is still in the formative stages. I love the potential though. See you in May-June. Which is when, after all, it will be shipped. 15.8+. However, others in the group and on the staff like it right now. Jorge notes:
Ahh!
Soft, seductive strawberry and raspberry. So balanced and elegant. What a treat...totally. 16.2+. WT040809-9. 08 COTES CATALANES ROSE LE CLOT, DOMAINE DE BLANES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fresh and uplifting. Good and pure berry focus even in youth. And good potential./ Cool, crisp, fresh, blue fruited. Refreshing acid cut. This is already well formed. Yes! 16.1+. WT040809-10. 06 COTES DE PROVENCE RESERVEE TRADITION, CHATEAU DU ROUET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) The fruit is a little edgy still, like a lot of young Provence rouges. Good and tart for food though. Seems to be the red wine style in these parts./ Yes, good fruit and figure (Mae West bottle too). Red and black fruits, tobacco, spices, flowers. Plenty of volume for an 06. Fine acidity, tannin, balance. This delivers. 16.4+. WT040809-11. 06 COTES DU VENTOUX, TERRAVENTOUX - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 75% grenache, 25% syrah. Sweet, strawberry grenache plus the syrah dark berry facet./ Lots of body. Shades of both varietals. Very beautiful dark fruits, spice, tobacco, tar. Pretty amazing Ventoux. 16.2+. WT040809-12. 06 COTES DU VENTOUX TERRES DE TRUFFES, TERRAVENTOUX - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Half each grenache and syrah. Firm, black fruited. Young./ Yes, very young. Lots of tannic grip. Lots of material. Dark, tough, full of potential. Will certainly take longer to prove itself than the above. 16.2++. WT040809-13. 07 COTES DU RHONE, DOMAINE DU GRAND PRIEUR - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Ripe and sassy. Black fruits, berry, plum, peppercorn, spiced meat, cigar box. The positive traits of this cuvee exaggerated in this fine 07 vintage. Almost overwhelming!/ Good and traditional Rhone style of this source: whole bunch fermentation with stems extracts drawn out too. Yes, the flavor, the grip, the classicism. Plenty of material.
Really
sings on the aftertaste. Very, very popular with the group. 16.2+. WT040809-14. 06 PLAN DE DIEU - COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, DOMAINE DU PASQUIERS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Gold Medal - Orange. Young and tight. 06 fresh, even a little tart./ Wow! Fine fruit and peel and material. Balanced and loaded. Young; needs more time. 16.4+. WT040809-15. 06 SABLET - COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, DOMAINE DU PASQUIERS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Deep, with a plush center and firm, large framework. Very elegant fruit and flower highlights, including violets./ Yes, flowers, dark fruits, spice. As well as body and grip. Tannin and extract material. This is showing more than it did last fall, whereas the Plan de Dieu seems to be showing less. 16.6+. WT040809-16. 08 YECLA MONASTRELL, CASTILLO DEL BARON - (SPAIN) Young and sweet and southern. Easy going, generous. Deep and ripe and purple. Fine poise./ Good fruit, grip, material, and flavor. Complete Yecla monastrell, really. I like this better than the 05. Fine value. 16.3. WT040809-17. 07 YECLA MONASTRELL, FLOR DEL MONTGO - (SPAIN) 85% monastrell, 15% syrah. I guess the EU doesn’t require 100% varietals any longer. Oh! Volume, depth! Alluring and pretty plum, dark berries, fennel, and flowers aromas. Excellent./ Again, just seductive! Plumpness and grip and range. Great acidity, fine tannin, balance, cohesion. Yow! Fabulous value. Total class. This really shows its all. Very popular with
the group.
16.5. WT040809-18. 06 CALATAYUD GARNACHA OLD VINES, FLOR DEL MONTGO - (SPAIN) 85% grenache, 15% syrah. More compact, needs more time. Shows great old vines depth and concentration./ Yes, has class and panache. Dark fruited, young. 16.7+. WT040809-19. 07 CORBIERES, CHATEAU ETANG DES COLOMBES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Classic Corbieres with substance and form and style. Freshness, grip, blackness, potential, all./ Yes, all the form and class one could want from Corbieres. Sleek, spicy, fully packed. Great acidity, poise, potential. This takes me back to the 78. Well received by the group. 16.4+. WT040809-20. 06 AGUARIBAY ARGENTINA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) From the Argentine project of the Edmond de Rothschild group. Shows lift and class. Good oak, in balance with the fruit. Sour cherry facet of malbec. And blackberry and chocolate. Pretty, elegant, sophisticated, rich./ Yes, good oak and acidity and that claret like discretion. This definitely shows a Bordeaux touch that’s virtually unique among Argentine malbecs.
I mean,
traditional claret, not Michel Rolland style. A great value. 16.1+.
Wednesdy, April 1, 2009 WT040109-01. LEGRAS & HAAS CHOUILLY GRAND CRU BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT CHAMPAGNE - (SPARKLING) Good, deep, doughy bottle bouquet. Not a delicate blanc de blancs. Rather full, like a Le Mesnil wine./ Wow! Totally deep and doughy. Yes, and full bodied. Gigantic! This is special, luxuriant, classy. 18.0. WT040109-02. 06 DUCHE D’UZES BLANC AMANLIE, DOMAINE CAMP-GALHAN - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 70% viognier, 30% roussanne. Northwest of Nimes. Fresh still, and viognier oriented for its floral qualities. Roussanne gives weight./ Viscous roussanne texture cut by good acidity and viognier astringency. Definitely full, and rather powerful. For roasted free-range chicken. 15.0. WT040109-03. 06 EDELZWICKER, SCHREYER - (FRANCE ALSACE) 50% pinot blanc, 20% each pinot gris and sylvaner, 10% gewurztraminer. From Haut Rhin, mostly around Hunawihr. The right combo of aromas. Apple, peach, melon. Rich and full in the 06 style./ But this is very cool and crisp and upbeat too–quite unlike the vintage norm. Dry, with a nice, piquant edge. Yes! This fills the bill. Nice and tangy aftertaste. 16.3. WT040109-04. 07 OC CINSAULT, DOMAINE DES TERRES FALMET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) From 50+ year old hillside vines. Fresh and full. Warm and seductive. Real 07 fruit concentration. The classic freshness and lift of cinsault in all its glory./ Good fullness and plenty of garrigue extras. A textbook lesson in cinsault. And will improve. 16.4+. WT040109-05. 07 COTES DU RHONE, DOMAINE DE SERVANS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Very young and firm and aloof. Nice peppery quality. Black fruit, especially for a grenache dominant cuvee./ Yes, firm figured. More about frame than filling at this stage. Atypical young 07–not come hither. I like its future however. 16.1++. WT040109-06. 07 COTES DU VENTOUX LES TROIS PERES, DOMAINE TERRES DE SOLENCE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 70% grenache, 20% syrah, 10% carignan. Organic. Wild berries, black cherry, cassis, licorice, flowers, and a brandied-fruit note. Meaty, spicy, earthy. Cooked meat. Rustic; old time aspects./ Explosive red berry flavors. Peppery, savory, meaty. Full bodied. Good acidity. A throw back to hearty, old fashioned Rhone wines.
Very talkative now. How will it evolve? 15.8+? WT040109-07. 06 DUCHE D’UZES PERASSIERES, DOMAINE CAMP-GALHAN - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Half each syrah and grenache. Reductive, cool, black. Very rich for 06. Airs to cassis, candied black fruits, chocolate, and smoke./ Yes, reduced, tight. Dark and secretive. Good fresh 06 acidity. Good future. 16.0+. WT040109-08. 04 COTES DE THONGUE CARIGNAN VIEILLES VIGNES, LA FONT D’OLIVIER - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) From near Faugeres. 75+ year old vines. Very dark./ Fresh, snappy, peppery carignan. Ideal 04 crispness. Plus exceptional body for 04 and youthfulness for its age./ Black cherry, pitch, spices–real carignan. Full, with lots of carignan weight and textural play. Good old vines strength and concentration. Textbook carignan.
16.4+. WT040109-09. 05 COTES DE THONGUE CUVEE DES CIGALES, MAS DES BRUNES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) From near Faugeres. 55% syrah, 35% grenache, 10% carignan. 05 firm, large, solid, looming./ Rich in fruit material, extract, tannin. Young but imposing, important. Syrah build. 16.4+. WT040109-10. 03 VISAN - COTES DU RHONE PERE MAYEUX, DOMAINE ROCHE-AUDRAN - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 60% syrah, 40% grenache. Spends 14 months in year old Smith Haut Lafitte barrels. Oh, yes! 03 fully ripe, soft, even pillowy after the preceding series of wines. Very meaty. Bouquet forming. Some oak apparent./ Ripe and rich and tannic in the 03 vernacular. 03 power too. Enjoy through Winter 09-10 with hearty fare. 16.2. WT040109-11. 05 CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE VIGNE DU REGENT, CHATEAU GIGOGNAN - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Organic. From near Sorgues. 2/3 grenache, 1/3 syrah. Well, this looms large after all the preceding appellations. Broad, rich, full, variegated. Chateauneuf superiority, grandeur, complexity./ Yes, full power, richness, extract, material, weight, breadth, and depth. Has it all. Young but not too severe. Well balanced indeed.
17.2+. WT040109-12. 01 BOUCHES DE RHONE, DOMAINE DE TREVALLON - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Half each syrah and cabernet sauvignon planted on north facing slopes. Aged in foudre for two years. Raspberry, cranberry, dried flowers, smoked meats. There’s a sense of wood aging without a lot of oak aroma. It’s a rounding and broadening impression. Dark, complex, developing well. Very large and important wine./ Yes, complex. Cedar element–more
from cabernet than cask. Very fine tannins. Bright 01 acidity. Great finesse. A privilege to taste. One of France’s top estates. Worth every penny. 17.8+. WT040109-13. 06 COSTIERES DE NIMES CUVEE L’ENEIDE, CHATEAU VIRGILE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Eleve en futs de chene. 60% syrah, 30% grenache, 10% mourvedre, many vines over 90 years old. Again, more of a sense of barrel aging than oakiness. Some very special high tones I can’t pinpoint but recognize. Not exactly garrigue stuff. Well, maybe thyme. Complex and full./ Now here’s some oak, in the form of vanillin. Boastful,
penetrating, perfumed, intense. Good acidity, texture, body, and balance. 16.5+. WT040109-14. 06 SAINT MAURICE - COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES GUILLAUME DE ROUVILLE, DOMAINE DE L’ECHEVIN - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Organic. 95% syrah, 5% grenache. 1 year in barriques. Very powerful (14%) and ripe. Very black and sappy. This is almost syrah soup./ Very severe; dominated by peels extract. The power, the extract, and the wood influences gives almost a whiskey experience. A real bruiser. ‘Not for the faint of heart.’
16.2++. WT040109-15. 06 MINERVOIS CUVEE MARIE THERESE, DOMAINE DE BARROUBIO - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) All syrah. From the high grounds of northeast Minervois. Elderberry, black currant, violets. Segues into mint, hyssop, herb, and tea relations. I love this sort of cool, crisp nose./ Full of berries and bramble. And lavender. Suits me to a T. 16.5. WT040109-16. 06 CORNAS, JEROME DESPESSE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Aged 18 months in barriques. Ripe and firm northern syrah. Very ripe for 06. Not much varietal or terroir character. Due to youth?/ Soft and fleshy after the long stay in barrel. No new oakiness, just barrel mellowing. Cornas hearty. Hope for the future. 15.6+. WT040109-17. 90 RIVESALTES AMBRE, DOMAINE DE RANCY bottled 2002 - (FORTIFIED) Eleve en futs de chene. 100% macabeau (viura); 75 year old vines. Very few Ambre Rivesaltes wines are made any longer. Heady. Full of toffee and coffee au lait aromas./ Yes, more toffee, and mocha. Also date, dried apricot, white chocolate, walnut. The sweetness, the acidity, and the alcohol form an equilateral triangle filled with goodness.
18.8.
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