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Tasting Notes Printer-Friendly Version
- November, 2006
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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 WT112906-01. CREMANT DE BOURGOGNE, SIMONNET-FEBVRE - (SPARKLING) The only Cremant from within the boundaries of the Chablis appellation. Good stony base; plenty of calcaire. Mineral. Some bottle bouquet. Apple and lemon chardonnay fruit./ Good vinosity. Dry. Marly. Again, the light touch of yeast autolysis bottle bouquet. Nice malic touch–appley. Admirable dryness. Likely from Portlandian terroir where there’s more clay and less lime than the Kimmeridgean heart of classic Chablis. Wine of place and commendable value. 16.0. Special Winter Wine Sale pricing. WT112906-02. 05 MACON VILLAGES, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Full and flaired aroma –swells the nostrils. Pineapple, tropics , flowers./ Flavorful, ripe, ample. Pretty floral lilt and a spicy edge. 15.5. WT112906-03. 04 BOURGOGNE BLANC, BRUNO CLAIR - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Opens with a positive sense of creamy oakiness, more than I’m used to here. Plenty of Cote de Dijonnais pinot blanc stoniness. And steely resolve. Very clean, sleek, graceful, classy./ Mild acidity for 04. But pinot blanc is milder than chardonnay. The creamy oak gives it exceptional softness and roundness for this cuvee at this age. Mineral salts on the finish. Well crafted. 15.9+. Special Winter Wine Sale pricing. WT112906-04. 04 MEURSAULT, LOUIS LATOUR - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Good Meursault aromas of meal, grain. Good measure of oak too. Volume and extract present./ Rich and broad Meursault style of chardonnay with plenty of mealy flavor and texture. Complete Meursault village wine. Long aftertaste. 16.5+. WT112906-05. 05 PRIORAT LES BEUGUERES BLANC, LA CONRERIA D’ SCALA DEI - (SPAIN) 100% grenache blanc from 100+ year old vines. Well, if this isn’t something! Wow! Straw, nut, acacia, broom, dried Provencal herbs. Fabulous force and pungency./ Rich, thick, concentrated, very powerful, chewy, lingering. Weighty but also agile. Yellow fruits, dried fruits, tropical fruits. Complete. A very, very long, clinging finish. 17.6. A singular example of the character and virtues of grenache blanc. It’s rarely shown as a 100% varietal, and never from such old, low yielding vines. Like the Chignin-Bergeron roussanne, this writes the book on the varietal. WT112906-06. 05 MARSANNAY ROSE, BRUNO CLAIR - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Neon pink color./ Tight from travel still. But swirling coaxes forth vanilla and cherry aromas. With more airing, the aroma burgeons./ Rich and well textured, with chewy peel extracts, suggestions of kirsch and marc, and fine grape tannins. Sleek and well balanced. All it should be. 16.4. One taster reports rushing to get a bottle as soon as it arrived and finding it very tight and shy. A week seems to have made a difference, he says. It’s not a matter of aging, it’s a matter of settling down after travel. Special Winter Wine Sale pricing. WT112906-07. 04 OC CABERNET SAUVIGNON, LES TRAVERSES DE FONTAINES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Wow! Good wood and dark aromas of botanicals and Peychaud bitters. Very intense, almost medicinal–in a positive way. Ripe, lush, lovely blackberry cabernet aroma./ Chewy, concentrated, tannic. That’s cabernet. Wood tones too. Again, the medicinal aspects; again, positive. Crisp, lively black currant taste. Definite warm-climate cabernet structural elements. Loaded. And really sophisticated for its appellation. 16.3. WT112906-08. 04 COTES CATALANES COTE SUD, DOMAINE LAFAGE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Nice and perfumed. Some syrah here. And grenache. Sweet and dark fruits. Rich. Raspberries, strawberries, good wines we brew.../ Sweet raspberry and strawberry jams. Very sweet and ripe for 04. Big build, strapping nature of a Collioure. And nice depth. 16.0. WT112906-09. 04 COTES CATALANES GRENACHE NOIR COTE, DOMAINE LAFAGE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Sweet and direct and succulent. Strawberry cake frosting ripe grenache statement. Strawberry to the point of sur-maturitie–fine./ Sweet and sassy. Raspberry and blackberry join strawberry flavors. This is really jammy grenache, with a nice bitter foil at the end. Very, very grenache, straighforward and generous. 16.1. Good source. WT112906-10. 05 VAUCLUSE, KERMIT LYNCH - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Not Vin de Pays, but Vin de Table. Which brings an issue. My understanding is that Vin de Table can be only Francais, and that it cannot be vintaged. Something change? Very ripe, leathery. Dried, wild black and red fruits, black pepper, rosemary, dab of tar. Heavy press extracts, grappa like./ Sweet and strong. Vinous, chewy. Seems like a press wine. 14.5. WT112906-11. 04 CAHORS, CLOS LA COUTALE - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 80% malbec, 20% merlot. Oh, boy! Kermit Lynch got it right with this one, which he describes as the most clarety Coutale yet. Indeed, the vintage coolness gives lift and leisure, especially compared to the 03. Berry, cherry black fruits, and black licorice./ Yes, there’s freshness, fruitiness, buoyancy, and elegance here. Plus fine tone, definition, and depth. 16.3. Very well liked by the group. WT112906-12. 03 LAGO DE CORBARA, CASTELLO DE CORBARA - (ITALY) 50% sangiovese, 25% each merlot, cabernet sauvignon. Dark, lucid, and lovely fruit, with a light and fine patina of oak. Just a lovely balance of the varietals and oak./ Full and savory. Plenty of aroma and texture scope. Wood and wood tannin matched by clarety fruit beauty. Good, chewy texture. Great balance and elegance. Any oak excesses will be absorbed shortly. 16.4+. Universally approved by the group. Boy, can they make wine here! I mean, the 02 was an overachiever that vintage. This one is the same. Here the excesses of 03 are controlled, there the meagerness of 02 was filled out. Special Winter Wine Sale pricing. WT112906-13. 04 CHIANTI CLASSICO, FATTORIA DI FELSINA BERARDENGA - (ITALY) Classic 04 in all its blackness. Black plum peel character, almost medicinal in all its bitter, black-olive concentration. Lots of grip./ Blackness, coolness, flair, and grip of the vintage and the estate. Fine acidity and backbone. Chewy still. Time will prove it out. 16.1+. Very well liked by the group, one member of whom visited the estate a couple of weeks ago. WT112906-14. 03 DOLCETTO D’ALBA TENUTA ARNULFO, COSTA DI BUSSIA - (ITALY) Very fresh, dark, and gripping for 03 and dolcetto. Sweet, seductive red and black fruits. Some oak and caramel elements. Certainly the warmth and ripeness of 03. No associations with Beaujolais-like dolcetto./ Yes, warmth and ripeness of 03. Bright fruit and oak, soft, lush, supple, creamy. Some tannin at the close still. Enjoy it as a wine, not as a dolcetto. 15.7. WT112906-15. 04 BARBERA D’ALBA CAMPO DEL GATTO, COSTA DE BUSSIA - (ITALY) Bright, crisp, cool 04 properties with plenty of barbera peel extracts. Very fresh fruit, sweet and elegant. Handsome, woodsy black fruits. Floral perfumes./ Yes, elegant, charming side of barbera. Enticing black currant exotica. Sweet and sappy. Good acidity. Lots of polish. The obligatory oak to justify the price comes out at the end. 16.4. WT112906-16. 03 BARBARESCO, PRODUTTORI DEL BARBARESCO - (ITALY) The wackiest Barbaresco I’ve ever sniffed. Vanilla oak–more than usual from the Produttori. Nebbiolo for sure. Then the wood, ripeness, and alcohol combine to give a bourbon impression, with some grappa peels overtones. Big, solid, smoky. Black earth, black licorice, and the blackest of black fruits. Exceptionally expressive, surprisingly well focused./ Handsome, regal, dense, boldly stated. Sweet, spiritous, oaky. On the palate, the spirit is malt scotch instead of bourbon. Boy, 03 warmth sure has its influences. No wonder the locals question this atypical vintage. No wonder America’s leading critics embrace it. This is a Barossa Barbaresco! 16.8+. Special Winter Wine Sale pricing. WT112906-17. 03 PIESPORTER GOLDTROPFCHEN RIESLING SPATLESE, KARL HEINZ - (GERMANY) Sweet 03 with a nutty patina of great fruit ripeness and early bouquet. Good stage of development./ Sweet and 03 ripe and nutty again. The acidity is mild. Goldtropfchen roundness and peachiness. Attractive touch of tangerine too. The price is nice, and the wine is a good representative of its vintage. Good to go. 15.5. WT112906-18. 98 VIN SANTO DI CHIANTI CLASSICO, FATTORIA DI FELSINA BERARDENGA half liter - (ITALY) Abundant, sweet, nutty, and very powerful. Oloroso, tawny, and brandy like impressions. Huge! Vanilla ice cream on hot apple pie. Bolder, brawnier, and more powerful than the 97, with the darker complexion of the 98 vintage./ Huge concentration. Charry, toasty, creamy, sherry-like impressions. Thick, powerful, all-pervasive richness, volume. Different from the fruitier, more gossamer and nuanced 97, and just as desirable. Total vin santo. Wow! 19.2. The group was overwhelmed. We are publishing no notes for tastings between Nov 1 and Nov 29. Wednesday, November 1, 2006
WT110106-01. 05 RIAS BAIXAS ALBARINO, LAXAS - (SPAIN) Limestone, dusty white-washed stones, citrus oil, especially lime. Seductive stone-fruit and tropical-fruit and -flowers perfumes. Extremely polished. One of the best of its genre./ Thick and oily but also bright and tangy. Intense and expressive fruit. The alcohol shows tensile strength, is nicely cooling, and gives form and framing too. Some grip of extract and
a lively, piquant tartness at the end. Belongs on every table. 16.5. WT110106-02. 06 SANTA RITA RESERVA CASABLANCA VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - (CHILE) Lots of gooseberry and grapefruit and feline aromas. Also lemon, tangerine, passion fruit, flowers, and wet-stone minerality. Delicious combo of reserva body and sauvignon cut./ Fuller than the 120 cuvee. Suave and plump, with enough cut for refreshment. Good acidity, and a little bitterness on the back palate that is welcome. Long, chewy
aftertaste. Not woody, but broadened by some time in seasoned barrels. 16.2+. WT110106-03. 05 WALTER HANSEL RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - (U.S.) Full, rich, strong, nutty, slight oakiness. Stone fruits and nicely polished minerality, with some malolactic softness and broadness./ Melon, oak, and bright, charming citrus flavors. Dense and distinctive. Not an aperitif sort of sauvignon. Best at the dinner table.15.8. WT110106-04. 04 CHABLIS, SIMONNET-FEBVRE - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Full, nutty, ventilating, tangy. Lemon, quince, dried apple, melon, and osage orange. Nutty-oaky cast may be from bottle age rather than barrel./ Minty, chalky, marly. Dry, crisp, bright. Lemon juice and rind. Improves with airing. Aging will improve further. 16.0+. WT110106-05. 02 RULLY BLANC, CHATEAU DE RULLY - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Oaky, pungent, rounded, with a floral lilt and soft earthiness. Lots of tropical fruit, vanilla, some butterscotch./ Bright, cheery, and tangy acidity meets fruit plumpness and polish. The oak gives a buttered popcorn nuance. Gentle and gracious. 15.6. WT110106-06. 05 PAVILION YOUNTVILLE CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Yountville even!! Smoky, spicy oak and apple-lemon cream fruit. Cool, calm, and reserved./ Quite oaky and powerful but manages to keep its southern Napa Valley style and dignity. Good value. 15.7. WT110106-07. 00 SAINT JOSEPH BLANC, CAVE DE TAIN L’HERMITAGE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Rich and nutty, with a tawny-orange nose and some lacquer of aging marsanne too./ Yes, aging. But there are positive notes yet: peach-apricot, stones, and honey aromatics. Mature marsanne presentation that holds its dignity. 14.8. WT110106-08. 05 MIRASSOU CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Starts out Valley like, with jelly and grape peels. Then steps up to higher aspirations. Spices, herbs, mulberry, briar, black cherry, raspberry, smoke–quite a complex aromatic range./ The palate is juicy and bright, with plum and peel and olive. Sweet and even-handed. Good acidity. Identifiably pinot if warm climate. Better than ordinary. 15.2. WT110106-09. 04 BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR, CHANSON - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Pale, as is the custom for Chanson. No matter when pinot’s the grape./ Rich and tradition. Lovely cooked strawberry Cote de Beaune pinot nose. Classic to Chanson and Burgundy./ Flavorful, attractive touch of traditional brett, plenty of stylish and generous strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, and tea. Chewy texture, with fine acidity. Some tartness on the
aftertaste betrays 04. Long finish. Like many 04s, this has a fine nose but does show its acidity on the palate. Fine wine here though. Dry, enticing, encompassing. Brings back memories of the Chansons we used to buy two decades back. 16.4+. WT110106-10. 03 BOURGOGNE, JACKY TRUCHOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Ripe, warm, rich, alluring 03, with some 03 gaminess. Gets deeper and darker fruit aromas with airing, especially black cherry. Generous, complex, full of subtle nuances. Nice. Cote de Nuits foil for the Chanson Cote de Beaune Bourgogne./ Powerful, broad, sweet, large, chewy, flavorful. Big, solid, meaty, expressive, generous. In fact, commanding. Reminds
me of a Morey Saint Denis. The vintage as well as the Cote difference really shows. 16.6+. WT110106-11. 05 CHIANTI, QUERCETO - (ITALY) Fresh, spicy, smoky. Good fruit density and intensity. Cherry, tobacco, and quetsch/ The palate is accomplished already. Snappy, bright, primal red fruits. Spicy, vigorous, sweet. Good strength–in fact, power packed. Nice depth and texture. A wine to follow. 15.6+. WT110106-12. 04 CHATEAU BONNET, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Fresh, compact, and dark in demeanor. Black fruit and black licorice. Sweet fruit too. Much more accomplished than the 01, a vintage 04 somewhat resembles. Speaks merlot./ Racy, crisp 04 style. Enough alcohol and glycerol to balance its ample acidity. A mealworthy claret. 15.4+. WT110106-13. 04 SANTA RITA RESERVA MAIPO VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (CHILE) Wow! Big time reserve thickness, power, and concentration. Black currant and licorice with cedar highlights. Ripe smelling yet cool too. Good strength./ Toast and butterscotch oak nuances of a reserva red. Solid cabernet substrata. Real power, density, grip. Neat stuff. 16.2+. WT110106-14. 02 FOLIE A DEUX ST. HELENA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Ripe and powerful. In your face fruit bomb. Oak, nut, black currant, black pepper. Prune paczyki./ Rich and ripe fruit again, with toast and mocha oak tones. Can’t complain about the power, depth, and generosity. Very bold Folie a Deux style. Amador comes to Napa. 16.2+. WT110106-15. 03 RIOJA CRIANZA, MARQUES DE CACERES - (SPAIN) Sweet, polished Caceres take on 03. Soft and easy but not without density and focus, depth and texture./ Creamy texture and flavors of milk chocolate, nuts, meat, dried fruits, panetone, blackberry, and prune. Enticing, forward, easy, charming. 15.9. WT110106-16. 05 RIOJA TEMPRANILLO, VINA TOBIA - (SPAIN) Closed to start, but there are nice berry, maraschino, green olive, and flower aromatic flairs flickering through. With airing, it becomes sweet and uplifting./ Lithe, sweet, primary fruit befitting an ano. Peppery and vividly fruity. Give ti some time. 15.1+. WT110106-17. 03 RIOJA CRIANZA TEMPRANILLO, TOBIA - (SPAIN) Enveloping oak, with toast and caramel overtones. Lush, dense, embracing, and modern red and black fruit display too./ Fat and generous, charming and stylish. Polished texture and plenty of fruit, oak, and green olive flavors. Cleansing ripe acidity. 16.0+. WT110106-18. 03 CORBIERES RESERVE LA DEMOISELLE, DOMAINE DE FONTSAINTE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Bold, sweet, ripe 03 Med rouge with good French acidity and form. Bright garrigue and red and black fruit aromas. Warm fruit flesh around a dark, cool fruit core./ Power, richness, extract, and good flavor concentration of black fruits and garrigue spread. Solid and balanced. Thick, warm, and generous 03. 16.2. |
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