|
||
|
Tasting Notes Printer-Friendly Version
- October, 2005 |
Use your browser print function to print this page. |
|
Wednesday, October 26, 2005 wt102605-01. 04
MONTAGNY 1ER CRU, JEAN-MARC BOILLOT -
(FRANCE BURGUNDY) Whoa! Young, brisk, explosively vigorous, sturdy,
fresh fruit. Apple and orange peel. Low-key, toasty, nutty, burnished
oak. Rich mineral substratum. Good size and poise./ Great malic
acid raciness–the mark of this vintage’s white wines across France
and Germany. I love it. I’ve never seen it in such abundance. 04
style, bite, vitality. Juicy, mouthwatering. Layers of fruit, oak,
grains, and barrel-ferment doughiness. Fine depth. 16.7 +. wt102605-02. 04
RULLY MEIX CADOT 1ER CRU, JEAN-MARC BOILLOT
- (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Much more oak toast, caramel, and vanilla. Big,
fleshy, lush, flamboyant. Lots of size and interest. Chardonnay
ripe apple and sweet lemon. Good fruit density and expression. Exciting./
Great, mouthwatering malic briskness. Great tang and mouthfilling
extract. Oak and barrel fermentation contributions are well constituted.
Deep and penetrating. 16.9+. wt102605-03. 04
RULLY GRESIGNY 1ER CRU, JEAN-MARC BOILLOT
- (FRANCE BURGUNDY) A different set of oak embellishments. As in
past vintages, Boillot handles each Rully 1er Cru in a different
manner. Less toast here and more oak woodiness, nuttiness, spiciness.
Vanilla too. And fig, apple, toasted grains, and white pepper. Deep,
penetrating, and powerful. This is always the big boy of the range./
Once again, great malic vigor. More size still. Very assertive.
The malic bite is soothed with a viscous coating of barrel and ripe-fruit
extracts. 17.1+. wt102605-04. 04
RULLY LA PUCELLE 1ER CRU, JEAN-MARC BOILLOT
- (FRANCE BURGUNDY) As always, the dainty one, the elegant one,
the refined one–in keeping with its name. A beauty. Just lovely
lemon and flower chardonnay and terroir facets. The oak is very
refined and delicate./ Smoother, and more gently malic than the
others. Compact, rich, and stylish. Charming flavors and textures.
Truly elegant. 17.2+. wt102605-05. 04
MEURSAULT LES CHARRONS, JEAN-MARC BOILLOT
- (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Big, meaty, mealy, grainy Meursault. Full smoky,
toasty oak complement. Lemon verbena and kafir lime leaf highlights.
Very broad, deep, vigorous./ Rich and broad indeed. There’s plenty
of juicy malic acid of 04 plus plenty of meat and fat. This has
gobs of everything. Great textural presence, great Meursault weight.
True to both village and vintage. 17.7+. wt102605-06. 04
COSTIERES DU NIMES ROSE, CHATEAU ST. ANDRE
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Soft, gentle, mellow, understanding. Round,
fat red fruits. Creamy strawberry and flowers nose. Nice./ Soft
strawberry chiffon on the palate. Light peppercorn spiciness. Very
gentle. Good acidity too. Beguiling, intriguing. I love Nimes roses.
16.2. wt102605-07. 04
COTES DU PROVENCE ROSE, DOMAINE DU GRAND CROS
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Sweet strawberry and vanilla on the nose.
Very subtle to start. Gains amplitude with airing. Hints of candied
apple, eau-de-vie, and marzipan./ The flavors are low key to start,
but gather volume and interest with airing. Quite complex in both
flavor and texture range. But very subtle throughout, delicate.
Which is in keeping with the appellation. This was the favorite
rose of several. I preferred the more buxom and forthcoming alternatives.
As in past sets, I tend to undervalue the Provence roses because
of their delicacy. 15.8. wt102605-08. 04
MARSANNAY ROSE, BRUNO CLAIR - (FRANCE
BURGUNDY) Full, real, Burgundian. I mean, I gave high praise to
04 Etude Pinot Noir Rose last month, even thinking it might make
more forget about Marsannay Rose, but this wine is different. Because
being French, it includes terroir. The Etude is all about beautiful
pinot fruit. This has those lovely strawberry and pinot grape-peel
extracts, PLUS earth. It’s both uplifting AND meaty. Lots of substance
as well as style./ Yes, juice, fruity, acidity, lift. And power
that’s under control, not hot, not excessive, just bold, assertive,
mouthfilling. Not your summer picnic rose. 16.8. wt102605-09. 02
BOURGOGNE, HENRI GOUGES - (FRANCE BURGUNDY)
Good, full, dark Cote de Nuits fruit and Nuits St. Georges black
plum, dignity, reserve, and fine tailoring. Hints of ash, clove,
and cashew. Loaded, concentrated, 02 solid./ Full and fine. Great
acidity, juice, form, grip. Fine tannin. Large; important. A great
rep of its vintage. 17.0+. wt102605-10. 03
BOURGOGNE, HENRI GOUGES - (FRANCE BURGUNDY)
Sweet and ripe, lush and creamy, soft and sleek. Currant, plum,
and black raspberry. Powerful, hefty. Wild animal vigor. Definitely
03; definite contrast from the 02./ Ripe and juicy. 03 meaty too.
Good acidity; plenty of sweet alcohol to balance. Tannin, texture,
and flavors are open-grained, flamboyant. Needs some time to settle
down. Fine structure, super depth. Aristocratic bearing. Each wine
is emblematic of its vintage. 16.8+. wt102605-11. 03
BOURGOGNE, DOMAINE MONGEARD-MUGNERET -
(FRANCE BURGUNDY) Lovely, ripe, rich plum and cherry Cote de Nuits
pinot. Vosne Romanee sort of beauty: potpourri of flowers and spices.
Touches of fennel and coffee. Well tailored, especially for 03.
Best vintage yet?/ Yes, 03 full. Smooth, with finesse, good acidity
and fine tannin. Very well managed for an 03. And simply delicious.
16.8+. wt102605-12. 03
MARSANNAY LES VAUDENELLES 1ER CRU, BRUNO CLAIR
- (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Very full and strong for Marsannay and Clair.
Marsannay on steroids. Great Cote de Nuits style of pinot aromas–black
plum and cherry. Anise and other nippy spices. Great clarity, purity./
Huge grip and power. Huge tannin and extract. Firm, focused, delineated,
stately, concentrated. Very complex range of flavors on the aftertaste.
Biggest Marsannay I’ve ever tasted. That’s 03! 17.2+. wt102605-13. 03
BEAUNE (MONTREVENOTS) 1ER CRU, JEAN-MARC BOILLOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) (Case reads Montrevenots, label simply
1er Cru.) Now to the Cote de Beaune. Less cherry, more strawberry.
Some reduction to start–not uncommon in young Boillot reds. Spicy
oak–clove, toast, mixed peppercorns. Opening up as it airs. Now
delivering Beaune-style generosity, decadence, charm, and warmth.
Dense, ripe, stately, lovely./ Rich and nicely textured. Generous
in fruit and oak flavors and textures. Finesse-ful floral highlights.
Good grip. Plenty of 03 power nicely controlled in the Boillot manner.
Exemplary of its appellation and vintage. 17.0+. wt102605-14. 03
SAVIGNY LES BEAUNE NARBANTONS 1ER CRU, DOMAINE MONGEARD-MUGNERET - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Real Savigny. Black cherry, peels,
pits, kirsch, anise, minerals. Lots of toasty oak. The real deal.
Powerful, full-throttle. Huge nose, really./ Great depth and volume
of fruit and oak flavors. Big, chewy texture. Mouthful of sweet
pinot fruit. Larger than life. More demonstrative than any previous
vintage of this wine at this age. 17.9+. wt102605-15. 03
VOLNAY, JEAN-MARC BOILLOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY)
Rich and meaty. Masculine. Loaded. Powerful. Luscious. Bountiful.
Tremendous depth and allure to the ripe fruit. Fine oak toast, mocha,
vanilla./ Meaty. One big, big, pumped-up Volnay. Acts more like
a Pommard, or a Cote de Nuits pinot even. Grand 03 style. Yet there’s
no mistaking the Volnay class. Full and complete. 17.2++. wt102605-16. 03
CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY LES VEROILLES, BRUNO CLAIR
- (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Oh! You get the Clair compactness, and here
that’s a lot more material than usual to compact. Like the Germans
say: ‘He’s stuffed two pounds of goods in a one-pound bag’. Really
a giant mass of white-dwarf compaction at the center of this wine.
Plus Chambolle fruit and flower beauties. Assertive, classy violets,
cherry, and cassis. It’s not just about size. There’s finesse and
dexterity too. Special combo of village and vintage characteristics./
These impressions echo on the palate. And there’s more. Now the
subtle vanilla-and-spices seasonings of fine new oak enter the picture
to further complex the issue. This just exudes Chambolle class.
No 03 excesses here; just the best the vintage has to offer: its
concentration. Everything poised and proportioned. Hallmark Chambolle.
18.0+ wt102605-17. 03
CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LA CRAU, DOMAINE DU VIEUX TELEGRAPHE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Playing it close to the vest
in the classic VT manner–even in hot 03. 03 contained; the power
is under control. Grenache strawberry, mourvedre purple berries,
syrah raspberry and white pepper. With air, the aromas open up more
in the 03 fashion. The wine becomes perfumed, luscious, flamboyant.
Plenty of size, ripeness, garrigue./ A great complex of varietal
flavors. Plenty of tannin, all fine-grained. Power and grip. Ripe,
deep, structured, monstrous. Gains even more complexity as it airs.
Now it’s not just a complex of fruits but also vanilla, licorice,
warm earth, eau-de-vie, and warm spices. Classic young VT. Classic
03. 18.3+. wt102605-18. 98
CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE, CLOS DES BRUSQUIERES
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Yes! 98 blackness and concentration. Meat,
pepper, power, vigor, intensity. 98 masculinity. But not blockish
like some 98s. This has the third dimension. Fabulous 98 CdP character./
Full and meaty. Chewy and brooding. Whopping black-fruit concentration.
98 grip of the gob. No dry tannins like some 98s. The texture is
firm and fine. Exemplary of the best of 98. 18.0+.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005 wt101905-01. 04
SULA NASHIK CHENIN BLANC - (INDIA) Mild,
sweetish apple-quince aroma of chenin. A sense of wood veneer, but
no barrel aging here. So many from the warmth of the growing ambient?/
Body, presence, and ample melon fruit. Sweetish. Mild acidity. Aging
quickly. Some got a dry-wall (gypsum) nose and taste. 13.0. wt101905-02. 04
TE KAIRANGA MARTINBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC
- (NEW ZEALAND) Wow! Ripe, juicy, elegant. Melons, touch of peach,
grapefruit. Fresh, soft, and different from Marlborough sauvignons./
Bright, crisp, and nervy. Has a seductive minerality. Martinborough
is warmer than Marlborough, and its sauvignons are warmer and fuller.
15.9. wt101905-03. 04
KATHY LYNSKEY VINEYARD SELECTION MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC - (NEW ZEALAND) Brisk and very minerally, very citrus
peel. Elegant gooseberry, peach, and pear notes./ Nervy, angular.
Cut and tingle. Grip and power. Much more about feel than flavor.
Brusk and incisive acidity and minerality. Good depth and complexity
on the finish. Begs for food. 16.1+. wt101905-04. 04
CHATEAU FONTAINE MICHIGAN PINOT GRIS -
(U.S.) Brisk, northern open, breezy, and tingly pinot gris. Very
appley. Very racy like a NE Italy pinot grigio, but fuller. Uniquely
Michigan pinot gris./ Rich and flavorful. Almost sweetish, or is
it all glycerol? Real nerve and acidity to counter. Unique and nice.
Their best yet. 16.0. wt101905-05. 03
BOURGOGNE BLANC, JOSEPH FAIVELEY - (FRANCE
BURGUNDY) Strong, ripe, oaky 03. 03 generosity and cushioning. Young
and still with some strident minerality. Good full Chalonnaise type
material./ Sweet and full fruit. Soft and succulent. Not overly
strong like some 03 blancs. The aromatics remain muted, needing
time to reveal themselves. No problem. Good vintage for the Faiveley
style. 15.8+. wt101905-06. 04
CHALONE MONTEREY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Alert,
crisp, fine, racy fruit and oak. So full of fruit acidity that it’s
ventilating to breathe in. Monterey to the max./ Sweet oak and fruit
with plenty of racy acidity. Very juicy and mealworthy. Nice value.
Europhiles appreciated the generous acidity in this wine. Nothing
‘buttery’ about it. 15.9. wt101905-07. CHATEAU
FONTAINE SEMI-SWEET MICHIGAN WHITE RIESLING
- (U.S.) Good, bright varietal qualities of custard apple, pear,
peach, ripe citrus, and nectar. Nice touch of edelfirne forming./
Demi-sec indeed. Good acidity, well padded. Very juicy and flavorful.
Charming MI riesling. 15.7. wt101905-08. 04
J. LOHR WILDFLOWER MONTEREY VALDIGUIE
- (U.S.) Bright and vigorous. Fresh aromas of black cherry and raspberry.
Also, more carbonic maceration aromas than usual. Might mistake
it for Beaujolais as the Calif. growers used to when they labeled
it Gamay Beaujolais, even though it’s no relation. Nice and spicy.
Used to be redolent of violets and loganberries. This year more
of a Beaujolais-type nose./ Rich, sweet, and full textured. More
material and grip than Beaujolais. Bright, racy, and zesty too.
Still its own wine, even though the nose is not as contrasting as
in past vintages. Commendable. Certainly one of the best American
Beaujolais-style wines. 16.0. wt101905-09. 04
CHALONE MONTEREY PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Not
as bright and purely, precisely, vigorously pinot as it struck me
a month ago. Now the oak and the alcohol seem more commanding, and
the fruit is less cherry and more tea./ Somewhat warm, heavy, and
muddled about it this evening. Press wine? Short on aromatics and
charm at this stage. Too bad; I really liked it in early September.
Same cuvee? 14.0+? wt101905-10. 03
BOURGOGNE LAFORET, JOSEPH DROUHIN - (FRANCE
BURGUNDY) Delectable nose. Nice, soft, forward black fruits. Raspberry
and cherry. Outspoken for a young Drouhin rouge./ Palate more Drouhin-styled:
brooding, more controlled, compact, austere, tannic. There’s 03
size, power, and potential for boldness strapped in here. 15.2+. wt101905-11. 03
BOURGOGNE, JOSEPH FAIVELEY - (FRANCE BURGUNDY)
03 powerful, with heavy framing to bear it. Cherry and spice aromas.
Some oak and some peel extracts. Quality background to this wine,
likely Chalonnais for its minerality and exuberance./ Plenty of
pinot character, juice, extract, grip. The density of 03. Rich and
loaded. Good backbone and tannin. Nice future. 16.2+. wt101905-12. PENINSULA
CELLARS OLD SCHOOL RED - (U.S.) Dull,
funky, earthy, reductive. Tar, tobacco, animal./ Very high acidity.
Tart. Also thick, dull, sweetish. Lean and charmless. Food may help.
Not a patch on the rest of the PC range. 14.2. wt101905-13. 03
SANTA RITA RESERVA RAPEL VALLEY CARMENERE
- (CHILE) Redolent of elderberry and other red and black fruits,
reductive airs, oak, nuts, and leather. With aeration, the reductive
aspects flee. Big-bodied, heavy, distinctively carmenere. Wants
to be noticed./ Rich and full. Thick, bombastic, explosive. Great
acidity. Good oak extracts give structural assistance and just a
light aromatic seasoning. Another attractive set of carmenere facets.
There are so many. 16.3+. wt101905-14. 03
CASA LAPOSTOLLE RAPEL VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON
- (CHILE) Black licorice and penetrating black fruits, especially
currant. Cassis, black cherry, tobacco, and ripe-cabernet mocha./
Shows style, elegance, and generosity. Sweet fruit and oak. Fine,
chewy tannins. 15.6. wt101905-15. 02
BENNETT FAMILY RESERVE NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Ripe, penetrating blackberry and proper oak
seasoning spells big-time California cabernet.. Chocolate and mocha
highlights. Shows focus, poise, confidence./ Sweet and attractive
02 fruit and nice, sexy oak spices. 02 fruit lushness, generosity,
ripeness, appeal. The abundant palate really hits the sweet spot.
Very well crafted. 17.0+. wt101905-16. 04
SULA NASHIK SHIRAZ - (INDIA) Leather,
raspberry, peppered meat, smoke, ashtray, heat. Reminds me of many
a Cape shiraz./ Again, there are animal notes of a Cape red. Powerful,
chewy, ashy, coarse-textured. Dry tannins. 14.4. wt101905-17. 03
COTES DU RHONE BELLERUCHE, CHAPOUTIER
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Strong, raw, dry, and fruitless at this
stage. Some ripe red and black fruits and quetsch eau-de-vie airs
form after breathing./ The palate shows more fruit though–jammy
fruit. Sweet and plentiful fruit, but not much fruit character,
range. Grenache and 03 dominate. Northern Rhone winemaker’s approach
to Southern Rhone rouge. The formula doesn’t work well in 03. The
guys born in the south know better how to handle the heat. Maybe
I’m reading this wrong. Time will tell. 14.9+?
Wednesday, October 12, 2005 wt101205-01. 04
WEREWOLF ROMANIA PINOT GRIGIO - (ROMANIA)
Sweet nut cream, lime, grass, and apple. Vibrant and focused. True
to varietal./ Soft and sweetish. Good acid and astringency to foil.
Slightly different in style from pinot grigios of any other origin.
15.2 wt101205-02. CHATEAU
FONTAINE MICHIGAN CHARDONNAY - (U.S.)
Combo of vintages 03 and 04 - Crisp, tight, appley, northern fruit.
Chablis style. Considerable oak from barrel fermentation in French
and American barrels../ Some tropical fruit on the palate gives
a sweetish impression. Lively and attractive. 15.4. wt101205-03. 04
MACON VILLAGES, CAVE DE PRISSE - (FRANCE
BURGUNDY) Bright apple, linden, and hops aromas. Plenty of malic
acidity in the 04 northern European white-wine style. Good mineral
base./ Again, an appley malic crispness, with good viscosity of
ripe fruit for padding. That’s 04, and here’s another good one.
I’m liking this vintage in European dry whites. 16.0. wt101205-04. 03
POUILLY FUISSE, LABOURE-ROI - (FRANCE
BURGUNDY) Ripe and powerful and wood- and nut-tinged. 03 bigness
plus oak superimposed upon Pouilly Fuisse Maconnais chardonnay freshness
and lightness of being./ Plenty ripe peachy fruit and a degree of
oakiness that the fruit richness and power can handle. Sweet and
full fruit. Orange versus lemon. Buttered popcorn. Don’t keep too
long. Enjoy in winter with full-white-wine fare. Good price for
Pouilly Fuisse. 15.7. wt101205-05. 04
CHABLIS, ANTONIN RODET - (FRANCE BURGUNDY)
Malic and peptic. Aggressive acidity to start. This gets some relief
with airing though. Then there are nice nuances of oak and cedar.
Has a lot of nerve./ Very high acidity. Very tart. Mouthwatering.
A bit much for even this acid freak. That said, it’s a great relief
to find a white wine of this nature out there. Oysters, anyone?
15.9+. wt101205-06. 03
ARDECHE VIOGNIER, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE
MEDITERRANEAN) Nectarous floral nose. Highly perfumed. Viognier
magnified. Hard to believe it’s all natural, but I trust it is./
Again, this is like bottled perfume, cologne. It’s cool, dry, and
racy though, not overly 03 ripe. I want this with a warm potato
salad garnished with scallions. 15.6+. wt101205-07. 04
COSTIERES DE NIMES LES GALETS ROSE, CHATEAU MOURGUES DU GRES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Full peel extracts. Palpable
smell. Berries, watermelon, minerals, and garrigue./ Again, well
extracted. Peel flavors and astringency. Intensely flavored. Lots
of material here. Tavel size and power. Always one of my favorite
Med roses. 16.3. wt101205-09. 03
BOURGOGNE, ANTONIN RODET - (FRANCE BURGUNDY)
Wow! Lovely, sweet, spicy, woodsy pinot fruit. Hearty and vibrant.
Aroma of granadilla, says Jorge– a fruit not known in these parts.
03 ripe but not too ripe. An excellent representative of 03 Bourgogne
pinot./ Delicious grip and sweetness in balance. Good acidity. A
chewy mouthful. New World fruit brightness with Burgundy grip–that’s
03. Yards ahead of the next-best Rodet Bourgogne rouge vintage I’ve
tasted. 16.3. wt101205-10. 00
MARSANNAY, LOUIS JADOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY)
Northern Cote de Dijonnais form, smoke, animal, masculinity. Jadot
framing around a soft, ripe 00 core of fruit. Real Burgundian pinot
now beginning to assume a patina of bouquet./ Strawberry, cocoa,
coffee. Animal, meat, fruit, power. Good acidity of a Jadot wine.
Surprisingly young and muscular yet. I’d go for it. 16.2+. wt101205-11. 03
COTEAUX DU TRICASTIN CLASSIC, DOMAINE DE L’ESPEROUZE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Very bright, cool, northern
and high altitude Vaucluse rouge. Perky, pungent, buxom. Lots of
Tricastin race and garrigue. Not exactly the style of Vergobbi’s,
but shows the same high plateau of quality. This will fill the bill
quite nicely./ Vigor, garrigue, berry, focus, range. Sweet juice.
Yes! 16.2. wt101205-12. 03
COTES DU RHONE MISTRAL, DOMAINE COULANGE
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Very 03 ripe. Earthy , rustic, roasted,
mean./ Soft, ripe red and black fruits. Touch of white pepper. Pleasant
enough despite the exaggerated ripeness. 14.1. wt101205-13. 03
COTES DU RHONE LES SENS DE SYRAH BARRIQUE, CHATEAU BEAUCHENE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Complete and lovely southern
syrah presentation of the regular Les Sens with good oak embellishments
enhancing its complexity and interest. Open, full, stylish. Cool,
not jammy. Fresh fruit./ Full, with oak extract texture and tannin.
Bold, young, loaded, powerful Meridionale syrah. 16.5+. wt101205-14. 03
CAIRANNE COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES LE CHENE DE NOIRE, CAVE DE CAIRANNE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Great fruit, garrigue, berry,
volume, and grip. Right in the Cave’s grenache-laden style./ Sweet
and strong. Balanced and loaded with fruit and flavor. Fruit ripeness
cushions this wine’s usual power and gives it more mellowness and
ease than usual, which is nice. Good vintage here. 16.3. wt101205-15. 03
CAIRANNE COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES LEA FELSCH, DOMAINE CATHERINE LE
GOEUIL - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Firmer.
Dry, strong, forceful to start. Opens to raspberry, cassis, flowers,
garrigue./ Big, strong, and real Cairanne palate. A rightful example,
but rather brutish at the moment. Needs time. 16.2+. wt101205-16. 03
CAIRANNE COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES MARIE ROUVIERE, DOMAINE CATHERINE
LE GOEUIL - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Very
ripe and powerful. Cairanne big./ Yes, big and powerful. In the
right style for the appellation. But so frank and brutal for now.
Lots of tannin and reserve. 16.4++. wt101205-17. 01
SEGURET COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES CUVEE GARNACHO, DOMAINE CABASSE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fresh and uplifting. Good grenache
power and sweetness. In previous contexts and vintages, this has
always come across as a very ripe and powerful wine. But after the
Cairannes, this Seguret shows a defter touch, which is commensurate
with village character./ Lush grenache fruit. Lovely 01 lift and
acidity, with ripe grenache glycerol. Super Seguret. And the price
seems very reasonable. 16.8. wt101205-18. 01
COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC PIC SAINT LOUP VIEILLES VIGNES, CHATEAU LANCYRE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Very powerful, deep, and tarry
concentrate. Pure black fruits./ Ah! The palate impresses even more!
Full vigor here. Rich and ripe and strong and thorough. Huge richness,
scope, mass, material. One big Pic Saint Loup. 16.6.
Wednesday, October 5, 2005 wt100505-01. 03
MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE, DOMAINE DE LA LOUVETRIE - (FRANCE LOIRE) Jo Laudron @ La Haye-Fousserie; Hermine
d’Or; 35 year old vines - Full ripeness and power of 03. Hard to
believe this doesn’t exceed the alcohol max for Muscadet–the lowest
in France. Brisk and penetrating botanicals. Peach, citrus, quince.
Spicy and complex sur-lie vigor and mineral basis./ Rich, soft,
sweetish, powerful. There’s acidity too, but it’s fairly mild against
the ripeness and alcohol. Leesy complexity, 03 largesse. True to
vintage and type. 15.9. wt100505-02. 03
CHATEAU RECOUGNE SAUVIGNON, BORDEAUX -
(FRANCE BORDEAUX) Milhade @Galgon - Very ripe sauvignon, typical
of 03. Orange creamsicle aroma./ Soft. Mild acidity. Full alcohol.
Not an aperitif. Needs food. 15.2. wt100505-03. 04
CHATEAU MENAUT, PESSAC-LEOGNAN - (FRANCE
BORDEAUX) 100% sauvignon blanc - Crisp and generous in the usual
manner. Bordeaux sauvignon, Graves sauvignon, Dubourdieu sauvignon.
Not Loire sauvignon. Tensile, steely frame nicely lanolin wrapped./
Plump and ripe fruit on a stony base. In style with vintage and
winegrower. Commendable. I like this vintage. 16.1. wt100505-04. 04
SANCERRE LA GARENNE, DOMAINE GIRARD -
(FRANCE LOIRE) Very bright and vigorous. Tingly, titillating. A
great relief after the power and richness of the 03s. Lots of calcaire
basis. Racy grapefruit and gooseberry northern sauvignon fruit./
Yes, tingly and brisk. Invigorating. Good grassy cut and gooseberry
ripeness. Tangy, piquant savor. Fine length. 17.0. wt100505-05. 04
VOUVRAY CUVEE DE SILEX, DOMAINE DES AUBUISIERES
- (FRANCE LOIRE) Very crisp, brisk and dry aroma of chenin blanc.
Vibrant, malic, appley. More in the Savennieres than the Vouvray
style./ Sec tendre on palate. Flavors of quince and lime. The acidity
is a little mild or coated at present. Overall, the presentation
is balanced and flavorful. 16.3. wt100505-06. 04
CHABLIS LES PARGUES PREMIER CUVEE, DOMAINE SERVIN - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Statuesque. Classic calcaire, flint,
and apple Chablis chardonnay. 1er Cru full./ Again, 1er Cru stature
and fullness and breed. Very broad on the palate. Great acidity,
extract. Chewy. Huge, really. Rivals the Lavantureux. Neat Chablis
vintage! Well liked by the group. 17.6. wt100505-07. 03
CHABLIS LA CHANFLEURE, LOUIS LATOUR -
(FRANCE BURGUNDY) Broad, ripe, and powerful 03. Classic 03. Speaks
more of the vintage than the winemaker./ Soft, fat. Mild acidity.
Advancing quickly. Enjoy soon with fuller fare than would be typical
for Chablis. The warmth of the vintage makes it seem more southern,
more Cote d’Or. Personifies 03 Chablis. 16.3. wt100505-08. 04
COTES DE GASCOGNE GROS MANSENG RESERVE SELECTION, DOMAINE DES CASSAGNOLES - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Sweet, tangy, powerful, penetrating.
Lemon curd. Some found cat pee, as in a northern sauvignon blanc.
This is not alien to gros manseng./ Racy, penetrating. Rich yet
dry. Big, thick texture. Plenty flavorful. 16.2. wt100505-09. 04
ORVIETO CLASSICO AMABILE, BIGI - (ITALY)
Rich and appley. Full and right. Lively spicy apple and pear aromas
of the greco-malvasia team./ Touch of almond. Fresh, sweet, and
vibrant. Still youthfully shy. 15.4+. wt100505-10. 03
TOKAJI SARGAMUSKOTALY, BORKULONLEGESSEG
- (HUNGARY) Yellow muscat - Warm marmalade scent of muscat alexandria.
Like Setubal, or Vin Doux Naturel, or southern Italy muscats. Honeysuckle,
beeswax./ Yes, it’s like Med muscat alexandria. Only there’s racier
acidity and positive astringency. Tonic and unique. 15.8. wt100505-11. 04
JULIENAS CHATEAU DES CAPITANS, GEORGES DUBOEUF
- (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Brilliant and penetrating gamay aroma. Glorious,
soaring perfume and fruit./ Again, great lift. And good richness.
Elegant-styled Grand Cru that reminds me more of Chiroubles or St.
Amour than of Julienas. Maybe it’s the style of the vintage. A successful
04, for sure. 16.4. wt100505-12. 03
CHIANTI COLLI SENESI, FALCHINI - (ITALY)
Rich, ruddy, attractively advanced bouquet. Big, perfumed, satiny,
fetching. Plums galore. Dried fruit sweetness. Nice 03 and dried
fruit glycerol. Explosive, expressive, and wholly Italianate./ Rich
and big. Plenty of body and extract. A super value. Bests Super
Tuscan wannabes costing multiples of this price. The group agreed.
16.3. wt100505-13. 03
CORBIERES, LES DEUX RIVES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN)
Sweet, dense, latent, loaded. Black raspberry, garrigue, bitter
chocolate. Great flair and style./ Full, strong, generous Med red
with peel extract and astringency coated with ripe fruit texture.
This wine is so texturally appealing and food-worthy it begs to
go straight to the dinner table. 15.9. wt100505-14. 01
CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA RISERVA, SELLA & MOSCA
- (ITALY) Rich, sweet, roasted, classic Sardinian grenache. Warmer
even than Rhone grenache. Bramble, clove, exotic spices, time in
seasoned cooperage. Great acid ring, even on the nose./ Rich in
glycerol and ripe fruit. All is nicely framed in the 01 style. Good
now. Well poised for long development too. Shows great integrity.
One of the best of a winning series. Well liked by the group. 16.2+. wt100505-15. 03
LACRYMA CHRISTI DEL VESUVIO, MASTROBERARDINO
- (ITALY) Starts out reduced, almost rubbery. Then I put my thumb
over the mouth of the partial bottle and gave it a good shaking.
That did it! Reductive funk be gone! Bright red and black fruit
aromas. Thick and rich in black cherry and pitch. Big and powerful.
Classic./ Spices and garrigue flavors. Cool, high altitude presentation
for 03. Great acidity and strength. Noble and serious Campanian
red. Super. 17.0+. wt100505-16. 97
FEIST LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT - (FORTIFIED)
Bottled 2003 - Powerful and dense as a Vintage port. Plenty of roasted
fruit, wood, anise, cocoa, warm brick, and coffee./ Rich, powerful,
ripe. Loaded. A big, big LBV in the tradition of Warre’s great ones.
But Portuguese rather than British in style. Has seen the maximum
6 years in cooperage. 16.7.
|
|
|
|
