Posts Tagged ‘Cellier’
MWG March 16th tasting: report (2/4)
Dogliani Superiore 2007, Bricco Botti, Pecchenino ($30.50, 11605494)
100% Dolcetto. Macerated on the skins for 25 days at 28ºC, matured 24 months in large oak casks. Nose of sawed wood, black cherry, forest floor and a faint resin note that, with the cherry, had some tasters declaring “Robitussin.” Plush texture with light but firm tannins. The rich dark fruit hides the alcohol (14.5%) except on the kirschy finish. Impressive in the context of a tasting but I wonder how well it would fare at the dining table. (Buy again? Pricey and not my style, so probably not.)
Dolcetto d’Alba 2010, Fratelli Alessandria ($19.95, 11580186)
100% Dolcetto. Fermented and macerated for six to eight days in stainless steel tanks, matured in stainless steel and cement tanks. Appealing nose of red berries, spice and quartz. Leaner, suppler and fruitier than the Doglaini; purer and more refreshing, too. Raspy tannins kick in on mid-palate. Spice and minerals flavour the clean finish. Just about perfect in its low-key way. (Buy again? Already have.)
Barbera d’Alba 2008, Tre Vigne, Vietti ($25.80, 11580178)
100% Barbera from three vineyards (whence the name). Fermented in stainless steel, matured in Slovenian oak casks, French barriques and stainless steel tanks for ten months. Bottled unfiltered. Velvety cherry, slate and oak on the nose. Smooth and suave in the mouth with rich, dry fruit and soft tannins and acidity. Oaky vanilla marks the long finish. Few around the table objected to the oak but I found it distracting. Barbera doesn’t need to give itself airs. (Buy again? No thanks.)
Pinot Noir 2008, Beamsville Bench, Malivoire ($31.25, 11593614)
100% organically farmed Pinot Noir from three Beamsville vineyards. Fermented in open-top oak vats, then aged in 23% new French oak barrels for 11 months. Screwcapped. Reductive aromas – cedar and plastic – blow off, leaving an earthy nose of red berries and spice. Supple, fluid and lightly tannic, with bright acidity. Fruit is light and not very sweet but obviously ripe. Bitterish/astringent finish. A bit rustic, which only adds to the appeal. (Buy again? All that’s holding me back is the QPR.)
MWG March 16th tasting: report (1/4)
Sketchy notes on the first of four flights. All wines except the Falanghina are from the March 15th Cellier release.
Falanghina 2009, Taburno, Fattoria La Rivolta ($19.95, 11451851)
100% organically farmed Falanghina. Fermented at low temperatures, aged in stainless steel. Mercurial nose: chalk, lemon, minerals, flowers, then white coral, then nougat and shower curtain, then lard and banana. Light and rainwatery on entry but building as it goes along. Bright acid. Dry but full of sweet fruit. A little citrus pith on the chalky finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Soave Classico 2010, Prà ($19.50, 11587134)
100% Garganega. Fermented at low temperatures, aged in stainless steel. Yellow fruit with chalk, grapefruit and lime notes. Very present: weightier and fruitier than the flight’s other wines. Fruit tends toward citrus. High acidity rounded by the fruit and a little residual sugar. Bitter finish with a hint of nuttiness. A Soave very much in the mould of Pieropan’s or Imana’s basic bottlings. (Buy again? Sure.)
Roero Arneis 2010, Mauro Sebaste ($18.55, 11579986)
100% Arneis. Fermented in stainless steel, aged three to four months in the bottle. Flowery bath powder, then sweet lime, then white peach and crushed leaves; that said, it’s not what you’d call exuberantly aromatic. Dry, smooth and suave on the palate. Initial white fruit turns more acidic and bitter toward finish. Improved as it breathed, gaining crystalline mineral notes. Would make a good aperitif or accompaniment to delicate pasta and fish dishes. (Buy again? Yes.)
Manzoni Bianco 2010, Fontanasanta, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Foradori ($28.90, 11580004)
100% Manzoni Bianco, a cross of Riesling and Pinot Bianco. Aged 12 months in acacia casks. Sweaty funk on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied. Fruity but dry, with strongish acid and a bitter-edged finish. Fair length. Given the winemaker and the wine’s enthusiastic reception by critics, I was expecting more. Perhaps our bottle was slightly off? (Buy again? Only to give it a second chance.)
MWG March 2nd tasting: report (3/4)
Colli Berici 2008, Montebelvedere, Dal Maso ($19.95, 11581007)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 12-year-old vines. Fermented in stainless steel, aged 12 months in second-vintage Allier oak barriques and botti. Identifiably Cabernet nose of cassis, mint/celery and cedar wood. Medium-bodied and balanced, with a core of sweet fruit and no greenness. Not very tannic. Fair length. A bit simple and anonymous but definitely drinkable. (Buy again? If in the market for a $20 Cab, sure.)
IGT Toscana 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon, San Fabiano Calcinaia ($25.95, 11546914)
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot. Spent 15 months in first and second-vintage barriques. Umami nose: tamari, cordovan leather, shaved wood. Medium to full-bodied. Quite tannic. Dark and inky palate not showing much fruit. Plum, cocoa and iodine-scented finish. Needs another year or two in the bottle. (Buy again? If in the market for a $25 Cab, sure.)
IGT Umbria 2005, Rosso Outsider, Arnaldo Caprai ($30.25, 11580821)
A 50-50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels. Brooding nose of plum and clean sweat, developing cedar and graphite notes. Somewhat closed (or maybe just austere by nature) but also tasting far more Italian than the other two bottles. Chewy but not heavy fruit, rustic but ripe tannins. Long, dark finish. Straightforward, close to the earth, appealing. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG March 2nd tasting: report (2/4)
Venezia Giulia IGT 2008, Red Angel on the Moonlight, Jermann ($27.35, 11035786)
Pinot Noir and possibly a dollop of Merlot. Aged a year in French oak barrels and tuns. Deep burgundy to the eye. Mint, light red berries and a hint of oak on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, dry and silky. Ripe fruit shares spotlight with slatey minerals and oak. Bitterish finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Pinot Noir 2009, Unfiltered, VQA Prince Edward County, Hardie Wines ($35.00, LCBO 125310)
Update (12-03-22): This wine (and two others from Hardie’s stable) has just been added to the SAQ catalogue ($38.50, 11638499).
Clear, pale ruby, almost corail. Sour cherry, beet, earth, a little spice. Light, acidic, refreshing despite some woody overtones. Sweetens as it breathes, showing more structure (minerals and fine tannins). Decent finish. (Buy again? Hard to justify from a QPR standpoint but if the price ever drops to $25, sure.)
Breganze 2009, Pinot Nero, Maculan ($18.80, 11580987)
Again, deep burgundy. Cherry – a bit candied – and a hint of smoky tar. Smooth and velvety, the juicy fruit given shape by supple tannins and soft acidity. Not particularly deep, long or Burgundian but at $19, who’s complaining? (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG March 2nd tasting: report (1/4)
While the March 1st release was one of the weakest in Cellier‘s history, it wasn’t totally devoid of interest, as these three wines show.
Thomas Bachelder, the winemaker who got Le Clos Jordanne rolling, has struck out on his own. His latest project is to make Chardonnays and, eventually, Pinot Noirs in the three regions he’s worked in – Burgundy, Oregon and Ontario – all using the same recipe. What better way to illustrate regional differences? For the 2009 Chardonnays, the recipe involved, to the extent possible, organically farmed grapes, native yeasts and 16 months’ aging in mostly neutral barrels. (Much of my information comes from newspaper articles and other blogs, as Bachelder’s website is lacking in technical details.)
Chardonnay 2009, Bourgogne, Bachelder Bourgogne ($34.00, 11584620)
Grapes sourced from vineyards in Puligny, Beaune and Saint-Aubin and vinified at Alex Gambal’s facilities. Classic Burgundian nose of chalk, minerals, lemon and oats. Dense and winey texture (millésime oblige) but with enough acidity to keep the wine taut and bright. The dry fruit (mostly citrus and stone) is shot through with minerals, and a faint lactic note fades in and out. The finish is long. The wine seems to retreat as it breathes, probably a sign that it needs another year or two in the bottle. (Buy again? Yes, but…)
Chardonnay 2009, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Bachelder Niagara ($33.75, 11584857)
Grapes from the Beamsville Bench, vinified at Southbrook. Lemon and tropical fruit. Rounder in the mouth – the fruit riper, the acid lower – than the other two wines. A hint of residual sugar adds to the New World feel. Minerals, such as they are, and a little spice emerge on the sustained finish. Friendly and likeable if, to my palate, less attention-worthy. Ready to go. (Buy again? Yes, but…)
Chardonnay 2009, Willamette Valley, Bachelder Oregon ($34.00, 11584814)
Vinified at Lemelson Vineyards. Closed nose: hints of coral and coconut. A mass of minerals surrounding a core of dense fruit (yellow and green apple above all). Lively acid. Quartzy finish with a whey – eventually butter – note. Perhaps the least immediately appealing of the three but also in ways the most intriguing. (Buy again? Yes, but…)
The wines were served blind. That several tasters unhesitatingly pegged the first as Burgundian attests to its typicity. All three had their partisans among the tasters, with fans of New World wines tending to coalesce around the Niagara even before it was unveiled.
Why the “yes, but…” then? In a word, price. For $35, a single loonie more, you can buy a bottle of Pattes Loup’s 2009 Chablis 1er cru Beauregard, a classier and far more enthralling Chardonnay. And tellingly, even without that benchmark in mind, when the tasters were asked what they’d be willing to pay for their favourite of the Bachelder Chards, most said $25.
November 3rd MWG tasting: report
To staunch the flow of carping about the infrequency of updates to this site, here are some quick notes – little more than a transcription, really – on the wines in the Mo’ Wine Group’s latest tasting. With one exception, the bottles are from the November 3rd Cellier release and, for once, many of them are still available.
THREE FRENCH SPARKLERS
Montlouis, Brut non-dosé, Méthode traditionnelle, François Chidaine ($22.95, 11537049)
Yellow apple, hint of citrus peel, gaining floral and winey notes as it warmed and breathed. Tiny, soft bubbles, fruity but dry. Acid-bright and clean. Long minerally finish with a faint bitter edge. (Buy again? Yes.)
Crémant du Jura 2008, Domaine Labet Père et fils ($20.80, 11549162)
Chalkier nose showing a little oxidation. A bit enigmatic. Simple upfront, the flavours tending to lemon and quartz, but maintaining a presence, a grip, after the flavours fade. Lingering sourness. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Vouvray, Brut, Domaine Huet ($26.95, 11537022)
Oxidized apple peel with notes of honey, ash and peach. Strong bead. Rich and dense with a strong current of acidity. Fruit slow-fades to minerals on the long finish. (Buy again? Yes.)
The two Loire wines were winners: the Chidaine lighter, fresher and full of immediate appeal; the Huet richer, slower to open up, built for the long haul. The Labet (a new arrival not in the Cellier release) was good but Tissot’s crémant at about the same price is even better.
THREE CHAMPAGNES
Champagne, Terre de Vertus, Premier cru, Larmandier-Bernier ($71.00, 11528011)
A blanc de blancs (100% Chardonnay) with zero dosage. Straightforward nose (apple, yeast, hint of lemon at first) that became more complex (“cream soda,” said one taster; “dried coconut” chimed in another). Light, elegant, clean. Delicate bubbles. Quite dry and long. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Champagne, Tradition Grand cru, Brut, Égly-Ouriet ($80.00, 11538025)
Mostly Pinot Noir. Nose of apple, toast and pastry cream, initially a little anonymous but slowly gaining character. Fine bead. Initially light and elegant, almost to a fault, but gaining complexity and depth in the glass. Pure and long but none of us got Phaneuf’s “multidimensionnel … doté de ces multiples couches de saveurs qui sont la marque des grands vins.” (Buy again? Probably not.)
Champagne, Grand cru, Blanc de Noirs, E. Barnaut ($46.25, 11152958)
Classic champagne nose of bread and hazelnuts with notes of oxidized apple. Winey texture enlivened by assertive bubbles. Clean and vibrant if a little short on depth and complexity. Unlike the other two, did not improve in the glass. (Buy again? Maybe.)
All were good but none knocked our socks off. The Barnaut’s QPR isn’t bad but it lacked some of the finesse of the other two. The group was evenly split when it came to declaring a preference between the fresher Larmandier-Bernier and the richer Égly-Ouriet.
FOUR JURA WHITES
L’Étoile 2008, Domaine de Montbourgeau ($21.90, 11557541)
Chardonnay with a dash of Savagnin. Complex nose with a sourish edge: oxidized apple, “caramel nuts,” “golden raisins in marc,” “fresh figs,” silage and a whiff of cheese. Winey yet fluid, fruit balanced by minerals and acid. Long, flavourful finish. The very model of a Jura white. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Côtes du Jura 2009, Fleurs, Domaine Labet Père et Fils ($22.90, 11556952)
Chardonnay that, unlike many traditional Jura whites, is not allowed to oxidize. The result here is a fairly pure expression of the grape variety. Fruity on the attack, round in the mouth, buttressed by a welcome acidity. Good finish with lingering notes of straw, honey and spice. (Buy again? Sure.)
Arbois 2009, Les Bruyères, Bénédictine et Stéphane Tissot ($35.75, 11542139)
100% Chardonnay. By far the most complex nose of the bunch: mushroom, turpentine, gunflint and sesame along with the expected apple and spice. Smooth and fluid on the palate, the sweet-seeming attack quickly giving way to layers of flavour and a rich fruitiness that belies the wine’s dryness. Long and balanced. A few years in the bottle will do it a world of good. (Buy again? Yes.)
Côtes du Jura 2005, Les Compères, Essencia ($25.95, 11544003)
100% Chardonnay. A bit of an oddball. Appealing if surprising nose of strawberry napoleons (fruit, puff pastry and pastry cream all there). Typically jurassien on the palate, a fruity density underpinned by refreshing acidity. Fairly long, nut-scented finish. Simple but fun. (Buy again? If looking for a white vin plaisir, sure.)
A popular flight, with just about everyone liking all the wines. Several of us considered the Montbourgeau the winner, a classic Jura white with a great QPR. The Labet was the closest to a non-Jura Chardonnay. The Tissot needs time but has potential. The Essencia was unlike any other white I’ve tasted, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
TWO LIGHTER REDS
Arbois 2009, Poulsard, Vieilles vignes, Domaine Rolet Père et Fils ($19.95, 11537090)
And now for something completely different. Pale transparent red, the Jura’s traditional corail (I’ve seen darker rosés). Double-take nose of strawberry, hay and black pepper (detractors in search of descriptors were more inclined to reach for body excretions). Light-bodied, high acid yet, oddly, intensely fruity. Tannins light but raspy. Stemmy finish. Cries out for some charcuterie. (Buy again? I just might.)
Veneto 2007, Primofiore, Giuseppe Quintarelli ($54.25, 11542518)
Take a green bell pepper, stuff it with spicy rice and meat and roast it in a tomato sauce: that’s the nose of this wine. Medium-bodied, fluid, with a perfumy mid-palate, light but firm tannins and just enough acidity. Long, spicy finish. Not particularly deep but full of character and unlike any other red I’ve encountered. (Buy again? Tempted but the price is dissuasive.)
A love-it-or-hate-it-flight. Some tasters were horrified, even outraged by the Poulsard and had trouble believing that several of us actually derived pleasure from the wine. Opinions were almost as divided by the Quintarelli, richer and spicier but still with a streak of green. I enjoyed it but not to the point that I’d fork over $54 for another bottle. (Edit: The taster who took home the tail-end of the bottle reports: “At the Thursday tasting I left the Quintarelli in my glass until the end of the evening to see if it improved – and it did, by a bit, so I brought home what was left in the bottle, and tried it the next day – the harshness and green pepper had completely blown off, and it was far softer and fruitier. Not that I would go running to drop $55 on another bottle of it, but it’s nice to know that it just really needed to sit, and wasn’t a dud Quintarelli.”)
THREE LEFT-BANK RED BORDEAUX
Haut-Médoc 2008, Château d’Agassac ($26.95, 11188336)
Textbook left-bank Bordeaux. Nose of cedar, cassis and oak with green bell pepper and black pepper notes. Good balance of fruit, acid and tannins. Pure flavours. Longish though not particularly deep. (Buy again? If looking for an everyday red Bordeaux, sure.)
Médoc 2008, Château d’Escurac ($23.80, 11194584)
Meatier and greener nose than the Agassac’s, showing some pencil lead. Tight, tannic, austere. Cedary finish. A bit flat. Doesn’t cohere.Might be better in a year or two but, on the whole, this lacks appeal. (Buy again? No.)
Saint-Julien 2008, Clos du Marquis (Château Léoville Las Cases) ($59.74, 11184520)
Nothing like earlier vintages we’ve tried. Spice, green pepper and an elusive mustiness that had us wondering whether it was corked or scalped. Disjointed and harsh in the mouth. Probably an off bottle. (Buy again? Moot.]
This flight was something of a let-down, with the potentially most interesting bottle not up to scratch. Would that I’d had the budget to go with my original idea: Clos du Marquis, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon and Dominus.
November 4th MWG tasting: report
Notes on 15 wines from the November 4th Cellier release. Prices are in Canadian dollars and include sales taxes.
FLIGHT 1
Mosel 2008, Riesling, Mönchhof ($17.45, 11334920)
Light breezy nose of white flowers, lime and minerals. Off-dry and a little spritzy. Medium acidity, pure fruit, rainwater finish. Pleasant though more grip would be welcome. Vin terrasse. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Pinot Gris 2008, Acrobat, Oregon, King Estate ($17.95, 11333767)
Wax and pear with dried herb and lactic notes. Fluid but unctuous with just-noticeable residual sugar. A little facile, though a mildly mineral/bitter/astringent substrate hints at deeper things. Enough acidity to keep things fresh. Fair finish. (Buy again? Probably not.)
Columbia Valley 2009, Riesling, Evergreen Vineyard, Efesté Wine ($21.50, 11334760)
7-Up and minerals on the nose. Lemon-lime, minerals and herbs on the palate. Nearly dry and what sugar there is is counterbalanced by acidity. Fruity finish. Requires vigorous chewing to show any depth. (Buy again? Probably not when Germans offer more bang for the buck.)
Central Otago 2009, Riesling, Target Gully, Mt. Difficulty ($25.60, 11334778)
Petrol, lime, tarragon and a hint of BO. A mouthful of minerals and yellow citrus with a dollop of residual sugar. Fair length. Could use more oomph, especially more acid, but clearly the most complete and dimensional wine in the flight. (Buy again? Probably not when Germans offer more bang for the buck.)
FLIGHT 2
Chehalem Mountains 2006, Pinot Noir, Carabella Vineyard ($27.65, 11333791)
Sweet red berries, hints of forest floor. Sweet fruity attack, oaky mid-palate and bitter-edged finish. Bright acid. Lacks depth. Not unpleasant but unexceptional. (Buy again? Not when you can find better Burgundies for the same price.)
Willamette Valley 2007, Pinot Noir, 3 Vineyard, Chehalem Wines ($32.75, 11333783)
Not particularly appealing nose of spice, beet and oak. Medium-bodied. Oak-heavy choco-cherry with some herby mid-palate nuance. Hot finish. Yuk! (Buy again? No way.)
Langhe 2007, Nebbiolo, La Spinetta ($28.90, 11337979)
Ink, raspberry, cherry, minerals, tar, Asian spice. Dense but not heavy fruit, mineral underlay. Tight tannins. Fluid texture. Lingering bitter-edged finish. Needs a few years to knit together and smooth out. (Buy again? If looking for a modern-style Nebbiolo, yep.)
Barolo 2005, Albe, G. D. Vajra ($35.25, 11337944)
Nail polish, shoe leather, dried roses. Fluid but rich. Pure fruit and background oak. Tight tannins and bright acid. Earthy finish. Seems ready to go. Despite the wine’s interesting qualities, several of us wondered whether our bottle wasn’t defective (ethyl acetate), a disappointment as I’d been looking forward to tasting this bottling from a producer whose other wines I’ve often enjoyed. (Buy again? Another bottle to see if ours was off.)
FLIGHT 3
Etna 2006, Rosso di Verzella, Benanti ($20.65, 11348459)
A blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio given about ten months in small casks. Wafting nose of dried black cherry, baked earth, rosemary. Round, smooth and savoury. Medium-bodied. Lively acid gives freshness. Round tannins provide structure. Soft, long finish. A charmer. (Buy again? If only I could…)
Valpolicella Superiore Classico 2007, Ripasso, Pojega, Guerrieri Rizzardi ($22.65, 11331681)
Blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara. Roasted red peppers, spice. Sweet plummy fruit enlivened by acid, underpinned by fine tannins. Rich, smooth and harmonious with a long, savoury finish and lingering impression of warmth (not heat). A winner. (Buy again? Yes.)
Monferrato 2007, Pin, La Spinetta ($49.75, 11337987)
Blend of barrel-aged Nebbiolo (65%) and Barbera (35%). Exuberant nose of spice, leaf mould, wood and black cherry with a floral note. Pure fruit. Dense and plush. Good acid. Quite tannic. Long astringent finish. Needs time. Modern but in a good way. (Buy again? Price is the only thing holding me back.)
FLIGHT 4
Valle de Colchagua 2008, Quatro, MontGras ($17.95, 11331737)
Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Carmenère (20%), Malbec (20%) and Syrah (15%). Spent 11 months in casks, 30% new. Nose of bacon, Keds, dried herbs and telltale tomato vine. Smooth on the palate, with ripe fruit and noticeable oak. Cocoa finish. Straightforward, balanced and pleasant if a little facile. Good QPR. (Buy again? Sure, if you like the style.)
Columbia Valley 2007, River’s Red, Three Rivers Winery ($19.90, 11336466)
A dog’s breakfast blend of Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Trempranillo. Fresh nose: cassis, herbs, green pepper, spice. Clean if somewhat candied fruit, smooth tannins, oaky finish. Simple but fun. (Buy again? Sure, if you like the style.)
Columbia Valley 2007, Cabernet Sauvignon, L’École N° 41 ($37.75, 10707093)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Spent 22 months in oak barrels, a third of them new. Cheese grains, cassis. Rich fruit, touch of residual sugar, oak in background. Good acid, light tannins that become more prominent with aeration. Shorter than expected for a wine in this price bracket. In fact, the wine overall seemed a bit one-dimensional and a little disjointed. Needs time? (Buy again? Only out of curiosity to see how it might develop.)
Yakima Valley 2006, Boushey Vineyard, Fidélitas Wines ($58.75, 11335421)
Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Cabernet Franc. Spent 24 months in casks, half of them new. Cassis, black raspberry and fresh dill. Sweet fruit buttressed by rich tannins, freshened by acidity. Plush texture. Layers of flavour. Long. A complete wine. Quite impressive in its style. (Buy again? If in the market for a full-bore West Coast Bordeaux blend, sure.)
September 30th MWG tasting: report
Most of the wines in this tasting came from the September 30th Cellier release, though not the first flight (the release was whiteless) and not the Pauillac. Prices are in Canadian dollars and include 13% sales tax.
FLIGHT 1
Grüner Veltliner 2009, Kamptal, Domæne Gobelsburg ($15.30, 10790317)
Chalk, sand and white grapefruit peel with whiffs of white pepper. Clean and bright. Zesty, even tingly attack. Good balance between acidity and substance. Fast-fade finish. (Buy again? Yes.)
Grüner Veltliner 2009, Terrassen, Federspiel, Domäne Wachau ($19.50, 10769420)
Lemon peel (a bit candied), wet quartz and a not unpleasant hint of soap or vinyl. Richer than the Gobelsburg and, initially, a bit flatter. Gained dimension as it breathed. Long, with an acid bite on the finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Grüner Veltliner 2009, Kamptaler Terrassen, Bründlmayer ($21.25, 10707069)
Still rounder and smoother. The acidity is there but more like a slow-moving underground river than a gurgling surface stream. Rainwatery at first but becoming white-fruity and layered over the course of an hour. Long. (Buy again? Sure.)
Grüner Veltliner 1999, Schenkenbichl, Jurtschitsch ($38 in 2002)
Richer looking: golden (in contrast to the other wines’ silver) and oilier. Complex nose dominated by honey, quince, mineral and subtle white pepper aromas. Off-dry and unctuous but enlivened by acidity. Initially shallow-seeming – I wondered whether it wasn’t a little over the hill – but gaining presence, amplitude and depth through the end of the tasting (nearly three hours). Very long. While Jancis Robinson notes that, with time in the bottle, GV “can start to taste positively Burgundian,” in this case I’d say the French analogue is more a late-harvest Pinot Gris or a sec-tendre Chenin Blanc. Not everyone was a fan but I found it gorgeous. (Buy again? Wish I could.)
FLIGHT 2
Morgon 2009, La Voûte Saint-Vincent, Louis-Claude Desvignes ($19.45, 11299415)
Red berries, vine sap, spice and hints of alcohol and, quoting another taster, “night soil.” Noticeable tannins, bright acid, lots of stuffing, somewhat muted fruit. A little introverted and disjointed though improving with time in the glass. (Buy again? Maybe a bottle or two to revisit in a couple of years.)
Moulin-à-Vent 2009, Domaine des Vignes du Tremblay, Paul Janin et Fils ($19.90, 11305141)
Red berries and vine sap, a little footy. Smoother, rounder, suaver than the Morgon but with a similar concentration and richness. Inky finish. Shut down as it breathed. (Buy again? Sure – a bottle or two to revisit in a couple of years.)
Chénas 2009, Vieilles vignes, Hubert Lapierre ($19.90, 11299239)
Appealing nose of red fruit, graphite and dried wood. Rich and balanced, structured with fruit-cloaked tannins. Kirschy finish. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Côte-de-Brouilly 2009, Cuvée Les Griottes, Château Thivin ($21, 11305088)
The least expressive nose of the bunch: cherry, spice and funk. Rich and fruity on the palate. Silkier, brighter and somehow purer than the others but also less tannic and deep. Good length. Probably not an ager. (Buy again? Sure.)
FLIGHT 3
Buzet 2006, La Tuque de Gueyze, Les Vignerons de Buzet ($16.80, 11305563)
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Dusty cassis, green pepper and a whiff of alcohol. Cedary and plummy on the palate, fluid and balanced but lacking depth – a bit one-dimensional in fact. Still, not bad for a sub-$17 Bordeaux clone. (Buy again? Probably not, when $3-5 more can get you a genuinely appealing Bordeaux blend.)
Don Reca 2007, Valle del Cachapoal, Viña La Rosa ($21.75, 11305619)
Merlot (52%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Syrah (18%) and Carmenère (5%). Screaming green pepper along with green tobacco, earth and ink. Big, tannic, coarse. Green pepper and cassis flavours dominate with rubber droning in the background. Sawdusty finish. Unevolving even after vigorous aeration. How could anyone (looking at you, Wine Advocate) award this clunker 90+ points? (Buy again? Nope.)
Lagone 2007, IGT Toscana, Aia Vecchia ($20.45, 11305635)
Merlot (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (35%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Cassis syrup and sandalwood. Suaver than the Don Reca though initially quite tannic and a little disjointed. Smoothed out with exposure to air, showing good balance and length. Well made and true to type but also anonymous, with little sense of place. (Buy again? If looking for a $20 internationalized Bordeaux blend, maybe.)
Finca Libertad 2006, Mendoza, Bodega Benegas ($24.95, 11305934)
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Spent 18 months in new French oak casks. Smokey, peppery, meaty nose: grilled sausage, pimentón, raw beef with hints of cassis and mint. Mouth-filling but not heavy, fruit-forward but not fatiguing. Tannins and oak kept in check. Velvety texture. Long, fragrant finish. Cries out for a charcoal-grilled steak. (Buy again? If charcoal-grilling steaks, maybe.)
FLIGHT 4
Capaia 2007, Philadelphia (Western Cape), Capaia Estate ($33.25, 11307825)
Cabernet Sauvignon (37%), Merlot (26%), Petit Verdot (18%) and Cabernet Franc (19%). Spent 15 months in new French oak barriques. Leather, cassis, ink and menthol. A wine of considerable heft, though nimble and fluid. Structuring tannins and acid are clad in fleshy fruit. Long savoury finish. (Buy again? Maybe, if in the mood for a New World Bordeaux blend.)
Sophia 2007, Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, Hawkes Bay, Craggy Range Winery ($58, 11305491)
Merlot (81%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Cabernet Sauvignon (7%) and Malbec (2%). Spent 18 months in 50% new French oak casks. Pomegranate juice, vanilla and chocolate with hints of humus and ground coffee. The proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove: a mass of tannins wrapped in a mass of pure fruit. Big but poised and finely balanced. Plush, layered and long. Needs at least a couple more years in the bottle. Internationally styled but with undeniable class: would make a excellent ringer in a flight of new wave St-Émilions and Pomerols. (Buy again? Probably not, but then I’m not a Merlot fan.)
Don Melchor 1995, Valle del Maipo, Concha y Toro ($87.95, 10755941)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 12 months in French oak casks. To the eye, nose and palate, obviously an aged wine. Pale rimmed, muted red-brown. Tertiary aromas and flavours: leather, sweat, dried wood, aged tobacco, old tomato plants, compost, earth (you have to dig to find the core of sweet fruit). Tannins fully resolved, the tightly wound velvet of youth now an unfurling skein of silk. Our bottle was uncorked two hours before the flight and decanted just before serving. As the wine only improved in the glass, decanting earlier might have been advisable. Interesting and impressive in its way, but not a wine that knocked anyone’s socks off. Probably done a disservice by being served after so many vibrant young wines and just before a fine old Bordeaux. Alone in the spotlight, it would likely show better. (Buy again? Not at that price.)
Pauillac 1994, Château Pontet-Canet ($33 in 1996)
Cabernet Sauvignon (63%), Merlot (32%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Some fading at the rim but very little bricking. Complex only-in-Médoc bouquet that doesn’t need to yell to get your attention: cigar box, graphite, cassis, plum, tar, smoke, a hint of caramel. Austere but graceful and lithe, the tannins mostly resolved. In contrast to the preceding wines, the fruit is lean, dry, less dominating, more a unifying element in a spectrum of savoury flavours. The fruit fades on the long finish as cedar and minerals intertwine over a faint tannic astringency. Not particularly deep yet a wine that doesn’t reveal itself fully with the first sip or even – to judge by how it evolved in the few minutes after opening – the first glass. This is in a good place now and probably won’t get better; drink up in the next two or three years. (Buy again? Sure would if I didn’t already have a few bottles stashed away.)
Brett happens 