Erik Nordman

9.0

@Delectable Wine this is Statera Cellars’ IUVO 1 Pinot Gris Pet-Nat. Appellation is Willamette Valley, Oregon. NV.

Super unique pet-nat. Pinot Gris fermented on Aligote skins for a short period that are I believe leftover from another white wine from this producer. Zesty, refreshing, juicy goodness. Has a not-insignificant beer-like character; a wine for beer drinkers for sure.

- Color: medium (-) intensity burnished straw-yellow, cloudy
- Nose: ripe pithy grapefruit juice, underripe white peach, lager-esque yeastiness, hay, lilac, saline, beeswax, and in an interesting way kind of an almost hoppy scent although I’m pretty sure this is not a hopped wine, just skin fermented
- Palate: ripe grapefruit juice, lager-esque yeastiness, hay, starfruit, beeswax, saline, and that same pleasant subtle hoppiness on the nose
- Acid: medium (+)
- RS: mostly dry, just a tiny detectable trace for balance/also due to production method
- Alcohol: medium (-)/medium, not too noticeable
- Body: medium (-), round-textured with a relatively low intensity, fine bead of bubbles
— 6 years ago

with Cassie

Erik Nordman

9.3

Killer Chablis 1er Cru. An absolute lightning bolt of a wine, linear and acid-driven to be sure. Drinking awesome right now, the fruit is still quite primary but has obviously integrated a bit into the whole of the wine. Still has quite a life ahead of it tbh; I would have thought it was only a few years old rather than almost 8 if I hadn’t known beforehand. Bracing and mineral as you’d expect, with a great textural balance between cut and fleshiness.

- Color: bright, medium (-)/medium intensity straw-gold hue
- Nose: just-ripe starfruit, ripe green and yellow apple, an almost smoky crushed stone and chalk mineral character, lemon curd, oyster shell salinity, hard cheese rind leesiness, creme fraiche
- Palate: ripe green apple, ripe starfruit, lemon and grapefruit pulp, wet stone minerality and oyster shell salinity, hard cheese rind, creme fraiche
- Acid: high
- RS: bone dry
- Alcohol: medium/medium (+), not intrusive
- Body: medium (-) body; supple, oily texture from the sur lie elevage
— 7 years ago

with Cassie

Erik Nordman

9.2

Wonderfully executed, textbook Chablis. Fermentation in cuve; mix of cuve and neutral oak elevage. A wonderful example that speaks to the appellation. Tribut is a protégé of Dauvissat and I think that having studied under that kind of expertise definitely shows here. Full of verve and crackling energy while also showing a some richness and a bit fuller body from the warm vintage. Definitely would be best in a few more years but still a pleasure to drink now.

- Color: medium (-) straw-gold hue
- Nose: just-ripe yellow apple, ripe starfruit, tons of saline oyster shell quality and crushed chalk minerality, lemon pulp, Parmigiano cheese rind leesiness, heavy cream character from malo, some slight fennel spice and a touch of white florals
- Palate: ripe starfruit, lemon pulp, crushed oyster shell salinity, Parmigiano rind leesiness, heavy cream, and a slight fennel note
- Acid: high
- RS: bone dry
- Alcohol: medium (+), not hot or noticeable
- Body: medium (-)/medium, with an oily texture from elevage on lees and malolactic as well — 7 years ago

with Cassie

Erik Nordman

9.1

Killer stuff as always from Dönnhoff. Never had this particular site from them, seems to produce a slightly leaner, more chiseled wine than the Dönnhoff Kabinett I’ve had from other sites. Simultaneous raciness and ripe juiciness. Great example of the classic Kabinett style.

- Color: pale straw hue
- Nose: flinty, slatey minerality, underripe nectarine and pineapple, Thai basil, a smattering of sweet floral notes, a bit of hallmark Riesling petrol/pool toy TDN character, white pepper, and a bit of yeasty, cheese rind leesiness
- Palate: ripe, juicy nectarine and pineapple, just-ripe mango, cherry blossom, clean, slate-y minerality, sweet Thai basil, and a bit of slight TDN character as on the nose
- Acid: high
- RS: medium (-)/medium, nicely balances out the acid and adds juiciness and ripeness to fruit character
- Alcohol: low
- Body: light/medium (-); slightly oily, glycerine texture — 6 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.0

Delicious, thirst-quenching, low-intervention/“natural” goodness from the middle Loire; it’s designated Vin de France but I’m pretty sure the fruit comes mostly from Touraine. Blend of Gamay and Grolleau, not sure of specific percentages. Bright, tangy red fruits underscored by a subtle floral bitterness.

- Color: medium (-) intensity ruby hue
- Nose: pomegranate, cranberry, wet stones and tilled dirt, fresh roses and violets, fines herbes
- Palate: slightly underripe raspberry, cranberry, wet stone minerality, thyme, rose petal, and interestingly a tiny bit of a guava-esque character.
- Acid: medium (+)
- Tannin: medium (-), very fine grained
- RS: bone dry
- Alcohol: medium, not at all intrusive
- Body: light/medium (-), great texture
— 7 years ago

with Cassie

Erik Nordman

9.2

Very clean, mineral, delicious pet-nat. This is the driest of the Les Capriades wines I’ve had thus far. Super refreshing, addicting stuff. I’m definitely gonna snag a few of these for hot days in the upcoming summer. Les Capriades is really becoming my favorite producer of pet-nats.

⁃ Color: bright, medium (-) straw-gold hue
⁃ Nose: ripe bruised green apple, wet river stone, shiso and cilantro, honey, hay, chamomile, a subtle leesy edge, and an aspect that is reminiscent of cutting into a bag of Haribo gummy bears.
⁃ Palate: just-ripe green apple, ripe starfruit, wet stone minerality, shiso, hay, honey, lager-y yeastiness
⁃ Acid: high
⁃ RS: mostly dry, just a bit of perceivable RS to provide balance - right on that line where I’m not sure whether or not it would be accurate to describe as “off dry” at all.
⁃ Alcohol: medium (-)
⁃ Body: light/medium (-); moderate intensity of fine, soft bubbles.
— 7 years ago

with Cassie

Erik Nordman

9.1

Solid value for Northern Rhône Syrah with great typicity. A few rough edges due to youth so throw it in a decanter for a while, but already showing nice depth and complexity for the price point. Ripe and savory with a smoky, gamy funk.

- Color: medium/medium + concentration, ruby-violet hue
- Nose: fresh-picked and still-dirty ripe blackberry and raspberry, black plum, bacon fat, fresh violets, granite, and a slight bit of cracked black pepper, plus a touch of brett and VA but in a pleasant proportion that adds complexity rather than becoming a fault.
- Palate: ripe blackberry and raspberry, olive brine, granite, fresh violet, black pepper, and a bit of licorice root.
- Acid: medium/medium (+)
- RS: dry
- Tannin: fine grained, medium (+) intensity
- Alcohol: medium (+)/high, shows slightly but not distractingly hot
- Body: medium/medium (+), softly textured — 7 years ago

with Cassie

Erik Nordman

9.1

L’Ecu makes some of the most interesting and unique Muscadets out there. This one is whistle clean and a bit riper and more aromatic than your average Muscadet due to the warmer vintage but it’s still totally fresh and bracing like you’d want from a good Muscadet.

- Color: medium (-) intensity straw gold with green tinges, day bright
- Nose: ripe green apple, just-ripe starfruit, wet stone and saline crushed oyster shell, iodine, yeasty leesiness, apple blossom and white florals, and a tiny bit of lanolin-y, Chenin-esque character that I’ll chalk up to the warmer vintage.
- Palate: just-ripe green apple and star fruit, apple blossom, wet stones and briny salinity, cheesy lees notes, chervil
- Acid: high
- RS: Bone dry
- Alcohol: moderate and unobtrusive
- Body: medium (-), oily round texture contributed by lees
— 7 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.3

Wonderful, complex Wachau Riesling with a little bit of age on it. I love how Nikolaihof is willing to hold on to their stuff a bit longer to release it at an appropriate time for the wine, this is singing right now but is also very youthful and has a long life ahead of it. Simultaneously rich and nimble on the palate, with great energy.

- Color: medium (-) yellow-gold
- Nose: preserved lemon, slightly underripe nectarine, wet river stone, some hard cheese rind leesiness, a bit of petrol-y action, an ever so slight oxidative bruised green apple edge from the bit of age, some white dogwood florals, and a tiny bit of mandarin orange
- Palate: just-ripe nectarine and mandarin, slightly bruised green apple, clean, wet slate-y minerality, a savory leesy edge, petrol, and a very slight sweet basil note, and the tiniest bit of almond skin oxidation.
- Acid: high
- RS: dry, few grams of balancing RS but not much apparent on the palate
- Alcohol: medium, not at all obstructive or hot
- Body: medium (-) body, oily, lees-influenced texture
— 7 years ago

with Cassie

Erik Nordman

9.3

Delicious, clean, impeccably-executed pet-nat. Has none of the technical issues or faulty edge that can plague many other examples of the style. Ripe and slightly sweet yet still so bright, tangy and refreshing due to the strong acidity balancing the RS. Absolutely lived up to their hype as one of the highest-level producers of méthode ancestrale sparkling wines in France.

- Color: bright, medium (-) straw-gold hue
- Nose: ripe, drying apricot, ripe bruised green apple, alfalfa honey, hay, wet river stone, chamomile, wild yeastiness
- Palate: bruised green apple, bruised apricot, wet stone minerality, chamomile, hay, alfalfa honey
- Acid: high
- RS: off-dry, I’m guessing probably 20something grams/liter
- Alcohol: medium (-)
- Body: light/medium (-); moderate intensity of fine, soft bubbles.
— 7 years ago

with Cassie