@rhythmSOULdier
The more Gallimard I drink, the more I like it. I thought their Cuvée de Réserve was pretty darned good the first time I tried it 6 years ago. Now, I think they are a leader in the value for money game. The “Les Meurges” Blanc de Noir Extra Brut is 100% Pinot Noir from Les Riceys, bottled at 4g/l.
Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days. Best on Day 2. The “Les Meurgers” BdN pours a striking pale salmon color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of golden raspberries, strawberries, white peach, brioche, citrus blossom, lemons and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and delicious. So easy to fall for. Best with some area and a decant, in fact, would not be a bad idea at this stage. Yum! — 10 days ago
As Rhône or Nôwhere 2.0 concluded, our heads were spinning. Spinning not only due to the consumption but from the out-of-this-world lineup. As we tried to gather ourselves, a bottle of 2011 DRC Romanée St. Vivant was generously opened to toast the evening’s frivolities. I mean, wow. The 2011 R-S-V pours a bright but deep ruby with no signs of age. It’s dark fruited and slightly green, probably still needing another decade+ to flesh out. There is some beautiful use of oak with gorgeous baking spices. Way more closed than the 2011 DRC Echezeaux we enjoyed a couple years back. Clearly amazing. Clearly a baby still. Afterwards, a friend with more experience than (in respects to DRC) mentioned that Echezeaux usually shows well when young while R-S-V typically needs the most time. Something that I’ll keep in mind. To my palate, this will be best after 2030 and should be excellent through 2050+. It’s got that kind of guts and balance.
— 12 days ago
A blend in three equal parts of Cinsault from the Bechthold Vineyard (1886), Carignane from Spenker Ranch (1900) and Zinfandel from Kirschenmann Vineyard (1915).
Popped and poured; consumed over three days. Consistent throughout but probably showed best on day three. The 2022 Lodi pours, a deep ruby color with a transparent core and a slightly watery rim. Medium viscosity, with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine youthful and expressive with notes of black bramble fruit, blueberries, soft red flowers, red rope licorice, and rocky minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry; medium tannins and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is lengthy and full of minerals and wow, it is juicy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Tegan is redefining Lodi. These wines show so much character and yet have all the Lodi DNA. Drink now and through 2032. 40 barrels produced. — 4 days ago
Popped and poured. The 2021 “Cuvée Réservée” pours a deep ruby color with a deep but transparent core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe red and black brambles, spiced meat, black pepper, some purple flowers and stony minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This comes across lighter and more Burgundian than the last handful of vintages; almost giving me some 2014 vibes (which is a vintage in the last decade that I adore). It’s really good and shows a bit more elegance that I quite like. Looking forward to tracking this vintage as time goes on. Drink now with some patience and should be cracking through 2041 with ease. — 11 days ago
Okay, so we’ve had Gentaz and Verset along with a ridiculous collection of other truly great wines; the likes of which could have easily stood very much on their own and been the showpiece of the night. But we weren’t finished yet. So why not another mythical creature? Chave’s Vin de Paille is so rare. It’s only been made a dozen or so times in history and always in tiny numbers. The 1990 Vin de Paille pours like a liquid Tiger’s eye with notes of persimmons, golden raisins, and peach crisp. So rich and yet, not cloying. An amazing pairing with foie toast and candied chestnuts. Drink now through infinity. Honestly, I don’t know how a wine like this ever dies unless it lives a hard life. — 12 days ago
As Noël Verset started to divest in his vines, there were several producers who came away with some real treasures. The most famous was Franck Balthazar who was able to purchase Verset’s prized holdings in Chaillots. Perhaps less known is Auguste Clape also purchased some ex-Verset vines in the Sabarotte lieu-dit. The 1997 Clape pours a much deeper color, nearly opaque purple. Dense brambles with some black licorice, lavender pastilles and minerals. Somewhat reticent even at 25+ years old. The venison, umami bomb, potato and pearl onion helped coax this Clape from slumber though. Drinking well now but easily has the stuffing to see 2037 and possibly beyond. — 12 days ago
Puntodivista is a single-vineyard located in the village of Lamole, Greve in Chianti. Here, the vineyards are some of the highest elevation in all of Chianti Classico. Puntodivista is 600m above sea-level and planted to old-vine Sangiovese and “some other local varieties”. 2015 was Jurij’s first vintage working with the fruit from this vineyard and he hit an absolute piss-missile on the first pitch.
Poured into a decanter about an hour before service. In the glass, the 2015 Puntodivista presents a deep ruby with a near opaque core. Medium viscosity with no perceptible staining of the tears and some faint signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing and OMG, ever so Italian!! So yeah, it’s got some VA and it’s absolutely gorgeous with notes of dark cherries, blood orange zest, flower shop, some barnyard, tobacco, pu-erh tea, dried Italian herbs, and wet rocks. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The texture is silky and fit. The finish is long and has a ferrous-cherry sort of thing going for it. This is stunning. I can’t get over the nose. The aromatics are off the chart. So lovely right now but this certainly has a long life ahead. The production of Puntodivista is minuscule with 500-600 bottles made depending on the vintage but holy smokes, the nose is worth the effort to seek out alone. Drink now and through 2035+. — 5 days ago
Recaredo, the legendary producer of Cava, has a still-wine label called Celler Credo where the primary focus is highlighting the Xarel-lo variety in the Alt Penedes. All of the wines are biodynamic and certified organic. This particular example comes from the family’s Serral del Bosc vineyard and has extended contact with the skins (in excess of a week). The results were more than intriguing.
Popped and poured just slightly chilled. The 2012 Estrany pours a bright gold color with medium+ viscosity and there’s even a little sign of some sediment in the last couple of pours. On the nose, the wine is developing and extremely floral with a fascinating mix of white and yellow flowers, apples and pears, some orange essential oil, and some stone fruits is the mix as well. On the palate, I think the wine is dry but almost comes across off-dry. Low tannins and I think the acid is sneaky, in the medium+ range. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and complex with palpable texture. This was a really fun pairing with causa limeña. I would say drink now but I’m sure it has plenty of what’s necessary to cellar if a bottle got forgotten. By the way, this wine is quite rare with only about 100 cases made in 2012. Bottle No. 388 — 11 days ago
Another producer to inherit some vineyards from Verset was Thiérry Allemand who purchased Noëls holdings in Reynard. That vineyard is the cornerstone for this wine. The 1999 Allemand “Reynard” is still full of fresh brambles, some cow pasture, and beautiful purple flowers. It’s sanguine with inorganic earth and gentle spices. Bangin’ with venison, umami bomb, potato and pearl onion. This is gorgeous and should be outstanding through 2040+. — 12 days ago
Jay Kline
The fruit for the Oderro Poderi e Cantine “classico” comes from a combination of the Bricco Chiesa in La Morra and the Bricco Fiasco in Castiglione Falletto MGAs. The former being considered Oddero’s “home vineyard”.
Poured into a decanter about 30min before service. In the glass, the wine displays a beautiful ruby color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with very pretty notes of Montmorency cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, a bed of roses, orange peel, fresh sage, eucalyptus and crushed rock. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, drying and grippy. This is all about balance and freshness. These are quite giving already but undoubtedly have a long life ahead. Drink now with patience or through 2044. — 3 days ago