2015 Christophe et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume

 Abv 13%

Irresistible citrus attack supported by mouthwatering salinity and followed by lemon confit balanced with food friendly acidity on the finish. Sebastian Christophe is an up and coming young producer who farms a south facing plot of vines in the Côte de Fontenay lieu-dit, that were planted by his uncle in 1981.

Aging occurs for one year in stainless steel (80%) and the remainder in 228-liter oak barrels (new wood is approximately 7%). The wine is fined and filtered. A very satisfying Chablis overall. 

Paired nicely with grilled sashimi tuna filet.

2009 Bérêche et Fils Le Cran

 

Enjoyed celebrating the results of the Presidential election. A very nice wine, yet doesnt have quite the tension of the 2010 vintage.... even though the Chardonnay component appears to be more dominant on the palate in the 2009 bottling...

https://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2020/02/2010-bereche-et-fils-le-cran.html?m=1

1.5L format
Abv 12%
Disgorged January 2017
2 g/l dosage
50% Chardonnay 50% Pinot Noir 

Flowery nose with hints of yeast, baking spice and marzipan. Gorgeous vinosity & texture that reminds me a bit of their Reflet d'Antan cuvee.

Succulent pear and apple palate underlain with mouthwatering salinity. Lovely complexity on a lengthy finish. 

Don't drink too cold...

Producer notes :

"...Unusually, Raphaël and Vincent even take the single village approach with their vintage Champagne, Le Cran, equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the best sites in Ludes, the domaine’s hometown on the Montagne de Reims.

Planted with old vines in two lieux-dits at the village’s chalky mid-slope “sweet spot”, Le Cran is a Champagne that, as Raphaël told Peter Liem “demonstrates that there is much more minerality in the mid-slope of a premier cru than at the base of the slope in a grand cru.” So magically intense and rich, yet not heavy, is Le Cran’s expression of Ludes that it is made every year as “a true picture of the terroir” in that particular growing season..."

2011 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Gramolere

 A beauty from the high altitude vineyards of the Gramolere cru in Monforte d'Alba... midweight, elegant cherry fruit... gorgeously seductive floral nose....  gossamer framework of sweet tannins giving way to lilting finish of classic balsamic tar and roses... blew thru this bottle easily it's so good.. 

Paired with beef tacos garnished with fresh guacamole...

Gained strength as tannins firmed up over several hours in the decanter... good stuff..

2016 La Caña Navia Albariño

Burnished Meyer lemon fruit with stony tartness on the finish. Paired nicely with grilled salmon. 

2014 Kelley Fox Pinot Noir Momtazi Vineyard

 Beautiful 13% abv. Took several hours to open up in a decanter. 

Incredibly savory, gossamer weight, sour cherry and pomegranate palate with hints of blood orange on an irresistible finish ... a finely crafted jewel of a wine. Pommard clone on Jory and Nekia soils from upper Momtazi blocks. 50% whole cluster.

Day 2
The wine blossomed and put on weight... the nose is really nice.  These are some of my favorite pinot noirs 

2010 La Pèira en Damaisèla Matissat

 Last tried this 2010 vintage in april 2017....

A big blustery version of Mourvedre that settles down and begins to showcase a bit of finesse after a couple of hours in the decanter.

Interesting chalky minerality underlies the fruit forward attack. Finishes with hints of bittersweet cacao. 

This will easily go another 10 years...

Paired pretty well with steak tacos...

2013 Le Pianelle Bramaterra

 

Paired with Raclette and ginger - tumeric dusted cashews....👍🍷

Le Pianelle is the Quintarelli of Alto Piemonte... there's magic in their blending of varietals...

2014 Marie Courtin Efflorescence Extra Brut

 Beautifully dry (no dosage) 100% pinot noir from 40 year old vines in an east facing vineyard on Kimmeridgian soils. Truly gorgeous,  although I think my favorite of Dominque Moreau's wines is the Présence cuvee, made from Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay...

2015 Lavinea Pinot Noir Temperance Hill Vineyard

Nice Oregon pinot noir in an early drinking window... benefits from aeration in decanter..

Paired nicely with spicy scallion chicken...

AVA: Eola–Amity Hills
Elevation: 750 – 800 feet
Exposure: South
Soils: Volcanic Jory of the Nekkia sub-series
Lavinea’s Acres: 1.5 for block 5A
Clones: Pommard & 115 on 3309
Density: 7 X 3.5
Row Orientation: North/South
Vine Age: Planted 2001

Moonrise Meditation

Tokin' on an Arturo Fuentes Don Carlos Reserva #2 paired with Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon...

A match made in heaven 👍

Those aged Cameroon wrappers provide an incredible olfactory experience...

Meditation on moonrise over Lake Norman...😊

2018 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Spätlese AP 6

8.5% abv

Fuder Klaus Lang (old vines)

Paired with Chicken Lanzone... plenty left over for day 2 impressions.... while this cuvee is tasty, I actually prefer feinherb and trocken Riesling...

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Noticeable improvement on day two, especially on the finish which shows more acidity and a feinherb-like quality.  

Does not have the " lightness of being" qualities found in the Trocken cuvee's IMO...

This time paired with apple-glazed pork chops and mashed sweet potatoes 

Sunday Lagunitas with a BLT sandwich and collard greens 😊🍺

Lagunitas with a BLT sandwich 👍🍺

...Enjoyed in a chilled Riedel Bordeaux glass that accidentally got put in the freezer with the beer glasses 😊.... something I may make a habit of...

....Followed the Little Sumpin' Sumpin' with the Maximus.... wow, talk about a jolt to the palate with hoppy overdrive... this took a while to get used to.. bur found its complement nicely offsetting the vinegar and spice in the collard greens...

Maximus needs a lot of air to come around...

I am totally digging the brewski in the Riedel Bordeaux stemware 👍

Late Afternoon Meditation in July

We caught the edge of a thunderstorm cell that rolled across Lake Norman late this afternoon, bringing a welcome respite from the heat....

What better time to enjoy a Fuentes Gran Reserva and Makers Mark bourbon.... 👍🥃

Fuentes Gran Riserva is the elegant "Carema" to the more robust Fuente Don Carlos "La Morra"....

The sound of thunder in the distance with an occasional flash of lightning fireworks... the gentle sound of rain with waves lapping up onto our beach.... birds chirping in the trees.... a wonderful meditation on nature...complemented by aged Dominican tobacco and Kentucky's finest...

2018 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Sonnenberg Riesling Spätlese trocken

AP 9 
11.5% abv
Fuder Munny (60 to 70 year old vines)
Unter den Röderchen and Beim Hasenbirnbaum vineyard parcels 

Elegantly piquant pineapple attack with bone dry crystallanity and savory cut of acidity on the mid-palate .... kiwi with a hint of quinine on a mouth-wateringly saline finish. Don't drink this too cold ... really enjoyed the nuanced complexity as it warmed in the glass....

Paired beautifully with spicy Korean-style pulled pork over chile-infused rice with edamame garnish...

2015 Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva (Alto Adige)

...entering an early stage of maturity, and rounding out some of its youthful edginess.

With air, a lemony attack where you might be fooled into thinking Chablis, except for a signature viscosity and minerality on the finish, with a kiss of chenin blanc-like spiciness.   (Which is why I absolutely love blanc de blanc Champagne made with Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc....)

Paired deliciously with grilled lobster tails and roasted corn on the cob...👍

These wines last for decades apparently,  gaining complexity with age.

Cantina Terlano releases older versions called Rarity,  I think, that could be very interesting.

Interesting comment from Werner Van Damme on older vintages from Cantina Terlano .....

"...I once was handed a glass of a really beautiful, complex strong, dry, mineral [white] wine with extremely long aftertaste, marvelous. When asked what we all thought it was, we thought of a Chardonnay, maybe Chablis but than definitely a Grand Cru with a bit of bottle age but not too much as it was so very intensely alive, so we put it between 10 to 15 years old. That was in 1999. The wine was this one [Cantina Terlano], a "Riserva" I think, the vintage was 1947..." (!)

Note: Cantina Terlano was established in 1893.

2018 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb AP 3

10% abv
Fuder Palm, Meyer Sydney (both old vines)

As with most great Rieslings, it is almost impossible to not finish a bottle of Falkenstein once it has been opened.... Bravo Erich and Johannes Weber !

Tropical notes up front give way to a delicious umami-saline-feinherb mid-palate, exhibiting an irresistible piquancy that morphs to reveal such a pure expression of fruit and acidity from this legendary parcel. 

There's a zone of temperature for drinking this wine, somewhere between chilled and warm, where the umami thing coupled with a slight viscosity on the palate just lights up, providing Saar Riesling fireworks on the 4th of July ...

What more could you want from a truly great Spatlese. If it's this good now, where will it be in 5 years?

Producer notes:

https://www.larscarlberg.com/producer/hofgut-falkenstein/

https://www.larscarlberg.com/a-selection-of-2018-saar-rieslings-from-hofgut-falkenstein/

Excellent interactive vineyard map showing Mosel Gross Lage (Grand Cru) sites:
https://www.vdp.de/de/die-weine/weinbergonline/region/mosel-saar-ruwer

Paired nicely with a spicy Asian-influenced Sea Bass recipe with herbs and peanuts.

Barolo and Burgundy

                     Dinner at Villa Russo  
                            👍🍷😊🍕

1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Villero 
14% abv
Double decanted and then aerated in decanter for an hour. Lots of sediment. 
Nice florals upon uncorking the bottle. Palate was a very elegant and lithe expression of the famed Villero terroir. 
Medium bodied red cherry, with balsamic and earthy character. Tannins are completely resolved, leaving behind a lithe structure as a foundation for the tertiary nuances of aged Nebbiolo fruit, leather and spice. 
Poured into decanter again at dinner. Wine gained presence over the coarse of several hours with sweetness and structure coming more to to the forefront of the flavor profile, complemented by a savory dusty character on the finish. 
A very enjoyable example of this wine. No reason to hold onto it much longer. It is good to go now. It doesn't need a lot of air to show its stuff. 
Paired nicely with homemade pizza...

2002 Joseph Faiveley Volnay Santenots 
13% abv
Beautifully mature red cherry fruit, exhibiting savory tartness and pleasing acidity that makes pinot noir from Burgundy one of the most food friendly wines in the world. The tertiary stage interplay of sweet tannins, sour cherry and sous bois provides such a satisfyingly elegant experience. 
This wine showed wonderfully with the pizza. 

Pizza 1 was a red sauce pizza with Mozzarella, marinated baby portobello mushrooms, sweet and hot Italian sausage and black olives. 

 Pizza 2 (pictured) was a white pizza with olive oil, parmigiano reggiano, Prosciutto, swiss chard, carmelized onions, Gorgonzola and farm fresh egg.

Great Bourbon 😊

Old Fashioned made with Basil Hayden's + Amaro Montenegro,  paired with hushpuppies.... damn good stuff 👍

2007 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Vina Tondonia Reserva

First look at the 2007 Tondonia Reserva 👍🍷

Quite impressive on pop and pour... one of the most attractively balanced and easy drinking since the great 2001 and 2002 ( yes, 2002) bottlings..

This 2007 Tondonia Reserva has dusty, refined tannins...scrumptious sour cherry.....extremely deft use of oak...

Decanted to aerate for dinner later... will see what happens...

I think Luis Gutierrez nailed 2007 as being a special vintage for Lopez de Heredia.... 

Coverage from Luis Gutiérrez,  Stephan Reinhardt and William Kelley are the reason why I still subscribe to TWA.. 

And this is the CURRENT release of the Tondonia Reserva cuvee... ! 
Gotta love the old school tradition at Lopez de Heredia...

2017 Blankiet Estate Prince of Hearts Rosé

14.5% abv
Merlot and Cabernet Franc aged in French barrique 

A bit of a unicorn wine. Mildly floral nose with hint of sage. On the palate, strawberry fruit up front giving way to voluptuous mirabelle plum midpalate with a deliciously complex finish accented by vanilla and marzipan. Very refined and elegant character. Unlike any other Rosé that I've ever had. Wears its 14.5% abv very well without a trace of heat. The extremely deft hand of Graeme MacDonald is evident in the winemaking here.

Paired with an incredibly delicious preparation of salmon en papillote with wild rice and baby asparagus 

2007 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Viña Tondonia Reserva Blanco

12.5% abv

Decanted to aerate for a couple of hours to open up.

Unfurls its complex beauty as it comes nearer to room temperature in the glass...

The majesty of Viura on full display here... completely addictive... almost impossible to resist the  desire to open a 2nd bottle ...

The Montrachet of Spain...

Lemony attack evolves into a honeyed viscous mouthful of complexity with quince, herb and marzipan.

Subtle slightly musky nose of faint apples and Cantabrian wildflower....older vintages I've had sometimes exhibit a petrol character on the nose, but this one isn't there yet..

Paired with cheese puffs made from a delicate dough stuffed with a Ricotta/Parmesan mixture topped with a bit of cooked sweet onion...

The standard blend for Viña Tondonia Blanco is 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia Riojana...

The Viña Gravonia Blanco cuvee is made from 100% Viura. 

I may actually have a slight preference for the Viña Gravonia Blanco ...

https://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2017/09/2006-lopez-de-heredia-vina-gravonia.html?m=1

I've found the Gravonia cuvee to demonstrate more immediacy in Viura character, which can be very "in your face" when young, but evolves beautifully over time...

2015 Marie Courtin Présence Extra Brut

12% abv
Disgorged January 2019
Zero dosage

A special mention for this wine. First time I've had a Champagne comprised of a blend of Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. 

I am a fan of Cantina Terlano Vorberg Riserva,  which is 100% Pinot Bianco, so was very eager to try this Présence cuvee ...

The Pinot Blanc balances the crystalline cut of the Chardonnay making this wine very approachable. I fell in love immediately with the honeyed pear character of the Pinot Blanc complementing the lemony notes from the Chardonnay, all underlain by an attractive salinity. 

A new reference point cuvee that definitely warrants further exploration. 

Highly recommended... Dominque Moreau is rockin' the Aube 👍🍾

2015 Domaine de la Pépiere Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson

.... this wine spends a couple of years on the lees.... displays loads of character and excellent longevity... 👍

Per his conversation with David Schildknecht, vigneron Marc Ollivier believes that the natural rise in temperature during two summers in tank... strongly promotes not only positive lees influences but the “liberation” of latent mineral complexity...



.. and , of course, being a well-crafted Loire white wine, it is a screaming deal for the quality...

2016 Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg

Checking in on the 2016 vintage... it's been almost a year since my last bottle.... I'm convinced that Alto Adige Pinot Bianco may be one of the most versatile white wines in the world.... thanks to @"Ian D'Agata" 
for introducing me to this beautiful rendition of the varietal in his 2017 article on Vinous...

https://www.vinous.com/articles/cantina-terlano-pinot-bianco-vorberg-1959-2014-jan-2017

Mountain honeysuckle and marzipan on the nose....
Palate of lemon oil with peach pit and lychee... a  finish that begs for another sip...pleasing viscosity, yet with an underlying minerality to provide structure. 

Paired with grilled lobster tails and sea bass, risotto, cherry tomato-Vidalia onion-balsamic salad, and watermelon-mango salad... 

....wrapped up at the close of the evening with Raclette, caramelized Walnuts and sweet grapes...

NV Bérêche et Fils Brut Réserve

12% abv (one of the facets I really enjoy about Champagne is the reasonable alcohol level)

Disgorged November 2019

70% base vintage 2017, 30% reserve solera

7 g/l dosage

Co-equal blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir 

Avg age of vines: 40 years

 Terroir: 35% Ludes (chalk), 30% Ormes (sand), 25% Mareuil-le-port (clay), 10% Trépail (chalk).

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Upon pouring, the wine exhibits the most beautiful copper hue that I've ever seen in a champagne. 

With time in the glass, an attractive nose of peach and toasted almond emerges. 

A fine opening mousse greets your palate and kicks off the symphony of flavor. There is a striking finesse to the wine, with nice acidity balancing the citrus component from the Chardonnay, the raspberry component from the Pinot Noir and the earthier fruit component from the Pinot Meunier. Oh my, this is lovely stuff....

The 7 g/l dosage works perfectly for this vintage to compose the wine. There's really no overt sweetness, just a delicious interplay of the composite varietals, each making their own unique contribution to this classy wine.

This effort from the Bérêche brothers illuminates their masteful blending skills, providing an excellent example of why great champagne can be so much more than just the sum of its parts.

Additional Producer notes can be found here: https://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2020/02/2010-bereche-et-fils-le-cran.html?m=1

Highly recommended. Paired deliciously with tempura-fried lobster tail.

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Postscript 

I inquired at Bérêche et Fils about the beautiful copper color of the wine. Here is the kind and informative response received directly from Raphaël Bérêche:

"About the NV Brut Reserve it is not a skin contact champagne. You know, it is strictly forbiden in Champagne. 

It is just ripe grapes with delicate pressing from Coquard press.

And no filtration, precise respect of wine with only 3 pumping.

Also, we do a long ageing on lees (important for the aromas, texture and body)

So, no modern winemaking, no new wave natural winemaking ... only the tradition! "

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2014 Cantina Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema Carema Riserva

ABV 13% (nice!)

Opened this wine a couple of days ago. First time trying Nebbiolo from the Carema region, located in the northernmost reaches of Piemonte bordering Valle d'Aosta.

I love the extraordinarily lightweight, elegant expression of Nebbiolo in this wine. Delicious tart cherry fruit with very delicate structure followed by an appealing finish, which provides a savory taste of the varietal character. A highly versatile wine. Easily passes the "Soldera" test ...👍🍷

Improved over the course of a couple of days. Paired perfectly this afternoon with sandwich made of leftover grilled ribeye steak with a dash of Colman's spicy English mustard. 

One of the reasons I love Italy is the seemingly endless horizon of wines to discover along a road of ampelographical and cultural delights.

More info at: 
http://www.italianwinechronicle.com/carema-barolo-mountains









Photo above courtesy of Michael Friend taken in the Carema region , showing the unique stone pillar system that supports the pergolas for the vines...

More Remembrances from Tuscany in 2015

On tap for this evening with pizza cooked in an outdoor oven and summer truffles. 




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The incredible deals on great Baroli in the Enoteca's here (compared to US prices) make it impossible to resist purchasing !
5 hours of slow-o yesterday on this '04 Cascina Francia.  Put the cork back and then full decant today with a few more hours of aeration.  An amazing wine.  The thing that impresses about Cascina Francia is the purity and depth of fruit, IMO. Perhaps over-used terms but they succinctly apply here.
Still a baby, but if you give it enough air, it will definitely delight. Holy smokes, what an incredibly contemplative wine.... such a special treat....
Still a bit left over for day 3 perspective tomorrow  :) 



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.... highly recommend Villa Montecastelli and the wonderful hospitality provided by owner, Jens Schmidt, who is also an incredible cook. Optimal combination of luxury and working farm... (olive oil and unbelievably good pork). Jens harvested a suckling pig yesterday and butchered it onsite today.... the most amazing roast pig I've ever had.  He also imports Parusso into the US... 

Villa Montecastelli video and website:
https://youtu.be/SUTtFIB23cM

https://www.montecastelli.com/home/

The Giacosa Santo Stefano was excellent.  Did 4 hours slow-o.  Still on the early cusp of its drinking window.

Had a 2009 Vin Santo today that was off the charts delicious.

The '09 Il Marroneto Brunello was drinking deliciously well and paired perfectly with the roast pig. 

'11 Parusso  Barolo Le Coste di Monforte was ridiculously approachable and stunningly good. Parusso works magic using whole cluster.

As a side note, I had the best fresh pasta and truffle dish at a small local place in Gaiole for lunch.... sublime.... 





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