2020 Chateau Pierre-Bise Savennieres Roche aux Moines

100% Chenin Blanc
14% abv

Beautiful fruit driven nose right out of the gate makes this wine irresistible. 

Palate is voluptuous yet underpinned by enough acidity to support a mouth-watering finish. 

I bought a few bottles to try and then immediately bought out the remaining stock from my local supplier.

Paired deliciously with fried pickles appetizer followed by spicy grilled shrimp.

2007 Faively and 2001 Martinelli

What a privilege to be able to enjoy these two wines side by side.

2007 Faiveley Beaune L'Ecu 1er Cru (Monopole) 

Not an easy to find bottling ... quite fascinating and satisfying.
Shy nose , opening over time with light florals.
Tight palate (but not overly tannic at all) wasn't giving much for the first hour or so. Finally began to show some of its potential ... dark cherry fruit up front with a fascinating complexity on the mid-palate and finish, combining balanced acidity and revealing a  unique garrique accent. I know that's not usually a descriptor used for red Burgundy, but the flavor character is a bit wilder than traditional earth or sous bois....
All in all a fascinating wine with a classic framework that would benefit from another five years or so of cellaring at minimum. Loved it. 
More info on L'Ecu monopole here:
https://www.burgundy-report.com/burgundy-report-extra/05-2017/beaune-1er-clos-de-lecu-monopole/



2001 Martinelli Pinot Noir Martinelli Vineyard Reserve (Russian River Valley)

I've always had a fondness for the Martinelli Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, which has produced from around 1995 till 2003, I believe, at which point the vineyard land was sold off and developed commercially (a tragedy in my opinion since those vines produced some of the most distinctive, long lived pinot noir in the Russian River Valley).
Delightfully, the Martinelli Reserve was sound when opened with pretty good fruit showing. Certainly this vintage should be drunk up now as further cellaring won't likely be of benefit.
The awesome thing was that the wine put on weight with aeration exhibiting the signature raspberry, forest floor palate of this vineyard. The increasing presence of the fruit helped to offset some of the high abv ripeness (15.3%) that was noticeable when first opening the wine.
The vintages of this wine that I've enjoyed the most are in the 14.5% abv range and show all bit more balance.
Ultimately,  this was a very pleasing wine (drinking a bit of history) and paired well with the delicious smoked pork ribs prepared by Jim Noble's pitmaster at his eponymous Noble Smoke restaurant.
https://www.noblesmokebarbecue.com/about



Just for comparison, here are notes on a 1998 Martinelli Reserve that we drank in August 2016...

https://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2016/08/1988-martinelli-pinot-noir-martinelli.html?m=1

 

2002 El Nido Clio

  

This is some friggin hard ass Mourvedre (Monastrell) from Jumilla.... later vintages like 2006, 2007, 2008 are much juicier...

Wait 5 to 7 years.... there is a glimpse of more luscious fruit after several hours of aeration.... sheesh...

Italy and Chile

2007 Petrolo Galatrona

This has aged well and is drinking nicely. Beautifully balanced blue fruit with a soft underlying minerality. Delicious.

2000 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor

On the far side of the aging curve. Time to drink up. Mocha and cassis on a very mellow finish. Not the most defined palate at this point but still enjoyable.

Cru tasting Oct 2024

 

2018 Castell d'Encús Acusp (100% Pinot Noir, Spanish Pyrenees)

2016 Cobb Pinot Noir Coastlands Vineyard Old Firs Block  - FAVORITE 

2019 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Roserock Pinot Noir Zépherine 

2010 Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny Les Baudes

2009 Jean-Marc and Hugues Pavelot Savigny-Les- Beaune Les Serpentieres 

2005 Nicolas Potel Volnay Champans- SECOND FAVORITE 

All wines double decanted back into clean bottles 4 hours prior to single blind tasting. 

The 2016 Cobb was totally in the zone. I agreed with the group that it was showing best. My second favorite was the 2010 Jadot which took a while to really open up...

Dinner in Sevilla, 8 Oct 2024

 

Highly recommend Cañabota in Sevilla. One of the most memorable dining experiences that we've enjoyed since Tickets (Albert Adria's place in Barcelona...  closed when the covid shutdown hit).

We did the omakase menu with cocktail or wine pairings for each dish. Tiny place. Reserve a counter seat to see all the incredible action. 

Chef Fernández was a gracious host as he greeted us personally during the early evening seating, thanking us for coming all the way from North Carolina. The service and attention to detail from his floor team is simply astounding. I do not remember the number of courses ...the experience  overwhelmed us with delight.

Being seated at the counter puts you right in the midst of professionals operating at the height of seafood cuisine excellence. It is truly a unique experience.

I prefer to avoid using a phone for photos at the table. I think it detracts from the flow of a lunch or dinner. However, the one course that I did pull out my phone to get a quick shot of was the grouper course. There was what looked like a lamb chop with the rib bone sticking out, but it was a hunk of grouper with a piece of the fish rib or backbone sticking out. An absolutely wondrous preparation and so delicious. 

The wine service for the course pairings was THE BEST I've ever seen. Each wine was served in a high end piece of super delicate stemware designed for the type of wine served. No stemware types were repeated since each wine was unique. This may sound like a minor detail until you experience it across 15 or 20 courses.

https://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/canabota/

2021 Bodegas Hermanos Peciña Señorìo de P. Peciña Cosecha Blanco

The Bodega was founded in 1992 by La Rioja Alta’s long-time vineyard manager, Pedro Peciña.
12.5% abv
100% Viura from San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks. No oak.
Fresh and tasty tart lemon palate with nice salinity. 
Awesome QPR at $20 / btl.

Cru Tasting Sept 2024

 

No formal notes, however I must give a shout out to one of our Rayas afficionados @"Philippe Richer".

First time I've enjoyed a Rayas wine. This 2012 Pialade CdR (80% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 5% Syrah) was my favorite of the bunch this evening. Beautifully lithe in body, with raspberry palate up front followed by a complex finish with an impossible to resist garrique accent.... Paired with duck confit hash.

My second favorite was the 2015 Ex Voto with the 2000 Guigal La Mouline in 3rd place. 

That's a white Burgundy shown and it was really nice...

2011 Produttori del Barbaresco Asili Riserva

 

Opened and decanted to aerate this evening ... paired with dry rub smoked pork ribs and collard greens.

Beautiful wine and quite giving at first. Tannins started kicking in and shutting the wine down on the finish after a couple of hours of air. 

Overall, a nice showing with solid balance for a "warmer" vintage. The fruit should outlast the tannins, IMO. A keeper for the cellar. 

2016 Chapelle St. Théodoric CdP La Guigasse

 

Producer notes from Josh Raynolds:

"..One of the most exciting new projects in the Rhône Valley, these wines are the result of a collaboration of Domaine de Cristia’s Dominique and Baptiste Grangeon and American importer Peter Weygandt, who are seeking to harness and express the singular aromatic complexity and delicacy provided by Grenache grown on the sandy soils of the vaunted Pignan vineyard.

To that end no new oak is used, just neutral foudres and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration. The wines are made with whole clusters and their light color belies the flavor intensity that is delivered, making this a highly appealing source for those who usually steer clear of this region’s wines out of fear of their being too rich, too heavy or too dark-fruited in character.."

15% abv. 100% Grenache. Whole cluster.  Decanted to aerate. Paired very well with spicy Asian chicken and steamed pork dumplings. 

Warm, luscious fruit nose. On the palate, the impression is one of very high quality raspberry inflected fruit. The inclusion of whole clusters is a welcome balance to the richness of the fruit. Fine grained, elegant tannins are quite resolved at this point. Although, I would not hesitate to cellaring this wine for another decade or more. 

I'd still appreciate any effort to moderate the alcohol content to perhaps a more reasonable 13.5%.

With this wine, I'm just not getting the beautiful garrigue or black tea notes that I so prize in traditional CdP. 

As a reference point, one of my favorite CdP producers is Laurence Féraud at Domaine du Pégau, who I believe incorporates all or most of the 13 varietals permitted in CdP into their Réservée cuvee to create a truly magical wine.

2018 Masseria del Pino Caravan Petrol Vino Bianco

 

Field blend of Carricante, Catarratto, Minnella, Pizzutella from vineyards situated on the north slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily.

This is a skin contact white wine, with no sulfur added. It is very cloudy and unattractive.  Tastes OK, but the sediment is suspended and imparts a grainy texture. Not much nose. IMO, this wine's flaws overcome it's potential. Bummer. The winemaker needs to step up their game so people can appreciate the unique field blend.

2021 Pra Soave Classico Monte Grande

 

70% Garganega, 30% Trebbiano di Soave.
@"Eric Guido" nailed it on this vintage of Monte Grande. Very luscious and full bodied with fruit/acidity/salinity in balance. 
Wonderful to drink now with air. Has enough stuffing to really blossom over the next handful of years. Superb lifted complexity on the finish. 

2011 Domaine Pavelot Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Gravains

 Hint of fizzy feel on the palate that dissipated. Decanted to aerate. Slightly green influence on the finish, typical of 2011 vintage Cote de Beaune reds. Drank with meat ravioli and it improved somewhat over a couple of hours. Green-ness on the finish not as noticeable with food.

2018 Domaine Brégeon Muscadet Sèvre et Maine "Les Vigneaux"

 

Day 1
Pop and pour paired with blackened catfish accompanied by crawfish & sausage étouffée. 
Beautiful nose with ripe and ready fruit. Quite round on the palate. Very nice. Drink up.

Day 2
Not as good as yesterday.... showing much less in the way of crispness.

2014 Kanzler Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Reserve

I've always enjoyed the Reserve, which I believe is made from a selection of favorite barrels. Clones represented are Dijon 667, 115 and Pommard 4 grown on legendary Goldridge sandy loam soils.

From a historical perspective, the 2009 vintage Kanzler Reserve has always showed very well, comparing favorably even with red Burgundy from Côtes de Beaune.

https://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2019/01/2009-kanzler-family-vineyards-pinot.html?m=1

This 2014 bottling showed quite young and tight upon opening. Decanted to get some air which loosened it up a bit after a couple of hours and let the fruit show thru. And oh what fruit! Savory dusty cherry up front with a tart pomegranate finish. Nothing is out of place in this supremely balanced example of top notch Sonoma Coast pinot noir. Right now, it's a wine of beautiful potential. 

I'd give this at least another five years to approach optimal drinking window. It seems to have plenty of structure to easily age another 20 years.

2010 Albert Morot Beaune Toussaints 1er Cru

 

Nicely aged, serviceable 2010 Côte de Beaune Premier Cru that doesn't break the bank..
Benefits from an hour or so of air 👍🍷

Lithe,  elegant..

Fine cherry fruit up front with a cranberry (more acidic influenced) finish, if that makes sense. 

No harm in enjoying now. Hitting the start of peak drinking in another 5 years maybe...

Albert Morot's Beaune reds age extremely well...

http://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2014/04/albert-morot-beaune-les-bressandes-1990.html

This Cru always makes me think of Allen Toussaint 🎶🎹

2016 La Ca' Nova Barbaresco Montestefano

 

2016 La Ca' Nova Barbaresco Montestefano 

Day One notes:

First time trying this producer. Pop and pour.

Wow! This wine has incredibly seductive fruit... pure, clean, elegant, fruit with robust flavor.... a real treat. 

Seems too fruit driven to be a Barbaresco, but after 20 mins or so, you notice the filigreed fine tannins bringing beautiful structure into play.  The more air, the more the presence of the tannins kicks in... not in a harsh way, but they let you know that this wine will be at its best a few years down the road. A couple of hours later, there's almost a Clerico-like clench to the tannins on the back end.

I have half the bottle left to assess day 2 performance. 

It's worth cracking a bottle now if you have several to hang onto, otherwise wait at least another five years. 

----------------

Day Two Notes:

I need to try this next to a 2016 PdB Montestefano...
... to see where they're at and what the winemaker's goal is for this vintage and vineyard. 

Day X impression...
.... this 2016 La Ca' Nova Montestefano seems a bit too fruit forward.... not enough tannic structure .... only time will tell with regard to aging....  I just expect more more of a foundation for the fruit.... the clench at the end finish on day one with fine tannins seems to have subsided to include a bit  warm-ish fruit finish...

It's always fun to blow a bunch of hot air trying to assess a wines long term potential .... I mean , after all, who knew El Nido Clio, arguably an opulent wine, can age well for quite a few years?

 Will need to delve into harvest date, exposure, vinification process, etc. compared to PdB...

Is 2016 a hybrid of 2000 and 1997 vintages in Barbaresco..

I'd like to hear from the Man with a 12th century traditional palate (@"Philippe Richer") on his perspective for the 2016 Barbaresco vintage..👍🍇

It would be interesting to do a current tasting of 2016 Montestefano across different producers because it's such an opulent vintage... 

As a consumer, I feel it's a best practice to earn a Barbaresco at its peak 😉

2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Monfalletto

Obviously young. This wine is like a comfortable sweater that makes you feel good in the fall. Some of the most robustly noble, intriguing fruit and tannins from this 2016 vintage.  Nice expression of La Morra fruit from an iconically beautiful vineyard. Peak is at least 5 to 7 years away. Well done👍🍇

2017 La Clef du Récit Sancerre Rouge

Day X notes:

This wine needs more cellar time. Revisiting it I found it much more giving. The vegetal finish disappeared and was replaced by a brambly influence. Perhaps indicating some percentage of whole cluster in the wine with the stems being a bit on the green side at harvest. 
In any case, the fruit opens slightly and the finish short and ok... not objectionable as when tasted pop and pour. 

Day One notes:

Lightweight pinot noir with minimal fruit up front dissolving into an unsavory vegetal finish. 

2019 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Reisling Spatlese feinherb AP 3

Day X notes:

I believe that this wine is in an awkward phase right now (at least I hope so since I have several more bottles). 
The flabbiness seemed to subside somewhat and a little more of the quality of lime-dominated fruit and salinity showed through. It's still quite a bit sweeter than I would expect. 
Overall, my impression is that the wine is disjointed and should be held for at least another 5 years before trying again.... see what it develops into, fingers crossed..

Day one notes:

Frankly, this is a disappointment compared to the 2019 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett AP 12 we had recently. 
Pop and pour, and we got an assault of flabby lime sweetness and no feinherb to be found. If this wine is a feinherb then I'll eat my hat. Half bottle left for day two. Will report back.
Maybe an off bottle? This bottle had none of the purity and crystallinity that I expect from the Weber's wines.
Go figure...

Cru (July 2024)

First flight

2010 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 

2019 Emmolo Merlot

2018 Black Kite Pinot Noir Kites Rest Vineyard 

2007 Abreu Capella (69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot)

2012 Clos Pissarra La Vinyeta (80% Cariñena and 20% Garnacha)

Second flight

1993 Dunn Howell Mtn Petit Sirah

2020 Justin Isoceles

2014 Opus One

2016 Paul Hobbs Coombs Cab Franc

2014 Justin Isoceles Reserve

2017 Herman Story Cabernet Chelle

2019 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett AP 12

"....The 2019 Riesling Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett A.P. #12 incorporates not just the same old vines in the long-renowned Gross Schock sector that have informed previous A.P. #12 bottlings, but also fruit from two other parcels, one of them the "Gisela" parcel that also informs their Alte Reben bottling. (A cask filled from three different parcels is unusual chez Weber, but the low yields of 2019 demanded some flexibility in that regard..."

"...harvest in mid-September and thus largely avoiding significant effects from the subsequent rain..."

David Schildknecht,  Vinous, 2021

My impression:
Pop and pour. Clearly too young to be in peak drinking window, but the elegant balance of lime dominated fruit, acidity and salinity provides a  delightful framework for further cellaring.
Much improved on day 2 with everything coming together in a mouthful of midweight stony tropicals with a long irresistible finish. 
In a word, Yum.

2021 Manuel Moldes Albarino Afelio Rías Baixis

 This stuff was teeth-clinchingly tight last year. It's approachable now and is delightful. It will give chablis a nice run for the money with its salinity and fruit.

Seems harder to track down this producer in the US these days. Love the pergola trained vines.

2007 Cantine Lonardo Taurasi Riserva Vigne D'Alto

Drank over the course of several days. Very enjoyable right now but has the flavor and structure to age easily another decade. A finely made wine. Seems a bit too polished when it first hits your palate, then the elegant structure shows at mid-palate and provides a platform for really tasty expression of Aglianico fruit. 

14.5% abv and it shows richness balanced with tannins. Perhaps the most enjoyable 2007 Aglianico I've had from Campania. 

Paired well with spicy scallion chicken and steamed pork dumplings..

2012 Pavelot and 2014 Produttori del Barbaresco

 

2012 Domaine Pavelot Savigny-Les-Beaune La Dominode

Young. Needs another 5 years (?) to get into the zone.
.
First impression is of deep Morello cherry fruit that is showing a lot purity and refinement. Superb mid-palate leading into a satisfying finish even at this younger stage. Tannins are exceedingly fine, providing an elegant yet powerful framework. 

2014 Produttori del Barbaresco Rio Sordo

Young. Needs another few years to get into the zone.

One of the most elegant wines Ive tasted from this Cru. Lovely pure dark cherry fruit and fine tannins that start to clinch in a polite way about an hour after opening. Showing pretty early florals on the nose. Beautiful wine, bravo.



Dedicated to Dr. Joe Chandler who passed on recently after 86 years of a life very well lived. He helped to found our wine group back in 1989. A renaissance man and tireless world traveler.