2002 Domaine Arlaud Morey-Saint-Denis Les Ruchots

Damn, when you hit a good Burgundy at its peak, it just dont get much better. Case in point with this 2002 Arlaud Morey Saint-Denis Les Ruchots. Vineyard is located just downslope from Clos de Tart and the eastern part of Bonnes Mares.

Slow-o for around 3 hours before dinner. Wow, tannins halve completely resolved to comprise a sweetness with the delicious red cherry fruit. Velvet palate. Bit of spice and sous bois. Nose is somewhat shy but the flavor more than makes up for it. 

 Nice complexity as you hold it in your mouth and let secondary flavors unfold.  One of the best from Burgundy that I've had in a long time..  paired superbly with lightly sauteed calamari followed by blackend grouper on a bed of Spinach and a side of risotto with shaved black truffles.

2007 Castello di Neive Barbaresco Albesani Santo Stefano

Enjoyed this over the course of two nights this week.  Originally had planned to drink it with dinner last weekend, so it had been double decanted and aerated in a decanter for about 6 hours on Saturday. Since we didn't drink it that night, it was vacuvin-ed and stored for a couple of days.

The extended aeration and extra couple of days under vacuvin really helped to mellow things out.  It's already approachable but I am willing to bet it will enter early peak in about another 3 or 4 years. 

The perfumed nose is really, really nice on this wine.  This is the Albesani cuvee (not the Riserva - which ironically doesnt seem to get as much love from the reviewers). 
Very clean fruit.... no funkiness. Didnt have much sediment. 

Red fruit profile with a tasty (but very subtle) tobacco accent. Classic tar and roses , all very well balanced. The back end has just a bit of tannic bite where things close down some.  This is a great wine to have with a meal.  

Overall one of the most harmonious showings I've seen from this Producer. A solid "B" grade Barbaresco.  Good value for the money.  Stops short of being truly elegant.. but perhaps with more time in the bottle?

Did I mention the floral nose on this wine is wonderful?  :)  Hard to put down the glass!

2011 Pintia

Enjoyed this wine at a restaurant in Madrid in October so bought some upon returning home. Pintia is owned by Vega Sicilia of Ribera del Duero fame. While Ribera del Duero is located east of the city of Valladolid, the Toro appellation is located west of Valladolid near Portugal.  Both are situated along the east-west course of the Duero River in the Castilla y Leon region (northwest of Madrid and southwest of Rioja). Here is a good reference map 
http://winefolly.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Spain-Wine-Map-2016-WineFolly.jpg#large

Pintia is 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo), sourced from vines aged 40 to 60 years. Destemmed grapes are fermented in oak vats with malolactic in barrique followed by 12 months of aging in new barrels (75% French and 25% American).

This is a big almost plummy wine, yet it is able to retain Iberian character with underlying minerality and spice. Less acidity than is seen to the northeast in the Tempranillo-based wines of Rioja. It would be interesting to visit revisit this wine in 10 years. The style clearly underscores the difference in methodology between Toro and Rioja, with the winemakers in Rioja holding back and aging Reservas and Gran Reservas. 

Dense and opaque, the rich black fruit has less of the smoky character often found in Tempranillo. Cassis, pepper and fine-grained tannin complete the palate at this stage of development. Aromatics are lush as well, but without heat. However, the abv is not shy at 15%.

2005 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904

The '05 LRA GR 904 is 90% Tempranillo, sourced from the villages of Brinas, Labastida, and Vilalba with 10% Graciano from Briones and Rodezno. Destemmed grapes were crushed and fermented in stainless steel for 18 days at 25°C. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation lasted 38 days. Aged in used American oak for four years, manually racked eight times. 

Enjoyed this over the course of several days. Was initially decanted 2 hours ahead of serving at dinner.  Nose and palate were reticent, but the elegance and quality are readily apparent. Balsamic-inflected florals with a Burgundian weighted palate. Lighter-bodied smoky cherry fruit with allspice and dusty super-fine tannins. Optimal drinking window is still a few years away.

I find the La Rioja Alta wines typically lighter in style (perhaps a bit more elegant) compared to their next door neighbor, Lopez de Heredia.

As far the the 2004 and 2005 vintages of LRA GR 904, I have a preference for the 2004.  IMO, the '04 is a bit more powerful with truly classic structure. 

Here are my notes on the '04 from May 2016 (pop and pour at a restaurant)

http://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2016/05/2004-la-rioja-alta-rioja-gran-reserva.html?m=1

2007 Xavier Vins Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Anonyme

First time I've tried this wine.  An impressive showing from winemaker, Xavier Vignon. Opened for slow-o 3 hours prior to dinner. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise and Vaccarese. Wears its 15% abv well for a lush vintage. Possibly one of the more even-handed 2007 vintage CdP's I've had. 

Vignon is also a consulting oenologist in the Southern Rhone, and works for several other domaines including one of my favorites, Marcoux. For his own wines, he employs a negociant methodology sourcing old vines fruit from some of the best parcels in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It apparently works very well. 

Most noticeable is the pure, balanced aspect of this cuvee. I've had a number of 2007 CdP's that are over-the-top, but this is not one of them.

Sweet florals on the nose with sois bois accents followed by very polished blackberry fruit.  There is a bit of shyness in the mid-palate on day 1 where you know something more is there.  The complexity one wants is there on day 2 where a quite nice pedigree is more fully revealed.  Hints of garrigue and nice minerality make this wine a pleasing complement to a variety of cuisine.  

1997 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle

Double decanted into clean bottle 3 hours prior to dinner. Initial nose had a bit of funk (that blew off after a while) and the palate was somewhat disjointed. Everything slowly came together after breathing in decanter for about an hour and a half. Lovely Burgundian showing, easily passing the Soldera test. 
Satisfyingly elegant nose of violets, smoke and spice. Nicely aged blackberry fruit accented by olive and game notes.  Lovely tertiary complexity that completes the picture, and reminds me of why the Northern Rhone produces some of the most beautiful wines in the world. Paired very nicely with filet mignon.

2007 Dugat-Py Vosne-Romanee Vieilles Vignes

Sourced from 75 year old vines in the Les Violettes and Les Quartiers de Nuit lieu-dits (at the western intersection of Vougeot and Grands Echezeaux). 13% abv. 

Could have definitely benefitted from a serious decant.  Quite a shrill showing on the palate when first opened. We let this slow-o in bottle for several hours before dinner, and it took all of that plus plenty of time in the stemware to really show its stuff.

Bright, spicy nose and after it stretched it legs, an absolutely irresistible olfactory melange of violets, menthol and sous bois, that I usually associate with 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts further up the slope. Wow, I loved that nose once it unfolded !

Use of whole cluster is evident in the spicy red berry flavors.  The shrillness calmed down after several hours and let some anise and shroominess show through.  

Perfectly complemented sausage stuffed mushrooms.

I dont get a chance to enjoy the wines of Bernard Dugat-Py often. This little thoroughbred is a long distance runner that outpaced the competition that evening. A very intriguing and complex wine.

2011 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Old Corral Block

Would like to give a shout out to Bradley Brown at Big Basin Vineyards who hosted us on a wonderul visit in the Santa Cruz Mtns in July 2016. 

The Old Corral Block is a steep Estate vineyard (very beautiful, idyllic terrain), planted primarily to Alban Powerblock Syrah clone.  The cuvee usually includes 10% to 15% Grenache and a dollop of Viognier, aging for a couple of years in French oak. 

I have been a fan of Big Basin pinot noir for a while, and was recently introduced to the Rhone-varietal offerings.  This 2011 Old Corral bottling is just downright delicious.  Well balanced at 13.5% abv (bravo!). Decanted for 4 hours before dinner , which really helped to open things up. 

Elegant florals accented by leather notes. The allure of the palate over the evening took me a bit by surprise.  I was not expecting a lot since I had tasted this at the winery last summer, and it was quite reticent. This evening, with extended aeration, the black raspberry fruit is very, very tasty.  The addition of Grenache and Viognier to the Syrah blend provide the complexity that keeps you coming back again and again. An understated, traditional Rhone interpretation which I greatly enjoyed. Olive notes, subtle pepper, sous bois and a bit of stoniness round out the picture. A very popular wine at dinner tonight. 

2003 Domaine de Bonserine Cote-Rotie La Vialliere

Still sipping on the 2003 Bonserine Cote-Rotie La Vialliere that was opened last Saturday.... actually quite fine (when not juxtaposed somewhat unfairly next the the 1997 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle). This has improved over several days, boding well for continued cellaring...

Sort of reminds me of what Washington state based syrahs are striving for .... very tasty juice indeed with a somewhat modern slant ... roasted espresso complementing the minerally black fruit... alluring iodine on the palate .... nice acidity ...  good lift provided by the cut of Viognier, so important IMO...

Based on info from Jeb Dunnuck, this is the Domaine's only single vineyard offering, with production at about 400 cases. Purchased by Guigal in 2006.... continued production under the Bonserine banner...

1990 Quintarelli Amabile del Cere

The 1990 Quintarelli Amabile del Cere very satisfyingly completed the dinner last Saturday evening.  My first go-round with this wine, which was recommended to me by Mark Scudiery.  It is an interesting blend of Garganego, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Saorin.

I do not drink much dessert wine so this was a treat. Alluring sweet florals on the nose. Unctuous honeyed tropical fruit and marzipan palate.  Reminded me somewhat of a great tawny, but more elgant and far less dense. Modest 15% abv for a wine of this stature.

This was a pop and pour so there was a subtle clench out of the gate, then unfolding nicely over a couple of hours. Was actually better a couple days later after being stored under vacuvin.

Working my way through the Quintarelli portfolio and hope to try the famed Alzero (Cabernet Franc) next year ...

1997 Silvio Grasso Barolo Bricco Luciani

One of the tastiest and most enjoyable wines that I've had this year.  A rich, hedonistic treat that far surpassed expectations.

Double-decanted about 5 hours in advance of dinner.  Let it breathe in the decanter for about two hours. Minimal fine-grained sediment. 

The nose is strikingly perfumed with black fruit, spice and subtle eucalyptus. The palate was delicious early on , yet opening up and continuing to evolve over the evening. Sumptous black cherry, complemented by as classic of a tar and roses profile as you can find. 

It is really nice when you hit a wine at its peak. There's a lot of stuff going on here, with layers of complex fruit wrapped in a silkenly pleasing glycerin mouthfeel.  Tannins are resolved and it's the beautifully balanced acidity that makes it all work, taking the big-ness of the wine and making it food friendly as well as compellingly approachable.

I've enjoyed a couple of other Silvio Grasso wines over the past few years (1997 Ciabot Manzoni and 1998 Bricco Luciani), but this 1997 Bricco Luciani was the most rewarding.

Paired perfectly with grilled lambchops marinated with classic Dijon mustard & rosemary.  Side dishes of yams with pecans & cranberries, a broccoli - pear salad and mashed Yukon Gold potatoes. 

2006 Domaine Philippe & Vincent Jaboulet Cornas

Nicely done! This wine is seriously under-rated IMO.  Lovely bouquet indicates this wine is ready to drink, and the first sip of purple fruit confirms. Extremely tasty fruit with tapenade accents, sweet tannins and nice acidity. The underlying minerally character keeps things food friendly. Plush, but not ponderous. Enough complexity even at this young stage that bodes well for the future.

Egly-Ouriet VP, 2005 Marcoux Vieilles Vignes, 1997 Quintarelli Rosso Ca' del Merlo

Dinner at Aqua e Vino restaurant with Chef Gabriele Grigolon is a wonderful way to start the Christmas season. The warm and highly personal hospitality combined with the delicious cuisine brings smiles all around at this intimate locale.

Kicked off the evening by opening a bottle of Egly-Ouriet VP Grand Cru (disgorged May 2007 after 58 months on the lees) in dramatic fashion, via sabrage. 70% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay. Likely comprised of a base vintage of 2001 with either 2000 or 2002 blended in (thanks for the info, Marius!)  Mature honeyed orange nose with slight oxidative note that I find particularly appealing. Minerally pear and lemon palate that opens up nicely through the evening. Paired beautifully with a ravioli stuffed with ricotta spinach and egg yolk, covered with freshly shaved Alba truffles. And with cauliflower flan, parmigiano fondue & quail egg with more truffles :-)

A 2005 Marcoux Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes was double decanted and given a couple of hours of air before dinner.  Sourced from La Crau, Gallimardes and Esquirons. The Vieilles Vignes cuvee is always a beautifully balanced and elegant wine. It benefits from another couple of hours of air at dinner, and is showing its best as the last of it is consumed - revealing a beguiling extra level of depth.  Refined blackberry, spice and - wait for it - that totally awesome garrigue signature from La Crau.... Damn, I like Marcoux wines.  This beauty carried us through a course of tagliolini and more truffles. And gnocchi with more truffles. 

A 1997 Quintarelli Rosso Ca' del Merlo drank very well after a double decant before dinner.  Fully mature with a compelling nose - plums and violets with a rich ripeness that is mouthwatering. Savory black fruit with a characteristic piquancy that likely has something to do with the ripasso technique. Vineyards are mixed limestone and basalt soils. Varietals are 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina, Sangiovese...

- Grapes are pressed immediately after harvest

- After 3 to 4 days of maceration, primary fermentation starts with indigenous yeasts

- Wine is racked and then sits until February

- Wine is racked onto the lees of the Amarone which starts a second alcoholic fermentation (ripasso)

- After 2ndary fermentation, the wine is racked into large Slavonian oak barrels for seven years

The Quintarelli paired nicely with veal entrecote and root veggies with more truffles.  Also quite well with an absolutely amazing dish of roasted branzino. 

I won't even get into how good the desserts were.  Chef Grigo and team do some amazing things with pastry. Great espresso to close, but not before a final reprise of the remaining Egly-Ouriet.

Post-Thanksgiving Burgundy and California Pinot Noir

Enjoyed a couple of Burgs and a couple of California pinots together at dinner on the day after Thanksgiving.  The California pinots were both in day 2 phase, having been opened and partially consumed on Thanksgiving.

It was challenging to transition in style between the Burgs and the California wines.  Most folks tended to drink the Burgs and then move on to the California wines since they were heavier.

All wines paired with grilled pork tenderloin, Brussels sprouts (cooked with bacon, cranberries and Gorgonzola Piccante) , leftover cornbread dressing and green bean casserole from Thanksgiving.

2003 Bertagna Vougeot Clos de la Perriere  (Monopole)
Slow-o in bottle for 2 hours. Attractive floral aromatics with a bit of funk. Plummy ripe fruit and sous bois. Not a lot of complexity on the finish. Far less nimble than the Sigaut Sentiers. Very little sediment.

2009 Anne & Herve Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes
Slow-o in bottle for 2 hours and then decanted for more air (from which it benefited greatly). Very little sediment.
Produced from vines planted in 1947 on a plot just downslope from  Bonnes Mares.  Young, very bright morello cherry with a pop of spice. High-toned aromatics. It took about 3 hours in the decanter for this wine to settle down and start revealing its underlying grace. The palate mellowed out with  a savory sous bois, and the finish evolved to become more interesting.  Definitely the favorite of the two Burgs.

2011 Big Basin Pinot Noir Coastview Vineyard (Monterey)
Once again, a wow! wine on day 2.  The aromatics are striking with what could be interpreted as Gabilan Mountains "garrigue" along with framboise and anise. High altitude (2400 ft) parcel near the Mt Harlan (Calera) AVA , comprised of decompsed granite and limestone.  Raspberry fruit is still fresh on day 2.  Finish has evolved a bit and bodes well for future cellaring.

2006 Martinelli Pinot Noir Lolita Vineyard
A fine wine on its own, but shows a monolithic and somewhat ponderous compared to the other 3 wines. This is not the freshest example I've had of this vintage and cuvee. Big earthy fruit character with dusty tannins. Not a lot of heat, but a bit on the rich, extracted side.

Thanksgiving Wines

All slow-o in bottle for 3 hours.

2011 Dusky Goose Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills Oregon)
Tried this for the first time about  year ago.  It was very good then and is even better now.  Delicious right out of the gate. Lightest in color of the 3 pinots.  Lovely elegant red cherry and mellow spice with deft minerality, imparted by the volcanic Jory terroir. The most Burgundian of the 3 pinots and the most popular of the 3. I like this wine very much.

2011 Big Basin Pinot Noir Coastview Vineyard  (Monterey California)
Wow! Red raspberry, savory sous bois and a nice pop of spice. Very intriguing nose.  Well balanced.  Needs lots of air and it captures your attention.

2006 Martinelli Pinot Noir Lolita Vineyard  (Sonoma California )
Huge. Needs lots and lots of air.  Massive compared to the Dusky Goose. Big red raspberry flavor with signature streak of anise. Very alluring on its own, but definitely not as elegant as the others. 

2013 Famille Perrin Cotes-du-Rhone Villages
An incredible value at less than $15 a btl. Love the nose! Beautifully lilting florals. Nimble blackberry palate with garrigue accent. The quality of the fruit is impressive. Very popular at dinner. 

2010 Big Basin Syrah Coastview Vineyard

Enjoyed this over the course of several days. It did improve and needs the right kind of food.  The optimal pairing turned out to be a big marinated ribeye steak.

If only the palate on this wine was as delicious as the nose !

Aromatics are tremendously seductive with violets and a sweet gaminess. 

The fruit is gorgeous .... pure briary blackberry built with a streak of minerality.  Accents of creosote and slight bit of olive.

But it lacks complexity,  with the finish coming up far short of expectations given the alluring nose.

Honestly, it seems like the Syrah needs the cut of some Viognier to give it some lift and to break out from the monolithic character displayed at this juncture.  

I'm not sure that addtional cellaring will provide the evolution needed, but it would be interesting to try this wine in 5 to 7 or even 10 years. 

It's not a typical fruit bomb syrah from California. The Coastview Vineyard is in the Monterey area. 

I am more familiar with and enjoy the Big Basin pinot noir from vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mtns.   The pinots can be fascinating.

1982 Lynch Bages

Slow-o in bottle for several hours and enjoyed over a long lunch.  I don't get the opportunity to partake of immaculately cellared older Bordeaux very often so this was a real treat.

Beautifully mature black currant and cassis. A fair amount of savory  complexity on the finish with hints of tobacco and earth. Elegantly soft cedar-influenced florals on the nose.  A lovely Pauillac.

2006 Costers del Siurana Dolc de L'Obac

A well balanced  late-harvest dessert wine. Not overly sweet with a satiny texture. Mostly Garnacha, with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Delicious blackberry kirsch flavors and hints of mocha with an underlying slate-oriented tension. Needs more cellar time, IMO... perhaps another 5 years...

2004 Costers del Siurana Miserere

Continuing with the exploration of the wines of Costers del Siurana, the 2004 Miserere was popped and poured into a decanter and then served with dinner.

The classic balance and structure of the 2004 vintage was evident, and even though the wine continued to open up, it would clearly benefit from another 3 to 5 years of cellaring.

Comprised of equal portions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha and Tempranillo with smaller portions of Merlot and Carinena.

The Tempranillo adds a smoky red fruit quality and there is a subtle spice note that complemented the bone-in grilled pork chop. Aromatics are nice but slightly subdued at this juncture.

Overall impression is very pleasing, yet not as hedonistic as the 2002 Clos de L'Obac.

2002 Costers del Siurana Clos de L'Obac

A recent discovery on our visit to the Priorat region in Spain, Clos de L'Obac is an intriguing wine.  It is comprised of 35% Garnacha, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 10% Merlot, 10% Carinena.

Owner Carles Pastrana teams with winemakers Mariona Jarque (his wife) and Isidre Sanahujes to produce wine each year using the exact same proportion of the composite  varietals.  Their goal is to make a wine that is completely reflective of the climate and terroir for that vintage, thus expressing "the hand of God" , as Carles eloquently phrases it.

The 2002 Clos de L'Obac was opened and aerated in bottle for 3 hours and then poured without being decanted.  Enjoyed over the course of several hours through dinner, it continued to blossom and evolve wonderfully in the glass.  Quite a contemplative wine. 

The lushness of the 2002 vintage is readily apparent.  It reminds me of the very rich rendition of the 2002 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva, which is one of my favorite vintages of LdH in recent years. Carles recommended that we buy some of this 2002 vintage of Clos de L'Obac during our tasting with him at the winery, saying it was one of his personal favorites. 

The aromatics are beguiling and beautifully mature. The first thing that comes to mind on scent and taste is a left bank Bordeaux-ish style. 

Plummy black fruit with a satisfying, yet soft mineral framework. Tasty cedar and mellow spice with a definite Iberian Peninsula influence. Very enjoyable mature complexity with secondary flavors coming to the fore on a lengthy finish. A tasty chocolate-y note from the Cabernet Sauvignon actually melds surprisingly well with the briary blackberry character of the Garnacha.

 

The Syrah and Carinena provide a fascinating left turn on the finish that keeps you on your toes and paying attention. This would be a fun wine to serve blind and keep folks guessing as to provenance. 

Overall, the quality of the fruit and attention to detail in wine-making make this a special cuvee.

Length of time in bottle is likely a key for this wine.. the components need to  "come together".  It will be interesting to try a younger vintage of this wine and see how things work.