2016 Chateau de Vaudieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape

This may be the most delicious vintage of their basic CdP that I've had. Mostly Grenache with some Syrah. Finely delineated red fruit, with suave tannins and food friendly acidity. Sous bois / garrigue accents lurking .... 
Bravo! Crack one now if you have some and give it a decant. Vineyards are in the Rayas neighborhood. 

2005 Chapoutier St. Joseph Les Granits, 2013 Le Pianelle Bramaterra, 2015 Lavantureux Chablis Fourchaume

2005 Chapoutier Les Granits (from magnum) is at peak, exhibiting burnished tannins with a sweet edge, and framing lush black fruit.. really quite voluptuous for a northern Rhone...but lacks the incisive minerality that I like in syrah from this region... 

2013 Le Pianelle is kicking into gear... nicely approachable... l like this wine.

2015 Lavantureux Fourchaume is an enjoyable interpretation of this venerable cru, but lacks the bracing structure that I look for in great Chablis
..

2010 Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noir Cote de Bechalin

My first experience with Cedric Bouchard wine. While satisfying, I was somewhat underwhelmed. It may have been a less than pristine bottle, or perhaps because it was juxtaposed with a thrilling 2013 Bereche Rilly-La-Montagne. 
It lacked the definition that I look for in the palate.... seemed a bit flat. Not much nose to speak of either. 
The vintage and disgorgement date on the label are almost impossible to read. Not sure what's up with that.
I have a 2012 Presle that I'll try out over the holidays... 

1999 Elio Altare Barolo Brunate

14.5% abv. Decanted and aerated for 4 hours and then poured back into clean bottle. Left to aerate in bottle for another 2 hours. 

Trying to recreate some of the magic atmosphere that we experienced in La Morra this past October  :) 

Easily one of the best wines I've enjoyed this year. Fascinating transformation over the course of the evening, with classic inner perfume manifesting itself slowly and then really blossoming late in the evening. The slightly disturbing bit of heat on the finish subsided, and gave way to a more balanced mouthfeel.... mellow tannins,  retaining a beautiful structure for the red cherry palate. More fruit and balsam than tar....with a hint of sweetness on the finish.  Truffle-y, sous bois thing going on with the nose. 

Elegant, harmonious, memorable. Damn, what a wine! It would be wonderful to taste this again in 10 years... only going to get better....

Paired with pasta covered with Alba truffles followed by grilled bone-in veal chops. 

2013 Bérêche et Fils Rilly-La-Montagne 1er Cru

Bérêche has become one of my favorite Producers with their fresh, elegant, minerally style. This Rilly-La-Montagne cuvee is absolutely delicious. I will be seeking out more.

Pop and pour. Enjoyed over the course of an evening. Don't be afraid to decant this to let it open up. 

The 30 plus year old vines contribute to a truly savory reflection of pinot noir (100%). Fermented in oak and aged under cork. 

Finely chiseled minerally palate. Riveting tension between fruit, acidity and mouthwatering salinity. Biscuit and delicate spicy floral nose.

A beautiful wine that will only get better with age.

Deg. January 2017
Dosage 3 g/l

An Evening of Alto Adige

Great video on Alto Adige region

https://youtu.be/EpHuG92YKmE


2015 Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 14% abv
What can I say about this great wine that hasn't already been said... wow!

Let this open up since it is still a youngster. 
Sort of difficult to accurately describe, but the complexity even at this early stage is impressive. 

One of the most seductive examples of mouthfeel in any white wine. The front end is minerally and light, with stony white fruit dancing on your palate and just a slight kiss of sweetness. 

Then there is this amazingly balanced mid-palate viscosity that comes into play... all the while exuding the deftness of Fred Astaire gliding across the ballroom floor, with a finish that makes you dive in for another sip.

To me, this wine has some traits in common with a great Chenin Blanc.

Vorberg is sourced from very steep, high altitude vineyards above the town of Terlano. Bravo Rudi Kofler and team !

2010 Nusserhof (Heinrich Mayr) Südtirol Lagrein Riserva13%abv
Sourced from a southward facing vineyard , which is situated on the banks of the Isarco River within the township of Bolzano. This land has been farmed by Heinrich Mayr's family for nearly a century.

Decanted and aerated for several hours...
Bright piquant blackberry with hints of mocha and coffee with supporting acidity. Reticent nose.

Tannins have smoothed out quite a bit over the past couple of years, and the wine has taken on a more elegant character. 

Not a lot of complexity, but the bright berry flavor , especially toward the end of the evening, was really delicious. 

2005 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana, 2004 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric, 2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello Riserva

2005 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana 
First time I've had a Pajana that I can remember. It is a south-facing vineyard in the Ginestra cru. 

Opened and aerated in bottle for several hours, then decanted. Fascinating to follow its evolution over the course of around 7 hours. 

The first few hours, it echoed my past experiences with younger Clerico wines: iron fist in a velvet glove.  Beautiful upfront fruit framed with an elegant tannic structure. With air, the firm tannins softened somewhat, and instead of shutting down, the wine began to open up. 

Delicious black fruit with tar, iron and tobacco accents. Toward the end of the evening, an inner sweetness began to reveal itself, providing a glimpse of a very bright future. Would love to taste this again in 5 years and then again in 10 years. 

This ended up being the favorite wine of the evening. The elegant structure rivets your attention and complements food so well. 

Here are two wonderful articles on Domenico Clerico and his wines:
https://www.vinous.com/articles/a-conversation-with-domenico-clerico-may-2007
https://www.vinous.com/articles/remembering-domenico-clerico-jul-2017

2004 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric
The classic nature of the 2004 vintage is on full display here. This is a blend from Cannubi,  Rocche di Castiglione and Bric del Fiasc vineyards. It's in the zone now and very enjoyable. Plush texture, alluring nose and tasty fruit with tar, tobacco and sous bois. Very satisfying on its own merits, but lacking the structure to make things truly interesting. 

2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello Riserva
Very forward and surprisingly soft structure. Irresistible black fruit, sous bois, truffle and mellow spice. This is delightfully savory, but somewhat lacking in traditional framework and typicity. Drink within the next 5 years.

Paired these wines with ...
Spicy sausage and swiss chard pizza
Pancetta, mushroom and egg pizza 

Cru Bourgeois Tasting 26 November 2018

Cru Bourgeois

November 26, 2018

George Erdle and Robert Rostan

"Pinot From Around the World"

Whites

2014 Meursault Blagny - Louis Latour 1er Cru

2016 Soave Corte Sant Alda

2010 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne

2013 Kistler Chardonnay Cuvee Cathleen Kistler Vineyard

First Flight - George Erdle

1) 2015 Rene Cacheaux Les Champs d'Argent 

2) 2015 Gabriel Tortochot - Gevrey Chambertin "Les Corvees"

3) 2013 Felton Road - "Calvert"

4) 2015 Domaine Bart Marsannay Les Ouzeloy (favorite)

5) 2014 Escarpment Te Rehua (2nd favorite)

6) 2014 Burn Cottage - Burn Cottage Vineyard

Second Flight - Robert Rostan

1) 2003 Roco: Private Stash

2) 2006 Kosta Browne (2nd favorite)

3) 2008 Archery Summit: Arcus Estate

4) 2009 Kistler Cuvee - Catherine Occidental Station Vineyard

5) 2011 Martinelli - Blue Slide Ridge (favorite)

6) 2012 Cirq - Treehouse

2015 Chateau de Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône Les Deux Albion

Double decanted and enjoyed over a couple of days. Some fine grained sediment. (14.5% abv) 

Reflects the fine structure of the 2015 vintage. Raised in a combination of wooden vats and concrete tanks. Whole cluster Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre (and a dollop of Clairette contributes a nice lift to the blend). 

Attractive violet and garrigue on the nose. Peppery ripe raspberry palate with a hint of marmalade on a mildly tannic finsh. This has a couple of years yet till peak.

At less than $25, a solid value and an exciting interpretation of Côtes du Rhône from the inimitable Louis Barruol.

Paired nicely with grilled rack of lamb.

2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Spätlese

I am way too much of Mosel novice to offer an adequate appraisal of this wine, so I'll let The Mosel Report provide some background...

Cracked this puppy too young, but , holy smokes what a stunner !🥂 There is some kind of feinherb thing in the piquant nose that is fascinating.  Incredibly savory salinity on the palate,  yet overall remarkably balanced at this youthful stage...

-------(sourced below from The Mosel Report )------

2017er Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Spätlese

 AP 06 18  

rating  95 pts 

The 2017er Euchariusberg Spätlese (known internally as the “Klaus Lang” cask) comes from fruit harvested at 92° Oechsle in the prime Gross Schock sector of the vineyard and was fermented down to 65 g/l of residual sugar. This offers a gorgeous nose of pineapple, apple, coconut, pear and herbs. The wine develops the delicate presence of a light and creamy Auslese on the palate and leaves a comparatively dry and elegant feel in the long finish with almost Kabinett-like focus. This is a stunning Spätlese in the making. 2027-2042 

-------

Notes from The Mosel Report on Falkenstein in 2017 vintage:

"...The Webers are quite upbeat about their 2017s: “We would have loved to have more wine of this quality. The wines are elegant, with the depth of the 2015s and the acidity of the 2013s. In many ways, they remind me of the 1971s and 1973s in the Saar. While 2016 was dramatic, with much pressure from diseases, the 2017s were easy … except for the late frost at the end of April, which costed us 40% of our yields. Fortunately, the remainder of the season was quite fine. We started our harvest extremely early, on September 23. This sounds like southern Europe but that was how the weather turned out to be. We finished on October 11. The quality of the fruit was great. There was nothing with less than 80° Oechsle. Despite the dramatic losses of yields, we were able to not only produce our usual portfolio, but we even added some casks from newly acquired vineyards and by bottling casks ourselves which we had sold to the trade so far.”  The Estate was able to produce its usual portfolio of wines, with the exception of the Euchariusberg Kabinett AP 13, which was not produced due to low yields. The Estate has added a new vineyard situated in a prime, south-facing part of the Niedermenniger Sonnenberg called im Kleinschock, which delivered a fruity Kabinett in 2017. It also added another cask of Niedermenniger Herrenberg Spätlese Feinherb (AP 23), whose fruit was sold so far to the local cooperative...."

"....What is there to say: We remained speechless in front of such a high quality collection. The wines may not have the ethereal lightness of 2016. The 2017er Falkenstein wines are, as at all Estates, denser. But they retain this utter finesse which has been the hallmark here since a few years now. The dry wines are stunningly pure, the off-dry wines as good as ever, the fruity ones deliciously zesty and the sweet Auslese a little beauty in the making. If we had to hint to “the finest among the finest”, we would draw our readers’ attention to the Estate’s two marvelous fruity Spätlese bottlings. But it would divert their attention from other beauties. Simply put, if you are in the luxury position to buy everything (the Webers told us that they start to get allocation headaches as they can no longer satisfy all demand), then buy everything. The wines are THAT impressive! ..."

2010 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert

13.5% abv... pop and pour... this took several hours to open up, shedding some of its youthful  tartness and showing a savory blackberry minerality, accented by coffee, anise and goudron notes. Attractive nose with hints of iodine and olive. There is a fair amount of tertiary development that makes for an interesting flavor profile. The tannins manifest an inner sweetness with extensive exposure to air (perhaps an influence of the older vines ?).  There is quite a bit of fine-grained sediment at the end of the bottle.

Not the last word in complexity but nice. There are echoes of the Jaboulet style found in the Hermitage La Chapelle cuvee...

A very tasty wine.... too good to have any left over for day two comparison.  :) 

Bravo to Jacques Desvernois, oenologist, and Caroline Frey, owner at Paul Jaboulet Aínê since 2006.

Here is a bit of background on this cru...

"...The Thalabert vineyard sits on the rocky plain of Les Chassis on the left bank of the Rhone River, sandwiched between Tain l’Hermitage to the north and Pont de l’Isere to the south. In a large appellation such as Crozes, the quality of terroir is heavily varied, with preferred sites found on the stone-heavy, less clay influenced sections of Les Chassis, close to the riverbed. This area is where many of the appellations top producers grow their vines, including the famed Alain Graillot. In his book ‘The Wines of the Northern Rhone’ Jonathan Livingston Learmonth describes the soil as “a gravel couch (20-30 meters of gravelly stones), with around half a meter of alluvial stones of Alpine origin on the surface.” It is this so-called “French drain” that sets Thalabert apart as the benchmark terroir in the southern Crozes-Hermitage...

• The first ever vineyard owned by Paul Jaboulet – purchased in 1834. Also holds the distinction as the oldest vineyard of the appellation. Considered the benchmark for Crozes-Hermitages with the ability to age for decades.

• 60-80 year old vines

• Biodynamically farmed

• Vines grown on pebbly terraces that are glacial in origin, with the bedrock close to the topsoil. These small, round pebbles store heat during the day and release it at night, providing optimum and regular maturity.

• Very low yields of 25 hl/ha

• Aged in French oak, 20% new

..."

2006 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva

Double decanted and aerated for 2 hours prior to dinner. One of my favorite wines from Italy. While the Radici normale is quite good, the Riserva takes it to another level in terms of elegance and complexity. 

100% Aglianico sourced exclusively from estate vineyards in Montemarano. Raised using a combination of larger Slavonian oak casks and French barrique. 

Supremely food friendly. Satisfying in a way that echoes great Burgundy. The nose exudes a soulful inner perfume with an irresistible melange of dried flowers and sous bois. Vibrant red berry on the palate complemented by nuances of anise and tobacco. Just starting to manifest some tertiary character, accented by savory balsamic influence. 

Paired with lobster bisque first course and grilled bone-in Berkshire pork chop main course. 

AG penned an outstanding article a few years ago on Mastroberardino...

https://www.vinous.com/articles/mastroberardino-defining-the-greatness-of-taurasi-1928-2006-dec-2013

2007 Ulises Valdez Pinot Noir Lancel Creek Vineyard (Russian River Valley)

Very nice to enjoy this in remembance of Mr. Valdez, a fine gentleman and contributor to so many great wines through his renowned vineyard management skills.

A big wine made from Pommard and 777 clones. Slow-o'd for half day. Dark in color with robust black fruit. Intense but not overbearing. Food friendly acidity. Just hinting at tertiary stage of development with interesting melange of forest floor and spice. This is a wine that will hit its peak in another 5 years possibly and easily show well for another 10 to 15 years. 

If I were to draw an analogy,  think of Rochioli on steroids. Not as finessed but lovely Russian River pedigree. 

Sturdy enough to stand up to a spicy Shrimp Creole dish. 

2014 Varner Pinot Noir Spring Ridge Vineyard Picnic Block

Double decanted and aerated for an hour. Drinking well from the start and opened up nicely over the course of the evening.  Smooth ,fine tannins make for a very approachable wine at this young stage.

 Aromatics are highly pleasing with a sous bois component that reminds me of a fine Volnay. Savory red fruit , tobacco, and forest floor. No angular edges on this one. There are intriguing  hints of complexity that will continue to develop. 

I like what Bob and Jim Varner have accomplished with both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Santa Cruz Mtns. Their Chardonnays have reminded me of a fine Meursault on occasion. 

2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Muncagota Riserva

This was a beautiful showing from the start. Double decanted and aerated for a couple of hours prior to rebottling and serving with dinner (home made mushroom and pancetta pizza with scratch made dough). Minimal sediment. While this is at the beginning of its drinking window, it is worth opening a bottle now if you have several. Will develop additional savory tertiary components in another 3 to 5 years. 

Full bodied strikingly pure black fruits with enchanting flower, truffle-y tar, anise and leather elements. Just a mouthful of delicious fruit right now that exhibits the best of traditional winemaking. A wine that is just entering a contemplative phase. It develops over the evening providing fascinating glimpses of what is to come. 

Notes from the website on the vineyard...

VINEYARD
MUNCAGOTA

Vineyard size: 4.5 ha (11 acres)
Exposure: South East
Elevation: 250 - 300 meters (820 – 980 feet)
Vineyard Owners: Bellora, Lignana, Viglino.

This single vineyard looks South/East, facing the cooler morning sunshine instead of the warmer afternoon sun. Because of that, the Muncagota vineyard shows beautiful floral characteristics and often a specific mint character on the nose. Calcareous soil and a low level of sand gives to the wines of Muncagota extremely focused fruit and firm, stylish tannin. Muncagota is a perfect example of the elegant and intense qualities that make Barbaresco one of the most interesting and unique wines of the world. First produced by Produttori del Barbaresco, as Moccagatta, in 1967. Muncagota is the piedmontese dialect version of the word Moccagatta, same vineyard, different spelling.

2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Dolcetto d'Alba

Florals leap from the bottle upon opening. Young-ish now, it settles down after a half hour.

Nice , medium weight red and blue fruit with a savory style of acidity that I find very attractive in this varietal.

Why am I not drinking more Dolcetto? Ridiculous QPR at $16/btl.

CdM makes an especially easy drinking version. Sourced from a north facing slope of the estate Monfalletto vineyard. Fermented using a combination of steel and barrique. The steel seems to preserve a freshness of fruit, while the barrique perhaps mellows some of the angular edges on the palate.

 Super food friendly. This disappears quickly.

NV Domaine des Baumard Cremant de Loire Carte Turquoise

12% abv. 60% Cabernet Franc 40% Chenin Blanc

Fine mousse. A bit overt all around and calming down with components falling into place after a couple of hours. Pithy texture with the chenin softening the edges a bit and lending freshness. 

Decent QPR at around $20. Paired with poulet dijonaisse.

2009 Fèlsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia

A bottle opened earlier this year seemed to be a bit muddled in character, perhaps as a result of bottle variation or less than ideal storage.

This one showed improved delineation, but needed some time to come around.  The 2nd half of the bottle showed better (after being under vacuvin for 3 days). Tasty fruit yet lacking the cut of a great vintage like 2004.  Rancia is such a big wine that it needs acidic lift to create balance.  The 2009 is a bit monolithic, if pleasant wine. 

Paired nicely with meat ravioli (fresh homemade pasta) dressed with shaved Asiago, sea salt, fresh ground Tellicherry pepper and olive oil.

2013 Le Pianelle Bramaterra

Continuing an exploration of Alto Piemonte (my interest being sparked by the recent Vinous coverage on the region), this wine is a gem.  

Elegantly balanced structure with fine dusty tannins and a bit of youthful edginess. Definitely worth opening a bottle now. 

Midweight black fruit, minerality, with forthright tar and truffle on the finish. Quite a bit going on palate-wise. Truly seductive nose of flowers and sous bois.

More complex than the 2013 Sperino Uvaggio (Lessona DOC) recently tasted ...
https://www.vinous.com/forums/index#/discussion/9033/2013-proprieta-sperino-coste-della-sesia-uvaggio

I love the blend of Nebbiolo, Croatina and Vespolina. Grown on soils of volcanic influence. Vineyard is situated near the town of Brusnego.  A  really nice wine from a great vintage.

2013 Proprietà Sperino Coste della Sesia Uvaggio

PnP. 13% abv

My first foray with this delightful cuvee. Still somewhat early in terms of drinking window, the 2013 Uvaggio uncoils slowly to reveal graceful balance of high quality fruit and texture. Just the right amount of piquancy and smoothness to intrigue one's palate. Translucent body. There is an umami component at work here that makes for an interesting experience 

Mostly Nebbiolo with some Vespolina and Croatina. Sourced from a combination of:

... sandy soils in Ormeggio, Castagnola and Belvedere vineyards in Lessona DOC.

.... volcanic soils in the higher elevation Madonna degli Angeli vineyard in Brusnengo (Forte) , Bramaterra DOC.

Brings to mind the deft blending of Quintarelli (without the appassimento part).

Luca and Paolo De Marchi of Isole e Olena are behind this Alto Piemonte project. 

A very elegant, unique and affordable wine in the $30 range. Could easily be put in an Oregon pinot line up as a ringer.

2003 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Reserva

Mostly Viura with a dollop of Malvasia. This is one of the world's iconic and unique white wines, from a reference-point old school Producer.  I like to decant the LdH whites to provide plenty of air.  Made in an oxidative style, the nose is redolent of marzipan and white flowers, with a subtle hint of matchstick. It will often develop petrol notes with extended cellaring.  Fascinating palate of pear, light citrus, beeswax, and turrón all wrapped in mouthwatering salinity.  The 2003 bottling shows what I would consider to be advancing development over the past several years, so likely better to enjoy sooner rather than later. 

Paired with fresh caught North Carolina black sea bass, pan seared in an iron skillet and served on a bed of lightly fried Carolina Gold rice from Anson Mills. A very creative light glaze was drizzled around the plate and not over the fish , comprised of thin pickled yellow bell pepper strips seasoned with the most delicate kiss of habanero chile imaginable to provide a pleasing warmth and not interfere at all with the wine.  A truly inspired preparation. 

2005 Philip Togni Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Apparent right from the start that it is way too early to open this 2005 vintage wine. Lovely intriguing Bordeaux-ish nose, with a palate that speaks of dusty black fruit and olive accent, and then the tannins clamp down precluding any segue-way toward a fulfilling experience with this wine.  

There is an inexplicably disturbing amount of heat on the finish that paints a very disjointed picture at stage.  Try again in 7 to 10 years ?

In contrast, based on prior experience, the 2006 Togni Estate is a delightful wine that demonstrates elegance even in its youth. Not sure what to make of this disappointing performance of the 2005 bottling. 

Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with small percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 

2012 Domaine de la Pepière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Château-Thébaud Clos des Morines

A beautiful (if somewhat young) mouthful of stony, bright lemon, saline melon de bourgogne. Quite delicious and powerful. An insane bargain for the quality, giving many Chablis a run for the money.  Paired nicely with sauteed scallops.

Here are excellent notes from the David Bowler wine website:

"...Clos des Morines is a lieu-dit in the cru of Château Thébaud. It came into Pépière world via Marc Ollivier's partner Rémi Branger, whose father farmed it two parcels of it for decades. This 1.5 hectares of vines--up to 65 years old--is on a south-facing, earlier-ripening slope. The soils are of granite de Thébaud, a granite differing from that of Clisson in containing more feldspar and clay--this means more nutrients for the vines, cooler soil temperature, slower ripening, better water retention and a porosity that allows the roots to go deep to the hard granite mother rock.  The farming is organic and harvest  and all work by hand...."

"...Like for the rest of the Pepière wines, the fruit is direct-pressed in whole clusters and the juice settled naturally for 12 hours. It is then fermented in stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts; the wine is aged on its lees in large underground vats until bottling without fining or filtering. Thébaud needs longer aging on the lees than any of the other wines, for 3.5 years in the case of the 2012. It is typically the most austere, intensely salty and mineral of the line-up...."

2011 Proprietà Sperino Lessona

14% abv. PnP. 

 Fascinating rendition of Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte. Plush fruit... wild blackberry, tar, spice. Very polished tannins. Quite shy nose at first then opening up after a few hours with lovely florals. The tannins come more to the forefront over the evening, but not hot or not overbearing.  
Overall, a wine of great elegance produced by Luca and Paolo De Marchi of Isole e Olena. Very impressive. I will be seeking out more of this wine. Although not inexpensive at $60. Paired nicely with prime NY strip.