2021 Thomas Finot Crozes-Hermitage Blanc "Cuvee Anais"

100% Marsanne.

Stone fruit palate with almond, lanolin and hint of orange on a medium viscous complex finish.
Slight petrol note on citrus influenced nose.
This is a wow wine upon first taste and gets better with air. Paired beautifully with lobster bisque and Oysters Bienville.
Buy as much as you can IF you can find it.

Producer notes:
"..Thomas Finot, who is making fascinating wines in the Coteaux Grésivaudan in the Isère, makes a tiny quantity of Crôzes-Hermitage Blanc and Rouge. This beautiful Crôzes Blanc is from 100% Marsanne grown on the family's 1.8 hectare parcel of old vines in Larnage on a hillside with granite and limestone subsoils under interesting topsoils of white clay (kaolin). The Cuvée Anaïs is from a single parcel of the oldest vines...."

2007 Petrolo Galatrona

 100% Tuscan Merlot

I've had the pleasure of trying a couple of these over the past few weeks, and , wow! It's a stunner!

In the zone currently,  with plenty of stuffing to stay in peak form for another decade at least.

Really showing now at heights one comes to expect from another great Tuscan merlot, the SGN La Ricolma...

Two striking things are evident:
- dazzling purity of fruit and balance for such a rich vintage
- the mid-palate minerality that lays the foundation for the delicious fruit

Dark red fruit on the front end transitioning seamlessly with mocha-inflected complex, lengthy finish with blue fruit accents. 

This would go perfectly with a beautiful filet mignon. 

Burgundy, Barolo and Brunello Pizza Dinner

Three delightful wines paired with two homemade pizzas:

Pizza number one:
Marinara base, sweet sausage, hot sausage, kalamata olives, mushrooms, Provolone, Mozzarella.

Pizza number two:
Olive oil base, Swiss chard, caramelized onion, Proscuitto, Parmigiano, Gorgonzola, sunnyside up eggs.


2012 Pecchenino Barolo Bussia

Decanted and enjoyed over the course of the evening. First experience with this producer. Showing really nicely now, and will benefit from another 5 years or so in the cellar.
Elegant fruit up front supported by fine tannins,  serving up a gentle mouth-puckering finish. Of the three wines, this Barolo paired most favorably with the homemade pizzas we had for dinner.

2004 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino

Presenting bold, robust fruit reflecting the nobility of this vintage, with mouthwatering acidity making the wine incredibly food friendly.  Will definitely benefit from another 5 to 7 years of cellaring. Almost as good of a match with the homemade pizzas as the Barolo.

1999 Nicolas Potel Savigny-les-Beaune

Double decanted (light sediment). Aged sour cherry with mellow acidity complemented by light sous bois notes. Fascinating development over the course of the evening as the wine gained presence with extended exposure to air. This ended up being a pleasure to drink as the fruit blossomed. I tried to determine which village-level climats were sourced for this 1999 bottling, but have not had any luck with that. 

2010 Domaine Jean-Marc and Hugues Pavelot Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Narbantons

13% abv

Beautiful floral nose with an explosive palate of lingonberry and blood orange on a powerfully tart finish. Decanted to let it open up. Still a youngster, but currently in early window of approachability. This is an incredibly delicious wine that will surely benefit from another five-plus years of cellaring.

Always wondered why Leroy makes a wine from Les Narbantons, and now I understand why.

Paired scrumptiously with crabmeat and lobster stuffed ravioli.

A memorable red Burgundy... one of the best I've had in a while...

2016 Marie Courtin Eloquence Extra Brut

 

100% Chardonnay. Zero dosage,  I think.
The 100% Chardonnay bottling from Dominique Moreau is probably my least favorite of her portfolio. Zero dosage in this vintage results in an extremely dry palate that could be described as too severe.... lacks fruit expression... perhaps further aging will help (?)...
Paired with exquisite seared rare tuna belly. 

2020 Navazos-Niepoort Vino Blanco

100% Palomino
Bone dry. Still quite young.... needs another handful of years to come together...
Not as elegant as the Cota 45 UBE wines...

Paired well with tempura fried lobster tails...

2006 Brovia Barolo

 

Drinking very well with good life ahead of it. Decanted... it takes a while to open up. Decent balance of fruit and acidity supported by fine grained tannins. 
This bottling is comprised primarily of grapes from the Brea cru in Serralunga d'Alba, with the balance of the fruit being sourced from Rocche di Castiglione, Villero, and Garblét Sue crus in Castiglione Falletto.

Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

 This was a really fun comparison of two excellent pinot noirs from the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

2009 Rhys Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
Some whole clusters... Black fruit with hints of sassafras.
Produced from barrels that didn’t make it into the Horseshoe and Alpine bottlings.
The depth of fruit is notable with the wine gaining presence over the course of a few hours.
Paired with lamb rigatoni.

2012 Neely Pinot Noir Upper Picnic Block Spring Ridge Vineyard
Last tasted in June 2017, when I assessed it as a beautiful wine with significant potential... and, indeed, the potential has been realized based on this bottle.
This wine shows a lighter, more deft style of pinot noir with mouthwatering acidity and modest abv compared to the Rhys.
High-toned red fruit with wonderfully floral nose.
Paired with Oysters Bienville.
The Varner Brothers made this wine for years until the business relationship with Neely ended.

 

1994 Guenoc Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer IV Vineyard

 

Wow! Drinking a bit young, if anything. Decanted and enjoyed over an entire evening. Kept opening up, gaining weight and showing beautiful fruit girded by fine grained tannins. 

Deep black cherry, cassis and tobacco with a voluptuous nose. Good acidity on the midpalate providing a nice lift to the tannins on a lengthy finish.

The fine grained sediment at the end of the bottle had a couple of small chunks that had a burst of chewy, intense black cherry 🍒  flavor that was off the freakin charts.

Cool stuff 👍🍷

"...Beckstoffer Vineyard No. 4, also known as the Beaulieu IV vineyard, has a rich history. It was purchased by Beaulieu from the Crabb estate in 1940. The vineyard was originally planted by Hamilton Crabb in 1868 and was a portion of the historic original To Kalon Vineyard from the Oakville AVA. This vineyard has produced some of the Napa Valley's best red grapes.  For many years, the grapes grown from this vineyard were a major component of the Georges de Latour Private Reserve, until it was purchased by Beckstoffer from Beaulieu Vineyards in 1993 and was renamed the Beckstoffer IV vineyard.  The vineyard was replanted after phylloxera by Beckstoffer from 1994 to 1997 to multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with modern trellising and closer vine spacing, the vineyard produces several luxury award winning vineyard designated wines. These vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon wines include Schrader Cellars, Paul Hobbs, Tor, Realm and of course, Carter Cellars...."

2005 Arcadian Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard (375ml)

Day Three...

This is still going strong a few days later... mellowed just a bit with the fruit being showcased and framed with an admirable backbone of tannins. Lots of life left ahead)..

There are several California pinot noirs that seem to reflect some damn nice Burgundian qualities, based on my experience:

Pisoni Vineyard (Pisoni, Ryan, Arcadian producers) reflecting top notch Cote de Beaune)

Kanzler Vineyard (Kanzler Family producer specifically their Reserve bottling) reflecting Cote de Nuits

Jensen Vineyard (Calera producer) reflecting Cote de Beaune

Day One...

Absolutely beautiful fruit that clinched somewhat after about a half hour. Still a bit young? 

Will check in 48 hours. But tasty stuff. Sort of Grand Cru SLH terroir, Bravo....🍇

Warm vintage? But has aged well.. 👍

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.