2018 Manni Nössing Müller-Thurgau Saas Rigais

 

12% abv

This wine has matured beautifully. I think Sass Rigais is the name of a local mountain. Vineyards are located in Valle Isarco, northeast of Bolzano. Fruit ages on the lees in stainless steel barrels for nine months and does not undergo malolactic fermentation. 

Pop and pour. Delicious right out of the gate with brisk Alpine influenced fruit, citrus upfront with balanced acidity leading into a surprisingly lush tropical inflected finish... nice complexity. Definitely a rebuy.

Enjoyed with bucatini and morel shrooms. 

2021 Artuke Trascuevas Blanco

13% abv

In the quest for unique white wines, I recently found this producer. 

"....a blend of 90% Viura with 5% each Malvasía Riojana and Palomino Fino from three vineyards in the villages of Baños de Ebro, Samaniego and Ábalos. The clusters were pressed, and the juice fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in similar proportions in 600-liter oak foudres and concrete tanks for 11 months...."

Showing nicely, although young. Quite the mouthwatering chanteuse ...the addition of the Palomino is what sets it apart... paired with blackened catfish etouffee and hushpuppies...

2010 Domaine Michel Mallard Aloxe-Corton La Toppe Au Vert 1er Cru

Uncorked and left in bottle for several hours for a bit of aeration, this is one of the nicest drinking 2010 red burgs in recent memory. While Domaine Michel Mallard is new to me, @"Neal Martin" provides outstanding insight into history and methods of the Domaine through Vinous producer profiles from 2017 to present.

Hints of florals on the nose, the palate reflects very pure tart red cherry fruit (usually around 50% whole cluster for 1er Cru) complemented by refined acidity. Really a beautiful balanced package that can be enjoyed now or cellared for further development. Up to 50% new oak is used. Abv in the 13.5% range.

A wonderful discovery, I'll be seeking out more of Mallard's wines, including the Corton Grand cru reds.

Drinking Aloxe-Corton burgundy brings back memories of Lou Fink, my dear friend who I visited Burgundy with in 1998, staying at the foot of the Hill of Corton at Hotel Villa Louise on the northeastern edge of the tiny village of Aloxe-Corton. 

https://www.hotel-villa-louise.fr/en/

Per-Henrik Mansson wrote about the hotel during his visits to Burgundy, which is was a converted farmhouse back in the 1990's. 

Cote de Beaune, Sonoma Coast and Chateauneuf-du-Pape

2011 Domaine Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot Savigny-Les-Beaune La Dominode

Decanted to aerate for a couple of hours. Give this all the air you can and it will open up into a quite serviceable SLB. Floral nose with some barnyard notes that recede with additional aeration. Savory tart red cherry flavor profile with pleasing acidity. Fortunately no detectable pyrazine influence that the 2011 is sometimes noted for. 

2014 RAEN Pinot Noir Home Field Vineyard - Fort Ross Seaview Sonoma Coast

A bigger style of pinot noir framed around black cherry fruit with lithe acidity. This wine may benefit from further cellaring. I prefer the Royal St. Robert Cuvee from this vintage as it exhibited more refined fruit and overall balance. An excellent contrast to the SLB.

2014 Marcoux Chateauneuf-du-Pape 

(80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah)
No Vieilles Vignes was produced in 2014. This was a pop and pour. Recommend decanting for extended aeration. This vintage of the classique bottling is made in a lighter style (think Burgundian). Tasty raspberry palate with acidic lift and hints of garrique. Sisters Sophie and Catherine Armenier have been running the Domaine since 1995. Their Vielles Vignes is one of my favorite higher end CDP's.

All wines enjoyed alongside delicious grilled lamb loin, charred broccolini and sautéed chanterelles.

The Best of Italy...

 

1988 Produttori del Barbaresco 

Decanted to aerate. Slight browning color. Decent amount of fine grained sediment. It never ceases to amaze me how older Nebbiolo can open up beautifully over the course of four or five hours. This ended up being the favorite wine of the evening with the palate gaining weight showing big delicious red berry flavor supported by nice underlying acidity. Nice window into the potential of the regular PdB.

2007 Mastroberadino Taurasi Riserva Radici

This 2007 Riserva is classically structured for such a ripe vintage. Still somewhat tight, it benefits from aeration in a decanter. After a few hours, the signature garrique accent of the Riserva show nicely. It will be interesting to try the 2007 Riserva next to a 2006 Riserva, which is a more finely filigreed expression with an explosive bouquet.

2004 Domaine Tempier Bandol La Tourtine

Old vine Mourvedre paired with smoked pork ribs... quite lush with a nice backbone of minerality that makes it so food friendly.... this can cellar nicely for another decade... opened up quite a bit over the evening even poured from bottle.

2008 Domaine Arlaud Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Millandes

 

OK on its own... very cranberry-ish with more acidity than fruit. 

But with air and time, nicely complemented Korean BBQ Smoked Chicken and bacon-braised collard greens ... 

Cru tasting February 24th, 2025

 

Recent single blind tasting.

All wines showed very well.

I was enamored of the Celestins because I'd never tasted one before.  Its garrique nose was quite remarkable. Somehow, it reminded me of the nose on a bottle of Les Beaux Monts 1er cru Burg from years past. IMO, the nose on Celestins is as uniquely identifiable as that of a Burlotto Monvigliero ...

Whites:

2022 Sine Qua Non Distenta: California, Roussanne, Chard, Petite Menseng

2022  Aubert Powder House: Sonoma, Chardonnay

2021 Pášxa Rockgarden: Walla Walla, Marsanne, Roussanne

2019 J Rochioli Little Hill: Russian River, Chardonnay

 

Reds:

--------------- 1st flight

2012 Neely Upper Picnic Block Spring Ridge Vineyard: Santa Cruz Mtns, Pinot Noir

2019 Emmolo: Napa, Merlot

2007 Petrolo Galatrona Valdarno di Sopra: Tuscany, Merlot

2017 Booker Vineyard 'Ones': Paso Robles, Syrah

2013 Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon 9 Oaks French Blend Lot M: Napa, Cabernet

2015 Bodega Numanthia Termanthia: Toro, Tempranillo

 

--------------- 2nd flight

2011 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve: Tuscany, Sangiovese

1990 Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage: Rhone, Syrah

2012  Familia Nin Ortiz Planetes de Nin: Priorat, Carignan Garnacha

2016 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Celestins: Rhone, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise and Vaccarese.

2015 Le Dome: St Emilion, Cab Franc Blend

2018 Calon-Segur: St Estephe, Cab Merlot     

2022 Lo Nuevo Pocapalla Jumilla: Murcia, Spain, Cab Sav

 

                  

2019 Pepiere Briords

2019 Pepiere Briords (magnum)

Cracking good showing. Although this could easily benefit from another handful of years in the cellar. Lovely bright fruit, with almost a chenin blanc-like texture to the melon varietal. Warm growing season yielded fleshy delicious fruit, but the acidity is there to support it. Paired nicely with wood fire seared tuna belly with sesame seeds, and a sweet homemade cornbread.

1994 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Day 2 notes for 1994 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa...

Winemaker and Proprietor: Tony Soter

For the 1994 vintage, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Cabernet Franc. Aged in 100% new oak.

Black fruit, creme de cassis, graphite and cedar supported by a resolved framework of fine tannins with a lengthy, elegantly juicy yet minerally finish. Threw off a lot of sediment. 

Sourced from Madrona Ranch at the base of Spring Mountain near St. Helena and Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard near Oakville.

Burgundy, Barolo, Napa, Santa Rita Hills

2010 Albert Morot Beaune Teurons 1er Cru 

2008 F. Rinaldi Brunate (Favorite)

1994 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

2007 Arcadian Pinot Noir Francesca (2nd Favorite)

Tony Soter made the Etude... sourced from the Madrona and the Vine Hill Ranch vineyards. The wine, a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot and Cabernet Franc, are aged in 60% new oak casks. 

The Arcadian Francesca is produced from selected barrels from Fiddlestix, Solomon Hilla and Pisoni vineyards in Santa Rita Hills appellation.. 👍🍇