Tracking the development of the 2017 Bodegas Cota 45 UBE Maina La Charanga

 Update.... this is absolutely hitting on all cylinders right now. Now you can taste this brilliance of this effort .... paired with soft shell crab and roasted Brussels sprouts with a dash of balsamic...yummy cuisine...100% dry Palomino...

Notes from 2021

http://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2021/08/2017-bodegas-cota-45-ube-maina-la.html

Notes from 2023

http://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2023/05/bodegas-cota-45-ube-maina-la-charanga.html

2011 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard (Sonoma Coast)

 I've found Rivers-Marie pinot noir to be a bit over-the-top for my tastes and this bottle has done nothing to change that. This is a massive wine that is still early in the drinking window. I'd recommend holding for at least another five years. It's a very well made wine, exceptional fruit with quite an assault (in a good way) on the palate. Complex finish with sous bois notes. It's really not a food wine... more of just a wow statement on its own. 

Silver Eagle Vineyard is owned by the family of the late great Thomas Rivers Brown collaborator and farmer, Ulises Valdez..  

2005 Vincent Girardin Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Les Breterins

What a treat to try this wine. I've such limited experience with wines from Auxey-Duresses.  
The palate exhibits a finely chiseled framework of elegantly restrained red fruit with beautifully balanced acidity and a lacy savory long finish. Actually quite irresistible. 
Paired deliciously with blackened catfish with shrimp and andouiille sausage étouffée over piping hot locally made grits. 

1999 Turnbull Wine Cellars Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Absolutely delicious Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon.  Tannins have melted and the fruit has aged perfectly. Plush cassis inflected palate with lengthy hedonistic finish. Sourced from the following vineyards:

• Fortuna Vineyard (Oakville valley floor)

• Leopoldina Vineyard (hillside above Oakville)
• Home Vineyard (near the winery)

These sites span:

- Valley floor alluvial soils (richer, plush fruit)

- Volcanic hillside soils (structure, minerality, tannin)

2020 Zidarich Vitovska Carso

 

A very serviceable Vitovska that is quite young. This actually unfurled on second day and beyond under vacuum seal. 
A moderately skin contact style wine. Really worth trying. An "orange" wine for people who don't like orange wines.
Delicious minerality derived from limestone influenced terroir. 

"...No lover of Italian wine should ever pass up the opportunity to explore Benjamin Zidarich’s wild portfolio. These wines are Carso incarnate, as if Zidarich is culling them from the sheer limestone and red clay soils and placing them directly into bottle. His use of stone aging casks, carved from the limestone surrounding the winery, is expertly done and somehow completely transparent while adding buoyancy and textural heft. The family farms eight hectares of Vitovska, Malvasia Istriana, Merlot and Terrano vines, which are certified biodynamic. The fruit goes through spontaneous fermentations in the winery, often in stone limestone vats, with long macerations spanning two to three weeks. Most of the aging is completed in neutral, large Slavonian oak barrels. There’s no fining or filtering, and sulfur is kept to a minimum. The “Orange” or “Skin Contact” category, as producers these days prefer to call it, is littered with natty, unbalanced and cloying wines. However, in Carso, and especially from Benjamin Zidarich, consumers should have no worries. These are pure interpretations of place, with wild aromatics and seductive textures that only extended skin contact can bring. The whites are excellent but also make sure to check out the Ruje Rosso, a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Terrano that really turned my head...." -- Eric Guido, April 2024

1994 Marcel Deiss Pinot Noir Burlenberg

Pinot noir with small amounts of Beurot, Meunier, Pinot blanc and pinot gris. Deiss states the site's soils resembles that of Close de Beze. Beurot brings elegance to the mix.

In really good shape taste-wise.... superb color..... high toned cherry with nice acidity .... quite elegant fruit supported with gossamer framework of tannins... not much of a nose.... far end of the longevity curve but delicious... what a nice surprise... 

Paired nicely with smoked pork shoulder and grilled Brussels sprouts...
Thanks to Nelson Lemmond for introducing me to the wines of Deiss many years ago...yummy stuff ... I've got to pay more attention to Alsatian Pinot Noir. 

2007 Brovia Barolo Garblèt Sue’

This may be my first taste of Brovia's Garblèt Sue’. This particular bottle is a high toned fillie of a thoroughbred.  Lots of pucker power and acidity for a more voluptuous (?) vintage... Definitely early on the pouring curve IMO. Certainly a food wine. This should be very interesting in five and even ten years. 
Trying to find this vineyard for the uninitiated is fun ... it's a tiny parcel in the Altenasso subzone of the Fiasco cru in Castiglione Falletto. The vines, planted in 1970 and 1979, are located on south/southeast-facing slopes with sand and clay-limestone marl soils. 

Quinta de Baixo VV Vinhas Velhas Branco Bairrada 2020

 First time trying this white wine from Barraida appellation in Portugal on the coast north of Lisbon. I'd buy more. Blind, I'd guess a beautifully balanced Albariño. It's quite early in the drinking curve.  Although this does go through malo.... so it's pretty crisp at first but the ln mellows with air.....it seems quite early in the drinking curve.

A 50/50 blend of Bical and María Gomes grapes from an old plot Vinha da Alagoa, and it matured for 22 months in a 1,000-liter Mosel foudre. 

Paired scrumptiously with Bienville oysters, pan roasted scallops and grilled lobster tails.

2017 Clos Cibonne Rosé Château Cibonne Cuvée Hommage à Marius

May 1st follow-up notes.

An aha moment!

"The Cuvee Marius is aged under a veil of yeast in the manner of a Fino Sherry, and as such is supposed to be oxidative with a savory, nutty character that is not at all like a regular rosé (almost like an extreme version of the rosado from Lopez de Heredia)"

So I believe the wine was sound. It just presents very differently than a standard rose.

--------
April 30th notes

Wow! This was not anything like I expected. It seemed very oxidized to me .... like a sherry at first but then maybe more similar to a Jura wine... 
90% Tibouren, 10% Grenache

Does anyone have any recent experience with this wine? (The Marius Cuvee)

2018 Castellare Chianti Classico

 90% Sangioveto, 10% Canaiolo

Absolutely classic blend.
This is very structured dark red cherry. 
Too young based on pop and pour.
But a beautiful wine. 
Plenty left for day two assessment. 
Enjoyed solo. 
Seems robust enough to complement braised beef short ribs...

2018 Marcel Deiss Grasberg

Companion planting of Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer in Alsace.

Always enjoyable. This bottle showed more broadly and less succinctly than other vintages I've had. 

Paired scrumptiously with crab and chorizo croquettes with pepperjam garnish.

2008 Léon Beyer Riesling Comtes d'Eguisheim

 

This was fun and showed quite well. More about nicely aged tropical oriented fruit.... light in acidity...paired nicely with a really tasty marinated tuna poke. 
First time trying this Alsatian producer. I sort of prefer the complexity of palate that Deiss provides with his field blend methodology. 

Even though the wine doesn't indicate Grand Cru on the label, the fruit was sourced from Pfersigberg and Eichberg Grand Cru sites..

2007 Rochioli Pint Noir Little Hill Vineyard

 2.8 acre parcel Russian River Valley, Sonoma County 

Little Hill Vineyard is planted to Rochioli West Block selection, Pommard, and a small amount of RC selection.(see accompanying map)

Double decanted back into clean bottle. Minimal amount of very very fine grained sediment. Drank over the course of a couple of nights. The first go round was closed with a shy nose. More savory character than fruit character.... gives the impression of maybe being a bit past prime drinking window. Not a lot of complexity on the finish, but well balanced with no heat.

The next day or two saw it open up and become more generous with its charms. Still primarily savory in character but tasty red/blue fruit filling it out. ...

Eventually paired well with lobster and filet mignon surf and turf dinner. ... 

I've ALWAYS enjoyed these wines...

2016 Pierres Seches St. Joseph Blanc Saint Epine

 100% Roussanne 

I usually prefer Marsanne, but this actually worked out pretty good. I like it better than the 2016 rouge version of this wine, which I thought was a tad oaky. 

Nice florals leapt out right away, but the palate took time to open up ... like it needs a couple of hours of air to show well now.

Paired well with a squid ink bucatini seafood dish (clams, squid and sausage (not chorizo)... very Spanish style dish. Also flounder filet over slow cooked grits.. killer flavors... 

The brilliance of Deiss 😊

 

https://cluboenologique.com/story/wine-photographer-of-the-year-2026-shortlist/

Jean-Michel Deiss Foot-Treading his Pinot Noir in Bergheim, Alsace



Please, oh lord, let him be wearing a speedo or something under there! 😲

2007 Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello Riserva

 This showed just flat out elegant and delicious. Probably the most refined Ovello I've ever had... lighter in color, clear ruby translucence in the glass.. a joy to drink.... still good to cellar for another few years but I think it's at peak now. I love these wines. 

2004 Calera Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard (Mt. Harlan)

 Interesting,  but a ponderous (not uplifting fruit) finish for this particular bottle... glad I had a chance to try it... pretty good paired with BBQ sandwich and greens... 

It's just not elegant, really... 

2021 and 2022 Terlano Vorberg Riserva

 I suppose I discovered Vorberg Riserva through @"Mark Scudiery" and @"Ian D'Agata" .

The 2021 is beautiful now. Seriously. Pop one. 

The 2022 is leaner and more acidic, not as full and round.

I enjoy fuller and rounder pinot bianco. 

I'm also a fan of what Marcel Deiss does in Alsace with pinot bianco as part of his field blend wines. Big fan. 

So Krankl does truly inspired white blends,  but they're not field blends I don't think and not motivated to look that up at this moment. But I'd like to know. 

2018 Dragonette Cellars Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

 Popped and decanted to get some air. Unfolded graciously, but clearly young.... structured red fruit, suave tannins and a tight savoriness that loosens up over a few hours that, to me, speaks of some whole cluster inclusion. This my first experience with this Santa Barbara producer. Two thumbs up. Enjoyed with chicken and sausage jambalaya. 

Sonoma Coast GC vs Corton GC

 

Enjoyed the 2009 Aubert Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard alongside the 2010 Michel Mallard Corton Le Rognet Grand Cru. Aubert was double decanted back into bottle.... some very fine sediment.... really a wow wine.... haven't had one in ages. Mallard was slow-o'd in bottle for a couple of hours. Both wines paired deliciously with Creole BBQ grilled oysters, grilled octopus and charcoal grilled whole branzino. 
I was focused on the Aubert until I tasted the Corton Le Rognet and was riveted to how on point it was.... a beautifully elegant showing. In reality, I've never had a pinot noir from the Hill of Corton that was ready. This was my first encounter with Le Rognet Grand Cru, and oh boy is it good stuff. My favorite of any of the Corton GC reds. Lengthy savory finish... surprisingly approachable for a 2010 ....

We've got a 2010 Michel Mallard Corton Maréchaudes waiting in the wings to compare to the 2010 Corton Le Rognet! Will report back 👍🍷
The 2010 Corton Le Rognet was crazily approachable! I've never had anything like it from Corton before!

I found a bit of background info on Maréchaudes... look forward to trying it... ...

"...The name "Maréchaudes" is derived from the name of a vineyard mentioned in the 13th century as "En Mareschaut", which comes from the Old French "maresche" (marshland). The lower part of Aloxe-Corton was indeed marshy due to its proximity to the source of the Lauve river. Major work was undertaken to drain the soil to make it suitable for viticulture..."

I found some notes on a 2010 Michel Mallard Aloxe-Corton La Toppe Au Vert 1er Cru we enjoyed about a year ago that showed well, with Maréchaudes being located just next door to La Toppe... indeed,  upon closer examination of the maps, a small corner of La Toppe Au Vert may be classed as Grand Cru, with the rest being 1er Cru...

http://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2025/03/2010-domaine-michel-mallard-aloxe.html

Based on comments by @"Neal Martin", Mallard uses anywhere from 60% to 80% whole cluster in his Grand Cru wines and up to 50% bunches for the 1er Cru wines.