The best wine I have ever had.

Today I popped a bottle I picked up online. I had seen several up at auction a few months ago but the price kept me away. The rating- a 96 from Wine Spectator- attracted my eye, and relative to other much more expensive bottles (Giacosa, Scavino, Vietti), it had a higher rating, and therefore was something I had to try.
2000 Giacomo Grimaldi Barolo "Le Coste" 14.5% abv
c- the typical of aged Barolo, black inky depths to a faded orange rim.
a- goes on forever. Roses, violet, tar, raspberry, blackberry, dry earth.
f- dry roses, tar, animal or game, raspberry, balsamic. caramel and truffle way way back on the finish. m+ body, l+ finish.
94-95
This was an amazing bottle! The finish seemed to go on forever, and I was picking up nuances of different things as that time went on. Really spectacular. A wine of singular character.
Just for reference, I paid 55 for this bottle. In the big scheme of things, that is alot of money. But compared to single vineyard bottlings from the above producers, a relative steal. I will remember this one for a long time and I'll be on the lookout for more of it.

The Wines of the Northern Rhone Valley.

I have been wanting to taste some of the Northern Rhones I have been reading about and studying, so I found some! These are not in the order that I drank them, but I will start to the south and head north.
First up:
1999 E. Guigal Hermitage 13% abv
c- garnet purple fading to orange rim.
a- plum, strawberry, cassis, pine herbs, animal, leather, meat.
f- plum, strawberry, currant, meat, smoke, vanilla and campfire. some spices and pine herbs. m+body and m+ finish.
91
2008 Domaine Faury St. Joseph 13% abv
c- ruby to garnet edges
a- blackberry, plum, bell pepper, animal, leather, vanilla, spices, pine herbs.
f- blackberry, plum, black pepper, animal, leather, spices, pine herbs. m+body, m+ finish
89-90
2008 Domaine Faury Cote Rotie 13% abv
c- purple/ruby with lighter rim
a- blackberry, currant, vanilla, spices, and pine herbs.
f- blackberry, currant, strawberry, white pepper, vanilla and campfire. m+ body, m+ finish.
89
The best was the Hermitage of course also the most expensive. A really great wine of depth and personality. But for my money, I would seek the Faury St. Joseph. I found it to be just as good if not even better than the Cote Rotie, which cost me a little more than three times as much. Honestly, I was disappointed with the Cote Rotie. I was really expecting more. As you can see from my notes, it was actually pretty close to the St. Joseph. I will have to try some from another producer when I can find some at a reasonable price.

Germany, Burgundy and the "Pinot" of Italy.

Well my collection has grown and I felt the need to dip into it for a few things over the weeks. First I wanted to taste two Burgundies, and then a Barbaresco, made from Nebbiolo, the grape called the pinot of Italy.
2006 Philippe Colin 1er St. Aubin Les Combes 13.5% abv.
c- yellow to straw, green hints.
a- lemon peel, peach, cantaloupe, hazelnuts, butter, white flowers.
f- toast, lemon, oak, nuts, flowers, minerality, stone.
M+ body, m+ finish
91-92
2007 Paitin Sori'Paitin Barbaresco 14% abv.
c- garnet to orange.
a- rose, violet, tar, animal, raspberry, cherry.
f- confirms. Mineral, dried rose, tar, violet, animal.
92
1997 Charlopin Clos de Fixey 13%
c- amazingly after 14 years in bottle this still has a pretty concentrated color. garnet to orange edges.
a- tart red cherry, plum, raspberry, chalk, animal, vanilla, baking spices.
f- tart red cherry, raspberry, animal, forest, campfire, smoke. long finish, medium bodied. pretty darn good.
91
2005 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Spatlese 8.5%
c- yellow with green hints.
a- peach, melon, citrus, petrol, slate, flowers.
f- peach, lemon peel, melon, mineral, some floral. m body and m finish.
92

Beaujolais!

The third Thursday of November marks the release date of Beaujolais Nouveau, the wine made from the Gamay grape in the same year of release. This is accompanied by much fanfare around the world, but of course, Nouveau is nothing serious, but rather a fun, gulpable, grapey wine meant to be drunk soon after release and best slightly chilled.
I have read a wine writer (forget who) describe Beaujolais as a white wine that happens to be red. I can see some truth in this. There is really no tannin, a high acidity, and while the flavors skew towards red wine (berry, red fruits, etc), it is a very fruit forward easy drinker...
2011 Deboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 12.5% abv.
c- electric purple, thins to edges, watery rim.
a- grape, candy, pear.
f- the same. not alot going on here, but drinkable with a light body and short finish.
84
2010 L'Ancien Beaujolais 12% abv.
c- clear purple to ruby rim.
a- granite, strawberry, raspberry, earth, more serious.
f- lighter but some depth. tobacco, deeper berry. short finish, light body.
87
2009 Christian Vergier Morgon "Tour de Tanay" 13% abv.
-this is from one of the crus or more distinguished wine producing villages in Beaujolais.
c- clear purple to ruby rim.
a- concord grape, strawberry, raspberry, dark gravel, more serious again.
f- grape is predominate with strawberry, raspberry, leather, and earth. light+ body with a medium finish.
88
Some don't like the fresh fruit flavors of Beaujolais. For those I would recommend seeking out the crus, though the label won't say Beaujolais on it anywhere. Your local shop should be able to help you find something though.
I guess no real favorite here. All pretty easy to drink but I guess if pressed I would pick the L'Ancien because of the definite earthiness to it.