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.
Monday, December 12, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, December 5, 2011
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
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.
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.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Good news, Champagne/Sparkling and a few treats.
I will start with the good news. Last week I was able to pass the level one sommelier certification class and test administered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. I told Katie that I felt like I over studied, but I guess that paid off since I got the highest grade in the class!
I didn't feel the test was too hard since I was pretty familiar with most of the material. It was 70 questions multiple choice pass/fail and you had to get 60% or more correct to pass, so it would seem like the odds were greatly in your favor. Yet I would say 15-25% of the people in the class didn't pass. I talked to one of my coworkers about that and she said she thought people came to the class expecting to learn everything they needed to know, which is just not the case. They do cover everything, but it is at a very quick pace, so a good background is definitely needed.
Something else that also helped me alot was my like of many of the classical areas they covered. I already knew the 5 first growths of Bordeaux, basically didn't have to study Burgundy and Germany at all, knew northern Italy, the Rhone valley, etc.
Anyway, I will be going for level 2 in about a year. I am excited for that. Lots of studying and tasting to do in the mean time.
This week I had the pleasure of tasting two really great wines thanks to a customer at work. The first was one of the first growth Bordeauxs mentioned, a 1964 Haut-Brion from magnum. I didn't take notes, but this was one of the best red wines I have ever had. Tobacco, dried leaves, wet dog (in a good way), dark red and black fruits. Great depth, and I could literally taste it minutes later. I will have to rate it a 93-94.
The owner of the bottle said he felt it was on the way out, and that 750mL bottles of the same he had in the past few years were much better.
The other was a 2004 j.f. Coche-Dury Meursault. He is one of the few consistently high quality white wine producers in Burgundy, and his wines are expensive. Even this bottle with a basic village ac will set you back 200 or more. Great nose, steely crushed rock minerality, toasted hazelnut, honey, white flowers. Amazing depth. 91.
The week before I bought a few different sparkling wines to try. The first I had heard good things about and was looking forward to.
NV Gruet Brut Methode Champenoise (from 375mL).
c- light yellow.
a- toast, flowers, marble.
f- light honey, some minerality. light body, short finish. not much else...
84
NV Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Rose 12% abv (from 750mL).
c- pink to salmon.
a- strawberry, tart apple, yeast.
f- strawberry with red apple more predominate. light but steely minerality. m body with a m+ finish. really pretty good.
90-91
NV Taittinger Brut La Francaise 12% abv (from 375mL).
c- gold.
a- toast, apple, soft pretzel.
f- caramel with secondary flavors developing. mineral. m finish and m+ body.
87
The least expensive here was the Gruet, and that would be a good everyday drinker, or something to get for parties on a budget. I got the Taittinger in a half bottle so it was relatively affordable, but in a full bottle the Feuillatte would be less expensive and I found it to be better. That would be my pick of the litter this time around.
I didn't feel the test was too hard since I was pretty familiar with most of the material. It was 70 questions multiple choice pass/fail and you had to get 60% or more correct to pass, so it would seem like the odds were greatly in your favor. Yet I would say 15-25% of the people in the class didn't pass. I talked to one of my coworkers about that and she said she thought people came to the class expecting to learn everything they needed to know, which is just not the case. They do cover everything, but it is at a very quick pace, so a good background is definitely needed.
Something else that also helped me alot was my like of many of the classical areas they covered. I already knew the 5 first growths of Bordeaux, basically didn't have to study Burgundy and Germany at all, knew northern Italy, the Rhone valley, etc.
Anyway, I will be going for level 2 in about a year. I am excited for that. Lots of studying and tasting to do in the mean time.
This week I had the pleasure of tasting two really great wines thanks to a customer at work. The first was one of the first growth Bordeauxs mentioned, a 1964 Haut-Brion from magnum. I didn't take notes, but this was one of the best red wines I have ever had. Tobacco, dried leaves, wet dog (in a good way), dark red and black fruits. Great depth, and I could literally taste it minutes later. I will have to rate it a 93-94.
The owner of the bottle said he felt it was on the way out, and that 750mL bottles of the same he had in the past few years were much better.
The other was a 2004 j.f. Coche-Dury Meursault. He is one of the few consistently high quality white wine producers in Burgundy, and his wines are expensive. Even this bottle with a basic village ac will set you back 200 or more. Great nose, steely crushed rock minerality, toasted hazelnut, honey, white flowers. Amazing depth. 91.
The week before I bought a few different sparkling wines to try. The first I had heard good things about and was looking forward to.
NV Gruet Brut Methode Champenoise (from 375mL).
c- light yellow.
a- toast, flowers, marble.
f- light honey, some minerality. light body, short finish. not much else...
84
NV Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Rose 12% abv (from 750mL).
c- pink to salmon.
a- strawberry, tart apple, yeast.
f- strawberry with red apple more predominate. light but steely minerality. m body with a m+ finish. really pretty good.
90-91
NV Taittinger Brut La Francaise 12% abv (from 375mL).
c- gold.
a- toast, apple, soft pretzel.
f- caramel with secondary flavors developing. mineral. m finish and m+ body.
87
The least expensive here was the Gruet, and that would be a good everyday drinker, or something to get for parties on a budget. I got the Taittinger in a half bottle so it was relatively affordable, but in a full bottle the Feuillatte would be less expensive and I found it to be better. That would be my pick of the litter this time around.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Cabernet Sauvignon.
This time around I was on to Cabernets. I tasted one French vs. two American examples.
2005 Christian Moueix "Medoc" 13.5% abv
c- garnet to orange edges.
a- cassis, gravel, clay, oak. blackberry, bell pepper?
f- m body, m+ finish. plum, dark fruits, berry, cinnamon?
87
2008 Ghost Pines Cabernet 13.9% abv
c- purple black.
a- cassis, dark fruit, plum, blackberry, oak.
f- confirms. full- body, medium+ finish. fruity and berry. some tannin, good but simple.
87
2005 Jordan Cabernet Alexander Valley 13.5% abv
c- dark ruby black to garnet edges.
a- earth, cassis, bell pepper, dark fruits.
f- touch oak, nice acid. full mouth, long- finish. very good. confirms aroma.
90-91
My favorite was the Jordan, but this will be the most expensive. I got a great deal and paid 33 a bottle, but I think you'll see it more around 50. It is different from alot of Cali cabs in that it seems to be more earth driven and less obviously fruity.
As far as value, the Moueix 'Medoc' while obviously a product of marketing, wasn't bad for the price (12), as well as the Ghost Pines (20ish). Of those two, I suppose I would have to give the nod to the Medoc.
2005 Christian Moueix "Medoc" 13.5% abv
c- garnet to orange edges.
a- cassis, gravel, clay, oak. blackberry, bell pepper?
f- m body, m+ finish. plum, dark fruits, berry, cinnamon?
87
2008 Ghost Pines Cabernet 13.9% abv
c- purple black.
a- cassis, dark fruit, plum, blackberry, oak.
f- confirms. full- body, medium+ finish. fruity and berry. some tannin, good but simple.
87
2005 Jordan Cabernet Alexander Valley 13.5% abv
c- dark ruby black to garnet edges.
a- earth, cassis, bell pepper, dark fruits.
f- touch oak, nice acid. full mouth, long- finish. very good. confirms aroma.
90-91
My favorite was the Jordan, but this will be the most expensive. I got a great deal and paid 33 a bottle, but I think you'll see it more around 50. It is different from alot of Cali cabs in that it seems to be more earth driven and less obviously fruity.
As far as value, the Moueix 'Medoc' while obviously a product of marketing, wasn't bad for the price (12), as well as the Ghost Pines (20ish). Of those two, I suppose I would have to give the nod to the Medoc.
I'm not drinking any fucking Merlot. Oh wait...
I'll start you off with an infamous scene from the great movie Sideways. Though this was a work of fiction, it actually (this line in particular) had an effect on the wine industry. Sales of Merlot went down, and sales of Pinot Noir (Miles' favorite) went up.
Merlot has its historic home in Bordeaux. Here it is used in smaller proportions in left bank wines (west of the river Gironde) and in general, is the main constituent of right bank wines. Of course, these days it is grown all over the place.
2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estates Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 14.5% abv
c- dark purple.
a- (can't read some of my writing), dark fruit, oak.
f- confirms with oak more present. smoother and softer mouthfeel. full body, long finish with notes of chocolate.
87
2006 Burgess Napa Valley Merlot 14.4% abv.
c- purple to ruby at edges.
a- gravel to slate? earthier, dark fruits, a little hot, oak, campfire.
f- earth, depth. full- body, m+ finish. some oak, darker fruits.
88
2007 Souverain Merlot Alexander Valley 14.5% abv.
c- purple.
a- cassis, dark fruit, dry earth.
f- deep. full body, long finish, dark fruits, light oak influence. pretty good.
89
My favorite here was the Souverain which was also the least expensive. Again, all of these were under twenty dollars, and I think they were all good enough that I would buy them again, though I am not a big Merlot drinker. I don't hate it like Miles, but it's not something I would normally pick if left to my own devices.
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