TN: the somnambulist walks through 9 wines

M

MarkS

Mark Svereika
Upstate New York can be called many things, and usually this time of year bleak can be one of them. Winter seems to have come early, bringing snowcover to cover the brumbles and grey curtains to cover the skylights. The weather here is like soap opera elsewhere: who needs gossip when meterology can do it for you? It makes life very simple: what to cook? what wine to pop? what movie to rent? Very simple. We should all be so lucky.

Palari, Faro, 2002
From the tiniest DOC on a little tip of Sicily comes this nerello mascalese blend. The color is an attractive cranberry red with an orange-rind rim. Cherry and pomegranite aromas, along with ox musk. In the mouth, there's cherry, spearmint stick, old sherry cask...a bit angular, rocky toward the end wit hstill prominent tannin. This is nice, but worth a premium to their Rosso? A-

Clos du Marquis, Saint Julien, 2000
Funny, I just saw a discussion of this on the E-Bob board. Guess they didn't like it. I did. Not immensely, but it had all the ingredients there for a Bordeaux lover: graphite, plum, lead, leather, blackcurrants. A bit on the austere side, but solid Bordeaux, especially for the $25 or so I bought it for. A-/B+

Rizzi, Barbaresco, 'Riserva', 2001
Light maroon red color. Peppery licorice-mint nose. Surprisingly light-to-medium bodied nebbiolo, with enough varietal characteristics to make it interesting. Tastes more of the periphery (Ghemme, Roero, etc.) than of Piedmont Central. B+

Domaine Pinson, Chablis 'Montmain', 2005
Can we start a 2005 white Burgundy premox thread? This only had the slightest oxidative note, but has other attractive elements to keep it at bay: marbletop and lime, calcium wash, sunflower seed, and lemon meringue pie, coalesced in a light and delicate package. Attractively good. B+/A-

Sella, Lessona, 2001
Taking on a more stewed, autumnal profile than the spring-like bottle I tried in June. Dried strawberry-rosehip-fig jam flavors on the end. Differently good. A-

Domaine du Vissoux, Fleurie 'Poncie', 2005
From the super-spoof Beaujolais vintage, there's subtle mulberry on the nose, appearing again on the palate along with unripe black raspberries. This is drinking very smooth without much of the iodine component that I find typical of many Beaujolais. Some slight dust on the finish and a lightish body. Pig-on-a-lipstick good. A-

Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes, 2001
I can see why this vintage is so mythical. Everything here is in such outsized proportion, but obscenly balanced and held in check. The envelope is pushed and becomes a no.10. Beautiful burnt sugar aromas, botrytis, pineapple and guava paste. These show up again in the mouth, perhaps the only distraction is a wavering buterscotch note: sometimes I like it, othertimes I want it to go away. Still, the feeling of weight and litheness gives this a most-excellent rating. solid A, possible A+

Sean Thackery, Petite Sirah, Mendocino County, 'Eaglepoint Ranch', 2004
Also known as "Sirius". Dark reddish purple that stains the bottle's glass sides. Dark fruit aromas. Brambleberry, tar, young Spanish leather in the mouth, slightly mourvedre-like, which I guess shouldn't be surprising. Excellent balance and sappiness, that keeps this big wine from becoming obtuse. Pretty smooth for a pet. 15.3% A-

Tardieu-Laurent, Cote Rotie, 1999
Marred by excessive VA. Toss.
 
originally posted by MarkS:
Sella, Lessona, 2001
Taking on a more stewed, autumnal profile than the spring-like bottle I tried in June. Dried strawberry-rosehip-fig jam flavors on the end. Differently good. A-
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That's my take as well. I've been finishing up my supply of this in the past couple months, while not worrying about finishing the 2001 San Sebastiano allo Zoppo from Lessona (which is also drinking well but seems more youthful to me).
 
We just had the 2004 Thackery Petite Sirah Sirius ourselves last week in a lineup of Petite Sirah. This one, along with the relatively obscure 1999 Field Stone PS showed the best. I think the Thackery needs some time, but it seems all the elements are there in balance. Certainly showed better than the jammy and hot 2004 Switchback Petite Sirah...
 
Good notes, thank you. I have been balking at my 00 CdM but will have to try one soon. The vote on CT seems to be that it is still very young.

originally posted by MarkS:
Pig-on-a-lipstick good.
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Hey! Where are the political censors! This is total provocation! We all know who he's really talking about.
 
Appreciate the thoughts on the '01 Sella Lessona. I've opened a couple of bottles over the last year and found it very youthful, but it sounds like I should check in again.

Bwood, how would you compare the San Sebastiano allo Zoppo to the regular Lessona? I'm sitting on a few bottles but figured it was hands off for another year or two.

I'm also sitting on some '01 and '02 Palari Faro. I've heard great things about this wine over the years, but the new releases tend to strike me as offensively oaky at the yearly GR Tre Bicchieri tasting. Did the wood seem well integrated in your 2002, Mark? I'd be interested to hear Levi D's thoughts on this wine.

The only vintage of the Rosso del Soprano I've tasted was the 2003, which was unfortunately like a lot of other 2003s.
 
My experience with Palari Faro is limited to 2000, 2004, and 2005. With Rosso del Soprano I have had the 1999 (from magnum) and the 2004 on several occasions. I'll get a chance to try the Soprano '05 shortly.

My take is that the wines age very well in the medium term. The 2000 Faro was drinking beautifully early this year (last check in was probably Feb. or March). Volnay like. Very long, very detailed. The nuances had really come out. The 1999 Soprano from magnum was a big hit here when we were pouring it by the glass over the summer of this year. We ran through many, many 6-packs in no time flat. I thought that it was usually quite beautiful (there was some bottle variation, as I guess one might expect). On the level of a very good 1er Cru Beaune. Tertiary flavors, some animale notes. Very good. On the quality level of a good 1993 red from the Cotes-de-Beaune in terms of how it was drinking these days. We had a couple of corked magnums in the run.

I like the '05 Faro. I stocked up on some more recently. I wouldn't doubt that it could mature well over the next few years, and I intend to find out by checking in on the progress, in fact. Right now it is pretty primary, and there is some wood, yes. For me it is pretty open. Think Alain Burguet in 2006.

I think that the Soprano '04 is a much simpler wine than the '05 Faro, as would befit the price difference. I usually pitch the the Soprano '04 to those looking for something like a New Zealand pinot noir. Not as fruity and ginormous as a Calif. Pinot, but not Burgundy, either. It is generally well received. Someone was very complimentary about it tonight, as a matter of fact.

For us the wines of Palari are a staple. We specialize in Southern Italy. If I didn't, I might be tempted to pass on the wines given the pricing involved, unless there was something available with a bit of age (the '00 Soprano is available in this market in magnum, but I haven't tried it yet). But then they are quite good, and they are certainly representative of some of the best of Sicily.
 
Levi, I don't have experience with Palari, though it's been on my to-drink list. Seems like I've one more reason to drop by for a meal and hello when next I'm in NYC...

I am familiar with Salvo Foti, Terre Nere, and Passopisciaro. Would you hazard an opinion as to how the Faro compares?
 
Did the wood seem well integrated in your 2002, Mark?
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Wood was definately there, but held in check. I didn't find it obtrusive, but I think the profile of nerello mascalese wines lend themselves to aging in larger used oak (foudre) than new small barrels. Desptite the similarities to Burgundy, I feel the treatment of the grape lends itself more to old-vine grenache than spoof.
 
originally posted by slaton:
Appreciate the thoughts on the '01 Sella Lessona. I've opened a couple of bottles over the last year and found it very youthful, but it sounds like I should check in again.

Bwood, how would you compare the San Sebastiano allo Zoppo to the regular Lessona? I'm sitting on a few bottles but figured it was hands off for another year or two.

I'm also sitting on some '01 and '02 Palari Faro. I've heard great things about this wine over the years, but the new releases tend to strike me as offensively oaky at the yearly GR Tre Bicchieri tasting. Did the wood seem well integrated in your 2002, Mark? I'd be interested to hear Levi D's thoughts on this wine.

The only vintage of the Rosso del Soprano I've tasted was the 2003, which was unfortunately like a lot of other 2003s.
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Slaton,

The San Sebastiano is a reserve wine aged in small wood, not more than 30% new. I don't find the oak invasive, and the raw material is very good. The wine is 90% Nebbiolo, whereas the normal Lessona is 80%. The other reserve Lessona bottling is Omaggio a Quintino Sella, which is all botti, and the same cpage as the regular Lessona.

In other words the Omaggio would be the more obvious choice for denizens of this board.

(I import Sella for California.)
 
Oliver (and others),
Have you tasted the 1999 Omaggio a Quintino Sella recently?
Any advice on drinking windows for this wine? Thanks.
 
Marc,

I have never tasted that vintage, the '01 is the oldest I've had. They only make the wine in exceptional vintages (of which there have been many lately, of course); if I had it in the cellar I'd drink a bottle in a 2 or 3 years to see where it was going.

The Bramaterras are interesting too, I'm just starting with those wines. Wiry wines, grown in porphyric soils. But again I don't have a long tasting experience.
 
I don't find the wood on the 2001 Lessona or '01 San Sebastiano to stick out at all.

I had the '99 Omaggio at the first of this year and thought, like, say, a classic '99 Barolo at this point, that it really needed some time. The '01 Zoppo drinks well now, but I can imagine further improvement, depending on how you like your wines when you drink them.

Oliver, tried '04s yet?

I have to admit I wasn't a big fan of the '03s I tried.
 
I thought the '04s were very good, similar vintage character to that of the Langhe, fairly ripe but with good freshness.

I don't have any experience with Carema but the aging curve for Lessona and Bramaterra might be similar. I just bought some '96 Ferrando but I won't be opening them for a while.

The '03 Lessona is shockingly aromatic, rosehips, cedar/sandalwood, hint of cinnamon. I showed it to my blind tasting group and eyebrows shot up all around the table. Maybe the blouse is a little too low-cut, a guilty pleasure.
 
You guys have the 2004 Sella wines in your market already?

I did notice the oak a little bit when I tasted the 2001 San Sabastiano last summer, more than a previous bottle. The 01 Bramaterra seemed more on the ripe side of the spectrum than wiry to me.
 
I don't have them yet, they'll be arriving in January. The good news with Sella is that the wines are very good and (equally important) very distinctive; the bad news is that it takes us 6 months to get an order from them. Arghh.
 
Nope, no 2004s here. I was just wondering if Oliver has gotten a chance to try them (maybe while in Italy?).

It's good to know I may not always be the utmost canary in the oak coal mine.

Agree about the '01 Bramaterra. I preferred the Lessonas. Although I liked the Bramaterra more than some disorderists.
 
I preferred the Lessonas too initially, but Bramaterra is growing on me.

If any of you live out this way we could drink some in say February. I'm having a baby in early February so some drinking will presumably be in order.
 
I was wondering about your recent weight gain. (Congrats!)

When I tasted at Sella and was asked which of the two (Lessona or Bramaterra) I preferred, I said that while I thought the Lessona was much more fun to drink, I thought the Bramaterra was a better wine. I've had two opportunities to compare since then, and I hold to that view for the vintage in question ('04).
 
I think I would have liked the Bramaterra more, instinctively, if I were a better person. But I am trying to move in that direction.

I think my figure has held up very well; my wife, on the other hand...
 
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