Florida Jim
Florida Jim
Wine impressions 10-23-21
2005 Huet, Vouvray Clos du Bourg Sec - lively, bright, typical but a little thin. Still, very nice wine and such pure flavor.
2018 Dirty & Rowdy, Mourvèdre Evangelho - decanted 1 1/2 hours; medium weight, sappy, beautifully textured, precise and layered flavors with a light tannic grip. My guess is that cellar time will be good to this but it’s so delicious now . . . what’s a boy to do?
1990 Ridge, Zinfandel Lytton Springs - at 30, still recognizable as Zinfandel (so many older Zins more resemble Claret); takes 1/2 hour to open and does so with sweet fruit, good balance and a velvet texture. But the oak has added a layer of confection that makes the overall delivery too sweet. Always of interest to taste older wines but this just reconfirms my decision to not buy Ridge anymore - their oak regimen doesn’t work for me.
2019 Clos Cibonne, Tibouren Rose Cuvée Tradition - simply great wine; balanced, flavorful, light-weight and lots of finish. I’m told these age well - not in my house. Way too good now.
2011 Voge, Cornas Les Chailles - reminded me of a cool vintage St. Joseph in the old world style. Not the depth of the more touted cuvées but a balanced rusticity and savoriness that was excellent on its own and a great compliment to food. A lightweight but complex wine . . . in other words, my wheelhouse.
2019 Louis Michel, Chablis Forets - IMO, this vineyard often speaks to the classic steeliness that Chablis can deliver. And in this fairly classic vintage, this bottle delivers that character as well as one could ask. Lots of cut and mineral but also spot on citrus and lemon oil flavors with precision, balance and length. Outstanding, albeit young, and Diane is smiling. Me, too.
2018 Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie - “Gamay - goblet pruning - 10,000 vines / hectare - 4.5 hectares of a 35-year-old plot, named Poncié very steep, not mechanizable on the heights of Fleurie, pink granite soil rich in mica and quartz. South east exposure.
Sustainable agriculture, manual harvest at full maturity. Vinification: traditional for Beaujolais: half-carbonic maceration with two pump-overs per day, 10 days of maceration in concrete tanks, no chaptalization or yeasting, minimum of SO2.”
The website is specific; me, not so much. Accompanied a wild mushroom galette and roasted Swiss chard stems with Parmesan. By itself, the wine shows some of the stem inclusion typical in carbonic. But with the food it disappears and the combination is symbiotic. This vintage is not as fruit forward as some but the wine doesn’t lack for density, structure or sustain. Needs time in bottle to integrate yet, with the right food, it’s where it should be. Damn good.
Best, jim
2005 Huet, Vouvray Clos du Bourg Sec - lively, bright, typical but a little thin. Still, very nice wine and such pure flavor.
2018 Dirty & Rowdy, Mourvèdre Evangelho - decanted 1 1/2 hours; medium weight, sappy, beautifully textured, precise and layered flavors with a light tannic grip. My guess is that cellar time will be good to this but it’s so delicious now . . . what’s a boy to do?
1990 Ridge, Zinfandel Lytton Springs - at 30, still recognizable as Zinfandel (so many older Zins more resemble Claret); takes 1/2 hour to open and does so with sweet fruit, good balance and a velvet texture. But the oak has added a layer of confection that makes the overall delivery too sweet. Always of interest to taste older wines but this just reconfirms my decision to not buy Ridge anymore - their oak regimen doesn’t work for me.
2019 Clos Cibonne, Tibouren Rose Cuvée Tradition - simply great wine; balanced, flavorful, light-weight and lots of finish. I’m told these age well - not in my house. Way too good now.
2011 Voge, Cornas Les Chailles - reminded me of a cool vintage St. Joseph in the old world style. Not the depth of the more touted cuvées but a balanced rusticity and savoriness that was excellent on its own and a great compliment to food. A lightweight but complex wine . . . in other words, my wheelhouse.
2019 Louis Michel, Chablis Forets - IMO, this vineyard often speaks to the classic steeliness that Chablis can deliver. And in this fairly classic vintage, this bottle delivers that character as well as one could ask. Lots of cut and mineral but also spot on citrus and lemon oil flavors with precision, balance and length. Outstanding, albeit young, and Diane is smiling. Me, too.
2018 Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie - “Gamay - goblet pruning - 10,000 vines / hectare - 4.5 hectares of a 35-year-old plot, named Poncié very steep, not mechanizable on the heights of Fleurie, pink granite soil rich in mica and quartz. South east exposure.
Sustainable agriculture, manual harvest at full maturity. Vinification: traditional for Beaujolais: half-carbonic maceration with two pump-overs per day, 10 days of maceration in concrete tanks, no chaptalization or yeasting, minimum of SO2.”
The website is specific; me, not so much. Accompanied a wild mushroom galette and roasted Swiss chard stems with Parmesan. By itself, the wine shows some of the stem inclusion typical in carbonic. But with the food it disappears and the combination is symbiotic. This vintage is not as fruit forward as some but the wine doesn’t lack for density, structure or sustain. Needs time in bottle to integrate yet, with the right food, it’s where it should be. Damn good.
Best, jim
