Christian Miller (CMM)
Christian Miller
It's good for the little ones to have role models.
CWD: What did you drink last night (or whenever)?
- Thread starter Jayson Cohen
- Start date
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
Thank you to Jayson, a gentleman and a comrade, for opening this. Easily as good as I would have expected any vintage of the fancier Cuvee Tardive to be at 20+ years. Fleshy, but intricately delineated and fresh; red-plummy with a persistent citric lift. Shockingly good after five days, never really going tertiary. (Please rotate your electronic display 90 degrees clockwise).
Damn
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
originally posted by BJ:
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
Unfortunately no. 2015 Brune et Blonde.
I confirmed tonight my 2004 Briords was lightly corked. Crazy young in magnum.
BTW Jayson, I like the looks of that glass. What is it?
FIFY
Also this is the Grassl Liberte glass. I like them a lot.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
Vosgros
Jim Hanlon
Jim Hanlon
Thanks. I'll snap one up if I get the chance.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
Fourth of July whites and sparkling. Let’s just say Chenin > Chardonnay.
Fourth of July reds, all in the zone. When 2006 Magdelaine gets going, which took a bit of air, wow. Others were very good too although 2011 Coudert Tardive needs more time.
For the search engine: Fortunato, Barbichon, Pepie, Montalena, Goodfellow, Morgen Long, Chidaine, Huet, Foillard, Roilette, Pape Clement, Jordan.
Jim Hanlon
Jim Hanlon
2020 Mas de Valeriole Grand Mar Rose: This wine was a rarity for me -- an uninteresting bottle from Rosenthal. I don't like every wine that Rosenthal imports, although often I do, but they're almost always interesting. This bottle drank as a ho-hum Provencal rose. The grape is Caladoc, which is a cross between Grenache and Malbec, which I guess is kind of interesting. But the wine was missing the bite to make it refreshing. It was just flat and boring. Maybe this bottle wasn't representative of the domaine, but I won't be rushing to find out. Frankly, it drank like "we can sell as much rose as we can buy, find some more." I expect that wasn't the intention, but that's how jarring the wine was in comparison to usual expectations for this portfolio.
Jim Hanlon
Jim Hanlon
When Gianfranco Soldera passed a few years ago, a friend bought a couple bottles because he hadn't experienced the wine. Last evening we finally gathered to drink one:
2008 Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blanc Cuvee Louis: I hardly ever drink tete de cuvee wines from the large Champagne houses, so my views are pretty uninformed. That said, I quite liked this in its style. Substantial dosage, you can feel the extra mid-palate richness. It could be a crowd pleaser now (even among many grower fans), but someone said this wine would really improve with aging, and I see that. I'm not a buyer, but glad to drink it.
1994 Ludovisi Fiorano Bianco: This was the Malvasia and Semillon blend. The Malvasia takes on oxidative qualities with age, and if you like that lane then this is a really wonderful wine. The Semillon provides an interesting counterpoint, and the wine really does benefit from the combination. (I like the straight Semillon from Ludovisi too.) A wine that is totally ready to drink, but should maintain for decades.
2009 Benanti Pietramarina: It's my understanding that the vineyard source on this wine changed, some time after this vintage. I've enjoyed a few older Pietramarinas over the years, but this bottle was the most memorable. Had that great quality of substance and depth paired with lightness of being. Rich but not ponderous, and also refreshing. Really exceptional.
2009 Soldera Sangiovese Toscana: The Brunello was bottled under this label in 2009. The wine has a stem-driven character, in a very good way. Lighter bodied and lighter colored, but with incredible palate depth and complexity. I dislike comparing everything to Burgundy, but here I go again: The wine has lots of commonalities with a good bottle of Dujac. Not in flavors, but in approach and personality. The nose will have fireworks, but isn't there yet. If I had a bottle, I'd squirrel it away for another decade. A privilege to drink.
2001 Salvioni Brunello di Montalcino: Drunk next to the Soldera, which is tough. This wine was far darker and richer in body, despite being eight years older. The pairing almost made the Salvioni seem heavy handed and ponderous, which was not at all the case. This wine has a long time to go, and is an exceptional traditional Brunello. One of those wines that would appeal to lots of people, although it's special enough to warrant discrete attention.
1999 Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino: Some folks thought this bottle was a little off, but I didn't get that. I thought it was a traditional, somewhat lighter styled Brunello from a warmer vintage that has just moved past its peak. I'm a big fan of Poggio di Sotto and the wine had much of what I appreciate about the domaine -- red fruited transparency, but with earthy, herbaceous depth. If this bottle was representative, not a wine to hold.
1999 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino: I stay away from modern-styled Brunello, but this was an interesting counterpoint. Drank much younger than the Poggio di Sotto, but not in a way that was interesting. The wine tasted essentially unevolved. Blind, I'd have guessed less than 10 years old. I'd be surprised if the wine ever becomes really interesting. Sort of international in style.
2008 Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blanc Cuvee Louis: I hardly ever drink tete de cuvee wines from the large Champagne houses, so my views are pretty uninformed. That said, I quite liked this in its style. Substantial dosage, you can feel the extra mid-palate richness. It could be a crowd pleaser now (even among many grower fans), but someone said this wine would really improve with aging, and I see that. I'm not a buyer, but glad to drink it.
1994 Ludovisi Fiorano Bianco: This was the Malvasia and Semillon blend. The Malvasia takes on oxidative qualities with age, and if you like that lane then this is a really wonderful wine. The Semillon provides an interesting counterpoint, and the wine really does benefit from the combination. (I like the straight Semillon from Ludovisi too.) A wine that is totally ready to drink, but should maintain for decades.
2009 Benanti Pietramarina: It's my understanding that the vineyard source on this wine changed, some time after this vintage. I've enjoyed a few older Pietramarinas over the years, but this bottle was the most memorable. Had that great quality of substance and depth paired with lightness of being. Rich but not ponderous, and also refreshing. Really exceptional.
2009 Soldera Sangiovese Toscana: The Brunello was bottled under this label in 2009. The wine has a stem-driven character, in a very good way. Lighter bodied and lighter colored, but with incredible palate depth and complexity. I dislike comparing everything to Burgundy, but here I go again: The wine has lots of commonalities with a good bottle of Dujac. Not in flavors, but in approach and personality. The nose will have fireworks, but isn't there yet. If I had a bottle, I'd squirrel it away for another decade. A privilege to drink.
2001 Salvioni Brunello di Montalcino: Drunk next to the Soldera, which is tough. This wine was far darker and richer in body, despite being eight years older. The pairing almost made the Salvioni seem heavy handed and ponderous, which was not at all the case. This wine has a long time to go, and is an exceptional traditional Brunello. One of those wines that would appeal to lots of people, although it's special enough to warrant discrete attention.
1999 Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino: Some folks thought this bottle was a little off, but I didn't get that. I thought it was a traditional, somewhat lighter styled Brunello from a warmer vintage that has just moved past its peak. I'm a big fan of Poggio di Sotto and the wine had much of what I appreciate about the domaine -- red fruited transparency, but with earthy, herbaceous depth. If this bottle was representative, not a wine to hold.
1999 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino: I stay away from modern-styled Brunello, but this was an interesting counterpoint. Drank much younger than the Poggio di Sotto, but not in a way that was interesting. The wine tasted essentially unevolved. Blind, I'd have guessed less than 10 years old. I'd be surprised if the wine ever becomes really interesting. Sort of international in style.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
2018 Les Bottes Rouges León (Arbois Chardonnay) from Jean-Baptiste Menigoz, which I had been looking forward to trying, is a hard pass for me. This oxidative and oxidized Arbois youngin just sucked if I got a true bottle.
Needing solace after giving the Arbois a three-day chance, then pouring a third of it down the drain, I reached for some dessert brilliance, 1996 Pierre-Bise Coteaux du Layon Chaume. This gem is one of the bottles I’ve had longest in the cellar, bought near its release 24+ years ago. It’s singing with an hour of air—like zingy liquified spiced apricots with a pecan/walnut and orange peel streak. So delicious. Beautiful deep copper sheen ain’t bad to look at either. Papin is a kook and a genius.
Drank another of my ever-diminising-then-replenished stash of Huet 2008 Le Mont DS, an excellent pairing with a crab, corn, tomato and basil salad. I had wine-loving friends over and when I checked my notes on CT to ascertain what they though when I last served it to them I learned that of the 14 previously drunk by me, none had been opened for them. All had the following word in My notes - “delicious” - and this bottle was too.
Also opened the first of my 1999 Roumier Cras bottles. Despite being decanted a couple of hours prior to dinner, the wine took all night to fully open. A good drink, altho perhaps not as attractive as the 95 and 98 bottlings from this site (according to my memory at least). Worth $1000+? Not to me.
Also opened the first of my 1999 Roumier Cras bottles. Despite being decanted a couple of hours prior to dinner, the wine took all night to fully open. A good drink, altho perhaps not as attractive as the 95 and 98 bottlings from this site (according to my memory at least). Worth $1000+? Not to me.
I had 4-5 bottles from this producer (all whites) during my trip to France. The León bottles I had were 2020 (which I liked), but I had Chardonnay and Savignin from other vintages and different cuvées and liked them all. It could just be drinking in situ or just being more chill because I was on vacation. Anyway, I was going to see if I could get these in NC for the resto.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
Maybe I had an off bottle. This was my first go-round with this producer to my recollection. You can see the color. I usually don’t care about color except when the wine is oxidized. Maybe this was cooked somewhere along the line. I was certainly patient with it to give it the benefit of my doubt.
Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis
Maybe I can drive down for that.
That all sounds good to me. If we want a larger group, perhaps the (seemingly-defunct) jeebus board, or email.
From my end, scheduling is a bit tricky. We actually leave Berlin to fly back to NC tomorrow (assuming the Airplane Gods don't hit us with cancellations and delays). Early August we move to Nyc. I continue commuting back to NC weekly during fall semester but will be in Nyc for weekends. At a minimum, should be time to see VLM.
From my end, scheduling is a bit tricky. We actually leave Berlin to fly back to NC tomorrow (assuming the Airplane Gods don't hit us with cancellations and delays). Early August we move to Nyc. I continue commuting back to NC weekly during fall semester but will be in Nyc for weekends. At a minimum, should be time to see VLM.
Jim Hanlon
Jim Hanlon
2021 Iruai Shasta Cascade Red: This is a blend of grapes sourced from northern California (Trinity Lakes AVA) and southern Oregon (Rogue Valley AVA). Trousseau, Mondeuse, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Blaufrankisch. A delicious, glou glou red. I don't know that it speaks robustly to place, although I have almost no experience with these AVAs anyway. Light bodied, transparent in color and flavor. Juice and a little spice. So drinkable. This has enough going on for wine geeks and would be plain tasty for others. One of the better self-styled "natural wines" I've had from the U.S. lately.
Pavel Tchichikov
Pavel Tchichikov
you ever drink Ransom? Rustic(*) but man talk about honest and fun. And don't miss their gin and whiskey :)
(*) that might actually be the dirt
Jim Hanlon
Jim Hanlon
Have had their gin, but didn't even know they made wine.