CWD: What did you drink last night (or whenever)?

2011 Mineral + (sec), Montlouis-sur-Loire, Frantz Saumon

3rd of 4 bottles. One was fine, one was a bit far gone, this one is the best so far. Quite aromatic, well balanced, just the right amount of acidity.

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are there other nicknames they bottle or just the two?

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
There are between 1 and 2 dozen.

Crazy. Doubting there are significant differences between a fuder standing a foot apart.
 
originally posted by MarkS:

are there other nicknames they bottle or just the two?

originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
There are between 1 and 2 dozen.

Crazy. Doubting there are significant differences between a fuder standing a foot apart.

You understand or have experienced nonlinearity?

The different Spatlese Feinherb from plots of Herrenberg taste different from each other each year and different each year although there are themes.

In other words your doubt is misfounded, conjectural, and empirically wrong.
 
In other words your doubt is misfounded, conjectural, and empirically wrong.

Well, not having had the Falkenstein wines yet I wouldn't know, but my experiences with many other German winemakers who make many wines from the same vineyards, such as Willi Schaffer leave me unconvinced.
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
originally posted by MLipton:
it sells now for close to $40

ouch! is that the '19 or the '20 ?
I picked up the '18 for less than $30 just over a year ago in ohio, where as you know the prices are pretty much fixed and are by no means on the low side.

That was for the ‘18 IIRC. Keep in mind that I’m talking about pricing at a local store in my little burgh in flyover country, tovarisch, not your price-competitive urban market.

Mark Lipton
 
2018 Domaine des Tourelles Cinsault Vieilles Vignes: I think this is the first Lebanese wine I've had other than Musar. 70-year-old vines, organic farming, no irrigation, native fermentation, concrete elevage. Less than $25. A really delicious and joyous bottle of wine. A close cousin of the Birichino Cinsault, even though these vines are "only" about half as old. Exuberant, but juicy, fruit, with enough supporting acid to keep things from getting sloppy. Probably not an ager, but delicious now, so no matter. Recommended for those who come across a bottle. Wish I had another to drink next to the Birichino.
 
Enjoyed this 2013 A et P De Villaine La Digoine tonight. For an "off" vintage, surprisingly inspiring aromatics. Hits all the right notes of cranberry, Morello cherry, some sandalwood incense and even a little blueberry. On the palate: broad fruit, raspberry coming through, some smokiness, tannin and acidity squarely in the center of the boxes. Spicy. I imagine that this has some forward potential, but I will be extremely tempted to dip into the remaining bottles soon. Lights are on and everybody is home. Pulls the nose back into the glass. Please forgive the label damage.

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I feel like within a couple years of the “powers that be” declaring 2013 an off vintage, it has done nothing but shine in both red and white Burgundy. And even the reds have been drinking. And well.

So much for the “powers that be”.
 
The 2013 reds had pretty late malos in general. Lots of critics wrote middling reviews before malos had completed, and it was declared an "off" vintage. But from roughly spring 2015 onward, after the malos finished, many wines started to show rather nicely.
 
I've tasted so few, and none recently. When I tried the usual staples such as Rollin PV and Barthod Bons Batons a few years ago, they just seemed so angry, but with an upside. Opened Feusselottes from the sisters a year and a half ago: totally reduced, but pretty amazing over three hours.
 
I try not to let foreshadowing create preconceptions in my tasting, but if I am honest, I was expecting this to be a door with some creaky hinges. The initial goal was to get more familiarity with La Digoine. This took me aback.
 
Tipped off by a FB post by Bill Buitenhuys, I opened a bottle of 2008 Edmunds St John Syrah “cuvée Fairbairn” which, as Bill had noted, was in a great place right now. Still fairly primary but with some savory elements entering in, it has no tough edges. I can see years of development ahead of it, but it is providing great pleasure right now. Drink and hold, as they say.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
curious, Mark; I haven't tasted it in a long while, was it smoky?

Not to my taste it wasn’t. OTOH, I do drink Bretty wines from the Rhone, too.

Mark Lipton
 
I was curious because in '08 there were weeks of smoke in that part of Mendocino County, and at times, I thought maybe it had affected the wine. Since Syrah grapes have a little Guiacol, it was hard to be certain
 
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
I was curious because in '08 there were weeks of smoke in that part of Mendocino County, and at times, I thought maybe it had affected the wine. Since Syrah grapes have a little Guiacol, it was hard to be certain

Yeah. I recall those fires and the wines affected by them. I am perhaps not the best judge of smoke taint as I say, but honestly can’t say that either of us noticed any.

Mark Lipton
 
A couple wines I can’t really recommend. Then one I can.

2016 Francois Rousset-Martin Terres Blanches Jura Chardonnay. Textured but rough. I would pass. Doesn’t have the touch.

2019 Gerard Boulay Chavignol Comtesse. Impressed by the 2014 last fall, I wanted to try this. I get all baby fat at first. By day two there’s a lot of material here underneath that is poking through and has a chance to make this wine more interesting with some cellar time, but at this price point I’m not sure it’s worth the risk. I’d rather bet on Francois Cotat Monts Damnes and Culs de Beaujeu.

2019 Pierre Morey Bourgogne Blanc - herbal and taut with good but tense fruit evolving with air on palate. Lots of good structure for aging. 40+ year old vines here. Good stuff! Here is a high quality BB without the new wave style of layered-on reduction so prevalent with the hipsters. Classic.

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originally posted by Jayson Cohen:


2019 Gerard Boulay Chavignol Comtesse. Impressed by the 2014 last fall, I wanted to try this. I get all baby fat at first. By day two there’s a lot of material here underneath that is poking through and has a chance to make this wine more interesting with some cellar time, but at this price point I’m not sure it’s worth the risk. I’d rather bet on Francois Cotat Monts Damnes and Culs de Beaujeu.

I have a bottle of the 18 Boulay La Cote, cooler vintage than the 19s. My experience is that the 18s are much closer to the 14s, which I loved. Let's try this 18 when we get together.
 
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