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

I didn’t drink these yet, but PSA: Astor 20% off still French wines.

I bought:

2017 Olivier Horiot Rose des Riceys En Valingrain
2019 Tissot Rose Massale
2019 Camus Bruchon Grands Liards VV (Pavel says now out of stock)
 
2020 Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett is wonderful, delicate Riesling that is far too easy to drink, but that's probably no surprise to anyone.
 
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
I didn’t drink these yet, but PSA: Astor 20% off still French wines.

I bought:

2017 Olivier Horiot Rose des Riceys En Valingrain
2019 Tissot Rose Massale
2019 Camus Bruchon Grands Liards VV (Pavel says now out of stock)
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Horiot also now out of stock.
 
originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Wasn't Roilette formerly Mav and, at some point, reclassified? Same, I think, with Vissoux Fleurie les Garants.

A pity Vissoux isn't for you; with Moulin, would be cool to try an aged bottle. I think I still have an '09 around (not really aged, but getting there) if you're traveling to the mid-Atlantic states any time soon.
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Thanks, Ian. I actually have 2009 Vissoux MaV Les Trois Roches myself. I'll give it another go, although usual disclaimers about 2009 and Beaujolais typicity probably apply.
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My 2009s from various vignerons have all tasted like Beaujolais; maybe Thivin was a bit rich. A little variation from vintage to vintage is half the fund.

But each to his own, or hers, as the case may be.
 
1999 Allemand Chaillot is hitting prime time. Glad my last bottle was in such beautiful, expressive form. I think it was everyone's WOTN

2006 Allemand Reynards - suffered by being served next to the 1999 but this was also a beautiful wine

NV Drappier Brut Nature Rose was good, complex and powerful.

2012 Philoppanat was more elegant, lovely and lighter.

1998 Muller Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Auslese has lost most of its grapefruit note and is rounder than it was 5-10 years ago. I find it on a very slow downslope but still delicious.

1990 Pinon Botrytis - must admit it outclassed the MC with it's complexity and grace.

1989 Beaucastel - my favorite of the three (there was a lot of disagreement at the table). Beautiful, soft, and ravishingly complex.
1990 Beaucastel - another great Beaucastel, deeper, richer, and brettier.
2001 Beaucastel - pleasant but not showing anything near the complexity of the first two. A matter of time?
The brett haters were not a fan of this flight.

There was also a very good 1999 Burgaud, a boring Clape Rennaissance (vintage?), a grenache dominant Chateauneuf which I've put out of my mind, and a few others.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
1989 Beaucastel - my favorite of the three (there was a lot of disagreement at the table). Beautiful, soft, and ravishingly complex.
1990 Beaucastel - another great Beaucastel, deeper, richer, and brettier.
2001 Beaucastel - pleasant but not showing anything near the complexity of the first two. A matter of time?
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Jay, excellent capsulization of these 3 trophies. And, yes, I definitely prefer the '89 over the '90 (but only by a gnat's eyelash). And, yes again, I believe the 2001 will round into better shape albeit not to the level of the '89 and '90.

I'm very pleased to still have some of all three. Only hope I don't fail to drink them while I'm still "viable and vertical".

. . . . . . Pete
 
recently had the 90 Beaucastel, and it clearly was the best bretty wine i have ever had. oodles and oodles of brett. too bad i don't appreciate overwhelming amounts of brett. i found it undrinkable, or at least was happy not to have to drink it because of other options available, like the 91 Lemencier Cornas. of course, there were folks who quite liked it (their fave) because it was "interesting" for all of the brett. i never understood the fascination with tuna covered with a carpet of cracked black pepper. 90 Beaucastel brings back those memories...
spit out at our cassoulet luncheon.
 
originally posted by Mark Anisman:
recently had the 90 Beaucastel, and it clearly was the best bretty wine i have ever had. oodles and oodles of brett. too bad i don't appreciate overwhelming amounts of brett. i found it undrinkable, or at least was happy not to have to drink it because of other options available, like the 91 Lemencier Cornas. of course, there were folks who quite liked it (their fave) because it was "interesting" for all of the brett. i never understood the fascination with tuna covered with a carpet of cracked black pepper. 90 Beaucastel brings back those memories...
spit out at our cassoulet luncheon.
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Some at the table felt the same way you did.

I got an extra pour from someone who was going to dump.
 
likewise. my buddy across from me scarfed up the rest of the bottle! and in general our tastes align.... i am pretty sure i represented a minority opinion. live and let live (unless it is brett that's doing the living....)
 
originally posted by Mark Anisman:
recently had the 90 Beaucastel, and it clearly was the best bretty wine i have ever had. oodles and oodles of brett. too bad i don't appreciate overwhelming amounts of brett. i found it undrinkable, or at least was happy not to have to drink it because of other options available, like the 91 Lemencier Cornas. of course, there were folks who quite liked it (their fave) because it was "interesting" for all of the brett. i never understood the fascination with tuna covered with a carpet of cracked black pepper. 90 Beaucastel brings back those memories...
spit out at our cassoulet luncheon.
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The '81 Beau is also one of the best bretty wines in existence. Lou brought that to lunch at Slanted Door the first time I saw him out in CA.
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

originally posted by Jay Miller:
1989 Beaucastel - my favorite of the three (there was a lot of disagreement at the table). Beautiful, soft, and ravishingly complex.
1990 Beaucastel - another great Beaucastel, deeper, richer, and brettier.
2001 Beaucastel - pleasant but not showing anything near the complexity of the first two. A matter of time?
Click to expand...

Jay, excellent capsulization of these 3 trophies. And, yes, I definitely prefer the '89 over the '90 (but only by a gnat's eyelash). And, yes again, I believe the 2001 will round into better shape albeit not to the level of the '89 and '90.

I'm very pleased to still have some of all three. Only hope I don't fail to drink them while I'm still "viable and vertical".

. . . . . . Pete
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FWIW, the '89 Clos des Papes was stupefyingly good, last Thanksgiving.
 
Recent wines possibly worth noting:

Zinfandel PetNat Redwood Valley "Breaking Bread" 2021, Kokomo - strong aroma of very fresh fruit and yeast; med body, fine mellow mousse, good fruit plus brioche notes, utterly charming and fun.

Nero di Troia, Puglia IGT "Masseria Fufonte" 2018, AViRi Andria - medium-light scarlet; mild aroma with cracked pepper, sun-baked scrub brush; med-light body, more forthright flavors of pepper, sage, dusty dried cherry, lingonberry jam, hibiscus; lively acidity, very dry yet not heavy tannins, med length. Screwcap. Interesting, hopefully will develop more aroma. 13% Alc

Since Sherry seems to be coming up - Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana NV, Bodegas Hidalgo - half bottle; a bit darker than norm for Manzanilla, brassy tone; salted oxidized almond aroma, perhaps a hint of amontillado and dried wildflowers; med body, decent acidity, salty-stony-chalky tone on matured dried fruit; persistent finish of aldehydic bruised apple in salty olive oil. Not very complex, less fresh but fuller flavored than typical Manzanilla. Single Vineyard.

If you happen to be in SF and near Inner Richmond, the Brother Harker Patersbier at Lost Marbles is one of the tastiest things I've drunk this year.
 
Okay, this is sort of hilarious/tragic.

There was also a 2001 Chave Hermitage that night but it was so boring I forgot about it.
 
Speaking of the '89s and '90s, another stellar selection is the Clos du Mont-Olivet La Cuvee du Papet CNdP '90. It has been a joy to watch its progress over the years.

. . . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Okay, this is sort of hilarious/tragic.

There was also a 2001 Chave Hermitage that night but it was so boring I forgot about it.
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so in Animal House parlance the wine has a "D-Day" GPA rather than a "Bluto" GPA
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Okay, this is sort of hilarious/tragic.

There was also a 2001 Chave Hermitage that night but it was so boring I forgot about it.
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Oh, my. I recall Chave Hermitages of the 1990s and they were splendid. I have only a single bottle of Chave in my storage and it is 2001. Maybe I should check in...?
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Okay, this is sort of hilarious/tragic.

There was also a 2001 Chave Hermitage that night but it was so boring I forgot about it.
Click to expand...
Oh, my. I recall Chave Hermitages of the 1990s and they were splendid. I have only a single bottle of Chave in my storage and it is 2001. Maybe I should check in...?
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IMO 1998 was the last great Chave (I know pavel thinks it was the 1994). For your 2001 I’d say hold in hope of better days or sell. No point in opening now
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
(I know pavel thinks it was the 1994).
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1993, but I don't know a single person who agrees with me. 1994/1995/1996 are fine but soulless by comparison. 1997 is lovely but is an outlier in a way that many 2001 Bordeaux are. From 1998 on, it's a completely different wine.

It is remarkable how good 1992 and 1993 were, given respective vintages. That's a lost art, although not in St Joseph ( hint hint ).
 
Maybe it depends on which importer’s ‘94? Langdon Shiverick is different than Kermit Lynch. IIRC, Lynch was able to select barrels. I’ve had both and Lynch’s was excellent. It has been a number of years since I’ve tried them. Just a couple of weeks ago, a friend brought ‘87 to a party. It was really, really good!
 
re: chave--i'm wondering if one change was dropping the inclusion of stems. i have a friend that used to buy chave but quit when they became in his words, "a fruit bomb".

jll says the chave hermitage is mostly destemmed. i feel certain that was not always the case--and i could be wrong about that.
 
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