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

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2014 Casa Aurora Bierzo Vendanona: A field blend from 100+ year old vines that's mostly Mencia, with some Grenache and whites as well. I came to these wines through Chambers Street, and really enjoy them. A little worried that it seems nothing has been imported since the 2018 vintage. They are elegant and soulful. I've not been to this part of Spain, but drinking the wine makes me feel I have. The story is romantic, the winemaker decided to vinify from his grandmother's old plot (this wine) and then took on some other plots in her village that were abandoned or could not longer be farmed by their elderly owners. Anything from Casa Aurora is worth trying. As I've said of other wines, a few ill-placed Instagram posts is all that separates these from the unicorns. This wine is ready to be drunk up.

2018 l'Anglore Terre d'Ombre: l'Anglore is always a pleasure, although I don't think this wine has benefitted from a few years of cellaring. Has lost a little youthful lift, and there's not added complexity. Still a very nice bottle. Drink up. (I am, however, a believer in cellaring the Tavel a bit.)

2020 Gonon Chasselas: These are the famous Trollat vines. As you'd expect from the Gonon brothers, a very pleasurable bottle. Perhaps a little closed-ish. I think these wines probably drink best 5-10 years out from vintage.

2010 Domaine de Beudon Fendant: Also Chasselas, from the Valais in Switzerland. Inspired to open after the Gonon. This was memorable. Wonderful minerality. Great vigor and energy. These wines from before Jacky Granges's passing are really exceptional. I hope his family is able to continue at this level. Another domain that I'm glad I can still buy.
Click to expand...

l'Anglore really is always a pleasure, isn't it?

That Gonon Chasselas sounds neat.
 
Gonon contains Trollat's vineyards, but theirs are more extensive. I believe, at least for the Syrah, the VV is the Trollat plot. I never heard that Trollat made Chasselas, but that doesn't mean that much, given my lack of knowledge of these things. Do the grapes grow in St. Joe?
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Gonon contains Trollat's vineyards, but theirs are more extensive. I believe, at least for the Syrah, the VV is the Trollat plot. I never heard that Trollat made Chasselas, but that doesn't mean that much, given my lack of knowledge of these things. Do the grapes grow in St. Joe?
Click to expand...

ancient Chasselas parcel is from Trollat. What is not clear (to me) is whether Trollat officially sold the wine, or just drank it or ate the grapes with lox at sunday brunch.
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Gonon contains Trollat's vineyards, but theirs are more extensive. I believe, at least for the Syrah, the VV is the Trollat plot. I never heard that Trollat made Chasselas, but that doesn't mean that much, given my lack of knowledge of these things. Do the grapes grow in St. Joe?
Click to expand...

ancient Chasselas parcel is from Trollat. What is not clear (to me) is whether Trollat officially sold the wine, or just drank it or ate the grapes with lox at sunday brunch.
Click to expand...

According to KL and JLL: The vines are 1/10th of a hectare, planted in the 1890s. In St. Joseph. Trollat sold the grapes until the 1980s, when he couldn't sell them one year. From then after he vinified them and put the wine into his St. Joseph Blanc.

I should have been clearer -- these of course aren't the only Trollat vines with Gonon. They also have some of his old Syrah, which is sometimes pulled out in their VV bottling. And their own vineyards, before the Trollat addition.
 
originally posted by Salil Benegal:

2010 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Hochrain was also terrific, on a beautiful smoky and burnished plateau where the fruit's still also quite vibrant and fresh, and I am glad I bought a few of these some years back when Zak Ross alerted me to a great deal.
Click to expand...

I am not surprised that this is still going strong, although I drank mine a while back.
 
originally posted by BJ:
I'm thinking he didn't give a shit.
Click to expand...

Even if he didn't give a shit, he would have labelled it VdP or he would certainly have had problems with the AOC. A Chasselas wine wouldn't have been an easy to miss, subtle infraction. I take it the Gonon would also have been so labelled.
 
I haven’t posted here on any of the many wonderful wines I’ve been opening lately. Thought I’d buck that trend by touting a Disorderly fan favorite (talking to you, Jim Cowan). 2019 Louis Michel Chablis Butteaux VV 1er Cru has hit a stride. Ten minutes of air and here is all the chalky lemon curdy goodness one wants in tank-aged Chablis. The creaminess of the lemon and palate feel I attribute romantically to the old vines. Just a hint of thiol on the nose indicates reductive winemaking. But I’m not convinced yet that 4-9 years isn’t the sweet spot for Michel. (A 2002 MdT recently was good but lacked the vivacity it may have had if I’d opened it 5-10 years ago. I’m as guilty as anyone of being surprised by both the pros and cons of sitting on a lot of my bottles for two decades. Sometimes the reward is grand; sometimes regret.)

IMG_2737-1.jpg
Cheers, mes amis.
 
originally posted by Jayson Cohen: the pros and cons of sitting on a lot of my bottles for two decades.
Click to expand...

Jayson, maybe I'm just lucky, but I can't recall the last time I was sorry I held on to a wine for a long time. I do try to keep track of my older wines ageability.

. . . . . . Pete
 
Opened this 2016 Emrich-Schönleber Halgans last night. Will finish tonight. Delicious from Halenberg young vines. A beautiful mineral food wine based on a wonderfully textural and elegant midpalate.

IMG_2746.jpg
 
2012 Texier Saint Julien-en-Saint Alban VV Serine: Red fruited and graceful, with underlying minimality and power. It's my general view that most innovative or "cutting edge" things people are credited with are a case of right place and right time. If Bill Gates hadn't innovated a good operating system, someone else would have. Right place, privileged background (playing with computers in high school in the 70s), right time. That said, there are some change-makers where, but for them, that change probably wouldn't have happened. That's what I suspect to be the case with Bremeze and Comrade Eric. If not for him, that terroir may have been lost, or at least receded yet further for some time. Not to mention this terroir as well. I'm glad these wines exist, I'm lucky to drink them. Thanks to Eric for that. I don't take it for granted.

2020 Antonella Lombardo Autoritratto: A very cool, delicious white from Calabria. The grape is Mantonico, which is new to me. Very aromatic, but with real palate presence. My wife doesn't drink and almost never comments on wines that I drink. But sitting next to me on the sofa, she said, "That wine smells really beautiful." And it did. Antonella Lombardo is worth checking out, if you get the chance.
 
originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
2012 Texier Saint Julien-en-Saint Alban VV Serine: Red fruited and graceful, with underlying minimality and power... I'm glad these wines exist, I'm lucky to drink them. Thanks to Eric for that. I don't take it for granted...
Click to expand...

Nice work. I opened my last bottle of the 2013 StJ-en-StA VV recently and it was corked. Alas...
 
Jim is spot on about Frere Texier.

I just split a 6-pack of the 2016 Pergaud Brezeme Serine VV with Brother Grossman. And I’m so glad my second attempt to procure that wine was successful. Or maybe I should wait for possession next week before I claim success.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top