CWD: What did you drink last night (or whenever)?
- Thread starter Jayson Cohen
- Start date
Salil Benegal
Salil Benegal
2001 Merkelbach Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese (AP #10) was remarkable this past weekend - one of those wines that felt remarkably delicate and gentle, yet had amazing presence. Beautiful, classic Mosel Riesling that was in a great place with the fruit still very fresh and youthful, but lots of savory development apparent as well. Label said Auslese, but it came across lighter and less sweet than most modern Kabinett (heck, even compared to some Kabinetts from that year.)
2021 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese last night was excellent in a very different way - much more a beam of energy with lots of ripe fruit up front, and lighter floral/mineral notes in the background. Much more forward in its fruit and sweetness with fantastic balance.
2021 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese last night was excellent in a very different way - much more a beam of energy with lots of ripe fruit up front, and lighter floral/mineral notes in the background. Much more forward in its fruit and sweetness with fantastic balance.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
The former. Piping hot.
The latter is available (in mediocre form) in NY already. Unless you know a good place. I’ve tried a few and they are just ok.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
That pasta works, heresy or not.
I haven’t been to Italy in a very long time and I’ve never been to Napoli, so yeah—I am speaking of American knock-offs.
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Really hard to find a great tondo. There's good 'za in other styles, of course. I had been talking with Josh Raynolds about this shortly before.
Adrienne's, on Stone St., does good al taglio. Or, they used to; it's been a few years since I was down there.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
2007 Vallana Gattinara is a real stunner right now. Cinnamon-like spicy and cran/mulberry nose with just a hint of tomato and tar. Lifted and perfumed. Beautifully weighted and pliant with both presence and a juiciness that makes you want to keep tasting it. 13% here is perfect. Wonderful on its own or with food. I was eating it with a Chicken Pakprikas my aunt made for the Jewish New Year.
I have no doubt it will easily go another decade or two if not more, but this is in that sweet spot now before it heads toward a more tertiary Nebbiolo phase.
I really wish I had more. I wasted the first bottle, me thinks, on an early look a few years ago.
I have no doubt it will easily go another decade or two if not more, but this is in that sweet spot now before it heads toward a more tertiary Nebbiolo phase.
I really wish I had more. I wasted the first bottle, me thinks, on an early look a few years ago.
Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
2007 Vallana Gattinara is a real stunner right now. Cinnamon-like spicy and cran/mulberry nose with just a hint of tomato and tar. Lifted and perfumed. Beautifully weighted and pliant with both presence and a juiciness that makes you want to keep tasting it. 13% here is perfect. Wonderful on its own or with food. I was eating it with a Chicken Pakprikas my aunt made for the Jewish New Year.
I have no doubt it will easily go another decade or two if not more, but this is in that sweet spot now before it heads toward a more tertiary Nebbiolo phase.
I really wish I had more. I wasted the first bottle, me thinks, on an early look a few years ago.
Nice. I can never quite tell what is meant by "lifted." Not volatile, I presume?
Claude Kolm
Claude Kolm
I didn't know the wines back 12-15 years ago. I've found recent vintages quite approachable young. Was this wine that way, too, upon release or has there been a change in style/winemaking?
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
I don’t know if there has been a change because I didn’t buy young Vallana until a few years ago and other experiences were decades-old wines. On release, this wine was more ornery and not ready.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
2007 Vallana Gattinara is a real stunner right now. Cinnamon-like spicy and cran/mulberry nose with just a hint of tomato and tar. Lifted and perfumed. Beautifully weighted and pliant with both presence and a juiciness that makes you want to keep tasting it. 13% here is perfect. Wonderful on its own or with food. I was eating it with a Chicken Pakprikas my aunt made for the Jewish New Year.
I have no doubt it will easily go another decade or two if not more, but this is in that sweet spot now before it heads toward a more tertiary Nebbiolo phase.
I really wish I had more. I wasted the first bottle, me thinks, on an early look a few years ago.
Nice. I can never quite tell what is meant by "lifted." Not volatile, I presume?
Lifted is more for me about how the aromatics seem to penetrate and spread retronasally.
There may be a hint of VA in this wine. I didn’t really notice but wouldn’t be surprised. But it’s not what I meant by “lifted”.
I think the major changes were in better vineyard practices, shorter post-fermentation macerations, and the significant change in climate. Additionally I have the impression from tasting more recent examples that the very old, funky large cooperage has been renewed. I lived in Piemonte from the mid 70s to mid 90s, and was fortunate to taste wines during my initial period there from the 50s and 60s. They were always pretty tough (hard tannins) and bit on the oxidized side.
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
I was also eating Chicken Paprikas -- my own, not your aunt's -- but chose La Grosse Pierre 2020 Morgon "Douby" to accompany: black cherry and dirt, vying for control over the 24 hours it was opened, medium-weight, 14.5% but carries it well, very happy with this wine (and their regular Chiroubles bottlings).
Zachary Ross
Zachary Ross
I had Chicken Paprikash tonight - by my own hand - because of overoptimism about cooling near-autumn weather (the humidity really raced in this afternoon). Opened a 2019 Danjou-Banessy La Truffière Blanc and 2009 Domaine Gilles Troullier Côtes Catalanes Boréal; the former played Zorro capably with the stew, the latter was too much, enough, oh oh.
Jayson Cohen
Jayson Cohen
2016 Dirty & Rowdy Alder Springs Merlot is another stunner. The only bottle of domestic Merlot I’ve bought since 1998 turns out to be a RB ringer after a few years in the cellar. This wine is singing. Bravo, Hardy!
Ian Fitzsimmons
Ian Fitzsimmons
2002 Arlaul Clos de la Roche, fourth bottle of a six-pack. Started trying these about 15 years in, I think. The first bottle just tasted bad, decomposing vegetables, off-putting, razor-back acidity, bad. Just at the end of the bottle, I detected a possible intimation of quelque chose du bien. Second bottle, few years later, similar. Third bottle, maybe two years ago, the crap and acidity cleared up after a few days, unmasking a pleasant but unengaging cote de Baune style thing. This bottle showed traces of the old razor-back and lots of must on the nose on opening, but gradually clarified over the period of an hour or so. The second half of the bottle, imbibed yesterday and today, is right on the threshold of grand cru quality, pure sour cherry, lovely, silky texture, the beginnings of volume, depth, and complexity.
These bottles, purchased at auction, where the Berkley Wine Stork (?) "Cuvee Unique," which I'm given to understand means it was subjected to unusually heavy wood treatment. Perhaps the long-term resolution of the imparted woody chemicals plays a role in its curious evolution.
I've been ready to write this wine off, so this bottle was a pleasant surprise; will be interesting to watch the last two in the coming years.
These bottles, purchased at auction, where the Berkley Wine Stork (?) "Cuvee Unique," which I'm given to understand means it was subjected to unusually heavy wood treatment. Perhaps the long-term resolution of the imparted woody chemicals plays a role in its curious evolution.
I've been ready to write this wine off, so this bottle was a pleasant surprise; will be interesting to watch the last two in the coming years.
Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
2014 Pepière Gorges was just dandy tonight. Hitting its stride, unlike a rather muted one opened three years ago.
Ian Fitzsimmons
Ian Fitzsimmons
I have a bunch of these, for some reason. Looks like time to begin exploring. I recall the Bregeon Gorges of years past seemed to go on forever. Didn't Pepiere and Bregeon do a grape or juice swap in 2014? Clisson for Gorges, or something similar?