In the last few days - underwhelming Bordeaux, but a Chinon that delivered.
2019 Ch“teau Les Carmes Haut-Brion Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion
So I've been hearing a lot more about this estate lately with rave reviews from plenty, including a couple of names on CellarTracker I follow. Was curious to try a bottle, but then saw the price tag and decided I'd go for the less spendy second wine to see if it did anything for me.
Nope, big whiff here. A reductive, burnt rubbery nose leads into a palate full of extracted black fruit and oak, with a finish that's bitter and oaky with a tinge of finishing heat. I'm not sure if I mentioned the oak, but there's a lot of it here. The back label says it's 13% alcohol, which is funny in the same way that Homer Simpson saying "According to my driver's license, I weigh 140 pounds" is funny (that's in the episode with Pinchy the Lobster). Yeah, nothing here that makes me excited to splurge on the grand vin.
2004 Ch“teau Bel Air-Marquis d'Aligre
Heard a lot of good things about this producer as well and hadn't tried one yet. But decided to grab a couple of bottles from a recent Flatiron offer, and... meh. This is decent, not great, and rather disappointing given both the price tag and praise I've read from many. It's a lighter expression of Bordeaux, and feels surprisingly mature for an '04 with lightly oxidative/black tea notes in between the red fruit, earth, and tobacco notes. Time in the decanter helps freshen it up as the oxidation clears somewhat and the fruit deepens, but it always feels relatively simple and one-note. I keep waiting for additional depth to emerge with time in the decanter, but it never does. Perfectly drinkable wine that I'd be happy with if I had paid the price tag for something like a Tronquoy-Lalande or Cantemerle, but at the price tag ($80 in the recent Flatiron offer), another pass.
2017 Domaine de Pallus Chinon Les Pensées de Pallus
OK, now this is the good stuff. The red and black fruit here feels fairly lean and plays a background role to the layers of herbal, leafy, and various earthy/gravelly notes that dominate. Very much a soil-to-glass-transfer wine here to use JLL's phrase. Feels lightweight and rustic on the palate with grainy tannins and bright acids, perhaps a bit thin on the back end, but otherwise everything I want in a Chinon and phenomenal value at $23. I'll have to keep my eyes open for more from this producer.
