Florida Jim
Florida Jim
Wine impressions 4-17-22
2019 Louis Michel, Forests - just beginning to close. This has been open yet young since release; now, it needs a nap.
2019 Elk Cove, Pinot Noir Estate - first day, medicinal with an iron ore scent; second day more about sweet fruit. Simple but, with air, good.
2019 Vincent, Chardonnay Tardive - open, fleshy but not big and clearly of its place. Another svelte wine from this house.
2010 Pride, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - mostly Sonoma fruit but 17% Napa; while still too much oak for me, not dried out, juicy, in fact, and with the intensity of mountain fruit. ‘Not going to buy it but happy to drink yours.
2017 Louis Michel, Grenouilles - immense concentration, great cut and starting to close. Still a lot to love and one of my favorite wines over the last two years.
2019 Vincent, Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge - both savory and sweet nose, charming fruit with some nuance and a joy to drink. Wide open for business.
2019 Bergstrom, Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve - more dark fruit than red, excellent concentration and real complexity. Quite a mouthful with years to peak. Delicious!
2020 Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir Wholecluster - way too sweet, unpleasantly so. Tried over several days with no better results.
2020 Cloudline, Pinot Noir - nothing objectionable and nothing to distinguish it. Eh.
2018 Tissot, Trousseau - more concentrated and fruit driven than many Trousseau from this house but still character driven and of its place. I like them a little slimmer, but that’s personal preference.
2010 Cowan Cellars, Syrah Bennett Valley - has thrown a lot of sediment, tertiary, quite complex and reminiscent of Hermitage. I am pleased with its evolution.
2018 Cowan Cellars, Ribolla Gialla - this wine was light and fruit sweet on release but has shed much of its sweetness and, upon opening was pretty sharp. On day two, no sharpness and a good bit of savory complexity. This is the kind of development I’d hoped for but the initial sharpness was a surprise.
2017 Cowan Cellars, Ribolla Gialla - on the other hand, this has been Friulian since day one and remains so. Lots of cut and savory notes. Excellent wine.
2012 Cowan Cellars, Isa - orange wine that has fully come into its own after 10 years. Not emphasizing its phenolics but rather its fruit and complexity. Damn good.
2012 Cowan Cellars, Ribolla Gialla - skin-fermented (unlike the ‘17 and ‘18 noted above); copper colored, smelling of tangerine and brown spice with a slight tannic grip and a lot of sustain. Very good.
2016 Cowan Cellars, Syrah Bennett Valley - the biggest, darkest wine I ever made with a powerful presence in the mouth and teeth-staining color. An anomaly for me but one that has its place with strongly flavored food.
2020 Jadot, Beaujolais-Villages - every year, a wine that always makes me smile. Dirt cheap, available everywhere and tasty - yep!
2018 Louis Michel, Montee de Tonnerre - good wine now but better later. Fruit forward but in that Chablis way; no cloy, mineral accents but with volume.
2018 Herve Souhaut, Syrah - light-weight, complex, savory and IMO, perfect. ‘Love this wine.
2018 Harrington, Sagrantino Casseri Vineyard - I always expect overwhelming tannins with this variety but here, they are fine and in balance. A really hearty, slightly rustic wine that I really liked. And I have more; yeah me!
2015 Dirty & Rowdy, Mourvèdre Antle Vineyard - light, intense, aromatic and focused; a terrific wine drinking well with a little decanter time.
2018 Dirty & Rowdy, Mourvèdre Evangelho - just a great wine; everything I want from this grape and expect from this dirt. A swirling vortex of nuance, fruit and mineral that is well integrated yet discrete. As with all great wines, enough paradox to intrigue.
2017 Dirty & Rowdy, Mourvèdre Evangelho - one step behind the ‘18 but so far in front of most other Mourvèdre that I almost don’t notice. Excellent.
2019 Louis Michel, Chablis - village wine doesn’t get much better. Clean, crisp and complete. Yum!
2019 Jadot, Bourgogne - quite structured but good fruit. Better with a couple months but good now.
2018 Louis Michel, Sechet - open, generous and almost, round. But still good depth and cut. Drinks well now.
2019 Barbacan, Valtellina Rosso - this vintage needs splash decanting as there is a slight spritz upon opening. Aside from that, Nebbiolo as it should be from the north country.
Best, Jim
2019 Louis Michel, Forests - just beginning to close. This has been open yet young since release; now, it needs a nap.
2019 Elk Cove, Pinot Noir Estate - first day, medicinal with an iron ore scent; second day more about sweet fruit. Simple but, with air, good.
2019 Vincent, Chardonnay Tardive - open, fleshy but not big and clearly of its place. Another svelte wine from this house.
2010 Pride, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - mostly Sonoma fruit but 17% Napa; while still too much oak for me, not dried out, juicy, in fact, and with the intensity of mountain fruit. ‘Not going to buy it but happy to drink yours.
2017 Louis Michel, Grenouilles - immense concentration, great cut and starting to close. Still a lot to love and one of my favorite wines over the last two years.
2019 Vincent, Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge - both savory and sweet nose, charming fruit with some nuance and a joy to drink. Wide open for business.
2019 Bergstrom, Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve - more dark fruit than red, excellent concentration and real complexity. Quite a mouthful with years to peak. Delicious!
2020 Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir Wholecluster - way too sweet, unpleasantly so. Tried over several days with no better results.
2020 Cloudline, Pinot Noir - nothing objectionable and nothing to distinguish it. Eh.
2018 Tissot, Trousseau - more concentrated and fruit driven than many Trousseau from this house but still character driven and of its place. I like them a little slimmer, but that’s personal preference.
2010 Cowan Cellars, Syrah Bennett Valley - has thrown a lot of sediment, tertiary, quite complex and reminiscent of Hermitage. I am pleased with its evolution.
2018 Cowan Cellars, Ribolla Gialla - this wine was light and fruit sweet on release but has shed much of its sweetness and, upon opening was pretty sharp. On day two, no sharpness and a good bit of savory complexity. This is the kind of development I’d hoped for but the initial sharpness was a surprise.
2017 Cowan Cellars, Ribolla Gialla - on the other hand, this has been Friulian since day one and remains so. Lots of cut and savory notes. Excellent wine.
2012 Cowan Cellars, Isa - orange wine that has fully come into its own after 10 years. Not emphasizing its phenolics but rather its fruit and complexity. Damn good.
2012 Cowan Cellars, Ribolla Gialla - skin-fermented (unlike the ‘17 and ‘18 noted above); copper colored, smelling of tangerine and brown spice with a slight tannic grip and a lot of sustain. Very good.
2016 Cowan Cellars, Syrah Bennett Valley - the biggest, darkest wine I ever made with a powerful presence in the mouth and teeth-staining color. An anomaly for me but one that has its place with strongly flavored food.
2020 Jadot, Beaujolais-Villages - every year, a wine that always makes me smile. Dirt cheap, available everywhere and tasty - yep!
2018 Louis Michel, Montee de Tonnerre - good wine now but better later. Fruit forward but in that Chablis way; no cloy, mineral accents but with volume.
2018 Herve Souhaut, Syrah - light-weight, complex, savory and IMO, perfect. ‘Love this wine.
2018 Harrington, Sagrantino Casseri Vineyard - I always expect overwhelming tannins with this variety but here, they are fine and in balance. A really hearty, slightly rustic wine that I really liked. And I have more; yeah me!
2015 Dirty & Rowdy, Mourvèdre Antle Vineyard - light, intense, aromatic and focused; a terrific wine drinking well with a little decanter time.
2018 Dirty & Rowdy, Mourvèdre Evangelho - just a great wine; everything I want from this grape and expect from this dirt. A swirling vortex of nuance, fruit and mineral that is well integrated yet discrete. As with all great wines, enough paradox to intrigue.
2017 Dirty & Rowdy, Mourvèdre Evangelho - one step behind the ‘18 but so far in front of most other Mourvèdre that I almost don’t notice. Excellent.
2019 Louis Michel, Chablis - village wine doesn’t get much better. Clean, crisp and complete. Yum!
2019 Jadot, Bourgogne - quite structured but good fruit. Better with a couple months but good now.
2018 Louis Michel, Sechet - open, generous and almost, round. But still good depth and cut. Drinks well now.
2019 Barbacan, Valtellina Rosso - this vintage needs splash decanting as there is a slight spritz upon opening. Aside from that, Nebbiolo as it should be from the north country.
Best, Jim