Florida Jim
Florida Jim
Wine impressions 9-2-22
2021 Cordero di Montezemolo, Arneis - Lange Arneis that’s hard to beat. Sappy, resinous, fruity, brisk and delicious. Yum.
2020 Navarro, Rose of Pinot Noir - pale, beautiful nose, lightweight and easy drinking. Any time, this will do.
2020 Navarro, Pinot Noir Anderson Valley - probably too young to properly assess, but this is less than anticipated by a large margin. Maybe another day.
2021 Ancient Peaks, Chardonnay Santa Margarita Ranch - 13.5% Chard from Paso. It almost pains me to say it, but I like it. Excellent and nuanced fruit, no evident oak, good acidity and balance. There are almost no CA Chards that I want anything to do with (let alone Paso Chards) which is why I find this hard to write - this is good. Maybe even real good.
And it’s about $16 - I am amazed.
2021 Jadot, Beaujolais-Villages - lip smackin’, available everywhere and usually $10-12. Nothing profound but quite tasty.
2020 Desvignes, Morgon Javernieres - not fully ready but the aromas are captivating and the flavors are equally so. Lots of structure here that needs to soften but also, lots of promise.
2018 Dom. de Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie - easier to drink than the Desvignes with lovely, lifted fruit and good integration; seems more complete but lighter than the preceding wine. The whole-cluster stemmy quality is barely at the edges now so another month(s) and it should be gone.
2019 Birichino, Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard - good, lightweight, character filled red wine without artifice. Always reliable.
2016 Cowan Cellars, Syrah Bennett Valley - the biggest wine I made at 14.1% abv and the blackest. It’s all baker’s chocolate and blackberry preserves on the nose; likewise on the palate and savory. No real impression of alcohol but it’s dense and pretty intense - a big swing to the dark side from our 2015 from the same rows, which was elegant and lively.
But this 2016 is killer with chocolate!
2007 Cowan Cellars, Syrah Bennett Valley - the first wine I made, unreleased; strong black fruit with olive and pepper accents, some secondary development but this is really still pretty primary. Smoothes with air and worked well with pizza but this has decades to go. 13.5% abv. Only 9 bottles remain and I’d be surprised if I have decades to go.
Maybe my daughter will hit it at peak.
2019 Vincent, Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge - Kickin’.
2017 Louis Michel, Chablis Sechet - fully open, developed and gorgeous. Premier Cru doesn’t get much better. No doubt it will age further and develop - but not at my house. Extremely fine.
2019 Souhaut, Syrah - 12.5% abv; pretty, complex, medium weight and the kind of wine I could drink much more often. Very fine.
2014 Puffeney, Poulsard M - massively tannic, a bit disjointed and not much fruit on day one;
2005 Puffeney, Poulsard M - funky, structured, but more in balance than the ‘14 and, with air, enjoyable. Just enough weirdness to get you out of your head but not so much as to make it uncomfortable.
2019 Marcel Servin, Chablis Montee de Tonnerre - not to be confused with Domaine Servin, this is estate fruit and not much of it made. While we are early to this, all the earmarks of great Chablis are there - minerality, acidity and citrus (mostly lemon) fruit. And as the evening goes by, we know we’ve got a good one. Hold.
2019 Jadot, Chablis Montee de Tonnerre - too much oak for my taste; good but second fiddle by a wide margin to the Servin.
2019 Laurel Gray, Viognier Swan Creek North Carolina - despite 14% abv, a restrained, savory, flinty Viognier that is true to its variety, not syrupy and has some earth tones. Not a favorite but much more than expected.
Best, Jim
2021 Cordero di Montezemolo, Arneis - Lange Arneis that’s hard to beat. Sappy, resinous, fruity, brisk and delicious. Yum.
2020 Navarro, Rose of Pinot Noir - pale, beautiful nose, lightweight and easy drinking. Any time, this will do.
2020 Navarro, Pinot Noir Anderson Valley - probably too young to properly assess, but this is less than anticipated by a large margin. Maybe another day.
2021 Ancient Peaks, Chardonnay Santa Margarita Ranch - 13.5% Chard from Paso. It almost pains me to say it, but I like it. Excellent and nuanced fruit, no evident oak, good acidity and balance. There are almost no CA Chards that I want anything to do with (let alone Paso Chards) which is why I find this hard to write - this is good. Maybe even real good.
And it’s about $16 - I am amazed.
2021 Jadot, Beaujolais-Villages - lip smackin’, available everywhere and usually $10-12. Nothing profound but quite tasty.
2020 Desvignes, Morgon Javernieres - not fully ready but the aromas are captivating and the flavors are equally so. Lots of structure here that needs to soften but also, lots of promise.
2018 Dom. de Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie - easier to drink than the Desvignes with lovely, lifted fruit and good integration; seems more complete but lighter than the preceding wine. The whole-cluster stemmy quality is barely at the edges now so another month(s) and it should be gone.
2019 Birichino, Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard - good, lightweight, character filled red wine without artifice. Always reliable.
2016 Cowan Cellars, Syrah Bennett Valley - the biggest wine I made at 14.1% abv and the blackest. It’s all baker’s chocolate and blackberry preserves on the nose; likewise on the palate and savory. No real impression of alcohol but it’s dense and pretty intense - a big swing to the dark side from our 2015 from the same rows, which was elegant and lively.
But this 2016 is killer with chocolate!
2007 Cowan Cellars, Syrah Bennett Valley - the first wine I made, unreleased; strong black fruit with olive and pepper accents, some secondary development but this is really still pretty primary. Smoothes with air and worked well with pizza but this has decades to go. 13.5% abv. Only 9 bottles remain and I’d be surprised if I have decades to go.
Maybe my daughter will hit it at peak.
2019 Vincent, Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge - Kickin’.
2017 Louis Michel, Chablis Sechet - fully open, developed and gorgeous. Premier Cru doesn’t get much better. No doubt it will age further and develop - but not at my house. Extremely fine.
2019 Souhaut, Syrah - 12.5% abv; pretty, complex, medium weight and the kind of wine I could drink much more often. Very fine.
2014 Puffeney, Poulsard M - massively tannic, a bit disjointed and not much fruit on day one;
2005 Puffeney, Poulsard M - funky, structured, but more in balance than the ‘14 and, with air, enjoyable. Just enough weirdness to get you out of your head but not so much as to make it uncomfortable.
2019 Marcel Servin, Chablis Montee de Tonnerre - not to be confused with Domaine Servin, this is estate fruit and not much of it made. While we are early to this, all the earmarks of great Chablis are there - minerality, acidity and citrus (mostly lemon) fruit. And as the evening goes by, we know we’ve got a good one. Hold.
2019 Jadot, Chablis Montee de Tonnerre - too much oak for my taste; good but second fiddle by a wide margin to the Servin.
2019 Laurel Gray, Viognier Swan Creek North Carolina - despite 14% abv, a restrained, savory, flinty Viognier that is true to its variety, not syrupy and has some earth tones. Not a favorite but much more than expected.
Best, Jim