Florida Jim
Florida Jim
Wine impressions 9-17-22
2017 Louis Michel, Chablis Montee de Tonnerre - sappy, full throated Chablis fruit with an almost delicate delivery; good length. I would expect this to gain complexity and volume over the years ahead. But pretty nice Chablis right now.
2020 Jurtschitsch, Gruner Veltliner Terrassen - fresh, slightly spritzy and crisp . . . but not my cup of. Nothing wrong with the wine but my tastes are elsewhere.
2014 Domaine de la Cote, Pinot Noir La Cote - stem inclusion is evident from the beginning; lightweight, feminine but slightly vegetal with so much finesse that all of those things integrate beautifully. This is like drinking Dujac, Morey St. Denis, when it’s young. And loving it.
A singular expression of the grape and place. Delightful.
2016 Domaine de la Cote, Pinot Noir Bloom’s Field - After a period of fog, hard climbing and thoughts of failure, I reach the summit; around the last bend is the view of the mountains and valley that I have hoped would be there . . . but it is more. I breath in the air filled with soil and stone and natural decay; I smell the scent of the woods, it’s life and the mountain itself; my senses are overwhelmed by such things and I am alone in nature writ large. Nothing is as pungent and dear as the smell and taste of the earth.
Nothing compares to this . . . maybe well aged Chambertin; yet this is so singularly compelling . . . it is a chorus of oh my! Oh my! OH MY!
A life list wine.
2015 Domaine de la Cote, Pinot Noir Memorious - smells and tastes like Sonoma Coast Pinot (west Sonoma Coast); medium weight, red fruit with an almost maritime influence to the flavor profile and mouthfeel. Really good. Still needs several years in bottle.
2019 & 2020 Vinatigo, Elaboraciones Ancestrales Bianco - skin-fermented Gual that shows very little of the phenolics and no where near the color that most orange wines have. Mostly white fruit with a clear soil tone as accent. Unusual, to say the least.
2018 Revision, Gruner Veltliner - crisp, light white wine with lemon-lime flavors, a hint of fresh herbs and excellent acidity. Fun wine.
2019 Dirty & Rowdy, Orange Wine Brosseau Vineyard - muddy and sour the first night so we re-corked it and let it sit on the counter. On day two, much of the sourness has morphed into the waxy/lanolin tones of Chenin and the flavors are more discrete. On day three, the fruit has receded and the phenolics usually present in orange wine are in evidence. I’m not sure I like it, although it’s much more interesting with food but, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about orange wine, it’s that it ages much longer than anticipated. I’ll hold my remaining two bottles for several years.
Best, Jim
2017 Louis Michel, Chablis Montee de Tonnerre - sappy, full throated Chablis fruit with an almost delicate delivery; good length. I would expect this to gain complexity and volume over the years ahead. But pretty nice Chablis right now.
2020 Jurtschitsch, Gruner Veltliner Terrassen - fresh, slightly spritzy and crisp . . . but not my cup of. Nothing wrong with the wine but my tastes are elsewhere.
2014 Domaine de la Cote, Pinot Noir La Cote - stem inclusion is evident from the beginning; lightweight, feminine but slightly vegetal with so much finesse that all of those things integrate beautifully. This is like drinking Dujac, Morey St. Denis, when it’s young. And loving it.
A singular expression of the grape and place. Delightful.
2016 Domaine de la Cote, Pinot Noir Bloom’s Field - After a period of fog, hard climbing and thoughts of failure, I reach the summit; around the last bend is the view of the mountains and valley that I have hoped would be there . . . but it is more. I breath in the air filled with soil and stone and natural decay; I smell the scent of the woods, it’s life and the mountain itself; my senses are overwhelmed by such things and I am alone in nature writ large. Nothing is as pungent and dear as the smell and taste of the earth.
Nothing compares to this . . . maybe well aged Chambertin; yet this is so singularly compelling . . . it is a chorus of oh my! Oh my! OH MY!
A life list wine.
2015 Domaine de la Cote, Pinot Noir Memorious - smells and tastes like Sonoma Coast Pinot (west Sonoma Coast); medium weight, red fruit with an almost maritime influence to the flavor profile and mouthfeel. Really good. Still needs several years in bottle.
2019 & 2020 Vinatigo, Elaboraciones Ancestrales Bianco - skin-fermented Gual that shows very little of the phenolics and no where near the color that most orange wines have. Mostly white fruit with a clear soil tone as accent. Unusual, to say the least.
2018 Revision, Gruner Veltliner - crisp, light white wine with lemon-lime flavors, a hint of fresh herbs and excellent acidity. Fun wine.
2019 Dirty & Rowdy, Orange Wine Brosseau Vineyard - muddy and sour the first night so we re-corked it and let it sit on the counter. On day two, much of the sourness has morphed into the waxy/lanolin tones of Chenin and the flavors are more discrete. On day three, the fruit has receded and the phenolics usually present in orange wine are in evidence. I’m not sure I like it, although it’s much more interesting with food but, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about orange wine, it’s that it ages much longer than anticipated. I’ll hold my remaining two bottles for several years.
Best, Jim
