CWD: recent wines (2024-01)

originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
originally posted by VLM:


2002 Viader - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/26/2024)
This is showing exactly how I hoped. The Cabernet Franc and Merlot mixed with Howell Mountain and age producers cocoa dusted black cherries and currants. There is a mountain rockiness and dark earth. The tannins are mostly resolved but with a lingering bitter edge to remind you where it comes from. I remember meeting Delia Viader when the 1989 was released and being charmed by both the fine intellect of the person and the wine. I grabbed a 6-pack at an auction last year after not having really followed the wines in ages. I'm glad I did. (94 points)
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Thanks, this made me smile. Viader was one of the first Napa wines I bought direct, back about 20 years ago when I was a newbie. I can't remember the vintage, it may have been this one. Glad it's doing well, wouldn't mind running into one myself.
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I've got a couple left, give a shout if you find yourself in the neighborhood.
 
originally posted by VLM:

Vajra is hard to backfill as it isn't widely traded..
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Interesting point and perhaps explains subconscious behavior on my part: Vajra Bricco and Elio Grasso's Casa Maté were the last wines I bought every year, ending in 2016. Maybe not as distinctive as some, but on the table these have always been as satisfying as any Barolo.
 
Motivated by this thread I took a look at several Vajra Barolos available locally with some decent age but every single one of them says 14.5%. Even when I don't taste it, I feel it afterwards.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Motivated by this thread I took a look at several Vajra Barolos available locally with some decent age but every single one of them says 14.5%. Even when I don't taste it, I feel it afterwards.
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Not all. Just had a lovely 2014 Vajra Viole that was 13.5. Quite balanced though in terms of aromatics I always find it somewhere between Barolo from great sites and a nebbiolo d’alba, but that is OK.
 
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Motivated by this thread I took a look at several Vajra Barolos available locally with some decent age but every single one of them says 14.5%. Even when I don't taste it, I feel it afterwards.
Click to expand...
Not all. Just had a lovely 2014 Vajra Viole that was 13.5. Quite balanced though in terms of aromatics I always find it somewhere between Barolo from great sites and a nebbiolo d’alba, but that is OK.
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Milder vintage, no? The ones I saw were 2003, 2009 and 2011.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Motivated by this thread I took a look at several Vajra Barolos available locally with some decent age but every single one of them says 14.5%. Even when I don't taste it, I feel it afterwards.
Click to expand...
Not all. Just had a lovely 2014 Vajra Viole that was 13.5. Quite balanced though in terms of aromatics I always find it somewhere between Barolo from great sites and a nebbiolo d’alba, but that is OK.
Click to expand...

Milder vintage, no? The ones I saw were 2003, 2009 and 2011.
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The 2014 is showing really well as Mark notes, and is listed under 14%. I find it more complex and interesting than Mark does, but you know, horses for courses. I just took a quick glance at some Barolo in the cellar and almost all of them are 14%+ so I think you're going to have a pretty tough time finding anything that is in your under 14% zone. I think that you'd be better off in the Alto Piedmont, specifically with Colombera and Garella Lessona and Bramaterra.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Motivated by this thread I took a look at several Vajra Barolos available locally with some decent age but every single one of them says 14.5%. Even when I don't taste it, I feel it afterwards.
Click to expand...
Not all. Just had a lovely 2014 Vajra Viole that was 13.5. Quite balanced though in terms of aromatics I always find it somewhere between Barolo from great sites and a nebbiolo d’alba, but that is OK.
Click to expand...

Milder vintage, no? The ones I saw were 2003, 2009 and 2011.
Click to expand...

The 2014 is showing really well as Mark notes, and is listed under 14%. I find it more complex and interesting than Mark does, but you know, horses for courses. I just took a quick glance at some Barolo in the cellar and almost all of them are 14%+ so I think you're going to have a pretty tough time finding anything that is in your under 14% zone. I think that you'd be better off in the Alto Piedmont, specifically with Colombera and Garella Lessona and Bramaterra.
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Agree that often Alto Piemonte is a good alternative as are Valtellina and Valle d’Aosta. It did have good and complex aromatics, so we agree there too, but it ain’t Vigna Rionda or Brunate.
 
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by VLM:
The 2014 is showing really well as Mark notes, and is listed under 14%. I find it more complex and interesting than Mark does, but you know, horses for courses. I just took a quick glance at some Barolo in the cellar and almost all of them are 14%+ so I think you're going to have a pretty tough time finding anything that is in your under 14% zone. I think that you'd be better off in the Alto Piedmont, specifically with Colombera and Garella Lessona and Bramaterra.
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Agree that often Alto Piemonte is a good alternative as are Valtellina and Valle d’Aosta. It did have good and complex aromatics, so we agree there too, but it ain’t Vigna Rionda or Brunate.
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On Rionda, without a doubt. I don't know that I would say the same about Brunate, but I'm also not super sure how well I could delineate different vineyards without looking at the label. Within a producer, I think I can generally tell the difference between hills and maybe between vineyards but I find that the producers approach makes such an impact that I think it would be easier to identify producer than vineyard. IDK, I don't really do blind tastings anymore. Maybe I should?

On a separate note, have you tried the wines from Flavio Roddolo? The alcohol on them is always pretty high, but I absolutely love the wines. They are such artisanal little masterpieces. It's also made me interested in Ravera di Monforte as a vineyard.

With respect to Valtellina, locally I have access to:
Nino Negri Inferno
Nino Negri Quadrio Valtellina Superiore
Sandro Fay Costa Bassa Rosso
Sandro Fay Sassella Glicine
Ar.Pe.Pe. just the Rosso Valtellina (and it's $40)
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
originally posted by mark e:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Motivated by this thread I took a look at several Vajra Barolos available locally with some decent age but every single one of them says 14.5%. Even when I don't taste it, I feel it afterwards.
Click to expand...
Not all. Just had a lovely 2014 Vajra Viole that was 13.5. Quite balanced though in terms of aromatics I always find it somewhere between Barolo from great sites and a nebbiolo d’alba, but that is OK.
Click to expand...

Milder vintage, no? The ones I saw were 2003, 2009 and 2011.
Click to expand...

The 2014 is showing really well as Mark notes, and is listed under 14%. I find it more complex and interesting than Mark does, but you know, horses for courses. I just took a quick glance at some Barolo in the cellar and almost all of them are 14%+ so I think you're going to have a pretty tough time finding anything that is in your under 14% zone. I think that you'd be better off in the Alto Piedmont, specifically with Colombera and Garella Lessona and Bramaterra.
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I've actually been doing quite well with the Principianos that you recommended. Much lower octane, and excellent. If Principiano can pull it off at 13,5%, I wonder why others can't. Or won't. Maybe they just don't care about alcohol, or prefer their Renaissance nudes on the buxom side.
 
originally posted by VLM:

With respect to Valtellina, locally I have access to:
Nino Negri Inferno
Nino Negri Quadrio Valtellina Superiore
Sandro Fay Costa Bassa Rosso
Sandro Fay Sassella Glicine
Ar.Pe.Pe. just the Rosso Valtellina (and it's $40)
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Ive really enjoyed the reds from Barbacan the last couple vintages if you see them around.
 
originally posted by Brian C:
originally posted by VLM:

With respect to Valtellina, locally I have access to:
Nino Negri Inferno
Nino Negri Quadrio Valtellina Superiore
Sandro Fay Costa Bassa Rosso
Sandro Fay Sassella Glicine
Ar.Pe.Pe. just the Rosso Valtellina (and it's $40)
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I've really enjoyed the reds from Barbacan the last couple vintages if you see them around.
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My favorite, too, particularly the basic Rosso Alpi Retiche (blend of Pignolo 2%, Rossola Nera 3%, Rossignola 3%, Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo) 90%, and Negrara 2%) - generally around 12.5% - these are not particularly cheap - starting around $40, but are excellent PQR. Their Valtellina Superiore crus can cost double that. The Arpepe Rosso di Valtellina is a bit less expensive (depending on the market) than Barbacàn. Admittedly the wines of Alto Piemonte cost less than Valtellina, in general, and are lovely. My current Aosta fav is 2021 Piantagrossa Nebbiolo Dessus, which is as unextracted as it gets and ready to drink now.
 
originally posted by Pavel Tchichikov:
mark, have you gotten around to philine isabelle langhe nebbiolo? i have not
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No. It is not imported. Will look for it when I go to Piemonte, though.
 
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