We had a run of guests so got to open more bottles than normal.
2018 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Caparsa - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (2/20/2024)
I think we drink more Caparsa CC than any other wine. It was again a great servant tonight. A lighter and edgier version than the 2016 with more twang and herbs. Went down way too fast. (89 points)
2022 Tiberio Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (2/20/2024)
Another delicious bottle, similar to the last one. (90 points)
2005 Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône Ceps Centenaires La Mémé - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (2/19/2024)
A really good bottle of this, much better than our last which seemed a bit disjointed. I should probably decant next time as the last 20% of the bottle had a lot of sediment. Spice infused cherry and berry compote. Game and spice on the finish. Silky and expressive. (94 points)
2005 Geantet-Pansiot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Poissenot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (2/19/2024)
Dark fruit on the nose with some cocoa and forest notes. There is a bit of a stony minerality as well. Juicy on the palate with some savory nuance and that bead of stone going through to the subtle tannins on the finish. You get the sense of the elevation of the vineyard at the top of the combe, I think that perpetuates the juiciness. In a good place now and should continue to drink well for a decade, I think. (92 points)
2020 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chardonnay Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc (2/19/2024)
Wow, this showed really well for a Bourgogne Blanc as others have said. Notable richness and depth, good cut. Juiciness to the fruit with balancing acidity and a bit of less/butterscotch at the edges. If all Bourgogne were this good, the world would be a better place. (91 points)
2013 Colombera & Garella Lessona Pizzaguerra - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Lessona (2/18/2024)
As usual with these wines, there was a vegetal/stemmy note when first opened. By the time we went to the restaurant, that had worked its way into the wine as herbs and spice. Really light color with pretty and pure tart cherry fruit. There are some floral notes along with the spice and herbs. Fine and firm, chalky tannins guide the finish. This is in a good spot now to start digging in, there is still some structure, so I would prefer it with food. (91 points)
2010 Flavio Roddolo Barbera d'Alba Superiore Bricco Appiani - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba Superiore (2/18/2024)
I didn't pay as much attention to this as I usually do because of the chaos of 5 kids at a restaurant but what does stick in memory is the spiced fruit and the velvet texture. This has been such a great wine for us I'll be sad when it's all gone. (91 points)
2016 Domaine du Collier Saumur La Charpentrie - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (2/17/2024)
OK, I'm averaging about a bottle a year of this vintage and every one has been better than the last. The fruit is really deep on this with classic lanolin notes, flowers and a chalky base. The fruit edges up to, but doesn't cross, a tropical line. It's the density of it that creates that impression. The fruit seems to linger indefinitely on the palate. The oak is a feature here, not a bug, but if you're oak-phobic, you should either wait until it goes away (a recent 2012 showed little to none) or maybe head in a different direction. (95 points)
2021 A. Christmann Vogelsang Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Pfalz (2/17/2024)
I'm not sure I've ever had this before, so I wanted to try it. This wine was intensely mineral and structured. Most of the notes were in the mineral, herb or other savory type, not fruit or sweet. It seems to be clearly high quality and some fruit seemed to sneak in with food but absolutely begs for at least a few years of cellaring. I'm on the fence as to whether to grab any to cellar as it is relatively pricey. (91? points)
2018 Dönnhoff Dellchen Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Nahe (2/17/2024)
This was delicious and much more approachable than the Christmann Vogelsang but that could be age, style, vintage or all three. Tons of yellow fruits and flowers on the nose and palate. Rich as expected given the vintage, but far from clumsy or blowsy, at least to me. Dönnhoff GGs seem to really hit a sweet spot for me. They are "Burgundian" in texture but with a Riesling flavor profile. I find them great at the table. This is great now and should continue to be so. This was my last bottle, but I'd pick up more at the right price. (93 points)
2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (2/16/2024)
Opened as a back-up bottle and man is it intense. Really deep cherry and dark berry fruit. Has that seam of limestone minerality through the middle. Still a good bit of structure. Deep dark earth. The texture really screams limestone. Leave for 2-4 years before opening another bottle. (91+ points)
2018 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru sur Gamay Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (2/14/2024)
Another delicious bottle of this. More rounded than the last one, but still has that musky yellow fruit and mineral underpinning. (91 points)
2019 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (2/14/2024)
Like the Prudhon, another delicious bottle of a house staple. Has begun to mellow and isn't as driving as it once was with some waxy notes appearing, but still lovely fruit, flowers, and minerals. I love how the acids make the mouth water on the finish. Maybe I should be saving some of this for the longer haul, but I really don't want to as it's so delicious now. (92 points)
2018 Monteraponi Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (2/13/2024)
Still good, but this bottle appears on the downslope. I only have a few left and will queue them up for consumption this year. It's been a good servant to our table. (87 points)
2014 Elio Sandri Barolo Perno - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (2/12/2024)
Much more shut down than I remember. All of the things that you like about Sandri Perno but hiding in plain sight. The wine was better the next day, portending to a bright future. If I were to broach another bottle in the near term, I would give it several hours in the decanter. (89 points)
NV Savart Champagne Premier Cru L'Accomplie Extra Brut Vieilles Vignes - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (2/11/2024)
This is the 10/18 disgorgement and shows the benefits of aging on cork. Rich and vinous with apple/plum fruits and lots of baking spice and biscuit. Long on the palate and WAY too easy to drink. This bottle disappeared quickly. It's a shame about the current price but there is no doubt about the quality. (93 points)
NV Adrien Renoir Champagne Grand Cru Le Terroir Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (2/11/2024)
This was the 03/21 disgorgement. This has really come together. Elegant interplay between fruit and minerals. Not too much in the way of mature notes, just a bit of brioche. (92 points)
2010 Marcarini Barolo Brunate - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (2/11/2024)
I didn't have much of this but what I did was a pleasant surprise! It has really unclenched since the last bottle I had back in 2020. It was all savory structure then. Now, the fruit has come to the fore and while the savoriness is still there, it is buffered by that fruit and some spice. The structure has relaxed to let that come out. This may be in the early part of a window. I may need to check out another bottle soon to confirm. (91 points)
2022 Tiberio Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (2/11/2024)
Vibrant watermelon pink. Salty mineral underpinning to bright fruit with an herbal shell. This has real density and length and is great at the table. (91 points)
2022 Torre Dei Beati Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Rosa-ae - Italy, Abruzzi, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (2/11/2024)
A nice counterpoint to the Tiberio. Of a similar ilk, but doesn't quite have the structure and definition. Still very good, though. (90 points)
2016 Cantine del Castello di Conti Boca Il Rosso delle Donne - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (2/10/2024)
Bright, pristine floral coated alpine cherry fruit. Lithe and crisp with firm but not dominant tannins. This is much more open than a bottle three years ago and is in the early part of a drinking plateau. It's OK to dig in now but it should continue to develop nuance and I imagine the fruit will sweeten. (92 points)
2016 Le Pianelle Bramaterra - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Bramaterra (2/10/2024)
This is a wine that really benefitted from air. Upon opening, it was a bit vegetal and stemmy. With some air it spread out and the fruit was more apparent and those notes became herbs, flowers, and savory hints. Even then, it was more backward than the Conti. It's been three years since my last bottle and I thin for this one 2-3 more years is appropriate. (90 points)
2018 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Javernières Les Impenitents - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (2/9/2024)
OK, now this is more like it. Given the last bottle showed a bit of spritz and VA I was worried that all the bottles may be off. This was great! Deeply pitched fruit and fresh tilled dark earth. Juicy and full with a mineral twang to the black fruits, leather, spice, and purple flower top note. You can feel the old vine sinew and there is still structure. This should age and develop other nuances but it's right in a perfect zone for me. (93 points)
2014 Domaine Joseph Voillot Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (2/8/2024)
I haven't checked in on this since I tried a bottle before buying. Definitely in a closed stage. On the translucent end of the spectrum. Sour red fruit and some herbs and forest. Still showing a bit lean and unforthcoming. I think a little bottle sweetness would bring it together. Another 5 years. (88 points)
2015 Ceritas Cabernet Sauvignon Peter Martin Ray - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (2/7/2024)
Definitely more of a savory expression of the grape. There was still some tannin but the acidity was more noticeable. Lots of savory herbs and a mineral twang over the rounded red fruits. There was real depth and texture here but it didn't seem to truly open up. I didn't plan this out so ended up decanting right was we plated dinner. I expect a bit more time to open would have helped as the fruit wanted to come out, but seemed to be swirling inside an enclosure. (91 points)
2016 Azienda Agricola Platinetti Guido Ghemme Vigna Ronco al Maso - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Ghemme (2/6/2024)
I'm not sure this was a completely sound bottle. It's more resolved than the last time I had it, but the fruit isn't as apparent. Notes of pine and earth, but an fungal quality haunts the outer edges of the wine seeming to tamp down on expression. Not a ruined experience, but less than I was expecting. I'll have to try another soon. (87 points)
2021 Weingut Willi Bründlmayer Riesling Langenloiser Steinmassel - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (2/5/2024)
I'm not really sure what to make of this wine. The day I opened it, it was really structured and dense with that aloe quality to it that I sometimes get in Riesling like this. I tried it again a couple of days later and it wasn't much more open. Then about a week later it had really lightened up and showed more floral and mineral qualities, but the fruit never really blossomed. It certainly appears to be very good wine that should blossom with age, but I'm not sure how it fits in with our drinking habits. I'd recommend it with 3-5 years of patience to others so inclined. (90 points)
2018 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Caparsa - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (2/20/2024)
I think we drink more Caparsa CC than any other wine. It was again a great servant tonight. A lighter and edgier version than the 2016 with more twang and herbs. Went down way too fast. (89 points)
2022 Tiberio Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (2/20/2024)
Another delicious bottle, similar to the last one. (90 points)
2005 Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône Ceps Centenaires La Mémé - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (2/19/2024)
A really good bottle of this, much better than our last which seemed a bit disjointed. I should probably decant next time as the last 20% of the bottle had a lot of sediment. Spice infused cherry and berry compote. Game and spice on the finish. Silky and expressive. (94 points)
2005 Geantet-Pansiot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Poissenot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (2/19/2024)
Dark fruit on the nose with some cocoa and forest notes. There is a bit of a stony minerality as well. Juicy on the palate with some savory nuance and that bead of stone going through to the subtle tannins on the finish. You get the sense of the elevation of the vineyard at the top of the combe, I think that perpetuates the juiciness. In a good place now and should continue to drink well for a decade, I think. (92 points)
2020 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chardonnay Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc (2/19/2024)
Wow, this showed really well for a Bourgogne Blanc as others have said. Notable richness and depth, good cut. Juiciness to the fruit with balancing acidity and a bit of less/butterscotch at the edges. If all Bourgogne were this good, the world would be a better place. (91 points)
2013 Colombera & Garella Lessona Pizzaguerra - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Lessona (2/18/2024)
As usual with these wines, there was a vegetal/stemmy note when first opened. By the time we went to the restaurant, that had worked its way into the wine as herbs and spice. Really light color with pretty and pure tart cherry fruit. There are some floral notes along with the spice and herbs. Fine and firm, chalky tannins guide the finish. This is in a good spot now to start digging in, there is still some structure, so I would prefer it with food. (91 points)
2010 Flavio Roddolo Barbera d'Alba Superiore Bricco Appiani - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba Superiore (2/18/2024)
I didn't pay as much attention to this as I usually do because of the chaos of 5 kids at a restaurant but what does stick in memory is the spiced fruit and the velvet texture. This has been such a great wine for us I'll be sad when it's all gone. (91 points)
2016 Domaine du Collier Saumur La Charpentrie - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (2/17/2024)
OK, I'm averaging about a bottle a year of this vintage and every one has been better than the last. The fruit is really deep on this with classic lanolin notes, flowers and a chalky base. The fruit edges up to, but doesn't cross, a tropical line. It's the density of it that creates that impression. The fruit seems to linger indefinitely on the palate. The oak is a feature here, not a bug, but if you're oak-phobic, you should either wait until it goes away (a recent 2012 showed little to none) or maybe head in a different direction. (95 points)
2021 A. Christmann Vogelsang Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Pfalz (2/17/2024)
I'm not sure I've ever had this before, so I wanted to try it. This wine was intensely mineral and structured. Most of the notes were in the mineral, herb or other savory type, not fruit or sweet. It seems to be clearly high quality and some fruit seemed to sneak in with food but absolutely begs for at least a few years of cellaring. I'm on the fence as to whether to grab any to cellar as it is relatively pricey. (91? points)
2018 Dönnhoff Dellchen Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Nahe (2/17/2024)
This was delicious and much more approachable than the Christmann Vogelsang but that could be age, style, vintage or all three. Tons of yellow fruits and flowers on the nose and palate. Rich as expected given the vintage, but far from clumsy or blowsy, at least to me. Dönnhoff GGs seem to really hit a sweet spot for me. They are "Burgundian" in texture but with a Riesling flavor profile. I find them great at the table. This is great now and should continue to be so. This was my last bottle, but I'd pick up more at the right price. (93 points)
2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (2/16/2024)
Opened as a back-up bottle and man is it intense. Really deep cherry and dark berry fruit. Has that seam of limestone minerality through the middle. Still a good bit of structure. Deep dark earth. The texture really screams limestone. Leave for 2-4 years before opening another bottle. (91+ points)
2018 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru sur Gamay Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (2/14/2024)
Another delicious bottle of this. More rounded than the last one, but still has that musky yellow fruit and mineral underpinning. (91 points)
2019 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (2/14/2024)
Like the Prudhon, another delicious bottle of a house staple. Has begun to mellow and isn't as driving as it once was with some waxy notes appearing, but still lovely fruit, flowers, and minerals. I love how the acids make the mouth water on the finish. Maybe I should be saving some of this for the longer haul, but I really don't want to as it's so delicious now. (92 points)
2018 Monteraponi Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (2/13/2024)
Still good, but this bottle appears on the downslope. I only have a few left and will queue them up for consumption this year. It's been a good servant to our table. (87 points)
2014 Elio Sandri Barolo Perno - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (2/12/2024)
Much more shut down than I remember. All of the things that you like about Sandri Perno but hiding in plain sight. The wine was better the next day, portending to a bright future. If I were to broach another bottle in the near term, I would give it several hours in the decanter. (89 points)
NV Savart Champagne Premier Cru L'Accomplie Extra Brut Vieilles Vignes - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (2/11/2024)
This is the 10/18 disgorgement and shows the benefits of aging on cork. Rich and vinous with apple/plum fruits and lots of baking spice and biscuit. Long on the palate and WAY too easy to drink. This bottle disappeared quickly. It's a shame about the current price but there is no doubt about the quality. (93 points)
NV Adrien Renoir Champagne Grand Cru Le Terroir Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (2/11/2024)
This was the 03/21 disgorgement. This has really come together. Elegant interplay between fruit and minerals. Not too much in the way of mature notes, just a bit of brioche. (92 points)
2010 Marcarini Barolo Brunate - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (2/11/2024)
I didn't have much of this but what I did was a pleasant surprise! It has really unclenched since the last bottle I had back in 2020. It was all savory structure then. Now, the fruit has come to the fore and while the savoriness is still there, it is buffered by that fruit and some spice. The structure has relaxed to let that come out. This may be in the early part of a window. I may need to check out another bottle soon to confirm. (91 points)
2022 Tiberio Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (2/11/2024)
Vibrant watermelon pink. Salty mineral underpinning to bright fruit with an herbal shell. This has real density and length and is great at the table. (91 points)
2022 Torre Dei Beati Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Rosa-ae - Italy, Abruzzi, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (2/11/2024)
A nice counterpoint to the Tiberio. Of a similar ilk, but doesn't quite have the structure and definition. Still very good, though. (90 points)
2016 Cantine del Castello di Conti Boca Il Rosso delle Donne - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (2/10/2024)
Bright, pristine floral coated alpine cherry fruit. Lithe and crisp with firm but not dominant tannins. This is much more open than a bottle three years ago and is in the early part of a drinking plateau. It's OK to dig in now but it should continue to develop nuance and I imagine the fruit will sweeten. (92 points)
2016 Le Pianelle Bramaterra - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Bramaterra (2/10/2024)
This is a wine that really benefitted from air. Upon opening, it was a bit vegetal and stemmy. With some air it spread out and the fruit was more apparent and those notes became herbs, flowers, and savory hints. Even then, it was more backward than the Conti. It's been three years since my last bottle and I thin for this one 2-3 more years is appropriate. (90 points)
2018 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Javernières Les Impenitents - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (2/9/2024)
OK, now this is more like it. Given the last bottle showed a bit of spritz and VA I was worried that all the bottles may be off. This was great! Deeply pitched fruit and fresh tilled dark earth. Juicy and full with a mineral twang to the black fruits, leather, spice, and purple flower top note. You can feel the old vine sinew and there is still structure. This should age and develop other nuances but it's right in a perfect zone for me. (93 points)
2014 Domaine Joseph Voillot Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (2/8/2024)
I haven't checked in on this since I tried a bottle before buying. Definitely in a closed stage. On the translucent end of the spectrum. Sour red fruit and some herbs and forest. Still showing a bit lean and unforthcoming. I think a little bottle sweetness would bring it together. Another 5 years. (88 points)
2015 Ceritas Cabernet Sauvignon Peter Martin Ray - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (2/7/2024)
Definitely more of a savory expression of the grape. There was still some tannin but the acidity was more noticeable. Lots of savory herbs and a mineral twang over the rounded red fruits. There was real depth and texture here but it didn't seem to truly open up. I didn't plan this out so ended up decanting right was we plated dinner. I expect a bit more time to open would have helped as the fruit wanted to come out, but seemed to be swirling inside an enclosure. (91 points)
2016 Azienda Agricola Platinetti Guido Ghemme Vigna Ronco al Maso - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Ghemme (2/6/2024)
I'm not sure this was a completely sound bottle. It's more resolved than the last time I had it, but the fruit isn't as apparent. Notes of pine and earth, but an fungal quality haunts the outer edges of the wine seeming to tamp down on expression. Not a ruined experience, but less than I was expecting. I'll have to try another soon. (87 points)
2021 Weingut Willi Bründlmayer Riesling Langenloiser Steinmassel - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (2/5/2024)
I'm not really sure what to make of this wine. The day I opened it, it was really structured and dense with that aloe quality to it that I sometimes get in Riesling like this. I tried it again a couple of days later and it wasn't much more open. Then about a week later it had really lightened up and showed more floral and mineral qualities, but the fruit never really blossomed. It certainly appears to be very good wine that should blossom with age, but I'm not sure how it fits in with our drinking habits. I'd recommend it with 3-5 years of patience to others so inclined. (90 points)
