CWD: recent wines (2024-07)

[Rahsaan]

Indeed!

 

[MLipton]

originally posted by Florida Jim:

originally posted by Rahsaan:

originally posted by BJ:
I just think it's getting hotter out there from start to finish, including in vinification facilities...better environment for brett to grow...speaking broadly, I think climate change and the move to more natural winemaking have coupled to generate issues.

True. But if we're speaking about the broad sweep over several decades, hasn't there also been greater awareness of 'cleanliness' in the facilities along with more technological capacity to control temperature?

FWIW, I had two tons of Pinot Noir fermenting in a jacketed three ton tank and had the cooling control set to 70F. It had been fermenting about 24 hours and the gauge read 70F so I got up on top and thrust a thermometer into the middle of the tank in what was the approximate center of the grape mass. Temp was 97F.
While I’m sure there are better technologies for cooling, thermal mass is hard to control and temperature read-outs can be misleading.
My only point being, that technology has its limits.

Jim, as you might imagine, this is a problem that chemists and chemical engineers run into all the time. Heat exchange is quite problematic in large-scale reactions such as yours because the surface-to-volume ratio is so much lower than in a small-scale setup.* This is why, for reactions where temperature regulation is particularly critical, a thermometer will be placed into the middle of the reaction, just as you did.

Mark Lipton
(Just back from touring outdoor industrial chemical production facilities in China in 100 degree weather — funzies!)

* No, it doesn’t have to be so, but who wants to run a 30,000 liter reaction in a 1x1x30 m cylindrical reactor?

 

[Dan McQ]

originally posted by VLM:
CWD: recent wines (2024-07)I kind of fell behind in my notes over the last several months due to work and travel, but things are a bit more calm now so I was able to put some things down to capture my thoughts. There were several gatherings so I was able to open more bottles than I normally could.

2018 Domaine du Collier Saumur Blanc - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (7/1/2024)
I find this wine to be pretty consistent vintage to vintage even in warmer years like 2018. This isn't crunchy like 2014, but I can see it developing like 2009, which is fantastic (and maybe better than the 2014 will be). This is approachable now and the broad Chenin flavors are balanced by citrus, spice and some minerality. The oldest of these I've had has been the 2005, bit I think that this has the stuffing and structure to be even better than that. These are great wines. (92 points)

Opened one of these this past weekend as part of a good friend’s birthday party and this is spot on. Happy to have a couple more at home.

 

[Bob Semon]

originally posted by VLM:
CWD: recent wines (2024-07)
2020 Montenidoli Canaiuolo Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (7/12/2024)
This is one of our go-to wines every year and this is my lone bottle left from this vintage. We were serving MD crab soup again so I thought the age might be a simulacrum of the Simone from the other day. In a sense the age made it less aggressive structured and it did have some bottle sweetness, but not the depth or the umami of the Simone. Still a very good wine that will probably stay at this level for several more years. I know there are people that dig these with age, I never seem to get more than a couple of vintages behind. (88 points)

I have a fond memory of this wine from a couple of decades ago. Maureen and I were on a trip with some LA wine geeks in Northern Italy. 2004. We stayed at a hotel in Verona. In the rather small room that served as a lobby there was a refrigerator with a glass door. I could see a bottle of the Montenidoli rose through the glass. I was a fan of the property for their Vernaccia and Colli Senesi, but was unaware of the rose. I asked the proprietress about it. Turns out she was a long-time friend of Elisabetta Fagiuoli, ever since they were in high school together. Of course I bought the bottle and enjoyed it with the group.

And what's with all the shade being thrown at the Vajras? I feel that I've stumbled into some Marvel multiverse mash-up. OK, the comments are generally positive. To me, though, the wines are better than "quite good, but... eh." Your mileage may differ.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Bob Semon:

originally posted by VLM:
CWD: recent wines (2024-07)
2020 Montenidoli Canaiuolo Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (7/12/2024)
This is one of our go-to wines every year and this is my lone bottle left from this vintage. We were serving MD crab soup again so I thought the age might be a simulacrum of the Simone from the other day. In a sense the age made it less aggressive structured and it did have some bottle sweetness, but not the depth or the umami of the Simone. Still a very good wine that will probably stay at this level for several more years. I know there are people that dig these with age, I never seem to get more than a couple of vintages behind. (88 points)

I have a fond memory of this wine from a couple of decades ago. Maureen and I were on a trip with some LA wine geeks in Northern Italy. 2004. We stayed at a hotel in Verona. In the rather small room that served as a lobby there was a refrigerator with a glass door. I could see a bottle of the Montenidoli rose through the glass. I was a fan of the property for their Vernaccia and Colli Senesi, but was unaware of the rose. I asked the proprietress about it. Turns out she was a long-time friend of Elisabetta Fagiuoli, ever since they were in high school together. Of course I bought the bottle and enjoyed it with the group.

That's a cool story! I met M. Fagiuoli a couple of times when she has visited the market and she is quite the character. I should have also added that this has been bottled under Diam10 the last few years.

originally posted by Bob Semon:
And what's with all the shade being thrown at the Vajras? I feel that I've stumbled into some Marvel multiverse mash-up. OK, the comments are generally positive. To me, though, the wines are better than "quite good, but... eh." Your mileage may differ.

My mileage doesn't differ, I think the Vajra wines are good to great across the range. However, I can see how someone might find them sleek and modern (not oaky modern, but technical winemaking modern). For me, that's a feature not a bug. I love my Roddolo but I don't see why I can't love Vajra wines too.

Also, great to read you! Welcome back!