2015 Olivier Horiot Champagne Sève Rosé de Saignée En Barmont Les Riceys: The palate is quite translucent, with lovely red fruit and herbal notes, and great freshness and acidity. I liked this a lot better than the 2014. Really dialed in and refreshing.
2004 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Ca'mia: Beautiful nose of dark cherry and herbs; not quite as lifted or sharp as I expected, but regardless, lovely and expressive. The palate is elegant, the fruit dark with herbal notes, the acidity mouthwatering, but the tannins are still quite fierce and the wine rather tight. I decanted this three hours before pouring, so maybe that was the mistake. Lots of clear potential and I can sense this is really beautiful, but hard to get a great read of the wine with the tannins being this astringent during Day 1. However, I left the bottle at my friend's place and he ended up drinking it with lunch. He told me it ended up singing with 24 hours of air. The future for this wine is bright.
1984 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo: This was in a nice place. The tannins have basically melted away at this point and the palate is quite silky and seamless. Subtle red fruit that is developing slightly balsamic and umami tertiary notes. Acidity still quite good. Very balanced and pretty, if slightly fading. Probably beginning its descent, but I quite like catching this wine in this autumnal stage of its life.
2014 Michel Grisard Priez Saint Christophe Tradition: Nice expressive nose of cherry and herbs. The acidity is mouth-watering and seamlessly integrated, the tannins are resolved and silky, and the texture is translucent and supremely elegant. Beautiful dark red fruit with a long, herbal finish accented with a touch of smoke. What a delicate, fragile, beautiful thing this wine is. The last time I had a wine this translucent, weightless, and delicate was a 2007 Lapierre Morgon. This wine is so unique and transparent with tremendous personality.
2018 Renaud Bruyère & Adeline Houillon Chardonnay Arbois La Croix Rouge: Razor sharp acidity, a touch volatility with its slight fizz and sparkle, but so lively and incisive. A crunchy, lemony palate with tremendously energetic verve and a pronounced minerality. The nose is quite expressive and lifted as well. Definitely veering towards the nattier half of the natural wine spectrum, but still clean and quite delicious. Maybe a little too sharp and crackling for some, but I like it as is. Could be interesting with some bottle age, which could take some of the edge off the acidity.
This is very different from the Chardonnay Vielle Vignes, which is much mellower and rounder, almost borderline oxidative. The one similarity is that there is very little textured creaminess in either cuvee.
2012 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia: No formal note, but I remember this tasting very dry and austere in a good way. Much more about the minerality and the acidity than about fruit. Very taut and severe. Great tension. A nice wine, but did not spend enough time to really appreciate it.
2022 Maison Maenad Savagnin Côtes du Jura Reveil Spectral: This has a very attractive, lifted nose of lemon peels and herbs with a slight tropical note. The wine itself is bottled electricity: absolutely razor sharp acidity that is mouth-watering and precise, buoying the wine's airy weight and delicate mouthfeel. Sharp salinity, citrus, crushed rocks and slightly ripe yellow fruit define the palate. While these flavors are not overly complex or layered at this point (it doesn't quite have the same tension and ripeness of fruit that you get from Ganevat, whom the winemaker trained under), it is just so sappy and moreish, you cannot help but want to keep drinking after the first sip. With some time in the glass, a slightly creamy texture develops, but does not muddle the wine's linear focus or its rather long finish. Rather, the wine keeps improving throughout the course of the evening. A very satisfying and exciting wine from an up-and-coming producer.
The '22 Reveil Spectral is Maison Maenad's first vintage of Savagnin from the lieu-dit of Au Carre. It's very different from the ‘20 L'Avant, which is a Chardonnay from rented vines in Les Varrons, which seemed more understated, more elegant, and more cerebral, but less racy and in-your-face. Perhaps the ‘20 L'Avant's finer, lacier character may be a product of terroir (or grape variety and vintage) or the winemaker needing to dial in this particular cuvee, but part of me really appreciates the intensity of the Reveil Spectral.
2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Le Mont: I didn't really take careful notes, but this is a big, powerful wine with noticeable sweetness, but enough acidity and freshness to provide balance. It actually worked really well with spicy Sichuan food -- the sweetness and freshness were able to bulldoze through the mala. I wish I had more time at dinner to ruminate over this wine, but alas... Still, quite good.
1996 Domaine Barmes-Buecher Gewurztraminer Rosenberg de Wettolsheim: Very nice expressive nose of bake pears, apples and spices. The palate is rather round and has honeyed tertiary notes. Quite dry on the palate, with notes of warm baking. However, the wine could use more acid and it tastes slightly hollow on the midpalate. A little perplexing to me.
2021 Arianna Occhipinti Nero d'Avola Sicilia Siccagno: Plummy nose with spice, herbs (a subtle hint of dill), and dark fruit on the palate. A bit smoky on the finish. Fresh, mouthwatering acidity with grippy, but not overwhelming tannins. Pretty nice, though the wood influence is evident (especially with that dill flavor). 21 months in Slavonian oak botte. 100% Nero d'Avola.
2019 Arianna Occhipinti Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Grotte Alte: Vanilla and dark fruit on the nose. On the palate, you can taste the creamy vanilla and feel the glossy texture. Its a dense, meaty wine with dark, sweet fruit, notes of licorice and anise, and nice, tart, acidity, but the oak is too assertive for my tastes (the oak tannins on the finish are noticeable). 50/50 Frappato and Nero d'Avola. 48 months in Slavonian oak botte.
2023 Arianna Occhipinti SP68 Rosso: The nose feels muted while the palate is rather plummy and a little candied. Tannins have quite a bit of grip, leaving a slightly chalky sensation in the mouth. Acidity has a touch of bite, but its otherwise easy drinking. Midpalate, again, feels a little hollow. 70% Frappato; 30% Nero d'Avola.
2021 Arianna Occhipinti Vino di Contrada BB Bombolieri: The nose is a little tighter than the '22 Frappato, though the fruit smells darker and riper. The palate is also light and elegant, but has much more density on the midpalate. The tannins are silkier and only a touch grippy, which is paired with refreshing acidity. There's pure red fruit that has hints of herb and forest floor, but otherwise the palate is not overly complex (though fun and pleasurable). There's a subtle drying sensation on the finish that ends with a tart citrusy note. Very good wine that is quite delicious, if slightly uncomplicated. 100% Frappato.
2022 Arianna Occhipinti Il Frappato: This has a nice nose of dark red cherry and scorched earth with a little hint of menthol. Very light and elegant on the palate with drying, slightly chalky tannins on the finish. Pretty red fruit with a touch of medicinal herbs, but the midpalate could use more intensity and I wish the wine had a little more tension.
2023 Arianna Occhipinti Sicilia SP68 Bianco: Very floral and aromatic nose that has that citrusy, orange skin contact aroma. But, the palate is just ok. There's decent acidity, but it stills feel flat. The midpalate is a little thin and hollow, with hints of peach and lime zest, and a touch of bitterness. Tart, short finish. To be honest, this is fairly blah and is missing a bit of stuffing. 60% Zibibo, 40% Albanello. Destemmed fruit, but apparently there is some skin contact.
2023 Lambert Spielmann Chien Noir Chat Blanc: Very interesting lifted nose of wild strawberries and flowers. The VA is very sharp and incisive and the acidity in general is very jagged. Despite this, there are interesting flavors of tart citrus, delicate red fruit, and there’s a lightness of the palate. If the VA was just toned down a couple of notches, this would be a nice summer sipper. Despite the nattiness and volatility, the wine is clean and has no mouse. A blend of Auxerrois Blanc and Pinot Noir from the Alsace.
2022 Lé Thio Noots (Romain Verger) Vin de France La Dame Bleue: The nose is quite lifted. A little bit of funky brett on the palate, but it dissipates with time in the glass. There's a touch of VA, but it is not excessive (though noticeable). Quite tart, with strong acidity paired with crunchy, brambly red fruit with a touch of citrus. The finish has notes of menthol and smoke. Generally tart, almost sour. Silky texturally, good tension, and not particularly tannic. Definitely glou-glou and could benefit from being chilled. Not as good as the 2023 Cab Franc. 100% Cabernet Franc from 80-year old vines.
2004 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Ca'mia: Beautiful nose of dark cherry and herbs; not quite as lifted or sharp as I expected, but regardless, lovely and expressive. The palate is elegant, the fruit dark with herbal notes, the acidity mouthwatering, but the tannins are still quite fierce and the wine rather tight. I decanted this three hours before pouring, so maybe that was the mistake. Lots of clear potential and I can sense this is really beautiful, but hard to get a great read of the wine with the tannins being this astringent during Day 1. However, I left the bottle at my friend's place and he ended up drinking it with lunch. He told me it ended up singing with 24 hours of air. The future for this wine is bright.
1984 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo: This was in a nice place. The tannins have basically melted away at this point and the palate is quite silky and seamless. Subtle red fruit that is developing slightly balsamic and umami tertiary notes. Acidity still quite good. Very balanced and pretty, if slightly fading. Probably beginning its descent, but I quite like catching this wine in this autumnal stage of its life.
2014 Michel Grisard Priez Saint Christophe Tradition: Nice expressive nose of cherry and herbs. The acidity is mouth-watering and seamlessly integrated, the tannins are resolved and silky, and the texture is translucent and supremely elegant. Beautiful dark red fruit with a long, herbal finish accented with a touch of smoke. What a delicate, fragile, beautiful thing this wine is. The last time I had a wine this translucent, weightless, and delicate was a 2007 Lapierre Morgon. This wine is so unique and transparent with tremendous personality.
2018 Renaud Bruyère & Adeline Houillon Chardonnay Arbois La Croix Rouge: Razor sharp acidity, a touch volatility with its slight fizz and sparkle, but so lively and incisive. A crunchy, lemony palate with tremendously energetic verve and a pronounced minerality. The nose is quite expressive and lifted as well. Definitely veering towards the nattier half of the natural wine spectrum, but still clean and quite delicious. Maybe a little too sharp and crackling for some, but I like it as is. Could be interesting with some bottle age, which could take some of the edge off the acidity.
This is very different from the Chardonnay Vielle Vignes, which is much mellower and rounder, almost borderline oxidative. The one similarity is that there is very little textured creaminess in either cuvee.
2012 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia: No formal note, but I remember this tasting very dry and austere in a good way. Much more about the minerality and the acidity than about fruit. Very taut and severe. Great tension. A nice wine, but did not spend enough time to really appreciate it.
2022 Maison Maenad Savagnin Côtes du Jura Reveil Spectral: This has a very attractive, lifted nose of lemon peels and herbs with a slight tropical note. The wine itself is bottled electricity: absolutely razor sharp acidity that is mouth-watering and precise, buoying the wine's airy weight and delicate mouthfeel. Sharp salinity, citrus, crushed rocks and slightly ripe yellow fruit define the palate. While these flavors are not overly complex or layered at this point (it doesn't quite have the same tension and ripeness of fruit that you get from Ganevat, whom the winemaker trained under), it is just so sappy and moreish, you cannot help but want to keep drinking after the first sip. With some time in the glass, a slightly creamy texture develops, but does not muddle the wine's linear focus or its rather long finish. Rather, the wine keeps improving throughout the course of the evening. A very satisfying and exciting wine from an up-and-coming producer.
The '22 Reveil Spectral is Maison Maenad's first vintage of Savagnin from the lieu-dit of Au Carre. It's very different from the ‘20 L'Avant, which is a Chardonnay from rented vines in Les Varrons, which seemed more understated, more elegant, and more cerebral, but less racy and in-your-face. Perhaps the ‘20 L'Avant's finer, lacier character may be a product of terroir (or grape variety and vintage) or the winemaker needing to dial in this particular cuvee, but part of me really appreciates the intensity of the Reveil Spectral.
2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ère Trie Le Mont: I didn't really take careful notes, but this is a big, powerful wine with noticeable sweetness, but enough acidity and freshness to provide balance. It actually worked really well with spicy Sichuan food -- the sweetness and freshness were able to bulldoze through the mala. I wish I had more time at dinner to ruminate over this wine, but alas... Still, quite good.
1996 Domaine Barmes-Buecher Gewurztraminer Rosenberg de Wettolsheim: Very nice expressive nose of bake pears, apples and spices. The palate is rather round and has honeyed tertiary notes. Quite dry on the palate, with notes of warm baking. However, the wine could use more acid and it tastes slightly hollow on the midpalate. A little perplexing to me.
2021 Arianna Occhipinti Nero d'Avola Sicilia Siccagno: Plummy nose with spice, herbs (a subtle hint of dill), and dark fruit on the palate. A bit smoky on the finish. Fresh, mouthwatering acidity with grippy, but not overwhelming tannins. Pretty nice, though the wood influence is evident (especially with that dill flavor). 21 months in Slavonian oak botte. 100% Nero d'Avola.
2019 Arianna Occhipinti Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Grotte Alte: Vanilla and dark fruit on the nose. On the palate, you can taste the creamy vanilla and feel the glossy texture. Its a dense, meaty wine with dark, sweet fruit, notes of licorice and anise, and nice, tart, acidity, but the oak is too assertive for my tastes (the oak tannins on the finish are noticeable). 50/50 Frappato and Nero d'Avola. 48 months in Slavonian oak botte.
2023 Arianna Occhipinti SP68 Rosso: The nose feels muted while the palate is rather plummy and a little candied. Tannins have quite a bit of grip, leaving a slightly chalky sensation in the mouth. Acidity has a touch of bite, but its otherwise easy drinking. Midpalate, again, feels a little hollow. 70% Frappato; 30% Nero d'Avola.
2021 Arianna Occhipinti Vino di Contrada BB Bombolieri: The nose is a little tighter than the '22 Frappato, though the fruit smells darker and riper. The palate is also light and elegant, but has much more density on the midpalate. The tannins are silkier and only a touch grippy, which is paired with refreshing acidity. There's pure red fruit that has hints of herb and forest floor, but otherwise the palate is not overly complex (though fun and pleasurable). There's a subtle drying sensation on the finish that ends with a tart citrusy note. Very good wine that is quite delicious, if slightly uncomplicated. 100% Frappato.
2022 Arianna Occhipinti Il Frappato: This has a nice nose of dark red cherry and scorched earth with a little hint of menthol. Very light and elegant on the palate with drying, slightly chalky tannins on the finish. Pretty red fruit with a touch of medicinal herbs, but the midpalate could use more intensity and I wish the wine had a little more tension.
2023 Arianna Occhipinti Sicilia SP68 Bianco: Very floral and aromatic nose that has that citrusy, orange skin contact aroma. But, the palate is just ok. There's decent acidity, but it stills feel flat. The midpalate is a little thin and hollow, with hints of peach and lime zest, and a touch of bitterness. Tart, short finish. To be honest, this is fairly blah and is missing a bit of stuffing. 60% Zibibo, 40% Albanello. Destemmed fruit, but apparently there is some skin contact.
2023 Lambert Spielmann Chien Noir Chat Blanc: Very interesting lifted nose of wild strawberries and flowers. The VA is very sharp and incisive and the acidity in general is very jagged. Despite this, there are interesting flavors of tart citrus, delicate red fruit, and there’s a lightness of the palate. If the VA was just toned down a couple of notches, this would be a nice summer sipper. Despite the nattiness and volatility, the wine is clean and has no mouse. A blend of Auxerrois Blanc and Pinot Noir from the Alsace.
2022 Lé Thio Noots (Romain Verger) Vin de France La Dame Bleue: The nose is quite lifted. A little bit of funky brett on the palate, but it dissipates with time in the glass. There's a touch of VA, but it is not excessive (though noticeable). Quite tart, with strong acidity paired with crunchy, brambly red fruit with a touch of citrus. The finish has notes of menthol and smoke. Generally tart, almost sour. Silky texturally, good tension, and not particularly tannic. Definitely glou-glou and could benefit from being chilled. Not as good as the 2023 Cab Franc. 100% Cabernet Franc from 80-year old vines.
