Mine are not the resources of the lawyer or doctor, or even that of the globe-trotting wine importer. I cannot visit across the pond sipping wine gentilly with hipster vignerons while they rush to open the 12th vintage of Domaine du Spleen's wonderful chenin rouge gut while excitedly telling me about how many hectares the Domaine's new water buffalo can biodynamically plow. Sorry. Just don't have the resources. Instead, what I have is a palate and a small wine budget to buy wines to try. So take my notes with a spic of spam.
Domaine Jo Pithon, Savennieres, 'la Croix Picot', 2004
Bronze-gold color. Lanolin and wet wool socks along with oaky hints. Lanolin and lemon-cleaning oil, Murphy's Oil soap, oak splinters, but with a fine acid structure. Feels almost white-Bordeauxish. Still, this wine is not without its merits, and actually tastes pretty good next to homemade guacamole. B/B-
Barone Cornacchia, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 'Vigna le Coste', 2004
Black purplish, deep red. Sappy black cherry, berry liquore, full bodied and youthful. Some baking spices on the end. 1-2 years further aging will make this come round nicely. Better than the 2001 I've had at about the same tiem in it's evolution. B+/A-
Raul Perez (Castro Ventosa), Bierzo, 'El Castro de Valtille', mencia joven, 2006
Rubyish red colored. Nose of fruited saline earth, jumping forth with a blossoming freshness. Ripe berries, sandbox, and an oyster-shell dustiness on the finish. With airtime, a bit of burnt rubber, but without the extreme medicinal character that gamay can take on. Serious QPR. A-
Domaine du Vissoux, Moulin a vent, 'les Deux Roches', 2005
Purplish red. Beautiful nose of crushed violets. Silken red fruits, a bit of sour plum, and slight kombu seaweed glutamate feel on the end. Smooth, long finish. Drinking well now. A-
Domaine Jo Pithon, Savennieres, 'la Croix Picot', 2004
Bronze-gold color. Lanolin and wet wool socks along with oaky hints. Lanolin and lemon-cleaning oil, Murphy's Oil soap, oak splinters, but with a fine acid structure. Feels almost white-Bordeauxish. Still, this wine is not without its merits, and actually tastes pretty good next to homemade guacamole. B/B-
Barone Cornacchia, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 'Vigna le Coste', 2004
Black purplish, deep red. Sappy black cherry, berry liquore, full bodied and youthful. Some baking spices on the end. 1-2 years further aging will make this come round nicely. Better than the 2001 I've had at about the same tiem in it's evolution. B+/A-
Raul Perez (Castro Ventosa), Bierzo, 'El Castro de Valtille', mencia joven, 2006
Rubyish red colored. Nose of fruited saline earth, jumping forth with a blossoming freshness. Ripe berries, sandbox, and an oyster-shell dustiness on the finish. With airtime, a bit of burnt rubber, but without the extreme medicinal character that gamay can take on. Serious QPR. A-
Domaine du Vissoux, Moulin a vent, 'les Deux Roches', 2005
Purplish red. Beautiful nose of crushed violets. Silken red fruits, a bit of sour plum, and slight kombu seaweed glutamate feel on the end. Smooth, long finish. Drinking well now. A-
