Cordier Chteau Gruaud Larose 1988 Saint-Julien (Bordeaux) A touch surly at uncorking, its fist clenched around an angry little core of hard fruit. Over the course of about an hour (undecanted), it unfolds to somewhere a bit shy of full expression, uncovering layers of tobacco, fresh oak ash, fired rosemary, the darkest cassis powder, and other assorted blackish aromas, along with the expected low-toned funk. At the peak of its evolution, its really quite attractive, though I would by no means call it an entirely complete or balanced wine (the tannins too prominent, the fruits a little charred, and the complexities are more at odds than harmonic). And then, the fist re-clenches and the wine turns to charcoal. While I find this a most enjoyable wine when caught at the right moment, I would be very wary of its future; it most certainly has a long one, but it will likely be filled with unresolved bitterness. (4/09)
Schoenheitz 2004 Riesling Herrenreben (Alsace) Very intense, somewhere between molten steel and lava, with vibrant metal-jacketed apple and a powerful palate impact. May be a bit too much for some, but its dry and vibrant, and appears to have the requisite stuffing and length to age. (4/09)
Pacalet 2005 Chiroubles (Beaujolais) Electrified gamay. Crisp light purple fruit, zippy and zingy, with a strong charge as the dominant textural element. This is a wine that refuses to sit still. Really, really good. (4/09)
Miquel Domaine de Barroubio 2004 Muscat de St-Jean de Minervois (Languedoc) There are zillions of sweet muscats that taste more or less the same, and the intersection of those descriptions (freshly-crushed flowers, exotic perfumes, fresh oranges, highly approachable sweetness) is less interesting than the rest. Here, its a transparent, quartzy minerality and a good deal of lightly-herbed sea salt; both are decidedly background material to the usual muscattishness, but theyre there, and they make all the difference. As for this particular bottling, its starting to bronze a bit both color and flavor which tames its exuberance but replaces it with a certain maturity of character. Very nice. (4/09)
Balland Les Beaux Jours 2007 Coteaux du Giennois (Loire) Dried fruit (the candy, I mean, but not sweet in quite that waythough theres a certain fruit-sweetness to the wine, and maybe even a micro-touch of residual sugar) and dusty, light-washed minerality. Enjoyable. (4/09)
JM Raffault 2006 Chinon Clos des Capucins (Loire) The parts are mostly thereslightly bitter cherries, a certain rusticity, herbs, earth, some cold mushroomsbut they never really coalesce into anything particularly interesting. The rusty, brackish fruit just sort of sits there, wan and underdeveloped. Maybe time will help. But probably not. Kudos, however, for the ridiculously heavy and over-designed bottle, which is going to increase the bicep strength of retailers everywhere, should they wish to stock this wine. (4/09)
Alliance Minervois Jacques de la Jugie 2006 Minervois La Livinire Cella Vinaria (Languedoc) Were there a Minervois Nouveau (and for all I know, maybe there is), I suspect it would taste a little like this: the dark, soil-infused leather of Minervois in a surprisingly light, crisp, approachable way. I find this a little shocking in a Livinire-labeled bottling I expect extra layers of density and difficulty at this age but its hard to deny the wines appeal. (4/09)
Boisson Domaine du Pre Caboche 2007 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse (Rhne) Appealing red-faced fruit (cherries and plums) with some vague gestures in the direction of matters darker, earthier, or more herbal. But its mostly about the fruit. Fun. (4/09)
Gardis Mas Les Cabes 2007 Ctes du Roussillon (Roussillon) Sour, stewed, and clearly the victim of some sort of damage. (4/09)
Renardat-Fache Bugey Cerdon (Ain) There are only so many ways to say soda pop for adults, but its still the best characterization. More so here, perhaps, because the wines sweetness and fruit are slightly more candied than normal. Its still a more vibrant and present wine than the more mineral-driven Bottex, and for my tastes just a wee bit better, but the gap is smaller in this release that it sometimes has been. (4/09)
Renardat-Fache Bugey Cerdon (Ain) Second note, same as the first. (4/09)
Schoenheitz 2004 Riesling Herrenreben (Alsace) Very intense, somewhere between molten steel and lava, with vibrant metal-jacketed apple and a powerful palate impact. May be a bit too much for some, but its dry and vibrant, and appears to have the requisite stuffing and length to age. (4/09)
Pacalet 2005 Chiroubles (Beaujolais) Electrified gamay. Crisp light purple fruit, zippy and zingy, with a strong charge as the dominant textural element. This is a wine that refuses to sit still. Really, really good. (4/09)
Miquel Domaine de Barroubio 2004 Muscat de St-Jean de Minervois (Languedoc) There are zillions of sweet muscats that taste more or less the same, and the intersection of those descriptions (freshly-crushed flowers, exotic perfumes, fresh oranges, highly approachable sweetness) is less interesting than the rest. Here, its a transparent, quartzy minerality and a good deal of lightly-herbed sea salt; both are decidedly background material to the usual muscattishness, but theyre there, and they make all the difference. As for this particular bottling, its starting to bronze a bit both color and flavor which tames its exuberance but replaces it with a certain maturity of character. Very nice. (4/09)
Balland Les Beaux Jours 2007 Coteaux du Giennois (Loire) Dried fruit (the candy, I mean, but not sweet in quite that waythough theres a certain fruit-sweetness to the wine, and maybe even a micro-touch of residual sugar) and dusty, light-washed minerality. Enjoyable. (4/09)
JM Raffault 2006 Chinon Clos des Capucins (Loire) The parts are mostly thereslightly bitter cherries, a certain rusticity, herbs, earth, some cold mushroomsbut they never really coalesce into anything particularly interesting. The rusty, brackish fruit just sort of sits there, wan and underdeveloped. Maybe time will help. But probably not. Kudos, however, for the ridiculously heavy and over-designed bottle, which is going to increase the bicep strength of retailers everywhere, should they wish to stock this wine. (4/09)
Alliance Minervois Jacques de la Jugie 2006 Minervois La Livinire Cella Vinaria (Languedoc) Were there a Minervois Nouveau (and for all I know, maybe there is), I suspect it would taste a little like this: the dark, soil-infused leather of Minervois in a surprisingly light, crisp, approachable way. I find this a little shocking in a Livinire-labeled bottling I expect extra layers of density and difficulty at this age but its hard to deny the wines appeal. (4/09)
Boisson Domaine du Pre Caboche 2007 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse (Rhne) Appealing red-faced fruit (cherries and plums) with some vague gestures in the direction of matters darker, earthier, or more herbal. But its mostly about the fruit. Fun. (4/09)
Gardis Mas Les Cabes 2007 Ctes du Roussillon (Roussillon) Sour, stewed, and clearly the victim of some sort of damage. (4/09)
Renardat-Fache Bugey Cerdon (Ain) There are only so many ways to say soda pop for adults, but its still the best characterization. More so here, perhaps, because the wines sweetness and fruit are slightly more candied than normal. Its still a more vibrant and present wine than the more mineral-driven Bottex, and for my tastes just a wee bit better, but the gap is smaller in this release that it sometimes has been. (4/09)
Renardat-Fache Bugey Cerdon (Ain) Second note, same as the first. (4/09)
