Very fun event, thanks guys.
2000 Movia Puro (Gorika Brda, Slovenia)
Lemony/grapefruit, floral, mineral aromas, with some toasty autolytic flavors, subtle oxidative elements and a bit of wood (which I later overheard L. bitching about). I thought this was quite tasty, with a delicious roundness in the mouth. My best experience yet with this wine, but still a pass at the going rate. As an aside, I've been told that Ale has refocused his sparkling production on the Puro ros and is no longer making this wine.
2000 Movia Puro Ros (Gorika Brda, Slovenia)
This was more difficult than the Puro white. Lifted, stinky/fermentative pinot noir nose, with some wood spice. Very funky palate, with good acid and gentle, spicy red fruit, but it really tasted unclean - something like a Gueze made from pinot noir. I've had happier experiences tasting this from bottles that had been open for an hour or more, but I didn't have the opportunity to retaste tonight.
1999 Domaine Valette Pouilly-Fuiss Clos de Monseur Noly
I believe this is a current release, made from late-harvested, botrytis affected fruit, with obviously long, oxidative aging in barrel. Intense butterscotch, salted caramel, dried pineapple aromatics. Strongly nutty and oxidative and very slightly sweet; something like Vin Santo made from chardonnay. Walnut/sherry flavors show even more strongly on the finish, which has monumental length. Completely over the top. I loved it for what it was, though it's not something I could imagine drinking more than a glass of. One of the more divisive wines of the evening; many of the folks I was with seemed to actively dislike it.
2000 Domaine de la Tournelle Arbois Vin Jaune
Volatile green walnut, varnish nose. Mouthfilling intensity and concentration, with baked apple, dried bay leaf and spice flavors, and biting grip in the mouth. Nice walnutty length, and once you get past the nose, fairly approachable for such a young Vin Jaune. Lovely, especially with comte (which we'd saved from a cheese plate).
2005 Binner Saveurs Printanires (Alsace AOC)
Nonvintage? A field blend of muscat, gewurztraminer, pinot gris, pinot blanc. Spicy, sweetly floral, aromatic fruit nose. Rich and slightly oily-textured in the mouth. Just a touch of a cidery, appley flavor as well. The gewurz and muscat spoke loudest to me here but it's pretty harmonious for a blend like this. Slightly loose and medium-framed, and quite tasty.
2000 Emmannuel Houillon (Pierre Overnoy) Arbois Pupillin Savagnin
Captivating. Still young and slightly aggressive, but much more generous than the '04 I tasted earlier this year. Really a wonderful, thought-provoking drink.
2008 Domaine de l'Anglore (Eric Pfifferling) Tavel Ros
This was a tale of two bottles. One had over the top brett that I couldn't see past; the other was beautiful. Floral, feminine, rose petal, pretty soft red fruits, almond, some brett/animale, a bit wild and unkempt. Challenging but to me simply gorgeous. I was crushed when L. insisted it was too fucked up and that they weren't going to sell it. Although from talking to others I did seem to be on a desert island all by myself with this one.
2008 Mark Angeli Ros d'un Jour (Vin de Table Franais)
From Anjou. Was hard to focus on this one as I was still thinking about the l'Anglore. Fermentative soft, slightly spicy red fruit aromas. Sweet and moderately fizzy, with firm-ish soft red fruits, some richness and animale. Didn't seem like a great placement in the lineup for a wine like this (w/ rs and bubbles).
2006 Massa Vecchia Rosato Maremma (Toscana IGT)
Merlot and malvasia nera. Herbal, savory, brett/animale nose. Deep, concentrated red wine palate, medium bodied, with aged tart cherry, herbal, brett/animale flavors. Reminds me of a 10-15 year old sangiovese/canaiolo blend from an old-school producer. Charmingly rustic, if pretty far from what I'd expect opening a rosato.
2006 Jean Maupertuis La Guillanume (Ctes d'Auvergne VDQS)
Another cloudy, funky, hypernatural ros. Dry. Didn't give this much of a shake, as it was getting late (and I was again thinking about that l'Anglore).
2008 Domaine de la Tournelle Arbois L'uva Arbosiana
Tasty soft, feminine aromatic red fruits, floral, sharp acid. Carbonic earth and toasted grain palate. No tannin. A bit tight still, but a pleasant poulsard that seems much in the same style as the 2007.
2008 Catherine et Pierre Breton Touraine "La Ritournelle"
Gamay with 20% pinot noir. Have had this a few times lately and it's fucking delicious. Bright, juicy, crunchy red and blue fruits, luscious acidity, some carbonic character, touch of earth and no tannin. I could, and plan to drink a lot of this over the coming months.
2000 Movia Puro (Gorika Brda, Slovenia)
Lemony/grapefruit, floral, mineral aromas, with some toasty autolytic flavors, subtle oxidative elements and a bit of wood (which I later overheard L. bitching about). I thought this was quite tasty, with a delicious roundness in the mouth. My best experience yet with this wine, but still a pass at the going rate. As an aside, I've been told that Ale has refocused his sparkling production on the Puro ros and is no longer making this wine.
2000 Movia Puro Ros (Gorika Brda, Slovenia)
This was more difficult than the Puro white. Lifted, stinky/fermentative pinot noir nose, with some wood spice. Very funky palate, with good acid and gentle, spicy red fruit, but it really tasted unclean - something like a Gueze made from pinot noir. I've had happier experiences tasting this from bottles that had been open for an hour or more, but I didn't have the opportunity to retaste tonight.
1999 Domaine Valette Pouilly-Fuiss Clos de Monseur Noly
I believe this is a current release, made from late-harvested, botrytis affected fruit, with obviously long, oxidative aging in barrel. Intense butterscotch, salted caramel, dried pineapple aromatics. Strongly nutty and oxidative and very slightly sweet; something like Vin Santo made from chardonnay. Walnut/sherry flavors show even more strongly on the finish, which has monumental length. Completely over the top. I loved it for what it was, though it's not something I could imagine drinking more than a glass of. One of the more divisive wines of the evening; many of the folks I was with seemed to actively dislike it.
2000 Domaine de la Tournelle Arbois Vin Jaune
Volatile green walnut, varnish nose. Mouthfilling intensity and concentration, with baked apple, dried bay leaf and spice flavors, and biting grip in the mouth. Nice walnutty length, and once you get past the nose, fairly approachable for such a young Vin Jaune. Lovely, especially with comte (which we'd saved from a cheese plate).
2005 Binner Saveurs Printanires (Alsace AOC)
Nonvintage? A field blend of muscat, gewurztraminer, pinot gris, pinot blanc. Spicy, sweetly floral, aromatic fruit nose. Rich and slightly oily-textured in the mouth. Just a touch of a cidery, appley flavor as well. The gewurz and muscat spoke loudest to me here but it's pretty harmonious for a blend like this. Slightly loose and medium-framed, and quite tasty.
2000 Emmannuel Houillon (Pierre Overnoy) Arbois Pupillin Savagnin
Captivating. Still young and slightly aggressive, but much more generous than the '04 I tasted earlier this year. Really a wonderful, thought-provoking drink.
2008 Domaine de l'Anglore (Eric Pfifferling) Tavel Ros
This was a tale of two bottles. One had over the top brett that I couldn't see past; the other was beautiful. Floral, feminine, rose petal, pretty soft red fruits, almond, some brett/animale, a bit wild and unkempt. Challenging but to me simply gorgeous. I was crushed when L. insisted it was too fucked up and that they weren't going to sell it. Although from talking to others I did seem to be on a desert island all by myself with this one.
2008 Mark Angeli Ros d'un Jour (Vin de Table Franais)
From Anjou. Was hard to focus on this one as I was still thinking about the l'Anglore. Fermentative soft, slightly spicy red fruit aromas. Sweet and moderately fizzy, with firm-ish soft red fruits, some richness and animale. Didn't seem like a great placement in the lineup for a wine like this (w/ rs and bubbles).
2006 Massa Vecchia Rosato Maremma (Toscana IGT)
Merlot and malvasia nera. Herbal, savory, brett/animale nose. Deep, concentrated red wine palate, medium bodied, with aged tart cherry, herbal, brett/animale flavors. Reminds me of a 10-15 year old sangiovese/canaiolo blend from an old-school producer. Charmingly rustic, if pretty far from what I'd expect opening a rosato.
2006 Jean Maupertuis La Guillanume (Ctes d'Auvergne VDQS)
Another cloudy, funky, hypernatural ros. Dry. Didn't give this much of a shake, as it was getting late (and I was again thinking about that l'Anglore).
2008 Domaine de la Tournelle Arbois L'uva Arbosiana
Tasty soft, feminine aromatic red fruits, floral, sharp acid. Carbonic earth and toasted grain palate. No tannin. A bit tight still, but a pleasant poulsard that seems much in the same style as the 2007.
2008 Catherine et Pierre Breton Touraine "La Ritournelle"
Gamay with 20% pinot noir. Have had this a few times lately and it's fucking delicious. Bright, juicy, crunchy red and blue fruits, luscious acidity, some carbonic character, touch of earth and no tannin. I could, and plan to drink a lot of this over the coming months.