Ian Fitzsimmons
Ian Fitzsimmons
Dominique Mugneret Bourgogne 2006
Pretty, smooth and soft. Lacks the high lonesome Appalachian soul of Rollins HCdB, but, in exchange, gives appealing, modest tannic grit and, with air, charming spice. Not for heavy fare.
Gunderloch Spaetlese 2001
Very fine and integrated: apple pie smells and flavors with typically good acid-sweet balance, no seams. Plump but pleasing. In a good place, but felt as though the acids might not keep up with the sugar for much longer though who knows? Excellent.
Bought on release based on David from Switzerlands notes.
Bessin 2005 Chablis VV
Second bottle in several weeks. Very good on day one, with bits of twisty Chablis fruit perking up the structure. Day two, better: minerals and tang, cut to essentials, like Picassos bull Plate XI.
This wine is the real deal and the best AOC Chablis Ive had. It should be a Louis/Dressner import. Alas, the bottles are sealed with plastic corks and probably cant be held as long as they should.
Fevre 2002 Chablis Permier Cru Fourchaume Valourent
Different style than the previous wine, and a wow in its own right. Lovely detail, precision and finesse. Almost MSR-style filigree, but with Chablis flavor profile and intensity. Really good, and ready now. Finish could be a titch longer. Paired peerlessly with baked turbot brushed with tamari, butter and lemon.
Peppiere Briords 2006
Typically good bottle; citrussy acids with streak of almost sweet fruit flavor. Hard to tell whether this is traversing the last fraction of its plateau (as VLM would have it) or repositioning for another development phase. Is it possible to have too much Peppiere in the cellar?
Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape 2001
Disappointingly good. Im finally ready to write CdP off once and for all, and this wine, which has been a dog for years, comes up spades. Round, pleasantly rich and bouncy, good with grilled stake, and, at 13.5, the perfect antidote after a day of grating the brain on geochemistry problems.
Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf du Pape 2001
Another good un, curses. A stage better than the Usseglio, really pleasant with rich, round cherry flavors, fine depth, intriguingly spicy mouthfeel. Usually I like my reds cool, but this was better at 70 than 60.
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spaetlese 1999
10 years young. Day one, fizz, grape, petrol. Not bad, a bit too plump. I dropped the bottle taking it out of the fridge and it fizzed up like coke. Day two, before dinner, clear, crystalline snow-melt with a hint of sweetness. Great in the unique MSR manner pure, precise, focusing. After dinner, near room temp, mellow apple-spice and hints of caramel, super umami. I have wondered at the fuss over Schaefers wines, but now I get it.
We bought these at the herstellers, and I remember Willi putting the bottles into a box in his quiet way while Frau Schaefer talked to us about their quality.
Grand Puy-Lacoste 2001
Drinking very nicely, with fresh acidity, a bit of iodine and cedar, and the felt-y bx mouthfeel. Relatively elegant for bx, and in a good place. Seems early to drink, but I wouldnt hesitate to open another soon.
Pretty, smooth and soft. Lacks the high lonesome Appalachian soul of Rollins HCdB, but, in exchange, gives appealing, modest tannic grit and, with air, charming spice. Not for heavy fare.
Gunderloch Spaetlese 2001
Very fine and integrated: apple pie smells and flavors with typically good acid-sweet balance, no seams. Plump but pleasing. In a good place, but felt as though the acids might not keep up with the sugar for much longer though who knows? Excellent.
Bought on release based on David from Switzerlands notes.
Bessin 2005 Chablis VV
Second bottle in several weeks. Very good on day one, with bits of twisty Chablis fruit perking up the structure. Day two, better: minerals and tang, cut to essentials, like Picassos bull Plate XI.
This wine is the real deal and the best AOC Chablis Ive had. It should be a Louis/Dressner import. Alas, the bottles are sealed with plastic corks and probably cant be held as long as they should.
Fevre 2002 Chablis Permier Cru Fourchaume Valourent
Different style than the previous wine, and a wow in its own right. Lovely detail, precision and finesse. Almost MSR-style filigree, but with Chablis flavor profile and intensity. Really good, and ready now. Finish could be a titch longer. Paired peerlessly with baked turbot brushed with tamari, butter and lemon.
Peppiere Briords 2006
Typically good bottle; citrussy acids with streak of almost sweet fruit flavor. Hard to tell whether this is traversing the last fraction of its plateau (as VLM would have it) or repositioning for another development phase. Is it possible to have too much Peppiere in the cellar?
Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape 2001
Disappointingly good. Im finally ready to write CdP off once and for all, and this wine, which has been a dog for years, comes up spades. Round, pleasantly rich and bouncy, good with grilled stake, and, at 13.5, the perfect antidote after a day of grating the brain on geochemistry problems.
Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf du Pape 2001
Another good un, curses. A stage better than the Usseglio, really pleasant with rich, round cherry flavors, fine depth, intriguingly spicy mouthfeel. Usually I like my reds cool, but this was better at 70 than 60.
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spaetlese 1999
10 years young. Day one, fizz, grape, petrol. Not bad, a bit too plump. I dropped the bottle taking it out of the fridge and it fizzed up like coke. Day two, before dinner, clear, crystalline snow-melt with a hint of sweetness. Great in the unique MSR manner pure, precise, focusing. After dinner, near room temp, mellow apple-spice and hints of caramel, super umami. I have wondered at the fuss over Schaefers wines, but now I get it.
We bought these at the herstellers, and I remember Willi putting the bottles into a box in his quiet way while Frau Schaefer talked to us about their quality.
Grand Puy-Lacoste 2001
Drinking very nicely, with fresh acidity, a bit of iodine and cedar, and the felt-y bx mouthfeel. Relatively elegant for bx, and in a good place. Seems early to drink, but I wouldnt hesitate to open another soon.