Gouges 1998 Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Chnes Carteaux (Burgundy) Great galloping thunderstorms of sludgy tannin greet the unwary explorer, but after an hour or three theres actually a slowly-maturing Burgundy in here somewhere. Gritty reddish-black aromatics are layered with grayish-black earth, but always theres that dense tannin. (1/10)
Kirlyudvar 2005 Tokaji Sec (Hungary) Previous bottles have had a lot more of a waxy planespace barrier to them. This is just bright, with zaps and pows of acidity punching through an arid mist of alpine fruit. Im not quite sure where all the texture went, and its still a nice wine, but its not as interesting as it was last spring and summer. (1/10)
Touchais 1971 Coteaux du Layon Rserve de nos vignobles (Loire) Oxidizing, but still fulsome enough, and one of the better-performing wines from this producer Ive had in a long while. (1/10)
B. Baudry 2002 Chinon Les Grzeaux (Loire) Lovely and so authentic, layering cherry earth on top of fine-grained herbality. Flawlessly balanced. A beauty. (1/10)
Mellot 2003 Sancerre Rouge En Grand Champs (Loire) Red cherry fruit, somewhat sticky and confected, drapes like an overweight cat over the palates lap. Theres a lot more to this wine, especially in an earthen realm, but the sheer mass of the jammy, very nearly dead fruit is impossible to get past. Theres tannin, but not as much as one often fears from a 2003, and I have to say that this is better than most. Still doesnt mean I want to drink it. (1/10)
Kirlyudvar 2005 Tokaji Sec (Hungary) Previous bottles have had a lot more of a waxy planespace barrier to them. This is just bright, with zaps and pows of acidity punching through an arid mist of alpine fruit. Im not quite sure where all the texture went, and its still a nice wine, but its not as interesting as it was last spring and summer. (1/10)
Touchais 1971 Coteaux du Layon Rserve de nos vignobles (Loire) Oxidizing, but still fulsome enough, and one of the better-performing wines from this producer Ive had in a long while. (1/10)
B. Baudry 2002 Chinon Les Grzeaux (Loire) Lovely and so authentic, layering cherry earth on top of fine-grained herbality. Flawlessly balanced. A beauty. (1/10)
Mellot 2003 Sancerre Rouge En Grand Champs (Loire) Red cherry fruit, somewhat sticky and confected, drapes like an overweight cat over the palates lap. Theres a lot more to this wine, especially in an earthen realm, but the sheer mass of the jammy, very nearly dead fruit is impossible to get past. Theres tannin, but not as much as one often fears from a 2003, and I have to say that this is better than most. Still doesnt mean I want to drink it. (1/10)