TN: Excesses in the Cellar

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
5/7/10 Excesses in the Cellar

Joe Dougherty, Jay Miller, Jeff Grossman, and the cast of Chelsea Storage (Tim, Josh, and ?)

There were two baguettes, a slice of really good pate, a saucisson, and a small square of cheese. All very yummy but not nearly enough food to counter-balance the onslaught of wine headed its way.

Not a cull party, just Friday night over-indulgence:

Allemand 2002 Cornas - Joe picked up a case of this cheaply. It may have been a terrible vintage but the wine is nice. Identifiably N. Rhone syrah. It probably doesn't have stuffing for the ages but drink it now and it's lovely.

Rollin 1993 Pernand-Vergelesses - Jay and I picked up a case of this cheaply. A very pretty village wine. Charming and polite and delicate and petite.

Inman Family 2005 Pinot Noir, Olivet Grange Vineyard - A shock after the Rollin, so much younger and less subtle. Still, delicate.

Arcadian 2003 Pinot Noir, Pisoni Vineyard - Jay was all prepared, at twice the price, to show up the Inman with this wine but, it, too, is a shock after the Rollin. After adjusting our expectations a bit, this is little more gutsy than Inman but I'm not convinced that that is praise.

Olga Raffault 2002 Chinon - Vigorous. Drink and hold.

Olga Raffault 1985 Chinon - All is resolved, peaceful, yummy wine.

Pacalet 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin - Does not suit me as Pacalet's wines always seem to have a too-strong similarity to each other. I'm not sure anybody else is really pleased, either, although Joe says that, in the context of each other, Pacalet's wines do show proper regional character.

Concannon 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon - The good old days in California really were.

Ridge 1987 Geyserville - (no note?)

Bize 2006 Savigny-les-Beaune "Les Bourgeots" - (no note?)

Savoye 2005 Morgon, Cote du Py - I think this was very tight.

Did we drink the fizzy orange malvasia, too?

The very latter parts of the evening are misshapen in my memory, a fact which I blame on the super-collider. This is just the kind of temporal disturbance that we've been warned about. Isn't it?
 
Damn.

They should have thrown us out.

And I should have run for it earlier. Even so, I think you had one or two that I missed, for which I am grateful as I head into a new work week.

I was pretty pleased by the showing of the Cornas that was well worth its $8.99, delivered.

You guys totally scored with the Rollin, what a delicious thing to have in the house.

I wish I understood better what is going on at Pacalet. I actually like the wines, and when you taste across a range the terroirs are quite evident. But there is a house style or something that gives a lot of spice to each wine. Is it just stems? Are they careless with the Christmas cookies during elevage? I don't know, but wish I did.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
Damn.

They should have thrown us out.

And I should have run for it earlier. Even so, I think you had one or two that I missed, for which I am grateful as I head into a new work week.

I was pretty pleased by the showing of the Cornas that was well worth its $8.99, delivered.

You guys totally scored with the Rollin, what a delicious thing to have in the house.

I wish I understood better what is going on at Pacalet. I actually like the wines, and when you taste across a range the terroirs are quite evident. But there is a house style or something that gives a lot of spice to each wine. Is it just stems? Are they careless with the Christmas cookies during elevage? I don't know, but wish I did.

Pinot Fin?
 
Joe,
I paid more than that for the Cornas but like it every bit as much.
Much as I like his vineyard designates, this wine made me wonder what his wines would be like if blended.
Best, Jim
 
Bowman sighting.

A late release of Rollin's Villages washed through the market a couple of months ago and I bought a few. Hard as nails now; I guess it will be good in 12 years.

We've tried and liked his 02 Sous Fretilles and 06 Haut Cotes de Beaune. Is the '93 still around at that price?
 
60 years ago, VLM would have consumed all his Burgundy within the first few years, loudly denouncing by broadsheet, Movietone News, and AM radio those who would try to age all the life out of them by holding them longer.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Bowman sighting.

A late release of Rollin's Villages washed through the market a couple of months ago and I bought a few. Hard as nails now; I guess it will be good in 12 years.

We've tried and liked his 02 Sous Fretilles and 06 Haut Cotes de Beaune. Is the '93 still around at that price?

If I read the offering email correctly Jeff and I split the only case.

Rollin's wines really reward time in bottle though they will never convince the gobseekers. I am fairly ecstatic over this purchase.

The Geyserville was very disappointing on first pour but perked up after 30 minutes or so and was a lovely mature bottle. Still was almost certainly better 5-10 years ago.

Bize was young but very good. Inman and Arcadians were jarring in the context. The Cornas was gorgeous, no need to hold these. The Concannon was great.

The Morgon should not be touched for several years, the Bize was good but very young.
 
I had that Cornas in Paris, at Les Papilles, and very much agree that's it's nice, Cornas-ish, and should be consumed now.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Bowman sighting.

A late release of Rollin's Villages washed through the market a couple of months ago and I bought a few. Hard as nails now; I guess it will be good in 12 years.

We've tried and liked his 02 Sous Fretilles and 06 Haut Cotes de Beaune. Is the '93 still around at that price?

If I read the offering email correctly Jeff and I split the only case.

Rollin's wines really reward time in bottle though they will never convince the gobseekers. I am fairly ecstatic over this purchase.

The Geyserville was very disappointing on first pour but perked up after 30 minutes or so and was a lovely mature bottle. Still was almost certainly better 5-10 years ago.

Bize was young but very good. Inman and Arcadians were jarring in the context. The Cornas was gorgeous, no need to hold these. The Concannon was great.

The Morgon should not be touched for several years, the Bize was good but very young.

Thank you. I omitted the year on the Rollin Villages that was recently available - 'twas 05. There's probably still some around, but it's not $12/case.

I completely overlooked the Bize: Bourgeots has been a bit of a puzzle to me. Bize did well in 06, by all accounts.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:


Thank you. I omitted the year on the Rollin Villages that was recently available - 'twas 05. There's probably still some around, but it's not $12/case.

I completely overlooked the Bize: Bourgeots has been a bit of a puzzle to me. Bize did well in 06, by all accounts.

Bourgeots is definitely not my favorite from Bize (that would be Vergelesses) but this was certainly good Burgundy which should be held for at least 10 years.

I tried placing an order with Rosenthal early last year for whenever they get in their 2005 Rollins (I was hoping to secure some Les Vergelesses and Iles des Vergelesses) and they said they'd contact me as soon as they come in. Still haven't heard anything...

I'd expect all their '05s (including the village wines) to have a similar aging curve to the '93s which means 2020 would be a good time to start dipping into them.
 
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