Steven Spielmann
Steven Spielmann
I liked Leitz' QBA Drachenstein 2008 better than Adam's 2008 Hofberg Kabinett better than Schafer-Frohlich's 2006 Bockenauer Felseneck Spatlese. All were good wines and the S-F will show better down the line than it did right now. The Adam was great. The Leitz was even better IMO. The Adam had more concentration but the Leitz had infinite purity.
Porter Creek 1991 RRV Pinot Noir (11.9 ABV!!) is simple but solid. It also has that rich taste/scent that normally makes you want to puke in a lot of new world PN but here it's part of the flavor profile and enjoyable. It is better than the Sinskey 1991 Los Carneros PN which is drinkable and has the basic earth, fruit etc. Two drinkable California PNs at age 19 is a nice thing. Neither was great, the Porter Creek was good, but neither sucked, which makes them both big winners relative to a lot of my new world pinot experience.
Clos Roche Blanche Cuvee Gamay 2008 blows Marcel Lapierre MMVII out of the water. Both are excellent wines. The Lapierre has more silk and the CRB has more concentration. Normally I like silk and dislike concentration. And I also don't particularly like that fascinating iron note tinting the deep, deep depths of the Cuvee Gamay. It doesn't matter, the wine is awesome. It will even age better than the Lapierre. And that Lapierre is a very fine Beaujolais. But the '08 CRB is like the Haut-Brion of Gamay or something. Unbelievable wine. I am an idiot for not buying more of this.
Domaine Gramenon Ceps Centenaires La Meme 2007 is better than most Grenache I have ever had, and better than all the wines above except for the Leitz and CRB Gamay, and it's richer and more concentrated than either of those and pairs better with lamb, so there you go. It also smells like roses in an almost Piedmont way which frankly I had never experienced in Grenache. Recommended if you can find it and worth seeking out. Yum.
Porter Creek 1991 RRV Pinot Noir (11.9 ABV!!) is simple but solid. It also has that rich taste/scent that normally makes you want to puke in a lot of new world PN but here it's part of the flavor profile and enjoyable. It is better than the Sinskey 1991 Los Carneros PN which is drinkable and has the basic earth, fruit etc. Two drinkable California PNs at age 19 is a nice thing. Neither was great, the Porter Creek was good, but neither sucked, which makes them both big winners relative to a lot of my new world pinot experience.
Clos Roche Blanche Cuvee Gamay 2008 blows Marcel Lapierre MMVII out of the water. Both are excellent wines. The Lapierre has more silk and the CRB has more concentration. Normally I like silk and dislike concentration. And I also don't particularly like that fascinating iron note tinting the deep, deep depths of the Cuvee Gamay. It doesn't matter, the wine is awesome. It will even age better than the Lapierre. And that Lapierre is a very fine Beaujolais. But the '08 CRB is like the Haut-Brion of Gamay or something. Unbelievable wine. I am an idiot for not buying more of this.
Domaine Gramenon Ceps Centenaires La Meme 2007 is better than most Grenache I have ever had, and better than all the wines above except for the Leitz and CRB Gamay, and it's richer and more concentrated than either of those and pairs better with lamb, so there you go. It also smells like roses in an almost Piedmont way which frankly I had never experienced in Grenache. Recommended if you can find it and worth seeking out. Yum.