Joel Stewart
Joel Stewart
2001 Fattoria di Magliano, Poggio Bestiale, IGT, Rosso della Maremma, Tuscany, 14% -I did well at an exhibition years ago in Tokyo and while on lunch break during the show, went into the upscale supermarket next door and tasted this in the wine department. I liked it and bought a few bottles. This is the last bottle and, despite my change of palate over the years, it's surprisingly good still. Which is to say (now) that it's not bad for a spoofed, micro-filtered Bordeaux blend in the super Tuscan style. Merlot, cab s., cab f. and petit verdot are all present; clean, rich, loamy nose, and not quite opaque in the glass; a decent enough balance between fruit, earth and tannic structure that's hard to not enjoy despite all the sins made to arrive here. There's really nothing gross or over-stated (with air the fruit pushes forward maybe a bit much), but heck, for a rainy Sunday afternoon doing accounting, a reasonably elegant wine in the modern mode...and it makes me wish for rack of lamb. Life could be a lot worse.
2006 Kreydenwiess, Barbabelle, Costieres De Nimes, 13.5% - Biodynamic. Grenache, carignan, cinsault blend. This is a pleasant surprise...I swear the palate and nose first reminded me at moments of either several different Puzelat reds or Lapierre's 07 Beaujolais. It is that sameness of vin naturelness that has been discussed here before, but one slight diff here is that there's a tad more fruit...really just a tad. I'd be curious to know how MK pulled this (unripeness) off in the southern Rhone. Violets, sour cherry aromas and a whiff of horsey. Bright saline cherry on the attack that expands without weight...and only a sweetish tannic kick on the back end that tips it toward the Rhone. A tiny flashing light of fruit in the center.....a small core, but it's there. I really like this stuff. Want an elkburger with this. Thanks for the tip-off, Thor.
2008 Coste Piane, Prosecco frizzante sur lie, Veneto - From a magnum and it's really too bad I didn't pull the trigger on the jeroboam, given how quickly this disappeared. Appley nose, luminous, milky jade in the glass, gorgeous persistent prickle and layers of depth underneath that covered ground from the best vinho verde's to the deeper shades of aged muscadets. Very long and one of those wines that is like the best of pop songs, a la Stevie Wonder. Go back again and again.
2007 Chateau Cambon, Le Cambon, Beaujolais - I know this is the product of a partnership between M. Lapierre and another vintner, but can someone explain why this wine is so fat and huge? Not to say that I don't like it, but between this and the rose (which I like better) there is some serious viscosity going on here...like this is a 14% off dry gamay. Lord knows what would happen if this super bojo got in the wrong hands. In the end, a bit too sweet and pendulous for me.
2006 Kreydenwiess, Barbabelle, Costieres De Nimes, 13.5% - Biodynamic. Grenache, carignan, cinsault blend. This is a pleasant surprise...I swear the palate and nose first reminded me at moments of either several different Puzelat reds or Lapierre's 07 Beaujolais. It is that sameness of vin naturelness that has been discussed here before, but one slight diff here is that there's a tad more fruit...really just a tad. I'd be curious to know how MK pulled this (unripeness) off in the southern Rhone. Violets, sour cherry aromas and a whiff of horsey. Bright saline cherry on the attack that expands without weight...and only a sweetish tannic kick on the back end that tips it toward the Rhone. A tiny flashing light of fruit in the center.....a small core, but it's there. I really like this stuff. Want an elkburger with this. Thanks for the tip-off, Thor.
2008 Coste Piane, Prosecco frizzante sur lie, Veneto - From a magnum and it's really too bad I didn't pull the trigger on the jeroboam, given how quickly this disappeared. Appley nose, luminous, milky jade in the glass, gorgeous persistent prickle and layers of depth underneath that covered ground from the best vinho verde's to the deeper shades of aged muscadets. Very long and one of those wines that is like the best of pop songs, a la Stevie Wonder. Go back again and again.
2007 Chateau Cambon, Le Cambon, Beaujolais - I know this is the product of a partnership between M. Lapierre and another vintner, but can someone explain why this wine is so fat and huge? Not to say that I don't like it, but between this and the rose (which I like better) there is some serious viscosity going on here...like this is a 14% off dry gamay. Lord knows what would happen if this super bojo got in the wrong hands. In the end, a bit too sweet and pendulous for me.