Morgan Harris
Morgan Harris
Stand-outs from my recent trip to Argentina:
Bodegas Weinert Cabernet Sauvignon 1996:
I bought this at a grocery store in Buenos Aires for $11 US. Was not expecting a well-treated bottle, but given the price, I thought the risk was acceptable. I am so glad I did. The bottle was definitely showing its age, in a good way. 13.5% The blackberry, cassis and plum notes in the wine yielded to an autumn leaf, fresh-tilled earth funk. Demure spice-box and butterscotch oak aromas as well. Acid was still zippy though, defnitely not past its prime, but drink it soon. What I've been told old Bordeaux tastes like, but being such a fucking newb, I haven't exactly drank a lot of that.
Bodegas El Esteca "Don David" Tannat 2006:
This, for me, was the wine discovery of the trip. 13.9% alcohol. 80/90 year old vineyard at 1700 meters in Cafayete, Salta. They have to irrigate heavily, but for me, this is tannat at its best. Much riper than Madiran generally is for me with dark, dark fruit and crushing granite and graphite mineral notes. Tannin and acid were both ripping. I had it with an herbed rack of Patagonian lamb. Yum. Reminded me of '03 Martinelli Sagrantino. This wine was loved by some oak, but in this case, I think it deserves it. They're definitely not trying to soften it up. Massive, but drinkable it its youth, I'm not sure the two bottles of '07 I brought home will make it into their old age...I know that Wildman brings in the Malbec and the Torrontes, but not sure about the Tannat.
Also some recent tastes from the bar:
Domaine des Vissoux Fleurie 2007:
My first experience of this GC Bojo, and wow, there is a lot of structure here. Definitely pushing well into medium-bodied territory. Not a super-expressive example of bojo here (as with some of the Lapierre and G. Descombes bottlings I've had), but also not disappointing. Sour cherries, cranberries, ripe red cherry, with a hint of that bojo mineral funkyness (to me, it smells like brand-new pink eraser). Definitely more brooding, and mouth-filling than gulpable, but definitely a neat bottle. Neophyte bojo.
Anjou Blanc "Cuve Les Rangs de Long", Ch. Soucherie, 2009
Not really what I look for in my Chenin. I'd rather spend an extra $15 bucks and get our Chadaine Clos Habert 2006 (Sharon, your stunned silence definitely finds an ally with me). Very angular, with an almost watery mouthfeel. Lacking the crunchy minerality that I find essential to good chenin. Very tart apple, lime, a little pear and golden apple, but nearly devoid of honey and wet wool characteristics. Very much a before dinner/"it's 95 degrees and I want something cold" chenin.
There, I've done it. Now you can all ridicule me while you smoke figurative post-coital cigarettes.
Bodegas Weinert Cabernet Sauvignon 1996:
I bought this at a grocery store in Buenos Aires for $11 US. Was not expecting a well-treated bottle, but given the price, I thought the risk was acceptable. I am so glad I did. The bottle was definitely showing its age, in a good way. 13.5% The blackberry, cassis and plum notes in the wine yielded to an autumn leaf, fresh-tilled earth funk. Demure spice-box and butterscotch oak aromas as well. Acid was still zippy though, defnitely not past its prime, but drink it soon. What I've been told old Bordeaux tastes like, but being such a fucking newb, I haven't exactly drank a lot of that.
Bodegas El Esteca "Don David" Tannat 2006:
This, for me, was the wine discovery of the trip. 13.9% alcohol. 80/90 year old vineyard at 1700 meters in Cafayete, Salta. They have to irrigate heavily, but for me, this is tannat at its best. Much riper than Madiran generally is for me with dark, dark fruit and crushing granite and graphite mineral notes. Tannin and acid were both ripping. I had it with an herbed rack of Patagonian lamb. Yum. Reminded me of '03 Martinelli Sagrantino. This wine was loved by some oak, but in this case, I think it deserves it. They're definitely not trying to soften it up. Massive, but drinkable it its youth, I'm not sure the two bottles of '07 I brought home will make it into their old age...I know that Wildman brings in the Malbec and the Torrontes, but not sure about the Tannat.
Also some recent tastes from the bar:
Domaine des Vissoux Fleurie 2007:
My first experience of this GC Bojo, and wow, there is a lot of structure here. Definitely pushing well into medium-bodied territory. Not a super-expressive example of bojo here (as with some of the Lapierre and G. Descombes bottlings I've had), but also not disappointing. Sour cherries, cranberries, ripe red cherry, with a hint of that bojo mineral funkyness (to me, it smells like brand-new pink eraser). Definitely more brooding, and mouth-filling than gulpable, but definitely a neat bottle. Neophyte bojo.
Anjou Blanc "Cuve Les Rangs de Long", Ch. Soucherie, 2009
Not really what I look for in my Chenin. I'd rather spend an extra $15 bucks and get our Chadaine Clos Habert 2006 (Sharon, your stunned silence definitely finds an ally with me). Very angular, with an almost watery mouthfeel. Lacking the crunchy minerality that I find essential to good chenin. Very tart apple, lime, a little pear and golden apple, but nearly devoid of honey and wet wool characteristics. Very much a before dinner/"it's 95 degrees and I want something cold" chenin.
There, I've done it. Now you can all ridicule me while you smoke figurative post-coital cigarettes.
