Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
Imbibed while watching the final chapters of the spectacular fourth season of Dexter.
2009 Domaine De la Pepire (Marc Ollivier) Clos des Briords Muscadet Svre & Maine Cuve Vieilles Vignes Sur Lie 12.0%
Long name. Grapefruit, jasmine and fennel. Sharp and citric acidity, medium to light body. Uncompromisingly dry, with no trace of 2009 ripeness. Has the ramrod posture and very fine features of a Borg queen, with the parabolic beauty of a ski ramp nose. While the touchy feely side, the one that endures lifes occasional asperity, might have wished for a bit more warmth, one cannot help but savor this icicle sharp rendition of a breed standard. Marcia found it plain delicious, but it cannot be said that the fruit in Nantes stays mainly in the plain.
2004 Domaine Moulin-Tacussel Chteauneuf-du-Pape 14.0%
Aromatic jamboree of plums, black pepper, rosemary, coffee and tar. Plush texture, but the brazenly overtoasted undercurrent of vanilla is simply out of line; oak should be felt (in the texture) and not tasted. Could use more acidity to offset the peculiarly buttery, molasses-like sweetness. Upon release, I liked this enough to get a case, but time has not been kind to the contents. Unenjoyable, despite the intriguingly multiple aromas. Will it ever come together?
2007 Fatasci Nero dAvola Sicilia 14.0%
On page 99 of his new book Palmento (about Sicilian wineries), Robert Camuto describes a visit to an ancient Palermo pasticceria where he commends the functionality of the house wine, a Fatasci Nero dAvola. Ran into one here, so went for a test drive. Plastic cork. Dark cherry, iron, and vanilla for me, umeboshi and thyme for Marcia. What the hell is umeboshi? Apparently some kind of Japanese dried plum. Chewy and dense, a little spicy and hot, with a short finish. Could use more acidity. A bit of a letdown, without the context of Sicily. Perhaps it travelled poorly, or got lost in translation.
OK now, boys & girls, onto more serious matters, tonight we are off to the western front. Twenty-one supernatural wineries (in addition to any impromptus) between Angers and Blois over the course of two weeks. Should generate a mean stack of empirical evidence. Will have daily access to email, so can relay your questions to the usual suspects (if sufficiently prying). And, do not fear, I shall ask the folks at CRB whether rumors of their imminent demise are premature. May file the occasional dispatch, but will most likely just accumulate subsidies for a final, ponderous tome. Mais oui!
2009 Domaine De la Pepire (Marc Ollivier) Clos des Briords Muscadet Svre & Maine Cuve Vieilles Vignes Sur Lie 12.0%
Long name. Grapefruit, jasmine and fennel. Sharp and citric acidity, medium to light body. Uncompromisingly dry, with no trace of 2009 ripeness. Has the ramrod posture and very fine features of a Borg queen, with the parabolic beauty of a ski ramp nose. While the touchy feely side, the one that endures lifes occasional asperity, might have wished for a bit more warmth, one cannot help but savor this icicle sharp rendition of a breed standard. Marcia found it plain delicious, but it cannot be said that the fruit in Nantes stays mainly in the plain.
2004 Domaine Moulin-Tacussel Chteauneuf-du-Pape 14.0%
Aromatic jamboree of plums, black pepper, rosemary, coffee and tar. Plush texture, but the brazenly overtoasted undercurrent of vanilla is simply out of line; oak should be felt (in the texture) and not tasted. Could use more acidity to offset the peculiarly buttery, molasses-like sweetness. Upon release, I liked this enough to get a case, but time has not been kind to the contents. Unenjoyable, despite the intriguingly multiple aromas. Will it ever come together?
2007 Fatasci Nero dAvola Sicilia 14.0%
On page 99 of his new book Palmento (about Sicilian wineries), Robert Camuto describes a visit to an ancient Palermo pasticceria where he commends the functionality of the house wine, a Fatasci Nero dAvola. Ran into one here, so went for a test drive. Plastic cork. Dark cherry, iron, and vanilla for me, umeboshi and thyme for Marcia. What the hell is umeboshi? Apparently some kind of Japanese dried plum. Chewy and dense, a little spicy and hot, with a short finish. Could use more acidity. A bit of a letdown, without the context of Sicily. Perhaps it travelled poorly, or got lost in translation.
OK now, boys & girls, onto more serious matters, tonight we are off to the western front. Twenty-one supernatural wineries (in addition to any impromptus) between Angers and Blois over the course of two weeks. Should generate a mean stack of empirical evidence. Will have daily access to email, so can relay your questions to the usual suspects (if sufficiently prying). And, do not fear, I shall ask the folks at CRB whether rumors of their imminent demise are premature. May file the occasional dispatch, but will most likely just accumulate subsidies for a final, ponderous tome. Mais oui!
