Jonathan and Gail come to town

C

Cliff

Cliff Rosenberg
Jonthan is in town for a meeting, and Gail joined him this time, the occasion for celebration. So a handful of regulars -- Brad, Jay, Jeff, Don, Melissa -- and my wife, Kim, joined forces around a table at Il Corso for a nice range of wines that, perhaps oddly, did not include a single Chateauneuf. The very lovely Trevallon was as close as we got. I know I'm leaving out the 96 Chinon (which was it?) and surely others. But here's a quick, misleading start, from hazy memory, the morning after.

2004 Richard Leroy Anjou Les Noëls de Montbenault
The wood, which seemed so nicely integrated on the last bottle I tried, in early 2008, is sticking out on the finish, with a weird, sweet, buttery note that is out of place and distracts from the lovely material. Only a small hint of oxidation.
1999 Nigl Riesling Senftenberger Piri Privat
This showed much, much less evolved than the bottle I had in April. Pale and not showing much on opening, it blossomed after double-decanting and waiting awhile. It took on richness -- Jonathan thought it sweet, like a German Spatlese -- and had a lovely texture. Interesting showing.
1996 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant
A beautiful showing: at first, it was dominated by the essence of the petrol note adolescent German Riesling often shows. After a decant, it opened up to show lovely, typical quince and floral tones, wrapped around a steel core. Brad complained of various faults, but he was wrong. Thanks Don and Melissa!
2007 Olivier Guyot Marsannay La Montagne
This was fierce on opening, bordering on downright nasty: weedy, stinky, and acidic as hell. Without a suitable sub and smelling no TCA, I double-decanted, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. A few hours later, it remained earth, mineral, and acid-driven, a very autumnal wine, with fallen leaves and turned earth prominent in its profile. An interesting wine. I just wish the tariff were more modest.
2000 Domaine Bachelet & fils Gevrey-Chambertin
Very nice, fallen leaves, turned earth, a little smokey. This was dense with nice framing acidity, the fruit very much in the background.
2010 Cowan Cellars Pinot Noir - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Very primary, this is dominated by red fruits at this stage, with a Morgon-ish type of profile. I like this better today than the Bennett Valley.
2010 Cowan Cellars Pinot Noir - USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
Although the alcohol is low by CA standards, this shows big and black fruited, a bit monolithic at this point. The last glass, after double-decanting and traveling to a long dinner and then back home, was quite fruit forward.
2001 Domaine de Trévallon Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône
Just a beautiful, beautiful showing, dominated by the very classically-proportioned Cabernet Sauvignon. With some air, the Syrah came out, a bit, but only a bit. Really impressive.
1995 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
Others liked this more than I did. This is from memory, so take it for what it's worth, but this did not move me. Nothing flawed, mind you, it just lacked tension.
 
originally posted by Cliff:
Jonathan and Gain come to town
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Say what now!

...a nice range of wines that, perhaps oddly, did not include a single Chateauneuf.
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Well if I had known that then I might have tried harder to come!

But regardless, it sounds like you had some nice wines.

How expensive is the Guyot? Weedy, stinky, and autumnal, all from 2007! How much could they really charge.
 
The Marssany was not wildly out of line -- from memory it was in the $30's -- but his line is generally expensive, even from Rimmerman, who is more than fair. I've bought a couple based on Rimmerman's pitch and wanted to check in before shelling out any more. I confess, I'm on the fence; but, in fairness, this is a pretty marginal terroir, up high, in a less than stellar vintage. I do wish he could clean up some of the Brett.
 
I just realized I forgot the Edmunds St. John Syrah Wylie Fenaughty. Was that a 2001? Really good stuff with plenty of life.
 
originally posted by Cliff:
I just realized I forgot the Edmunds St. John Syrah Wylie Fenaughty. Was that a 2001? Really good stuff with plenty of life.
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Wow. Lots of divergent opinions on the wine last night starting with the above, which a few of us thought showed off, with maderized notes too prevalent.

You and Don loved the Coulée de Serrant, but Jeff thought it was off and I thought it was clearly corked. I didn't find it to have the usual oxidative character it normally shows, but that "wooliness" was really tca and the wine clearly showed a stripped quality to it, imo.

I'm with you on the Trevallon. It showed quite nicely, though was still pretty tight. I should've decanted. With extended air a lot of black and blue fruit comes out. This one, as you said, showed it's Cabernet character much of of teh night with more pronounced blue fruit and herb. It was only towards the end of the evening that a more Syrah influenced fruit and spice character emerged, while the herb receded a bit. Along with the '89, it's my favorite vintage of Trevallon.

I loved the Chave and had it as my wine of the night. Still a brute, but it's definitely softened some over the past few years. Lots of beef blood, red fruit and all the goodness one expects from a Chave.

The Nigl was one of my favorites of the night, but I didn't think it was close to Spatlese in sweetness at all and found it largely dry. Stony and peachy goodness. Layered with tremendous depth and powerfully built. Beautiful wine.

You forgot the '10 La Biancara di Angiolino Maule- "Sassaia." I guess it's a semi-orange wine given it sees some skin contact. Thankfully, this doesn't have an oxidative character. I liked this one. Shows ripe fruit and a tannic structure with nice richness to the texture.

I thought that oaky Chenin sucked. Chenin and oak don't mix. Period.

I think I liked Jim's wines more than most at the table, but I kindah enjoy Pinot candy when there's no overt oak involved. That said, I liked the Sonoma Coast marginally better than the Bennett Valley.

You also forgot the '96 Druet- Chinon "Clos de Danzay," which was what you'd expect. Crunchy cherry fruit with herb and mineral as supporting cast members. The herb seems like it's just about to start the shift into the tobacco realm, but overall the wine is still showing relatively youthfully. the acidity was a little high for me, but that's par for the course.

I thought the Gevrey was pretty good, but I think I like it less today than I did last night. More iron than fruit at the moment and it needed more fruit to help even out the structure.

I guess the only real consensus on the evening was just how corked the '91 Guigal- Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde and '08 Foreau- Vouvray Moelleux were.

Great, as always, to see the Professor and Gail.
 
originally posted by Brad Kane:
originally posted by Cliff:
I just realized I forgot the Edmunds St. John Syrah Wylie Fenaughty. Was that a 2001? Really good stuff with plenty of life.
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Wow. Lots of divergent opinions on the wine last night starting with the above, which a few of us thought showed off, with maderized notes too prevalent.
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It's my memory that's off here. I recall it showing weird at first but thought it sorted itself out.

originally posted by Brad Kane:
The Nigl was one of my favorites of the night, but I didn't think it was close to Spatlese in sweetness at all and found it largely dry. Stony and peachy goodness. Layered with tremendous depth and powerfully built. Beautiful wine.
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I didn't get any RS either, but I thought it had picked up some richness in bottle. When I first opened it, it was extremely tight and showed much drier than by the time dinner came around.

originally posted by Brad Kane:
Chenin and oak don't mix. Period.
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Rougeard?

originally posted by Brad Kane:
You forgot the '10 La Biancara di Angiolino Maule- "Sassaia." I guess it's a semi-orange wine given it sees some skin contact. Thankfully, this doesn't have an oxidative character. I liked this one. Shows ripe fruit and a tannic structure with nice richness to the texture.
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I didn't have that one, somehow. And I couldn't remember which 96 Chinon we had. You were the one writing everything down ;)
 
We just got back to DC. Thanks to Cliff and Kim for their hospitality, to everyone at the wine dinner and to Jay and Jeff for hanging around their lockers waiting for me to get out of a very much longer than normal meeting to do a second late afternoon tasting. We both had a great time.
 
I think I liked most of he wines more than everybody else. I must have just been in a good mood. Of Jim''s wines, I much preferred the Sonoma coast. They both seemed bigger and more California-ish than I would have expected. I'll be interested in what some years will do for them. It should be said that I am also a complete ignoramus when it comes to pinot noir. Jay, who generally scorns fruit, served us a Rhys the next afternoon, evidently a highly thought of rendition, and I thought it also had more wood and higher toned fruit notes than I generally favor, and than I thought he would. Maybe he or Jeff will add details there since I was in and out in an hour or so. I remember a barbaresco that was somewhat lapidary in an interesting way, but showing its age, a charming young Barolo, a very nice Gevrey, a Tete 07 that made me want to own more Tetes, and a Bosquet des Papes, 2000 that was surprisingly young and upright for an 11 year old CdP, and also very nice.

I was warned that the Guyot would be highly acidic, and I found it quite nice. Cliff's notes work for me if one lessens the concern on acid and enhances the sense of fallen leaves and earth.

Trevallon was indeed pretty fabulous. I wish I could remember the Chave to say whether I'm with Kane or Cliff. I expect I'm with Kane, but too much was going past me.

I do remember the Druet as nice but still too young, a little younger than the last bottle I had, maybe back in September.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Jay, who generally scorns fruit, served us a Rhys the next afternoon, evidently a highly thought of rendition, and I thought it also had more wood and higher toned fruit notes than I generally favor, and than I thought he would. Maybe he or Jeff will add details there since I was in and out in an hour or so. I remember a barbaresco that was somewhat lapidary in an interesting way, but showing its age, a charming young Barolo, a very nice Gevrey, a Tete 07 that made me want to own more Tetes, and a Bosquet des Papes, 2000 that was surprisingly young and upright for an 11 year old CdP, and also very nice.
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1978 Ceretto Barbaresco
2009 Rhys Family Farm Pinot
2001 Fourrier Chambolle Musigny 'Gruencher'
2004 Burlotto Barolo 'Monvigliero'
2007 Tete Julienas 'Prestige'
2000 Bousquet des Papes
1989 Denis Azay le Rideau

There was also a 1971 Banfi Brunello which was unfortunately completely shot
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Jay, who generally scorns fruit, served us a Rhys the next afternoon, evidently a highly thought of rendition, and I thought it also had more wood and higher toned fruit notes than I generally favor, and than I thought he would. Maybe he or Jeff will add details there since I was in and out in an hour or so. I remember a barbaresco that was somewhat lapidary in an interesting way, but showing its age, a charming young Barolo, a very nice Gevrey, a Tete 07 that made me want to own more Tetes, and a Bosquet des Papes, 2000 that was surprisingly young and upright for an 11 year old CdP, and also very nice.
Click to expand...

1978 Ceretto Barbaresco
2009 Rhys Family Farm Pinot
2001 Fourrier Chambolle Musigny 'Gruencher'
2004 Burlotto Barolo 'Monvigliero'
2007 Tete Julienas 'Prestige'
2000 Bousquet des Papes
1989 Denis Azay le Rideau

There was also a 1971 Banfi Brunello which was unfortunately completely shot
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My completely mistaking a Gevrey for a Chambolle tells you what you need to know about how much I should be listened to with regard to burgundy. But I still say it was a very nice wine.
 
Sounds like it was the reverse in this case, confusing the Gevrey producer's Chambolle for a Gevrey. I'm still listening! People have complained about issues with his 2001's. The couple of bottles I've had from the same stash as Jay's have been lovely, but I haven't had one for awhile.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
The Bousquet was the "Cuvee Grenache", which I think was bottled only in 2000.
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Unless they changed the name of the domaine for only that year, it should be Bosquet, which is French for a woods.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
originally posted by Jay Miller:
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Jay, who generally scorns fruit, served us a Rhys the next afternoon, evidently a highly thought of rendition, and I thought it also had more wood and higher toned fruit notes than I generally favor, and than I thought he would. Maybe he or Jeff will add details there since I was in and out in an hour or so. I remember a barbaresco that was somewhat lapidary in an interesting way, but showing its age, a charming young Barolo, a very nice Gevrey, a Tete 07 that made me want to own more Tetes, and a Bosquet des Papes, 2000 that was surprisingly young and upright for an 11 year old CdP, and also very nice.
Click to expand...

1978 Ceretto Barbaresco
2009 Rhys Family Farm Pinot
2001 Fourrier Chambolle Musigny 'Gruencher'
2004 Burlotto Barolo 'Monvigliero'
2007 Tete Julienas 'Prestige'
2000 Bousquet des Papes
1989 Denis Azay le Rideau

There was also a 1971 Banfi Brunello which was unfortunately completely shot
Click to expand...

My completely mistaking a Gevrey for a Chambolle tells you what you need to know about how much I should be listened to with regard to burgundy. But I still say it was a very nice wine.
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And you now know not to listen to me regarding piedmont or chateauneuf. Not that there should have been any question about that.
 
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