Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
Tired of snatching the cradle, I picked up on winebid a bunch of reasonably priced (average $45.00, standard deviation $12.54) bottles with some age. We drank them on eight separate evenings, with fittingly monogamist focus.
1983 Domaine Maume Gevrey-Chambertin En Pallud 13.0%
It has come to my attention that Maumes take forever to mature. Since this is not even a premier cru, I thought maybe. Über classy red fruit, English sofa leather, and that quaint moldiness that only age bestows. Cutting acidity, grainy tannins, but rather sweetish fruit. Maybe even sweetish in a separate compartment, which makes me think Jean-Antoine Chaptal. Nice bitterness on the finish. Exudes gentleness, and seems to posit itself as such. Missing, perhaps, a little body, but the incisive acidity keeps the strings in tune to the last. Very good for an almost thirty year old lieu dit, a merchant seaman that wandered god knows where around the world before extinguishing itself, certifiably ancient, upon these tropical shores.
1986 Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils Nuits St. Georges 13.0%
Red fruits and flowers, mold and mild dish rag. Nice acidity, medium body, well resolved tannins, nice bitter finish, with no shadow of wood. A little thin before food, but perked up when called upon to assist. On the decline, but the acidity keeps it humming. We felt privileged to receive this mature bounty, after a quarter century's storage on someone else's underpaid dime.
1988 Domaine Jean-Marc Bouley Volnay Clos de la Cave 13.0%
Deep red fruit, tar, and light initial moldiness. Surprisingly strong tannins, good acidity, fruit still very much alive. The acidity and tannin generate enough astringency to dance with food. The lights are on and there's somebody home. Feels good to be drinking it at the right time, although it could stand a few. Purty good, especially for a so-called place.
1995 Roux Pere & Fils Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaux Monts 13.0%
Very dark, looks like Chilean pinot black. Alcohol, tar, oak, and a little plum. Zero pinosity. Reasonable acidity, but less than the others. Fruit's a little too ripe, once again reminding me of Chile. More subtle than most Chileans, but still a disappointment. Rue the day I ran into Roux. Henceforth, unless informed by good authority of a change of direction, I will avoid said gentleman, if only I can record his name on the left side of my memory, where the liabilities lie.
1998 Jean-Marc Pavelot Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru Aux Guettes 13.0%
Pretty and deep Burgundian cherry, with accuracy so absolute to diminish with details. Acidity delicious, crystalline fruit, medium body, almost ethereal. Before foodstuffs, I thought it might need a bit more consistency but, with food, everything fell into place. Turned seamless, self-sufficient unto itself. Devoid of great complexities, with no nobility pretense within the aristocracy of the Côte d'Or, but benighted by absolute precision in fulfilling its secret meaning, its ideal of modest perfection.
1999 Domaine Rapet Père & Fils Corton Grand Cru Pougets 13.0%
Nasals a bit callused, somewhat reduced, with a little oak and metallic cherry, which tends to please me. Juicy, with enough acidity and a body medium. Wood slightly overpresent. At the end of the curve, a sense of bitter and astringent wood tannins. Began well, but seemed to worsen with air and food. Unable to make the Burgundian "whoa, how did it do that?" jump, as if parts unable to be more than the sum because so disjointed. Sorry, expect more from a G.C. From above came the message that they did not trust the fruit, sufficiently, and let it rest for too long in the barrels, drying the wine, imparting that whiff of tea bags too long in the kettle.
2000 Louis Jadot Vosne Romanée 13.0%
Deep, dark, classic Burgundian cherry. Simple, but unquestionably pinous. A little reduction impairs the beginning, but soon departs its separate way. Good balance, medium body, salty finish, alcohol and wood unobtrusive. Not bad, but nothing to write Rome about. OK, next.
2000 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 13.0%
Too dark for a PN. Nose closed, with a little cherry metallic. Tasty, with good balance. Silky, classy, elegant, slightly sweet, with almost no tannin, which may explain the softness. Finish relatively short. It was becoming more fleshy and complex with time, but seemed to lack spine and typicity. Basically, a sycophantic wine, perfect for art openings, if only it were cheaper.
Thus endeth the winebid experiment. Overall, I found the eight wines less stellar than expected, but none were damaged, the descriptions were correct, and every bottle had a label suggesting inspection by winebid. They delivered to my hotel on the exact day that I asked, in styrofoam lined containers. I dug.
1983 Domaine Maume Gevrey-Chambertin En Pallud 13.0%
It has come to my attention that Maumes take forever to mature. Since this is not even a premier cru, I thought maybe. Über classy red fruit, English sofa leather, and that quaint moldiness that only age bestows. Cutting acidity, grainy tannins, but rather sweetish fruit. Maybe even sweetish in a separate compartment, which makes me think Jean-Antoine Chaptal. Nice bitterness on the finish. Exudes gentleness, and seems to posit itself as such. Missing, perhaps, a little body, but the incisive acidity keeps the strings in tune to the last. Very good for an almost thirty year old lieu dit, a merchant seaman that wandered god knows where around the world before extinguishing itself, certifiably ancient, upon these tropical shores.
1986 Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils Nuits St. Georges 13.0%
Red fruits and flowers, mold and mild dish rag. Nice acidity, medium body, well resolved tannins, nice bitter finish, with no shadow of wood. A little thin before food, but perked up when called upon to assist. On the decline, but the acidity keeps it humming. We felt privileged to receive this mature bounty, after a quarter century's storage on someone else's underpaid dime.
1988 Domaine Jean-Marc Bouley Volnay Clos de la Cave 13.0%
Deep red fruit, tar, and light initial moldiness. Surprisingly strong tannins, good acidity, fruit still very much alive. The acidity and tannin generate enough astringency to dance with food. The lights are on and there's somebody home. Feels good to be drinking it at the right time, although it could stand a few. Purty good, especially for a so-called place.
1995 Roux Pere & Fils Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaux Monts 13.0%
Very dark, looks like Chilean pinot black. Alcohol, tar, oak, and a little plum. Zero pinosity. Reasonable acidity, but less than the others. Fruit's a little too ripe, once again reminding me of Chile. More subtle than most Chileans, but still a disappointment. Rue the day I ran into Roux. Henceforth, unless informed by good authority of a change of direction, I will avoid said gentleman, if only I can record his name on the left side of my memory, where the liabilities lie.
1998 Jean-Marc Pavelot Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru Aux Guettes 13.0%
Pretty and deep Burgundian cherry, with accuracy so absolute to diminish with details. Acidity delicious, crystalline fruit, medium body, almost ethereal. Before foodstuffs, I thought it might need a bit more consistency but, with food, everything fell into place. Turned seamless, self-sufficient unto itself. Devoid of great complexities, with no nobility pretense within the aristocracy of the Côte d'Or, but benighted by absolute precision in fulfilling its secret meaning, its ideal of modest perfection.
1999 Domaine Rapet Père & Fils Corton Grand Cru Pougets 13.0%
Nasals a bit callused, somewhat reduced, with a little oak and metallic cherry, which tends to please me. Juicy, with enough acidity and a body medium. Wood slightly overpresent. At the end of the curve, a sense of bitter and astringent wood tannins. Began well, but seemed to worsen with air and food. Unable to make the Burgundian "whoa, how did it do that?" jump, as if parts unable to be more than the sum because so disjointed. Sorry, expect more from a G.C. From above came the message that they did not trust the fruit, sufficiently, and let it rest for too long in the barrels, drying the wine, imparting that whiff of tea bags too long in the kettle.
2000 Louis Jadot Vosne Romanée 13.0%
Deep, dark, classic Burgundian cherry. Simple, but unquestionably pinous. A little reduction impairs the beginning, but soon departs its separate way. Good balance, medium body, salty finish, alcohol and wood unobtrusive. Not bad, but nothing to write Rome about. OK, next.
2000 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 13.0%
Too dark for a PN. Nose closed, with a little cherry metallic. Tasty, with good balance. Silky, classy, elegant, slightly sweet, with almost no tannin, which may explain the softness. Finish relatively short. It was becoming more fleshy and complex with time, but seemed to lack spine and typicity. Basically, a sycophantic wine, perfect for art openings, if only it were cheaper.
Thus endeth the winebid experiment. Overall, I found the eight wines less stellar than expected, but none were damaged, the descriptions were correct, and every bottle had a label suggesting inspection by winebid. They delivered to my hotel on the exact day that I asked, in styrofoam lined containers. I dug.
