Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
In the cellar:
Pavelot 2005 Savigny-Les-Beaunes 1er "La Dominode" - opened Saturday, has a Burgundy flavor profile but it's still very plush and primary; a few hours later, the plush has receded a little; on Monday, the same; on Wednesday, it is clear that the fruit is just always going to be a little excessive
A La Tache 2010 St-Joseph "Cuvee Badel" - opened Saturday, beautiful wine, crisp and pure; Tuesday, this is very pretty, very blue-fruited N Rhone syrah with a whiff of those dehydrated peat discs you use to start seedlings (...vaguely earthy-fecal); Thursday, this is no longer so crisp but that is balanced by a surge of yummy, earthy, textbook N Rhone syrah
B. Morey 1996 Chassagne-Montrachet "Caillerets" - opened Saturday, no pox here, you can catch glimpses of beautiful yellow fruit through the haze of screeching acidity; Jayson took this home: "It got better and sweeter for a while but it never quite threw off the sulphur and it's quite a fierce acid structure." and then "Surprise, surprise. The last glass is balanced. No more noticeable sulphur at all and integrated acidity, both of which allow the fruit to come out, long and sweet (as in stone fruit/hint of red fruit). In balance. I may only have one more bottle but I think another 5-10 would be good for this wine. Crazy how many good white wines are better on day 2 or 3. Or in the case of Vouvray moelleux, day 15."
Meanwhile at home:
Dom. Cheze 2013 St-Joseph "Cuvee Anges" - N Rhone syrah in a round, friendly style; not complex now but a little earth in the finish, glou-glou and hold
Edmunds St. John 2009 Syrah "Wylie Vineyard" - opened Thursday, inky and gritty, wtf, let's wait a few days; on Monday it has unwound a little, no longer inky and gritty but blue-fruited and still tight as a drum; a week out, the fruit has receded (maybe there are some strawberries way in the back somewhere) and the wine tastes of balsam and green olives with sandpaper-fine tannins; yum; last bits on Sunday - yes, 10 days after opening - plummy though still not very giving and the structure has unwound.
Pinon 2014 Vouvray "Deronnieres" - insanely delicious, bright, chalky, yellow-fruited, more please?!
Pinon 2009 Vouvray "Silex Noir" - insanely delicious, honeycomb, a hint of saffron, going slightly more golden and slightly more glyceral, more please?!
More cellar tastes:
Drouhin 1985 Pommard - lovely bottle of this, good color, good acidity, any coarseness due to appellation has faded, just a hint of sour mash tutti-frutti
Bachelet 1989 Gevrey-Chambertin - a little darker and more vivid than the Drouhin
Kelley Fox 2014 "Mirabai" - youthful, crisp, slight blackberry flavor to the pinot, nice 'second' bottle
Pavelot 2005 Savigny-Les-Beaunes 1er "La Dominode" - opened Saturday, has a Burgundy flavor profile but it's still very plush and primary; a few hours later, the plush has receded a little; on Monday, the same; on Wednesday, it is clear that the fruit is just always going to be a little excessive
A La Tache 2010 St-Joseph "Cuvee Badel" - opened Saturday, beautiful wine, crisp and pure; Tuesday, this is very pretty, very blue-fruited N Rhone syrah with a whiff of those dehydrated peat discs you use to start seedlings (...vaguely earthy-fecal); Thursday, this is no longer so crisp but that is balanced by a surge of yummy, earthy, textbook N Rhone syrah
B. Morey 1996 Chassagne-Montrachet "Caillerets" - opened Saturday, no pox here, you can catch glimpses of beautiful yellow fruit through the haze of screeching acidity; Jayson took this home: "It got better and sweeter for a while but it never quite threw off the sulphur and it's quite a fierce acid structure." and then "Surprise, surprise. The last glass is balanced. No more noticeable sulphur at all and integrated acidity, both of which allow the fruit to come out, long and sweet (as in stone fruit/hint of red fruit). In balance. I may only have one more bottle but I think another 5-10 would be good for this wine. Crazy how many good white wines are better on day 2 or 3. Or in the case of Vouvray moelleux, day 15."
Meanwhile at home:
Dom. Cheze 2013 St-Joseph "Cuvee Anges" - N Rhone syrah in a round, friendly style; not complex now but a little earth in the finish, glou-glou and hold
Edmunds St. John 2009 Syrah "Wylie Vineyard" - opened Thursday, inky and gritty, wtf, let's wait a few days; on Monday it has unwound a little, no longer inky and gritty but blue-fruited and still tight as a drum; a week out, the fruit has receded (maybe there are some strawberries way in the back somewhere) and the wine tastes of balsam and green olives with sandpaper-fine tannins; yum; last bits on Sunday - yes, 10 days after opening - plummy though still not very giving and the structure has unwound.
Pinon 2014 Vouvray "Deronnieres" - insanely delicious, bright, chalky, yellow-fruited, more please?!
Pinon 2009 Vouvray "Silex Noir" - insanely delicious, honeycomb, a hint of saffron, going slightly more golden and slightly more glyceral, more please?!
More cellar tastes:
Drouhin 1985 Pommard - lovely bottle of this, good color, good acidity, any coarseness due to appellation has faded, just a hint of sour mash tutti-frutti
Bachelet 1989 Gevrey-Chambertin - a little darker and more vivid than the Drouhin
Kelley Fox 2014 "Mirabai" - youthful, crisp, slight blackberry flavor to the pinot, nice 'second' bottle