TN: Manuel visits (Aug 13, 2016)

J

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
attendees: Brad, Jayson, Jay, Jeff, Manuel, Cliff, Chris

New York City is broiling hot and Brad's apartment is only at 50% of its cooling capacity. But the intrepid NYC winos are gathered here because The Liquidator is passing through and that means jeebus.

Lusenti 2013 Malvasia Frizzante "Emiliana", Colli Piacentini - lemon and peach vye for the palate, a pleasant bitter note at the finish, not bad for a freebie bottle

Lusenti 2010 Malvasia "Bianca Regina", Colli Piacentini - too bitter, flat and dull

Chalk Hill 1995 Chardonnay - now that we're done with the freebies, onto the cull bottle: some old yellow fruit smothered in buttered popcorn and caramel, bleh

Equipos Navazos NV La Bota de Florpower No. 53 "Mas Alla" - called "Beyond" because this is actually #44 aged longer; very delicate and only gently oxidized, crisp, light, sweet apples and brine; Manuel says this wine comes from a new trend in sherry-making "menos velo, mas suelo"

A note from Crush described #44 as a single vintage (2010), single vineyard (Miraflores), unfortified manzanilla. It spent 8 months in barrel under flor, then 2 years in tank. At bottling, 3000 liters were moved into used Manzanilla barrels and then used Palo Cortado barrels for another 2 years.

Scott Paul 2011 Pinot Noir "The Long Run" - basil, black pepper, cranberry, rose water, maybe strawberry, this is crisp and nice

Cazin 2002 Cour-Cheverny "Cuvee Renaissance" - just barely corked

Val delle Corti 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva - vivid mouthful of black and red cherries, bright, yum

Massimo 2007 Lessona - very pretty mountain wine, minerally, schnapps-ish in its purity of flavor, love it

Musar 1995 Rouge - the traditional pairing of red fruit and nail polish, seems OK to me, maybe a bit heavy, but others say the finish is short

Nikolaihof 1997 Riesling "Vinothek" - very full, very long, golden chewy old fruit

Faiveley 1993 Chambertin "Clos de Beze" - substantial and tannic, I like it but others think it is not showing as sturdy as it should; certainly, the fruit is still rather primary showing very little of the funky-meaty flavors I associate with G-C

Clos Roche Blanche 2014 Touraine "Cuvee Pif" - its yummy self

Eminence Road 2013 Pinot Noir "Seneca Lake" - did I miss a cuvee name?, anyway this was good but suffered by its place in the order

Huet 1983 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Clos de Bourg" - so much structure! this has absorbed a lot of its sugar, it almost tastes like sec, and the acidity is still shaking-head good; great bottle

Huet 1985 Vouvray Moelleux "Clos de Bourg" - sweeter than the last bottle but very similar: honey and white grapes

Huet 2002 Vouvray Moelleux 1ere Trie "Clos de Bourg" - and the denouement played fortissimo: so much phenolic material, so much honey and apricot, really wow
 
Great to see the Latin Liquidator again. A shame that Josie had babysitting duties.

Fwiw, neither Pascaline nor I thought the Cazin was corked, or had any issues with it, though it seemed like half the group did. I thought it was lovely.

I didn't love the '97 Vinothek. I found it an oakier, and more tired wine than the '90, which is a benchmark wine. Not that we had the '90 there, but, just sayin'. Needless to say, we all had Joe in mind when we sipped it.

The '83 Huet was part of a parcel that I sourced in Belgium seven or eight years ago that a few folks here got in on. Nicely stored, but not my favorite. Almost tastes like sec, you say? Not almost! The wine was pretty bone dry with formidable structure. Needed a lot more filling to support that frame. The '85 Moelleux was typically wooly on the nose, but much cleaner on the palate. Beautifully expansive and long, with yellow fruits dominating. With the higher sugar levels, the '02 1ere Trie, which Coad, who brought it, thought was just the Moelleux, showed the typical apricot, ripe stone fruit profile with zingy acid structure. Perfectly balanced and just delightful.

For the reds, I thought the Pif and Andrew's Pinot (the Seneca Lake, btw) were delicious. Manuel couldn't believe how ripe it was!
 
I have been chasing the 90 Vinotek experience since my first bottle. I have now had ~15 bottles of 90, 95 and 97 and many have been disappointing.
 
How did I miss the Eminence Road?

Probably just as well though. My palate was so out of whack from the weather that my impressions wouldn't be worth much.

I stopped at Shake Shack on the way home to get a coffee milk shake so the cold and the caffeine would revive me a little. It worked pretty well.

I got the dogs walked and to bed and crashed.
 
originally posted by Robert Dentice:


I have been chasing the 90 Vinotek experience since my first bottle. I have now had ~15 bottles of 90, 95 and 97 and many have been disappointing.
Click to expand...

I've had quite a few, as well. My feeling - and this comes in part from several visits to the estate - is that the wines are aged until they (the Saahs family) thinks they are at an ideal point in their aging "arc," if you will. They are best drunk at release. I find that old Nikolaihof Wachau Grüner Veltliner is often much more enjoyable than old Riesling. In any case, my favorite is always Steiner Hund Riesling from a cooler vintage.
 
The Eminence Road was the '13 Pinot Noir Seneca Lake. And it was just lovely.

The Cazin was just a little corked, just enough to be distracting.

Chalk Hill was the wine of the night for me. So much going on for those of us who treasure Werther's Originals.
 
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