October was a pretty good month. I've started to try to take notes on "house" wines as I have also begun tracking them.
As always, the scores should be taken as an immutable truth about the quality of a bottle of wine.
NV Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Cuvée No. 736 - France, Champagne (10/31/2018)
This has been a really good drink over the past year. It has a nice balance of creaminess and yeasty complexity to go with the fine mousse and the bakes orchard fruit. I bought this case at auction and it was grey market then shipped back across country and the corks are a bit wet so it may be more advanced than pristine bottles. Even though I enjoyed the wine, it's probably the last time I buy Champagne that isn't through official channels. You just don't know. (92 points)
2008 Domaine Pavelot (Jean-Marc et Hugues) Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru (10/29/2018)
After reading fitzi's note, I wanted to crack one of these to see if it was tiring quickly since I think our bottles are from the same source. I liked it a lot more than he did and my wife really liked it. It had some spice and woodsy notes surrounding the lifted red fruits. It seems to have hit a nice early plateau sense of balance. There is enough structure still around to frame the wine and push through the finish and adapt to food, but it is no longer a young wine. I like where it is right now and will start drinking until it shuts down again or is gone. (91 points)
2012 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée (10/28/2018)
Started out very tight, to the point where a few of us found it unpleasant. Along with a really awkward showing from the 2013 and a shy 2008, I was wondering if my love for this wine was misplaced. We moved on to something else, but an hour later when we came back, we found a much more supple, layered and feathery wine. Spice nuances draped over some deep fruit. The tannin had receded a bit, but this is a structured wine. 3-5 more years, I think. (91 points)
2006 Eric Texier Côte-Rôtie Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (10/28/2018)
A poor showing for a wine that has shown superbly in the past. The cork is soaked about 1/3 of the way up which is an anomaly for my cellar. It just seemed tired, none of the intensity of previous bottles. It was still a pretty and pleasant wine just not at the level that I expected. (88 points)
2006 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (10/28/2018)
Whoa! Now this is what I'm looking for. Like the 2008 we had not long ago, this isn't considered a top vintage in Chinon, but this wine certainly is. I'm really taken with the purity of the fruit over the chalky minerals and noble tannin. This is a structured wine and those who want things softer and more tertiary should wait, but if you want thrilling, pure, cabernet franc from limestone soils, this is a great bottle. Lacks only a bit of depth for profound. I only have 1 bottle left, so I guess I'll give it a couple of years to see what materializes, but for my palate, it may not get better. (94 points)
2014 Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault Les Chevalières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (10/28/2018)
Bracing and fresh. Very mineral with lots of almost quartz-like minerality. Citrus and flowers. Nice denisty and length. If it weren't for the p'ox, I'd think this would age really well based on density and balance, bu these are the times we live in. (92 points)
2014 Ceritas Chardonnay Peter Martin Ray - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (10/28/2018)
A really interesting comparison to the Fichet. Really framed by acidity and heavy on the citrus fruit. The underpinnings here are more stones than the Mersault, tit also doesn't have the weightless aspect. What it does have is complexity and character. Given the shape and profile, this is a very Burgundian rendition of chardonnay. Feels like it is from a cool site. (91 points)
2013 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban Blanc Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban (10/28/2018)
A really excellent bottle of this. Hard to explain, but it feels like drinking tea. The color is a bit on the golden side, but their aren't any edgy oxidized notes. In fact, it shows light and graceful and very digestible. Really easy to drink and enjoy. All sorts of things going on with the nose, flowers, herbs, lanolin without anything being overdone or heavy. Eric will hate this, but it reminds me a bit in spirit (although not in weight or rs) of recent Angeli wines. (91 points)
2002 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (10/28/2018)
OK, now we're playing with fire. This has the palate presence and feel of that classic iron fist in a velvet glove. There is a sense of power to the dark red and black fruits with a dark soil earthiness that spreads out to include a whole array of complex notes. I bought this bottle on the secondary market from a trusted source but the cork was soaked 1/3-1/2 way up. The wine was still excellent, but it makes you wonder how much better it could have been with proper care. The tannin are folded in by the fruit which drives through the finish which is long and persistent with the acid making your mouth water and recycling the lovely fruit. In a great spot for me, but if you want more of an old Burgundy experience, best to wait at least a few more years. (95 points)
2011 Domaine de la Bongran (Thevenet) Viré-Clessé Cuvée E. J. Thevenet - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/26/2018)
Last bottle of this rich, kinky wine. This has always been a more oxidative vintage and the wine is golden. Honey, pear and some luscious tropical fruits I can't identify. This is a low acid vintage and it won't improve from here and maybe it was a bit better a few years ago. Some vintages age at a really slow pace but this one has been a good servant in keeping us away from the 2008 and 2010. (90 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/26/2018)
Maybe this bottle made a bigger impression because it came after the Bongran and showed so much more structure and minerals with the richness feeling just a shade more in the background than previous bottles but this is probably the juxtaposition with the Bongran highlighting the relative structure. Luckily, I still have a good stash, so will keep going. (93 points)
2016 Giovanni Canonica Langhe Nebbiolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (10/25/2018)
Really interesting wine. I was hoping for something maybe a little more lush and while this will not be confused with Barolo, it was a bit on the lean and structured side. As it got some air it developed some interesting savory notes with more fruit. For some reason, it struck me as akin to tea. I wonder if this natural nebbiolo is a big hit in the Japanese market. (89 points)
2013 Colombera & Garella Bramaterra Cascina Cottignano - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Bramaterra (10/25/2018)
Haven't had a bottle of this in a while and it is really in a zone. Maybe it was the comparison with the leanness of the Canonica nebbiolo but this felt really broad and deep. There is a distinct ferrous edge to the fruit which I guess is part terroir but maybe part vespolina and croatina in the blend. It is less shy and lifted on the nose than in the past and the structure has softened a bit without losing shape. This has been a house favorite for a while and we are getting down to our last few bottles. The question at this stage is do we hold on to a couple and see what happens with age, or do we drink up while they're showing well. (93 points)
2013 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Griffe du Marquis - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (10/22/2018)
Yikes, do not disturb. The wine is really shut down hard. Being busy, we didn't wash out the decanter for a few days and two days later it smelled magnificent, but it gave very little the night we tried to drink it. A hope and a prayer that this develops. Why do we love things that don't love us back? (88 points)
2016 Weiser-Künstler Riesling - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/22/2018)
This is in about the same spot. Still mineral but much quieter than the Falkenstein wines that are also house staples. Gentler with an almost creamed stone quality, you know creamed corn, but with chalky rocks. I need to work my way higher up the line here. (89 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/21/2018)
Can't stop, won't stop. (92 points)
2011 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban (10/20/2018)
Bright ruby color with some savory notes to the dark berry and pitted fruits. The kind of leather strap that you can get with this wine. Not as open as other bottles I've had, particularly in terms of the fruit. I only had a bit and didn't get to go back and try it again. My guess is that it continued to open and will benefit from some age. (91 points)
2013 Georges Descombes Fleurie Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (10/20/2018)
Sappy red berries and that wispy herbal, floral quality that is a like a buzzing springtime garden. Really great shape to this wine and it was especially excellent with the barbecue. In a nice window but may continue to improve. (92 points)
2015 Ferme de la Sansonnière (Mark Angeli) Les Fouchardes - France, Vin de France (10/20/2018)
Hasn't moved much since the last time we had it. Luscious and round but with enough buried structure to hold the shape. All of the chenin qualities, beeswax, ripe yellow fruits florals, minerals. I find this wine so digestible, a bottle doesn't last long. (92 points)
2015 Ferme de la Sansonnière (Mark Angeli) Les Vieilles Vignes des Blanderies - France, Vin de France (10/20/2018)
One of my favorite wines this year. Definitely intense and concentrated but layered and light on its feet. Like on of those 250 pound linebackers that can run a 4.6/40. The wine drives through your palate with a dense rocky finish, but you never feel assaulted. Tender and powerful at the same time is a neat trick. I'm not sure what these wines will do in the cellar and they are so good now, I may not find out, but if there were one of the three I'd bet on developing, this would be it, but I'm not sure I can imagine it getting better. (95 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/20/2018)
Consistent excellence is all one could ask for. (92 points)
2013 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (10/19/2018)
Beautiful rendition of Clisson. Such a rich, creamy palate followed by spikes of rocky granite. Excellent length and real depth. This was the best bottle of Clisson in a while. Not sure if Marc and Remi put something different in these large formats. Great with whole line caught NC snapper off the fire. (94 points)
2017 Santo Wines Assyrtiko Santorini - Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini (10/19/2018)
A type of wine we're really enjoying these days, bracing and Mediterranean. There is some structure here and a bit of depth. There are some herbs and flowers over the white fruit and minerals and it is a bit salty but not savory. This is exactly what I hoped it would be and should be a good value. (90 points)
2016 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett trocken - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/19/2018)
What's up Rocky McStoneface? Really intense and fine focus with a lightly sweet fruit jam spread so thinly over the stone that you can barely taste it. Weightless and scintillating. (91 points)
2015 Caves Coopératives de Donnas Donnas - Italy, Valle d'Aosta, Donnas (10/17/2018)
I opened this 1.5 hours before dinner, so I missed the initial burst of fruit when this wine first gets opened. It has a weird cork, which I think might be synthetic, but no matter. The wine has a bit of rusticity but tons of nebbiolo fruit and character. I don't think there are other grapes in the blend, but can't recall for sure. Doesn't seem like it. Translucent amethyst color with some bark, flowers and dark cherry fruit. The tannins have a certain nobility to them, rustic nobility like a gentleman farmer. The wine shuts down for a bit, but starts opening up again after a few hours. Really delicious and an outstanding value. I think I'll stock up on this. (91 points)
2015 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas Les Deux Juliettes Sélection des Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas (10/16/2018)
Deep ruby color with lots of savory, and yes, garrigue, notes around the deep cherry fruit. The tannins are building and end up being rather forceful towards the end. I don't have a lot fo experience with this producer, but from the structure I think the wine would benefit from some cellaring. A very nice wine but I'm not sure it is in my wheelhouse, I'd need an aged one to know for sure. (89 points)
2010 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône-Brézème (10/15/2018)
Very tight. Has a beautiful frame and nuance, but do not touch again for a good while. Not sure exactly where this will end up, but it feels like an aristocratic wine. (91 points)
1996 François Pinon Vouvray 1er Trie - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (10/13/2018)
One of the better bottles from this batch. There are some burnt sugar notes but otherwise the wine is clean and airy with it's fruit and honey. Not as floral as it was as a young wine but an excellent accompaniment to foie gras terrine. (93 points)
2015 Castello di Verduno Barbera d'Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba (10/11/2018)
Bright, juicy and forward barbera but does have some good acid underneath. Right down the center of the plate in terms of everyday barbera that I'm happy to drink. Went very well with puttanesca despite the north-south dichotomy of food and wine. This may become a regular wine around the house. (89 points)
2014 Villa S. Anna Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (10/11/2018)
A good wine in its own right, but pales in comparison to the 2013. There is something that keeps it from being as expressive as I would expect. It doesn't appear to be corked to either of us so it is probably just the wine. I may try another bottle just to be sure, but this does seem a bit of a miss by the standards of this consistently excellent wine and producer. However, if I was served it blind, I may have been perfectly happy. (88 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/10/2018)
Another excellent bottle, identical to the last one except it didn't last as long. (92 points)
2015 Ceritas Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard Old Shop Block - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (10/9/2018)
Backward and deeper pitched than many Ceritas pinots. Young and tight but still well fruited shading from the red to darker fruits. There are some minerals under the structure and some floral and herbal notes on top, but really it's about the structure with fruit hanging form it. Give it a few years. (91 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/9/2018)
Another awesome bottle of this. Rich and intense in keeping with the year. Lots of yellow fruits, pears and a touch of honey. Rich with some botrytis notes but with plenty of structure. This wine is delicious now and hits a stylistic sweet spot for me. Not as exotic ans the wine Gauthier makes at Bongran but with a similar feel and for all its size, digestibility. Good now and for 5-10 years, maybe more. (92 points)
2016 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Moulin-à-Vent - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent (10/9/2018)
I can't get a read on this wine. Yes, it is in a strict Brun style and Moulin-á-Vent but it was so inexpressive upon opening, I double and triple checked that it wasn't corked. Put the rest of the bottle in the fridge to see if a couple of days will help it out. Judgement reserved, but historically this wine does very well in the cellar.
2014 Matthiasson Chardonnay Michael Mara Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (10/9/2018)
This wine keeps getting better and better. Maybe my favorite chardonnay from CA this year and can stack up against anything. A dramatic mix of old world structure with CA fruit blossoming through. There is a real sense of density and length to this wine. The Michael Mara vineyard is reputed to be extreme in its micro-climate and it certainly produces excellent wine (Chris Brockway's wine from the same vineyard is also excellent, though much leaner). I feel like I'm not doing justice to the complexity and layers, but this was impressive. (94 points)
2016 Tire Bouchon Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc (10/9/2018)
I know very little about this wine, it was thrown into a mixed case by the proprietor. Lean and lemony with some herbal notes (lemon verbina?) with good length and just lacking a bit of depth and punch. Really tastes like Burgundy and is an excellent value. (89 points)
2016 Folk Machine Valdiguié - USA, California, North Coast, Redwood Valley (10/8/2018)
This is called val-de-glou for a good reason. This iteration is particularly lithe and savory and not as obvious as prior vintages. Noteworthy freshness and with Kenny's deft touch. Clocks in at 12% alcohol. This would probably benefit from a year or two in the cellar but most bottles probably won't lat that long. (89 points)
2015 Tiberio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (10/7/2018)
Wow. Dark wild, pasty and intense. Dark color, deep fruit, tree bark, unsweetened licorice and a good hit of fine pasty tannin. Fruit is on the purple/black end of the spectrum. This needs richer more rustic food than we had it with. Nonetheless, a good quality bottle of wine and outside of my normal idiom, on purpose though. (89 points)
2016 De Fermo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Concrete - Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (10/7/2018)
I guess this was Montepulciano d'Abruzzo day. Compared to the Tiberio this was lighter a more red fruited. I'm not that familiar with this producer, but I think they may be more on the hipster/natural end of the spectrum and it shows in the harmoniousness and ease of use with this wine. Still hits all the dark notes but with a sense of frivolity. Easier to drink, thank god, because we were just drinking without food. I'll get more of this. (89 points)
2014 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (10/6/2018)
What more really needs to be said about these brilliants wines. This has a sort of grand cru weight and density and it is a grand cru for mélon in the hands of young master, Remi Branger. (92 points)
1990 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Rocche dei Brovia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (10/3/2018)
I definitely missed the best of this wine. We decided that it smelled like an old library or the study in an old mansion. All tertiary at this point except for some brandy soaked plums (without the heat though). The wine was fully resolved and velvety, with lots of balsamic, varnish and pine notes around the library. For someone who is really into old wine flavors and smells, this would be a great experience. For me, it is on the downslope. The cork was perfect and I've owned this bottle for more than 20 years, although I didn't buy it exactly on release, but from a retailer that bought it on release. Because this was my last bottle, I had been waiting for the "right" occasion to open it. I should have done that years ago, which is a good lesson as my cellar starts to mature. (88 points)
2005 Domaine Fourrier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (10/3/2018)
Still bright ruby translucent color. Nice verve and Chambolle crunchiness to the red fruit. This was more cherry red than cranberry. Some nice spice as well. Didn't wow me, but was very pleasant to drink. I still think of Fourrier as the Foillard of Burgundy and this bottle was in that vein. This was my second of just 2 bottles, the first being corked. I would say this is in a good place for my palate but I suspect will stay on this plateau for several years. Didn't really solve my Fourrier conundrum, but an enjoyable wine. (91 points)
2008 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (10/1/2018)
Beautiful ruby color with no bricking. Ripe cherries on the nose peak through a bed of leafy earth while underneath it all is a strong line of chalk that is the signature of this site for me. Really cool, linear flavors. Tannin is mostly resolved with just enough of a structural frame to hang the fruit. Sharp acidity that lifts the fruit which comes out more with air. After about an hour, it is all bright cherry and minerals with a touch of herbs and flowers. Really excellent and in a great spot right now. This is not considered a good vintage in Chinon, but goes to show what a great site and vigneron mean to a wine. (93 points)
2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (10/1/2018)
Had the same night as the 2008 Croix Boissée. Much more dark earth, like freshly tilled soil. Fruit on the darker plum and black cherry spectrum Tannins are gentle at this point and the wine is structured by its acidity. More rustic than the other Baudry reds (which aren't a rustic bunch) with a feral, ferrous streak. (90 points)
As always, the scores should be taken as an immutable truth about the quality of a bottle of wine.
NV Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Cuvée No. 736 - France, Champagne (10/31/2018)
This has been a really good drink over the past year. It has a nice balance of creaminess and yeasty complexity to go with the fine mousse and the bakes orchard fruit. I bought this case at auction and it was grey market then shipped back across country and the corks are a bit wet so it may be more advanced than pristine bottles. Even though I enjoyed the wine, it's probably the last time I buy Champagne that isn't through official channels. You just don't know. (92 points)
2008 Domaine Pavelot (Jean-Marc et Hugues) Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru (10/29/2018)
After reading fitzi's note, I wanted to crack one of these to see if it was tiring quickly since I think our bottles are from the same source. I liked it a lot more than he did and my wife really liked it. It had some spice and woodsy notes surrounding the lifted red fruits. It seems to have hit a nice early plateau sense of balance. There is enough structure still around to frame the wine and push through the finish and adapt to food, but it is no longer a young wine. I like where it is right now and will start drinking until it shuts down again or is gone. (91 points)
2012 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée (10/28/2018)
Started out very tight, to the point where a few of us found it unpleasant. Along with a really awkward showing from the 2013 and a shy 2008, I was wondering if my love for this wine was misplaced. We moved on to something else, but an hour later when we came back, we found a much more supple, layered and feathery wine. Spice nuances draped over some deep fruit. The tannin had receded a bit, but this is a structured wine. 3-5 more years, I think. (91 points)
2006 Eric Texier Côte-Rôtie Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (10/28/2018)
A poor showing for a wine that has shown superbly in the past. The cork is soaked about 1/3 of the way up which is an anomaly for my cellar. It just seemed tired, none of the intensity of previous bottles. It was still a pretty and pleasant wine just not at the level that I expected. (88 points)
2006 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (10/28/2018)
Whoa! Now this is what I'm looking for. Like the 2008 we had not long ago, this isn't considered a top vintage in Chinon, but this wine certainly is. I'm really taken with the purity of the fruit over the chalky minerals and noble tannin. This is a structured wine and those who want things softer and more tertiary should wait, but if you want thrilling, pure, cabernet franc from limestone soils, this is a great bottle. Lacks only a bit of depth for profound. I only have 1 bottle left, so I guess I'll give it a couple of years to see what materializes, but for my palate, it may not get better. (94 points)
2014 Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault Les Chevalières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (10/28/2018)
Bracing and fresh. Very mineral with lots of almost quartz-like minerality. Citrus and flowers. Nice denisty and length. If it weren't for the p'ox, I'd think this would age really well based on density and balance, bu these are the times we live in. (92 points)
2014 Ceritas Chardonnay Peter Martin Ray - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (10/28/2018)
A really interesting comparison to the Fichet. Really framed by acidity and heavy on the citrus fruit. The underpinnings here are more stones than the Mersault, tit also doesn't have the weightless aspect. What it does have is complexity and character. Given the shape and profile, this is a very Burgundian rendition of chardonnay. Feels like it is from a cool site. (91 points)
2013 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban Blanc Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban (10/28/2018)
A really excellent bottle of this. Hard to explain, but it feels like drinking tea. The color is a bit on the golden side, but their aren't any edgy oxidized notes. In fact, it shows light and graceful and very digestible. Really easy to drink and enjoy. All sorts of things going on with the nose, flowers, herbs, lanolin without anything being overdone or heavy. Eric will hate this, but it reminds me a bit in spirit (although not in weight or rs) of recent Angeli wines. (91 points)
2002 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (10/28/2018)
OK, now we're playing with fire. This has the palate presence and feel of that classic iron fist in a velvet glove. There is a sense of power to the dark red and black fruits with a dark soil earthiness that spreads out to include a whole array of complex notes. I bought this bottle on the secondary market from a trusted source but the cork was soaked 1/3-1/2 way up. The wine was still excellent, but it makes you wonder how much better it could have been with proper care. The tannin are folded in by the fruit which drives through the finish which is long and persistent with the acid making your mouth water and recycling the lovely fruit. In a great spot for me, but if you want more of an old Burgundy experience, best to wait at least a few more years. (95 points)
2011 Domaine de la Bongran (Thevenet) Viré-Clessé Cuvée E. J. Thevenet - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/26/2018)
Last bottle of this rich, kinky wine. This has always been a more oxidative vintage and the wine is golden. Honey, pear and some luscious tropical fruits I can't identify. This is a low acid vintage and it won't improve from here and maybe it was a bit better a few years ago. Some vintages age at a really slow pace but this one has been a good servant in keeping us away from the 2008 and 2010. (90 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/26/2018)
Maybe this bottle made a bigger impression because it came after the Bongran and showed so much more structure and minerals with the richness feeling just a shade more in the background than previous bottles but this is probably the juxtaposition with the Bongran highlighting the relative structure. Luckily, I still have a good stash, so will keep going. (93 points)
2016 Giovanni Canonica Langhe Nebbiolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (10/25/2018)
Really interesting wine. I was hoping for something maybe a little more lush and while this will not be confused with Barolo, it was a bit on the lean and structured side. As it got some air it developed some interesting savory notes with more fruit. For some reason, it struck me as akin to tea. I wonder if this natural nebbiolo is a big hit in the Japanese market. (89 points)
2013 Colombera & Garella Bramaterra Cascina Cottignano - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Bramaterra (10/25/2018)
Haven't had a bottle of this in a while and it is really in a zone. Maybe it was the comparison with the leanness of the Canonica nebbiolo but this felt really broad and deep. There is a distinct ferrous edge to the fruit which I guess is part terroir but maybe part vespolina and croatina in the blend. It is less shy and lifted on the nose than in the past and the structure has softened a bit without losing shape. This has been a house favorite for a while and we are getting down to our last few bottles. The question at this stage is do we hold on to a couple and see what happens with age, or do we drink up while they're showing well. (93 points)
2013 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Griffe du Marquis - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (10/22/2018)
Yikes, do not disturb. The wine is really shut down hard. Being busy, we didn't wash out the decanter for a few days and two days later it smelled magnificent, but it gave very little the night we tried to drink it. A hope and a prayer that this develops. Why do we love things that don't love us back? (88 points)
2016 Weiser-Künstler Riesling - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/22/2018)
This is in about the same spot. Still mineral but much quieter than the Falkenstein wines that are also house staples. Gentler with an almost creamed stone quality, you know creamed corn, but with chalky rocks. I need to work my way higher up the line here. (89 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/21/2018)
Can't stop, won't stop. (92 points)
2011 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban (10/20/2018)
Bright ruby color with some savory notes to the dark berry and pitted fruits. The kind of leather strap that you can get with this wine. Not as open as other bottles I've had, particularly in terms of the fruit. I only had a bit and didn't get to go back and try it again. My guess is that it continued to open and will benefit from some age. (91 points)
2013 Georges Descombes Fleurie Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (10/20/2018)
Sappy red berries and that wispy herbal, floral quality that is a like a buzzing springtime garden. Really great shape to this wine and it was especially excellent with the barbecue. In a nice window but may continue to improve. (92 points)
2015 Ferme de la Sansonnière (Mark Angeli) Les Fouchardes - France, Vin de France (10/20/2018)
Hasn't moved much since the last time we had it. Luscious and round but with enough buried structure to hold the shape. All of the chenin qualities, beeswax, ripe yellow fruits florals, minerals. I find this wine so digestible, a bottle doesn't last long. (92 points)
2015 Ferme de la Sansonnière (Mark Angeli) Les Vieilles Vignes des Blanderies - France, Vin de France (10/20/2018)
One of my favorite wines this year. Definitely intense and concentrated but layered and light on its feet. Like on of those 250 pound linebackers that can run a 4.6/40. The wine drives through your palate with a dense rocky finish, but you never feel assaulted. Tender and powerful at the same time is a neat trick. I'm not sure what these wines will do in the cellar and they are so good now, I may not find out, but if there were one of the three I'd bet on developing, this would be it, but I'm not sure I can imagine it getting better. (95 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/20/2018)
Consistent excellence is all one could ask for. (92 points)
2013 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (10/19/2018)
Beautiful rendition of Clisson. Such a rich, creamy palate followed by spikes of rocky granite. Excellent length and real depth. This was the best bottle of Clisson in a while. Not sure if Marc and Remi put something different in these large formats. Great with whole line caught NC snapper off the fire. (94 points)
2017 Santo Wines Assyrtiko Santorini - Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini (10/19/2018)
A type of wine we're really enjoying these days, bracing and Mediterranean. There is some structure here and a bit of depth. There are some herbs and flowers over the white fruit and minerals and it is a bit salty but not savory. This is exactly what I hoped it would be and should be a good value. (90 points)
2016 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett trocken - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/19/2018)
What's up Rocky McStoneface? Really intense and fine focus with a lightly sweet fruit jam spread so thinly over the stone that you can barely taste it. Weightless and scintillating. (91 points)
2015 Caves Coopératives de Donnas Donnas - Italy, Valle d'Aosta, Donnas (10/17/2018)
I opened this 1.5 hours before dinner, so I missed the initial burst of fruit when this wine first gets opened. It has a weird cork, which I think might be synthetic, but no matter. The wine has a bit of rusticity but tons of nebbiolo fruit and character. I don't think there are other grapes in the blend, but can't recall for sure. Doesn't seem like it. Translucent amethyst color with some bark, flowers and dark cherry fruit. The tannins have a certain nobility to them, rustic nobility like a gentleman farmer. The wine shuts down for a bit, but starts opening up again after a few hours. Really delicious and an outstanding value. I think I'll stock up on this. (91 points)
2015 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas Les Deux Juliettes Sélection des Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas (10/16/2018)
Deep ruby color with lots of savory, and yes, garrigue, notes around the deep cherry fruit. The tannins are building and end up being rather forceful towards the end. I don't have a lot fo experience with this producer, but from the structure I think the wine would benefit from some cellaring. A very nice wine but I'm not sure it is in my wheelhouse, I'd need an aged one to know for sure. (89 points)
2010 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône-Brézème (10/15/2018)
Very tight. Has a beautiful frame and nuance, but do not touch again for a good while. Not sure exactly where this will end up, but it feels like an aristocratic wine. (91 points)
1996 François Pinon Vouvray 1er Trie - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (10/13/2018)
One of the better bottles from this batch. There are some burnt sugar notes but otherwise the wine is clean and airy with it's fruit and honey. Not as floral as it was as a young wine but an excellent accompaniment to foie gras terrine. (93 points)
2015 Castello di Verduno Barbera d'Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba (10/11/2018)
Bright, juicy and forward barbera but does have some good acid underneath. Right down the center of the plate in terms of everyday barbera that I'm happy to drink. Went very well with puttanesca despite the north-south dichotomy of food and wine. This may become a regular wine around the house. (89 points)
2014 Villa S. Anna Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (10/11/2018)
A good wine in its own right, but pales in comparison to the 2013. There is something that keeps it from being as expressive as I would expect. It doesn't appear to be corked to either of us so it is probably just the wine. I may try another bottle just to be sure, but this does seem a bit of a miss by the standards of this consistently excellent wine and producer. However, if I was served it blind, I may have been perfectly happy. (88 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/10/2018)
Another excellent bottle, identical to the last one except it didn't last as long. (92 points)
2015 Ceritas Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard Old Shop Block - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (10/9/2018)
Backward and deeper pitched than many Ceritas pinots. Young and tight but still well fruited shading from the red to darker fruits. There are some minerals under the structure and some floral and herbal notes on top, but really it's about the structure with fruit hanging form it. Give it a few years. (91 points)
2015 Domaine de Roally Viré-Clessé Tradition - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (10/9/2018)
Another awesome bottle of this. Rich and intense in keeping with the year. Lots of yellow fruits, pears and a touch of honey. Rich with some botrytis notes but with plenty of structure. This wine is delicious now and hits a stylistic sweet spot for me. Not as exotic ans the wine Gauthier makes at Bongran but with a similar feel and for all its size, digestibility. Good now and for 5-10 years, maybe more. (92 points)
2016 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Moulin-à-Vent - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent (10/9/2018)
I can't get a read on this wine. Yes, it is in a strict Brun style and Moulin-á-Vent but it was so inexpressive upon opening, I double and triple checked that it wasn't corked. Put the rest of the bottle in the fridge to see if a couple of days will help it out. Judgement reserved, but historically this wine does very well in the cellar.
2014 Matthiasson Chardonnay Michael Mara Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (10/9/2018)
This wine keeps getting better and better. Maybe my favorite chardonnay from CA this year and can stack up against anything. A dramatic mix of old world structure with CA fruit blossoming through. There is a real sense of density and length to this wine. The Michael Mara vineyard is reputed to be extreme in its micro-climate and it certainly produces excellent wine (Chris Brockway's wine from the same vineyard is also excellent, though much leaner). I feel like I'm not doing justice to the complexity and layers, but this was impressive. (94 points)
2016 Tire Bouchon Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc (10/9/2018)
I know very little about this wine, it was thrown into a mixed case by the proprietor. Lean and lemony with some herbal notes (lemon verbina?) with good length and just lacking a bit of depth and punch. Really tastes like Burgundy and is an excellent value. (89 points)
2016 Folk Machine Valdiguié - USA, California, North Coast, Redwood Valley (10/8/2018)
This is called val-de-glou for a good reason. This iteration is particularly lithe and savory and not as obvious as prior vintages. Noteworthy freshness and with Kenny's deft touch. Clocks in at 12% alcohol. This would probably benefit from a year or two in the cellar but most bottles probably won't lat that long. (89 points)
2015 Tiberio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (10/7/2018)
Wow. Dark wild, pasty and intense. Dark color, deep fruit, tree bark, unsweetened licorice and a good hit of fine pasty tannin. Fruit is on the purple/black end of the spectrum. This needs richer more rustic food than we had it with. Nonetheless, a good quality bottle of wine and outside of my normal idiom, on purpose though. (89 points)
2016 De Fermo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Concrete - Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (10/7/2018)
I guess this was Montepulciano d'Abruzzo day. Compared to the Tiberio this was lighter a more red fruited. I'm not that familiar with this producer, but I think they may be more on the hipster/natural end of the spectrum and it shows in the harmoniousness and ease of use with this wine. Still hits all the dark notes but with a sense of frivolity. Easier to drink, thank god, because we were just drinking without food. I'll get more of this. (89 points)
2014 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (10/6/2018)
What more really needs to be said about these brilliants wines. This has a sort of grand cru weight and density and it is a grand cru for mélon in the hands of young master, Remi Branger. (92 points)
1990 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Rocche dei Brovia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (10/3/2018)
I definitely missed the best of this wine. We decided that it smelled like an old library or the study in an old mansion. All tertiary at this point except for some brandy soaked plums (without the heat though). The wine was fully resolved and velvety, with lots of balsamic, varnish and pine notes around the library. For someone who is really into old wine flavors and smells, this would be a great experience. For me, it is on the downslope. The cork was perfect and I've owned this bottle for more than 20 years, although I didn't buy it exactly on release, but from a retailer that bought it on release. Because this was my last bottle, I had been waiting for the "right" occasion to open it. I should have done that years ago, which is a good lesson as my cellar starts to mature. (88 points)
2005 Domaine Fourrier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (10/3/2018)
Still bright ruby translucent color. Nice verve and Chambolle crunchiness to the red fruit. This was more cherry red than cranberry. Some nice spice as well. Didn't wow me, but was very pleasant to drink. I still think of Fourrier as the Foillard of Burgundy and this bottle was in that vein. This was my second of just 2 bottles, the first being corked. I would say this is in a good place for my palate but I suspect will stay on this plateau for several years. Didn't really solve my Fourrier conundrum, but an enjoyable wine. (91 points)
2008 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (10/1/2018)
Beautiful ruby color with no bricking. Ripe cherries on the nose peak through a bed of leafy earth while underneath it all is a strong line of chalk that is the signature of this site for me. Really cool, linear flavors. Tannin is mostly resolved with just enough of a structural frame to hang the fruit. Sharp acidity that lifts the fruit which comes out more with air. After about an hour, it is all bright cherry and minerals with a touch of herbs and flowers. Really excellent and in a great spot right now. This is not considered a good vintage in Chinon, but goes to show what a great site and vigneron mean to a wine. (93 points)
2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (10/1/2018)
Had the same night as the 2008 Croix Boissée. Much more dark earth, like freshly tilled soil. Fruit on the darker plum and black cherry spectrum Tannins are gentle at this point and the wine is structured by its acidity. More rustic than the other Baudry reds (which aren't a rustic bunch) with a feral, ferrous streak. (90 points)
