Florida Jim
Florida Jim
Wine Impressions - 4-15-19
Bubbles:
2008 Andre Clouet, Champagne Le Clos (magnum) - fresh, balanced, crisp and deep. If more champagne tasted like this, I’d drink more champagne. Spectacular!
N/V Ulysse Collin, Champagne Rose de Saignee - the best of the three Collin wines and quite acceptable but not in the same world as the Clouet.
N/V Ulysse Collin, Champagne Blanc de Noirs - a touch sweet for me.
N/V Ulysse Collin, Champagne Blanc de Blanc - also sweet
Whites:
2016 Louis Michel, Montee de Tonnerre - powerful, sappy wine with huge cut and a structure etched from stone. Tremendous future but still tasty now.
2016 Hirtzberger, Riesling Steinterrassen Federspiel - glorious, fresh, vibrant, structured and long. Yum.
2013 Stony Hill, Chardonnay - painfully young but showing promise and certainly atypical for Napa Valley.
2016 F.X. Pichler, Riesling Durnsteiner Smaragd - special juice; concentrated, rich, electric acidity and greater than the some of its parts. Wow.
2013 Puffeney, Arbois Chardonnay - typical of the Jura and well made, always a pleasure.
2010 F.X. Pichler, Riesling Loibenberg Smaragd - sensational, of a piece and rich. No rush but so good now . . .
2016 Terre Nere, Etna Bianco Santa Spirito - my expectations were high but this could not live up to them. Probably fine but less than what I wanted.
2008 Dauvissat, Les Preuses - sort of in pieces, nothing I want more of
2008 Dauvissat, Les Clos - better than the above but one taste was enough
2004 Fevre, Les Clos - racier than the above but not better
Roses:
2017 Tempier, Bandol Rose - young and peppery; needs a year or so in bottle (tasted out of 750 and magnum)
2016 Tempier, Bandol Rose (3 liter) - this is more like it; calmer and more integrated than the 2017 and everything one could ask of Bandol Rose. Wonderful!
2015 Cowan Cellars, Jack’s Rose - more clariet than rose; full of wild cherry flavors and sustain. ‘Love this wine.
Reds:
2017 Dom. Coudert, Fleurie Cuvée Christie - forgettable
2011 Alain Verset, Cornas - approachable now and delicious; juicy, balanced, good structure and significant complexity. Very fine.
2012 Puffeney, Arbois Pinot Noir - firm, deep and also clearly from the Jura.
1966 Chat. Lynch Bages - alive but barely; an interesting intellectual exercise but no more
2011 Rossingnol, Pommard 1er Fremiers - firm at the core but lots of fleshy fruit and mineral tones too, great structure and finish. A treasure and even though it has lots of time left, pretty damn good now.
2010 Rivers-Marie, Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge (magnum) - the scent and flavor of whole-cluster is significant and it’s hard for me to get past the green and into the fruit. Nice textures and balance but the green is more than I can handle.
1995 Calon-Segur - adequate Bordeaux
2003 Pontet-Canet - adequate plus Bordeaux
2003 Lafon-Rochet - adequate plus Bordeaux
2003 Chat. Saint-Pierre - really good Bordeaux; a textural delight and great verve
1995 Pichon-Longueville - way too early; hold.
1989 Pichon-Longueville - resolved and showing well, nice wine
2004 Tempier, Bandol La Tourtine (magnum) - soulful, complete wine that I kept coming back to. Nice.
2008 Jamet, Côte Rotie (magnum) - angry about being opened and sulked all night; hold.
1995 Pruduttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco (magnum) - open and pretty resolved but not as deep as expected.
1995 Dom. Pegau, CdP (magnum) - good, for Grenache
1995 Fisher, Cabernet Sauvignon Coach Insignia - showing young but integrated and complete
1995 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley - falling apart, the overwhelming oak has destroyed what might have been wine; DNPIM
2010 Ponsot, Morey St. Denis 1er Cuvée des Alouettes - very nice, good textures and balanced and showing its place. Yum.
Stickies:
2002 Donnhoff, Riesling Eiswein, Oberhauser Brucke (375) - medium brown color, rich and powerful but not showing much complexity. I’m guessing we are too early to this.
Best, Jim
Bubbles:
2008 Andre Clouet, Champagne Le Clos (magnum) - fresh, balanced, crisp and deep. If more champagne tasted like this, I’d drink more champagne. Spectacular!
N/V Ulysse Collin, Champagne Rose de Saignee - the best of the three Collin wines and quite acceptable but not in the same world as the Clouet.
N/V Ulysse Collin, Champagne Blanc de Noirs - a touch sweet for me.
N/V Ulysse Collin, Champagne Blanc de Blanc - also sweet
Whites:
2016 Louis Michel, Montee de Tonnerre - powerful, sappy wine with huge cut and a structure etched from stone. Tremendous future but still tasty now.
2016 Hirtzberger, Riesling Steinterrassen Federspiel - glorious, fresh, vibrant, structured and long. Yum.
2013 Stony Hill, Chardonnay - painfully young but showing promise and certainly atypical for Napa Valley.
2016 F.X. Pichler, Riesling Durnsteiner Smaragd - special juice; concentrated, rich, electric acidity and greater than the some of its parts. Wow.
2013 Puffeney, Arbois Chardonnay - typical of the Jura and well made, always a pleasure.
2010 F.X. Pichler, Riesling Loibenberg Smaragd - sensational, of a piece and rich. No rush but so good now . . .
2016 Terre Nere, Etna Bianco Santa Spirito - my expectations were high but this could not live up to them. Probably fine but less than what I wanted.
2008 Dauvissat, Les Preuses - sort of in pieces, nothing I want more of
2008 Dauvissat, Les Clos - better than the above but one taste was enough
2004 Fevre, Les Clos - racier than the above but not better
Roses:
2017 Tempier, Bandol Rose - young and peppery; needs a year or so in bottle (tasted out of 750 and magnum)
2016 Tempier, Bandol Rose (3 liter) - this is more like it; calmer and more integrated than the 2017 and everything one could ask of Bandol Rose. Wonderful!
2015 Cowan Cellars, Jack’s Rose - more clariet than rose; full of wild cherry flavors and sustain. ‘Love this wine.
Reds:
2017 Dom. Coudert, Fleurie Cuvée Christie - forgettable
2011 Alain Verset, Cornas - approachable now and delicious; juicy, balanced, good structure and significant complexity. Very fine.
2012 Puffeney, Arbois Pinot Noir - firm, deep and also clearly from the Jura.
1966 Chat. Lynch Bages - alive but barely; an interesting intellectual exercise but no more
2011 Rossingnol, Pommard 1er Fremiers - firm at the core but lots of fleshy fruit and mineral tones too, great structure and finish. A treasure and even though it has lots of time left, pretty damn good now.
2010 Rivers-Marie, Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge (magnum) - the scent and flavor of whole-cluster is significant and it’s hard for me to get past the green and into the fruit. Nice textures and balance but the green is more than I can handle.
1995 Calon-Segur - adequate Bordeaux
2003 Pontet-Canet - adequate plus Bordeaux
2003 Lafon-Rochet - adequate plus Bordeaux
2003 Chat. Saint-Pierre - really good Bordeaux; a textural delight and great verve
1995 Pichon-Longueville - way too early; hold.
1989 Pichon-Longueville - resolved and showing well, nice wine
2004 Tempier, Bandol La Tourtine (magnum) - soulful, complete wine that I kept coming back to. Nice.
2008 Jamet, Côte Rotie (magnum) - angry about being opened and sulked all night; hold.
1995 Pruduttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco (magnum) - open and pretty resolved but not as deep as expected.
1995 Dom. Pegau, CdP (magnum) - good, for Grenache
1995 Fisher, Cabernet Sauvignon Coach Insignia - showing young but integrated and complete
1995 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley - falling apart, the overwhelming oak has destroyed what might have been wine; DNPIM
2010 Ponsot, Morey St. Denis 1er Cuvée des Alouettes - very nice, good textures and balanced and showing its place. Yum.
Stickies:
2002 Donnhoff, Riesling Eiswein, Oberhauser Brucke (375) - medium brown color, rich and powerful but not showing much complexity. I’m guessing we are too early to this.
Best, Jim
