2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Kabinett #12 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/1/2019)
I'm deliriously in love with this wine. (93 points)
2015 Gilbert Picq & ses Fils Chablis Dessus La Carriere - France, Burgundy, Chablis (9/1/2019)
There is a brûleed sugar component on the edge of this wine now and I think that while a pleasant enough drop, it is best to go ahead and drink it now while there is still some nice fruit and oyster shell to balance. (88 points)
2009 Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Ghemme Collis Carellae - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Ghemme (9/1/2019)
Not as good as previous bottles, but maybe it was the comparison with a really good bottle of Antoniolo San Francesco 2007. Showed the same notes as previous bottles, they just seemed more muted or maybe muddled. (90 points)
2007 Antoniolo Gattinara San Francesco - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Gattinara (9/1/2019)
Even better than my last bottle of this wine. The depth of fruit was really striking. The tannin are a bit rugged, but there is so much depth on the frame and really well balanced at this scale. I think the touches of modernism really work for this wine. Seems to be getting better and should last a while but it offers so much pleasure now that it's worth drinking bottles now. (94 points)
NV Savart Champagne Premier Cru l'Ouverture - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (9/1/2019)
This is our go to Champagne these days. The barrel aging and strong pinot noir character might not be for everyone, but it is definitely a profile I really enjoy. I like the kiss of wood spice on the red fruits. Plenty of mineral and citrus notes for complexity. I'd be interested to age these bottles for 5 years or so to see what happens (this was disgorged 02/18) but they don't last long enough in our house. (91 points)
2014 Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault Les Chevalières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (9/2/2019)
Really interesting bottle of this. Started off almost a bit lactic and then sort of odd darker apple notes. Afetr about 25-30 minutes of air, it just took off and the yellow fruits and minerals of the site were out in spades. It has a sapidity to the minerals that makes the wine solid for a moment before it melts away. The best bottle so far after that brief scare. Both white Burgundies tonight really benefited from and changed with air. A good lesson. (93 points)
2015 Domaine André Bonhomme Viré-Clessé Le Coteau de l'Epinet - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (9/2/2019)
A bottle of this 6 months ago was good, this bottle was on fire. At first, it seemed awkward, wearing its richness and alcohol poorly. Then, as so often happens, ti awakened with air. All the fruits from pitted yellow fruits to exotic ones mixed with a real sense of stoniness. Not necessary minerality, per se, but stones and fresh acidity. Really fanned out on the palate. Got a "damn this is good" from Steph. (94 points)
2013 Domaine de Beudon Gamay Les Vignes dans le Ciel - Switzerland, Valais (9/3/2019)
Reminded me of well made hipster Loire gamay from back in the 2000s. Maybe a bit more heft and polish. Perfectly enjoyable, but expensive and not particularly distinctive, so not something to get on the reg. (88 points)
2017 Gilbert Picq & ses Fils Chablis Dessus La Carriere - France, Burgundy, Chablis (9/3/2019)
While the 2015 of this recently was quite exotic, the 2017 is much more textbook Chablis with that little twinge of exoticism that this cuvée often has. There is a note of candied orange peel with slightly caramelized sugar that is a distinctive tone here. But all the rest of it is classic Picq. Citrus, oyster shell, unadorned Chablis. (92 points)
2013 Villa S. Anna Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (9/5/2019)
The same sangiovese archetype that it has always been but a more resolved version. For a wine that starts out light seeming, it really grows in stature and depth with some air. Same flavor profile as previous bottles, just a bit more deep and composed at the same time. (93 points)
2015 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (9/6/2019)
Yes, it's very young. For lots of reasons, I rarely drink young Burgundy all that much anymore. This was one of two additional bottles I got when someone else passe don them and had a scuffy label, so it got sacrificed. All of the Mugneret-Gibourg gracefulness and polish, lots of red fruits but with a real mineral spine of the vineyard. Will one day be great. This was fun to check in on, but if I had fewer bottles I would have been bummed, because while it is enjoyable now (one of my favorite things about M-G) it will be much better with at least 7-10 more years. I can't wait to get a shot at this wine when it has integrated its youth, but still has all of that fruit. (92 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Kabinett #12 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/7/2019)
Others are better at describing the nuances of aroma and flavor than I am, I get hung up on the lattice like structure and the shimmering fruit and minerals. (92 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb #23 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/7/2019)
I don't know why, but it surprised me that this was dryer than the Kabinett consumed beside it. A bit more body and a bit more fruit (well, mostly reminding me of grape skins). Crystalline. (92 points)
2016 Silkman Wines Sémillon - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin (9/8/2019)
I really liked this, but then I think I have a soft spot for Hunter sémillon. Bright, fresh and stony. There was a kind of not quite herbal, but definitely savory quality to it. The fruit was white and yellow and crisp. Racy. Bottle says 10.5% alcohol and I believe it. I think this might age in interesting ways to. Cool little wine. (91 points)
2017 Ch“teau de Bonnezeaux Bonnezeaux Vieille Vigne du Fief Prévost - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Bonnezeaux (9/9/2019)
At first this seemed a bit funky but after a bit of air it came back into focus. It has a burnished quality that chenin usually picks up with age, but that I associate here with the terroir and slightly oxidative wine-making. It is a very nice facsimile of the Angeli wines, and not by accident. This is a bit more linear than Angeli's La Lune and seems drier. This is becoming a regular in our chenin rotation. I think ti will age a bit and maybe spread out, but who knows, there isn't a track record. Maybe I'll put a couple of bottles aside just to see. (92 points)
2008 Marie-Noëlle Ledru Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée du Goulté Blanc de Noirs Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (9/10/2019)
Really singular wine. So vinous for Champagne and very pinot noir. Really lovely depth of fruit and breadth of flavor. There is some minerality and structure but it's really about the deeply pitched fruit that covers a spectrum of red stone pitted. A lovely bottle and great to share it with the person who turned me on to these wines for her birthday. (95 points)
2005 Domaine de Peyre Rose Coteaux du Languedoc Clos des Cistes - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc (9/10/2019)
I find this wine really confusing. I didn't see them around in states for years after first drinking them in the late 90s. They were expensive for Languedoc wines then, but they're just plain expensive now. That being said, they are really distinctive in style. I believe that the 2005 is a current-ish release, but it's hard to know. Information is hard to come by. Anyway, the nose is almost elegant, with some dried but dark fruit with lots of complicating minerals, earth and herbs. It really is sort of like the herbs on a leg of lamb on the grill smell but ringed in fruit. The palate is more elegant than I would have thought given my previous experience, the tannin are fine grained but they are long and persistent. I have no idea whether this will ever get fully resolved in fruit/tannin harmony. I may try a few more wines/vintages and have them with more appropriate food (I was having a hamburger). (92 points)
2013 Ceritas Chardonnay Peter Martin Ray - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (9/12/2019)
I think that this about at peak. Linear fruit that are on the yellow and citrus side of things, nothing tropical at all. A little bit of creaminess to the palate and a nice tensile mineral finish. Not the most concentrated version of this wine, but really lovely and great with food. (91 points)
2011 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône-Brézème (9/15/2019)
Wow, this is great! It manages to have fruit sweetness without weight or jamminess. How did they do that? Steph requested an "Eric wine" to go with lamb and okra stew and it couldn't have worked out better. I was expecting this to be aromatrically vibrant, but the complexity on the palate from the dark fruit to the olive like brininess and the mineral tang of structure. The tannin are so filigreed and fine, you almost don't notice them, until you do. After a couple of hours, the structure starts to show in the last tastes which says that there is still upside to be had. Really impressive. (93 points)
2012 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 (9/16/2019)
Oops. Given my success with the 2011 Brézème Pergaud recently I thought the more solar vintage form the earlier maturing St.J-St.A site would be open for business. Not really. The pedigree and depth of the wine is apparent, but the structure dominates today and not even a ton of coaxing will bring it fully out. That being ssaid, it was still enjoyable and if I didn't know what more ready bottles of this tasted like I would have been happy. I don't think it's that far, maybe 2-3 years before I should dip back in but it looks like I've been drinking one a year, so that'll probably happen. (91 points)
2017 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand'Cour) Fleurie Champagne Cuvée Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (9/17/2019)
Very lightly colored and fragrant. This was about 7 different wines over the course of the evening a couple excellent, a few good, and a couple WTF. There is definitely VA but when it was in a good phase that became part of the complexity and there was a lot going on on the nose. Reminded me of a Tue-Boeuf pinot noir from the mid-2000s in some ways. I'm really not sure what's going on here. I missed the 2016 vintage but there seems to be a stylistic shift here. The bottle the next day was full on mouse. My take away is that if you hit this bottle at the right moment, you'll be thrilled, otherwise you may just be confused. Thoughtful people with great terroir make this wine so maybe I'm just missing something. (88 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Kabinett #12 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/18/2019)
Can't stop, won't stop. Magnetic. Beautiful. (92 points)
2011 Le Piane Boca - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (9/18/2019)
A bit more open and less obviously tannic and showing a bit more fruit than the previous bottle, but really in line with it. Should continue to age for a while but certainly drinking well now. (92 points)
1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley (9/21/2019)
Classic Napa cabernet sauvignon from this kind of flat but draining soil. Notes of mint and other herbs surround the desiccated currants and other dark fruits with some savory nuance and just a touch of dark cocoa powder on top of some licorice and mineral for the finish. Still has a bit of a frame of structure but mostly fully resolved and silky at this plateau. We found this very easy to drink and it went fast. It was decanted for about 15 minutes before we started drinking. You can drink these whenever you want but they may end up lasting for quite a while. (92 points)
2009 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (9/22/2019)
This was more backward and seems more dense than a recent bottle. Fruit, brioche, minerals all in spades but seem like really distinct things unlike the 2007 where they are all knitted together and the boundaries vague. This may end up being better than the 2006 and 2007, as good as those wines are. In a perfect world, I'd keep my hands off for a few years. In the actual world, I may not show that sort of discipline. (93 points)
2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (9/23/2019)
Still a deep, dark wine. Notes of dark earth and graphite surround the dark cherry and plum notes with maybe even a bit of black currant. This isn't to say that this is a fruity wine, but it is well fruited enough to support all of the other herb and soil tones. The fine tannins are persistent and have a calcaire quality to them. I've said this before, I am really seeing the Baudry's vision for this site and why Matthieu was so excited about it back in the early 2000s. Really coming into its own and a worthy companion, though different, to the Coix-Boissée. (93 points)
2010 Le Piane Boca - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (9/25/2019)
This wine was much leaner and more closed that a recent 2011. It was also less exotic and more structured in its fruit display. Chiseled. We probably should have decanted it when we got to the restaurant as it really didn't open up for a while. The wine finally fanned out somewhat with broadening fruit and more complexity but it never really lost the sense that it was compartmentalized. My guess is that this will end up being great, but I don't really have a track record for vintages like 2010 to go by. If you're going to open now, give it a decant and a good bit of air, otherwise it should probably be held for 3-5 years. (90 points)
2016 Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône La Sagesse - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (9/26/2019)
A bit of poopy diaper detracted from an otherwise delicious wine. There was also some barnyard but also some meaty garrigue and succulent fruit. I've had other bottles from my cellar that were better. (88 points)
2006 Carlo Colombera Bramaterra Cascina Cottignano - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Bramaterra (9/27/2019)
Really silky and pure nebbiolo dark cherry. There is some leather and earthy complexity with some dried flowers on the top but it is really the kirsch-like cherry that is driving this wine. Some tannin left so I think this will last longer but it is really great right now. Right smack in the middle of my wheelhouse. (94 points)
2005 François Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Botrytis Limited Release - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (9/29/2019)
Tons of ripe fruit and honey with a bit of that burnt sugar chenin note around the edges. Really impossibly deep and long. I don't get tons of acid on this, but it could be buried under all the fruit and rs. Despite all the concentration it remains somewhat light on its feet on the finish where some minerals sneak out. Great with cheese after dinner. (93 points)
2015 Ulysse Collin Champagne Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons - France, Champagne (9/29/2019)
Really vinous and very pinot noir in style. It really shows rich fruit, body and depth. A young wine with layers to come in the future, if I can I'll try to hold off for a few years before drinking another bottle. I really like the texture of this wine. Fine mousse. (93 points)
2011 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Brea Vigna Ca'mia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (9/29/2019)
Really strong wine. Classic Serralunga Barolo that leans more on the fruit and earth than on the florals. Deep with a solid frame of tannin that are felt but don't overwhelm the fruit. This is drinking great now but does have some upside and could surprise with its longevity. (93 points)
2011 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (9/29/2019)
Fully resolved and mellow, which is a bit of a surprise. The potpurri of spices reminds and the way the fruit sits reminds of Rayas but with a nebbiolo frame. Lush and soft with no tannin left, this is good to go and I wouldn't try to get it to old bones since it is superb now. (92 points)
2014 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cuvée Pif - France, Loire Valley, Touraine (9/30/2019)
Soulful, sui generis wine. A deep version of this with lots of earth under the brambly fruit. Good backbone and a fine testament to Didier and Catherine. (93 points)
It was a good month with lots of old friends and some wines that were new to me.
I'm deliriously in love with this wine. (93 points)
2015 Gilbert Picq & ses Fils Chablis Dessus La Carriere - France, Burgundy, Chablis (9/1/2019)
There is a brûleed sugar component on the edge of this wine now and I think that while a pleasant enough drop, it is best to go ahead and drink it now while there is still some nice fruit and oyster shell to balance. (88 points)
2009 Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Ghemme Collis Carellae - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Ghemme (9/1/2019)
Not as good as previous bottles, but maybe it was the comparison with a really good bottle of Antoniolo San Francesco 2007. Showed the same notes as previous bottles, they just seemed more muted or maybe muddled. (90 points)
2007 Antoniolo Gattinara San Francesco - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Gattinara (9/1/2019)
Even better than my last bottle of this wine. The depth of fruit was really striking. The tannin are a bit rugged, but there is so much depth on the frame and really well balanced at this scale. I think the touches of modernism really work for this wine. Seems to be getting better and should last a while but it offers so much pleasure now that it's worth drinking bottles now. (94 points)
NV Savart Champagne Premier Cru l'Ouverture - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (9/1/2019)
This is our go to Champagne these days. The barrel aging and strong pinot noir character might not be for everyone, but it is definitely a profile I really enjoy. I like the kiss of wood spice on the red fruits. Plenty of mineral and citrus notes for complexity. I'd be interested to age these bottles for 5 years or so to see what happens (this was disgorged 02/18) but they don't last long enough in our house. (91 points)
2014 Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault Les Chevalières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (9/2/2019)
Really interesting bottle of this. Started off almost a bit lactic and then sort of odd darker apple notes. Afetr about 25-30 minutes of air, it just took off and the yellow fruits and minerals of the site were out in spades. It has a sapidity to the minerals that makes the wine solid for a moment before it melts away. The best bottle so far after that brief scare. Both white Burgundies tonight really benefited from and changed with air. A good lesson. (93 points)
2015 Domaine André Bonhomme Viré-Clessé Le Coteau de l'Epinet - France, Burgundy, M“connais, Viré-Clessé (9/2/2019)
A bottle of this 6 months ago was good, this bottle was on fire. At first, it seemed awkward, wearing its richness and alcohol poorly. Then, as so often happens, ti awakened with air. All the fruits from pitted yellow fruits to exotic ones mixed with a real sense of stoniness. Not necessary minerality, per se, but stones and fresh acidity. Really fanned out on the palate. Got a "damn this is good" from Steph. (94 points)
2013 Domaine de Beudon Gamay Les Vignes dans le Ciel - Switzerland, Valais (9/3/2019)
Reminded me of well made hipster Loire gamay from back in the 2000s. Maybe a bit more heft and polish. Perfectly enjoyable, but expensive and not particularly distinctive, so not something to get on the reg. (88 points)
2017 Gilbert Picq & ses Fils Chablis Dessus La Carriere - France, Burgundy, Chablis (9/3/2019)
While the 2015 of this recently was quite exotic, the 2017 is much more textbook Chablis with that little twinge of exoticism that this cuvée often has. There is a note of candied orange peel with slightly caramelized sugar that is a distinctive tone here. But all the rest of it is classic Picq. Citrus, oyster shell, unadorned Chablis. (92 points)
2013 Villa S. Anna Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (9/5/2019)
The same sangiovese archetype that it has always been but a more resolved version. For a wine that starts out light seeming, it really grows in stature and depth with some air. Same flavor profile as previous bottles, just a bit more deep and composed at the same time. (93 points)
2015 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (9/6/2019)
Yes, it's very young. For lots of reasons, I rarely drink young Burgundy all that much anymore. This was one of two additional bottles I got when someone else passe don them and had a scuffy label, so it got sacrificed. All of the Mugneret-Gibourg gracefulness and polish, lots of red fruits but with a real mineral spine of the vineyard. Will one day be great. This was fun to check in on, but if I had fewer bottles I would have been bummed, because while it is enjoyable now (one of my favorite things about M-G) it will be much better with at least 7-10 more years. I can't wait to get a shot at this wine when it has integrated its youth, but still has all of that fruit. (92 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Kabinett #12 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/7/2019)
Others are better at describing the nuances of aroma and flavor than I am, I get hung up on the lattice like structure and the shimmering fruit and minerals. (92 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb #23 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/7/2019)
I don't know why, but it surprised me that this was dryer than the Kabinett consumed beside it. A bit more body and a bit more fruit (well, mostly reminding me of grape skins). Crystalline. (92 points)
2016 Silkman Wines Sémillon - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin (9/8/2019)
I really liked this, but then I think I have a soft spot for Hunter sémillon. Bright, fresh and stony. There was a kind of not quite herbal, but definitely savory quality to it. The fruit was white and yellow and crisp. Racy. Bottle says 10.5% alcohol and I believe it. I think this might age in interesting ways to. Cool little wine. (91 points)
2017 Ch“teau de Bonnezeaux Bonnezeaux Vieille Vigne du Fief Prévost - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Bonnezeaux (9/9/2019)
At first this seemed a bit funky but after a bit of air it came back into focus. It has a burnished quality that chenin usually picks up with age, but that I associate here with the terroir and slightly oxidative wine-making. It is a very nice facsimile of the Angeli wines, and not by accident. This is a bit more linear than Angeli's La Lune and seems drier. This is becoming a regular in our chenin rotation. I think ti will age a bit and maybe spread out, but who knows, there isn't a track record. Maybe I'll put a couple of bottles aside just to see. (92 points)
2008 Marie-Noëlle Ledru Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée du Goulté Blanc de Noirs Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (9/10/2019)
Really singular wine. So vinous for Champagne and very pinot noir. Really lovely depth of fruit and breadth of flavor. There is some minerality and structure but it's really about the deeply pitched fruit that covers a spectrum of red stone pitted. A lovely bottle and great to share it with the person who turned me on to these wines for her birthday. (95 points)
2005 Domaine de Peyre Rose Coteaux du Languedoc Clos des Cistes - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc (9/10/2019)
I find this wine really confusing. I didn't see them around in states for years after first drinking them in the late 90s. They were expensive for Languedoc wines then, but they're just plain expensive now. That being said, they are really distinctive in style. I believe that the 2005 is a current-ish release, but it's hard to know. Information is hard to come by. Anyway, the nose is almost elegant, with some dried but dark fruit with lots of complicating minerals, earth and herbs. It really is sort of like the herbs on a leg of lamb on the grill smell but ringed in fruit. The palate is more elegant than I would have thought given my previous experience, the tannin are fine grained but they are long and persistent. I have no idea whether this will ever get fully resolved in fruit/tannin harmony. I may try a few more wines/vintages and have them with more appropriate food (I was having a hamburger). (92 points)
2013 Ceritas Chardonnay Peter Martin Ray - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (9/12/2019)
I think that this about at peak. Linear fruit that are on the yellow and citrus side of things, nothing tropical at all. A little bit of creaminess to the palate and a nice tensile mineral finish. Not the most concentrated version of this wine, but really lovely and great with food. (91 points)
2011 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône-Brézème (9/15/2019)
Wow, this is great! It manages to have fruit sweetness without weight or jamminess. How did they do that? Steph requested an "Eric wine" to go with lamb and okra stew and it couldn't have worked out better. I was expecting this to be aromatrically vibrant, but the complexity on the palate from the dark fruit to the olive like brininess and the mineral tang of structure. The tannin are so filigreed and fine, you almost don't notice them, until you do. After a couple of hours, the structure starts to show in the last tastes which says that there is still upside to be had. Really impressive. (93 points)
2012 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 (9/16/2019)
Oops. Given my success with the 2011 Brézème Pergaud recently I thought the more solar vintage form the earlier maturing St.J-St.A site would be open for business. Not really. The pedigree and depth of the wine is apparent, but the structure dominates today and not even a ton of coaxing will bring it fully out. That being ssaid, it was still enjoyable and if I didn't know what more ready bottles of this tasted like I would have been happy. I don't think it's that far, maybe 2-3 years before I should dip back in but it looks like I've been drinking one a year, so that'll probably happen. (91 points)
2017 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand'Cour) Fleurie Champagne Cuvée Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (9/17/2019)
Very lightly colored and fragrant. This was about 7 different wines over the course of the evening a couple excellent, a few good, and a couple WTF. There is definitely VA but when it was in a good phase that became part of the complexity and there was a lot going on on the nose. Reminded me of a Tue-Boeuf pinot noir from the mid-2000s in some ways. I'm really not sure what's going on here. I missed the 2016 vintage but there seems to be a stylistic shift here. The bottle the next day was full on mouse. My take away is that if you hit this bottle at the right moment, you'll be thrilled, otherwise you may just be confused. Thoughtful people with great terroir make this wine so maybe I'm just missing something. (88 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Kabinett #12 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/18/2019)
Can't stop, won't stop. Magnetic. Beautiful. (92 points)
2011 Le Piane Boca - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (9/18/2019)
A bit more open and less obviously tannic and showing a bit more fruit than the previous bottle, but really in line with it. Should continue to age for a while but certainly drinking well now. (92 points)
1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley (9/21/2019)
Classic Napa cabernet sauvignon from this kind of flat but draining soil. Notes of mint and other herbs surround the desiccated currants and other dark fruits with some savory nuance and just a touch of dark cocoa powder on top of some licorice and mineral for the finish. Still has a bit of a frame of structure but mostly fully resolved and silky at this plateau. We found this very easy to drink and it went fast. It was decanted for about 15 minutes before we started drinking. You can drink these whenever you want but they may end up lasting for quite a while. (92 points)
2009 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (9/22/2019)
This was more backward and seems more dense than a recent bottle. Fruit, brioche, minerals all in spades but seem like really distinct things unlike the 2007 where they are all knitted together and the boundaries vague. This may end up being better than the 2006 and 2007, as good as those wines are. In a perfect world, I'd keep my hands off for a few years. In the actual world, I may not show that sort of discipline. (93 points)
2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (9/23/2019)
Still a deep, dark wine. Notes of dark earth and graphite surround the dark cherry and plum notes with maybe even a bit of black currant. This isn't to say that this is a fruity wine, but it is well fruited enough to support all of the other herb and soil tones. The fine tannins are persistent and have a calcaire quality to them. I've said this before, I am really seeing the Baudry's vision for this site and why Matthieu was so excited about it back in the early 2000s. Really coming into its own and a worthy companion, though different, to the Coix-Boissée. (93 points)
2010 Le Piane Boca - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (9/25/2019)
This wine was much leaner and more closed that a recent 2011. It was also less exotic and more structured in its fruit display. Chiseled. We probably should have decanted it when we got to the restaurant as it really didn't open up for a while. The wine finally fanned out somewhat with broadening fruit and more complexity but it never really lost the sense that it was compartmentalized. My guess is that this will end up being great, but I don't really have a track record for vintages like 2010 to go by. If you're going to open now, give it a decant and a good bit of air, otherwise it should probably be held for 3-5 years. (90 points)
2016 Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône La Sagesse - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (9/26/2019)
A bit of poopy diaper detracted from an otherwise delicious wine. There was also some barnyard but also some meaty garrigue and succulent fruit. I've had other bottles from my cellar that were better. (88 points)
2006 Carlo Colombera Bramaterra Cascina Cottignano - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Bramaterra (9/27/2019)
Really silky and pure nebbiolo dark cherry. There is some leather and earthy complexity with some dried flowers on the top but it is really the kirsch-like cherry that is driving this wine. Some tannin left so I think this will last longer but it is really great right now. Right smack in the middle of my wheelhouse. (94 points)
2005 François Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Botrytis Limited Release - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (9/29/2019)
Tons of ripe fruit and honey with a bit of that burnt sugar chenin note around the edges. Really impossibly deep and long. I don't get tons of acid on this, but it could be buried under all the fruit and rs. Despite all the concentration it remains somewhat light on its feet on the finish where some minerals sneak out. Great with cheese after dinner. (93 points)
2015 Ulysse Collin Champagne Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons - France, Champagne (9/29/2019)
Really vinous and very pinot noir in style. It really shows rich fruit, body and depth. A young wine with layers to come in the future, if I can I'll try to hold off for a few years before drinking another bottle. I really like the texture of this wine. Fine mousse. (93 points)
2011 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Brea Vigna Ca'mia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (9/29/2019)
Really strong wine. Classic Serralunga Barolo that leans more on the fruit and earth than on the florals. Deep with a solid frame of tannin that are felt but don't overwhelm the fruit. This is drinking great now but does have some upside and could surprise with its longevity. (93 points)
2011 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (9/29/2019)
Fully resolved and mellow, which is a bit of a surprise. The potpurri of spices reminds and the way the fruit sits reminds of Rayas but with a nebbiolo frame. Lush and soft with no tannin left, this is good to go and I wouldn't try to get it to old bones since it is superb now. (92 points)
2014 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cuvée Pif - France, Loire Valley, Touraine (9/30/2019)
Soulful, sui generis wine. A deep version of this with lots of earth under the brambly fruit. Good backbone and a fine testament to Didier and Catherine. (93 points)
It was a good month with lots of old friends and some wines that were new to me.
