We're continuing to really expand the range and skill of our cooking and drinking really well. Personally, I'm really struggling with the guilt of my privilege. We give money to the food bank and to politicians that we hope will change the direction of this shithole country for the better and are working to get people to the polls but it doesn't seem like enough but between work and the kids and everything else we can't seem to manage more. I take some comfort that my contributions to ongoing research may bring some eventual relief but that seems like cold comfort or even deflection. The restaurant is still closed and we meet regularly to try to figure out when to open, but we are an indoor dining restaurant and it's hard to be anything else. That continues to be discouraging but at least we know that our staff are all currently safe and not homeless.
I hope everyone out there is doing OK. Hang in there.
2019 Poderi Parpinello Vermentino di Sardegna Ala Blanca - Italy, Sardinia, Vermentino di Sardegna (7/1/2020)
Yellow fruits, some flowers, sea spray and minerals. Bought as part of a 3-pack from one of our favorite restaurants. These are the types of wines we're really gravitating to these days. Fresh, lively whites that amplify food. (89 points)
2016 Mazzi Valpolicella Classico Superiore Sanperetto - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore (7/1/2020)
Bright and snappy with a leathery, savory edge to the dark berry fruit. A hint of cocoa. Nice structure for the table with good balance. Really nice Valpolicella that doesn't get heavy. (89 points)
2018 Fontanavecchia Falanghina del Sannio Taburno - Italy, Campania, Falanghina del Sannio (7/2/2020)
Slightly funky, musky fruit in a bright, zingy salty mineral package. Another really delightful and refreshing Italian white. We're finding so much quality and value in "offbeat" Italian regions over the last couple of years. (90 points)
2014 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône-Brézème (7/2/2020)
IIRC, Eric once said to me that 2014 was the closest iteration to his ideal for this wine. I certainly have a sense of what he means. Really controlled berry and stone pitted fruit and a real sense of almost umami in the savory, meaty herbal notes. It's the lightness with a sense of depth with a fine core of limestone minerals coupled with bright, but not sharp acids, and really fine latticed tannin. A structural masterpiece. I can't wait to see what the future holds, but this is a wine that can be consumed with joy right now. Kudos. (93 points)
1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/3/2020)
Not as good as the bottle in September 2019. Seems to be on the down slope for my palate. Tannins are fully resolved and it is round in the mouth with some cried currants with a Cabernet herbal/minty mixture. Drink up. (90 points)
1994 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Mountain - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain (7/3/2020)
More green tobacco, earth and minerals than the Montelena and also still has a bit of grip. Doesn't have the depth of the 1995 that I had recently, still, this is distinctly a Patrick Campbell wine and shows its mountain origins. I miss these wines. (92 points)
2013 Laherte Frères Champagne Les Empreintes - France, Champagne (7/3/2020)
I found this to be a really compelling, powerful and dense wine. Driven by a stones and mineral intensity there are notes of apples and some tart red berries. Not much in the way of yeasty notes more crystalline. This is a young wine and I'm curious to see how it will develop. I'd give it another 2-3 years to come together but we enjoyed this bottle with food. (92 points)
2016 Domaine Lionnet Cornas Pur Granit - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (7/3/2020)
Very young, savory, intense and a bit blocky in a Cornas way. A really deep core of dark stone fruit smashed over rocks (the Granit title is perhaps influencing me) with hints of leather and black olive. Lots of tannin, but their shape is good, not harsh or spiky. The fruit, rocks and savory notes spiral together down the long finish. This is a long way from hitting its peak, the rule of 15 would be a good one here, but in the right food context and if you're curious, it can be interesting now. (92 points)
2009 Marguet Champagne Sapience Extra Brut - France, Champagne (7/4/2020)
Super refined and intellectual wine. It can be a bit quiet so you have to pay attention. We had it with an old friend who turned me onto a lot of great Champagne in a social distance late afternoon lunch so were able to enjoy it over a long period of time. Really layered and more on the citrus and mineral end of the spectrum rather than the more resinous, bready and nutty notes. Has a very precise feel to it. Fine bead and good length. I think it's the texture of this that really stands out. I'll be holding my remaining bottles for a few years (and special occasions) to see how it plays out but if you're curious then it's worth drinking now. (93 points)
2017 Weiser-Künstler Trabener Gaispfad Riesling - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/4/2020)
I'm consistently fascinated by these wines but I can't say that I quite understand them yet. There is this crazy "cream of chalk" sort of thing that they have going on, which is unusual for Mosel riesling, IME. I wonder if this spends more time on its lees than normal. There are some penetrating herbal and mineral notes and white pitted fruit with lemon but these aren't fruity or driving wines. I followed this over a few days and it barely budged. I have this urge to try to figure these out. (91 points)
2008 Guy Larmandier Champagne Signé François Vieilles Vignes Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne (7/5/2020)
This bottle is subtly different from previous bottles. It shows a chalkier version than previously but still has a lot of generosity for a non-dosé Champagne. There is a real balance here between ripe fruit and zingy structure with only a hint of autolytic notes that really works with food. (93 points)
2016 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (7/5/2020)
Consistent with my previous bottle, this has real depth of flinty minerals and citrus tinged tree fruits with a dusting of molecular gastronomy crushed flowers sprinkled in. Not sure whether it will get the chance in my house, but this may age in interesting ways. (93 points)
2016 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Chatenière - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (7/5/2020)
Doesn't quite have the drive of the Perrières. Less flinty and mineral but showing and bigger fruit with almost a resinous edge. I bet this would show more mineral on its own without the Perrières alongside. (92 points)
2017 Domaine de l'Horizon Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Esprit de l'Horizon Rouge - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (7/7/2020)
Opened this next to a much more natural Roussillon wine (Duchêne La Luna) and this seemed a bit well mannered in comparison. Doesn't have the intensity of the top wine from this domain but has nice complexity and shape. I might have got a better read on its own because the Duchêne was so extravagant in either direction that it captured most of the attention. (89 points)
2013 Georges Descombes Brouilly Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Brouilly (7/8/2020)
Sappy pitted fruits and berries that have calmed from a previous juiciness. Has rounded into form and has a nice bouquet of meadow herbs and flowers. I love the mouthfeel where the structure is there to support everything else and to allow the other elements to interact with the food but not be noticed itself. Good to go now but will surely drink well for at least a few more years depending on what you want from the wine. (92 points)
2008 Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champonnets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (7/9/2020)
Still a bit clenched but there is finally development. Very firm mineral core of red fruits and rose petals. There is some aromatic development with hints of tea and maybe even licorice. This is a very precise and focused wine. The tannins are starting to recede a bit and it works well with food but I think a few more years in the cellar are in order. (90 points)
2013 Fabio Gea Barbaresco Riserva "Notu andava a tartufi senza il cane" - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (7/10/2020)
I realize that this is very young but I really wanted to check in so that I have a point of comparison. Obviously not as immediate as the Onde Gravitazionali or the Cul Otte which are made to be much more glou-glou. This is not that. Macerated black cherries and spices with a fine, but very firm, line of tannin. Lifted and warm and more generous than I expect other 2013 Piedmontese wines are showing but still not that close to being resolved. Lots of rose hips on the nose that keeps moving and unfolding. I'm really looking forward to following these wines. I had a couple from the mid-2000s earlier in the year which inspired this purchase and showed a potential course of maturation. I think I'll check back in a few years rather than try to wait until I think they're mature. (92 points)
2018 Domaine d'E Croce (Yves Leccia) I. G. P. Île de Beauté - France, Corsica, Île de Beauté (7/11/2020)
Sappy, fresh, vibrant and so easy to drink. Really delightful and balanced for the table. It complemented dinner really well, so well that the bottle disappeared quickly. (91 points)
2017 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais Cuvée l'Ancien Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais (7/11/2020)
Awesome! The Leccia went so fast and was so reminiscent of Beaujolais that we grabbed this as a follow on. This is in a great spot for my palate. Bright and juicy but still structured in that Terres Dorées fashion. Fruit, minerals, herbs all wrapped in a firmly juicy package. This is a happy wine. (91 points)
1990 Ch“teau Lynch-Bages - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (7/12/2020)
As good a bottle of red wine as I've had this year and the best Bordeaux I've had in a good long while. I've been drinking this wine consistently since the mid-90s and it has always been a great Lynch-Bages. It retains the Pauillac black currant and dark fruit aligned with graphite and cedar but it has grown whispier and longer, there is more room for other less aggressive notes to have their voices heard. Maybe a bit of dried violet there, some sous-bois forest floor, a hint of leather. The wine is resolved and beautiful but there is still the slightest frame of structure. Well stored bottles of this might drink well forever. My bottles are long gone so this one was from my dad's cellar (he doesn't drink as much wine anymore and wanted some bottles to have a good home). We bought a few cases together for $30 a bottle back in the day. Takes me back to simpler times. (96 points)
2018 Domaine Comte Abbatucci Faustine Rosé Vieilles Vignes - France, Corsica, Ajaccio (7/12/2020)
I really dig this rosé. All of the berries and flowers you'd want, but with a real driving minerality and a sea air quality. A perfect foil for a Salade Niçoise. (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 (7/12/2020)
This wine is really showing great right now. It's still powerful and structured (for a Texier Pergaud) but approachable and really blossoms with some air and some food. Dark fruited with black olive brine and purple flowers. Maybe it's the power of suggestion but I really sense the granite. More savory and earthy notes come out with air and the wine does relax even more. I think this is in a young window of really enjoyable drinking but will continue to improve. The shape and structure work so well with food, a joy to drink. (93 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb #23 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/13/2020)
Another beautiful, linear, mouthwatering and pure example of this consistently great wine. I feel spoiled to get to drink this on such a regular basis. (92 points)
2017 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand'Cour) Fleurie Les Deduits - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (7/14/2020)
My experience was pretty similar to slaton. The color is a hazy, light red. Nose of sour berries and a whiff of VA. Hoped it might blow off, but instead it got worse and ended up with mouse. It's too bad as Dutraive is a generally excellent and conscientious grower. (NR/flawed)
2016 Villa S. Anna Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (7/14/2020)
This is young and closed. I missed the 2015 so this is the next vintage in the queue after the stellar 2013. Looks like we'll have to give it a bit before really digging in. (88 points)
2016 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (7/15/2020)
Consistent with my previous bottle. 2016 seems like a really successful and energetic vintage here. (93 points)
2018 Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône Poignee de Raisins - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (7/16/2020)
Joy in a bottle. Zippy, juicy fruit with Rhônish earthy and savory herb complements. Really easy and satisfying to drink. (91 points)
2018 Tiberio Pecorino - Italy, Abruzzi, Colline Pescaresi IGT (7/16/2020)
Consistent with previous bottles but maybe a bit more floral than the last. I'm really curious about their fancy Pecorino and will keep an eye out for it. (91 points)
2016 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (7/17/2020)
I should have heeded my last note and waited longer to try another bottle but this somehow slipped into my hand. For a wine that I've been following for such a long time, I wonder why I'm so terrible and figuring out when to drink them. Hold off for 2-3 years. Again. (89 points)
NV Adrien Renoir Champagne Grand Cru Le Terroir Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (7/17/2020)
This is a pretty new producer for me that I think is really promising. Bright yellow tree fruits with some lemon. A nice sense of fruit with with acidity and some minerality. Not a ton of brioche type notes but a slight type of creaminess that isn't lactic or creamy, so maybe that's the dough part. The texture and shape makes this really easy to drink but it also does well with food. I may be underrating this as it could really blossom with just a bit of age. I expect it may become a house staple. (91 points)
2018 Girolamo Russo Etna Nerina - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC (7/17/2020)
Consistent with previous notes. The herbal element has probably settled in as thyme. Still vibrant and mouthwatering. (91 points)
NV Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Terroirs Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (7/18/2020)
From the 02/2019 disgorgement. I like the drive and vivacity of this wine. Bright, citrusy, mineral and focused. Tart fruit flavors like Granny Smith apple and some lemon curd. A little bit of a yeasty note sort of in the Pépière Clisson idiom. I get the sense that this would improve with a bit of cellar time but I'm fairly new to cellaring Agrapart myself as it has generally been something I drink in restaurants in the past. (91 points)
1970 Antoniolo Gattinara - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Gattinara (7/18/2020)
I'm not sure where Jamie finds all these old Nebbiolos but this certainly represents a great value for mature wine. Stood up for a few weeks and decanted at noon for dinner. Has all the things you want from old Nebbiolo. Dried rose petals, forest floor and hints of resin with dried cherry. There is a sense of decay here as well. (92 points)
1971 Antoniolo Gattinara - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Gattinara (7/18/2020)
Same bottle prep as the 1970 and a similar outcome to the 1970-1971 Latour. This wine had much more brightness and acidity which seems to have kept the fruit fresher and the wine generally doesn't have the same notes of decay. This almost has a bit of mineral feel under the classic nebbiolo notes along with that pine forest thing that I seem to get more with Alto Piedmont Nebbiolo than with Langhe. Also, not a lot of balsamic notes which is a plus for me. (93 points)
2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne (7/18/2020)
From magnum. Whoa! This is the best Krug I've had in a good long while. I was worried that it would be too sherried but it was just the opposite, extremely fresh and lively. Notes of herbal tea like chamomile and toast with base notes of ripe plum skin. What really grabs is the sense of mouth watering acidity and freshness. I'm probably still more of a "grower" Champagne person at this point, but this was very, very good. (94 points)
1971 Ch“teau Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (7/18/2020)
This was a better bottle than the 1970. The wine showed differently as well. The fruit was more to the red side of the spectrum and there was more of a spice nuance to the graphite, leather and loam. The acidity really makes it brighter on the palate and almost protects a bit of juicyness around the fruit. This is slowly fading but with fewer pre-cancerous age spots. (93 points)
1970 Ch“teau Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (7/18/2020)
With the 1971 as part of a birthday celebration. This was maybe not a great bottle but it wasn't flawed. Dried dark fruit and earthy leathery notes with underlying graphite but the main sense is of desiccated fruit and underbrush. This is certainly on the gradual slope towards senescence but aren't we all. (92 points)
2014 Alexandre Filaine Champagne Cuvée DMY - France, Champagne (7/19/2020)
I'm more excited about the wines from Filaine than any other Champagne producer right now. A bottle of 2011 at the last Southern Jeebus stopped me dead in our tracks. From what I gather, this is a longer en tirage aging than the Réserve bottling. What grabs me about these wines is the lightness of touch, the gentleness on the palate, the gossamer shimmy of the fruit and mineral and light autolytic notes. This is more intense than other bottles in terms of structure but shares that same filigreed form. I don't know whether I should thank or curse Sophie for introducing me to these wines. (93 points)
2017 Ferme de la Sansonnière (Mark Angeli) La Lune - France, Vin de France (7/20/2020)
Like the last bottle, this has plumped up a bit but it is still a delicious wine. All sorts of honeyed yellow plum and melon with flowers on top and stones underneath. It's really the feel of these wines that I love. (91 points)
2016 Azienda Agricola Platinetti Guido Ghemme Vigna Ronco al Maso - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Ghemme (7/22/2020)
This just came to my market. We had a really nice visit with Andrea Fontana there back in 2019. The 2016 is showing all the promise in bottle that it did out of cask. This wine threads the line between modern and traditional. Very clean and fruit driven, but aged in large botti. There is a sappiness and drive to the fruit that carries through the finish. I expect good things from this wine in the future but it is fun now for a young Nebbiolo experience that won't rip your face off. (92 points)
2009 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Cuvée Tardive - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (7/24/2020)
This is in a great spot for me. It hasn't gone pinote but has more spice and earth notes than your normal Gamay. This is driven by plump fruit but it also has a savory side to it, is that the manganese showing itself? The structure seems to be resolving and it's a matter of personal preference when you drink your remaining bottles. (92 points)
2015 Domaine du Collier Saumur Blanc - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (7/25/2020)
Consistent with my previous bottle. This is such a sinewy wine without being at all heavy or ponderous. For whatever reason, these Collier wines really hit a sweet spot for me. This has a long and beautiful life ahead of it. (94 points)
2001 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (7/25/2020)
A perfect time to drink this wine. Woodsmoke and olive laced dark fruits with a deep sense of dark minerals. It shifts and moves with air as the fruit turns more red and some flowers poke out of the top. I'm shut out of the current market for these wines, it seems, but I'm glad to be able to revisit these aged bottles. While there is still enough structure to stand with a big hunk of beef off the grill it is great right now. I'm not sure waiting will get a better showing. (94 points)
2018 Tiberio Pecorino - Italy, Abruzzi, Colline Pescaresi IGT (7/27/2020)
Consistent with previous bottles. (91 points)
2016 Giovanni Canonica Langhe Nebbiolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (7/28/2020)
Lots of people really love this wine but I still don't quite get it. It's a combination of heady esters and lean leathery notes. It does open a bit with air, but never really fills in. I love the Barolo Paiagallo (I don't know the Grinzane Cavour well enough yet) so this wine leaves me confused. I've got a few more bottles, so we'll see where this goes. (88 points)
2015 Weingut O. Riesling Bikiniblick - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/29/2020)
This is my first time with this wine. I picked up a selection of 4 different wines from a local purveyor. This has a real grape skin and aloe kind of thing going on which is better than it sounds. It's more stony than minerally but rocks nonetheless. The fruit is more on the tart apple side than citrus. So it has a broader, more dense feel than the Falkenstein trockens I've been drinking but is more tense than the Weiser-Kunstler. I realize neither are perfect comparisons from a terroir perspective but I think it describes my impression. This is the "estate trocken" wine in the line-up and it is very good. Excited to find a new producer in a style that fits our drinking yet is different form things we already have in the rotation. (90 points)
2012 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Riserva Doccio a Matteo - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7/29/2020)
This is my first time with the Doccio a Mateo cuvée and honestly, I'm not sure of the differences from the Caparsino other than the addition of some Colorino and Ancelotta (a grape I'm not really familiar with). The wine is well balanced and maybe even a bit round for a Caparsa wine. Classic Radda Sangiovese with the addition of some plummy fruit. Good length and concentration and with the sour cherry/leather/herbs combo with a sort of noble rusticity has a distinct feel of Caparsa. To contextualize, maybe it is the Pradeaux of Radda Chianti? Anyway, this is good to drink now and more suited to accompany a meal. I guess I have to add this to my Caparsa buy now. These wines have such great character. (92 points)
2015 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Caparsino Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7/31/2020)
This wasn't that much riper than previous warm vintages, but there seems to be an extra layer of suaveness and maybe depth. There is still that feeling of noble rusticity and the fruit trends darker than normal but this is recognizably Caparsino. The 2016 got all the hype because of the press and is probably a bit better, but this is excellent and readily available. Fun to try now but at the beginning of its journey. If I can hold off I'll try again in 3 years or so but no guarantees (I really like burly young Sangiovese with steak off the grill). (92 points)
2014 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (7/31/2020)
Best bottle yet. I've gotten a bit out of the habit of drinking these wines as I've been exploring other things. Lest we forget, this is a great wine and a particularly fine vintage for it. (93 points)
2016 Davide Carlone Boca - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (7/31/2020)
Like the recent Platinetti Guido, this wine is very young but approachable in a 2016 sort of way. There is lots of depth to the dark cherry fruit and has that Boca tobacco thing going on (honestly, I don't know whether this is terroir or grape blending). This has a sense of harnessed wildness. Fresh and long this is another excellent producer in the Alto Piedmont. We missed him by a day on our last visit, but will try to see him next time. (92 points)
I hope everyone out there is doing OK. Hang in there.
2019 Poderi Parpinello Vermentino di Sardegna Ala Blanca - Italy, Sardinia, Vermentino di Sardegna (7/1/2020)
Yellow fruits, some flowers, sea spray and minerals. Bought as part of a 3-pack from one of our favorite restaurants. These are the types of wines we're really gravitating to these days. Fresh, lively whites that amplify food. (89 points)
2016 Mazzi Valpolicella Classico Superiore Sanperetto - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore (7/1/2020)
Bright and snappy with a leathery, savory edge to the dark berry fruit. A hint of cocoa. Nice structure for the table with good balance. Really nice Valpolicella that doesn't get heavy. (89 points)
2018 Fontanavecchia Falanghina del Sannio Taburno - Italy, Campania, Falanghina del Sannio (7/2/2020)
Slightly funky, musky fruit in a bright, zingy salty mineral package. Another really delightful and refreshing Italian white. We're finding so much quality and value in "offbeat" Italian regions over the last couple of years. (90 points)
2014 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône-Brézème (7/2/2020)
IIRC, Eric once said to me that 2014 was the closest iteration to his ideal for this wine. I certainly have a sense of what he means. Really controlled berry and stone pitted fruit and a real sense of almost umami in the savory, meaty herbal notes. It's the lightness with a sense of depth with a fine core of limestone minerals coupled with bright, but not sharp acids, and really fine latticed tannin. A structural masterpiece. I can't wait to see what the future holds, but this is a wine that can be consumed with joy right now. Kudos. (93 points)
1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/3/2020)
Not as good as the bottle in September 2019. Seems to be on the down slope for my palate. Tannins are fully resolved and it is round in the mouth with some cried currants with a Cabernet herbal/minty mixture. Drink up. (90 points)
1994 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Mountain - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain (7/3/2020)
More green tobacco, earth and minerals than the Montelena and also still has a bit of grip. Doesn't have the depth of the 1995 that I had recently, still, this is distinctly a Patrick Campbell wine and shows its mountain origins. I miss these wines. (92 points)
2013 Laherte Frères Champagne Les Empreintes - France, Champagne (7/3/2020)
I found this to be a really compelling, powerful and dense wine. Driven by a stones and mineral intensity there are notes of apples and some tart red berries. Not much in the way of yeasty notes more crystalline. This is a young wine and I'm curious to see how it will develop. I'd give it another 2-3 years to come together but we enjoyed this bottle with food. (92 points)
2016 Domaine Lionnet Cornas Pur Granit - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (7/3/2020)
Very young, savory, intense and a bit blocky in a Cornas way. A really deep core of dark stone fruit smashed over rocks (the Granit title is perhaps influencing me) with hints of leather and black olive. Lots of tannin, but their shape is good, not harsh or spiky. The fruit, rocks and savory notes spiral together down the long finish. This is a long way from hitting its peak, the rule of 15 would be a good one here, but in the right food context and if you're curious, it can be interesting now. (92 points)
2009 Marguet Champagne Sapience Extra Brut - France, Champagne (7/4/2020)
Super refined and intellectual wine. It can be a bit quiet so you have to pay attention. We had it with an old friend who turned me onto a lot of great Champagne in a social distance late afternoon lunch so were able to enjoy it over a long period of time. Really layered and more on the citrus and mineral end of the spectrum rather than the more resinous, bready and nutty notes. Has a very precise feel to it. Fine bead and good length. I think it's the texture of this that really stands out. I'll be holding my remaining bottles for a few years (and special occasions) to see how it plays out but if you're curious then it's worth drinking now. (93 points)
2017 Weiser-Künstler Trabener Gaispfad Riesling - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/4/2020)
I'm consistently fascinated by these wines but I can't say that I quite understand them yet. There is this crazy "cream of chalk" sort of thing that they have going on, which is unusual for Mosel riesling, IME. I wonder if this spends more time on its lees than normal. There are some penetrating herbal and mineral notes and white pitted fruit with lemon but these aren't fruity or driving wines. I followed this over a few days and it barely budged. I have this urge to try to figure these out. (91 points)
2008 Guy Larmandier Champagne Signé François Vieilles Vignes Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne (7/5/2020)
This bottle is subtly different from previous bottles. It shows a chalkier version than previously but still has a lot of generosity for a non-dosé Champagne. There is a real balance here between ripe fruit and zingy structure with only a hint of autolytic notes that really works with food. (93 points)
2016 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (7/5/2020)
Consistent with my previous bottle, this has real depth of flinty minerals and citrus tinged tree fruits with a dusting of molecular gastronomy crushed flowers sprinkled in. Not sure whether it will get the chance in my house, but this may age in interesting ways. (93 points)
2016 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Chatenière - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (7/5/2020)
Doesn't quite have the drive of the Perrières. Less flinty and mineral but showing and bigger fruit with almost a resinous edge. I bet this would show more mineral on its own without the Perrières alongside. (92 points)
2017 Domaine de l'Horizon Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Esprit de l'Horizon Rouge - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (7/7/2020)
Opened this next to a much more natural Roussillon wine (Duchêne La Luna) and this seemed a bit well mannered in comparison. Doesn't have the intensity of the top wine from this domain but has nice complexity and shape. I might have got a better read on its own because the Duchêne was so extravagant in either direction that it captured most of the attention. (89 points)
2013 Georges Descombes Brouilly Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Brouilly (7/8/2020)
Sappy pitted fruits and berries that have calmed from a previous juiciness. Has rounded into form and has a nice bouquet of meadow herbs and flowers. I love the mouthfeel where the structure is there to support everything else and to allow the other elements to interact with the food but not be noticed itself. Good to go now but will surely drink well for at least a few more years depending on what you want from the wine. (92 points)
2008 Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champonnets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (7/9/2020)
Still a bit clenched but there is finally development. Very firm mineral core of red fruits and rose petals. There is some aromatic development with hints of tea and maybe even licorice. This is a very precise and focused wine. The tannins are starting to recede a bit and it works well with food but I think a few more years in the cellar are in order. (90 points)
2013 Fabio Gea Barbaresco Riserva "Notu andava a tartufi senza il cane" - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (7/10/2020)
I realize that this is very young but I really wanted to check in so that I have a point of comparison. Obviously not as immediate as the Onde Gravitazionali or the Cul Otte which are made to be much more glou-glou. This is not that. Macerated black cherries and spices with a fine, but very firm, line of tannin. Lifted and warm and more generous than I expect other 2013 Piedmontese wines are showing but still not that close to being resolved. Lots of rose hips on the nose that keeps moving and unfolding. I'm really looking forward to following these wines. I had a couple from the mid-2000s earlier in the year which inspired this purchase and showed a potential course of maturation. I think I'll check back in a few years rather than try to wait until I think they're mature. (92 points)
2018 Domaine d'E Croce (Yves Leccia) I. G. P. Île de Beauté - France, Corsica, Île de Beauté (7/11/2020)
Sappy, fresh, vibrant and so easy to drink. Really delightful and balanced for the table. It complemented dinner really well, so well that the bottle disappeared quickly. (91 points)
2017 Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais Cuvée l'Ancien Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais (7/11/2020)
Awesome! The Leccia went so fast and was so reminiscent of Beaujolais that we grabbed this as a follow on. This is in a great spot for my palate. Bright and juicy but still structured in that Terres Dorées fashion. Fruit, minerals, herbs all wrapped in a firmly juicy package. This is a happy wine. (91 points)
1990 Ch“teau Lynch-Bages - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (7/12/2020)
As good a bottle of red wine as I've had this year and the best Bordeaux I've had in a good long while. I've been drinking this wine consistently since the mid-90s and it has always been a great Lynch-Bages. It retains the Pauillac black currant and dark fruit aligned with graphite and cedar but it has grown whispier and longer, there is more room for other less aggressive notes to have their voices heard. Maybe a bit of dried violet there, some sous-bois forest floor, a hint of leather. The wine is resolved and beautiful but there is still the slightest frame of structure. Well stored bottles of this might drink well forever. My bottles are long gone so this one was from my dad's cellar (he doesn't drink as much wine anymore and wanted some bottles to have a good home). We bought a few cases together for $30 a bottle back in the day. Takes me back to simpler times. (96 points)
2018 Domaine Comte Abbatucci Faustine Rosé Vieilles Vignes - France, Corsica, Ajaccio (7/12/2020)
I really dig this rosé. All of the berries and flowers you'd want, but with a real driving minerality and a sea air quality. A perfect foil for a Salade Niçoise. (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 (7/12/2020)
This wine is really showing great right now. It's still powerful and structured (for a Texier Pergaud) but approachable and really blossoms with some air and some food. Dark fruited with black olive brine and purple flowers. Maybe it's the power of suggestion but I really sense the granite. More savory and earthy notes come out with air and the wine does relax even more. I think this is in a young window of really enjoyable drinking but will continue to improve. The shape and structure work so well with food, a joy to drink. (93 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb #23 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/13/2020)
Another beautiful, linear, mouthwatering and pure example of this consistently great wine. I feel spoiled to get to drink this on such a regular basis. (92 points)
2017 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand'Cour) Fleurie Les Deduits - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (7/14/2020)
My experience was pretty similar to slaton. The color is a hazy, light red. Nose of sour berries and a whiff of VA. Hoped it might blow off, but instead it got worse and ended up with mouse. It's too bad as Dutraive is a generally excellent and conscientious grower. (NR/flawed)
2016 Villa S. Anna Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (7/14/2020)
This is young and closed. I missed the 2015 so this is the next vintage in the queue after the stellar 2013. Looks like we'll have to give it a bit before really digging in. (88 points)
2016 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (7/15/2020)
Consistent with my previous bottle. 2016 seems like a really successful and energetic vintage here. (93 points)
2018 Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône Poignee de Raisins - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (7/16/2020)
Joy in a bottle. Zippy, juicy fruit with Rhônish earthy and savory herb complements. Really easy and satisfying to drink. (91 points)
2018 Tiberio Pecorino - Italy, Abruzzi, Colline Pescaresi IGT (7/16/2020)
Consistent with previous bottles but maybe a bit more floral than the last. I'm really curious about their fancy Pecorino and will keep an eye out for it. (91 points)
2016 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (7/17/2020)
I should have heeded my last note and waited longer to try another bottle but this somehow slipped into my hand. For a wine that I've been following for such a long time, I wonder why I'm so terrible and figuring out when to drink them. Hold off for 2-3 years. Again. (89 points)
NV Adrien Renoir Champagne Grand Cru Le Terroir Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (7/17/2020)
This is a pretty new producer for me that I think is really promising. Bright yellow tree fruits with some lemon. A nice sense of fruit with with acidity and some minerality. Not a ton of brioche type notes but a slight type of creaminess that isn't lactic or creamy, so maybe that's the dough part. The texture and shape makes this really easy to drink but it also does well with food. I may be underrating this as it could really blossom with just a bit of age. I expect it may become a house staple. (91 points)
2018 Girolamo Russo Etna Nerina - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC (7/17/2020)
Consistent with previous notes. The herbal element has probably settled in as thyme. Still vibrant and mouthwatering. (91 points)
NV Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Terroirs Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (7/18/2020)
From the 02/2019 disgorgement. I like the drive and vivacity of this wine. Bright, citrusy, mineral and focused. Tart fruit flavors like Granny Smith apple and some lemon curd. A little bit of a yeasty note sort of in the Pépière Clisson idiom. I get the sense that this would improve with a bit of cellar time but I'm fairly new to cellaring Agrapart myself as it has generally been something I drink in restaurants in the past. (91 points)
1970 Antoniolo Gattinara - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Gattinara (7/18/2020)
I'm not sure where Jamie finds all these old Nebbiolos but this certainly represents a great value for mature wine. Stood up for a few weeks and decanted at noon for dinner. Has all the things you want from old Nebbiolo. Dried rose petals, forest floor and hints of resin with dried cherry. There is a sense of decay here as well. (92 points)
1971 Antoniolo Gattinara - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Gattinara (7/18/2020)
Same bottle prep as the 1970 and a similar outcome to the 1970-1971 Latour. This wine had much more brightness and acidity which seems to have kept the fruit fresher and the wine generally doesn't have the same notes of decay. This almost has a bit of mineral feel under the classic nebbiolo notes along with that pine forest thing that I seem to get more with Alto Piedmont Nebbiolo than with Langhe. Also, not a lot of balsamic notes which is a plus for me. (93 points)
2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne (7/18/2020)
From magnum. Whoa! This is the best Krug I've had in a good long while. I was worried that it would be too sherried but it was just the opposite, extremely fresh and lively. Notes of herbal tea like chamomile and toast with base notes of ripe plum skin. What really grabs is the sense of mouth watering acidity and freshness. I'm probably still more of a "grower" Champagne person at this point, but this was very, very good. (94 points)
1971 Ch“teau Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (7/18/2020)
This was a better bottle than the 1970. The wine showed differently as well. The fruit was more to the red side of the spectrum and there was more of a spice nuance to the graphite, leather and loam. The acidity really makes it brighter on the palate and almost protects a bit of juicyness around the fruit. This is slowly fading but with fewer pre-cancerous age spots. (93 points)
1970 Ch“teau Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (7/18/2020)
With the 1971 as part of a birthday celebration. This was maybe not a great bottle but it wasn't flawed. Dried dark fruit and earthy leathery notes with underlying graphite but the main sense is of desiccated fruit and underbrush. This is certainly on the gradual slope towards senescence but aren't we all. (92 points)
2014 Alexandre Filaine Champagne Cuvée DMY - France, Champagne (7/19/2020)
I'm more excited about the wines from Filaine than any other Champagne producer right now. A bottle of 2011 at the last Southern Jeebus stopped me dead in our tracks. From what I gather, this is a longer en tirage aging than the Réserve bottling. What grabs me about these wines is the lightness of touch, the gentleness on the palate, the gossamer shimmy of the fruit and mineral and light autolytic notes. This is more intense than other bottles in terms of structure but shares that same filigreed form. I don't know whether I should thank or curse Sophie for introducing me to these wines. (93 points)
2017 Ferme de la Sansonnière (Mark Angeli) La Lune - France, Vin de France (7/20/2020)
Like the last bottle, this has plumped up a bit but it is still a delicious wine. All sorts of honeyed yellow plum and melon with flowers on top and stones underneath. It's really the feel of these wines that I love. (91 points)
2016 Azienda Agricola Platinetti Guido Ghemme Vigna Ronco al Maso - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Ghemme (7/22/2020)
This just came to my market. We had a really nice visit with Andrea Fontana there back in 2019. The 2016 is showing all the promise in bottle that it did out of cask. This wine threads the line between modern and traditional. Very clean and fruit driven, but aged in large botti. There is a sappiness and drive to the fruit that carries through the finish. I expect good things from this wine in the future but it is fun now for a young Nebbiolo experience that won't rip your face off. (92 points)
2009 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Cuvée Tardive - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (7/24/2020)
This is in a great spot for me. It hasn't gone pinote but has more spice and earth notes than your normal Gamay. This is driven by plump fruit but it also has a savory side to it, is that the manganese showing itself? The structure seems to be resolving and it's a matter of personal preference when you drink your remaining bottles. (92 points)
2015 Domaine du Collier Saumur Blanc - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (7/25/2020)
Consistent with my previous bottle. This is such a sinewy wine without being at all heavy or ponderous. For whatever reason, these Collier wines really hit a sweet spot for me. This has a long and beautiful life ahead of it. (94 points)
2001 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (7/25/2020)
A perfect time to drink this wine. Woodsmoke and olive laced dark fruits with a deep sense of dark minerals. It shifts and moves with air as the fruit turns more red and some flowers poke out of the top. I'm shut out of the current market for these wines, it seems, but I'm glad to be able to revisit these aged bottles. While there is still enough structure to stand with a big hunk of beef off the grill it is great right now. I'm not sure waiting will get a better showing. (94 points)
2018 Tiberio Pecorino - Italy, Abruzzi, Colline Pescaresi IGT (7/27/2020)
Consistent with previous bottles. (91 points)
2016 Giovanni Canonica Langhe Nebbiolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (7/28/2020)
Lots of people really love this wine but I still don't quite get it. It's a combination of heady esters and lean leathery notes. It does open a bit with air, but never really fills in. I love the Barolo Paiagallo (I don't know the Grinzane Cavour well enough yet) so this wine leaves me confused. I've got a few more bottles, so we'll see where this goes. (88 points)
2015 Weingut O. Riesling Bikiniblick - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/29/2020)
This is my first time with this wine. I picked up a selection of 4 different wines from a local purveyor. This has a real grape skin and aloe kind of thing going on which is better than it sounds. It's more stony than minerally but rocks nonetheless. The fruit is more on the tart apple side than citrus. So it has a broader, more dense feel than the Falkenstein trockens I've been drinking but is more tense than the Weiser-Kunstler. I realize neither are perfect comparisons from a terroir perspective but I think it describes my impression. This is the "estate trocken" wine in the line-up and it is very good. Excited to find a new producer in a style that fits our drinking yet is different form things we already have in the rotation. (90 points)
2012 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Riserva Doccio a Matteo - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7/29/2020)
This is my first time with the Doccio a Mateo cuvée and honestly, I'm not sure of the differences from the Caparsino other than the addition of some Colorino and Ancelotta (a grape I'm not really familiar with). The wine is well balanced and maybe even a bit round for a Caparsa wine. Classic Radda Sangiovese with the addition of some plummy fruit. Good length and concentration and with the sour cherry/leather/herbs combo with a sort of noble rusticity has a distinct feel of Caparsa. To contextualize, maybe it is the Pradeaux of Radda Chianti? Anyway, this is good to drink now and more suited to accompany a meal. I guess I have to add this to my Caparsa buy now. These wines have such great character. (92 points)
2015 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Caparsino Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7/31/2020)
This wasn't that much riper than previous warm vintages, but there seems to be an extra layer of suaveness and maybe depth. There is still that feeling of noble rusticity and the fruit trends darker than normal but this is recognizably Caparsino. The 2016 got all the hype because of the press and is probably a bit better, but this is excellent and readily available. Fun to try now but at the beginning of its journey. If I can hold off I'll try again in 3 years or so but no guarantees (I really like burly young Sangiovese with steak off the grill). (92 points)
2014 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (7/31/2020)
Best bottle yet. I've gotten a bit out of the habit of drinking these wines as I've been exploring other things. Lest we forget, this is a great wine and a particularly fine vintage for it. (93 points)
2016 Davide Carlone Boca - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (7/31/2020)
Like the recent Platinetti Guido, this wine is very young but approachable in a 2016 sort of way. There is lots of depth to the dark cherry fruit and has that Boca tobacco thing going on (honestly, I don't know whether this is terroir or grape blending). This has a sense of harnessed wildness. Fresh and long this is another excellent producer in the Alto Piedmont. We missed him by a day on our last visit, but will try to see him next time. (92 points)
