Impressions July 2020

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by VLM:
Big picture, I take the time to write and post these notes to WD in order to spur discussion but it doesn't seem that the discussion sparked is commensurate with the posts. Is it the quality of the notes? Are the notes not controversial enough? Is the post just too large?

This post is just 25 hours later, Monk. Keep yer feet in yer shooz. Some of us are busy out here, y'know.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

Monkey, you are drinking some excellent stuff. Some just catch my eye but I do have some questions.

originally posted by VLM:
...working to get people to the poles

This typo is what the snark is about.

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)

I like Valpo for the table. I'll have to see if I can find this one locally.

2014 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud -
2011 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud -

Your Texier notes are great, by the way.

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)

So does the texture come off rather smooth/shiny or spicy/rocky?

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)

Reminder to self: check on W-K elevage practices.

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)

"Grandpa hunts for truffles without the dog."
It is way early for 2013 wines but they will be lovely. This was an expensive bottle to sacrifice for the team.

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)

Good to read a good note about l'Ancien. As is my wont, I usually hold this wine for several years but I'm starting to think that does it no favors.

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)

The Abbatucci wines are generally great but the pricing is ouchy, around $40, which I think is a lot for rose.

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)

I really like sangiovese but hunting around VNdM is hard work.

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)

I need to be more diligent about the whole stand-up-ahead thing. I know that the wines perform better with the sediment out.

And good on you for aerating a 50-year-old wine for 6 hours!

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)

Thanks for the heads up!

2015 Weingut O. Riesling Bikiniblick -

Bikini Blanket wine? Made by A. Funicello ?

2012 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Riserva Doccio a Matteo -
2015 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Caparsino Riserva -

Maybe you can't taste the difference because 2012 was so hit-or-miss while 2015 was not just warm but had perfectly-timed rain to add depth, not just sugar.

...reading...

The Caparsa website says the elevage is different, too:
"Chianti Classico Caparsino Riserva, obtained with 100% Sangiovese grape and aged in big oak vats of 18 Hl for one or two years. Chianti Classico Doccio a Matteo Riserva, obtained form a hand-selection of our best Sangiovese grape and Colorino grape (between 2% to 5%), and it's aged in small oak vats of 10 Hl for one or two years."

Later he adds, captioning a picture of the cellar:
"In the big 1800 lt barrels of Limousin oak is aged the Chianti Classico Caparsino, while in the small ones, 1000 or 500 lt of Allier, Slavonia, American or Hungary oak is aged the Chianti Classico Doccio a Matteo. Recently the cellar has been restored. The barrels will be working over the years with harmony."

 

[scottreiner]

Your notes are by me devoured and appreciated. I can think of nothing that would improve them for me, save being present.

 

[Robert Dentice]

I enjoy and appreciate the notes. However I would suggest breaking them up a bit. If you just had posted the Weiser-Künstler note I would have probably jumped in because I know exactly what you mean about the wines. I love the WS wines but they are moody and hard to understand. The 2019s are their best collection yet.

And as for Falkenstein one of my favorite producers and like everyone have been scurrying around the U.S. trying to buy as many 19s as possible.

As for Lynch Bages I have almost zero Bordeaux in my cellar yet drinking older Bordeaux have been some of my greatest wine experiences, especially due to many Bern's trips. I guess I just figure you can always buy them when you want them.

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

originally posted by scottreiner:
Your notes are by me devoured and appreciated. I can think of nothing that would improve them for me, save being present.

+1

They often send me scurrying to my local pushers to see if they have this or that. Guilt-free, as I won't be affecting scarce US supplies.

I wouldn't even break them down into smaller chunks, even if that does make responding easier.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by Robert Dentice:
And as for Falkenstein one of my favorite producers and like everyone have been scurrying around the U.S. trying to buy as many 19s as possible.

As for Lynch Bages I have almost zero Bordeaux in my cellar yet drinking older Bordeaux have been some of my greatest wine experiences, especially due to many Bern's trips. I guess I just figure you can always buy them when you want them.

Falkenstein: 10 hectares, for all the wines.

Lynch-Bages: 90 hectares, approx. 25,000 cases of the flagship wine.

Indeed, generally speaking, there should be no shortage of Lynch-Bages.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by VLM:
2017 Weiser-Künstler Trabener Gaispfad Riesling - ... 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.

Confirmed.

This particular plot is 0.5 hectare of old vines so some of that creaminess may be mature vines goodness.

 

[mark e]

originally posted by Odd Rydland:
Keep them coming, always a joy to read. Though most of these wines aren't available in Norway, I learn a lot from them (the Falkensteins are).

+1 on the notes ('course I don't read the scores, but that has been hashed and rehashed).

Many of the wines are available in Norway (Texier is everywhere), but you will see many of them only on restaurant lists (they're on the importers' Horeca-only lists), though you might have noticed that a number of previously "highly allocated" wines now appear on the Vinmonopolet site because, well, restaurant sales aren't exactly what they used to be.

 

[MarkS]

originally posted by mark e:

originally posted by Odd Rydland:
Keep them coming, always a joy to read. Though most of these wines aren't available in Norway, I learn a lot from them (the Falkensteins are).

+1 on the notes ('course I don't read the scores, but that has been hashed and rehashed).

Many of the wines are available in Norway (Texier is everywhere), but you will see many of them only on restaurant lists (they're on the importers' Horeca-only lists), though you might have noticed that a number of previously "highly allocated" wines now appear on the Vinmonopolet site because, well, restaurant sales aren't exactly what they used to be.

What's a Horeca-list?

 

[MLipton]

originally posted by MarkS:

originally posted by mark e:

originally posted by Odd Rydland:
Keep them coming, always a joy to read. Though most of these wines aren't available in Norway, I learn a lot from them (the Falkensteins are).

+1 on the notes ('course I don't read the scores, but that has been hashed and rehashed).

Many of the wines are available in Norway (Texier is everywhere), but you will see many of them only on restaurant lists (they're on the importers' Horeca-only lists), though you might have noticed that a number of previously "highly allocated" wines now appear on the Vinmonopolet site because, well, restaurant sales aren't exactly what they used to be.

What's a Horeca-list?

Teh Wiki sez it’s a Dutch term for the hospitality industry.

Mark Lipton

 

[mark e]

originally posted by MLipton:

originally posted by MarkS:

originally posted by mark e:

originally posted by Odd Rydland:
Keep them coming, always a joy to read. Though most of these wines aren't available in Norway, I learn a lot from them (the Falkensteins are).

+1 on the notes ('course I don't read the scores, but that has been hashed and rehashed).

Many of the wines are available in Norway (Texier is everywhere), but you will see many of them only on restaurant lists (they're on the importers' Horeca-only lists), though you might have noticed that a number of previously "highly allocated" wines now appear on the Vinmonopolet site because, well, restaurant sales aren't exactly what they used to be.

What's a Horeca-list?

Teh Wiki sez it’s a Dutch term for the hospitality industry.

Mark Lipton

Correct; the term is also used in Norway. What in the US is called "on sale" rather than "off sale" (retail). And for the three or four here who can read Norwegian from the .no site: "Horeca (eller HORECA) er en forkortning benyttet i Europa for en sektor av matindustrien som består av etableringer hvor mattjenester forberedes og serveres. Begrepet er en bokstavsammensetning av ordene hotell, restaurant og catering; HRC, hvilket har gitt begrepet Horeca."

 

[robert ames]

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by robert ames:
nathan--so both the north and south poles?

Not sure I get this. I hate to be the one to ask to have a joke explained...

my guess is that you meant polls in your initial post. (i'm surprised that the professor didn't pick up on this.)

 

[Jonathan Loesberg]

originally posted by robert ames:

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by robert ames:
nathan--so both the north and south poles?

Not sure I get this. I hate to be the one to ask to have a joke explained...

my guess is that you meant polls in your initial post. (i'm surprised that the professor didn't pick up on this.)

I am notorious for almost never writing tasting notes and only skimming them. I am interested when I know the wine but, whereas evaluations with specific reasons for them help me, references to tastes and smells with points attached don't so much.I hasten to add that this is not an argument against tasting notes or against other people reading them, but a statement of my abilities and limitations.

But maybe your referring to Mark Lipton.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Rahsaan:

originally posted by VLM:
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)

Interesting comparison. Now you've got me wanting the Perrières! I had the 2016 Chatenière and En Remilly close together and they were both delicious but the Chatenière was so much more expressive and gulpable.

My read on these is that the En Remilly has the muskiest fruit, Chatenière has the funkiest fruit and Perrières is the most streamlined and mineral tending towards citrus. I don't recall even drinking them side-by-side and comparing. If I have them together it is generally sequentially and usually not in a context where I'm paying super close attention to fine differences.

originally posted by Rahsaan:

originally posted by VLM:
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)

Do you generally like the Brouilly VV? It was one of the first Beaujolais wines I bought (and loved) in Paris back in 2002, so it has sentimental value. But I recently bought a bunch of 2015 and was underwhelmed with the first bottle. Clunky and ripe. I know there's lots of negative views on Beaujolais 2015 in general, but I've had some good experiences. And then I heard from Russ that he has never been satisfied with the Brouilly VV and is going to stop buying it. There might be a reason the Morgon and Regnie VVs are more prevalent?

There is a limited market for them in NC, so if Russ and I aren't buying, they probably don't come in. I've never had a particular issue with the Brouilly. I wouldn't call my experience with it to be clunky and ripe, but maybe that's an issue with 2015 and later. For me, some more recent wines may have a bit of the mouse after they've been open a while. I've been accidentally scaling back my Beaujolais drinking to incorporate other things so I'm not as up-to-date as I would like to be with the goings on at Descombes.

originally posted by Rahsaan:

originally posted by VLM:
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)

Thanks for keeping this wine in my consciousness. I haven't seen it in years but bought a bottle in July that I will open soonish. Very much looking forward to the contemporary memories.

And your notes are great! I suspect people are just busy. Something I'm sure you can relate to!

I'll be interested in your take. I didn't drink the wines for years after some misadventures. I had a breathtaking bottle in Montreal a few years back and have been seeking them out ever since. I actually got Dressner to send some to NC for Rue but subsequently the distributor has broken up that allocation to other people which is how Russ probably go tit. A little frustrating, but I like Russ so I can live with it.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

I like Valpo for the table. I'll have to see if I can find this one locally.

It's not as bright and slight as the Brigaldara that Jay loves but I found it really table ready.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

2014 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud -
2011 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud -

Your Texier notes are great, by the way.

I know I'm not exactly unbiased (although honestly, I'd rather give Eric a harder time) but I think the wines are just excellent. I really sense that they're realizing his ideal for them.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

So does the texture come off rather smooth/shiny or spicy/rocky?

Good question. I'd actually split the difference and say smooth and rocky. Not shiny, not spicy.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

"Grandpa hunts for truffles without the dog."
It is way early for 2013 wines but they will be lovely. This was an expensive bottle to sacrifice for the team.

I did get to buy this wholesale through the restaurant, which helps a little bit, but the wines are not cheap. In our last trip anywhere before the COVID we had dinner with Michael Wheeler and he brought a couple of these with a few years of age and they really captivated me. I've been trying to understand them better ever since. I do find them special and unique expressions.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

Good to read a good note about l'Ancien. As is my wont, I usually hold this wine for several years but I'm starting to think that does it no favors.

I was off the l'Ancien train for several years but I'm back on now. I haven't had a more joyous, lazy lunch Beaujolais in a while.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

The Abbatucci wines are generally great but the pricing is ouchy, around $40, which I think is a lot for rose.

Yeah, I got a really good wholesale price on this bottle and $40 would be tough, but I'd certainly pay $35 and be happy. I don't follow this year in-year out so I don't know if it is consistently this good but in my experience it's a very fine rosé. FWIW, we generally like Matthiasson, Clos Cibonne, Baudry and Pradeaux around here although we don't drink as much rosé as we used to.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

I really like sangiovese but hunting around VNdM is hard work.

This has been a reliable standby for years. I just think it is young and in a dumb phase. It'll eventually be excellent. VNdM is normally a try-before-you-buy wine for me, except for this one where I just trust the wine in any decent vintage.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

I need to be more diligent about the whole stand-up-ahead thing. I know that the wines perform better with the sediment out.

And good on you for aerating a 50-year-old wine for 6 hours!

Can't piss off Jamie!

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

Thanks for the heads up!

I *really* like these wines. If you see the CDS Nebbiolo or the Barbera those are also great and great values. They are more focused and lower ABV than Langhe versions.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

2015 Weingut O. Riesling Bikiniblick -

Bikini Blanket wine? Made by A. Funicello ?

Something like that.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

2012 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Riserva Doccio a Matteo -
2015 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Caparsino Riserva -

Maybe you can't taste the difference because 2012 was so hit-or-miss while 2015 was not just warm but had perfectly-timed rain to add depth, not just sugar.

...reading...

The Caparsa website says the elevage is different, too:
"Chianti Classico Caparsino Riserva, obtained with 100% Sangiovese grape and aged in big oak vats of 18 Hl for one or two years. Chianti Classico Doccio a Matteo Riserva, obtained form a hand-selection of our best Sangiovese grape and Colorino grape (between 2% to 5%), and it's aged in small oak vats of 10 Hl for one or two years."

Later he adds, captioning a picture of the cellar:
"In the big 1800 lt barrels of Limousin oak is aged the Chianti Classico Caparsino, while in the small ones, 1000 or 500 lt of Allier, Slavonia, American or Hungary oak is aged the Chianti Classico Doccio a Matteo. Recently the cellar has been restored. The barrels will be working over the years with harmony."

I didn't look at the producer website, thanks for that. Smaller barrels could be the difference in texture.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Robert Dentice:


I enjoy and appreciate the notes. However I would suggest breaking them up a bit. If you just had posted the Weiser-Künstler note I would have probably jumped in because I know exactly what you mean about the wines. I love the WS wines but they are moody and hard to understand. The 2019s are their best collection yet.

And as for Falkenstein one of my favorite producers and like everyone have been scurrying around the U.S. trying to buy as many 19s as possible.

As for Lynch Bages I have almost zero Bordeaux in my cellar yet drinking older Bordeaux have been some of my greatest wine experiences, especially due to many Bern's trips. I guess I just figure you can always buy them when you want them.

Yeah, it's pretty hard to respond when there are so many wines. Duly noted.

I'm glad that makes sense to you about W-K. It seems like everyone is into them but none can quite explain them to me. Falkenstein is maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but it's pretty clear what the wines are trying to say. I guess I'll buy more Falkenstein than usual in 2019 given what you and others are saying. I generally stick to what comes to NC. We won't get any of the more interesting W-K here in NC, so I might make more an an effort to buy some. Won't be buying cases. Of their line-up, do oyu have any particular recommendations?

I'm the same re: Bordeaux. My dad had mostly Bordeaux, Napa and Southern Rhône in his cellar so I never sought them out for myself. Also, when I was coming up, you could get almost everything with decent provenance and not too pricey so it seemed like a waste of my limited space and budget.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by mark e:

originally posted by Odd Rydland:
Keep them coming, always a joy to read. Though most of these wines aren't available in Norway, I learn a lot from them (the Falkensteins are).

+1 on the notes ('course I don't read the scores, but that has been hashed and rehashed).

Many of the wines are available in Norway (Texier is everywhere), but you will see many of them only on restaurant lists (they're on the importers' Horeca-only lists), though you might have noticed that a number of previously "highly allocated" wines now appear on the Vinmonopolet site because, well, restaurant sales aren't exactly what they used to be.

Of course, take or leave the scores. I think they offer a good relative idea of quality/impact on me but I seem to be in the Marshall Manning 89-92 zone. I do wonder if that's because I'm really good at buying wine now and don't get any real dogs and am spoiled for quality and a bit jaded in terms of high scores.

Eric is bigger in Sweden than Abba!

 

[MLipton]

originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:

I am notorious for almost never writing tasting notes and only skimming them. I am interested when I know the wine but, whereas evaluations with specific reasons for them help me, references to tastes and smells with points attached don't so much.I hasten to add that this is not an argument against tasting notes or against other people reading them, but a statement of my abilities and limitations.

But maybe your referring to Mark Lipton.

Parish the thought!

Mark the snark

 

[Peter Creasey]

originally posted by VLM: take or leave the scores.... I seem to be in the Marshall Manning 89-92 zone. I do wonder if that's because I'm really good at buying wine now and don't get any real dogs and am spoiled for quality and a bit jaded in terms of high scores.

Agreed, the scores add clarity and can easily be ignored if someone (not me) wishes to do so. Glad you provide them.

Like yours, my scores tend to customarily seem high, but that, I believe, is because I'm vigilant about what I buy and drink.

. . . . . Pete

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

2014 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud -
2011 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban Vieille Serine Domaine de Pergaud -

Your Texier notes are great, by the way.

I know I'm not exactly unbiased (although honestly, I'd rather give Eric a harder time) but I think the wines are just excellent. I really sense that they're realizing his ideal for them.

I love them but, for a while, I messed up when to drink them. I am happier now that I drink them either right away or wait 10+ years. Drinking them at age 3 or 4 was not working.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

So does the texture come off rather smooth/shiny or spicy/rocky?

Good question. I'd actually split the difference and say smooth and rocky. Not shiny, not spicy.

Thanks. I like N Rhone syrah a lot and I recall the Lionnet name from way back; haven't had one anytime recently.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

The Abbatucci wines are generally great but the pricing is ouchy, around $40, which I think is a lot for rose.

Yeah, I got a really good wholesale price on this bottle and $40 would be tough, but I'd certainly pay $35 and be happy. I don't follow this year in-year out so I don't know if it is consistently this good but in my experience it's a very fine rosé. FWIW, we generally like Matthiasson, Clos Cibonne, Baudry and Pradeaux around here although we don't drink as much rosé as we used to.

I like Cotat, Sperino, Baudry, Cantalupo, occasionally others. For daily drinkers I am trending towards lighter-weight reds.

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

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)

Thanks for the heads up!

I *really* like these wines. If you see the CDS Nebbiolo or the Barbera those are also great and great values. They are more focused and lower ABV than Langhe versions.

A quick hunt: this stuff is sold out everywhere in the US, any vintage.