A mix of old friends and wines that were new to us.
2018 Azienda Agricola Cos Sicilia Pithos Bianco - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (9/1/2020)
Dry and savory with seashell minerals. Smears of fruit appear hear and there, but this is really about mineral and savory notes. This is all Grecanico which is evidently the same as Garganega from Soave. These COS wines are full of character and drinking them has a transporting kind of feeling. (90 points)
2016 Istine Chianti Classico Vigna Istine - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (9/2/2020)
This is my first time with this wine and I quite liked it. It's situated above Radda but does seem to share some DNA with Caparsino. There are hints of tobacco and leather to go with the dark red and black fruit. Well balanced and structured with building tannins. Worked well with grilled steak (I generally find Sangiovese to be a fine complement) after the Gramenon went down too quickly. I like the style here and will keep an eye out. These are now available locally, so may come into the rotation. (91 points)
2018 Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône L'Emouvante - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (9/2/2020)
My first time with this wine, a 100% Syrah from the Gramenon vineyards. Savory smoked meat and herb notes over a core of deep dark fruit. There is a mineral earth flavor and the tannins are fine but sturdily build. This was fantastic with steak off the grill even if it could use a couple of years to smooth out. Gramenon has become my favorite producer in the Southern Rhône at this point from the vins de soif style to the more "serious" wines like this, Papesse and Mémé. (92 points)
2001 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod / Barthod-Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Véroilles - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (9/6/2020)
Really opened up over the course of the evening. Developing sous bois notes to go with the red fruits. This shows a flinty note over top of the still present tannins. They've started to meld to the background but the bottle sweetness hasn't completely popped yet. There are still some fresh floral and stone notes. Seems to be knitting everything together which is exactly what you want to see it at this point. I like it now but I think it is really close to hitting a next gear and that may be a bottle to bottle thing. (93 points)
2016 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (9/6/2020)
Another delicious, mineral wine laced with lime zest and white flowers. It has a mineral density and mouth watering quality to the acids that I love. (93 points)
2014 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Côte du Py - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (9/7/2020)
I was hoping that this would be more open. I expect great things eventually, but right now the wine seems bound by structure. It isn't that it's coarse, it's that everything seems hemmed in and can't move to the fore. Check back in a few years. I need to start buying some Beaujolais that doesn't need so much aging. (90 points)
2018 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett trocken AP 19 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/7/2020)
OK, so this was crazy. After our last bottle of this wine, which completely turned my head, I was really looking forward to this and was confused that it wasn't showing as well. It took a while for me to figure out, in fact I finished a glass, but the wine was corked. Just goes to show what that mineral intensity can hide. I usually don't bother with notes on corked wines, but this showed just how intense this wine is. (NR/flawed)
2009 Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils Chambolle-Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny (9/9/2020)
Nice to see this coming around a bit with a fine bead of spice added to the floral red currant and berry fruit. Still precise in the Boillot/Barthod style. Not quite fully open but fragrant and very pretty. (90 points)
2017 François Pinon Vouvray Silex Noir - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (9/10/2020)
Another great bottle of this and consistent with previous bottles. The sense of density and structure without being particularly heavy is a fine trick with a (mostly?) dry chenin. I like this more than any recent dryish Vouvray. It has more focus than Huet and more gentleness than Foreau. Juicy yellow plums and firm pears with honeydew melon notes but it really isn't the fruit that dominates, it's the flowers and minerals that bring everything into focus. I just love the shape and texture of this wine. Fabulous. (93 points)
2018 Azienda Agricola Cos Sicilia Pithos Bianco - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia (9/1/2020)
Dry and savory with seashell minerals. Smears of fruit appear hear and there, but this is really about mineral and savory notes. This is all Grecanico which is evidently the same as Garganega from Soave. These COS wines are full of character and drinking them has a transporting kind of feeling. (90 points)
2016 Istine Chianti Classico Vigna Istine - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (9/2/2020)
This is my first time with this wine and I quite liked it. It's situated above Radda but does seem to share some DNA with Caparsino. There are hints of tobacco and leather to go with the dark red and black fruit. Well balanced and structured with building tannins. Worked well with grilled steak (I generally find Sangiovese to be a fine complement) after the Gramenon went down too quickly. I like the style here and will keep an eye out. These are now available locally, so may come into the rotation. (91 points)
2018 Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône L'Emouvante - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (9/2/2020)
My first time with this wine, a 100% Syrah from the Gramenon vineyards. Savory smoked meat and herb notes over a core of deep dark fruit. There is a mineral earth flavor and the tannins are fine but sturdily build. This was fantastic with steak off the grill even if it could use a couple of years to smooth out. Gramenon has become my favorite producer in the Southern Rhône at this point from the vins de soif style to the more "serious" wines like this, Papesse and Mémé. (92 points)
2001 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod / Barthod-Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Véroilles - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (9/6/2020)
Really opened up over the course of the evening. Developing sous bois notes to go with the red fruits. This shows a flinty note over top of the still present tannins. They've started to meld to the background but the bottle sweetness hasn't completely popped yet. There are still some fresh floral and stone notes. Seems to be knitting everything together which is exactly what you want to see it at this point. I like it now but I think it is really close to hitting a next gear and that may be a bottle to bottle thing. (93 points)
2016 Henri Prudhon & Fils Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru (9/6/2020)
Another delicious, mineral wine laced with lime zest and white flowers. It has a mineral density and mouth watering quality to the acids that I love. (93 points)
2014 Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Côte du Py - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (9/7/2020)
I was hoping that this would be more open. I expect great things eventually, but right now the wine seems bound by structure. It isn't that it's coarse, it's that everything seems hemmed in and can't move to the fore. Check back in a few years. I need to start buying some Beaujolais that doesn't need so much aging. (90 points)
2018 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett trocken AP 19 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/7/2020)
OK, so this was crazy. After our last bottle of this wine, which completely turned my head, I was really looking forward to this and was confused that it wasn't showing as well. It took a while for me to figure out, in fact I finished a glass, but the wine was corked. Just goes to show what that mineral intensity can hide. I usually don't bother with notes on corked wines, but this showed just how intense this wine is. (NR/flawed)
2009 Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils Chambolle-Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny (9/9/2020)
Nice to see this coming around a bit with a fine bead of spice added to the floral red currant and berry fruit. Still precise in the Boillot/Barthod style. Not quite fully open but fragrant and very pretty. (90 points)
2017 François Pinon Vouvray Silex Noir - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (9/10/2020)
Another great bottle of this and consistent with previous bottles. The sense of density and structure without being particularly heavy is a fine trick with a (mostly?) dry chenin. I like this more than any recent dryish Vouvray. It has more focus than Huet and more gentleness than Foreau. Juicy yellow plums and firm pears with honeydew melon notes but it really isn't the fruit that dominates, it's the flowers and minerals that bring everything into focus. I just love the shape and texture of this wine. Fabulous. (93 points)