Lots of regulars and a checking in on a few young wines from the cellar.
2016 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Caparsa - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (10/8/2020)
Maybe the best bottle I've had of this yet. There is an overall balance that makes the parts seem more of a whole than past bottles. The silky fruit of the vintage integrate more fully with the spicy, savory, leathery, licorice-earth tones. So glad that the Cianferonis decided to make a straight Chianti Classico. It pushed our old mainstay, the Riserva Caparsino, a bit higher in price (fair) but this is also more approachable and less expensive and doesn't sacrifice any of the soulfulness. This really is my jam. (92 points)
2019 Le Pianelle Al Posto dei Fiori Rosato - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Coste della Sesia (10/8/2020)
This is a dense, structured rosé with a real savory, onion skin edge to the fresh berry fruit and flowers. A strong mineral underpinning shapes the flavors and frames the wine very well. Held up perfectly over about 5 days in the fridge. We didn't drink as much rosé as we have in the past but this one will be consistently in our rotation. (92 points)
2013 Azienda Agricola Elvio Cogno Barbera d'Alba Pre-Phylloxera - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba (10/9/2020)
This is a really frustrating wine. It showed some of the mustiness of my first bottle and it was savory but not particularly expressive. Opened a bit but we ended up putting the cork back in and sticking it in the fridge. I finished it a couple of days later and it was a bit better but still not what I had hoped. I'm a fan of the producer and this wine can be great but I haven't had consistently good bottles and the wine is expensive and hard to find. I think I may give up searching. (89 points)
2015 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba (10/9/2020)
What is immediately obvious is that this is meant to be "Impressive Wine". Dark and chewy with deep berry fruit and some savory notes. It just lacks a bit of nuance and soul. I think that my palate has become a bit jaded where I really want to see some personality in most wines. I think an earlier me or other folks would rate this wine higher but it leaves me a bit cold. (91 points)
2010 Flavio Roddolo Barbera d'Alba Superiore Bricco Appiani - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba Superiore (10/9/2020)
In glaring contrast to the Conterno Francia this wine is all nuance and soul. There are leathery, spicy, savory almost umami layers of nuance to the tart red cherry and berry fruit. It's more like a fruit paste with the vegetal savory edge that has versus fresh fruit. Comes even more alive with the food. These Roddolo wines are scratching something in my consciousness. (93 points)
2018 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb #11 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/10/2020)
This is a juicy, fruity version with lots of pear pulp and apple skin. There's a minty herbal and floral note and some citrus zest minerals. Lacks the drive of my favorite vintages of this at present but it is a glass full of joy. (91 points)
2018 Thibaud Boudignon Anjou - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou (10/11/2020)
Shows classic notes of (Anjou?) pear and honeycomb but not in a ripe sticky way. There is a underlying river stone and almost faint smoky nuance. Good structure but not imposing. I like the way this held together and I think there is positive evolution ahead. I drank most of this without food and it seems like that is a mistake as this feels like a gastronomic wine. This is much more restrained than my memory of these wines and makes me excited to try the other wines I bought to try. (91 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb #23 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/12/2020)
This was a fascinating counterpoint to the last glass of the 2018 AP #23. Where the former was juicy and fruity, this was lean, muscular and mineral. Almost seemed dry. Really salty and driving with mouthwatering citrus zest. This bottle is sharply cut and all about definition. The last glass a couple of days later was a bit more open and generous but not better. Will Falkenstein ruin my palate for different expressions of Riesling? (92 points)
2012 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (10/13/2020)
Whoa, crazy showing here. The first night, I opened this to go with a "picnic dinner" of charcuterie, cheeses, baguette and salad. It did not work and was really backwards with just tannin, earth and rocks. Re-corked and put in the fridge. Fast forward to couple days later and I let it warm up without much expectation and much to my delight I was greeted with deep dark mulberry fruit mixed with the dark, rocky, mineral earth notes that are so Grézeaux to me. There is still a decent bit of structure to work through so my recommendation would be to give it some air and pair with appropriate foods. (91 points)
2015 Le Rocher des Violettes Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Borderies - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire (10/13/2020)
Not the best bottle I've had of this. Seemed a bit on the mature side with some burnt sugar notes, honey and pear type fruit. A bit of mineral on the finish but showing more of its RS than the great balance it has shown in the past. I don't know if this is the natural course of this vintage or bottle variation. (89 points)
2018 Thibaud Boudignon Anjou à Françoise... - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou (10/13/2020)
Interestingly, this is much leaner and more mineral than the straight Anjou blanc. Bright flavors and long mineral finish. Some white flowers on the nose, but quite reticent. Barely budged over 4-5 days in the fridge. I'd really like to try this with some age so may grab a few bottles to see what happens and/or look for a bottle with a few years from a reliable source. (91 points)
2015 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Champans - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (10/14/2020)
Young Burgundy, why not? It was nice to get a read on this wine as I'll have to make a decision about 2018s. Deeply fruited on the darker and of the red spectrum. It comes in waves breaking upon fine but substantial tannin. Really well balanced and doesn't feel overdone at all, everything in the right place. Long finish and coats the palate. The only thing that could prevent this from being an excellent Volnay down the line would be if the fruit wasn't enough for the structure but that seems highly unlikely. While it is certainly fun and delicious now with the right pairing I would wait a while before opening a bottle (unless you're too curious like I was). I think this will be one of those wines where that first stage, once the structure melds in a bit but the fruit is still juicy, will be thrilling. (92 points)
2016 Azienda Agricola Caparsa Chianti Classico Caparsa - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (10/8/2020)
Maybe the best bottle I've had of this yet. There is an overall balance that makes the parts seem more of a whole than past bottles. The silky fruit of the vintage integrate more fully with the spicy, savory, leathery, licorice-earth tones. So glad that the Cianferonis decided to make a straight Chianti Classico. It pushed our old mainstay, the Riserva Caparsino, a bit higher in price (fair) but this is also more approachable and less expensive and doesn't sacrifice any of the soulfulness. This really is my jam. (92 points)
2019 Le Pianelle Al Posto dei Fiori Rosato - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Coste della Sesia (10/8/2020)
This is a dense, structured rosé with a real savory, onion skin edge to the fresh berry fruit and flowers. A strong mineral underpinning shapes the flavors and frames the wine very well. Held up perfectly over about 5 days in the fridge. We didn't drink as much rosé as we have in the past but this one will be consistently in our rotation. (92 points)
2013 Azienda Agricola Elvio Cogno Barbera d'Alba Pre-Phylloxera - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba (10/9/2020)
This is a really frustrating wine. It showed some of the mustiness of my first bottle and it was savory but not particularly expressive. Opened a bit but we ended up putting the cork back in and sticking it in the fridge. I finished it a couple of days later and it was a bit better but still not what I had hoped. I'm a fan of the producer and this wine can be great but I haven't had consistently good bottles and the wine is expensive and hard to find. I think I may give up searching. (89 points)
2015 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Vigna Francia - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba (10/9/2020)
What is immediately obvious is that this is meant to be "Impressive Wine". Dark and chewy with deep berry fruit and some savory notes. It just lacks a bit of nuance and soul. I think that my palate has become a bit jaded where I really want to see some personality in most wines. I think an earlier me or other folks would rate this wine higher but it leaves me a bit cold. (91 points)
2010 Flavio Roddolo Barbera d'Alba Superiore Bricco Appiani - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba Superiore (10/9/2020)
In glaring contrast to the Conterno Francia this wine is all nuance and soul. There are leathery, spicy, savory almost umami layers of nuance to the tart red cherry and berry fruit. It's more like a fruit paste with the vegetal savory edge that has versus fresh fruit. Comes even more alive with the food. These Roddolo wines are scratching something in my consciousness. (93 points)
2018 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb #11 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/10/2020)
This is a juicy, fruity version with lots of pear pulp and apple skin. There's a minty herbal and floral note and some citrus zest minerals. Lacks the drive of my favorite vintages of this at present but it is a glass full of joy. (91 points)
2018 Thibaud Boudignon Anjou - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou (10/11/2020)
Shows classic notes of (Anjou?) pear and honeycomb but not in a ripe sticky way. There is a underlying river stone and almost faint smoky nuance. Good structure but not imposing. I like the way this held together and I think there is positive evolution ahead. I drank most of this without food and it seems like that is a mistake as this feels like a gastronomic wine. This is much more restrained than my memory of these wines and makes me excited to try the other wines I bought to try. (91 points)
2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb #23 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/12/2020)
This was a fascinating counterpoint to the last glass of the 2018 AP #23. Where the former was juicy and fruity, this was lean, muscular and mineral. Almost seemed dry. Really salty and driving with mouthwatering citrus zest. This bottle is sharply cut and all about definition. The last glass a couple of days later was a bit more open and generous but not better. Will Falkenstein ruin my palate for different expressions of Riesling? (92 points)
2012 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (10/13/2020)
Whoa, crazy showing here. The first night, I opened this to go with a "picnic dinner" of charcuterie, cheeses, baguette and salad. It did not work and was really backwards with just tannin, earth and rocks. Re-corked and put in the fridge. Fast forward to couple days later and I let it warm up without much expectation and much to my delight I was greeted with deep dark mulberry fruit mixed with the dark, rocky, mineral earth notes that are so Grézeaux to me. There is still a decent bit of structure to work through so my recommendation would be to give it some air and pair with appropriate foods. (91 points)
2015 Le Rocher des Violettes Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Borderies - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire (10/13/2020)
Not the best bottle I've had of this. Seemed a bit on the mature side with some burnt sugar notes, honey and pear type fruit. A bit of mineral on the finish but showing more of its RS than the great balance it has shown in the past. I don't know if this is the natural course of this vintage or bottle variation. (89 points)
2018 Thibaud Boudignon Anjou à Françoise... - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou (10/13/2020)
Interestingly, this is much leaner and more mineral than the straight Anjou blanc. Bright flavors and long mineral finish. Some white flowers on the nose, but quite reticent. Barely budged over 4-5 days in the fridge. I'd really like to try this with some age so may grab a few bottles to see what happens and/or look for a bottle with a few years from a reliable source. (91 points)
2015 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Champans - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (10/14/2020)
Young Burgundy, why not? It was nice to get a read on this wine as I'll have to make a decision about 2018s. Deeply fruited on the darker and of the red spectrum. It comes in waves breaking upon fine but substantial tannin. Really well balanced and doesn't feel overdone at all, everything in the right place. Long finish and coats the palate. The only thing that could prevent this from being an excellent Volnay down the line would be if the fruit wasn't enough for the structure but that seems highly unlikely. While it is certainly fun and delicious now with the right pairing I would wait a while before opening a bottle (unless you're too curious like I was). I think this will be one of those wines where that first stage, once the structure melds in a bit but the fruit is still juicy, will be thrilling. (92 points)