Thursday, March 30, 2017
2014 Alto Moncayo Veraton
This is the second wine of Alto Moncayo which I've written about before. It's about half the price in the US. It's still wonderful. It's a good advertisement for grenache. Incredibly complex and pleasing. Initial two openings (March 23-25, 2017): Almonds, gardenia, red berries like pomegranate and cranberry. Preserved with Coravin, poured again March 30 showing even more complex nuances of mint along with the red berries. Smoother now, tannins pretty much gone. I'd like to taste this next to the flagship Alto Moncayo Alto Moncayo as it's called, which I'd guess has fuller body, more tannin, longer finish. By itself the Veraton is hedonistic and fun. The winemaker is Chris Ringland of Australia.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
2014 Caymus Cabernet
Enjoyed this--immensely--at Circa Foggy Bottom with good friend Prof. Maria José Canel of Madrid. The Caymus cabernet, a hedonistic wine, shows a kaleidoscope of flavors from pine and cedar wood inflected cassis to blackberry to cranberry with many spicy nuances. Maybe even some almond or other nut. It goes down about as easily as a cabernet could. The tannins are barely detectable but there's enough acid and tannin to allow the wine to age and I suppose develop even more complex aromas. I expect some purists would think the wine too extracted and emphatic, a little pushy and obvious. OK by me. It was a terrific accompaniment to the nicely cooked salmon I had. More subtle wines have their place too, of course, but it should be ok to enjoy a wine that just comes up and gives you a big hug.
Unfortunately my Coravin preserver is locked in my car in Alexandria so although I took the bottle home (2/3 full), all that preserved it was its original cork and the refrigerator. It tastes pretty good just the same, two days later.
Here's Parker (94 points): The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has a dense opaque purple color, a kiss of blackberry and cassis fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel with ripe tannin and a long finish. It is very Caymus in its immediate accessibility, but has plenty of staying power and depth. This is lush, full, intense and pure. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.
Unfortunately my Coravin preserver is locked in my car in Alexandria so although I took the bottle home (2/3 full), all that preserved it was its original cork and the refrigerator. It tastes pretty good just the same, two days later.
Here's Parker (94 points): The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has a dense opaque purple color, a kiss of blackberry and cassis fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel with ripe tannin and a long finish. It is very Caymus in its immediate accessibility, but has plenty of staying power and depth. This is lush, full, intense and pure. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
2012 Stonestreet Chardonnay Broken Road
These days I'm not able to drink wine very often. It's a great frustration. But on New Year's Eve with friends I just had to share a bottle of this Stonestreet from my lonely cellar, a Sonoma vineyard that makes some of my favorite California chardonnays and cabernets. A beautiful place to visit and taste too.
So, this wine had a wonderful nutty, caramel spice aroma that got more and more floral, I think, as it sat in the glass. The taste was refreshing even though full bodied with a nice fruit and mineral finish. 93 points.
It reminded me that good chardonnay can be nearly as complex and enjoyable as good reds. I wish I could've drunk another couple glasses but somehow I had the self-restraint not to. For those who think chardonnay is boring or passé, this bottle (among many others) would have to give them pause. Furthermore, the notion that something like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc can compete with an excellent chardonnay seems far fetched to me. With a few exceptions of course, like a great white Bordeaux, but they cost way more for the same quality level in my experience. Lesser known whites like Godello and Albarino can also provide a lot of pleasure. But time in and time out, chardonnay does the trick for me--granted, "different strokes for different folks" is true and to each his or her own, etc etc.
Parker says 93 points too: The 2012 Chardonnay Broken Road, made from Dijon clones, is the most tropical of these Chardonnays, revealing lots of pineapple, mango and a hint of bananas. A wet rock-like component provides minerality. It should drink well for 4-6 years.
So, this wine had a wonderful nutty, caramel spice aroma that got more and more floral, I think, as it sat in the glass. The taste was refreshing even though full bodied with a nice fruit and mineral finish. 93 points.
It reminded me that good chardonnay can be nearly as complex and enjoyable as good reds. I wish I could've drunk another couple glasses but somehow I had the self-restraint not to. For those who think chardonnay is boring or passé, this bottle (among many others) would have to give them pause. Furthermore, the notion that something like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc can compete with an excellent chardonnay seems far fetched to me. With a few exceptions of course, like a great white Bordeaux, but they cost way more for the same quality level in my experience. Lesser known whites like Godello and Albarino can also provide a lot of pleasure. But time in and time out, chardonnay does the trick for me--granted, "different strokes for different folks" is true and to each his or her own, etc etc.
Parker says 93 points too: The 2012 Chardonnay Broken Road, made from Dijon clones, is the most tropical of these Chardonnays, revealing lots of pineapple, mango and a hint of bananas. A wet rock-like component provides minerality. It should drink well for 4-6 years.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
2003 Sociando Mallet finally comes around
Bought this one around 2005 when it was released to some acclaim, but each bottle I opened over the following 8-10 years was a disappointment. The wine was unyielding, tannic, not much to please either the nose or palate. Finally, last night I opened one of my last 2 bottles and it was a revelation. Tastes like a lovely mature Bordeaux with a pronounced floral, lavender and black currant/huckleberry aroma and tastes to match. Very round now, velvety mouth feel, and moderately long and sweet finish with just a hint of tannin left. Nice purple color too.
Parker gave it a 94 when it first came out. More recent tasting (Aug 2014) he gave it a mere 90. I'd say a 92 is about right for the bottle I just tasted. Here's what Parker said in the more recent review:
This fresh Northern Medoc demonstrates how strong the 2003 vintage can be in this sector of Bordeaux. The tannins have softened considerably, and the wine reveals a youthful dense ruby/purple color. Notes of white flowers, blackberries and black currants are found in this still youthful, medium- to full-bodied, rich wine that is just approaching full maturity. It should provide plenty of pleasure over the next decade.
Parker gave it a 94 when it first came out. More recent tasting (Aug 2014) he gave it a mere 90. I'd say a 92 is about right for the bottle I just tasted. Here's what Parker said in the more recent review:
This fresh Northern Medoc demonstrates how strong the 2003 vintage can be in this sector of Bordeaux. The tannins have softened considerably, and the wine reveals a youthful dense ruby/purple color. Notes of white flowers, blackberries and black currants are found in this still youthful, medium- to full-bodied, rich wine that is just approaching full maturity. It should provide plenty of pleasure over the next decade.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
2009 Remelluri Rioja Reserva
The aromas developed with time in glass, a combination of floral and strawberry with a hint of herbs and vanilla. The palate didn't develop as nicely, with acid more predominant than fruit, and soft tannins. I'm not sure there's a great future for this wine, unfortunately. To be fair, the wine was purchased and lugged home on the Berlin Ubahn only a week ago, and it's in a 375 ml bottle, so it might be an unfair comparison to more settled wines in 750 ml bottles. Also I'm using the lousy, very shallow glass that is available in my Berlin apt (I've ordered some Riedel glasses--Riedel being a German company they're inexpensive here!). But I'd only give this 87 points. The Wine Advocate was much more enthusiastic at 93 points:
The 2009 Remelluri Reserva aims at showing the character of Remelluri, as this is the first modern vintage that does not have grapes purchased from external suppliers. These grapes are now in the Lindes range of wines, but in the past they were blended with the estate grapes. The cool Remelluri vineyards behave very well in warmer years. This 2009 is very clean with predominant aromas of earthy red fruit intermixed with notes of vanilla and cinnamon, a satin texture with round, fine-grained tannins and quite classical and very well-proportioned style. This is a great vintage for Remelluri Reserva.
The 2009 Remelluri Reserva aims at showing the character of Remelluri, as this is the first modern vintage that does not have grapes purchased from external suppliers. These grapes are now in the Lindes range of wines, but in the past they were blended with the estate grapes. The cool Remelluri vineyards behave very well in warmer years. This 2009 is very clean with predominant aromas of earthy red fruit intermixed with notes of vanilla and cinnamon, a satin texture with round, fine-grained tannins and quite classical and very well-proportioned style. This is a great vintage for Remelluri Reserva.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Tasting in Spain January 2016: 1. Madrid and Ribera del Duero
On my admittedly self-indulgent visit to Madrid for two months, I have determined to do a reasonable amount of tasting Spanish wines. They are so much more affordable here than in the US. This is different from French wines, which are generally little or no less expensive in France, perhaps because they have more of a world-wide market than Spanish wines. In any case, on my first full day in Madrid I purchased several bottles from Bodega Privada (online sales only, delivery for 6 Euros) at 1/3-2/3 less than US prices, followed a few days later by my visit to Bodega Santa Cecilia, one of my favorite wine shops in all the world. There I snagged 3 bottles of my favorite grenache wine, Alto Moncayo Alto Moncayo 2013 (also tasted at my Durham tasting in early January before I left) and a couple other gems at steep discount. And because of a slight mixup on the order they gave me a complementary tasting and tapas at their lovely wine bar. A wine bar that serves some superb Spanish wines, so I couldn't help adding on to my order a glass of Finca Dofi 2013. A great Priorat winery, but apparently not a great year for them judging by the tasting--89 points.
This was followed last week by a journey to Asturias, Cantabria (north and northwest of Spain), and Ribera del Duero where I had wonderful private tastings at Bodegas Vizcarra (famed for $20 in US "Pruno" which Parker keeps overrating at 93-94 points; it's $12 here) and Emilio Moro, which produces my current favorite Ribera, Malleolus. I found out that word means something like "little vineyard plot." I do think this trip solidified my sense that I like Ribera a bit better than Rioja. Not to say I don't love me some Rioja (see below). Tastings were private because I was the only tourist around midweek in late January. Also visited the ridge-top fort or castle at Penafiel, quite a dramatic place.
Notes on the Emilio Moro tasting:
This was followed last week by a journey to Asturias, Cantabria (north and northwest of Spain), and Ribera del Duero where I had wonderful private tastings at Bodegas Vizcarra (famed for $20 in US "Pruno" which Parker keeps overrating at 93-94 points; it's $12 here) and Emilio Moro, which produces my current favorite Ribera, Malleolus. I found out that word means something like "little vineyard plot." I do think this trip solidified my sense that I like Ribera a bit better than Rioja. Not to say I don't love me some Rioja (see below). Tastings were private because I was the only tourist around midweek in late January. Also visited the ridge-top fort or castle at Penafiel, quite a dramatic place.
Notes on the Emilio Moro tasting:
Vineyard at Vizcarra |
Penafiel Castle |
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
2012 Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo Sangiovese 60% Cabernet Sauv 40%
A SuperTuscan from Maremma on sale at Calvert Woodley for about $15. I had to buy a bottle. It generated a 93 point rating from Vinous (formerly Tanzer's IWC) which is pretty high for them. So what I'm finding in the glass initially is indeed a soft and smooth but complex wine with evolving nose of piney woods, cherry, a certain herbal earthiness that's common in sangiovese but dialed back a bit by the cabernet, which I like. With air more of a mint/menthol/eucalyptus aroma. Soft tannins and moderately long finish, medium body, fairly light colored. I'd say this is better than the hyped Black Slate Priorats I've purchased--not that they're bad.
Vinous says this in its review: Dark bright red. Amarone-like opulence on the nose and in the mouth, with a raisiny nuance to the ripe, soft red cherry, sweet spice and herb aromas and flavors. So velvety and opulent I would have tasted it in Veneto had I tasted it blind, but it’s so well balanced and smooth that it’s pretty irresistible. Finishes long, with lush, smooth tannins and a hint of residual sweetness. I really like this wine because, for all its showy sweetness and opulence, it manages to retain a graceful quality without going over the top. Amarone lovers will score it even higher than I have.
Vinous says this in its review: Dark bright red. Amarone-like opulence on the nose and in the mouth, with a raisiny nuance to the ripe, soft red cherry, sweet spice and herb aromas and flavors. So velvety and opulent I would have tasted it in Veneto had I tasted it blind, but it’s so well balanced and smooth that it’s pretty irresistible. Finishes long, with lush, smooth tannins and a hint of residual sweetness. I really like this wine because, for all its showy sweetness and opulence, it manages to retain a graceful quality without going over the top. Amarone lovers will score it even higher than I have.
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