2000 Domaine de la Janesse VV

Garden flowers, blackberry/blueberry, a bit of spicy musk and what Parker likes to call "toasty oak" highlight the aroma and palate of this excellent, mature wine. Tannins are all smoothed out, and there is no alcohol heat, just about everything in perfect balance from first sniff through good but not extra long finish. The color is an interesting red-purple. 93+. probably drinks nicely for another 5 years. I'm going to guess that it's More syrah than Grenache and only a bit of the other varietals. As Parker writes below however the wine is mostly grenache and the pepper and kirsch he mentions don't seem quite right to me, but the plain fact is that the wine evolves through varied tastes as it sits in glass and no doubt over years in bottle too. So maybe earlier it was more peppery. Tanzer says chocolate, which might be right.

Parker in 2003 wrote, giving the wine 96 points: The limited production Cuvee Vieilles Vignes (70% Grenache and 30% Syrah and Mourvedre) was rocking when I tasted it. The 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes represents the essence of kirsch liqueur intermixed with pepper. Sexy, full-bodied, layered, and multidimensional, it exhibits great intensity, even more length than the Chaupin, sweet fruit, adequate acidity, and ripe tannin. This is a flawless as well as seamless blockbuster to drink now and over the next 15-20 years.

Tanzer:

($60) Dark red-ruby. Distinct surmaturite on the nose: roasted red fruits, roasted herbs, chocolate, earth and minerals. Lush, sweet and layered, with classic superripe grenache flavors of chocolate and spice cake. Very smooth wine, finishing with toothcoating tannins and the quintessential warmth of a wine from the South. "In an outstanding vintage like 2000, I tried to preserve freshness of fruit and finesse, and thus did not try to do a big extraction," noted Sabon. 93 points.
Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

2007 O'Shaugnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet

I believe this is the first I've tasted of this outstanding cabernet since wine tasting in Napa at the vineyard in 2010. Oh boy. Profoundly deep in color and aroma--a celestial array of cabernet flavors featuring creme de cassis, blueberry, blackberry, mint, eucalyptus, graphite, pine woods, vanilla and a hint of cocoa. Very soft tannins with plenty of acid in balance with the intense fruit. The latter marks this wine as New World, but that doesn't mean it lacks elegance and nuance at all. Alcohol is substantial and helps to carry the long finish without excessive heat. This is a medium to full bodied wine with perfect silky mouthfeel that makes this liquid go down mighty easily. 95-96.

During the visit with BFFs Clay and Wib in 2010, we thoroughly enjoyed the tour of their real caves dug into the mountainside and the beautiful surroundings of Howell Mountain. Pretty much as good as it gets. The picture below may look doctored but it's not. The light and the vineyard slopes are that beautiful.

48 hours later the wine was drinking almost as well--more depth and complexity on the nose, just a slight touch more acid. And 72 hours later (with no added gas after the first opening) it was still heavenly, with the cherry and smoke & violet/lavender component (from the malbec and merlot?) coming more to the fore. I'd love to have a few cases of this one.



Here is Parker (95 points)

The stunning 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and the rest Malbec and Petit Verdot) is the finest Cabernet this estate has yet produced from their Howell Mountain holdings. A dense purple color to the rim as well as an exquisite bouquet of black raspberries, blueberries, camphor, creme de cassis, smoke, and crushed rocks are followed by sweet fruit, gorgeous density, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a layered, multidimensional mid-palate and length. With no hard edges, this flawless wine should drink well for 20-25 years.

2008 Morlet Pinot Noir En Famille

This is as good as Pinot Noir gets in the US. From Sonoma Coast vineyard, made by Luc Morlet who's from an old winemaking family in the Champagne region. We had dinner with him last year at a wonderful tasting/dinner featuring his wines. Wib, Clay and I also visited the Morlet winery (a facility they shared with a couple of others till this year when they renovated an old building in the area and moved their winery in--haven't visited that yet). On that visit I purchased this bottle and a bunch of chardonnays which are also at the pinnacle of US chardonnay. Not surprisingly these wines resemble in their taste and aroma profile real burgundies.

This one is silky, perfumed with strawberry, a bit of the sweet sugary fruit drink smell I associate with good pinot, some obscure spice along with burnt wood taste accented by toasted vanilla oakiness. A touch of red licorice-- that cherry twist chewy candy they used to sell at movie theaters. The finish is long, complex, and tannins are sweet and soft enough to be virtually unnoticeable. I get some heat on the finish though this has been a general feature of my palate since I was ill in the spring--very sensitive to spicy or alcohol flavor.

Parker gives this only 91 points! I'd give it 94. Here are some of his descriptions:

The 2008 Pinot Noir En Famille reveals sweeter forest floor notes intermixed with plum sauce, pomegranate, black currants and spring flowers. A more complex, richer effort than the Coteaux Nobles, it should drink well for 6-10+ years....

The Pinot Noirs, which tend to come from suitcase clones taken from several of the most famous vineyards in Vosne-Romanee, are all destemmed. The vines are planted between 1,000 and 1,250 feet on high ridges in the Sonoma Coast. The 2008 Pinots are a good beginning, but the 2009s show where Luc Morlet wants to go.

Tanzer gives it a 92 which is equivalent to a Parker 94:

Good deep red-ruby. Sexy aromas of raspberry, kirsch, strawberry and smoke. Silky-sweet and seamless on the palate, showing a thicker texture and more concentration than the Coteaux Nobles, with strawberry and smoke flavors complicated by a saline nuance. Showing less of the high-pitched fruitiness of the Coteaux Nobles today but this is broader and equally fresh, spreading out impressively on the very long aftertaste.

Vineyard's website description:

On the Sonoma Coast, near Cazadero, on the Western hillside of the second ridge from the Pacific Ocean, Coteaux Nobles vineyard enjoys both maritime influence and mountain climate.



Paul and Claire each have their own 600 liter puncheon of Pinot Noir from Coteaux Nobles to stomp. This fruit eventually becomes ‘En Famille’, exclusively crafted and aged in French oak.

Propietary Name En Famille
Name Meaning With the family (with kids’ help) 5 generations with Pinot Noir
Varietal composition Pinot Noir (100%)
Type of wine Vineyard designated
Appellation Sonoma Coast, by Cazadero
Vineyard singularity On the 2nd ridge off
Pacific Ocean
1,100 feet of elevation
Goldridge sedimentary soil
Typical harvest date October
Picking Manual, small lugs, refer truck
Sorting Cluster by cluster, berry by berry
Fermentation Through native yeast.
Punch downs
Puncheons only.
Upbringing 14 months
French oak from artisan coopers
Bottling Unfiltered, 100 cases
Cellaring time 10+ years
Serving Slightly below room temperature
No decanting


Winemaker notes:

For generations our family has been growing the Pinot Noir grape in France. Each harvest, we love to celebrate this time-honored commitment while our children stomp a small vat of Pinot Noir from California’s Sonoma Coast. As for any family celebration or casual gathering, this handcrafted wine is to be appreciated ‘En Famille.’

Intense raspberry, wild strawberry, forest floor and earthy notes (graphite), very rich and complex with a leathery lingering finish. Will age gracefully for over a decade.

Dinner at the Fearrington House featuring 2000 Du Tertre and Auteur Durrell Chard

At a kind of going-away dinner with dear friends, the ravishing Connie Renz and the distinguished Hans Warner, we enjoyed superb food, as good as the best in this area of fine restaurants on Friday Sept. 23. And for the occasion opened the last of my 2000 Du Tertre, from the Marguax area of Bordeaux. Quintessentially Margaux: a lavender/violet perfume, lovely dark purple color with just a bit of lightening at the rim after 11 years. Du Tertre also showed a chocolate & cocoa dust aroma, wonderful fruit-acid balance with soft tannins and a mellow oak adding some vanilla to go with blackberry taste. Tannins faded nicely into the background. Alcohol just right to carry a long finish. 2000 was a hyped vintage that was then eclipsed by even more hyped 2005. I've found it somewhat uneven at the levels I could afford to buy, but Du Tertre was just terrific, a textbook example of how 10 years or so of age creates a miracle in the bottle for good bordeaux. Wish I'd bought 3 cases back then.

From the winelist we chose an Auteur chardonnay from Durrell VIneyard grapes (Sonoma County) 2009. it offered a wonderful amalgam of tropical fruit, butterscotch, & caramel, with good acid and some citrus too; this new winery is absolutely up there with top California chard producers. I recommend it for those who like the buttery/oaky chardonnay in moderation with plenty of other aromas and tastes. The wine went beautifully with the fish-related dishes in our feast.

2008 Matrot Meursault

Not sure if what I had was Thierry Matrot or Joseph Matrot but I really enjoyed it and think it's a relative bargain for white burgundy. Writing from memory, having this wine at Dahlia Lounge in Seattle on 9/1/11 with Andy Rojecki, it was the typical reluctant white burgundy for first half hour. With time, the wine developed a pleasant perfume that was I think typically Burgundy and typical Meursault--not as fruity and oaky and California-like as for a Puligny-- but more complex and nuanced than most California chards. Again, for a relatively low-priced white burgundy this one is worthwhile. 90 points.

2008 Januik Chardonnay Cold Creek Vineyard (Washington)

Eating at Etta's in Seattle, with Regina Lawrence, Scott Althaus, Jack Yeager and Amber Boydston at APSA. It's apparently a legendary local eatery that indeed has outstanding seafood. Reluctantly ordered a Washington State chardonnay. Good choice. It is fruity with pear overtones, a mild dose of oak, nutmeg and other spices. Medium body, straw-green color, good acid-alcohol-fruit balance. As the waitperson insisted, it's not a big California chard, but it's also not an austere cold climate chard either. For the price one can do better when buying chard at the wine store but in a restaurant this is a pretty good bet. 89+

Parker: 89 points

The 2008 Cold Creek Vineyard Chardonnay displays a nose of poached pear, apple, and white peach. Medium-bodied, round, and spicy on the palate, this nicely balanced, lengthy offering will also drink nicely over the next 3-4 years. It is an excellent value.

All Mike Januik does is make good wine, year after year, without a lot of fanfare or glitz.

Chateau St. Michelle 2008 Horse Heaven Hills Merlot

This is a simple but thoroughly enjoyable wine from Washington State. Drank a glass with John Tryneski at Urbane in Seattle (APSA meeting). Warm black cherry and vanilla scents. Soft, silky, medium body on the palate, balanced and ready to drink with a short but pleasant finish. Not sure what this wine costs but if it can be had for $10-12 it would make a great daily red wine.