Enjoyed this wine with new colleague Barbara Pfetsch of Free University-Berlin, and Francie, at the excellent Il Calice on Walter Benjaminplatz last night. (Walter Benjamin being a hero among left-leaning social theorists, this is an appropriate venue indeed.) This is the first Brunello I've had in a while and I'd forgotten how distinctive this wine's profile is. You can't mistake it for a cabernet or a grenache. The earthy quality, along with lavender, black cherry and strawberry, are distinctively Brunello and I suppose a mark of the terroir in Tuscany where the Sangiovese is called Brunello (and maybe there is something about the particular clone of sangiovese they use there). Although the wine was well short of maturity, it opened up nicely with airing. There will be more nuances in a couple years. The tannins were soft and the acid sturdy enough to support further aging. I'd think it will be markedly better in 2014-15 and be good till 2020. 92+
Parker says:
May 2011 Antonio Galloni 94+ Drink: 2016 - 2026 $64 (64)
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino offers up freshly cut flowers, black cherries, minerals, new leather and menthol in a polished, totally vibrant style that is highly appealing. Over time, the wine’s inner sweetness emerges, hinting at what is in store over the coming years. Still quite firm, the estate’s Brunello will need a few years in the cellar. It will appeal most to readers who like firm, ageworthy wines. This finish impresses for its focus and overall purity. Smoke, underbrush, tar and a host of other aromas and flavors add complexity on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026.
Tanzer: 91
Good full medium red. Red berries, rose petal, lavender and a whiff of gingerbread on the nose. Juicy, sweet and savory, with lovely intensity and grip. Harmonious acidity energizes the mid-palate and gives definition and cut to the wine's dark berry and spice flavors. Not a silky style but penetrating, firmly tannic, long and built to age. Broad on the back but a bit youthfully tough today and in need of at least several years of cellaring.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Bodegas Cerenas Evohe Old Vine Grenache 2009
Available from one of the 4 or 5 small local wine stores, each specializing in a specific wine--this one is a Rioja specialist with whom I've spoken at length, a passionate devotee. Walked by his store, about 2 blocks from our Berlin Apt across from Kleistpark, and saw a circular for a 7 Euro bottle of Grenache that earned 92 points from the Penin guide to Spanish wines. So I just opened a bottle. It's very very good and I will buy a case for just 70 Euros, making this about $7/bottle. It's a hedonistic fruity Grenache, not deep and profound but a perfect daily red wine with blueberry/strawberry/blackberry aroma and flavor, no tannin and just a touch of acid.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Feb. 17, 2012 Dinner at Sergi Arola, Madrid--with pix of incredible food--Clos Mogador '07 and a real find in Spanish white wine
Clos Mogador 2007 is profoundly good. It's really young and in a way a shame to drink now, but with several hours of air it offered an incredible tour of its varieties, first smelling and tasting like cabernet, then syrah, then grenache/carignan. At least so I thought. I was reassured to read Parker review giving it 96 points and showing it does indeed have these major varietal components (though I thought it was mourvedre not carignan--can't keep those grapes straight):
Because the wine was such a showcase for its key varietals, thus offering signature elements esp of syrah, cab and grenache at diff times, it was truly incredible in its complexity and interest. I would keep it for 2 more years because the tannin and acid could still use some integration; at that point it has the potential I think of 98 points, that is, challenging Mas Doix. Note that Mogador costs $63 here in Madrid at the great wine store Bodega St. Cecilia, and $90-100+ in the US.
Parker (or Jay Miller) gave 93 points to this outstanding white Spanish wine, which is $40 in the US. His notes are just right. Had it at Sergi Arola, a fantastic, superb restaurant run by a disciple of Fernan Adria. "The 2009 As Sortes is also 100% Godello aged for 8 months in foudre sourced from 14 hectares of estate vineyard. Medium straw-colored, it offers up an expressive nose of mineral, spring flowers, honeysuckle, pear, and tropical notes. With huge volume on the palate and amazing concentration, this creamy textured effort is impeccably balanced and long. Drink it over the next 4 years."
"The flagship, the 2007 Clos Mogador is made up of 40% Garnacha, 20% Carinena, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is purple/black-colored with a sensational bouquet of mineral, truffle, espresso, black cherry, blueberry, and licorice. Dense and Reubenesque on the palate, it has great concentration, loads of savory fruit, impeccable balance, and several years of aging potential. Accessible now, this lengthy offering will be at its best from 2013 to 2027. It is one of the stars of the vintage in Priorat."
Because the wine was such a showcase for its key varietals, thus offering signature elements esp of syrah, cab and grenache at diff times, it was truly incredible in its complexity and interest. I would keep it for 2 more years because the tannin and acid could still use some integration; at that point it has the potential I think of 98 points, that is, challenging Mas Doix. Note that Mogador costs $63 here in Madrid at the great wine store Bodega St. Cecilia, and $90-100+ in the US.
Parker (or Jay Miller) gave 93 points to this outstanding white Spanish wine, which is $40 in the US. His notes are just right. Had it at Sergi Arola, a fantastic, superb restaurant run by a disciple of Fernan Adria. "The 2009 As Sortes is also 100% Godello aged for 8 months in foudre sourced from 14 hectares of estate vineyard. Medium straw-colored, it offers up an expressive nose of mineral, spring flowers, honeysuckle, pear, and tropical notes. With huge volume on the palate and amazing concentration, this creamy textured effort is impeccably balanced and long. Drink it over the next 4 years."
Thursday, January 19, 2012
2007 Altos de Losada (Bierzo)
Here it is, my first blog entry from Madrid. Been here since Jan. 11 in a most delightful apartment overlooking Plaza de la Paja, the oldest square in Madrid. An extraordinarily lucky pick since I really didn't know the neighborhood, but it turns out I can walk to many of the best tapas places, to the river, to the Prado and other museums, and pretty much everything. The #18 restaurant on Tripadvisor is literally next door and we've had two excellent meals there.
Anyhow, found via Winesearcher a great sale (half price, about 13 Euros) on this wine which is made from the Mencia grape. Don't think I've had it before but Tanzer gave this a 92 which is quite high for him. So just opened a bottle and it is smashing. It has a big, complex aroma with components I can't quite identify, and on the palate it is very round, soft. Only a hint of tannin and acid, really complex tastes. The toasty oak is very evident but not burying the fruit, which has some combination of cherry, violet, spicy vanilla, with a long complex finish. THis is a real crowd pleaser. Acc to the web, Bierzo is an obscure area in NW Spain which is up and coming, and specializes in this particular grape. I'd say it's got a future, judging from this bottle.
From the winery:
The more complex and particular wine to enjoy all the subtlety and elegance that gives the new Bierzo Losada. Farms: Vineyard unique, almost impossible to access, grown on the property at the top of Valtuille Pieros Up and coming to the farm Losada.
Soils: clay slopes with different orientations.
Variety: Mencia old vineyards.
Aging: 15 months remains French oak barrels.
Evolution and Service: 8-10 years. Aerate in the decanter. Unfiltered wine.
Bottling Date: January 2009
From a website on Bierzo:
Rural and remote, lushly beautiful but little known, Bierzo is the kind of region wine lovers dream of discovering. This verdant DO in northwestern Spain, whose hilly, castle-studded landscape is hemmed in the mountains between Castilla y León and Galicia, was virtually unheard of a decade ago. Yet today this former Roman mining area has a promising future as one of Spain's new wine hotspots. It's a region where mineral-rich slate soils, a continental climate, and intrepid winemakers have come together to create some truly memorable red wines.
The Mencía grape is the star here, where it occupies nearly two-thirds of the vineyards. A variety cultivated almost solely in northwestern Spain (especially in the Galician DOs- appellations- Valdeorras, Monterrei, and Ribeira Sacra), Mencía has only recently come into its own as a respected grape variety. In good hands, it reveals fresh fruity notes, smooth tannins and an enviable reflection of the minerally terroir. Although known as a wine that shows very well in young, fruity wines, some Bierzo producers are proving that with the right balance of oak it can also age well.
Anyhow, found via Winesearcher a great sale (half price, about 13 Euros) on this wine which is made from the Mencia grape. Don't think I've had it before but Tanzer gave this a 92 which is quite high for him. So just opened a bottle and it is smashing. It has a big, complex aroma with components I can't quite identify, and on the palate it is very round, soft. Only a hint of tannin and acid, really complex tastes. The toasty oak is very evident but not burying the fruit, which has some combination of cherry, violet, spicy vanilla, with a long complex finish. THis is a real crowd pleaser. Acc to the web, Bierzo is an obscure area in NW Spain which is up and coming, and specializes in this particular grape. I'd say it's got a future, judging from this bottle.
From the winery:
The more complex and particular wine to enjoy all the subtlety and elegance that gives the new Bierzo Losada. Farms: Vineyard unique, almost impossible to access, grown on the property at the top of Valtuille Pieros Up and coming to the farm Losada.
Soils: clay slopes with different orientations.
Variety: Mencia old vineyards.
Aging: 15 months remains French oak barrels.
Evolution and Service: 8-10 years. Aerate in the decanter. Unfiltered wine.
Bottling Date: January 2009
From a website on Bierzo:
Rural and remote, lushly beautiful but little known, Bierzo is the kind of region wine lovers dream of discovering. This verdant DO in northwestern Spain, whose hilly, castle-studded landscape is hemmed in the mountains between Castilla y León and Galicia, was virtually unheard of a decade ago. Yet today this former Roman mining area has a promising future as one of Spain's new wine hotspots. It's a region where mineral-rich slate soils, a continental climate, and intrepid winemakers have come together to create some truly memorable red wines.
The Mencía grape is the star here, where it occupies nearly two-thirds of the vineyards. A variety cultivated almost solely in northwestern Spain (especially in the Galician DOs- appellations- Valdeorras, Monterrei, and Ribeira Sacra), Mencía has only recently come into its own as a respected grape variety. In good hands, it reveals fresh fruity notes, smooth tannins and an enviable reflection of the minerally terroir. Although known as a wine that shows very well in young, fruity wines, some Bierzo producers are proving that with the right balance of oak it can also age well.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
2009 Morlet Chardonnay Ma Princesse
First wine of the 1/6/12 dinner: Apple, pear, hint of citrus with nutmeg and honey-vanilla toast. Very long finish and with 30-45 minutes of air took on a really great caramel nose. Just short of a great Puligny Montrachet, lacking the gout de terroir minerality that a burgundy would yield. But about as good as California chardonnay gets. I do think this one is young and will be better with a couple more years of aging. 94+ points. We visited Morlet in 2010 and had the fortune of eating dinner with him at a Frankie Lemmon event; he's a delightful guy, a French native from an old winemaking family, and it shows in his wines.
Parker says 94-97 points:Produced from 100% old Wente clones, the light gold-colored 2009 Chardonnay Ma Princesse offers beautiful aromas of tangerines, mangos, sweet white currants and quince, a creamy, full-bodied, voluptuous texture and gorgeous acidity.
Parker says 94-97 points:Produced from 100% old Wente clones, the light gold-colored 2009 Chardonnay Ma Princesse offers beautiful aromas of tangerines, mangos, sweet white currants and quince, a creamy, full-bodied, voluptuous texture and gorgeous acidity.
1989 Pichon Lalande
At same dinner on Saturday Jan. 6, 2012: Beautiful red purple, lighter and more translucent than Clinet ’89. An incroyable long, long finish with the plum taste echoing the Clinet tasted at same dinner. But blackberry replaces cherry in this one. Beautifully balanced, soft and round, perfectly mature and at its peak. With air, a touch of lavender in the aroma. With 30 minutes in glass, a touch of white library paste arose then developing more distinctively into crème caramel—or maybe it’s a sweet vanilla that combines with the blackberry/cassis to yield something akin to kir. A prototypical Pichon, more St. Julien than Pauillac. 95 points.
Parker says 93 points as of 10 yrs ago: Apreaching full maturity, Pichon-Lalande’s1989 has a deep ruby/plum color with some lightening at the edge. The nose offers sweet plums and creme de cassis intermixed with vanilla and graphite. The wine is lush, medium to full-bodied, and layered with texture, low acidity, sweet tannin, and the hallmark purity and elegance this estate routinely produces. Some tannins remain, but this wine has reached its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for another 10-15 years. Anticipated maturity: Now-2017. Last tasted, 5/02.
Parker says 93 points as of 10 yrs ago: Apreaching full maturity, Pichon-Lalande’s1989 has a deep ruby/plum color with some lightening at the edge. The nose offers sweet plums and creme de cassis intermixed with vanilla and graphite. The wine is lush, medium to full-bodied, and layered with texture, low acidity, sweet tannin, and the hallmark purity and elegance this estate routinely produces. Some tannins remain, but this wine has reached its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for another 10-15 years. Anticipated maturity: Now-2017. Last tasted, 5/02.
1989 Clinet
At a going away dinner given by dear friends Bob and Laurie, with Wib and Charlotte in attendance. Drinking 3 extraordinary wines with Clinet the highlight of the three. Very pretty red brick rim with ruby highlights to the dark red/purple core. Still quite dense in color, no transparency. Nose of tar, black cherry, pine woods, mint and spice. A bit of tobacco/St Julien aroma too. Touch of plum comes out with more air and there must be fairly high alcohol since it’s apparent with sniffing, but not unappealing. On palate the woodsy cherry is most apparent, delightfully so. The finish is truly the longest I can recall tasting! It seems to go on pretty much indefinitely, and I’m not exaggerating. Acid and fruit are in perfect balance and there remains enough tannin for me to think this one could last another 8-10 years. This is as good a Pomerol as I’ve ever enjoyed. I’d be happy to drink this wine every night for the rest of my life, though in actuality this is the last time I’ll drink it as it’s rare and prohibitively expensive since Parker gave it 100 points. I think I agree. Recalling it and other great Pomerols I’ve drunk previously—I believe this is the 4th Clinet ’89 I’ve had—Pomerol remains my favorite of the 7 bordeaux regions, though I love all of them.
Parker: One of the great modern-day Bordeaux, the 1989 Clinet still has a saturated purple color and a sweet nose of creme de cassis intermixed with incense, licorice, smoke, and mineral. As the wine sits in the glass, more blueberry and blackberry notes emerge, intermixed with some toasty oak, earth, and spice. This spectacularly concentrated, full-bodied, multi-dimensional wine is the stuff of dreams. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. Last tasted, 10/02.
Parker: One of the great modern-day Bordeaux, the 1989 Clinet still has a saturated purple color and a sweet nose of creme de cassis intermixed with incense, licorice, smoke, and mineral. As the wine sits in the glass, more blueberry and blackberry notes emerge, intermixed with some toasty oak, earth, and spice. This spectacularly concentrated, full-bodied, multi-dimensional wine is the stuff of dreams. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. Last tasted, 10/02.
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