Catching up on a few bottles opened this month:
Jacques Carillon, village Puligny Montrachet, 2014
I visited Francois Carillon’s operations on a trip to Burgundy last year and have always enjoyed his wines, which strike me as ebullient but of their place. I’ve never had his brother’s wines, and I now see why some people describe his offerings as being a bit more cool and cerebral than those of his frere. This was just flat-out delicious village PM – succulent, with just the right amount of lime zest tartness coupled with bright fruit. Edgy with tons of extract in reserve. I’d give it a bit of time to mellow the moderate oak. Pricy ($70) but I think PM makes for the best village white wines in Burgundy.
Domaine des Lambrays, Clos des Lambrays, Morey St. Denis, 2001
I love Morey St. Denis Grand Crus, but this bottle seemed a little meh. There’s adequate stuffing and delineation, but the wine struck me as a bit one-dimensional. I needed a bit more lift to balance the smoky/sweet notes. (A sound bottle it should be noted.)
Domaine Tempier, Bandol, blanc, 2015
“I don’t always drink whites from the South of France, but when I do, I prefer Tempier.” I don’t see this bottling too often in SoCal, so I grabbed a few last year. This worked really well with a simple summer salad of cantaloupe, prosciutto and mint. There’s a unique flavor mix – honeydew melon and brush – coupled with a slightly oily mouthfeel. Just enough acid to keep it from getting squishy. Not a wine I’d drink regularly but works on a hot summer night.
Littorai, Anderson Valley, Cerise Vineyard, 2004
A wine that lives up to its name … cherries, cherries and more cherries. Age has brought out some forest floor and a sprinkling of Christmas spices adds some treble notes. Medium-plus bodied. Not too sweet and no brown sugar notes you get with some older CA pinots. Not a world-beater, but a great example of well-made vintage pinot from the Golden State. Drink now.
Rochioli, Russian River Valley, East Block, 2008
I hit the sweet spot on this wine, which is sourced from old vine stock (at least for CA Pinot). Really love the mouthfeel, texture and weight of this bottle. Sort of reminds me of a village Rouget Vosne Romanee, minus the spice. It’s a medium bodied wine, with delicate tannins and a dark cherry/loamy quality. It might gain added complexity and notes of decay in a few years, but it’s really on right now.
Rhys, Santa Cruz Mountains, Syrah, Horseshoe Vineyard, 2010
I was a bit underwhelmed by my first glass, which was a pop and pour. Just seemed a bit thin and low-octane at first, with distinct tapenade notes and taste of dark, sour plums. But as Mr. Holmes describes it, the wine started to breathe up in the glass and picked up some weight after about 2 hours. And the wine totally went into overdrive with some food – grilled hangar steak with chimichurri. The savory notes came to the fore and the piquant acidity cut nicely through the marbled meat. Definitely a food wine and very much a thinking person’s CA Syrah – no pleasure bomb this.
Without overthinking it, the wines that I enjoyed the most are the Rochioli and the Carillon. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}