TN: A mixed bag of wines (Von Buhl, Jim Barry, Pibarnon, Barca Velha, Sopromadze, Clos de la Roilette etc.)

One of the last tastings I attended before this Covid-19 outbreak was a blind tasting in March to which the attendees were supposed to bring a bottle with them. No theme for the wines, just something fun / interesting / difficult to taste blind.

This is what we had (missing the Roilette mag).

Quite deep golden yellow color. Waxy, developed and very Viña Gravonia nose with aromas of toast, some creamy richness, light savory wood tones, a little bit of perfumed floral character, a hint of woolly lanolin and an oxidative touch of nuttiness. Very lovely. The wine is oily, moderately full-bodied and quite developed on the palate with flavors of creamy richness, oxidative nuttiness, some buttery tones, a little bit of crunchy white currant, light ripe gooseberry tones, a hint of grassy herbal character and a touch of saline minerality. The high acidity keeps the rich body well in check. The finish is long, crisp and wonderfully complex with long flavors of lemony citrus fruits, browned butter, some apple peel bitterness, a little bit of woolly lanolin, a hint of beeswax and a touch of stony minerality.

A beautiful, complex Pessac-Léognan white. My first guess was Viña Gravonia, which gets is name for being “Graves-like” - I guess the name is appropriate, since I think the real thing tastes like the wine it tries to emulate! Heh. All in all, this was a very positive effort; quite developed, but it is hard to assess whether the wine was at its peak now or still going up. The wine is definitely starting to exhibit some nutty oxidative tones, but it still seems to show some room for improvement, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this turned out to be even better with some additional age. Great stuff, recommended. (93 pts.)

Concentrated, medium-deep yellow-green color. Ripe, concentrated and very expressive nose with aromas of petrol, some cooling herbal notes of menthol or eucalyptus, a little bit of lemon marmalade, light nectarine tones, a perfumed hint of white flowers and a touch of stony minerality. The wine is concentrated, moderately full-bodied and with some sense of breadth. Ripe, nuanced flavors of ripe golden apples, some sharp notes of ume plum, a little bit of tangy salinity, light spicy red apples, a hint of beeswax and a cooling hint of eucalyptus. The acidity feels moderately high. The finish is crisp, showing more pronounced acidity along with quite concentrated flavors of lemon marmalade, tangy saline minerality, a little bit of ripe apricot, light notes of beeswax, a hint of spicy minerality and a touch of petrol.

A ripe, round and quite concentrated GG Riesling. Although showing quite high acidity, the wine still comes across as a bit flabby and undefined due to the voluminous, ripe fruit. The wine was tasted alongside Biffar Pechstein Riesling 2013 - a wine from the same vineyard and made by the same winemaker - and the difference couldn’t have been bigger: while this was very rich, somewhat voluptuous and getting already quite developed, the 2013 Biffar was crisp, youthful and mineral in style. Sure, the vintages and plots within the larger vineyard account for the differences as well. Nevertheless, while this was big and impressive in its own right, I found the more focused and precised style of Biffar better this time. I’m not sure how well this wine will continue to develop, so perhaps this isn’t going to be as long-lived as the best vintages of Von Buhl. (89 pts.)

Pale lemon-yellow color. Restrained, cool and sharp nose with aromas of Granny Smith apple, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of key lime and hints of floral spices. The wine is crisp, lively and medium-bodied on the palate with very precise and ridiculously youthful flavors of tangy salinity, lemon juice, some crisp green apple tones, a little bit of steely minerality, light floral notes of white flowers and a crunchy hint of white currant. The wine feels racy with bracing acidity. The finish is crisp, lively and very persistent with intensely electric flavors of tart green apples, lemon, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of tangy saline minerality and a hint of developed waxy character.

A wonderfully crisp, mouth-cleansing and very high-strung Riesling showing tremendous freshness and intensity. At the age of 6½ years the wine does not betray its real age, but instead comes across as a wine not older than a few years. Although the wine seems to be all about piercing acidity and cool, incisive minerality, there’s still quite a bit of concentration to the fruit as well. Most likely this wine just needs time to get its game together. Let it wait for a long time - most likely it’ll need more than a decade before it starts to sing. Tasting this alongside with Von Buhl GG Pechstein 2012 (also made by Fumiko Tokuoka, the very same winemaker) was tasting like two entirely different wines. The Von Buhl one was rich, sumptuous and starting to feel quite developed, whereas this was crisp, lean and precise, showing very little age. Although Von Buhl felt more impressive and drinkability at the moment, I found this Biffar wine more my kind of wine in the end. (90 pts.)

  • 2018 Jim Barry Assyrtiko - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (6.3.2020)
    The Assyrtiko vines that produce the fruit from this wine are cuttings brought from Argyros, a Santorini producer making perhaps the greatest Assyrtikos in the world. The vines were planted in 2012 at the Lodge Hill vineyard, Clare Valley. 12.5% alcohol, 6,9 g/l acidity, pH 2,8. Tasted blind.

Pale, almost fully colorless whitish-green color. Open yet not aromatic nose with youthful, understated aromas of ripe white fruits, some lemony citrus fruits, a little bit of white pepper, light chalk dust tones and a hint of smoky reduction. My initial guess was Clare Valley Riesling right off the bat at this point. The wine is light-to-medium-bodied, crisp and racy on the palate with lively flavors of tart lemony citrus fruits, some steely minerality, light pithy notes of pomelo, light grassy herbal tones and a hint of tangy salinity. Perhaps lacking a bit in intensity and concentration, but making it all up with the bracing acidity. The finish is quite long with a crisp, racy aftertaste of tangy salinity, tart lemony citrus fruits, some apple peel bitterness, a little bit of herbal greenness and a hint of pithy pomelo.

A crisp, linear and super-youthful Assyrtiko, although not particularly primary in its fruit profile - fortunately. The wine is so very Clare Valley Riesling in style that it was my initial guess and it was hard to let go of the picture once I was told it was Riesling - and while the wine certainly shows all the lemony and saline qualities of an Assyrtiko, I never thought about it, since the wine was stylistically more “Clare Valley” than “Assyrtiko”. While the wine is definitely a very Assyrtiko wine, it does lack the power, intensity and sense of concentration which makes Santorini Assyrtiko what it is. This one here is a good wine and most likely it will benefit greatly from further aging (definitely showing capabilities to age further from here), but I doubt any amount of aging will make this one surpass the great whites of Santorini. I certainly do hope the wines will continue to improve as the vines age. (89 pts.)

  • 2000 Château de Pibarnon Bandol Blanc - France, Provence, Bandol (6.3.2020)
    Typically a blend of Clairette (close to 50%), Bourboulenc (about 30%) and other local white varieties (about 25%). Fermented slowly in tanks, aged for 6 months in tanks (in some vintage a small portion in old oak casks). 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Deep, concentrated golden yellow color with a bronze core. Very big, lush and moderately developed nose with rich and complex aromas of browned butter, some bruised apple, a little bit of herbal garrigue and dried herbs, light peanut butter tones, a hint of wizened apricot and a touch acacia honey. The wine is full-bodied, ripe and viscous on the palate with dry, concentrated and moderately evolved flavors of bruised apple, some creamy notes of panna cotta, light stony mineral tones, a little bit of roasted savory spices, a hint of wizened apricots and a touch of baked apple with caramel. The acidity feels somewhat modest, making the wine feel quite heavy, yet still high enough to keep the wine nicely in balance and from coming across as blowzy. The finish is ripe, juicy and slightly sweet-toned with long, complex flavors of browned butter, some creamy notes of panna cotta, a little bit of juicy peach, light wizened apple tones, a hint of roasted exotic spices and a touch of oxidative nuttiness.

A beautiful, complex and wonderfully developed Bandol Blanc at its peak. The wine is certainly evolved, but despite its age and relatively modest acidity it shows surprisingly little oxidative qualities. The creamy and nutty tones suggest oaky tones, but to my understanding the wine sees no oak at all - or just very little old wood, tops - so it is all about tertiary complexity. All in all, a lovely effort that is drinking wonderfully well right now; I doubt the wine will benefit from any further aging, so better to drink sooner rather than later. A very rewarding wine, offering pretty much everything I can ask for from a lush, southern white. Very, very lovely. Highly recommended. (96 pts.)

  • 1995 Casa Ferreirinha Douro Barca Velha - Portugal, Douro (6.3.2020)
    Typically a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cão and Tinta Roriz. The 1995 vintage started off rainy, followed by an otherwise dry spring except for a rainy May. The summer was very hot, resulting in an exceptionally early harvest, beginning already in mid-August. Fermented and macerated in stainless steel tanks and lagares with pigeage. Aged for about 1½ years in new French oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Deep, only very slightly translucent blackish-red color with a developed hue of dried blood. Developed, somewhat dusty and very complex nose with tertiary aromas of still perfumed dried flowers, raisins, some lifted notes of plum liqueur, light balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of pruney dark fruit and dried bilberries, sweet-and-umami hints of hoi sin and a touch of earth. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and quite tertiary on the palate, yet still retaining surprisingly lively overall feel. Developed flavors of wizened dark fruits, some beef jerky, a little bit of crunchy cranberry, light autumnal notes of dried leaves and sous-bois, a hint of earth and a salty-umami touch of soy sauce. Bright, high acidity with still somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is lively, savory and pretty tertiary with remarkably long, layered flavors of prunes, salty soy sauce and salt-cured meat, a little bit of wizened blueberry, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of salty liquorice.

A very classic and attractive Barca Velha, but perhaps nothing too profound this time. It seems the less-than optimal, early vintage shows in how the fruit department is starting to get rather tertiary at this point. The wine still retains impressive structure and most likely the tannins could do another decade or two of resolution, but the fruit department seems to be at its plateau of maturity. The wine is yet to start on downhill, but I can imagine it won’t be going anywhere from here but down. Although the wine will keep good for some years more, I don’t see point in aging this much longer. Better to drink sooner rather than later. (93 pts.)

  • 2014 Verónica Ortega Bierzo Roc - Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo (6.3.2020)
    The wine is named with the initials of the late older brother of Verónica Ortega. From very old (up to 80-100 yo) vineyards, whole bunch fruit. Spontaneous fermentation, gentle maceration over 20 days, aged for 14 months in used oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol, tasted blind.

Youthful blackish-red color that permits quite little light through. Very open, sweet-toned and fruit-driven nose with aromas of blueberries, some ripe strawberries, a little bit of floral lift suggesting whole bunch fermentation, light boysenberry tones and a touch of chopped aromatic herbs. Very lovely overall impression. The wine is lively, clean and enjoyably crunchy on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and ripe yet fresh and fine-tuned flavors of boysenberries, some bilberries, a little bit of inky character, light floral tones and a hint of savory spice. Very balanced overall feel with the moderately high acidity and ripe, textural medium tannins. The finish is ripe, juicy and fruit-forward with youthful and wonderfully persistent flavors of sweet bilberries and boysenberries, some tart red fruits, light inky tones, a little bit of sappy crowberry and a hint of herbal spice.

A super-lovely, fresh and harmonious Mencía that isn’t your typical, super-ripe, concentrated and clumsy Bierzo, but instead a wine that emphasizes the freshness and elegance Mencía can show at its best. Normally you’ll get this kind of poise and elegance from Mencías of Galicia, not froom Bierzo. Very lovely and impressive effort, definitely one of the best Bierzo Mencías I’ve had. Shows great promise for further aging. Solid value at 30€. (93 pts.)

  • 2011 Casa Comerci Libici Calabria IGT - Italy, Calabria, Calabria IGT (6.3.2020)
    100% Magliocco Canino. Macerated with the skins for 10 days. Aged for 12 months in stainless steel. 13% alcohol.

Moderately translucent black cherry color. Weirdly aromatic yet rather earthy and dusty nose that feels somewhat corked at first, then starting to show fruity aromas of wizened black cherries, some inky tones, a little bit of dark berries, light earthy notes of damp soil, a hint of tobacco and a touch of ripe sour cherry. The wine is dry, lively and medium-bodied on the palate with rather lean and austere taste. Flavors of sanguine iron, some tart lingonberry, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of crunchy crowberry and a touch of earth. The wine is quite tightly-knit and rather structured on the palate with its high acidity and rather assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is dry, tightly-knit and rather tannic with crunchy flavors of lingonberries, some crunchy crowberries, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of redcurrant and a touch of tobacco.

A relatively rough, rustic and non-fruity wine. Very stern and unapologetic in style. I enjoy the structure here, but the lack of obvious fruit and prominence of earthy tones made the wine appear even somewhat corked at first, which really isn’t that pleasant in a wine. I doubt that this wine was faulty in any way, since it was still relatively fruity and expressive in the end. I doubt any amount of decanting or cellaring will help much, since the wine was 8½ years old already, and it didn’t change much over the course of 24 hours. More a wine for academic curiosity than for pleasure. Priced according to its quality at 15,90€. (87 pts.)

Moderately translucent and somewhat developed cherry red color with a hint of rusty dried-blood hue. The nose feels quite open, fragrant and rather dry whit somewhat developed aromas of wizened sour cherries, some beef jerky, a little bit of tobacco, light smoky tones, a hint of cigar box and a touch of tart red fruits. The wine is ripe, moderately full-bodied and quite stern on the palate with rather intense flavors of sour cherries, peppery spice, some dried black cherries, a little bit of meaty umami, light tart notes of lingonberries, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of wizened cranberries. The overall feel is rather seriously structured with the high acidity and still rather grippy and quite unresolved tannins. The finish is dry, bold and quite tannic with intense, somewhat developed flavors of sour cherries, gamey meat, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of sanguine iron, light leathery tones, a hint of cigar and a touch of crunchy redcurrant.

I’m not particularly fond of Ruffino wines, but this was a very positive surprise: stern, dead-serious and very old-school Brunello with lots of muscle and intensity instead of voluptuous fruit and excessive oak. Archetypally Sangiovese with intense flavors of sour cherries, earth and tobacco, this is not a super-extracted Brunello - or if it has been, it certainly isn’t anymore - but instead slightly lighter in body and color, but not lacking in power. Not an exceptional Brunello, but definitely solid stuff for the appellation. It seems to be in a wonderful phase right now, at 20 years of age, but also has lots of stuffing to improve at least a bit more from here. Drink or keep. Great stuff. (92 pts.)

  • 1998 Torres Conca de Barberà Grans Muralles - Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Conca de Barberà (6.3.2020)
    A blend of Monastrell, Garnacha, the local specialty Garró, Cariñena, and Samsó (I wonder if this is Cinsaut, since Samsó is a synonym for both Cariñena and Cinsaut). The other local variety, Querol, has been in the blend only since the 2009 vintage. Aged for 18 months in new French oak barriques. Bottled in May 2000. Bottle #17651. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Moderately opaque and somewhat developed blackish-red color with a mature russet hue and pale blood-red rim. The nose feels big, ripe and slightly smoky with aromas of wizened dark plums, cigar, some sweet blackcurrant tones, a little bit of leather, light tertiary notes of consommé and beef jerky, a hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of raisin. The wine is ripe, concentrated and rather chewy on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of black cherries, peppery spice, some savory gamey tones and a little bit of meaty umami, light notes of raisins and prunes, a hint of blood and a touch of sweet oak spice. The overall feel is rather robust and muscular, thanks to the high acidity and still ample and assertive tannins. The finish is quite noticeably tannins with a bit of alcohol warmth and rather robust flavors sour cherry bitterness, gamey meat, light earthy tones, a little bit of tertiary umami character, a hint of wizened blackcurrant and a touch of pruney fruit.

A very impressive, stern and broad-shouldered wine that certainly has a somewhat modern edge to it, but at the same time retains this kind of somewhat unpolished rusticity to its overall character. Comes across as not unlike a Priorat with some age. Although starting to show some age, there’s still quite a bit of fruit left in the wine and the tannins could resolve a bit more, so I guess the wine could not only keep but also continue to develop for some years more. All in all, a positive effort and among the best Torres wines I’ve had thus far. Priced according to its quality at 65€. (94 pts.)

  • 2017 Gaioz Sopromadze Chkhaveri - Georgia, Imereti (6.3.2020)
    Gaioz Sopromadze’s family has made wine for generations, but he was the first one to start bottling and selling wine in 2009. This is 100% organically farmed Chkhaveri from Baghdati, Imereti, Georgia. Fermented and aged in buried kvevri. Bottled unfiltered. 11,5% alcohol.

Youthful, fully opaque and slightly hazy plummy pinkish-red color with a pale reddish rim. Very fragrant, sweet-toned and slightly wild with aromas of ripe red berries, sappy herbal greenness, some acetic notes of VA, a little bit of bretty sauvage character, light perfumed notes of chinotto rind, a hint of brambly raspberry and an exotic touch of mustard seeds. The wine is dry, crunchy and quite wild on the palate with a medium body and fresh flavors of tart lingonberries, brambly black raspberries, some metallic notes of brett, a little bit of balsamic VA and acetic roughness, light spicy notes, a hint of herbal bitterness and a touch of sour cherries, The wine is high in acidity with quite easy, light tannins. The finish is subtly grippy with long, lively and rather wild flavors of acetic roughness, some bretty funk, a little bit of strawberry sweetness, light herbal bitter tones, a hint of sappy raspberry leaf tea and a touch of sour cherry.

An otherwise enjoyably fresh and crunchy wine with some funky sauvage character, but the levels of volatile acidity feel a bit too elevated for my taste. The wine doesn’t have just a little bit of pleasant, slightly sweet sense of lift, but instead the wine is already somewhat acetic, which lends a slightly vinegary streak to both the nose and the taste and makes the aftertaste feel a bit rough and hot. I understand the Georgian naturalists prefer to use no SO2 at all instead of minimal amounts, but this wine probably could’ve benefited from a small dose of SO2. It’s not undrinkable for me, but the somewhat noticeable acetic character certainly takes its toll on the drinkability (and on the score as well). Perhaps a bit pricey for the quality at 50 GEL (approx. 15€). (81 pts.)

  • 2009 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (6.3.2020)
    From vineyards on the border of Fleurie and Moulin-à-Vent. Semi-carbonic maceration with indigenous yeasts and a submerged cap. Aged in large oak foudres. 13% alcohol. Served from a magnum.

Luminous, somewhat translucent ruby red color with developed rusty highlights. The open nose is pure, vibrant and seductive with aromas of wild forest fruits, brambly raspberries, some licorice, a little bit of flint smoke, light peppery tones and a hint of earthy spice. The wine is dry and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and clean flavors of ripe black raspberries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of fresh boysenberry, light licorice tones, autumnal hints of damp leaves and earth and a touch of dried herbs. The overall feel is very youthful for the age. High acidity with quite gentle, easy tannins. The finish is clean and crunchy with long, pure flavors of ripe black raspberries, some sour cherries, a little bit of crunchy red currants, light stony mineral tones and a hint of earth.

A wonderfully fresh, vibrant and dead-serious Cru Bojo that doesn’t suffer from the hot 2009 vintage and comes across as quite Burgundian in style. The warm vintage must have granted the wine with remarkable intensity and sense of concentration, but it doesn’t suffer from the qualities some other 2009 Bojos have, i.e. low acidity and sweet - even raisiny - fruit. This is remarkably structured with high acidity and fresh, crunchy fruit. Most likely thanks to the magnum format this wine is still so very youthful for its age and most likely it would’ve continued to improve for years more. I can imagine smaller-format bottles can be in a more advanced phase now, but I have no doubts they are drinking wonderfully as well. The magnums, though - no hurries whatsoever with them. (93 pts.)

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