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2016 Palacios Remondo Rioja Plácet Valtomelloso - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (4.8.2020)
100% Viura from Rioja Oriental (aka. Rioja Baja). Fermented spontaneously in 2000-liter oak foudres, aged for 11 months sur lie in oval-shaped oak tuns. 13,5% alcohol.
Youthful pale whitish-green color. Slightly restrained and enjoyably nuanced nose with aromas of leesy creaminess, some Golden Delicious apples, light notes of quince, a little bit of vanilla and a hint of white chocolate. The wine is ripe, juicy and slightly oily on the palate with a full body and flavors of sweet Golden Delicious apple, white peach, some creamy tones, a little bit of vanilla, light lemony citrus fruit tones and a hint of savory spices. The overall feel is enjoyably balanced with the high acidity. The finish is fresh and quite tangy with rather long flavors of saline minerality, tart green apples, some creaminess, light zesty citrus fruit tones, a little bit of sweet white peach and a touch of vanilla.
A very nice, juicy and sophisticated Rioja Blanco that on one hand feels very modern compared to the traditional, slightly oxidative Rioja Blancos that are aged for prolonged periods of time in oak barrels, but on the other hand doesn’t feel like those modern Viuras that either are aged in stainless steel and feel rather simple and straightforward, or are aged in small oak barrels and come across just as unbalanced and heavily oaky. This wine shows relatively little oak influence - enough that one can easily taste this has been aged in wood, but not enough to overwhelm any of the fruit - and lets the high-quality fruit shine through. The overall feel is still very youthful and has a rather Chardonnay feel to it, albeit perhaps not “Burgundian”. I can imagine this will continue to improve for many more years. Priced according to its quality at approx 20€. (90 pts.)
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2018 Domaine de l’Ecu Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Orthogneiss - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (4.8.2020)
A biodynamic Muscadet. Harvested by hand. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Aged on the lees in concrete vats. 12% alcohol. Annual production approximately 18,000 bottles.
Youthful pale green color with subtle lemon-yellow highlights. Ripe yet not particularly sweet nose with aromas of freshly peeled red apples, some white peach, a little bit of saline ocean air, light spicy notes of white pepper and a leesy hint of yeast. The wine feels ripe yet very bright and focused on the palate with medium body and clean, dry flavors of white peach, tangy green apples, some saline minerality, a little bit of leesy yeast, light steely mineral tones and a hint of chalky mineral bitterness. Wonderfully high in acidity. Crisp, light and mouth-cleansing finish with flavors of steely minerality, ripe citrus fruits, some Granny Smith apple, a little bit of tangy salinity, light stony mineral tones and a hint of chalk dust bitterness. The finish is already quite long, but the cool and bright mineral tones carry on for even much longer.
A very lovely, clean and balanced white wine. Truly a textbook Muscadet. Even though 2018 seemed to be a very hot vintage all around Europe, this wine shows no signs of excessive ripeness nor the resulting softness. This is only about bright fruit, cool minerality and sharp acidity. Drinking really well now, but I have no doubts this will keep wonderfully for years in a cellar. Terrific value at 13€.(91 pts.)
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2018 Domaine de l’Ecu Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Granite - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (4.8.2020)
A Muscadet made with fruit sourced from a biodynamically farmed 45-55 yo vineyards planted on granite soil. Fermented spontaneously and aged in underground concrete tanks. 12% alcohol. Total production 24,000 bottles.
Pale, youthful whitish green color. Dry, restrained and somewhat austere nose with aromas of stony minerality, some green apple tones, a little bit of leesy character and a hint of pomelo. The wine is light-bodied, fresh and racy on the palate with bright flavors of tart green apples, some lemony citrus fruits, a little bit of leesy richness, light sweeter notes of golden apples, a hint of chalky bitterness and a touch of cool stony minerality. Bright, focused acidity that lends great sense of structure to the wine. The finish is dry, bright and mouth-cleansing with lively, medium-long flavors of stony minerality, lemony citrus fruits, a little bit of tart green apple and a hint of tangy salinity.
A real textbook Muscadet: wonderfully precise acidity, pronounced minerality, modest level of alcohol and fruit that tiptoes just on this side of austerity. Comes across as rather closed at first and opens up only after a little while in the glass. Precise and gastronomic. Definitely benefits from decanting and will benefit even more from aging. No need to return to this in a handful of years, at least. Outstanding value at 13€. (91 pts.)
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2017 Domaine de l’Ecu Riesling Memoria - France, Vin de France (4.8.2020)
A Vin de France Riesling that is made with Josmeyer’s biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from Grand Cru Hengst and lieu-dit Le Chalet, Alsace. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, aged for 9 months in 500-liter amphorae, vinified and bottled without any SO2 additions. 12% alcohol, total SO2 <15 mg/l (of which <10 mg/l free). Bottle no. 1018 of total 1282 bottles.
Slightly hazy lime-green color. Fresh, sappy and slightly funky nose with aromas of lemony citrus fruits, some lambic-like notes of brett, light herbal tones, a little bit of beeswax, a hint of honeydew melon and a touch of ripe apricot. The wine is lively, crisp and light-to-medium-bodied on the palate with crunchy and slightly funky flavors of peach, some waxy funky notes, a little bit of quince and spicy red apples, light leathery tones, a hint of quinine bitterness and a touch of bruised pear. Focused high acidity that lends great sense of precision to the wine. The finish is crisp, lively and slightly waxy with intense flavors of tart green apples and crunchy quince, some quinine bitter notes, a little bit of leathery funk, light notes of peach and a hint of stony minerality.
This was a fun and positive surprise. The wine certainly tastes like a fresh and mineral Riesling - perhaps even surprisingly delicate for an Alsatian one - but it also has a noticeable touch of funk around the crunchy core one normally does not associate with the Alsatian Rieslings. However, this isn’t an excessively weird and funky natty wine, but instead surprisingly modest and restrained in its expression. You can taste the wine is rather natural in style, but it’s nevertheless a quite approachable and refreshing little drop with good sense of balance and the bright fruit remaining to the fore. Good stuff! Great now and will probably remain good for the next 4-6 years. (89 pts.)
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2017 Domaine de l’Ecu Gloria - Italy, Vino da Tavola (4.8.2020)
A Vin de France Vermentino that is made with Cosimo Maria Masini’s biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from San Miniato, Toscana. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated with the skins for 4 days, aged for 9 months in 400-liter amphorae, vinified and bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2 additions. 12,5% alcohol, total SO2 <15 mg/l (of which <10 mg/l free). Bottle no. 38 of total 1174 bottles.
Youthful and somewhat cloudy pineapple-yellow color. Very expressive, distinctive and somewhat funky nose with aromas of assorted fruit candies, some earthy spices, a little bit of bruised apple, light notes of poached pear, a hint of leathery funk and a sweet touch of ripe apricot. The wine is wild, funky and ripe yet not weighty on the palate with a medium-plus body and complex flavors of bruised apple, leathery funk, some bretty lambic notes, a little bit of ripe apricot, light leesy notes of yeast, a hint of dried herbs and a touch of cantaloupe. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine very nicely in balance. The finish is lively, quite acid-driven and moderately gunky with flavors of tart green apples, some bruised red apples, a little bit of leathery funk, light resinous notes of phenolic spice, a hint of dried herbs and a farmhousey hint reminiscent of lambic.
If one thinks a Tuscan Vermentino is a going to be a bland, uncharacterful and neutral white wine, this is wine is a perfect tool to refute that notion: it is a distinctively wild and funky yet still remarkably enjoyable and balanced wine, which really isn’t a full-blown orange wine with only a few days of skin contact, but has nevertheless some of those earthy and waxy qualities of skin-contact whites. The wine is unashamedly naturalist in style, yet it doesn’t come across as unpleasantly natty or excessively funky at any point - there are no excessive levels of VA or any mousiness and the bretty funk only adds to complexity without overwhelming any of the fruit qualities. A terrific and quite captivating wine that drinks really well right now, but might continue to improve for a handful of years. An odd bird, but nevertheless pretty lovely. (92 pts.)
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2017 Domaine de l’Ecu Malbec Germinus - France, Vin de France (4.8.2020)
A Vin de France Malbec that is made with Château Les Croisille’s biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from Cahors. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated with the skins for 10 days, aged for 9 months in 150- and 600-liter amphorae, vinified and bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2 additions. 11,5% alcohol, total SO2 <15 mg/l (of which <10 mg/l free). Bottle no. 519 of total 1280 bottles.
Somewhat hazy and slightly dull pomegranate color with a pale red rim. At first the nose feels quite clean and fruit-forward with a somewhat carbonic feel to it. However, it doesn’t take much time in the glass for the wine to turn quite unpleasant with the unclean, somewhat nutty and slightly bready hints of mousiness emerging underneath the fruit, followed by a slightest touch of acetic VA. The wine is light-bodied, crunchy and at first very slightly fizzy on the palate with flavors of ripe raspberries and tart lingonberries. The wine is very high in acidity with no almost imperceptible tannins. The finish is crisp, tart and quite linear with flavors of brambly raspberries, some sappy herbal character and a hint of tart lingonberry. However, after only 10 minutes in the glass the wine turns mousiness starts to rear its head and only after 30-45 minutes the wine is horribly mousy with overwhelming flavors of Weetabix, sesame seeds and stale bread. The unpleasant, nutty aftertaste lingers for minutes.
This wine seems to get worse bottle by bottle. A year ago this wine was fresh and enjoyable for an hour or so, but now the anonymous natty qualities and dominant mousiness take the wine over in just a matter of minutes. Before the wine goes south it’s a 83-84 wine at best, then it takes a dip, probably worth maximum of 60 points, if you don’t want to rate the wine as defective. However, seeing how the bottle isn’t really flawed, as the whole darn vintage of the wine is like this, I prefer to rate the wine for what it is. The first time I was a bit generous with my rating, now my score is an average of 84 (how the wine is upon opening) and 58 (how the wine is after an hour). (71 pts.)
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2016 Domaine de l’Ecu Sanctus - France, Vin de France (4.8.2020)
A Vin de France Gamay that is made with Landon-Chartier’s biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from 1-hectare Les Ronces vineyard located in Pays Nantais. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated with the skins whopping 9 months in 350-liter amphorae, vinified and bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2 additions. 12,5% alcohol, total SO2 <15 mg/l (of which <10 mg/l free). Bottle no. 344 of total 1425 bottles.
Slightly pale yet beautifully luminous ruby red color. At first somewhat dull yet pretty nuanced nose with aromas of dark forest berries, some rowanberries, a little bit of fresh wild strawberry, light stony mineral notes, a hint of savory spice and a touch of licorice. The wine is clean, sappy and quite sinewy on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of ripe cranberries and juicy dark berries, some tart lingonberries, a little bit of sour red plum, light funky leathery notes of brett, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of licorice root. The overall feel is pretty seriously structured with the high acidity and firm medium tannins. The finish is dry, quite tightly-knit and rather long with intense flavors of crunchy cranberries, some tart lingonberries, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light brambly notes of raspberries, a hint of licorice root and a touch of savory phenolic spice.
An exceptionally robust, serious and tightly-knit Gamay that is at the same time wonderfully playful and crunchy yet also brooding, serious and noticeably structure-driven. The prolonged maceration time of 9 months has certainly granted the wine an impressive structure, but the wine doesn’t feel over-extracted, unbalanced and overdone in any way. Truly a Loire counterpart to the best Cru Bojos from Côte du Py, Fleurie and Moulin-à-Vent. Tasting this side-by-side with another Domaine de l’Ecu Gamay, Astra, this wine felt slightly bigger and slightly more on the ripe side, coming across as slightly more approachable now - however, although not as complex right now, Astra might turn out to be the better one in the long run. However, both these wines really fit into my ideal of perfect Gamay and I’d argue that these are the two best wines in Domaine de l’Ecu’s Temps des Copains series. Outstanding stuff. (94 pts.)
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2016 Domaine de l’Ecu Astra - France, Vin de France (4.8.2020)
A Vin de France Gamay that is made with Landon-Chartier’s biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from 1-hectare Les Ronces vineyard located in Pays Nantais. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated with the skins for 10 days in 450-liter amphorae, vinified and bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2 additions. 12% alcohol, total SO2 <15 mg/l (of which <10 mg/l free). Bottle no. 117 of total 3690 bottles.
Youthful, luminous and rather pale ruby red color. Somewhat restrained but also wonderfully clean and cool nose of dark forest fruits, some lingonberries, a little bit of brambly black raspberries, light lactic notes of MLF and a hint of cherry. The wine is lively, crisp and light-to-medium-bodied on the palate with bright, crunchy flavors of tart lingonberries, ripe cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, light black raspberry tones, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The wine is noticeably high in acidity with moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is firm, very long and quite noticeably grippy with intense flavors of crunchy cranberries and tart lingonberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of stony minerality, light brambly notes of raspberries and a hint of blood.
A very fresh, poised and remarkably intense Gamay with a very lean, crunchy and focused overall character. Albeit a non-interventionist in style, the wine doesn’t come across as “natural” in any way, being much more reminiscent to a classic Cru Beaujolais from Fleurie, due to its lithe body and pronounced minerality. Very impressive and thoroughly delicious effort. Although the other 2016 Domaine de l’Ecu Gamay - Sanctus - felt a bit more impressive and accessible at this point, I suspect this wine will turn even more impressive if given enough age. Nevertheless, both these Gamay wines are wonderful and among the top wines in Domaine de l’Ecu’s Temps des Copains series. Highly recommended. (93 pts.)
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2017 Domaine de l’Ecu Syrah Aeterno - France, Vin de France (4.8.2020)
A Vin de France Syrah that is made with Domaine des Bruyères’s biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from 1-hectare vineyard located in Crozes-Hermitage. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated with the skins for 15 days in concrete tanks, aged for 9 months in 400- and 500-liter amphorae, vinified and bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2 additions. 13,5% alcohol, total SO2 <15 mg/l (of which <10 mg/l free). Bottle no. 604 of total 2410 bottles.
Dense, concentrated and fully opaque blackish-purple color. Dense, ripe and slightly unclean nose with inky aromas of blueberries, ripe blackberries, some notes of tobacco, a little bit of dried herbs and a slightly nutty hint of sesame seeds, suggesting mousiness. The wine is crisp, racy and even slightly fizzy on the palate with a light-to-medium body and crunchy flavors of unripe blackcurrant, tart chokeberries, some crowberries, a little bit of tangy rowanberries, a light astringent notes of lingonberry skins, a sweeter hint of ripe dark plums and a touch of acetic roughness. The acidity feels remarkably high, but the tannins are very light, almost nonexistent. The finish is juicy yet quite tart with crunchy flavors of almost bitter lingonberries and sour cherries, some cranberries, a little bit of ripe black raspberries, light tangy notes of sour red plums, a hint of acetic roughness and a nutty touch of mousiness that fortunately lingers in the background, never really coming to the fore - even after some air.
I was quite disappointed with this wine at first, my first reaction being “not another one of these Domaine de l’Ecu mouse bombs” - but this wine turned out to be much better than what one would expect from the premises. Yet even then, this is not really a good wine. It has lovely acidity, but the overall feel is somewhat disjointed, almost underripe and way too natty for pleasure - even if the mousiness does not dominate at any point, even detecting it in the most minute amounts is still a reason for me to drop the rating noticeably, and the somewhat elevated levels of acetic acid that lend a slightly rough burn to the taste really don’t help. This isn’t the same kind of catastrophe as Domaine de l’Ecu Germinus Malbec, but this isn’t anywhere near the top Ecu wines either. Overpriced for the quality at 22€. (79 pts.)
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2017 Domaine de l’Ecu Syrah Nobis - France, Vin de France (4.8.2020)
A Vin de France Syrah that is made with biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from 2-hectare vineyard located close to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated for 10 days with the skins, aged for 10 months in stainless steel, vinified and bottled unfined and unfiltered with an SO2 dose of 30 mg/l. 14% alcohol. Total production 12,000 bottles.
Youthful, somewhat translucent blackish-red color. Fragrant, youthful and clean nose with fruity aromas of ripe blackberries, some inky tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light brambly notes of black raspberries, a hint of sweet plummy fruit and a touch of boysenberry jam. The wine is ripe, sweet-toned and moderately full-bodied on the palate with flavors of juicy boysenberries, some blackberries, a little bit of peppery spice, light crunchy notes of crowberries, meaty hints of blood and game and a sweet touch of juicy red plum. Good sense of balance with the rather high acidity and firm medium tannins. The finish is ripe, juicy and gently grippy with quite long flavors of blackberries, peppery spice, some meaty umami, slightly bitter notes of charred game, a little bit of dark plummy fruit, a sanguine hint of blood and a spicy touch of dried aromatic herbs.
A very sophisticated, harmonious and balanced effort for a Temps des Copains wine, coming across as a very glou-glou yet still surprisingly structured at the same time. Thanks to the modest addition of sulfites, the wine is very clean and vibrant, lacking any of those natty notes of mousiness, acetic roughness or excessively lifted aromas of VA that have marred several red wines in the Temps des Copains range. Doesn’t show the smoky notes of reduction I had noted when I tasted the wine a year ago, confirming my hunch of some cellaring helping in clearing away the reductive notes. All in all, this is a nice, pure Syrah that feels slightly more ripe than what a Northern Rhône Syrah would be, but at the same time coming across more fresh and crunchy than your run-of-the-mill Southern Rhône red. Good, balanced stuff and solid value at 17€. (90 pts.)
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2016 Domaine de l’Ecu Trinity - France, Vin de France (4.8.2020)
A Vin de France that is a blend of biodynamically farmed Grenache (80%) and Cinsaut (20%) grapes sourced from a 2 -hectare vineyard located close to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated for 15 days with the skins, aged for 10 months in stainless steel, vinified and bottled unfined and unfiltered with an SO2 dose of 41 mg/l. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 8,000 bottles.
Youthful, medium-deep and moderately translucent ruby red color with a pale rim. Fragrant, clean nose with aromas of fresh, savory red berries, some sweeter notes of strawberries, light inky notes, a little bit of perfumed floral character and a hint of gamey meat. The wine is ripe, sweet-toned and juicy on the palate with a moderately full body and somewhat sweet-toned, lush flavors of strawberries, some cherry marmalade, light notes of red plums, a little bit of brambly raspberry, a hint of savory spice and a touch of licorice root. The wine is pretty balanced with its medium-to-moderately high acidity and ripe medium tannins. The finish is long, ripe and somewhat grippy with juicy flavors of strawberries, some licorice, a little bit of stony minerality, light black cherry notes and a hint of savory spice.
A tasty, harmonious and enjoyable Rhône red. This definitely isn’t a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but seeing how the wine is comparable to a basic Côtes-du-Rhône red, this offers more depth and character than most of its peers. The wine might be very naturalist from a winemaker’s perspective, but the overall feel is very clean, vibrant and approachable, showing very little if any of the funk these Temps des Copains wines are notorious of. Drinking wonderfully now and most likely will continue to improve over some years. Definitely one of the better wines from the Temps des Copains series. (91 pts.)
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2016 Domaine de l’Ecu Pax - France, Vin de France (4.8.2020)
A Vin de France that is a blend of Domaine de Terre Forte’s biodynamically farmed Syrah (70%) and Grenache (30%) grapes sourced from a 1,5-hectare vineyard “Le Mas de Reynaud” located in South Rhône. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated for 10 days with the skins, aged for 9 months in 800-liter amphorae, vinified and bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2 additions. 14,5% alcohol, total SO2 <15 mg/l (of which <10 mg/l free). Bottle no. 580 of total 3900 bottles.
Deep, almost fully opaque and somewhat dull blackish-red color. Very savory, somewhat evolved and slightly odd nose with aromas of medicinal herbs and Fernet Branca, some soy sauce, light notes of hoi sin, a little bit of nuttiness, light smoky notes and a hint of roasted game. No perceptible fruit aromas. The wine is full-bodied, ripe and very savory on the palate with noticeably umami flavors of gamey meatiness and soy sauce, some nuttiness, a little bit of juicy red fruit, light herbal tones and a hint of sweet blueberry. The acidity feels rather modest, so the structure relies mostly on the firm and rather grippy tannins. The finish is savory and quite grippy with intense, savory flavors of gamey meat, peppery spice, some ripe blueberries, light strawberry tones, a little bit of pruney fruit and a hint of smoke.
This was a weird fellow. At first the nutty notes prepared me to expect the aftertaste to be heavily mousy - which has been a problem with many of the wines in the Temps des Compains range - but the wine actually didn’t turn out to be mousy. Neither did the wine feel particularly oxidized, even though nuttiness and soy sauce are typical qualities of an oxidized red. This was just very savory, meaty and umami-driven red wine, showing remarkable intensity for a wine with relatively little fruit flavors. Nothing bad about that, this was just pretty weird in so many ways. Although I had somewhat unsure footing with this wine, I found the relatively low acidity to be more distracting than the savory umami flavors. I think this would’ve been better with higher acidity than with more fruit. An interesting wine by all accounts, but not really a bad wine in any way - just something I probably wouldn’t buy myself. (87 pts.)
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2015 Ferraton Père & Fils Crozes-Hermitage Les Pichères - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (4.8.2020)
Made with biodynamically farmed Syrah grapes. Macerated with the skins for 4 weeks in concrete tanks. Aged for 12 months in 1st, 2nd and 3rd use 600-liter demi-muids (50%) and concrete tanks (50%), then blended together and left to marry for another 4 months. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Dense, youthful and fully opaque blackish-red color. Brooding, dark-toned and quite vibrant nose that packs a punch. Intense aromas of ripe blackcurrants, inky tones, some peppery spice, a little bit of gamey meat, light spicy notes of savory wood and a brambly hint of blackberry. The wine is dense, medium-bodied and very firm on the palate with clean, savory flavors of ripe blackberries, some stony minerality, a little bit of peppery spice, light notes of tart red plums, a hint of meaty umami and a brambly touch of black raspberries. Impressively structured and rather tightly-knit feel with the remarkably high acidity and surprisingly assertive, firm tannins. The finish is dry, tannic and savory with very long flavors of brambly blackberries, some peppery spice, a little bit of stony minerality, light notes of bloody game, a hint of meaty umami and a subtle touch of savory wood.
A surprisingly serious, muscular and structured effort for a Crozes-Hermitage that is built more like a classic Hermitage or a Cornas. The guesses were immediately in Northern Rhône, but nobody thought about Crozes-Hermitage. Ferraton might be known as a large and thus relatively uninteresting producer, but this wine only confirmed my impression that they have been making pretty gorgeous and finely crafted wines lately. A powerhouse that punches well above the weight of this often overlooked appellation. Feels almost too young now, at 5 years of age, speaking volumes of its cellaring potential. Highly recommended. (93 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
