A smattering of recent notes I thought I’d share. The Chaintres were both lovely. A producer who should be on Berserkers’ radar. The Coutures was also lovely though a bit more bombastic and fruit forward. First time I can remember having Godmé and I was impressed. Would seek out. Chasse-Spleen has been a mainstay for me (have had great '89s and mid-'90s), but this one was a bit flat. The Ardanza deserves every bit of praise that has been bestowed upon it and is surprisingly open today. Though I’m sure some weirdos will hate it for too much dill (?). The Caillou was pretty much DOA. Nice check-ins on the Bouchard and Ramonet, both of which I see big potential in. The Drouhin wasn’t quite as compelling to me as others have noted recently, but what do I know? I could be proven wrong in a few years. After only having had 1 or 2 I now understand why people speak poorly of Chanson. You’re way better off with virtually any other negotiant.
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1989 Hugel Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles - France, Alsace (12/5/2020)
Pours medium amber in the glass. The nose is expressive of fairly generic late harvest and mature aromas. Apricot, saffron, tinned peaches, marmalade, and honey round out the aromatics. The palate isn’t as cloying as you might expect. Fairly lively and only perceived as medium plus sweetness, but that has certainly been downplayed with age. The finish is pleasant replaying tinned peaches and apricots. Nice wine, but not showing much complexity in the way of non-fruit, botrytis, or varietal character. (91 pts.)
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2017 Château de Chaintres Saumur-Champigny Vieilles Vignes - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (12/5/2020)
This pours ruby at the core with a light and purple tinged rim. The Nose is quite appealing with lovely balance on fruit and non-fruit aromas wafting dark cherry, burlap, bay leaf, pomegranate, new leather, graphite, and a touch of purple licorice. Notably it’s only moderately intense on the nose, yet the complexity is high. The palate is very light, some might call it thin, yet for me it’s elegant. The medium acid and medium tannin give this a reasonably structured feel. Should easily go 10 years, perhaps more. The finish isn’t terribly long. Perhaps medium minus. I like this and plan to buy a few more to age. (91 pts.)
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1989 Château de Chaintres Saumur-Champigny - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (12/4/2020)
First bottle corked. Second bottle was sound. Pours ruby at the core with the mildest bricking. The nose is moderately expressive but nicely mature and complex. Notes of sweet cedar, spice box, forest undergrowth, dark cherry, matsutake mushroom, and iron waft. The palate still has a little grippy medium minus tannin and medium acid. The finish is medium in length with iron, spice box and dark cherry leading the way. Nice wine! (92 pts.)
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2017 Domaine des Coutures (Vincent Nicolas) Saumur-Champigny La Sélection - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (11/25/2020)
Pours fairly deep in the glass, ruby with an opaque core, with flecks of pink and purple at the rim. The nose is expressive and complex wafting violets, macerated blackberry, blackberry bush, cinnamon, dry soil, peanut shells, a touch of charcoal, and burlap. The palate is youthfully structured entering on bright sweet and fresh blackberry juice then medium plus tannin and medium acid. The finish lingers on gorgeous charcoal, blackberry and burlap. Very classic. Unlike some other Loire Cab Franc no discernible Brett here. (91 pts.)
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1998 Le Clos du Caillou Côtes du Rhône Bouquet des Garrigues - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (12/6/2020)
Pours medium in color, transparent throughout. Medium plus bricking is evident. The nose wafts a strong stewed fruit note, followed by some moderately pleasant secondary notes. Aromas of figs, prune, wet hay, and alcohol are revealed on the nose. The palate repeats the nose with a touch of low tannin and, medium minus acid, and a lot of glycerin and alcohol. The finish replayed the pruney fruit. Not my thing at all. (84 pts.)
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NV Hugues Godmé Champagne Grand Cru Rosé - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (12/4/2020)
Pours a pale copper. I was really quite taken with this. The nose is fabulously expressive of rose petals, brioche, toffee, fresh cherry, caramelized orange peel, and fresh meyer lemon. The palate is wonderfully balanced. Bright, fresh meyer lemon acid. Low-ish dosage and a long finish replaying much of the nose. (93 pts.)
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1985 Château Chasse-Spleen - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc (12/2/2020)
Pours light garnet in the glass. Nose is mature but not terribly compelling or complex of celery seed, old leather, dried cherry, and cedar. The palate is mostly resolved, with medium minus tannin, medium acid and a slight bitter herbal edge. Enjoyable but would not seek out. (90 pts.)
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2010 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva, Selección Especial - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (11/28/2020)
Pours somewhere between ruby and garnet. Actually a tad light in the glass, transparent to the core. The nose is lifted, complex, and harmonious. Notes of dried strawberries, dried mushrooms, leather, smoked meat, dried orange peel, and dry hay waft. The palate is really where its at on this wine. The sweet red fruited entry is augmented with bright citrus orange zest. Tannins are medium minus acid is medium plus. The finish is medium plus with notes of leather and dried strawberry and orange peel. Loving this. (94 pts.)
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2014 Domaine Rolet Pinot Noir Arbois - France, Jura, Arbois (11/26/2020)
Pours extremely light in the glass, quite pale with light bricking noted. the inept nose shows tart cranberry, crabapple, twigs, and green leaves. Fairly unpleasant. The palate shows tart, bitter, and herbal. with medium minus tannin and medium acid. Bitter and tart crabapple and cranberry finish. Do not care for this very much. Cool label though. (85 pts.)
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2017 Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chorey-les-Beaune (10/19/2020)
Followed over 24 hours. Pours medium to light ruby in the glass. The relatively inexpressive nose shows fresh cranberry, a touch of herbs, and perhaps the faintest hint of undergrowth. Not much else. The palate is nicely balanced, with a tart red fruit entry, medium minus tannin and medium acid. Tart cranberry and a crushed vitamin/compressed tablet note showing on the rather short finish. In my view a totally correct but quite uninspired red burgundy here from Drouhin. I’d be okay with it at half the price, but I’m not sure there is a value proposition here. Could this by young and closed? Perhaps, but I’m not convinced at this point. (88 pts.)
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2016 Chanson Père & Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru (10/16/2020)
Pours medium-light ruby with flecks of purple and blue. The nose is tight and reductive, and slowly opens up but is not terribly interesting. Aromas of licorice, dried cranberry, kool-aid, some sawdust, and a vaguely earthy note waft lightly. The palate is tight and compact with drying woody tannins, and a somewhat abrupt finish. A touch of the 13.5% alcohol pokes through as well. This really isn’t doing much for me. (87 pts.)
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2017 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet (10/11/2020)
Followed over 24 hours. Pours light ruby in the glass. The nose is never powerful but what is there is complex. Nose of red cherry, cinnamon, iron, beetroot, raspberry, a touch of vanilla oak, and sweet cedar. Quite lovely on the palate featuring bright red fruited acid, medium minus tannin and and a long red fruit and cinnamon tinged finish. Could see this picking up a point or two as it ages. Pushing 92 for sure. The palate is better than the nose, at least today. (91 pts.)
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2017 Bouchard Père et Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru (9/22/2020)
This pours a youthful light ruby, totally transparent. The nose is lifted and pure, moderate intensity, showing light red cherries, cranberry, raspberry, mossy damp forest, a touch of tobacco, fennel seed, a pinch of toasty new wood, and an herbaceous plant stem note. The palate has medium minus tannin and medium plus acid (quite notable and almost a tad sharp). Feels structured to age gracefully. Without looking at the label I noted this had a little more alcohol than I am accustomed to in burgundy. I guessed right at 13.5%. Not so much to be a drawback, but it is notable. All in all a lovely red burgundy that should age nicely and gain in complexity. (91 pts.)