Anticipation, discoveries, & frustration in Waltham

“It’s been far too long” I usually find myself saying that, or something close to that when I make it back down into the greater Boston area to see Doug Schulman (a forum member) & his family. It’s fun to catch up with his wife & see how the boys have grown (it gets easier & easier to understand them as they continue to add to & evolve their vocabulary). No matter how long it is, there is always a long list of wines I want to share with Doug, Ara, and some of the others that frequently show up for these small gatherings. I have to say…the anticipation of these gatherings is always exciting. Trying to figure out what I want to open, share, and how lucky I feel to get to taste with people that have their knowledge and insight.

Almost all the wines were served blind initially then after we had our calls we did the show & tell. Tonight was humbling in the blinds for me. Having said that, we had a great time and for only 3 of us…it was an embarrassment of riches & generosity that hurt my liver.


2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc - This was in such a lovely space…for my palate this was the best of the 3 bottles that I bought. The nerve & cut of youth was starting to round and meld into a beautifully balanced wine. Drink now or continue to hold. For me, I’d have a hard time not opening another bottle this weekend…if I had one.
2017 Emrich-Schönleber Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs - This one got me. There was something in this wine that really screamed of chalk & slate that I usually pick up in Alsace Grand Crus.
2019 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes - This did not make it into the fridge initially, but once chilled it was something special. I’ve never had an aged one of these that I liked, but this was so unique. Scents of Juicy Fruit bubble gum are what I remember mostly…but the palate had body without being cloying and the length on the finish was long…long…long.

Blind Champagne #1 (still a mystery…)
Blind Champagne #2 2012 José Michel & Fils Champagne Special Club
Blind Champagne #3 2000 Drappier Champagne Grande Sendrée - Rich, and clearly the oldest of the three blind Champagnes. A wine that suffers sitting beside #2 but would be a joy on its own.

Blind Red #1 2019 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Champans (375ml)- WTF? This was possibly the biggest disappointment of the night. It behaved like a hot messs strait outta Paso Robles. This was one of my contributions and I can’t begin to share how shocked everyone else was when I showed them this bottle.

Blind Red #2 2017 Fattoria Poggio di Sotto Rosso di Montalcino (perfect with our Pizza break) - This is yet another lovely bottle that reminds me how special these wines really are. Balanced, with good acidity, and a freshness of fruit and did I say balanced?

Blind Red #3 2019 Bitouzet-Prieur Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes - This was more clearly Pinot Noir, but had most folks guessing Central Otago rather than Burgundy. I’m guessing that the warmth of the vintage and this being early in it’s life are both playing into this. Here’s to hoping that another 10-15 years changes things a bit.


I think after this we dug into the 2015 Barolos that were the idea behind this gathering.

2015 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - This was my first go with this vintage, but was quite promising. I have to say every time I have these wines I’m more and more impressed by this producer. The tannin is quite present, and I would guess this is about to shut down…but tonight it’s lovely.

2015 Massolino Barolo Margheria - Corked…bummer

2015 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Brea Vigna Ca’mia - This was nice, but lacking in the complexity and depth of the other two Brovia wines. I’m not sure that I’m a fan of this wine in these groupings…but I’m pretty sure I’d be very happy to be drinking this if it’s the only bottle opened.

2015 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Villero - This (for me) is always the most elegant of the Brovia wines. I love how accessible they are in their youth, and how long the finish is. I’m not sure that I’ve ever had a Brovia Villero that was ever shut-down.

2015 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Rocche di Castiglione - Rich & robust, the proverbial iron fist in the velvet glove.

2015 Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione - This had a level of depth & complexity that is difficult to capture in words. It seemed to have an endless well of scents and flavors that continually shifted & evolved. I’m not sure it’s worth 3-4x the price of the Brovia wine. They were so close in quality level & complexity.

We ended the Barolo tasting with the two RdC (Vietti & Brovia) & the Villero. Those three stood head & shoulders above all the bottles.

After this…it gets a bit fuzzy about the order but I’m pretty sure we went to them in this order

2018 Dirty and Rowdy Mourvèdre Cuvée Herve - These wines always stump me. I love them, but never know how to call them. I wish I had bought more of these when they were available.

2012 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Montjolys - This was quite rich and reminded us of Egly-Ouriet in style, which was a real shock. I’m curious to see how this will change with time…I still think I prefer the Chetillons.

2019 Henri Costal Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons - This was nice, but I’ve had others that I enjoy more and cost less.

I’ve never had much luck opening young Angerville; 07s are only just now starting to drink well.

Great notes. I love the 2015 Bricco delle Viole.

Thanks for the great notes, Kirk. I was thrilled to meet Doug for the first time a few weeks ago. He brought a blueberry wine from Maine that stumped all of us at the table. As good as all the wines from Pierre-Yves are, I think 2014 is his high-water mark so far.

I’ve had a few of those Beaucastels and it’s really hard to peg whether young-old makes a difference. I really do think there are just good bottles and not-so-good bottles and I’ve had both. When good, it is really outstanding.

The D’Angerville note is indeed worrisome. No chance it could have performed “off” because of the half-bottle format?

Haere Ra

Mike

Okay, from memory, so grains of salt.

2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc was excellent, exactly what I expect from PYCM. I wish I had bought so many '14s while they were available.

I can’t imagine the 2019 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Champans (375ml) ever tasting like Burgundy. It was so ridiculously ripe and extracted. I have no experience with these wines, but I’ve tasted a lot of young Burgundy, and this was one of the least typical for the region, and especially for Volnay, that I can remember. Mike, I can’t imagine the format had anything to do with this.

'17 Poggio di Sotto Rosso was beautiful. I usually think these need time, but this was fantastic, especially as it got some air. Super classic, and better than a heck of a lot of Brunellos.

I really have nothing to add to Kirk’s notes on the Barolos.

2012 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Montjolys was very ripe and concentrated for Péters. It reminded us of Egly-Ouriet. That’s in no way a criticism, but it wasn’t what we expected. I think I prefer Chétillons. It will be interesting to compare the two bottlings once they have some age on them. This was a great Champagne, just a different style than I had anticipated.

Next time I make it back to Boston we’ll need to get together. I’ll also need another blueberry wine fix :japanese_ogre:

Please get in touch when you do!

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I’m actually partial to 13 PYCM; I’ve found 14s to be tight in some cases.

The winery is closed now…what’s out there is all that’s left. deadhorse

I’ve heard there may be some Blueberry wines from Oregon that are worth seeking out though. [thumbs-up.gif]