Wine impressions 5-26-22
2020 Louis Michel, Chablis - classic village wine with just a hint of reduction; 3-6 months should make it perfect. And at about $30, still within reach.
2019 Barbacan, Rosso - Valtellina with acidity that gives a spritz impression. Other than that, mighty nice. I wonder if that will settle down?
2020 Vincent, Gamay - pure, bright and correct to the variety; it’s not Vissoux but it doesn’t cost like Vissoux either.
2013 Cowan Cellars, Pinot Noir Anderson Valley - darker and firmer than most AV Pinots I taste and could still use more bottle age. Not much development yet.
2017 Cowan Cellars, Ribolla Gialla - I stopped the malo on this and, at 5 years old, it is lively, typical and fresh. More Friuli than Russian River.
2018 Birichino, Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard - a case purchase each year and I see no reason to alter that habit. Superb, light red wine. Always delivers; reasonably priced.
2020 Jadot, Macon-Villages - solid, unoaked Chardonnay with some depth; available everywhere for under $15. Delicious.
2020 Jadot, Beaujolais-Villages - also inexpensive and available widely; lip smacking, Beaujolais with nuance. Yum.
2019 Vincent, Gamay Bjornson Vineyard - more depth and character than the regular Gamay with a firm structure. Needs time but has all the stuff to be excellent.
2019 Louis Michel, Chablis Forets - brilliant wine, trembling with energy, beautiful balance and length and the promise of much more, even though it is great wine now. Superb!
2019 Pieropan, Soave Calvarino - a wholly different animal from the front line Soave; single vineyard character, all stainless and so alive and complex. Outstanding wine.
2016 Casalino, Brunello - mellow and delicious, diaphanous delivery, subtle complexity, an Audrey Hepburn wine if there ever was one. So enjoyable.
2016 Pievascieta, Tuscan Blend - huge, volatile, extracted and not for me. Napa done poorly in Italy.
2012 Cowan Cellars, Pinot Noir Anderson Valley - open for biz; lots of crunchy cranberry fruit with good cut and balance, showing some complexity and miles of sustain. No hurry but drinking well.
2012 Cowan Cellars, Ribolla Gialla - skin-fermented yet showing almost no phenolic character on the nose; tangerine zest and brown spices, with good balance and no hint of a decade in bottle. Good stuff.
2016 Goodfellow, Pinot Noir Whistling Ridge - still a touch closed but showing deep, dark red fruit, satin texture and an integration and balance that is notable. ‘Will probably last and develop for many years. Thanks Jamie Goode.
2020 Clos Cibonne, Rose Tradition - very pale in color, not at all so in flavor. Perfectly ripe fruit, excellent balance and sufficient structure to go several years but be good anytime. Lovely wine.
2019 Extradimensional, After Midnight Light Red - a Hardy wine without doubt; lifted red fruit, silky texture, good nuance and nearly weightless. Bravo!
2018 Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie - still my favorite producer in Beaujolais working with my favorite vineyard. Slight stem quality which seems to brighten the fruit; rich, deep fruit that feels expansive in the mouth and good length. ‘Has many years ahead of it and is terrific now.
2018 Louis Michel, Chablis Montee de Tonnerre - time to put these in the back of the cellar as they are closing down. That doesn’t happen often with this producer but ‘18 made big, ripe wines and, despite early drinking being forward, they now need a rest.
2010 Cowan Cellars, Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - delicate, almost ethereal nose with a lightweight delivery and considerable complexity. At full song after a dozen years with no signs of fade. Feminine and charming.
2010 Cowan Cellars, Pinot Noir Bennett Valley - for the last 12 years, this has been an ugly duckling - too disjointed and earthy and kind of simple - now it has integrated, found some depth to its fruit and morphed it’s earth into nuance. Lighter in weight now but still more earth than the Sonoma Coast bottling mentioned above.
(Aside: one of the great lessons of my winemaking days is that my style and techniques made vin de garde. So many of my wines are so much better with a decade in bottle. Not good for selling young but very good for drinking old.)
2020 Desvignes, Morgon Javernieres - dense, worsted texture, miles deep Morgon that needs several years but I still like it now. No where near peak but, drunk with red meat, it’s a grand and masculine thing.
Best, Jim