2009 Baudry, Chinon Rosé:
“A spring day, low humidity, clear skies, 70 degrees, sun warmed skin, a light breeze that has a slight chill to it; ‘hard to feel better than this” – crystalline flavors, vary pale, bone-dry, 13% alcohol, $18.25 delivered to your door – exquisite.
One more thing – it does not suffer by being at refrigerator temp.
2005 Michaud, Brouilly Prestige de Vielles Vignes:
This bottling can be brooding and austere – in this vintage it is focused and deep – well concentrated black fruit with some generosity, earthy accents and spice tones; firm but not hard structure, perfect balance. A controlled wine with polish and potential.
2007 Ridge, Lytton Springs:
14.4% alcohol; $20; 71% zin., 22% petite sirah, 7% carignan; oaky and disjointed nose; no real varietal markers in the mouth with a somewhat sour delivery, smooth texture and noticeable oak; sour and attenuated finish. Unimpressive on day one.
Day two: smoother and more integrated without the sourness but still too oaky and alcoholic for me – but then, zin. and petite sirah are not really my thing to begin with – not bad but not for me…
2006 Pazo de Arribi, Bierzo:
14% alcohol, $8 and 100% mencía; closed and funky at first with a sort of dirty wood smell – opens over time to cabernet type fruit aromas and accents of earthiness; the same in the mouth – really requires time open – becomes a simple but quaffable wine without artifice. At this price point, I’d stick with the Domino de Tares and Descendientes de J. Palacios bottlings – they would seem more reliable.
Day two: there is still something odd about the nose – it’s not just earthy but maybe a bit medicinal; the rest of the wine is more serious but the grip is taking over and it’s too weak at mid-palate to stay balanced. Not unpleasant but my first day’s impressions are borne out.
2005 Vincent Girardin, Gevrey-Chambertin VV:
13% alcohol; black fruit, soil and stones on the nose; compact on the palate with flavors that follow the nose, intense, balanced and long. Solid wine with some finesse and no oak noticeable. Very good with Ranch Gordo® Christmas limas with kale and egg. A surprise for me, as I am not usually a fan of this producer.
2002 Joël Taluau, St.-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil VV:
12.5% alcohol; completely shut down and really angry and nasty – Kay is right, do not touch.
Best, Jim