2001 Knoll Riesling, Wachau, Loibner, Ried Loibenberg, Smaragd ($31.99, 13.0%). Very dark bronze, full matured and then some, sort of metallic glow to it. The nose is shy at first, doughy, oil smoke and rubber, grapefruit, eventually more pineapple, passion fruit, mango, smells like it has given what its got. Full-bodied, the acidity is so-so to average so I’d consider it on the lethargic side. Fruit drying out but without a doubt still there. Doughy still. Citrus buoys it through the finish. Like it, don’t love it, drink up.
2021 Prima Materia Refosco, Lake County, Kelsey Bench ($40.00, 14.2%). Dark purple core with nice clarity, moderate width in the reddish magenta rims. The nose initially comes off as sluggish and reductive, mint and licorice percolate upwards, thick plum to currant fruit moves like in quicksand, more heavy cream texture, leather and sandy dirt, big if not bigger. In the mouth it’s full-bodied, duh, has a strong sour pucker which causes enough physical recoil to relieve some weight. Slabs of dark fruit. Tannin lays more heaviness on the palate. leathery as heck. Close to backward. All this said, I kind of like it and admire the rugged, chewy profile. Where’s the beef stew when I need it. (Composite Cork)
2022 NSO Wines Santa Ynez Valley, “Red Blend” ($25.00, 14.5%). Black purple core, completely impenetrable, thin crimson rims. Enough coconut cream notes to serve a thousand luaus, mint, caramel, plum to prune and cassis fruit scents, adds in some grill smoke, this is way over the top. Full-bodied, starts out velvety then when the clumpy tannin kicks in. On the green side, bell pepper. More plum, blackberry, boysenberry fruit. Really at a loss for words here. Not badly made but totally LCD. Like what Morgan used to call “Vintner’s Blend,” this is kinda a “tuition” wine. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc. (Composite Cork: Diam3)
2015 Gilles Berlioz Roussanne, Savoie, Vin de Savoie Chignin-Bergeron, “Les Filles” ($35.99, 12.5%). Bright brassy color, holds into the rims, well-layered. Nutty and slightly doughy nose, quite full yet nimble, fleshy apricot, nectarine, persimmon fruit, pushes forward like it owns you. Full-bodied, lacks acidity yet manages a decent flow. Almond to walnut nuttiness, orange and tangelo flavored citrus. The fruit is tangy with equally deep ripeness. Not all that advanced, to me likely to not develop much further. But pretty fine nonetheless.
1999 Eric Texier Syrah, Rhône, Hermitage ($59.99, 13.0%). Sunset red to orange, dulling some but clear, Sinewy, smoky nose, tarry, grilled cherries, minerally black earth, quite pungent. Medium-bodied, the tannin polished by time. Light brett. Does lose body by the finish. Otherwise it’s grippy, acidity provides pop. High-toned with a focus on leather, beef jerky, saltlick. Tart, cherry, blackberry fruit that turns more reddish over time. Hitting the high notes but not for much longer. [Decanted for two hours and consumed over hours.]
2019 Charles Hours Petit Manseng, Southwest France, Jurançon, Clos Uroulat ($32.99, 13.5%). Deep golden color, not quite bronzed, moderate shine as well as strength in the rims, some tartrate crystals floating about. Smoky nose, evokes images of salami and grill fat, tarragon, while concentrated the apricot to peach scents do not dominate, has lift for its weight. Full-bodied, layered as a late harvest wine should be for me. Sufficient acidity to move with some nimbleness if not exactly grace. The sweetness of the pear, apricot, pineapple, melon fruit resolves before the finish. More flint and cured meats. Long, long finish. I think of this as a versatile sweet wine, more a riper demi-sec style wine than, say, a Sauternes. Great cheese wine.
2000 Château Lafon-Rochet Bordeaux, Saint-Estèphe ($25.99, 13.0%). Broad crimson rims surround an aging purple core, nothing wrong with the clarity. Fluffy nose of cedar, leather, tobacco leaf and spiced orange peel, black currant to plum fruit, arguably still on the way up to peak. Medium-bodied, plenty of tannic structure with nice supporting acidity. Zesty, bright red cherry, raspberry flavors, more primary here than in the nose. Freshly cut tobacco. Minerally ending with a uptick in citrus. Can hold with the expectation of modest tertiary development. [Decanted for two hours and consumed over hours.] 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc.
2014 Louis Michel Chardonnay, Burgundy, Chablis, Grenouilles (13.0%). Darkening gold yet youthful, pools into the glass and shows strength at the rims. Floral nose, close to minty, slice of baked bread before a standard base of naval orange, apricot, yellow apple, pear fruit, clean and more round than bright in feel. Medium to full-bodied, has good cheek-to-cheek breadth. The lemon, grapefruit element pulses gently. Just more floral than doughy. Same set of orchard fruit. Squarish, full finish. I’d consider this at peak.
2023 Jean-Marc Burgaud Gamay Noir, Beaujolais, Morgon, Côte du Py ($26.99, 13.0%). Unblemished, glowing dark purple to magenta in hue, very full rims, palate staining stuff. Cornerstone of ash and tobacco to the nose, ripe plum, currant scents, very full, potpourri, spiced orange peel, unevolved, could be a barrel sample. Full-bodied, despite the dryness there’s noticeable sugariness in the fruit, grapey. A clove note grows in stature with each sip. Verges on evoking baked ham. More naval orange but loses the ash, dusty earth thing. Right now it’s just a fun sipper. Especially if you like cloves. Deserves a good chill to help slim it down.
2024 François Carrel & Fils Gamay Noir, Savoie, Vin de Savoie, Rosé ($13.99, 12.0%). Onion skin pink, lots of shine, pretty with a faint glow to it. The nose is full without being heavy, round strawberry, raspberry scents, grapefruit pith, chalky, flint, nothing green I can find, nice. Medium-bodied, wiry with just enough angularity to keep you guessing. Acidity strong, more blunt than deep cut. The fruit more woven into the whole here, greater emphasis on stone and earth related aspects. Lots of citrus, no floral accents. Had more muscle warmer so up to its purpose how to serve, better colder if on its own. Not glou-glou but pretty damn close, happy with it. (Composite Cork)
2023 Domaine des Geslet Cabernet Franc, Loire, Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil, “La Contrie” ($21.99, 13.5%). Vivid magenta-purple hues, stops short of opacity, full rims, buoyant appearance. Big, well-stuffed nose of cherry, black currant fruit, tobacco leaf, ash and bell pepper, the last not particularly distracting. Medium-bodied, soft and quickly soaks into the palate. This tannin present, however, it’s more of a belt than a straitjacket. Generous red fruits which swing into a tart snap at the end. Floral and spicy, more peppery in a general sense. Again, and I am not averse, the bell pepper element seems proportionate. Remains fleshy to the very end. While not at all complex it is a very satisfying everyday drop. (Synthetic Cork)
2018 Anne et Jean-François Ganevat Jura, Vin de France, “J’en veux encore!!!” ($39.99, 13.0%). Purplish core, more of a rust red throughout, strong rims, vague filminess. Upon opening no lack of merde, cement and tar in the nose, takes its sweet time resolving, threw it in a decanter and once it starts there’s strawberry, raspberry, apple fruit and pressed flowers, eventually feels delicate while the scents retain a semi-feral nature. Light-bodied, gripping acidic spine, very erect bearing. Fruit more forward here. Enough brett to keep it off-balance in a good way. Would stick with cement over stony. Wouldn’t say it has evolved over time to present something that different from its youth. Not sure it was supposed to, not really all that familiar with Ganevat. Just figured why not try and see. To those in the know this is probably a fastball down the middle of the plate. Unspecified percentages of Gamay, Pinot Gris d’Alsace.
2023 Julien Sunier Gamay Noir, Beaujolais, Morgon ($32.99, 13.0%). Dusky, saturated purple to scarlet, opaque while the liquid still appears clear enough when you can tell. Visceral thickness to the nose, blueberry, blackberry fruit comes off as darn ripe, black pepper, hint of clove, some ash towards the dissolve. In the mouth it’s full-bodied without being unnecessarily flabby. Fruit thick but not as sweet as expected, more tart cranberry, albeit get maraschino cherry or liqueur. Stony, less so earthy. More white grapefruit as it opens. On the tannic side, tight and dry finish. Structure should allow it to go some distance. Not sure any payoff would be worth it.
2002 A. Christmann Riesling, Pfalz, Königsbacher Idig, Trocken AP #29 ($51.99, 13.0%). Advanced bronze color diminishes at the rims, more dull than shiny, depth of hue impresses. Lively nose of pink grapefruit, tangerine, croissant, burning oil, and incredibly tropical mango, papaya, pineapple scents. Full-bodied and happily throws its weight around. Acidity shows blunt power. Smoky, minerally, salty foundation. The oiliness is toned down some, breadier at the finish. Same tropical fruit array. At the height of its powers.
2001 Paolo Bea Umbria, Montefalco, Vigna Pipparello, “Rosso Riserva” ($61.99, 13.5%). Filmy black-purple core, dull orangish clay rims, looks its age. Delicately volatile nose, fertile earth with a close to volcanic edge, leather, plum to roasted dark fruits, feels like a pregnant rains cloud in the nostrils. Medium-bodied, again the volatility gives it the right level of turbulence. Angular mixed berry to plum fruit of varying ripeness. More leather than Leatherface. Bores into the palate. I’d drink up. [Decanted for two hours and consumed over hours.] 60% Sangiovese, 25% Montepulciano, 15% Sagrantino.
2021 Weis Vineyards Finger Lakes, “Zweigelt & Petite Sirah” ($34.99, 12.5%). Clean, transparent light violet to more ruby, bright glass presence. The nose is light enough that the littlest thing throws it off kilter, generally red fruits with a thunderclap of creamy oak, touch herbaceous, searched for a long time but didn’t find anything else. Light to medium-bodied, same thing here as the oak stomps on anything in its path. Cranberry, blueberry, tart cherry fruit flavors. Here too herbaceous. Given the blend I can all but literally feel the nature of the two varieties pull in different directions. Zweigelt tries to spice it up while the Petite Sirah throws a heavy blanket over that. Never would have in a thousand years imagined such a blend so kudos for the attempt. 52% Zweigelt, 48% Petite Sirah. (Composite Cork: Diam10)
2022 Van Loggerenberg Cabernet Franc, South Africa, Stellenbosch, “Breton” ($29.99, 13.0%). Very dark purple core opaque, clearer crimson rims, fine clarity, sort of “imposing” look in the glass. Heavy nose, a “bruiser,” focused bell pepper punch, kindling wood smoke, tar, camphor, molasses, cassis to plum fruit scents, bell pepper accelerates as it opens. Full-bodied, comes in angularly then spreads broadly. Would consider it more acidic than tannic, neither particularly arch nor driving. Fruit here heading towards blueberry, boysenberry, cherry. As herbaceous as the nose intimates. Black pepper and more smokiness. Again, lively with more energy than direction. If it makes any sense it “feels” South African. Just has that mark, even knowing what it is beforehand. Like it, the “Breton” moniker ain’t halfway wrong.
2024 Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE) Rioja, Viña Real Rosado ($11.99, 13.0%). Bright pinkish cast, sort of a metallic sheen, fully transparent. Agreeable cherry and red berry nose, any citrus notes have to grapple with a whipped cream note, turns more herbaceous when warmer, while not that pleasant does help it retain punch. Light-bodied, dry and feels stretched out across the palate. Lemon and white grapefruit definitely dominant here, the red fruit full of tart pucker. Acidity can get screechy. Dryness impairs finish length. Never had a rosé from CVNE before and certainly cheap so decided why not, respect the producer. Basically it’s borderline serviceable. 70% Viura, 30% Tempranillo and Garnacha. (Screwcap)
