Didn’t get a post in for Feb (ch. 3) so playing a bit of catchup. All going to be lumped together.
JM Dreyer “Siggi” - Sylvaner, Alsace (2017)
Sublime.Though not one of his skin-contact wines, but still a unique expression which is what I’d come to expect from this producer. Aged for an extended time in a mix of barrel sizes, some topped up some not. After being blended back together at the end, the result is something with marvelous tension - fresh, yet subtly oxidized (in the pleasant Jura-type sense); acidic, yet rich; vibrant fruit against dried florals and citrus peel. A touch perlant. Just tremendously well rounded and profoundly enjoyable. Halfway through the first glass my wife asked me to buy a few more if we didn’t have extra bottles, which I happily obliged. $40
JM Dreyer “Origin” - Sylvaner, Alsace, France (2022)
The more “natural” style skin-contact cousin of the above. For more wild and volatile and lacked the cohesion that made the white-wine sing in compared to this orange. That said, it’s disappointing only by comparison. This was crunchy, citrusy, and just earthy enough to have some depth. Good structure without being heavy. $34
La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sherry
This has become a staple on the list at my favorite Thai restaurant and I’ve had multiple bottles there now. Not an obvious paring, but one that works very well. Crisp acidity and a good balance of savory, herbal, nutty, and dried fruit notes. A surprising culinary workhorse. $40 / 1L in restaurant
Domaine Sylvain Pataille “Bourgone Aligoté” - Burgundy, France (2022)
A wonderful expression of aligoté that captures the essence of what makes Burgundy such a beguiling region. Ripe fruit, vibrant acidity, pleasant minerality, and superb balance. My one complaint would be that it lacked the energy / depth to be truly interesting. $31
Wren Hop “Paper Heart” - Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, CA (2022)
An archetypal expression of big, rich California Chardonnay. 100% new oak, extreme levels of ripeness, etc. I’d dare my most wine-hipstery friends to say they don’t like it though. Lemon curd, peaches, oodles of brioche, honeysuckle, orange peel, baking spice, and a whiff of tropical fruit. Not something I want al the time, but sometimes it’s okay to be a bit slutty. $70
Envínate “Táganan blanco” - blend, Canary Islands, Spain (2019)
Pure citrus with a hint of nuttiness. An inane quantity of chalky saline minerality. Good stuff! $38
Olivier Cousin “Pur Breton” - Cabernet Franc, Loire, France (2021)
juicy cherries and plums, pleasantly chewy tannin, the very faintest whiff of barnyard, maybe some spicy notes, and then the perfect amount of pomegranate like tartness at the end. Rustic, raw, delicious. $29
Jean Foillard “Cote du Py” - Gamay, Beaujolais, France (2001 & 2021)
Clos Cibonne “Rosé Tradition” - Tibouren, Provence, France (2022)
A perennial favorite in our household. Wonderful full structure, tremendous balance of acidity and rich fruit flavors. Hints of savory nuts and herbs. A very pleasant and serious rosé that rewards some thought and is also happy to slide into the backdrop with a meal. $35
Matthaisson - Schioppettino, Napa Valley, California, USA (2020)
Lovely stuff served by a friend. Not sure I’ve ever had a Schioppettino varietal before. Almost like an inverse Gamay - oodles of earth and florals with a supporting cast of crunchy fruit. Well rounded pleasant stuff!
Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils “Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Corbeaux” - Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France (2015)
Friend helped his in-laws downsize and took a bunch of wine, this was in the mix there and we opened it. Tart ripe berries, tea-like botanicals, minerality, silky tannins, and a very length finish. Only got better as the night wore on.
Veuve Fourny & Fils, Champagne Fourny & Fils “Rosé de Saignee” - Pinot Noir, Champagne, France (NV)
Bursting with red berries and stony acidity. Concentrated and finely crafted, but lacking depth I found. If I had a cellar, I’d probably buy a few and forget about them for 5-10 years and see what happens. $100
Bistrøtage (Charles Dufour) “B.19” - Pinor Noir, Champagne, France
A really lovely copper colored champagne bursting with fruit and acidity and tempered by a tasteful oxidative style. It was good, but didn’t hit the same highs that I experience with the B.17 iteration which captured my imagination with its unfettered yet refined hedonism. Left disappointed truthfully, but still a good wine. $90
Domaine de Saint Pierre “Les Gaudrettes” - Pinot Noir, Jura, France (2022)
Peak glou glou. Ripe, crunchy berries, a hint of red florals like violet and rose, a tinge of earthy, mineral depth. Beautiful multifaceted acidity that has just enough VA to feel wild and energetic without ever being in your face or displeasing. Delicious, approachable, and well made. Yet for the price… I’ll be buying cru Beaujolais for the same occasions moving forward. $68
Bechtold “Comme un Rouge” - Pinot Gris, Alsace, France (2021)
A brooding expression of Pinot Gris from Engelberg, a Grand Cru. The fruitiness one expects from the grape is there, but beyond that I doubt there is much here that would help someone identify this varietal bottling correctly. The color is on the darker side of any rosé I’ve seen, reflecting the extended skin contact. A very botanical and mineral driven wine, good structure and round acidity. It certainly tastes wild, but not in a faulty way. My dad hated it, the rest of the table loved it. $32
Binner “Si Rose” - Gewurtztraminer & Pinot Gris, Alsace, France (multivintage)
Pretty simple rule in my house, I see Binner, I buy it. This exceptionally interesting and well made rosé is no exception. Made with a blend of vintages, one with more skin contact, another with less and then aged jointly in large old barrels. Beautifully integrated, wildly fruity, full bodied, great acidity, intensely botanical and aromatic. A rather wild zero/zero wine that, for my tastes, highlights what progressive (regressive?) natural wine making can bring to the table. $38
Pierre Mang “Les Voisons” - Chardonnay, Burgundy, France (2022)
This was a total dud for me. My wife refused to drink it, and I found it off putting enough to put a cork in it after a Glass and move onto something else. Wasn’t cork taint and didn’t behave like mouse. Based on the smell and effect I’d say some foul variant of reduction, borderline butyric, sulfuric, and putrid meaty flavors with insane VA to top it off. Underneath that was some beautiful honeyed fruit and floral notes, but tough to look past the off putting notes. A little less offensive on day 2. Day 3 quite a lot less offensive but overtly vinegary. Not sure what fault I just walked into here and not sure if I just don’t get along with this wine or if I got a bad bottle. But not eager to try again, especially at a $50 price point.
Les Dolomies “Les Combes” - Chardonnay, Jura, France (2022)
Bracing acidity, rich orchard fruits, some nutty salinity, a hint of vanilla and honey from the oak. Well rounded and energetic. Brings an interest and depth that exceeds most every Burgundy I’ve had up to double the price. $44
Clos de Rouge Gorge “L’Ubac Blanc” - Grenache Gris, Languedoc-Rousillon, France (2017)
A serious and elegant natural wine. Beguiling in its length, depth, and subtlety. I found it difficult to pin down a set of taste notes, but found myself getting lost in the nose and taste. A stony character, almost waxy texture, powerful, but not at all sweet, fruits. Lovely stuff, but more of an academic wine than an emotional one for me. $95
Rudolf Trossen “Madonna Purus” - Riesling, Mosel, Germany (2022)
It’s rare that I’m totally charmed by Riesling - I usually enjoy them more on an academic level than an emotional one if that makes any sense at all. This is different. Certainly the most “natural” Riesling I’ve had with a heavy dose of VA and a whiff of something that for lack of a better vocabulary I will have to just call funk. But it’s well integrated and energetic rather than detracting. Oodles citrus and pale stone fruits, bursting with bright acidity, and yet carrying a subtly yeasty character I don’t usually associate with Riesling. Smitten! ($60)
Houas Boukella “Iskar” - Chardonnay, Loire, France (2022)
Mousy. Chardonnay macerated for a few weeks in amphora before élevage. There was maybe something exciting happening underneath, but I couldn’t get past the mouse. $40
Damien Laureau “Le Bel Ouvrage” - Chenin Blanc, Loire, France (2020)
Beautiful apricot, sweet oranges, and lightly spiced peach pie filling. Mouth-filling juicy acidity and a lovely stony character on the finish.
Domaine Chêne “Mâcon Milly Lamartine” - Burgundy, France (2013)
What happens when you take a very entry-level Burg and let it sit for longer than advisable? In this case something pretty nice surprisingly! Bought it on secondary market as a cheap experiment into what oxidized Burgundy should look like, but turns out it wasn’t faulty at all. Rich golden color, powerful aromas of spiced, honeyed, overripe apples and very little else going on. A useful teaching example of what tertiary development does to fruit in chard but very much a one-note wine lacking depth and length. Still, a fun experiment and shocking it wasn’t worse off! ($18)
Decoy - Pinot Noir, California (2022)
Ever been somewhere where someone else picks first and you can’t just order a beer (literally wasn’t an option, I tried). This was bad, but at least not horribly offensive. I drank several glasses and it stained my mouth purple. Eww.
Stoneleigh - Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (does it matter?)
See above, but actually totally inoffensive. Can’t be bad because it just didn’t taste like much at all. Pour this over some ice and add some Topo Chico and a lemon wedge and I might really like it.
Wines this installment: 29
Wines to date: 65
Chapter 2
Chapter 1
It’s now been four months since I’ve started contemplating wine more seriously - I can already see some evolution in my tastes and approach. While my fling with “natural” wine is anything but over, I am far less tolerant of faults than I once was. The wines that capture my imagination the most have tension - whether it’s between sweet fruited flavor & piercing acidity, huge concentration & refined balance, or any other of combination of seemingly contradictory things. When wines manage to exhibit and balance that tension well, I tend to be a very happy camper. I also seem to spent most of my time drinking French wines, which while not a bad thing per se, I think is due to a relative degree of comfort (and availability) with that country relative to something like Italy. Also, like all hobbies, price creep is real. What once was a somewhat splurgy feeling purchase is now something I’d pop the cork on without thought. Going to have to be mindful of limiting that from going further over the coming months.