Had the chance to check in on a few different wines over labor day. Somehow had the energy between a metal concert Friday, working open to close on Sat. And a few more hours on Sunday. Also saw the movie The Gamer and BOY did it suck.
On to the wines!
Went over to my friend Adam’s house for some cheeses and beef carpaccio.
2007 Balletto Gewurz - estate gewurz from Russian River Valley. never heard of these producers but got a free bottle for doing a wine judging a month ago. Lychee and spicy nose with a round mouthfeel. It was tasty but the Gewurz character was a little subdued.
2006 Domaine de Monthbourgeau l’etoile - a little gem from the Jura. Saline and nutty nose with hints of green apples and lemons. Subtle undertones of malt and walnuts. It was rich on the palate with bitter lees and orange peel. Not for everyone but I liked it. Oddly enough I didn’t care for it much the second day because it tasted oxidized?!!?! Not sure what it lost over the evening but I was a litle let down, I assumed it would stay the same for a while like other oxidized whites.
2005 Hillinger Pinot Noir - i like the Hillinger wines and my store carries the pinot noir, zwiegelt, and brut rose. first time with the pinot. it had a very deep and smoky nose with raspberry and blackberry. soft fruit and some late hitting acid on the finish. pretty tasty.
2004 barnett napa cabernet - (disclaimed, i used to work for the md wholesaler of barnett) deep color with minerals, some stank, plum, and mocha on the nose. soft fruit and ready to go, but has some mountain structure to age on. very well balanced
2003 carrefor cabernet franc - we had the owner of carrefor in my shop about 6 months ago and this was my favorite wine of their lineup though we didn’t but any. I was excited when my friend opened this up. huge nose with black cherry tobacco, smoke, and cherry. it was silky on the palate with milk chocolate and a sour cherry finish. very tasty, but i would have liked some green element to remind me that it is cab franc. either way it is damn tasty.
2005 freemark abbey napa cab - cedar and red and black fruits on the nose. elegant structure and mid weight. touch of mint on the palate and deepends with air. adam says it gets better over the next couple of days. pretty good value for balanced older-school napa.
mon morning i was awoken with a call telling me to get to work asap to drink some juice…OK!!
2000 montez champalimaud quinta do cotto grande escolha - never even heard of this stuff but WOW. Tinta Roriz and Touriga National dominate the blend. slight bricking with smoke, plums, a dark brooding nose. rich and spicy and concentrated on the palate with awesome balance, good acid, and an earthy finish. minutes later out comes cedar and tobacco. excellent wine, this bottle would be awesome to taste over the next 5-10 years. maybe more. very well made and a wonderful suprise.
1998 montelena estate - still deeply colored with cedar, eucaliptus, and spicy cherries. Very Bordeaux like with its brooding black fruits and tea flavors. Light tannins still on the finish with good acid. A very good showing.
I had to open something on the spot, so I looked into my stash at work and popped a…
2006 Vieux Telegraphe - very expressive aromatics, most I have had from a young VT. raspberry, licorice, cherry, herbs, tar, etc. Wow…Med to full bodied and complex already with good power hiding in the background, big tannin too.
Then I went home for a few hours and packed up to go to a friends house for a cook out…well it was raining, we will call it a cook in!
We worked on the Dom de Monthbourgeau and a Portugese rose. Then sat down to dinner with the rest of the 06 Vieux Telegraphe. 6 hours laterthat first tasted it was well integrated. It had shut down a little but still an insanely good showing for a young VT. I can’t wait to pop these in the future. This is my favorite CdP producer.
2003 Vieux Telegraphe - I had been poking around in my cellar the other day and decided to purge my last bottle since I don’t have much interest in Rhone 03. This bottle was better than my last with jammy cherry and raspberry flavors and some candied orange peel. Very sweet fruit and light structure. Decent acid but simple and a let down after the 06. Enjoyable, but I’m glad that was my last bottle.
2003 Joseph Swan Zin Stellwagen Vineyard - Smoky raspberry nose with mocha. It was huge and sweet on the palate with raspberry preserve flavors and a touch of alcohol heat. A gift from a friend a few weeks ago and I enjoyed it, though it was a little too fruity and sweet for my palate. Still fun to drink and enjoyable after the meal.