TN: Some New/Unusual Wines...(long/boring)

WINE TALK
1

We tried last night (4/16/14) Some New Wines:

  1. JeanPerrier et Fils AC: Savoie Chignin Bergeron (CuveeGastronomie; 100% Roussanne; 12.5%) 2011: Light gold
    color; rather steely/mineral/stony/chalky quite fragrant/floral/pineapple/appley/mango very perfumed nose;
    light very appley/baked appley/apple blossom/floral/Rouss rather mineral/chalky/stony bit lean/light flavor;
    med.long pineapple/mango/baked apple some stony/chalky rather light/elegant/racey finish; very lovely/
    perfumed Roussanne and fairly rich for a Savoie white; great value at $19.00 (CB)
  1. HerveSouhaut Dom.Romaneaux-Destezieit WW (12%; 90% Roussanne/10% Viognier; www.JennyAndFrancois.com;
    10 yr old vines just opposite the Hermitage hill/StJoseph) Arlebosc/Ardeche 2012    : Med.gold color; very strong
    Rouss/floral/honeyed/honeysuckle light peach slight earthy very aromatic nose; softer lusher/richer/textured
    honeyed/honeysuckle/floral/gardenia/Rouss slight earthy/stony flavor; very long ripe/lush/rich strong floral/
    gardenia/honeyed/honeysuckle/Rouss slight stony/earthy finish. $38.00 (BWM)
  1. RoyalTokaji Furmint MezesMalyVnyd DryTokajiWine (13.5%; 1592 btls) 2009: Light golden color; rather exotic/
    perfumed somewhat earthy/chalky/stony some honeyed/mead-like (botrytis?) very interesting nose; quite tart/
    stony/earthy very honeyed/mead-like bracing but lush quite exotic flavor; very long honeyed/mead-like/floral
    slightly coarse some earthy/chalky finish; has some of the earthy/coarse character of artisinal honey; a
    pretty exotic wine and probably the best dry Furmint I’ve tried. $35.00 (CB)
  1. Hatzidakis Nikteri Nyxtepi (15%; 100% Assyritko; www.hatzidakiswines.gr/en) Santorini/Greece 2009: Deep golden/
    amber color; very intense ripe/honeyed/insecticide almost passito-like quite perfumed/honeyed exotic nose; soft
    very rich/lush quite ripe/honeyed/loads of sweet/dried fruit almost (dry) passito-like very textured/creamy
    slight tangy/metallic very exotic flavor; very long/lingering soft/rich/lush ripe/honeyed/dried mango almost
    Auslese-like (but dry) finish; some like a dry passito; incredible stuff at a great price. $24.40 (CB)
  1. WindGap PinotGris WindsorOaksVnyd/ChalkHill (12 1/2%; 10 brls/233 cs; #355; 100% skin-frmtd; 45+ days
    extended maceration) 2012    : Deep gold/amber slight burnished bronze/pinkish color; rather phenolic/orangey/
    earthy/Kansas hay mow/savory light floral/spicy complex nose; somewhat tangy/tannic rather phenolic/earthy/
    haymow slight floral/spicy rather dry/austere/savory flavor; very long/lingering rather phenolic/savory/earthy/
    dusty haymow slight spicy/floral/orangey quite savory/austere/tangy/rather tannic finish; doesn’t offer up a lot
    of hedonistic pleasure but quite an interesting/savory skin-contact white. $32.00
  1. AlaverdiMonasteryCellar Rkatsiteli Dry Unfltrd Amber Wine (13%; #447; www.since1011.com/en/) Kakheti/Georgia
    2010    : Very dark golden/amber/burnished bronze/slight brownish color; very strong honeyed/phenolic/bit oloroso
    sherry-like/slight oxidized some earthy/orangey slight smoked hot dogs rather exotic nose; very tart rather
    tannic/bitter bit orangey/honeyed some oxidized/oloroso sherry-like very dry/austere very savory/smokey flavor;
    very long quite dry/austere/tangy/bitter very savory finish much like a dry oloroso sherry; more of an
    intellectual pleasure than a sensual pleasure. $24.30 (CB)
  1. JeanPerrier et Fils AC: Savoie Mondeuse (CuveeGastronimie; 12%) 2010: Med.color; very peppery/cold-climate bit
    herbal/rosemary/thyme/musky some plummy/black cherry/spicy lovely/classic Savoie Mondeuse nose w/ less earthy
    character than most; tart/lean/austere very cold-climate/black pepper some herbal/rosemary/musky slight plummy/
    black cherries flavor w/ some bitey tannins; very long tart/tangy/austere quite cold-climate/black pepper some
    bing cherries/plummy slight earthy/mineral finish w/ light angular/bitey tannins; one of the better Savoie
    Mondeuses. $17.00 (CB)
  1. Lagier-Meredith Mondeuse MtVeeder/NapaVlly (40 cs; 14.8%) 2010: Very dark color; very strong blackberry/Syrah-
    like/boysenberry/black cherry/ripe some herbal/rosemary light toasty/oak lovely nose; fairly tart intense
    blackberry/boysenberry/black cherry/some Syrah-like rather herbal/rosemary/musky light toasty/oak very exotic
    flavor w/ some hard/structured tannins; very long/lingering intense blackberry/plummy/licorice/boysenberry
    some herbal/musky/rosemary finish w/ big/structured tannins; one of the best Mondeuses I’ve had. $42.00
  1. JacquesPuffeney Trousseau AC: Arbois Cuvee LesBarangeres (13%; MeBalP; www.MadRose.com) Montigny-Les-
    Arsures 2011    : Rather light red color; rather earthy/dusty slight cherry/Pinotish/spicy fairly perfumed slight
    herbal/rootcellar/haymow interesting nose; light/lean/austere quite earthy/dusty bit herbal/root cellar rather
    delicate/earthy/Pinot-like slight cherry flavor w/ light/bitey tannins; med.long tart/lean quite earthy/dusty/
    root cellar/mineral slight funky/haymow slight cherry/Pinotish delicate/elegant finishw/ light/bitey tannins;
    pretty classic example of Arbois Trousseau. $45.00 (BWM)
  1. Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Trousseau Singulier AC: Arbois (13%; www.stephane-tissot.com; Planted:
    1930-2002) 2011    : Med.light color; much stronger cherry/black cherry/griottes (always wanted to throw out that
    term in a TN like all the Monktown attourneys)/cherry pie some earthy/dusty/loamy interesting/complex nose; tart
    but bit softer/richer griottes/cherry pie/black cherry/Pinotish slight funky/earthy/dusty/loamy flavor w/ light/
    delicate tannins; very long light earthy/graphite/dusty/loamy strong black cherry/cherry pie finish w/ light
    modest tannins; lots of pretty cherry character stacked on a delicate/elegant framework. $38.50 (CB)
  1. VIE Syrah LasMadresVnyd/Carneros/SonomaCnty (Clobe 174/300; 14.4%; www.VieWinery.com) 2006: Dark color w/
    slight bricking; strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy/blueberry strong black olive/tapenade light toasty/oak fairly
    complex/older Syrah nose; slightly tart strong blueberry/Syrah/blackberry some black olive/tapenade/peppery/
    spicy light toasty/oak bit earthy flavor w/ light/drying/astringent tannins; very long strong blueberry/blackerry/
    Syrah very spicy light toasty/oak finish w/ light/astringent tannins; a classic LasMadres Syrah that’s at
    its peak or slightly beyond and starting to dry out a bit; beautiful mature Syrah.

And yet another tedious BloodyPulpit:

  1. HerveSouhaut: I’ve been very/very impressed by the wines from this producer. They are a bit on the pricey side,
    but maybe worth it. His vnyds lie right across the river from the HermitageHill. Some are in the StJoseph AC,
    some are just outside, as I presume this one is. He also makes, from those same vnyds, some very old vine
    Gamay that is a most compelling wine.
  1. Many of these were from my recently arrived stash of wines from DarrellCorti. Some rathe exotic wines.
  1. Alaverdi: This qvervi-frmtd/qvervi-aged Georgian wine was one of the best ones of that genre I’ve tried.
    Many of them are so aldehydic in character that they’re painful to drink. This one had quite not gone
    that far. Still…a face only a Mother…or sweet Alice…could love.
  1. JeanPerrier: This was my experience w/ this Savoie producer. I was very favorably impressed. Not sure what the
    CuveeGastronimie indicates, but would guess a special batch or selection by the importer.
  1. Mondeuse: Two extraordinary Mondeuses these were. When I first had the L-M '10 Mondeuse, I thought the fruit
    was so intense that it resembled their Syrah more than a Mondeuse. With a yr’s age, it is starting to show a
    lot more of the herbal side of the grape. The '11, which we had several months ago, from a yr in which ripening
    the Mondeuse was tough, had a lot more herbal/rosemary/musky character then this '10. It was thoroughly trashed
    in Parker’s review, given a 74, because of it’s underripe/herbal character. He, of course, totally nailed
    that one…'cept he got the number wrong.
  1. Trousseau: An interesting variety in the Jura that seems to remind me more of a earthy/Pinot than anything.
    Of these two, I somewhat preferred the Tissot. They also remind me of AltoAdige Schiava and PetiteRouge.
    TrousseauGris is more common in Calif where there are some old-vine vnyds that contain it, under its old
    name of GrayRiesling. It has sorta become the darling grape for those making skin-contact whites and orange
    wines that the hip Somms go ape-$hit over. Some of them a pretty interesting (the wines…not the Somms).
    Tom
2

Tom,

I remember drinking that Dry Furmint (I think perhaps an earlier vintage). It was just as you described. I’ve had pretty good luck with Darrell’s selections over the last 10 years or so.

3

Well…yes & no, Greg. Darrell has a pretty unusual selection of wines…kinda of all over the place. He has some really good values oftentimes…and then
some that are ridiculously priced (like the recent $90 pre-phylloxera Romarantin). He has some pretty mainstream wines and then some that are way out there
on the weird scale. He’s big on the Georgian wines…many of which don’t move me. But, whatever you get, the’ll always be “interesting”.
Tom

4

Herve Souhaut makes a stunning syrah as well. Very lifted, acidic, light fruit style. Garagiste sells these every year and they are a buy - usually right around $20.

5

Wish we could get more good Savoies up here, thanks for these notes Tom.

Have you found a California-based Pinot Gris that has wowed you? I’m merely curious.

Lovely and interesting notes on the Mondeuses.

Mike

6

I’ve been wowed by a few, Mike. If you consider Alsatian PG to be the GoldStandard…than no. But of that style (standard destem & crush & ferment),
I’d say the Forlorn-Hope KirschemannVnyd/Lodi '12 was easily the best. Not very reminiscent of Alsace, but a pretty exotic PG…and from Lodi
no less. Of those in that (pseudo-) Alsace style, there’s a lot of very good Riesling/Gruner coming out of SantaBarbara, but I’ve not seen a PG that
truly wowed me. But it will happen.
Many of the Calif PG’s are being made as a skin-contact white, but not in an oxidative fashion. Some of them have been pretty interesting/good…
with “pretty interesting” not being a code-word for “not very good”. And the BigTableFarm WillametteVlly PG, made w/ skin contact, was mighty fine.
I think Calif should not (necessarily) be looking to Alsace for their model for PG. I would suggest that Friuli/Slovenia would be a better place to look.
But probably Alsace has to be considered the gold standard.
Tom

7

Yup, Tom…I’ve had the basic Syrah. Truly wonderful expression of Syrah. And the StJoseph as well…one of the best wines
from that AC. And the Gamay is truly exceptional.
Tom

8

I do understand what you’re saying about “pretty interesting”, Tom, and those are wines I’m definitely willing to spend money on to try.

For me, yes, Alsace is usually where I’m looking as the standardbearer, but I love me some good Oregonian and BC Pinot Gris too. I just wondered if California was a touch too warm, even in the mountains, to make the variety work.

Had a Carlisle Gruner recently that was quite enjoyable, if very different from my concept of (Austrian) Gruner.

9

Oftentimes, Mike, people will use “interesting” in describing a wine that is different/unusual, but that they don’t really like, but feel necessary
to say something “nice” about the wine. I find myself sometimes doing that as well. But I try to use that term to describe a wine (like many skin-contact whites)
that engages my mind/intellect (what there is left of that!!) but not nessarly has that “wow” factor…that’s not sensually attractive.

I don’t think that Calif is too warm to grow good/great Riesling/PG/GWT, depending where you choose to grow it. My sense is that there are plenty of sites in
Calif that are definitely cooler than in Alsace. The big problem in Calif is marketing/selling those wines. Devotees of Alsatian versions are (usually) not going to
give a second thought to a Calif version.

Glad you got a chance to try Mike’s GV. I think it’s a GV that can stand toe-to-toe to many Federspeil/Smaragd from Austria. It has wonderful
aromatics, but not that peppery character that is the hallmark of Austria. But he’s getting there, I think.
Tom

10

Hum, yes. My TN from about a month ago.

2011 Carlisle Gruner Veltliner

One of 3 that Jay brought for us, I had declaimed to the group that any Carlisle is a good Carlisle. We had a lot of fun tracking the evolution of this wine over the night. Jay and I both agree that we miss the white pepper that we both always look for in Gruner. Nevertheless, there is some minerality, touches of herbs (would say thyme if pressed) and lemon accents in the bouquet. And it presents very pure on the palate, has some zip to it, but not over-acidic at all. An eminently drinkable wine, it went quite well with my tilapia in spicy tamarind sauce.