A follow-up to @AskoKassinen’s previous tasting, where we plowed through a bunch of Töövi Pinot Noirs which Asko had commissioned from Crushpad and Dogpatch WineWorks.
This time we had a somewhat different selection of wines: a few Rhône-inspired Töövi wines from California, plus a few Bordeaux whites commissioned from VINIV (aka. Château Lynch-Bages) and some WILIXL reds from Minervois-La Livinière.
The wines varied in quality to some degree, but I was glad that many of the wines I had tasted before had evolved in a good direction! Some of these wines had not been particularly impressive when I had tasted them early on, but most of them were performing much better now! Furthermore, unlike in the Töövi Pinot Noir tasting, none of the wines seemed to have aged prematurely or were showing any overt oxidative qualities - all the wines were still in a great shape!
We also had a magnum of Ribera del Duero to go with the food. I’m not usually a big fan of RdD wines - they are often too alcoholic and vinified with too much oak to be in my wheelhouse - but this turned out to be a surprisingly nice effort!
Classic Restaurant Carelia fare: steak tartare with crispy rustic fries.
And the lineup:
- 2015 VINIV Mysteri - France, Bordeaux, Graves (14.3.2024)
A wine made with Sauvignon Blanc (70%) and Sémillon (30%) from Graves region; vinified in Pauillac, Médoc, making this wine eligible only for an AOC Bordeaux appellation. Aged for 8 months in a neutral barrique and bottled in June 2016. Only some 280 bottles made. 13,5% alcohol. The label states 3,02 g/l acidity and pH 5,0, but to my understanding the wine is 5,0 g/l in acidity (if it's in sulfuric acid equivalent, that means it's 7,5 g/l in tartaric) and pH is 3,02.
Pale golden yellow color. The nose feels somewhat sweet-toned and nuanced with layered aromas of peachy stone fruit and creamy oak, some crunchy Golden Delicious apple tones, a little bit of developed nuttiness, light honeyed notes, a flinty hint of smoke, a touch of passion fruit and a woody whiff of savory oak spice. The wine feels crunchy, focused and acid-driven on the palate with a medium body and intense, dry flavors of golden currants and tart lemony citrus fruits, some creamy and even subtly buttery oak tones, a little bit of salty liquorice powder, light woody notes of savory oak, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of apple peel bitterness. The bright, incisive acidity lends great sense of energy and structure to the wine. The finish is dry, long and crunchy with a brisk, acid-driven aftertaste of tart Granny Smith apple, some creamy oak, light lemony citrus notes, a little bit of smoky minerality, light woody and vaguely toasty notes of savory oak, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of salty liquorice powder.
This was the fifth time I've tasted the wine and it has consistently been an excellent Bordeaux Blanc. It has evolved wonderfully from the ripe, estery - almost candied - wine it was in its youth into this brisk, mineral and acid-driven white that still comes across as surprisingly youthful for its age. I would've expected the wine to evolve into something more complex with age, but it seems the wine is just relatively youthful and still some distance away from its peak - I'm pretty sure this wine will continue to evolve and improve with additional aging. A really lovely wine, every single time - and this time was not an exception.
(93 points) - 2016 VINIV Mysteri - France, Bordeaux, Graves (14.3.2024)
A wine made with Sauvignon Blanc (80%) and Sémillon (20%) sourced from Graves region; vinified in Pauillac, Médoc, making this wine eligible only for an AOC Bordeaux appellation. Aged for 8 months in a neutral barrique of 3rd use and bottled in June 2017. 13,5% alcohol.
Pale, almost colorless whitish-green appearance. The nose feels noticeably Sauvignon Blanc-driven with heady notes of passion fruit and green currant, some crunchy Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of creamy oak, light green herby nuances, a hint of key lime and a floral touch of apple blossom. The wine feels dry, fresh and crunchy on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and somewhat Sauvignon Blanc-driven flavors of fresh peach and sweet Fuji apple, some crunchy golden currant tones, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, light creamy oak nuances, a mineral hint of wet rocks and a tart touch of passion fruit. The rather high acidity lends good sense of balance and harmony to the wine. The finish is long, dry and crunchy with an aftertaste of green currants and passion fruit, some ripe Fuji apple tones, a little bit of grassy greenness, light salty mineral notes, a woody hint of sawdust and a touch of creaminess.
Just like the 2015 vintage, this 2016 wasn't particularly impressive soon after release, but has come together pretty nicely since and is holding up remarkably well. Similarly to the 2015 vintage, the wine doesn't seem to age much - it just remains quite unchanged, year after another. I like the slightly lighter, drier and more acid-driven 2015 vintage more than this somewhat Sauvignon Blanc-driven vintage, but this isn't bad either. A pleasant, solid and enjoyable Bordeaux Blanc that is drinking nicely now, but is showing still some upside as well.
(91 points) - 2011 Crushpad Marsanne Töövi Saralee's Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (14.3.2024)
14,5% according to the front label, 13,9% alcohol according to the back label.
Pale, luminous lemon-yellow color. Rich, fragrant and somewhat evolved nose with aromas of ripe yellow fruits and creamy oak, some buttery tones, a little bit of crunchy nectarine, light toasty notes of nuttiness and custard pastries, a perfumed hint of orange blossom and a touch of apple jam. The wine feels quite ripe yet also enjoyably firm and proportionate on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of cantaloupe and red apple, some wood spice, light honeyed tones, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of creamy oak and a touch of floral character. The high acidity lends good sense of structure and freshness to the wine. The finish is fresh and lively with a long, rather dry aftertaste of cantaloupe and zesty lemon, some creamy and subtly buttery oak tones, a little bit of spicy red apple, light honeyed nuances, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of salinity.
This continues to be a very lovely Marsanne in every way, still coming across as relatively youthful for its age, but starting to show a little bit of development as well. The wine isn't a noticeably round and oily Marsanne, as the variety all too often can be, but instead a surprisingly fresh, brisk and mineral effort - yet retaining that distinctive Rhône-ish aroma profile. This is a fine wine already now, but most likely the wine will continue to evolve and improve for many years more. Terrific.
(92 points) - 2012 WILIXL Cuvée no. 2 - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc (14.3.2024)
A blend of Syrah (70%) and Grenache (30%) from Minervois-La Livinière. Aged in oak barrels for 12 months. 13% alcohol.
Moderately opaque and somewhat evolved blackish-red color. The nose feels spicy and dark-toned with aromas of dark forest fruits, some evolved notes of meat stew and game, a little bit of wild strawberry, light sweeter notes of wizened blackberries, a hint of earth and a touch of smoky rotie character. The wine feels surprisingly lively, focused and crunchy on the palate - not nearly as ripe as one would expect from a Languedoc red. The wine is medium in body with savory flavors of crunchy red plums and juicy blackberries, some gravelly mineral notes, a little bit of wild strawberry, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of tobacco and a funky touch of phenolic character. The wine is high in acidity with somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is dry and slightly grippy with a long aftertaste of brambly black raspberries and wild strawberries, some savory notes of meaty umami, light ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of gravelly minerality, a hint of earth and a touch of smoke.
A fresh, characterful and thoroughly attractive Minervois red. One might expect a red Rhône blend from Languedoc to be soft, sweet and supple, but this is a very well-crafted wine with good sense of balance and structure - I wish the GSM blends of Southern Rhône were as sophisticated and harmonious as this wine! Although the age is starting to show as an evolved, meaty character both in the nose and on the palate, the wine doesn't feel fully mature yet. It is drinking really well right now and it is approaching its apogee, but most likely the wine will continue to develop for at least a handful of years more. Fun and thoroughly enjoyable stuff.
(92 points) - 2012 WILIXL Cuvée No. 4 - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc (14.3.2024)
100% Carignan from Minervois-La Livinière. Aged for 12 months in neutral oak barrels. 13% alcohol.
Moderately opaque and somewhat evolved plummy red color. The nose feels dark-toned, sweetish and quite lactic with aromas of vanilla and quite pronounced creamy diacetyl, some cherry tones, a little bit of blueberry, light blackcurrant tones, a hint of prune juice and a touch of fresh red plum. The wine feels juicy, sinewy and a bit sweet-toned on the palate with a medium body and rich flavors of blueberries and vanilla, some ripe blackcurrant tones, a little bit of brambly raspberry and tart red plum, light oaky notes of sweet toasty spice, a hint of diacetyl and a touch of cocktail cherry. The wine does show good sense of structure with its high acidity and moderately grippy medium tannins. The finish is juicy, somewhat grippy and rather sweet-toned with rich flavors of blueberries and blackcurrant juice, some spicy oak tones, a little bit of fresh red plum, light vanilla tones, a hint of tobacco and a buttery or creamy touch of diacetyl.
This wine had turned a bit weird with age. I had tasted the wine some 4½ years ago and back then it seemed fresh and stern wine with a little bit of lactic MLF character. I had expected the wine to lose that lactic note with age, but instead the wine has developed a much more pronounced lactic streak, making the overall feel both quite creamy and rather sweet-toned and even somewhat marmalade with a quite noticeable diacetyl character. I feel there's still a very serious, crunchy and wonderfully structured wine underneath, but this had so much of that lactic diacetyl character that the wine was not even near what it was some years ago. I wonder if there is considerable bottle variation, or if the wine has just evolved into this kind of direction?
(87 points) - 2012 WILIXL Cuvée No. 3 - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc (14.3.2024)
Supposedly a 100% Syrah from Minervois-La Livinière, although the back label says the wine is a blend of Syrah (70%) and Grenache (30%). 13% alcohol.
Dark, deep and quite youthful blood-red color. The nose is that of a clean, fruit-driven Syrah with aromas of blackberries and blueberries, some gamey tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light brambly notes of raspberries and a hint of gravelly earth. The wine feels ripe, dry and quite savory on the palate with a moderately full body and vibrant flavors of blackberries and dark plums, some gamey notes of meat, a little bit of bilberry and fresh boysenberry, light peppery tones, a savory hint of umami and a touch of sweet oak spice. The overall feel is fresh and precise, thanks to the high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long, dry and moderately grippy with a balanced, vibrant aftertaste of blackberries and bilberries, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of dark plummy fruit, light peppery tones and a hint of wood spice.
A nice, balanced and classically styled Syrah. Starting to show some age, but not too much - most likely it will still take some years before the wine reaches its peak. The overall feel is maybe a bit more sunny and fruity compared to many of the traditional Northern Rhône Syrah wines, but for a Languedoc Syrah, this is a very harmonious and sophisticated effort. Pretty moreish stuff.
(92 points) - 2014 WILIXL Cuvée No. 6 - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc (14.3.2024)
100% Syrah from Minervois-La Livinière. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels. 14,5% alcohol.
Deep, dark and moderately opaque black cherry color with a faint purplish hue. The nose feels sweetish but also subtly funky with aromas of bilberries and blackcurrant jam, some leathery notes, a little bit of phenolic spice, light vanilla notes, a hint of prune juice, a touch of blueberry milkshake and a whiff of vanilla. The wine feels rich, a bit funky and slightly warm with a moderately full body and quite intense flavors of black raspberries, some funky notes of leather and Band-Aid, a little bit of ripe bilberry, light earthy tones, a bretty hint of barnyard and a touch of vanilla oak. The overall feel is quite firm with the moderately high acidity and ample yet supple medium tannins. The finish is somewhat grippy, a bit funky and slightly warm with a savory aftertaste of ripe dark berries, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of barnyardy brett, light spicy phenolic tones, a hint of brambly blackberry and a touch of smoky character.
This has constantly been my least favorite WILIXL Cuvée, as it has always been somewhat too ripe and oaky with toasty vanilla flavors and a bit jammy fruit. However, for some reason, this bottle has developed some charming funk that seems to have stripped a surprisingly big amount of that sweetness and glossy oak flavor away. There's still some sense of ripeness and oak for sure, but they don't stick out as badly as they have before. This was a quite nice one.
(90 points) - 2011 Crushpad Syrah Töövi White Hawk Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (14.3.2024)
100% Syrah from 11-yo vines in the White Hawk Vineyard, where the cool climate and high altitude counterpoint the softness that comes from the pure sandy soil of the vineyard. Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels (50% new). 14,7% alcohol.
Luminous, slightly translucent blackish-red color with a thin, pale rim. The nose feels ripe, sweet-toned and rather lush with aromas of sweet boysenberries and blackberries, some roasted meat notes, a little bit of peppery spice, light tobacco nuances, hints of juicy blueberry and ripe cherry and a touch of sweet oak spice. The wine is clean, ripe and juicy on the palate with a full body with quite fruit-driven flavors of boysenberries and bilberries, some more red-toned cherry and strawberry notes a little bit of dark plummy fruit, light nuances of crushed peppercorns, a hint of roasted meat and a touch of olive. The medium-plus acidity is a bit on the soft side, but fortunately the ample, moderately grippy medium-plus tannins lend some nice firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is juicy, quite warm and somewhat grippy with a long aftertaste of ripe dark fruits, some boysenberry tones, a little bit of woody oak spice, light red-toned notes of tart red plums and wild strawberries, a hint of fresh cherry and a touch of aromatic herbs.
A ripe and a bit soft but also pretty tasty and quite serious Syrah. Maybe the wine could use a bit more acidity and a bit less oak, but the overall style is nice and harmonious. However, I feel that the 2010 and 2008 vintages we tasted at the same time were much better iterations. Seeing how the wine is showing surprisingly little age, I can imagine it will age just fine for a good number of years more.
(89 points) - 2010 Crushpad Syrah Töövi White Hawk Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (14.3.2024)
100% Syrah from 10-yo vines in the White Hawk Vineyard, where the cool climate and high altitude counterpoint the softness that comes from the pure sandy soil of the vineyard. Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels (50% new). 14,7% alcohol.
Luminous, slightly translucent blackish-red color with a thin, pale rim. The nose feels wonderfully rich, nuanced and attractive with intense aromas of boysenberries and violets, some blackberry juice, light plummy tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light brambly notes of black raspberries, sweet hints of ripe bilberries and strawberries and a faint touch of sweet oak spice. The wine feels ripe and juicy yet savory and crunchy on the palate with a moderately full body and intense flavors of ripe bilberries, wild strawberries and boysenberries, some brambly notes of black raspberries, a little bit of peppery spice, light floral notes of violets, a savory hint of meaty umami and a touch of stony minerality. The overall feel is pretty firm and structured with the high acidity and quite grippy tannins. The finish is savory, juicy and moderately grippy with a long, layered aftertaste of bilberries and boysenberries, some floral notes of violets, a little bit of woody oak spice, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of crushed peppercorns and a touch of stony minerality.
A wonderfully harmonious, firm and structured Syrah that is in a great spot right now. The flavor profile feels quite fruit-forward and moderately ripe, but also showing enough non-fruit complexity along with good sense of structure making the wine have a rather Northern Rhône feel to it. I'm pretty sure this wine could perform just fine in a blind tasting of Hermitage or Cornas wines. Terrific stuff that will at least keep, if not evolve and improve, for many, many years more. Although I found the 2008 to be a bit better now, I wouldn't be surprised if this 2010 surpassed it in the longer run.
(93 points) - 2008 Crushpad Syrah Töövi White Hawk Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (14.3.2024)
Aged for 16 months in a French oak (50% new) barrel. Not fined or filtered prior to bottling. 14% alcohol.
Luminous, slightly translucent blackish-red color with a thin, pale rim. The nose feels sweetish, somewhat evolved and very attractive with layered aromas of ripe blackberries and wizened figs, some developed raisiny tones, a little bit of blueberry juice, light fragrant notes of dried flowers, spicy hints of allspice and crushed peppercorns, a touch of forest floor and a whiff of juicy boysenberries. The wine feels nuanced, harmonious and somewhat evolved on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of crunchy dark berries and cranberries, some tobacco, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light evolved notes of wizened figs and forest floor, a brambly hint of raspberry and a touch of saline minerality. The overall feel is firm yet silky with its high acidity and ripe, fine-grained medium tannins. The finish is dry, crunchy and somewhat grippy with a long aftertaste of ripe boysenberries and bilberries, some evolved notes of game and meaty umami, a little bit of tobacco, light sweet nuances of dried figs, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of forest floor.
An excellent, nuanced and beautifully evolved Syrah that is approaching its plateau of maturity or is on it now. The wine seemed quite similar to the magnum we taste couple of years ago, but that wine seemed still relatively youthful, whereas this wine seemed more evolved with quite a bit of emphasis on the meaty tertiary flavors. The wine has integrated almost all of its new oak aromatics and is all about evolved, savory Syrah fruit. Although the burly 2010 vintage that we tasted alongside this wine might end up being even more impressive with enough age, this wine is more complex and rewarding at this moment - and probably as good as it is going to get. Terrific stuff, highly recommended.
(94 points) - 2012 Bodegas de los Rios Prieto Ribera del Duero Prios Maximus Crianza - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (14.3.2024)
100% Tempranillo. Aged for 14 months in French and American oak barrels. 14% alcohol. Tasted from a magnum.
Deep, rather opaque and somewhat evolved blackish-red color with a maroon hue. The nose feels sweet-toned, somewhat evolved and quite nuanced with aromas of ripe figs and bilberries, some leathery tones, a little bit of vanilla oak, light strawberry notes, a hint of dark plummy fruit, a touch of tobacco and a whiff of cinnamon. The wine feels ripe, warm and chewy on the palate with a full body and quite intense flavors of ripe figs and savory spices, some leathery tones, light evolved notes of mushroomy umami, a little bit of dark plummy fruit, a hint of vanilla and a touch of cedar. The wine shows good sense of balance and structure with its rather high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is firm, rather tightly-knit and a bit warm with a long, intense aftertaste of ripe dark plums, some evolved notes of wizened figs and meaty umami, a little bit of leather, light vanilla tones, a hint of strawberry and a touch of tobacco.
A surprisingly fresh and serious effort in its genre, although the wine does show those sweet oaky tones, ripe fruit and high alcohol that are so typical of Ribera del Duero. The wine still manages to come across as pretty balanced and thoroughly enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the firm, structure-driven overall feel here. Although the wine is starting to exhibit some evolved qualities, the overall feel isn't particularly tertiary yet and I'm sure the wine will continue to keep and evolve for a good number of years more - at least in a magnum format. All in all, a positive surprise.
(90 points)
Posted from CellarTracker