Just doing catch-up after a couple of weeks. I will admit that I took a bit of a wine vacation after the 109 wines at WineFest.
2007 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
I got to this quite late at WineFest and wanted to try a bottle with proper aeration–and share at least one of the wines with my friends in Ottawa. This showed much better, with lively crisp apple and lemon and what I think is a tiny nip of mint in the nuzzie. To taste, this has length and a sweetish lemon base but with a tinge of spiciness and a dab of clotted cream feel at the back of the midpalate. It went quite well with Indian lamb with yellow curry.
We also had a Gruner that my friend Boris provided—Gruner is the wine that the chef whose recipe I worked off of suggests for his lamb popsicles dish and it was an excellent match. Apologies that I don’t remember particulars, though I’m pretty sure it was a 2012.
2003 Jean-Paul Brun L’Ancien Beaujolais
I don’t drink much Beauj period, but this was a fine treat to try something with a little age on it. This nevertheless impresses me as plenty fresh and young with cranberry, raspberry and a definite juicy quality on the palate. It would be worth letting one go another decade to see if there was any change in character, but this remained for me easy drinking and rather likeable in its fashion. With some air, some more complexity did begin to show, with herbs and a bit of forest floor.
2013 Zaccagnini Oltre Passo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
My friend Daun first sampled me on this some months ago and my eyes opened quite wide—wide enough for me to purchase a case of this stuff, and I don’t purchase cases of anything as a rule. My first from that case was almost picture perfect replication—tremendous verve and red fruit likeability, with some plums added on the palate and a fine, fresh yet round feel. At C$20, I have no problem serving and drinking this to anyone at anytime.
2012 Domaine Bott Geyl Schoenenbourg Riesling
Extremely aromatic with pear, apple and some quince, I think. To taste, it has some of the laser focus that I’ve begun to associate with this house, but in this case, it works a little at cross-purposes right now with the very vibrant honeysuckle-laced apple and star fruit. If you open one now, I’d actually advise decanting it for a couple hours, as near the end of the pours, things seemed to settle some. What it really needs is 3 years in bottle at least.
2011 Moss Wood Amy’s Meritage
I didn’t check closely, but Cab, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Shiraz was the blend I think, with Cab in ascendancy. My friend Andrea likes her reds mouthfilling and rich, and this fits the bill. Not a lot of acid or spine, there is enough to support what is being presented, which is chock-full of plums, a touch of chocolate and red cherries. Decent but no more for me.
Kwa Heri,
Mike