Opened these four 2013 Oregon Pinot Noir bottles to take over to my friends’ home for turkey day dinner:
iOTA Pelos Sandberg Vineyard;
Patricia Green Cellars Olenik Vineyard (I believe Wadensvil Clone);
Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Coury Clone; and,
Goodfellow Family Cellars Whistling Ridge Vineyard.
This was a fun experience trying these four different 2013s together. Each was unique, and all four were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone over the course of the day/evening. All four were really expressive with lots going on right now. Decanted each right around 10 am and left the open decanters in the wine cellar, poured them back into their bottles around 2 pm (and had a small taste of each - about what’s in the wine glass pictured) and then took them over to the hosts’ home right around 2:30 pm. Then enjoyed them over the next eight hours.
Also, when I arrived I found my buddy Nick researching the 2018 Goodfellow Durant Chardonnay I gave him for his birthday a couple of weeks ago. He ended up opening it, along with one of his stashed 2016 Thevenet Bongrans. The contrast between those two white wines was quite something. I had a small glass of the Goodfellow and really liked it again (we had opened on this past summer and I liked that bottle too - I generally am not a white wine drinker). Those who were drinking the two whites loved both . . . and I think I may have managed to turn Nick onto Goodfellow Chards.
Great aromatics of apples and herbal tones. Feels a little lean on the palate, yellow apples, very good acidity, would go very well with food. The star quality is the length, feels like it lingers on forever, fading gracefully.
1995 Ch. Lafleur-Petrus. Sensational mature Pomerol. Silky velvety texture, a bit of earth but lots of ripe dark fruits and great bakance and length. An excellent example of a mature Pomerol at peak. Better that the 95 Clinet I had two weeks ago (and that was very good). This has everything.
2020 Labergorce drunk over two coravin sessions a month apart.
Needs more time to build definition, as it feels full, round, but kind of clumsy. Really tasty, but I can’t discern layers the way I expect. In short, delicious but hopefully some more time will realise more complexity.
Dr. Hermann Erdener Pralat Auslese Alte Reben GK 2017
109 Oechsle. Residual sugar 120.5g/L
It performs even better on Day 3. Sweet and ripe tropical fruit. (Dried) pineapple, (dried) peach, and some dried apricot. Some cream gradually disappeared with time. Concentrated aromas of honey. Some exotic spices.
Great acidity and structure. Big body. Precise and balanced. Very long finish. A excellent wine with high QPR.
Shy compared to Hermann. Lemon and acidic orange dominate. Apricot, pineapple, fruity peach. Also a bit honey and beeswax. Not as aromatic in the nose.
Taste is better than smell. Lively high acidity. Mid-bodied, moderate concentration. Tight and firm structure. Some mineral-like smoothness. A good wine, but compared with Hermann’s, it’s both less impressive and more expensive.
I’ve been accumulating these recent release Lurton wines, including those bargain '19 Ferriere. Would love to see Durfort-Vivens at the store linked above…
2014 Domaine Valette Mâcon-Chaintré Vieilles Vignes- France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Chaintré (25/11/2023)
Rich, oxidative in the old-school nutty style but with very good backbone and acidity. Agree with the sunny Macon fruit comment, definitely some warmth but the alcohol doesn’t protrude. Bit too natty for my taste. (90 pts.)
NV Adrien Renoir Champagne Grand Cru Le Terroir Extra Brut- France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (25/11/2023)
2019 base. Had a red-fruited, Pinot-dominated nose but palate had lip-puckering acidity that made me think Chardonnay. Needs more time to integrate unlike previous iterations that were more approachable. (90 pts.)
2005 Château Sénéjac- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc (25/11/2023)
Some structure left but fruit was fading. Tertiary, autumnal flavours dominated so drink up. (88 pts.)
2007 Prager Riesling Smaragd Klaus- Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (24/11/2023)
Was a little worried when I poured this, as it was golden in colour with barely any fruit. Thankfully pulled together with air, superb concentration and richness of fruit that gave an illusion of some sweetness. Steely acidity and minerality with crushed stones, but with an impressive power behind the tropical fruit. One of my favourite Austrian producers whose wines are always top of its class. (93 pts.)
NV Jerome Blin Champagne Cuvée Octave Extra Brut- France, Champagne (23/11/2023)
2017 base. Austere and tart fruit that gave a shrill impression. Preferred the basic La Varoce that I tried the other week that was more balanced. (88 pts.)
It’s the online portal for Randall’s Wines and Spirits, I believe, with stores in Illinois and Missouri. I haven’t cracked a bottle yet but received everything with a smooth transaction.
Still on a Guffens-Heynen kick. This one showed a little more '18 than the Tri de Chavigne, but still a compelling young drink. JMG sure packs some intensity into his wines. Wish they were a little cheaper. Ha, what else is new.
