Had a 2019 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva at a restaurant tonight. It will be very good someday but I wouldn’t open one for the next five years.
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Nice chops on those Dungeness crabs… 
Coravin-enabled three-way comparison with grilled King salmon. It was a two somewhat faded bruisers versus a beauty from the challenging 2021 vintage.
2015 Odoul-Coquard Chambolle-Musigny 1er Baudes
Nose of rubber and funk.
On the palate, Pinot funky, quite ripe dark berry fruit meets plums and figs. Touch of salty wood, rubber and leather, biggish. 14% alcohol.
This bottle tastes advanced for it’s age tonight, perhaps a reflection of the solar 15’ vintage or bottle variation. (Bought on release, stored at 55F etc, etc). Drink up!
2014 Big Table Farm Earth, 13.8% Alc.
14’ was the first in a string of challengingly hot OR vintages after 13’. This bottle was very ripe and plummy, low acid, low tannin. I am a big fan of BTG’s wines but this particular bottle was past its prime I think.
That said, the whole cluster maven in our house preferred it hands down.
When I tasted both the 15’ Odoul and the 14’ Earth in 2019 I loved the balance of hedonistic ripe pleasure and welcome acid, but time has not been kind these two.
2021 Hudelot Noellat Bourgogne
Oh HELLO.
Balanced ripe strawberry/berry fruit. Low medium tannin and medium acid, bit of briar. 13% Alc.
Wow, this is delicious. Light on it’s feet and refreshing right now.
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Thanks Steve
I have 14 and 16 Big Table Earth. Maybe I should drink them. I really enjoy the wines. That being said, I went with a group to McMinnville last summer. Wanted to visit Big Table. The last visit a few years back was great My have times changed. Could not visit at the farm and they wanted each couple to buy a case to avoid tasting fees. Passed on the visit. Replaced with cellar time with Seth Morgen.
Hey @Vince_T I’m just catching up on this thread, would love to know how long you decanted, and whether you’d recommend opening or holding.
@Rich_K0rz_nk0 Which vintage? How was it?
Decanted for 5, and then drank over 5 - I think it’s worth drinking for pure deliciousness now but I’m going to hold my others for a while… 5 years min? here was my note:
- 2018 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Maus - USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District (1/12/2024)
After 3 dry weeks, I wanted something exciting to bring me back in, and this delivered. 5 hours in the decanter before the first real pour. Terrific, ripping acidity. Medium body, with bright crunchy fruit, far into the red spectrum, pomegranate, cranberry, redcurrant. Could be mistaken for a mountain zin texturally and with the spicy overtones to the zingy fruit, but with a coolness to the peppery aromatics and precision layering. Cedar, a hint of cassis and mint, a bit of cru Beaujolais-like cherry chapstick, crunchy mineral-tinged dirt, with ultra-fine tannins and a gossamer suaveness on the long, sweet-and-savory finish. Really does not feel like a cab at this stage, especially not Napa cab, although the sweetness and purity of the fruit is possibly a tell-tale that this wine was grown in the CA sunshine. Continues to crescendo over 5 hours. 94-95 for pure deliciousness, but quite a chameleon right now, and I’d love to see where this settles down to in a decade. (95 points)
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Great note. You make it sound pretty tempting now.
Decisions, decisions….
I don’t mind buying a case in order to taste there; like the wines and its one of my favorites as a place to taste and walk around, meeting Claire’s many animals…
the animals are great… We were three couples and I could not obligate every one to a case.
We had already bought Morgen Long X Omni, Beaux Freres, Antica Terra Walter Scott and Soter. Tapped out and worn out
Bought three 2016’s on auction. Received them today and the fill looked a bit low on all three based on how young they are… So I decided to taste one right away. Pulled the cork and it was pretty soaked through. On top of everything this is a low sulfites wine (around 30-40 mg/l), so my hopes were slim.
But sometimes you are lucky. Fresh as a daisy. Explosive nose! Such a delicate beautiful expression of Syrah. Based on this bottle I would expect it to easily go another 10 years. But as they have clearly not been stored perfectly I am not sure if I should just enjoy them now or roll the dice and hope for true magic down the road. The potential for true magic is there…
Thanks again to @Otto_Forsberg and @IlkkaL for introducing me to these.
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30-40 mg/l is plenty! Have a couple of perfectly stored 2016s left, planning to open one at age 10ish probably. Really happy to hear that you were able to source some and enjoyed it like we have.
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Spending a few days in Alicante, these bobal wines are quite variable. This one has some slightly raisened fruit, but good acidity and an enjoyable mouthful of flavour.
I think every single bottle of Dujac I have ever had has been wonderful. 2012 MSD is no different. Although on the young side it is so expressive and delicious and balanced. This is a really really good villages wine
Brodie
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Taille Aux Loups Clos Michet:
I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this wine. It’s got noticeable oak, which is not something I am used to tasting in Chenin nor particularly convinced it needs, but I wouldn’t say necessarily this was a mistake. The oak gives it a really nice texture, and a sense of opulence, and its presence doesn’t negate the rather regal elegance. It does, however, see a diminution of its Chenin character. I am ultimately not sure how much that matters. I may really like this if I can suspend my beliefs about how Touraine Chenin should taste.
Edit: Yeah, this is gorgeous. Typicity be damned, this is akin to drinking 1er cru Mersault.
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Not familiar with this producer and it’s very young with plenty of fruit but this is balanced with bright acidity! A simple pleasure.
How was this, found some 2011 UTW Chard and a single 2012 Zin.