Aside from some Taittinger Brut Millésime 2014 for courses of…
…white asparagus…
…and uni orzo,…
…these for…
…a shared platter of côte de veau…
…and pan-seared French quail.
…white asparagus…
…and uni orzo,…
…these for…
…a shared platter of côte de veau…
…and pan-seared French quail.
5 Likes
Been there ! 
Away for a few days with family for spring break and brought along a few odds and ends, didn’t have the bandwidth for detailed notes:
Ridge Estate Chardonnay 2020 - Prominent vanilla scent which dissipated quickly, lemon verbena as well. Solid effort but nothing remarkable.
Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Estate Sonoma Coast 2013 - I used to buy a fair amount of KB in the mid to late aughts, I’m down to 3 or 4 bottles. This one has no noticeable bricking, aroma of fig compote. The only thing that comes to mind when I drink this is Port, not Pinot. Maybe I held on to this too long. Interesting to come back to a producer after such a long break and struggle to find what you saw in them to begin with.
Schiavenza Barolo Serralunga d’Alba 2008 - I don’t have much experience with Barolo but this bottle delivers every time. Love what I get when this is in my glass: just want to keep taking in the aromas, and the palate lives up to the promise. It feels like this wine still has places to go.
La Serena Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 - A solid BdM, but other bottles of this have been better.
These were all preceded by bottles of Tercero Cinsault and Mourvedre Rose and a grab bag of Sabelli-Frisch whites, all of them fun and tasty ways to transition from day to evening…
1 Like
I think 2012 is a mostly overlooked vintage in Burgundy, but I have been pleasantly surprised with the bottles that I have had. Last night was '12 Clos des Cortons and while this will never reach the highs of '10, it was drinking really well last night. Started off a bit reductive, but that blew off quickly showing black pepper, asian spice, black cherry, and licorice. Ready to drink and paired perfectly with roast chicken.
4 Likes
Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet 2019
I debated between “neutral” and “I like it”. The nose is very Pinot Noir but not necessarily Beaune: candied red berries and barely stemmy/herbaceous. The palate is silky, round with a little tanic grippiness on the finish. It’s a little too lush for what I was expecting and I’m not sure time will improve things on my end. Not what I was expecting but enjoyable for what it is and properly made. So, yeah, I guess I liked it.
2 Likes
This bottle (and the blanc) uses a percentage of declassified Clos de Mouches. Percents vary. I think it always outperforms.
2 Likes
Really liking this. According to Jasper Morris, 40% of the 2020 is declassified Clos des Mouches.
3 Likes
Delavenne Dom Basle
60% PN, 40% Chardonnay. Disgorged 11-10-2022. Dosage of 7g/l. No malo. Plenty of fruit. Decent depth and rather vinous. Almost full bodied with decent depth and a touch of bitterness on the finish.
2008 Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru Teurons
Perfect cork. Fresher than previous bottle. Clean and inviting nose with red berries, forest floor and oak spices. Nice evolution on the palate with slightly darker fruits, some cocoa and plenty of spices. Medium bodied with plenty of acidity. Good length but a little clipped at the end. Good balance between the fruit and the savory elements picked up from age. Very enjoyable bottle.
In Annecy tonight. 1 Michelin star at the hotel. I might be completely off but i feel like this Michelin star is in jeopardy…
I talked to the Somm and their allocations are being pulled. The food is either really good or, to my taste, off the mark. The bar was not happening either… only Champagne was Veuve btg. They couldn’t make a Moscow mule or old fashioned…
But enough 1st world bitching. I had the 2016 Belluard sparkling for a song! What distinctive nose and palate for this Gringet! I love it. My wife, not so much. There is an oxidative/bitter aspect that i feel plays really well with the mountain flowers that you get from it. My better half found it off-putting and i can see why it’s polarizing.
She had a glass of Eddy Morey Beaune (white) that was all makeup and fireworks. Wood and wood. Not a hit.
Edit: Went online to see how they were treated and apparently it’s 20% barriques neuves. It feels like more.
As for the menu, 6 services, some amazing hits and some less than amazing. But there is a story to be told: the chef plays on his youth in Arcachon and his current life in Annecy. All fish and seafood, no meat.
1 Like
Opened a 2020 Our Wines Pinot Noir from Berserker Day. No smoke are ashtray detected–not even a little (I didn’t want to revive that thread). I do get some whole cluster stemminess that seems to presents as a bit of oregano oil or bay leaves? Strawberries and red fruit–but a bit riper than many in Oregon. A bit hotter and leggy than the 13.5% on the bottle would suggest. Unmistakeable as Oregon pinot. Happy customer here.
1 Like
Ive absolutely loved the '12 LT and RC that I’ve had!
1 Like
Pinot blanc
1 Like
I don’t know if DRC is ever overlooked, hence the qualifier mostly. I was referring to producers a little further down the food chain.
Opened my 2nd bottle of @TBerkley Ophelia Cab Franc (from BerserkerDay 14) and really enjoying it. I will be suggesting Cab-Franc-Monster @Robert.A.Jr buy some next BerserkerDay. The cork ‘pops’ out each time (well, each of the two times I’ve opened it) so there’s some gas built up in there, but no fizzy aspect at all on the palate, even when immediately consumed. Dark fruited, bright yet chewy, loads of black cherry and minerals on this wine. Great buy.
5 Likes
A few of the many bottles last night with @bradkaplan tavern-style pies. We started with a flight of nice Austrians/
6 Likes
Tissot, Savagnin Ouillé, 2020.
New name, same cuvée.
Formerly known as Traminer.
As expected from this wine, it is all about various shades of lemon along with a very salty mineral note. It also has a nutty marzipan note. The fruit is a mix of apples and more tropical fruit. The fruit is more noticeable than in the 2016 I had multiple times, but it is well balanced with the dominating lemon notes. It currently has a slightly bitter note. The 14.5% ABV is well integrated and only becomes really noticeable as the wine reaches higher temperatures and it has more than enough acidity to keep it fresh.
It is a great wine now! It drinks better on day two currently and will drink better in a few years’ time. I will let my remaining bottles sleep for a while.
2 Likes
55% Chardonnay, 38.5% Pinot Noir, 6.5% Mareuil Rouge
Disgorged March 16th 2021
I’ll have to rebuy to taste it again as I only had a few sips of this. There seemed to be plenty of fruit in this and the acidity was not overwhelming. I’ll revisit soon.
Black fruits on the nose, along with some evolved notes of forest floor and earth. Medium body, good acidity, tanins are mostly integrated on this bottle though and don’t stand out. The savory profile stands out more on the palate. Drinks nicely and went very well with grilled pork chops and flageollets à la moutarde.
Very good. This seems in a very good place to drink. Ripe red berries and oak spices on the nose. The palate is nice and full, same ripe berries than on the nose, nice underlying acidity, fine tanins that are mostly integrated now. The mineral aspect comes through on the finish along with a hint of dark cacao.
