Delicious, savoury, soft with nice acid line on finish. Wonderful mid week drink that is good to go today.
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2001 Nikolaihof Riesling IM Weingebirge last night at the restaurant at Nikolaihof. A tad old in the bones, could have used some more acid, but a fun ride and no-brainer at their back vintage list prices.
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2017 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino
First try of this vintage. Needed two hours of air, opens up nicely. Lovely dark cherries and some oak. Tannins not too harsh. Seems like an earlier drinking vintage than the two that preceded it, enjoy while waiting for the ‘15s and ‘16s.
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Very nice. I’m not a big Brunello guy, but back in 2017 a friend gave me a bottle of the 1997 vintage. It was superb!
'21 Championship Bottle Hard Promises Pinot Blanc:
Not as acidic as previous years but plenty of cut with lemon and lime. Had some nice honey suckle notes in the nose and a freshly dumped truckload of gravel. Most noticeable on the taste was some funk from 18 months on the lees. It was a good funk
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I’m in Trentino right now. Family vacation, no time for wine hobbying so i get what i can…
Got a bottle of Rotari Alpe Regis tonight:
Not much time to reflect on it but it showed decent balance, a little shy on fruit and rather short. It did the job with pizza in a nice outdoor setting but i wouldn’t look for more.
Yesterday was Teroldego with a bad food pairing:
Red berries, freshness, tartness, lacking on the mid-palate and finish. Ok.
I also got convinced to buy a bottle of Dorigati Luigi 2018 at a price that was clearly too high. But considering my wife was trying to convince me to buy it… i figured pigs could fly and i had to commemorate the moment.
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Is ‘vin de garde’ French for ‘poor man’s Gonon’?
Perhaps that’s the Gonon style, when it shuts down, it REALLY shuts down, comes out angry if you woke it too soon, a la the 2010 St Joseph
2019 Mayacamas Chardonnay
375ml bottle. A modern, mineral style with plenty of acidity and not much oak. Ripe apples, not much in the way of buttery or nutty flavours. Somewhat short on length. A slight trace of cork issue so the next one might be better. Needs food, bachalao was a great match.
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2014 Clos des Briords
Almost a cliche, but worth repeating…mineral-stone backbone with lime-more-than-lemon citrus, herbal, briny as a tide pool, energetic almost electric.
“Yeah” good!
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How’d you hold a ‘14 this long?!
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I broke a mag of 13 last fall. My only casualty so far…
Sounds great - last night out of curiosity I tried a 2020 with another Muscadet, Bel Abord 2021 by the Lieubeau family. It wasn’t really fair since 2021 was not made in the same conditions as 2020, but the result was interesting. The Bel Abord (which costs the same as the Briords here) had a little more volume and attractive pear flavours, the Briords had more salinity and energy. They were both great but the Briords was a little more compelling.
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2003 Chateau Musar
Dark red/garnet/blood color. Touch of developed brown on the rim.
Developed slightly raisiny nose with soy, fig, wizened red berries, balsamic, iron/blood, hint of tobacco, cedarwood, touch of lift from menthol and star anise, and some green pyrazines.
Palate is ripe and fully developed with bright red fruit, blackberries, some meaty notes and savory herbs
Long finish, complex, somewhat sweet, medium+ acidity, cherries and red fruit. Tannins are still grippy but clearly slowly resolving.
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I have a single bottle of this. Drink soon or hold? Thanks.
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Still in Trentino. We went to Verona for lunch but back in Arco for dinner. It’s our last night in Arco so we figured the kids could stay up a little later and we did a good restaurant.
Good meal and amazing (seriously amazing) service at Vitis Lounge Winery. They provided above and beyond service to us with the kids. Much love.
I’m a big fan of Ar.Pe.Pe but beyond them my Valtellina knowledge is limited. Tonight:
Caven La Priora 2010
Nicely perfumed nose, roses, tar, some plum, very inviting. The palate is all umami up front with nice acidity and red fruits bringing up the mid palate and lovely finish on orange rind. Just lovely and delicate. No decant but large Riedel Superleggero stems.
The meal was great with tempura shrimps with Bonito flakes and umeboshi gastrique for the kids starter. I had beef tartare with mustard mayo and my wife, confit leeks with béarnaise. Main was gnocchi with basil pesto for my wife and youngest, spaghetti alle vongole for my oldest and i had this amazing braised rabbit with carrots and rabbit liver mousse that was killer. The Valtellina was on point.
Before dessert, i had a lovely Vino Santo from the region:
I think it’s Nosiola and Chardonnay, Somm said 20% Chard. Amber colored, insane nose of walnuts, raisins, dried apricots, dried figs, honey and caramel. Nice acid line, lots of freshness, too easy to drink. Lovely.
After a nice local Grappa (7 years in oak) that was all velvety and gourmandise, the Somm brought my oldest and I downstairs to check out the cellar. My wife and youngest had to go back to the hotel (God bless her heart, sacred woman that I adore). We spoke of Teroldego and although he approved of the Dorigati Luigi I bought, he told me to get this:
The dude abides. I’ll get a couple.
Great meal. Awesome family night out. Life is good.
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2017 Benjamin Leroux Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Boudots
Outstanding! Starting to become mature, but there is still some primary fruit left. Vosne-like hedonistic luxury combined with the spicyness, structure and tannins of nuits st. george. Length is absolutely superb, impeccable balance and a level of acidity which makes this very exciting to follow in the future, granted that I can keep my hands off my remaining stash. Pairing it with chicken, peppersauce and chanterelles tonight brough tears to my eyes…
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It’s pretty developed but not even slightly on a downslope. Drink over next 10 years I’d say. If not longer than that.
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