Wine impressions 10-3-26

WINE TALK
1

Wine impressions 10-3-26

2013 Cowan Cellars, Pinot Noir Anderson Valley - my preference is for more cut and a bit lighter weight, but this has a velvet texture and a fuller/softer delivery - even so, round flavors and scents of flowers and dirt accent black fruits, integrated structure with balance and good length. It has taken over a decade but this is becoming its own truth - should be interesting to see it in a few more years - and it will go another decade without diminishing.
Very good.

2022 Projecto Garnachas, Garnacha Salvaje del Mancayo - 14% abv; a well made, balanced wine with some complexity and integration, and while I don’t care for the alcohol, it is not intrusive. The best way for me to describe this is it’s a well made wine but I don’t like it - like if someone made a great coconut cake - it’s good cake but personally I don’t like the taste of coconut.
Good.

2023 Sandlands, Trousseau - 12.2% abv; light colored, light weight and right in my wheelhouse. Transparent, silken textures, fresh fruit and easy to drink. Just a joyful wine that I would be pleased to drink anytime.
Fine.

2019 Louis Michel, Chablis Forets -13% abv; for me Chablis has three distinctive markers: citrus, fruit, minerality; really good Chablis has each with balance and complexity; and really good aged Chablis shows development/change in this complexity along with a sort of an elemental background hum of earthiness.
This evening, this bottle gave me what some refer to as “the Burgundy experience.” I suppose what makes such moments worthy of that title is that they are memorable; you know that you won’t forget the wine.
It’s why we cellar great wines - to have these moments.
And tonight, this wine was memorable.

2024 Domaine Drouhin, Pinot Noir - (Oregon) 14.2% abv; comes out of the bottle as a big wine but slims down with air; mostly black fruit, satin texture, good structure and length. A pleasant drink without artifice and the alcohol isn’t showing.
Very good.

2011 Bouchard Pere & Fils, Le Corton - 13% abv; well this will sound odd - it smells like tannin - the overwhelming scent of pencil lead, I suppose, but nothing I’d step right up to taste; even so, there is some simple fruit, a fairly nice texture, no real complexity and the balance is tolerable. Not a bad wine but not one I want again.
Good.

Best, Jim

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Jim, I thought we picked your Pinot just a bit riper than you prefer. Farming sure isn’t an exact science! Cheers buddy.

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Maybe . . .
But it has been a joy to watch these wines change over the years. And even better, to see that they have lasted and developed.
I always thought the ‘13 was the best of the wines we made but it took a decade to show well.
‘Worth the wait, though . . .