Tasting Notes 14 found

I know there are some opinions about the 2018 vintage in Piemonte being less than ideal. And while there may be some truth to that sentiment, great producers managed to make beautiful, classic wines. Massolino falls into that category. In 2018, they decided to forgo bottling their individual crus and instead, focused their best fruit from Margheria, Parafada, Parussi, and the great Vigna Rionda into their “classico”. The results were phenomenal. The wine is beautifully perfumed with ripe, dark and red fruits along with all the roses and tar you expect. It’s the structure, however, that’s most impressive at this point in its youth. The tannins are big, as is the acid, suggesting this will have a long life. I expect this will be winning well past 2038. That being said, it is already enjoyable now. (2855 views)

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As far as I know, this is the first time trying Chateau de Naly’s which was purchased by Guigal a half dozen years or so ago. However, they have a history of private labeling some of their wines so I guess it could have happened before. A friend brought a bottle of the 2016 to enjoy together so, as the beer drinkers would say, I was happy to get this tick. Popped and poured; no formal notes. This wine is, like many producers, riding shamelessly on the quality of the 2016 vintage. Red and black fruited: slightly stewed brambles, some herbs…some spice…hints of leather. Structure is pretty darned good but again, that’s what one should expect from 2016. For me, this was pretty much a fastball right down the center of the plate. It’s a good wine but nothing that’s going to really stir the soul. It will be interesting to learn what plans Guigal has in store for this historic estate. Drinking well enough right now and should track well through the end of this decade. Paired great with braised short ribs (1789 views)

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I met up with a buddy who is a huge Napa guy. It’s what he knows and to his credit, he has great knowledge of producers and has good taste. We decided to grab a bite at Buvette and he asked if I would pick out the bottle. He said he trusted my judgment, so I walked over to the Rhone wall and noticed the 2019 Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph. Knowing the style, I figured it would touch some of the things he would be familiar with, particularly right now in its youth.

Popped and poured; no formal notes. The 2019 S-J pours a deep purple color that stains the glass. On the nose, the wine is fresh and redolent of ripe black fruits and some blue fruits: blackberries and other dark brambly fruits along with some blueberries. The non-fruits were also there: beautiful purple flowers, black pepper, rocky minerals and some lovely vanilla and baking spices. On the palate, the wine was big, full-bodied and had great structure, nearing that medium+ range across the board. The acid is fantastic and the finish was long and savory. It’s easy to draw comparisons between Chave and Gonon as anymore, they share a similar price point and both are known leaders in the appellation. From my perspective, the Chave S-J comes across a bit more focused on the fruit, floral and spice characteristics while the Gonon S-J highlights the bacon fat and rotundone. Otherwise, both are excellent examples. FWIW, my buddy loved the wine (chalk one up for the Old World!) and it was an excellent pairing with our braised short ribs. Drink now to enjoy its youth or enjoy through 2034+. (2985 views)

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This bottle was consumed over three days and was fairly consistent throughout. The 2021 RTW “Lodi” pours a ruby color with a transparent core, moving towards fuchsia/magenta on the edge and a slightly watery rim. No signs of particles. Medium viscosity with very light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is of moderate intensity with a mix of black and red fruits: predominantly blackberries and strawberries that are mostly bruised with some red and purple flowers, fresh basil and sort of crushed gravel and sand aggregate mix. On the palate the wine is dry with medium- tannin and medium+ acid. Alcohol is medium and the finish is medium. Overall impression: this is a wine of freshness and balance and a tremendously versatile red wine for food. 25 barrels produced from a blend of 3 varieties from 3 vineyards in 3 equal parts. Cinsault from the Bechthold Vineyard (planted in 1886), Carignane from Spenker Ranch (planted in 1900) and Zinfandel from Kirschenmann Vineyard (planted in 1915 & Teagan’s home ranch in Victor). Drink now but can hold for several years easy. (1382 views)

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Popped and poured to celebrate a personal achievement because we often don’t celebrate the little things enough, right? As a longtime fan of the Champagnes by Paul Dethune, the Cuvée Prestige “Princess des Thunes” pours a brilliant golden color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, loads of brioche and lightly toasted croissant, lemon bar, meringue, raspberries, Marcona almonds, honeysuckle and chalky minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry. Acid is medium+. Confirming the notes from the nose. The texture is creamy, with an almost oily character as it warms, giving this a rich, almost round impression of the fruit. No doubt the generous addition of reserve wines going back the last four plus decades contributes to this richness. The low dosage acts like a bustier giving a very appealing, sexy lift.

This is a really lovely 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with 70% of the blend coming from the base vintage (unknown). The other 30% of this cuvée comes from a solera of 34hl oak tuns with vintages going back to the 1970’s. Super delicious stuff that was finished all too quickly. Disgorged in March of 2021. (1502 views)

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Brought from my cellar to a friends house and paired with our dinner of burgers and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. Popped and poured; consumed within about 90 minutes. The 2017 Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon pours a deep ruby color with a translucent, but near opaque core and only a small sign of sediment. Viscosity is medium+ and there is moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is intense: expressive of cassis, black and red bramble fruit, tobacco, green pepper, baking spices, espresso, and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry and there is pretty significant structure, which I would place at medium+. The fruits and non-fruits are confirmed. Finish is long and comforting; like a warm blanket on a cool night. To my palate, the 2017 Cabernet is just entering its early drinking window. It's showing really well on the pop and pour with everything in deft balance. It's worth noting that this was consumed after enjoying a bottle of Christopher Tynan's "L'Enclume de Velours" and while that is a very nice wine in its own right, the Rafanelli really showed its pedigree. These should drink well over the next 10-15 years. (1702 views)

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Popped and poured. Presented double-blind; no formal notes. There’s a nice mix of red and dark fruits. Some light staining to the glass. The attack was slightly sweet and there’s quite a bit of structure. I was definitely in Italy…but was it Nebbiolo or Sangiovese? I felt the acid sort of took precedence over the tannin. Between that and the slight bit of vanilla and baking spice, this had me leaning Sangiovese-based blend from Toscano; from a modern producer. So I called that: IGT Super Tuscan from 2013. Welp…it was Pio Cesare's Barolo “Ornato”, 2010. One of those reminders to me: if you don’t drink this style of Barolo, it’s hard to call it blind. Anyway, I thought this was a nice wine but didn’t give me the feels that I want and frankly, with such great land like the Ornato MGA in a classic vintage like 2010, I just want more from this. Perhaps I’m being too critical. Perhaps this needs more time? Drink now with patience or drink through 2035…it could probably go longer. (1294 views)

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Cascina Ornato is located in the southern portion of Serralunga d’Alba, right along the ridge. The elevation is higher here and the Ornato MGA falls to the west and south from there. Ornato is nearly a monopole for Pio Cesare would it not be for a couple of parcels that are controlled by Palladino. This bottle of the 1982 was generously provided from the cellar of a good friend; it was opened and enjoyed over two days. On Day 1, half the bottle was poured into a decanter and served immediately. The color was a slightly hazy garnet with an orange rim. On the nose and the palate, the wine came across rather tired. It wasn’t dead…and it definitely wasn’t vinegar, it just was...a bit dull. Since there were other wines open that were showing very well, we let it sit. At the end of the night, we poured what was left back into the bottle and I elected to take it home; hoping that it might wake up overnight. On Day 2, the wine had transformed. The color had deepened and everything had brightened up! The nose is loaded with tar, desiccated red fruits, sweet pipe tobacco accompanied by porchini, forest floor and dried, cracked leather ball glove…like after pitching 6 innings of baseball in the middle of July (IYKYK). On the palate, the wine is dry with surprisingly vigorous structure! The tannins are more pronounced than they were the day before and there’s also great acid to give everything a buoyant lift and some youthful energy. The fruit and non-fruit notes from the nose are confirmed with an added element of red rope licorice. Somehow, this is younger today than it was yesterday. At forty years old, this bottle clearly needed time to stretch its legs. Drink now with several hours of air but remarkably well-cellared examples could last for many more years. An illuminating experience in so many ways!

Something worth noting: Pio Cesare did not begin bottling single-cru Barolo “Oranato” until 1985. Curiously, this bottle was labeled “Vino da Tavola del Piemonte”. I reached out to Pio Cesare in hopes of getting some additional information and they were very kind to share some helpful detail. It turns out this bottling was an idea from their former importer, Terlato, with grapes for this wine sourced by Cascina Ornato. It was a traditional blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera! A long time ago they had a small amount of Barbera planted there. Now, Ornato is more or less 100% Nebbiolo. The “Vino da Tavola del Piemonte” was a sort of predecessor to the “Langhe Rosso” designation since there were not many appellations back in those days. The more you know! (221 views)

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Brought from my cellar and opened just before dinner at Casa Bovina where it was decanted with the expectation that it would be paired with our “Della Terre” course of duck and our “Bistecca” course of Certified Piedmontese rib cap. In the glass, the 2005 Luigi Baudana, “Baudana” pours a gorgeous, almost youthful garnet with a transparent core. On the nose, oooof…be still my beating heart! Cherries, strawberries, and blackberries with tar, truffles, roses and earth. I could just sit and sniff this for hours; my God it is absolutely divine! On the palate, the wine is bone dry and the tannins are well integrated now; acid at medium+. The finish is long and silky. What a gorgeous, elegant example of the 2005 vintage that comes across as Burgundian as any I’ve had from Serralunga d’Alba. This is drinking well now and will continue to do so well past 2030 but unless you have a bunch of this in your cellar, why wait?

It should be noted that Luigi was still responsible for the winemaking back in 2005. Just a few years later, the Vajra family took over and they continue to carry on the tradition and spirit of this small, traditional producer as Luigi and Fiorina have since retired and have no heir. The Baudana’s holdings lie on opposite ends of the Baudana MGA. Production remains minuscule; maybe 300 cases a year. (585 views)

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My last bottle of 2018 Zinfandel from Sandlands. The wine pours a deep ruby color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears and no signs of sediment. On the nose, blue and black fruits with baking spices. On the palate, the fruits and non-fruits are confirmed though the fruits come across slightly desiccated and there is a dash of black pepper. Medium- tannin and medium acid. Long ass finish. I love how these wines show off what Lodi is capable of. Drinking really well now; drink through 2028. (1259 views)

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Popped and poured, consumed over the course of a few hours. The 2020 Carignane from Sandlands pours a deep ruby/magenta color with a translucent core. Medium viscosity with very light staining of the tears. On the nose, raspberries, licorice, and the smell of wet asphalt on a warm day. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium, bordering medium+ acid; confirming the fruit and non-fruit character on the nose. The finish is medium+ with loads of minerals. The words “fresh” and “pure” are two words that come to mind; two words rarely associated Lodi and yet, here we are. Leave it to Teagan…just wow. The source of the fruit comes from an own-rooted vineyard in the Mokelumne River AVA that was planted 120 years ago…which is crazy. This drinks so well right now with some air. (744 views)

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Popped and poured. The 2018 Produttori del Barbaresco classico pours a garnet color with a transparent core; slightly orange around the rim. Medium+ viscosity with very light staining of a tears; no signs of sediment. On the nose, a mix of deep black and red fruits and wow…loads of tar. It’s bone dry, high tannin and medium+ acid. High alcohol. This is a tar bomb right now and the structure is absolutely monumental. The first time I drank the 2018 Nebbiolos from Piemonte, I thought they reminded me a lot of the 2010 vintage when it was young. And when I think about Produttori specifically, this bottle really reminds me of the way the 2010 drank around 5 years after vintage. Only time will tell if these follow a similar trajectory…but I suspect, yes. Drink now but expect a pile of tannin for at least the next 5-10 years and they should drink well for at least 20. (4915 views)

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The Jean Claude Dagueneau “Domaine des Berthiers” pours a straw color with a slightly watery rim; medium viscosity no signs of particle or gas. On the nose, #flint4dayz, grapefruit, tangerine, asparagus, lemon. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid; confirming the fruit and non-fruit characteristics. The texture is super creamy no-doubt due to lees. The finish is medium+. Drinking well now with a little air but would no doubt hold for 3-5 years with ease…but why? (251 views)

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It was fondue night so let’s drink some Beaujolais! This is my second time enjoying the 2021 Lapierre Morgan “S” and the first was enjoyed over the course of several days. With that first experience, there was positive evolution until the last glass. This time, I chose to pour into a decanter several hours prior to dinner. No formal notes but this exhibits a beautiful bouquet of raspberries, strawberries, pink flowers, herbs, stone minerals, and just a touch funky…reminding you of Lapierre’s natural sensibilities. Structure is medium…though acid kinda creeps up into the medium+ category. A wonderful pairing with fondue made with a 50/50 of Gruyere/Raclette and served in the Swiss style. Drink now with an extended decant or enjoy through 2031. (2792 views)

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