Very good. Real nice start to the tasting. Very pale salmon in color - light for a rose. Very funky nose of mushroom, some orchard fruit and a hint of orange peel and cinnamon (very much like mulling spices). The orchard fruits dominate the palate, mainly in the form of baked apples, with the cinnamon playing heavy on the palate as well. Some bready/yeasty notes are present on the backend, which is quite pleasant. Very fine bead and a smooth mouthfeel. Medium plus finish. This comes off a bit like a cider and though I thoroughly enjoyed it, my main reason for buying this would be the party trick effect of disgorging it.
Outstanding. Very golden in color, almost like apple cider vinegar. Very fragrant nose of canned peaches, honey, almond and some flowers. There is a hint of the oxidative style on the nose, but it is not overbearing. I could smell this wine all day. Based on the nose, I was expecting a dessert wine and boy was I wrong. The stone fruits come alive on the palate with some beautiful acid. This wine has some serious structure and finishes very long, but not at all sweet like I expected from the nose. Revisited this after the tasting and the sweet almond was more prevalent with time in the glass. I think this would be a real crowd pleaser. Of the oxidative whites that I have had, this is more akin to a Lopez de Heredia than anything from Jura.
The first red of the tasting. Ruby red in color. The nose came across as a little simple at first glance with sweet red fruits dominating. Opened up with a little time in the glass and showed some lovely spice aspects and a little graphite. The wine is very soft and smooth in the mouth with the strawberry and spice notes dominating. The wine loses some serious points on the finish, which falls off a cliff. I didn't have quite the enthusiasm for this as others at the tasting did. And, after checking the price-point, this will be a pass for me.
Excellent. This wine was quite opaque in color. Very vegetal on the nose, ample pencil shavings and a little cassis as well. The pyrazines play a major role on the nose, which some may find off-putting. Huge attack on this wine, really hits you in the face with very pure cassis flavors and some dark cocoa powder. Tannins are fine but firm and clip the finish a little short. All in all a very nice wine that I would like to revisit in a few years.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Not sure it is really fair to judge this wine at this point in its life, but I'm going to anyway. Ruby red in color. The nose was very reticent at first, but after some coaxing a black cherry core came alive and gave up some licorice, tobacco and some really funky sandalwood notes as well. The palate is closed for business as the acids and tannins are way out of balance at this point. There is some underlying fruit there, but I have no experience with this producer to say if/when this thing will come together.
Excellent. Light red in color and crystal clear. This wine was much more hedonistic than other Le Vigne's that I have had and I am guessing that is due to the vintage. Sandrone certainly made the best of his fruit though. A nose full of rich fennel, some rose petal and a hint of truffle. The wine explodes on the palate, bright fruit coupled with deep licorice flavors and some tar. The wine finishes long. My problem here is that the wine has no sense of place. While certainly a pleasant quaff, it almost could have been from anywhere. Nowhere even close to the '93 that I had a few weeks ago.
Closed out the tasting with this one. It the bubbles actually served as a nice palate cleanser before revisiting all of the wines that were left in my glasses. Pale yellow in color. Nose full of stone fruits and pears with some white flowers as well. Extremely bright on the palate. Mouthwatering acids and a clean crisp finish. I could drink this stuff all day.
2002 Movia Puro Rose
Slovenia, Primorska, Goriška Brda
Very good. Real nice start to the tasting. Very pale salmon in color - light for a rose. Very funky nose of mushroom, some orchard fruit and a hint of orange peel and cinnamon (very much like mulling spices). The orchard fruits dominate the palate, mainly in the form of baked apples, with the cinnamon playing heavy on the palate as well. Some bready/yeasty notes are present on the backend, which is quite pleasant. Very fine bead and a smooth mouthfeel. Medium plus finish. This comes off a bit like a cider and though I thoroughly enjoyed it, my main reason for buying this would be the party trick effect of disgorging it.
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2007 Paolo Bea Santa Chiara
Italy, Umbria
Outstanding. Very golden in color, almost like apple cider vinegar. Very fragrant nose of canned peaches, honey, almond and some flowers. There is a hint of the oxidative style on the nose, but it is not overbearing. I could smell this wine all day. Based on the nose, I was expecting a dessert wine and boy was I wrong. The stone fruits come alive on the palate with some beautiful acid. This wine has some serious structure and finishes very long, but not at all sweet like I expected from the nose. Revisited this after the tasting and the sweet almond was more prevalent with time in the glass. I think this would be a real crowd pleaser. Of the oxidative whites that I have had, this is more akin to a Lopez de Heredia than anything from Jura.
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2005 Bruno Giacosa Barbera d'Alba Falletto di Serralunga
Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba
The first red of the tasting. Ruby red in color. The nose came across as a little simple at first glance with sweet red fruits dominating. Opened up with a little time in the glass and showed some lovely spice aspects and a little graphite. The wine is very soft and smooth in the mouth with the strawberry and spice notes dominating. The wine loses some serious points on the finish, which falls off a cliff. I didn't have quite the enthusiasm for this as others at the tasting did. And, after checking the price-point, this will be a pass for me.
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2007 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove
Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri
Excellent. This wine was quite opaque in color. Very vegetal on the nose, ample pencil shavings and a little cassis as well. The pyrazines play a major role on the nose, which some may find off-putting. Huge attack on this wine, really hits you in the face with very pure cassis flavors and some dark cocoa powder. Tannins are fine but firm and clip the finish a little short. All in all a very nice wine that I would like to revisit in a few years.
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2004 Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Not sure it is really fair to judge this wine at this point in its life, but I'm going to anyway. Ruby red in color. The nose was very reticent at first, but after some coaxing a black cherry core came alive and gave up some licorice, tobacco and some really funky sandalwood notes as well. The palate is closed for business as the acids and tannins are way out of balance at this point. There is some underlying fruit there, but I have no experience with this producer to say if/when this thing will come together.
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2003 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Excellent. Light red in color and crystal clear. This wine was much more hedonistic than other Le Vigne's that I have had and I am guessing that is due to the vintage. Sandrone certainly made the best of his fruit though. A nose full of rich fennel, some rose petal and a hint of truffle. The wine explodes on the palate, bright fruit coupled with deep licorice flavors and some tar. The wine finishes long. My problem here is that the wine has no sense of place. While certainly a pleasant quaff, it almost could have been from anywhere. Nowhere even close to the '93 that I had a few weeks ago.
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2009 Massolino Moscato d'Asti
Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti
Closed out the tasting with this one. It the bubbles actually served as a nice palate cleanser before revisiting all of the wines that were left in my glasses. Pale yellow in color. Nose full of stone fruits and pears with some white flowers as well. Extremely bright on the palate. Mouthwatering acids and a clean crisp finish. I could drink this stuff all day.
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