ABOT Cellar Tasting

Good friends getting together for a tasting of fine wines and nice food pairings from ABOT.

• 2006 Domaine Rémi Jobard Meursault Sous La Velle 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Light straw in color, fragrant nose of tangy lemon/lime zest. Citrus fruits on the palate, seems deep and supple, yet a cutting acidity in the mid palate leading into the gravelly finish. Quite nice integration of oak in this white burgundy, by no means overdone...this is how oak should be utilized in white wine. I'm sure this wine will mellow with a bit more bottle age, but drinkable now, for the next 6+ years. NO BUY at the listed price of $80 at the wine store. I'd say a value at around $35-40 range.

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• 2008 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Olivet Lane Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Medium garnet in color, browning at the rim, surprising for such a young Pinot. On the nose, this is completely non-Pinot-like; I first get creosote/smoke notes, then rather intense black cherry, with a peppery note in the upper register. Honestly, I was thinking Syrah when I sniffed this wine! I felt misled and lied to. But my mind changed as I poured a little of this Pinot onto my palate. The wine was elegant and restrained, a far cry from what I was expecting from the flamboyant nose. The fruit was a tart black cherry, with light notes of tea, and some anise leading into the slightly spicy, medium length finish. The tannins are approachable now, but will soften in the next 2 years, at which point this wine will be utterly delightful for 6+ years. A wonderful Calif Pinot on the palate; I can't wait to see how the tertiary components start to integrate on the nose, and kick this wine up a few notches. Great WFTM at a $45-50 price point ($80 list price).

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• 2005 Piero Busso Barbaresco S. Stefanetto San Stunet 87 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  A medium garnet color on this 7 year old Barbaresco. Obviously old-world Italian on the nose, showing earthy notes of wet leather and barnyard, with deep, dark plums, maybe some mint, and a hint of wet gravel. A very big and full bodied palate, where the plums come across a bit more tart (I love slight under-ripeness on the palate, giving more acid to the wine), with notes of sweet tobacco, and a nice minerality through the mid palate. A great food wine, but certainly rustic and a bit angular at this point; even austere. Will improve with 2-3 more years of bottle age, and will likely drink well for 6+ years from that point. A value at $35-40 (listed at $80).

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• 2006 Château Léoville Poyferré 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  A deep purple color on this 6 year old 2nd Growth Bordeaux, showing 13% abv. The moderately fragrant nose shows rather intense black cherries and ashes, and seems a bit straightforward at this point in it's development. This wine gives up flavors of thick and rich black cherry fruit, with secondary notes of licorice and toasty oak. The palate does show a bit more heat than I would have expected, given the low -OH level, but I think this will integrate with a bit more bottle age. The tannins are very drying and astringent at this point, leading into a 45+ second finish; making the currently wine drinkable with a long decant, but for my liking, I wouldn't touch another bottle of this wine for 4+ years (at which point it may merit a few points higher in score). This wine will then drink nicely for 20 years from that point, given the structure and stuffing, and history of this nice 2nd Growth Chateau. A value at $50-60 (listed price $125).

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• 2006 Roy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A very deep purple color and 14.2% listed abv gives way to a fragrant bouquet of blackberry and black currant fruit that is super-ripe and sweetly scented, with notes of licorice from the new oak. Straightforward but interesting and nice. On the palate, a slightly distracting alcoholic heat leads into an odd (yet nice) flavor of charcoal embers, followed by a jammy/sweet black fruit profile, with low acid, resulting in extremely supple and velvety tannins that are already amazingly approachable. This wine drinks very well right now (where's my steak?), and will age another 10 years or so, in my humble opinion. A great wine in the $45-55 range (listed at $120).

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