Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whts, & 8 Reds] from 09/6/19 + 2 Shared, Milton Freewater (Aka: The Rocks) AVA Reds
Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA
Tasted Saturday, September 7, 2019 by srh with 151 views
Flight 1 - Winebar from 09/6/19 (12 Notes)
For my palate the CdP & "Super Tuscan" wound up being the standouts.
Closing
All in all, a fairly BROAD range of wines! :)
2018 Meyer-Näkel Rosé Spätburgunder Ahr Rose
Germany, Ahr
From "the steepest vineyards in the world for P.N.," vines ave 25-35 yrs old; “From steep, south-facing vyds of predominantly weathered slate & greywacke soils, the P.N. grapes are picked by hand & transported to the winery in small boxes, gently processed, with the must being clarified by sedimentation. The cooled & strained fermentation takes place in s/s tanks. After several wks of storage on the lees, the filling takes place after about 6 mos. 12.0% ABV, 8.0 g/L R.S., & 7.6 g/L T.A.”
N: Fragrant minerals & flowers
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (suspect threshold R.S.) counterbalanced by an ALMOST puckerish acidity which QUITE works itself out through the LONG, tangy/swt finish with poss HINTS of raisins. Very nicely done for now & through '21, both as a quaff & with lighter fare. My EXC-/EXC; [This vendor's $20.95 is now $2 < wine-searcher's next lowest.]
Note: Also tasted on 6/1 (2x) & 6/15/18, TNs remarkably consistent.
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2017 Gilles Lesimple Sancerre
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
"Gilles Lesimple is fortunate to own land covering the 3 main Sancerre terroirs. The wines are vinified separately, in temp controlled cement tanks, then blended & aged in s/s."
N: Fresh cut grass with notes of minerals & undertones of lemons?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a beautiful acidity which rather elegantly controls the process into & through the LONG, balanced, tangy/swt (60:40) finish. For now & through '21, poss '22. My EXC-; [This vendor's $18.95 is $5 < the lower of wine-searcher's 2 current entries!]
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2017 Jean-Jacques Vincent Chardonnay Bourgogne
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
100% Chard from limestone, clay, & sandy soils; "70% of the wine is vinified in s/s tanks with the remainder seeing about 6 mos in oak barrels;"
N: Closed; Minerals & lemons
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) quite nicely counterbalanced by an acidity which transitions into a LONG, BALANCED, tangy/swt finish with glimpses of honey? Very nicely done for now & through '21. My EXC-, & 1 can CERTAINLY lobby for more based upon the QPR of this vendor's $14.95, which now puts it in the top quartile of wine-searcher's listings.
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2016 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
"Whole cluster pressed while still cold from the field; Barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts; Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrel; Aged 10 mos in FR oak barrels (48% new), 5 months in s/s; (Coopers: Cadus, Damy, Louis Latour, Francois Frères, Gauthier, & Leroi); Aged sur lies with biweekly bâtonnage; Unfined and unfiltered; bottled January 2018"
N: BUTTER with notes of sandalwood & spice
P: MF body; Very RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish OAK/frt counterbalanced by an acidity which transitions into a LONG, BALANCED, tangy/swt finish with glimpses of bitterness that, IF it resolves, by VG+ will DEFINITELY be low. 95 pts Dunnuck, 92 ea WA & Suckling, and 91 ea Vinous (Galloni) & WS. [Be wary if buying this, as wine-searcher's LARGE # of postings are HIGHLY skewed, ranging from $39-$68.45!]
Note: First tasted on 7/21/18. Also, FYI, based upon my TNs of 7/8/17 & 8/23/19 for the '15 of this, it looks as though *I* may have "issues" with this bottling once it gets even a BIT of age on it. :(
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2017 Hartford / Hartford Court Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
"From a collection of small vyds located throughout the Russian River Valley AVA. These vyds are a combination of our Estate properties such as Barbieri, Bellflower, Fog Dance, Hailey’s Block, Jennifer’s, MacLean’s Block, & Arrendell, as well as a handful of our neighbors’ vyds located in the heart of the RRV. 11 mos in FR oak (29% new); 14.5% ABV, 5.7 g/L T.A., & 3.51 pH;"
N: RIPE, poss JAMMY wild straws, blk rasps, & poss plums? Intensity lurking?
P: MF body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which, while staying within hailing distance of the init frt, slowly evolves into a LONG, poss very, VERY slightly bitterish finish with a tangy/swtness to the, ult, surprisingly mild, yet firming, dusty tannins. Nicely done for now, might improve a bit for 3-6 mos, then drink through '22? My EXC- in a ripe, drink NOW style. 95 pts Dunnuck (6/14/19) @ $40 list, & Silver from '19 Rodeo Uncorked! Int'l @ $29. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
Note: First tasted on 7/27/19.
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2014 Château Sociando-Mallet
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Located in the village of Saint Seurin de Cadourne N of the Saint Estephe AOC, its terroir is gravel, with a subsoil of clay, sand, & limestone soils planted to 48% C.S., 47% Merlot, & 5% C.F. ave ≈30 yrs of age; Typically, aged 12 mos, ≈95% in oak (FR, mostly new) & ≈5% in tank;
N: VANILLA with notes of pyrazines; Intensity lurking
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish blk cherry frt quickly met by an astringent pucker which surprises as to how much it resolves by the LONG, balanced finish with a very, VERY slight bitterness & a tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS through '22, then possibly approaching its 15th? My EXC-, more eventually? 95 pts Suckling, 93 Falstaff Magazine, 92 WA (Martin) & Jeannie Cho Lee, 91 Vinous (Galloni), 90 Decanter (Spurrier), 17.5/20 Vinum, 16.5/20 ea Gault & Millau & La Revue du Vin de France, and 16 & 16+/20 Jancis Robinson! [Check with this vendor if interested in their COMPETITIVE price.]
Note: Also tasted on 6/15 & 6/29/19
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2016 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove
Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: RIPE berries with undertones of pyrazines, rest tough to parse; Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which fairly seamlessly only somewhat resolves by the LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS through '21, then should be good through its 10th. Potentially elegant down the line! My EXC, poss more eventually. [This vendor's $47.95 is a STUNNING $10 < the lowest of wine-searcher's postings.]
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2016 Celler Cal Pla Priorat Black Slate Porrera
Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage.
N: Closed; Ripe berries with a distinct earthy/mineraly note; Intensity lurking?
P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by but a HINT of astringent/pucker which quite resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness to the few, firming, dusty tannins. For now & through '21, probably '22. 15.0% ABV; My EXC-/EXC, arguably the higher IF one focuses upon the QPR of this vendor's $15.95, which is now $1 < wine-searcher's lowest. 94 pts Dunnuck & 92 WA.
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2016 Clos Bellane Châteauneuf-du-Pape Urgonien
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
77% Grenache & 23% Mourvèdre grown in Urgonien limestone soils; Destemmed, 3-4 week vinification using indigenous yeast; Aged 12-15 mos in concrete vats (80%) & 1-2 yr old 228-L oak casks (20%); Unfined;
N: RIPE berries with notes of garrigue
P: LM body; Rndish entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt fairly quickly met by an astringent pucker which pretty much works itself out by the LONG, BALANCED finish with an enticing, tangy/swtness even now. NEEDS through '22, then easily making its 10th. 15% ABV; My EXC/EXC+. 94-96 pt WA (Czerwinski), 93-95 Dunnuck, & 91-93 Vinous (Raynolds). [This vendor's $39.95 is as good as any on wine-searcher.]
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2017 Henry's Drive Shiraz/Cabernet
Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Padthaway
"72% Shiraz & 28% C.S. harvested in mid-March, fermented, then held on skins for 7 days before being transferred in to a combination of new, 1st, & 2nd yr fine grained, medium toast FR oak for 16 mos."
N: Closed; Ripe berries & pyrazines
P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by the barest *hint* of astringent pucker which pretty much resolves by the LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/swtness to the VERY few, firming, dusty tannins. For now & through '22. My VG+/EXC-; [I saw no other source with which to compare this vendor's $27.95.]
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2016 Rombauer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
"87% C.S., 8% P.V., & 5% C.F. from vyds in the Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Mt. Veeder, St. Helena, Calistoga, & Rutherford AVAs, harvested 9/19–10/10/16 @ 26.7° ave Brix; The grapes were carefully destemmed & optically sorted to ensure only perfect fruit made it into the wine. A cold soak extracted color & flavor, before a combination of tank and barrel fermentation was used to provide a richer, more textured palate. The wine was gently basket-pressed before being racked to FR oak barrels for malolactic fermentation & aging for 16 mos in FR oak (80% new)." 10,000 cases made & released July 2018.
N: Slightly closed; RIPE berries with notes of earthiness
P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an acidity which keeps things in check into & through the LONG, balanced finish with an attractive tangy/swtness to the FEW, firming, dusty tannins. For now & through '22, + MIGHT improve a bit for 3-6 mos. 14.5% ABV; My VG+/EXC- in its IMMEDIATELY approachable style. 91 pts Suckling, 90 ea WS, WA, & Dunnuck, and the ff'ing '19 Contest results: Double Gold @ Hilton Head Wine & Food Int'l, & Silver @ Rodeo Uncorked!, both @ $65. [Be wary if buying this, as wine-searcher's LARGE # of postings are HIGHLY skewed, ranging from $42-$70!]
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2013 K Vintners El Jefe Stoneridge Vineyard
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
100% Tempranillo from an alluvial fan gravel bed Vyd (rich in calcium & iron) that is part of the proposed Royal Slope AVA; Supposedly aged 23 mos in 40% new oak;
N: RIPE berries with notes of pyrazines, minerals -- & other unparsables
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which QUITE resolves by the LONG, balanced, very, VERY slightly bitterish, poss very, VERY slightly spicy finish with a tangy/swtness to the few, firming, dusty tannins. For now & through '20, poss '21. My VG+/EXC-, the higher VERY arguably for QPR. 94 pts WA (Dunnuck); [Check with this vendor if interested in their *extremely* COMPETITIVE price!]
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