| | As always, bear in mind I've only a tiny glimpse of the wines (ergo no scores or more profound insights). Still: if I don't organize my impressions I can't remember shit once it comes time to purchase. - 2013 Bodegas Aquitania Rías Baixas - Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
Up to 100 yo vines; palate is a tasty greenish geranium and lees; heavy watery midpalate but finishes with a nice midpalate to finish transition as it leaves a chalky, almost styrofoam minerality. Tasty wine, of character.
- 2012 Domaine Castagnier Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Wow: big roses and fruit; delicious with a tart midpalate, finishes in a finessed wide regal fruit.
- 2012 Domaine Castagnier Coteaux Bourguignons - France, Burgundy, Coteaux Bourguignons
Tart but lifted fruit, slightly think watery mid but good accumulative finish.
- 2012 Domaine Nathalie et Gilles Fevre Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Nose is bright and peanutty. Palate is quite nice! Tangy mineral finish, all stainless for this parcel.
- 2011 Clos du Moulin aux Moines Pommard 1er Cru Clos Orgelot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru
Big fruit, great acid, nice!
- 2011 Clos du Moulin aux Moines Auxey-Duresses Moulin aux Moines Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Auxey-Duresses
Nose offers café and tire; follows on palate but adds bright fruit. The nose seems overripe to my palate, but fortunately the finish helps.
- 2012 Clos du Moulin aux Moines Pernand-Vergelesses Les Combottes Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses
Bottled Feb. B vitamin traces on nose, mineral, very good as all whites tasted by this producer today--mineral, structure, acid, no overly intrusive oak influence.
- 2012 Clos du Moulin aux Moines Auxey-Duresses Moulin aux Moines Blanc - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Auxey-Duresses
Very good. All components in place: acid, minerality, no intrusive oak, lovely
- N.V. Benoit Mulin Crémant du Jura Benoît Mulin - France, Jura, Crémant du Jura
Nose is clean, bright and gorgeous; palate is nice, finishes with a bit of RS/somewhat saccharine
- 2006 Château Bouscassé Madiran Vieilles Vignes - France, Southwest France, Madiran
Super tannic; good with intense acid. Still more approachable than 2002
- 2009 Château Montus Madiran - France, Southwest France, Madiran
Quite the sweet charmer vs other vintages tasted today, if still tannic.
- 2010 Château Montus Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec - France, Southwest France, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec
Nose is dry with a nice cut even if a bit of a sweet oxidative influence is tactile. Palate evokes a watermelon gummy bear, with interesting, freaky minerality.
- 2002 Château Montus Madiran Cuvée Prestige - France, Southwest France, Madiran
Nose immediately displays a rusty aged red character; palate has a supple character even if it is still stunningly tannic. Allegedly an amazing vintage that is "still a baby"; my sense is the tannins never really completely integrate with these Montus Madiran?
- 2001 Château Montus Madiran La Tyre - France, Southwest France, Madiran
Nose of rusty tannins and browned leaves; palate is sweetish caramel with an almost Brunello character. Never loses tannins?
- 2013 Alain Brumont La Gascogne - Gros Manseng - Sauvignon Blanc - France, Southwest France, Gascony, Côtes de Gascogne
Nice. A sense of purity and a dry finish.
- 2013 Alain Brumont Tannat-Merlot - France, Southwest France, Gascony, Côtes de Gascogne
A strange polleny, green nose. I'll pass.
- 2008 Château Bouscassé Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Vendémiaire - France, Southwest France, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh
What a delicious cinnamon marmelade! No heat! Finishes like a tiramisu with a slightly café finish! Yes, yes, yes
- 2011 Chono Carménère Classic - Chile, Central Valley
12 months in mostly US barrel, 20% FR. 8 ton/ha yields. Nose is a proper Carmenere green and tire, very nice. Winemaker had a brilliant suggestion to pair with Chinese food. I can imagine the green bell pepper aromas working well with spicy black bean sauce beef!
- 2013 Rayun Carménère - Chile, Rapel Valley
Very acid and spicy. Fruit in a conventional way. Bit of green olive with just hints of varietally correct tire. Big fruit finish. Good for the $
- 2011 Emil Reichart Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Weird 2011 latex green aromatic nose. Lovely honeyed midpalate and an even finish.
- 2012 Mayr Grüner Veltliner - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal
Okay I guess. Boring? Watery peanutty character?
- 2013 Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Diffuse watery and honeyed attack; palate shows a honeyed violet: nice.
- 2013 Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Terrassen Federspiel - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Simple, friendly, easy, somewhat elegant
- 2013 Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Wösendorfer Hochrain - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Nose offers more of a honeyed gravitas vs previous Federspiel and Smaragd Terrassen 2013s; clean laundry mineral nose. Palate adds a greenness to that clean cotton aroma. Nose surpasses palate at this stage
- 2013 Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Kollmütz - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Similar to the Hochrain but this adds a fresh corn aroma.
- 2013 Rudi Pichler Weissburgunder Smaragd Ried Kollmütz - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Nice! Chalky styrofoamy minerality. Versatile and lean as a Pinot Blanc should be
- 2013 Prager Grüner Veltliner Stockkultur Smaragd Achleiten - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Wow! Violet, honey, somewhat watery midpalate, but this is very good!
- 2013 Rudi Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Kirchweg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Not bad. Allegedly the 2013 vintage was not too great for Gruvé but great for Riesling, and the producer is overjoyed. Nose offers a watery corn and honey and chalk. Good but underwhelming vs price? Poured freezing. As the glass warms, a pleasant unripe peach aroma surfaces. I suppose age will reveal its charms.
- 2013 Prager Riesling Federspiel Steinriegl - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
An alluring mix of water corn and honey. Palate? This thing drinks itself. Fabulous if uncomplicated.
- 2013 Prager Riesling Smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Nose offers an impressive mineral purity and palate follows with great acid; clean, lovely, a definite step up
- 2012 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Superiore
Nose feels too baked for me. Palate is just okay.
- 2012 Tua Rita Rosso Dei Notri Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Not bad. Pretty big wine, but sports a somewhat caramel finish with vivid acid.
- 2011 Tua Rita Giusto di Notri Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Their first wine in 1992. Very good. Can age 20yrs. Some papery but sweet tannins on finish.
- 2011 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Supple but structured; tannins and acid. A wine that should age very far in time. Slight madeirized finish with sweet formic acid allusions; this wants time to integrate.
- 2011 Tua Rita Syrah Per Sempre - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
A unique, impressive wine that demands pause once you arrive at glass residuals. Nose offers rubber, barnyard, sweet corn; these follow on palate with great acid. Glass residuals give up roses and begin to make me think upon Nuits St Georges. So little of this made, the selection eliminates something like 60% of the fruit Rita says.
- 2011 Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro - Italy, Campania, Roccamonfina IGT
Barnyardy; 14% ABV, darker color. Riper/more candied than 09. A tannic, tiramisu caramel finish. These wines are not for me.
- 2009 Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro - Italy, Campania, Roccamonfina IGT
13.5% ABV. Nose is a sweet barnyard. Palate is mad barnyard; goats piss on hay. Palate has fresh plum and rotting orange. These wines are not for me.
- 2012 Gianfranco Fino Primitivo di Manduria "Es" - Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria
16.5%, very grapey and fortified tasting. In the right context....
- 2012 Tenuta di Fessina Etna A Puddara - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC
Winemaker had a great pairing recommendation: swordfish cooked in a tomato sauce. Or cod, or rabbit. Love these wines!
- 2012 Tenuta di Fessina Etna Erse Bianco - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC
Lots of violet, very Chenin! Tasty
- 2012 Tenuta di Fessina Etna Musmeci Bianco - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC
Different more beachfront influence vineyard site vs A Puddara; shows less of the regal apples that A Puddara has and a more saline character. Implies fish even more readily
- 2012 Tenuta di Fessina Sicilia Laeneo - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia
Your dining partner for pasta alla norma. Spicy cherry wow! Light ash, bright acid. What a fabulous value!
- 2012 Tenuta di Fessina Etna Erse - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC
Lighter color vs Cappucio; ginger sweet bubblegum. Palate goes almost ginger beer/cola? I prefer Laeneo Cappucio red.
- 2008 Tenuta di Fessina Etna Musmeci - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC
15 mos oak aging lends this a sweetness compared to the previous reds. Yum!
- 2002 Gaia Vinsanto - Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini
Piercing acidity cuts up the honeyed attack--importer insists this stems from VA, which I'm totally down with. Very good!
- 1998 Argyros Vinsanto 12 Years Barrel Aged - Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini
Far less piercing acidity vs Gaia 2002. More raisiny, honeyed marcona almond. Very good
- 2013 Argyros Assyrtiko Estate - Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini
Nice. Bit of a coppery, metal finish, but good.
- 2013 Domaine Mercouri Kallisto - Greece, Peloponnisos
Green muscat nose: pass.
- 2010 Domaine Mercouri Cava - Greece, Peloponnisos, Letrinon
Bright red barnyard nose; palate has drying tannins, nice, might've guessed Xynomavro.
- 2013 Gentilini Robola of Cephalonia - Greece, Ionian, Kefalonia, Robola of Cephalonia
Beautiful pretty clean cotton mineral nose. I just love these incisive Greek whites.
- 2013 Trapan Malvazija Istarska Ponente - Croatia, Istria and Kvarner, Istra
Blind I might have guessed Albarino? Palate is more honeyed, then feels a bit dilute, but finishes with a nice acid. Could make a surprising partner to sushi.
- 2012 Trapan Teran Terra Mare - Croatia, Istria and Kvarner, Istra
Teran is "in the Refosco family" of grapes. Nice saline but sweet character, palate is tasty! Somehow the entire package is very versatile. Something on the nose reminds me of ESP old wood elevage.
- 2011 Stobi Winery Vranec - North Macedonia, Povardarie, Tikveš
(Vranec is the Macedonian spelling of Vranac). Dark and thick, very Spanish style old wood elevage nose, palate offers the sweetened results of oak elevage along with a bright cantaloupe fruit nose, all with acid and balance. Big fruit finish helps explain why this sells so well at its price point.
- 2011 Vino Budimir Tamjanika Zupska - Serbia, Zapadna Morava, Kruševac, Župa-Aleksandrovac
Temjanika/Tamjanika confusion. Stainless, 1 or 2 yrs. Smooth and floral. Nose offers lychee, gewurz/muscat character--definitely more Muscat. Palate has no alcoholic bite, is actually pretty good. Even if I despise Muscat.
- 2009 Vino Budimir Riesling Margus Margi - Serbia, Zapadna Morava, Kruševac, Župa-Aleksandrovac
Nose is broad with a bubblegum character. Petrol? Honey. Palate is easygoing, petrol and latex. Feels slightly Alsatian in spirit. I would love to test my hypothesis that the temperature of fermentation is higher (ie as in Alsace) vs Mosel fermentation temperatures, which creates the latex aromas. Sur lie.
- 2008 Vino Budimir Prokupec Triada - Serbia, Zapadna Morava, Kruševac, Župa-Aleksandrovac
Prokupec/Prokupac. Nose has a greenish bubblegum character; palate has a dilute attack then offers roses, caramel, rust and leather? Interesting.
- 2012 Agrina Portugieser - Serbia, Vojvodina, Srem, Fruška Gora
Think Gamay. Nose has a slight greenish hue but barely perceptible. Palate is a surprisingly nice light fruity affair. Charmer
- 2013 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Pure Syrah, and of course the purple colors shows it, but it showed very concrete Grenache-like to me. Great value. Prob just needs to settle down for 6 mos.
- 2013 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Good! Nose has some Scotch tape, cinnamon, stalkiness. 13%. Palate is vibrant with Viognier poking through, Roussanne/Marsanne brings an applesauce character. Typically watery midpalate.
- 2012 Château de Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône Les Deux Albion - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
What a lovely Syrah nose! Palate is astringent a bit but good. Prob just needs time.
- 2012 Saint Cosme Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
12.5%. Very sweet nose, soy, slight formic acid. Palate has a tiny green bite but is also wildly floral and slightly meaty. Good stuff.
- 2012 Saint Cosme Condrieu - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
13.5%, big time lanolin and resinous white flower nose threatens with impending heat; palate is a pleasant surprise with a lemon tea character; watery a bit, not bad! Tiniest bit of burn on the finish? Viognier is the toughest grape to get right.
- 2010 Château de Montfaucon Gard Vin de Monsieur Le Baron de Montfaucon - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Gard
Rodolphe de Pins' insane 15 varietal co-ferment. Surprisingly supple, integrated; tannins yet to resolve. "He just keeps adding varietals into the ferment..." Well, he sure knows what he's doing.
- 2013 Forge Cellars Dry Riesling - USA, New York, Finger Lakes
Completely reticent nose? Palate has good acid, tiny bit of petrol, chalky CountryTime lemonade-ish character (so many Finger Lakes Rieslings I've tried match this aromatic profile).
- 2013 Eric Chevalier Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu sur lie Clos de la Butte - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu sur lie
Interesting greasy almost porky aroma on nose alongside other more typical Muscadet aromas? Nice. Somewhat unremarkable on finish, at least in this massive tasting context.
- 2013 Pascal Janvier Jasnières - France, Loire Valley, Jasnières
Similar mimosa aromas (to 2012 Silex), but no RS honey as in the 2012 Silex. This is good, but not nearly as thrilling as the Silex cuvée.
- 2013 Domaine Maestracci Vin de Corse Calvi E Prove Blanc - France, Corsica, Vin de Corse Calvi
Weird sweaty and stalky green aromas: pass. Scotch tape on midpalate. Not for me.
- 2012 Domaine Faury St. Joseph Blanc - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
What a gorgeous nose. Waxy, creamy character probably due to the Marsanne. Palate is so spicy it almost makes me wonder about oak, but no oak here; just the creaminess of the Marsanne. Perhaps vanillin from barriques and demi-muids.
- 2013 Denis Jamain Reuilly Les Pierres Plates Blanc - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Reuilly
Big, bright pyrazines. Nice; lovely purity.
- 2012 Denis Jamain Reuilly Les Fossiles - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Reuilly
Less green pyrazine than the Pierres Plates, offers a sweetness on the nose--mimosa! Palate attack is dilute, finish has acid and is potent.
- 2013 Denis Jamain Pinot Gris Reuilly Rosé - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Reuilly
B vitamin nose; sweet; chalky limestone for sure. Palate is weird somehow? This is my first wine tasted at the trade show: is my residual toothpaste skewing this? Recommended with charcuterie, or Asian spicy fare.
- 2010 Denis Jamain Reuilly Rouge - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Reuilly
Nose seems overripe with cocoa/stewed. Cedar from old wood elevage. Palate similar: pass. Not for me.
- 2011 Denis Jamain Reuilly Rouge Les Chênes - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Reuilly
Oak and formic acid nose; 25% new oak; mid toast. Radish on palate. Roses in residuals are a saving grace. 5 yrs aging pot'l. Again, not a wine I find thrilling.
- N.V. Champalou Vouvray Pétillant Brut - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant
Mostly 2012 fruit inside; nose shows some yeasty sugar; finishes in amazing exuberant Chenin fruit. As beautiful as Céline herself. Yes, yes, yes.
- 2012 Champalou Vouvray Cuvée des Fondraux - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Big fruit from the 2012 vintage. 2013 will be more citrus fruitlike. Delish!
- 2012 Charles Joguet Touraine Clos de la Plante Martin - France, Loire Valley, Touraine
Bah. Green nose blocks my enjoyment of this.
- 2012 Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée Terroir - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Is the nose TOO supple and easy? Some cedar and green. The entry level Joguet wine. Fine for the price I suppose.
- 2009 Charles Joguet Chinon Les Petites Roches - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Anne-Charlotte Genet agrees this should be drunk on the fruit. Red fruits, spices; and a lovely stinky green bell pepper proper to Chinon. Gravel terroir, as name suggests.
- 2011 Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée de La Cure - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Struck me as ladybug green. Palate is okay. I'd spend my money on another vintage
- 2011 Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varennes du Grand Clos - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
40 yo vines, argilo-calcaire. Nose is laid-back and calm, cool bell pepper character. Nice!
- 2011 Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Chêne Vert - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
My favorite of the Joguet lineup tasted this day, and Anne-Charlotte Genet agrees this wine is typically the most "aérien" of all parcels. Which suits me. Nose is very pretty; bright, with the lightest cocoa. Palate: impossible for me to spit; great purity of red fruit--unfurls into raspberry and even boysenberry. Diff sides of river vs Clos de la Dioterie.
- 2011 Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Much bigger, more brooding wine than the lightweight elegant Clos du Chene Vert. Palate shows all similar aromas etched more deeply, along with a cedar note. 16months in barrique as with Chene Vert.
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