North Berkeley Wines New Release Tasting

We didn't taste every last wine at this very enjoyable event but were generally impressed with the range.

• NV Jean Vesselle Champagne Extra Brut

  France, Champagne

  Dry, light and very clean.

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• NV Jean Vesselle Champagne Brut Œil de Perdrix

  France, Champagne

  Medium weight. Dark Pinot fruit. Somehow, this tasted more austere than the low dosage wine. Out of balance.

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• 1996 Jean Vesselle Champagne Grand Cru Millésime Prestige Brut

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Light colored. Very biscuity nose. Dry, backward and tight with blistering acidity. Classic for this year, but will it ever come around? If it tastes like this at age 17, I'd estimate that it needs another decade.

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• 2009 Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault Les Tillets Cuvée Unique

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Ripe, rich wine, full of hazelnut. Very Meursault and the wood is discrete.

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• 2010 Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault en l'Ormeau Cuvée Unique

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Less forward than the '09. Medium weight, fine acidity, but showing little at this point.

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• 2010 Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault Les Narvaux Cuvée Unique

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Creamier and more concentrated than the Ormeau but also more backward.

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• 2011 Yves Boyer-Martenot Puligny-Montrachet Les Reuchaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  This was the only wine in the line up that showed obvious toasty wood on the nose. Less developed flavors and overall, not nearly as interesting as the Meursaults.

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• 2011 Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières Cuvée Unique

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  Rich, chalky, mouthcoating and great length. Most complete wine in the line up with real Perrieres power. Transcends the vintage.

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Impressively elegant, textural wines. These have come a long way from the coarse, overoaked style of the mid-1990's.

• 2010 Domaine Arlaud Bourgogne Roncevie

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Pale. Nice light cherry and a touch of char. Very credible Bourgogne.

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• 2010 Domaine Arlaud Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Chéseaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru

  Dark cherry aromatics. Deeply flavored, glycerine textured, and tannic. Meaty yet retains elegance at the same time. Terrific.

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• 2011 Domaine Arlaud Chambolle-Musigny

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  Lighter and immediately more herbal than the 2010. Light weight, strong green notes, taut back end. I worry that the greenness of this wine could be problematic over time.

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• 2011 Domaine Arlaud Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Chéseaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru

  Smooth feel, bright acidity with some youthful bite at the back end. Here, the fruit is sound and there are no herbal notes. Two steps behind the 2010 though.

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• 2011 Domaine Arlaud Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru

  Bigger and broader than the Cheseaux with lovely sap and texture. Crunchy combination of black and red fruit. Typical Morey and not far off the quality of the 2010 Cheseaux. Well done.

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• 2011 Domaine Arlaud Charmes-Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Lighter color than the last Morey. Lighter weight too, but finer, sweeter red fruit with a good vein of earth running through the wine. Quite elegant and it certainly tastes great now.

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• 2010 Clos du Mont-Olivet Côtes du Rhône Font de Blanche

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  Heady aromatics, slightly overripe red fruit, some heat.

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• 2010 Clos du Mont-Olivet Côtes du Rhône Serre de Catin

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  Less fruity, more licorice, structure and tannin than the Font Blanche. I much prefer this, but it needs a couple of years.

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• 2009 Clos du Mont-Olivet Côtes du Rhône Varene

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  Deep color. All black fruit, fairly dense, some tannins. OK.

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• 2010 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Unique

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Medium red. Already with complex array of tobacco and licorice aromatics and flavors. Medium weight, dry, penetrating and powerful in the mouth. You feel more than taste the fruit, but no shortage of ripeness here. It is just superbly balanced by strong acidity. Classically savory Chateauneuf without being overbearing.

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Two good reds, including a lovely older example.

• 2011 Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé

  France, Provence, Bandol

  Typical Bandol rose with some glycerine, good acidity and melon fruit.

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• 2011 Château de Pibarnon Bandol Blanc

  France, Provence, Bandol

  This is a wine that has more textural allure than flavor interest. Really nice, glossy feel but rather neutral flavors.

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• 2009 Château de Pibarnon Bandol

  France, Provence, Bandol

  Deep ruby. Some animal, wild notes in the nose. Deep, tannic with ground coffee but backward and closed. Serious and for the future.

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• 2001 Château de Pibarnon Bandol

  France, Provence, Bandol

  Medium color, tawny edge. Complex and fragrant smelling, very clean. Gently sweet, elegant lighter weight. Mixed fruit, subtle fading finish. Mature and a very pleasant surprise. Will last a few more years at least.

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For me, the 2007 Barolo Giachini was the most exciting wine of the evening.

• 2008 Giovanni Corino Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Fairly dark for Nebbiolo. Great depth of cherry fruit with some tar. In the context of the older wines, not as detailed, fine or aromatic. A good mouthful, but more along the lines of a big Nebbiolo rather than a top Barolo.

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• 2007 Giovanni Corino Barolo Vigna Giachini

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Lighter than the regular '08. Beautiful florality. Real delicacy while delivering explosive flavor and inner mouth fragrance. Already a pleasure to drink, this is my mind's eye image of absolutely gorgeous young Barolo. Burgundian in its flavor authority without being a blockbuster.

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• 2006 Giovanni Corino Barolo Vigna Giachini

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Bigger, heavier fruit and duller than the far more ethereal 2007, but still good.

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