Tart and fruity nose, with a lot more density than I expected. Apricots and other stone fruit seem to dominate; the palate is quite acidic, and features some tart peaches as well. Very complex and delicious.
Very pale and slightly opaque in colour, though I suppose murky might be a better adjective. Quite a bit of stems on the nose, but this is counterbalanced by sweet and juicy fruit. Slightly smoky as well. At the same time, it feels like there is more to get from this wine, and that it's slightly shut down, despite its 2-hour decant.
You know, I have a propensity to always underestimate Dauvissat's wines. This is an example of how I'm wrong. A spot-on bottle this time (thank goodness). Stone fruit and restrained on the nose, and definitely a slight hint of reduction (read: sulphur), though it isn't big and overwhelming. The palate isn't too much in any direction, balancing salinity with stone fruit -- it's not opulent, but it isn't super-austere either. Great value play at $40.
A very lovely ripe quality about this one, balanced by some stems. The ripeness comes from a lot of sweet red fruit, but this is also floral and aromatic. A somewhat odd tomato-ey taste on the palate, that gets washed over by the sweet fruit, but this is a very good bottle of Arbois nonetheless. Coarse and rustic tannins.
This has a nose that's a ringer for Leroy -- very fragrant dirt. The palate is a lot lighter than the trousseaus next to it, and this has a very feminine quality about it. Nonetheless, there's acidity and tannins to help the backbone hold its shape. I did get a little bit of stemminess on this one too (I've no idea if these wines are whole-cluster fermented or not).
Steely nose, with some licorice notes. Very restrained though, given the constraints of the vintage, with sharp acidity on the palate, though the ripeness peeks through in the form of a little bit of sweetness. This is surprisingly tropical for chardonnay -- pineapple and passion fruit -- but straddles the border between over-the-top and restraint quite well. Would love to hit the 2010...
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasting this next to the other trousseaus, you realize that they really are the same grape. It's the juiciness that this shares with its red brother. Here, it's juicy pineapple and peach that dominates with a nice tartness that keeps things refreshing. Yummy is probably the best descriptor of this wine.
There's a good bit of funk on the nose, though the fruit also shows through quite clearly (sweet peaches). The palate has a bit of a chalky texture, but otherwise, this is incredibly intense, with acidity that you'd expect from climates a few hundred kilometers north of California. Black magic, I say. The same meaty funk I detected in the BdB is also here in the rose, but this isn't off-putting in any way, and instead serves to add a bit of interest (at least, for me). Now as to whether the BdB or the Rose is better, that's really forcing Sophie to make a choice now isn't it...?
Disgorged April 7, 2013. Tart stone fruit and green apples on the nose. Lots and lots of them. This follows through on the intense palate that has the same tart green apples, with a nice bit of almond and bread as well. Fantastic concentration and density.
2013 Arnot-Roberts Rosé 93 Points
USA, California
Tart and fruity nose, with a lot more density than I expected. Apricots and other stone fruit seem to dominate; the palate is quite acidic, and features some tart peaches as well. Very complex and delicious.
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2004 Rainer Wess Riesling Ried Loibenberg Flawed
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Corked. It has been a very long time since I've experienced a corked riesling...
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2013 Arnot-Roberts Trousseau 90 Points
USA, California, North Coast
Very pale and slightly opaque in colour, though I suppose murky might be a better adjective. Quite a bit of stems on the nose, but this is counterbalanced by sweet and juicy fruit. Slightly smoky as well. At the same time, it feels like there is more to get from this wine, and that it's slightly shut down, despite its 2-hour decant.
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2004 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
You know, I have a propensity to always underestimate Dauvissat's wines. This is an example of how I'm wrong. A spot-on bottle this time (thank goodness). Stone fruit and restrained on the nose, and definitely a slight hint of reduction (read: sulphur), though it isn't big and overwhelming. The palate isn't too much in any direction, balancing salinity with stone fruit -- it's not opulent, but it isn't super-austere either. Great value play at $40.
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2011 Domaine de la Borde Arbois Sous la Roche 90 Points
France, Jura, Arbois
A very lovely ripe quality about this one, balanced by some stems. The ripeness comes from a lot of sweet red fruit, but this is also floral and aromatic. A somewhat odd tomato-ey taste on the palate, that gets washed over by the sweet fruit, but this is a very good bottle of Arbois nonetheless. Coarse and rustic tannins.
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2011 Domaine de la Pinte Poulsard Arbois pinte bien 93 Points
France, Jura, Arbois
This has a nose that's a ringer for Leroy -- very fragrant dirt. The palate is a lot lighter than the trousseaus next to it, and this has a very feminine quality about it. Nonetheless, there's acidity and tannins to help the backbone hold its shape. I did get a little bit of stemminess on this one too (I've no idea if these wines are whole-cluster fermented or not).
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2009 La Soufrandière Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Vinzelles
Steely nose, with some licorice notes. Very restrained though, given the constraints of the vintage, with sharp acidity on the palate, though the ripeness peeks through in the form of a little bit of sweetness. This is surprisingly tropical for chardonnay -- pineapple and passion fruit -- but straddles the border between over-the-top and restraint quite well. Would love to hit the 2010...
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2013 Wind Gap Wines Trousseau Gris Fanucchi Wood Road Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasting this next to the other trousseaus, you realize that they really are the same grape. It's the juiciness that this shares with its red brother. Here, it's juicy pineapple and peach that dominates with a nice tartness that keeps things refreshing. Yummy is probably the best descriptor of this wine.
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2010 Ultramarine Sparkling Rosé Heintz Vineyard 95 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
There's a good bit of funk on the nose, though the fruit also shows through quite clearly (sweet peaches). The palate has a bit of a chalky texture, but otherwise, this is incredibly intense, with acidity that you'd expect from climates a few hundred kilometers north of California. Black magic, I say. The same meaty funk I detected in the BdB is also here in the rose, but this isn't off-putting in any way, and instead serves to add a bit of interest (at least, for me). Now as to whether the BdB or the Rose is better, that's really forcing Sophie to make a choice now isn't it...?
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NV Savart Champagne Calliope 95 Points
France, Champagne
Disgorged April 7, 2013. Tart stone fruit and green apples on the nose. Lots and lots of them. This follows through on the intense palate that has the same tart green apples, with a nice bit of almond and bread as well. Fantastic concentration and density.
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