Something not quite right with this -- it wasn't like the Vau de Vey of the same vintage at all. Very spritzy, and tasting a little more like the straight up Cantillon lambic that was opened today than a proper Chablis. Off bottle, I hope, though judging from the notes here I wasn't the only one with issues with this wine.
Served double blind. I liked this a little more than the 2019 Rinaldi next to it; this I felt had many of the right hallmarks of barbera (in particular the acidity) but also had more of a sweet fruit note that gave this additional complexity. An excellent wine; better with food.
Served double blind. Next to the 2017 Bartolo, this was less giving with the fruit and came across as slightly more austere and structural, though there was plenty of acidity to keep this fresh. I think it may well be a matter of this being too young. I certainly wouldn't object to revisiting this in a few years.
Quite different than my last experience with this wine; possibly it's a question of this having a few more months to settle down? It's still clearly a very ripe wine, but it also lacks some of the complexity that the 2015 had. Not quite as purple in taste as a few months ago either. Regardless, a large-scaled edition that definitely hits the syrah spot. As far as an actual tasting note -- think the usual but with way more black fruit, and almost a black cherry flavour. Not too briney, but there are some olive notes as well.
Not a fan of this; this felt a little blocky (as can happen with Rostaing). Fortunately this doesn't have the cigarette ash flavours of some other vintages (I don't remember which), and this is mostly a very structured, black-fruited syrah. It lacks the elegance, smoke, and brine of the best versions of the grape though. Probably better with more time but unlikely to be too compelling.
An excellent bottle of Gréal from the second best producer on the hill (no prizes for guessing the first). Very structural, without the fruit being too expressive right now. There's definitely a lot of good material here, and you definitely get a good sense of the brineyness and acidic backbone right now. Probably best not to revisit for a decade; I certainly won't be opening any of mine.
This has the intensely ripe black fruit that you would expect given the vintage. Beyond that, there's a bit of smoke and some olive notes as well, but on the back end I can't help but notice some slightly natty tones on the back end. This does have a very nice elegance to it -- the wine doesn't feel overwrought at all. This is a new producer for me, but seems like it may well be worthwhile to check a few more bottlings out.
They certainly don't make 'em like this anymore. A very cool 12.5% abv here gives you a wine that is strongly dominated by pyrazines and acid -- somewhat reminiscent, perhaps of Bordeaux from 50 years ago, but with way better (and cleaner) winemaking. Admittedly a little thin for my palate nowadays, but undeniably an excellent Napa cabernet that far surpasses most of the heat-inflected monsters that crawl out of the valley nowadays.
Bottled March 30, 2020. One of those points in time when you ask yourself what were you doing in the throes of the initial shutdown (spoiler alert: I was sitting at home). Anyway, a fairly textbook bottle of this; clean and bright, but perhaps veering a little towards the funky side here. Lots and lots of acidity; hard to drink more than a glass at a time, but undeniably enjoyable.
2018 Alice et Olivier De Moor Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu Flawed
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Something not quite right with this -- it wasn't like the Vau de Vey of the same vintage at all. Very spritzy, and tasting a little more like the straight up Cantillon lambic that was opened today than a proper Chablis. Off bottle, I hope, though judging from the notes here I wasn't the only one with issues with this wine.
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2017 Bartolo Mascarello Barbera d'Alba 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba
Served double blind. I liked this a little more than the 2019 Rinaldi next to it; this I felt had many of the right hallmarks of barbera (in particular the acidity) but also had more of a sweet fruit note that gave this additional complexity. An excellent wine; better with food.
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2019 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barbera d'Alba 88 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba
Served double blind. Next to the 2017 Bartolo, this was less giving with the fruit and came across as slightly more austere and structural, though there was plenty of acidity to keep this fresh. I think it may well be a matter of this being too young. I certainly wouldn't object to revisiting this in a few years.
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2018 Pierre Gonon Ardèche Les Iles Feray 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Ardèche
Quite different than my last experience with this wine; possibly it's a question of this having a few more months to settle down? It's still clearly a very ripe wine, but it also lacks some of the complexity that the 2015 had. Not quite as purple in taste as a few months ago either. Regardless, a large-scaled edition that definitely hits the syrah spot. As far as an actual tasting note -- think the usual but with way more black fruit, and almost a black cherry flavour. Not too briney, but there are some olive notes as well.
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2015 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Classique Ampodium 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Not a fan of this; this felt a little blocky (as can happen with Rostaing). Fortunately this doesn't have the cigarette ash flavours of some other vintages (I don't remember which), and this is mostly a very structured, black-fruited syrah. It lacks the elegance, smoke, and brine of the best versions of the grape though. Probably better with more time but unlikely to be too compelling.
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2013 Marc Sorrel Hermitage Le Gréal 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
An excellent bottle of Gréal from the second best producer on the hill (no prizes for guessing the first). Very structural, without the fruit being too expressive right now. There's definitely a lot of good material here, and you definitely get a good sense of the brineyness and acidic backbone right now. Probably best not to revisit for a decade; I certainly won't be opening any of mine.
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2018 Guy Farge Cornas Reynard 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
This has the intensely ripe black fruit that you would expect given the vintage. Beyond that, there's a bit of smoke and some olive notes as well, but on the back end I can't help but notice some slightly natty tones on the back end. This does have a very nice elegance to it -- the wine doesn't feel overwrought at all. This is a new producer for me, but seems like it may well be worthwhile to check a few more bottlings out.
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1996 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
They certainly don't make 'em like this anymore. A very cool 12.5% abv here gives you a wine that is strongly dominated by pyrazines and acid -- somewhat reminiscent, perhaps of Bordeaux from 50 years ago, but with way better (and cleaner) winemaking. Admittedly a little thin for my palate nowadays, but undeniably an excellent Napa cabernet that far surpasses most of the heat-inflected monsters that crawl out of the valley nowadays.
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NV Cantillon Brewery Gueuze
Belgium, Brussels
Bottled March 30, 2020. One of those points in time when you ask yourself what were you doing in the throes of the initial shutdown (spoiler alert: I was sitting at home). Anyway, a fairly textbook bottle of this; clean and bright, but perhaps veering a little towards the funky side here. Lots and lots of acidity; hard to drink more than a glass at a time, but undeniably enjoyable.
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