A better showing of this than last week -- this is a bit more opulent and rounded, with nice concentration and depth here. I like the acidity and brightness coupled with mature notes here. All that said, how much of this is bottle variation versus palate variation? I'm willing to bet it's mostly the latter.
Quite reductive on the nose, but it does seem to dissipate with a bit of air. It's a relatively leaner style. Shows more of a citric profile dominated by its acidity. Bright and zippy, and very much enjoyable. As far as you can get from an Aussie ooze monster.
Guiberteau just doesn't do it for me. This shows a bit of chenin wooliness and honeycomb, and with air the oak starts to become more and more prominent. High acidity but there just doesn't seem to be much there, there. For the price these go for nowadays, there's plenty of better chardonnay. Or if you're insisting on chenin -- just drink Huet.
Really, I don't get these wines at all. They're so inconsistent, and at the price they demand, a good bottle of Pepe probably runs around $1500. A miss for me here, it's just too oily and oxidized. A wine this young has no business looking as dark as it did. Kind of funky but not in the way I care for. Just kind of another weird, oxidative white wine. Miss me with that.
Brilliant stuff as always. This is definitely a fleshier, riper edition, with so much fruit that it feels like this has retained a hint of residual sweetness. It's not as delineated and cut as the magnificent 2019, but there is certainly an allure to this edition of a perennial favourite.
So nice to be able to revisit this without opening one of my own. Surprisingly accessible and drinkable given the somewhat awkward age right now. Still very much a product of the vintage, with its bright, perfumed red fruit. Granitic to a T, minerally, and just flat-out delicious. No harm in opening bottles now.
I really wanted to like this more, but I just don't think this was showing particularly well today. It's kind of shut down, and never really opened up either. Kind of a burly red wine, and a little bit nondescript overall. No distinct notes of anything here -- just kind of an ordinary red wine, though on the darker, burlier side right now. Almost certainly more interesting with at least another decade.
The relatively lighter (in fruit tone, not ripeness) vintage does wonders with Allemand. So incredibly spicy and saline on the nose, with that unmistakable domesticated yet feral quality that Allemand has so consistently. It's ripe and dense, but silky of course. Everything you want young Allemand to be -- I don't think I've bought enough bottles of this for my own cellar. What a stylistic contrast to the 2018.
#13-12, 9% abv. Showing more mature than I would have liked for a riesling of only 13 years. Peachy, and dark in colour, showing lots of the candied peaches and other ripe fruits of the vintage. There's definitely some acidic balance, but it's relatively subdued and hidden by all the sweet, ripe fruit. Almost a slight hint of browning and roastedness here. Have to wonder if the #13 just isn't as good as the #26.
Been a while since I tasted this; it's very much exactly what I was expecting. The fruit is ripe, but it is done in such a controlled manner that there's nary a hint of the torrid conditions of the vintage. In Europe, the Mosel probably fared the best in the heatwave, and of course we all know the comparisons to 1959. Plenty of the Prüm minerality here -- I've always liked their execution of this vineyard in comparison to Willi Schaefer's.
From half-bottle. One of the better ENs I've had in a while, even if it almost doesn't feel stylistically correct in that there's almost too much sweetness on the palate here. More of a toffee-styled Amontillado with some definite rancio notes as well. Very compelling stuff, but given the concentration, a little certainly goes a very long way.
2004 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 93 Points
France, Champagne
A better showing of this than last week -- this is a bit more opulent and rounded, with nice concentration and depth here. I like the acidity and brightness coupled with mature notes here. All that said, how much of this is bottle variation versus palate variation? I'm willing to bet it's mostly the latter.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2020 Mount Mary Chardonnay 90 Points
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
Quite reductive on the nose, but it does seem to dissipate with a bit of air. It's a relatively leaner style. Shows more of a citric profile dominated by its acidity. Bright and zippy, and very much enjoyable. As far as you can get from an Aussie ooze monster.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2019 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Brézé 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur
Guiberteau just doesn't do it for me. This shows a bit of chenin wooliness and honeycomb, and with air the oak starts to become more and more prominent. High acidity but there just doesn't seem to be much there, there. For the price these go for nowadays, there's plenty of better chardonnay. Or if you're insisting on chenin -- just drink Huet.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2016 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 88 Points
Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
Really, I don't get these wines at all. They're so inconsistent, and at the price they demand, a good bottle of Pepe probably runs around $1500. A miss for me here, it's just too oily and oxidized. A wine this young has no business looking as dark as it did. Kind of funky but not in the way I care for. Just kind of another weird, oxidative white wine. Miss me with that.
Post a Comment / 4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2018 Emrich-Schönleber Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Nahe
Brilliant stuff as always. This is definitely a fleshier, riper edition, with so much fruit that it feels like this has retained a hint of residual sweetness. It's not as delineated and cut as the magnificent 2019, but there is certainly an allure to this edition of a perennial favourite.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2016 Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Saint-Joseph
So nice to be able to revisit this without opening one of my own. Surprisingly accessible and drinkable given the somewhat awkward age right now. Still very much a product of the vintage, with its bright, perfumed red fruit. Granitic to a T, minerally, and just flat-out delicious. No harm in opening bottles now.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2017 Bodegas Lanzaga Rioja Tabuerniga 88 Points
Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
I really wanted to like this more, but I just don't think this was showing particularly well today. It's kind of shut down, and never really opened up either. Kind of a burly red wine, and a little bit nondescript overall. No distinct notes of anything here -- just kind of an ordinary red wine, though on the darker, burlier side right now. Almost certainly more interesting with at least another decade.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2020 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
The relatively lighter (in fruit tone, not ripeness) vintage does wonders with Allemand. So incredibly spicy and saline on the nose, with that unmistakable domesticated yet feral quality that Allemand has so consistently. It's ripe and dense, but silky of course. Everything you want young Allemand to be -- I don't think I've bought enough bottles of this for my own cellar. What a stylistic contrast to the 2018.
Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / 7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2011 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese 90 Points
Germany, Nahe
#13-12, 9% abv. Showing more mature than I would have liked for a riesling of only 13 years. Peachy, and dark in colour, showing lots of the candied peaches and other ripe fruits of the vintage. There's definitely some acidic balance, but it's relatively subdued and hidden by all the sweet, ripe fruit. Almost a slight hint of browning and roastedness here. Have to wonder if the #13 just isn't as good as the #26.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2003 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese 93 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Been a while since I tasted this; it's very much exactly what I was expecting. The fruit is ripe, but it is done in such a controlled manner that there's nary a hint of the torrid conditions of the vintage. In Europe, the Mosel probably fared the best in the heatwave, and of course we all know the comparisons to 1959. Plenty of the Prüm minerality here -- I've always liked their execution of this vineyard in comparison to Willi Schaefer's.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
NV Equipo Navazos La Bota de Amontillado 109 “Bota Punta” 93 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
From half-bottle. One of the better ENs I've had in a while, even if it almost doesn't feel stylistically correct in that there's almost too much sweetness on the palate here. More of a toffee-styled Amontillado with some definite rancio notes as well. Very compelling stuff, but given the concentration, a little certainly goes a very long way.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No