Probably some of the highest elevation riesling in the country. You definitely get a sense of that here -- the cool crispness of it, with intense minerality the way a Mosel feinherb can get. If there's a strike against this, it's that the midpalate feels light in that there isn't the same density as, say, Finger Lakes or Oregon. But this is certainly a unique expression of riesling all the same, and quite tasty at that.
Bottled 4/23, so a relatively fresh bottle of this. Stunning stuff, with a slightly sweet, cooked fruit nose that maybe veered a hint more towards blueberry than blackberry. On the palate though, the fruit is unmistakably blackberry, but of a sweeter persuasion than the fruit that you eat. How that happened, I don't know, but it just works. Not overly sour the way other de Garde can get -- this is in perfect balance with such a pure expression of fruit. Reminds me of the time I tasted Sixth Peach for the first time.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
Absolutely killer, especially for the level. Jacques Carillon remains among the short list of white Burgundy producers I buy every year, and this "basic" bottling is a great example of why. It's got azen-like, meditative quality to it, with the minerality and acidity in perfect harmony, and nary a hint of reduction on the nose. Judicious oak usage fills out the palate. Why by so many other 1er crus, when you can get better wine for a village-level price (though admittedly, even that isn't that cheap these days)?
Opened in honour of one of my friends who also happens to be a Trimbach stan like me, this was as brilliant as it gets. Oily and thick, and yet so alive and balanced the way Gewurztraminer so often is not. There isn't much of the intense, lychee spice quality on the nose anymore, and the spice is more of an orange-peel, brown sugar, old botrytis quality. I love the rich texture on the palate, and even though this isn't too sweet, you can still feel the ancient residual sugar here. A really special bottle, and a real treat to share.
Not sure if this was wholly representative, because if it isn't, that's pretty shocking how fast this is evolving. Too earthy and autumnal for a 2013, with the red fruit in a very advanced state. Judgment reserved; I'm gonna crack a bottle from a different source to check.
Very dark in stature, the way Washington syrah can get, but there was a slightly natural bent to this the way Franck's Sans Soufre can get as well. That said, it's not like this wine is dirty or funky at all -- in fact, it's very clean and though the fruit quality here is incredibly dark and purplish, there is also this silky texture that young-vintage Allemand might have. An excellent bottle of New World syrah, and with a big bunch of Cayuse in my recent memory, this far surpasses that style for my palate.
This ranks up there with 2001 Yquem as one of the best dessert wines (still readily available on the market, I might add -- as there are plenty of small German bottlings that aren't) made in the last 40 years. This is basically what high-botrytis chenin should be. Textbook in every way, and just ridiculously stunning in its quality. Despite the maturity, this feels like it has decades still to go -- a result, obviously, of its being chock full of preserving acidity and residual sugar. A kaleidoscopic palate that never feels heavy for a second, though the concentration and complexity makes a little go a long way.
Served double blind. For the most part, this is very riesling-like, with crisp acidity and some green apple. But there's a fuzziness here that had me thinking sweet chenin for a few moments as well. At the end of the day, this felt more like some sort of new-style riesling than anything to me. It has a fair bit of sweetness, probably at Auslese level or so, but is missing the laser focus of the German style.
2021 The Storm Cellar Dry Riesling 88 Points
USA, Colorado, West Elks
Probably some of the highest elevation riesling in the country. You definitely get a sense of that here -- the cool crispness of it, with intense minerality the way a Mosel feinherb can get. If there's a strike against this, it's that the midpalate feels light in that there isn't the same density as, say, Finger Lakes or Oregon. But this is certainly a unique expression of riesling all the same, and quite tasty at that.
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2020 de Garde Brewing The Blackberry
USA, Oregon
Bottled 4/23, so a relatively fresh bottle of this. Stunning stuff, with a slightly sweet, cooked fruit nose that maybe veered a hint more towards blueberry than blackberry. On the palate though, the fruit is unmistakably blackberry, but of a sweeter persuasion than the fruit that you eat. How that happened, I don't know, but it just works. Not overly sour the way other de Garde can get -- this is in perfect balance with such a pure expression of fruit. Reminds me of the time I tasted Sixth Peach for the first time.
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2021 Domaine Jacques Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
Absolutely killer, especially for the level. Jacques Carillon remains among the short list of white Burgundy producers I buy every year, and this "basic" bottling is a great example of why. It's got azen-like, meditative quality to it, with the minerality and acidity in perfect harmony, and nary a hint of reduction on the nose. Judicious oak usage fills out the palate. Why by so many other 1er crus, when you can get better wine for a village-level price (though admittedly, even that isn't that cheap these days)?
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1967 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles 95 Points
France, Alsace
Opened in honour of one of my friends who also happens to be a Trimbach stan like me, this was as brilliant as it gets. Oily and thick, and yet so alive and balanced the way Gewurztraminer so often is not. There isn't much of the intense, lychee spice quality on the nose anymore, and the spice is more of an orange-peel, brown sugar, old botrytis quality. I love the rich texture on the palate, and even though this isn't too sweet, you can still feel the ancient residual sugar here. A really special bottle, and a real treat to share.
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2013 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Champans
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
Not sure if this was wholly representative, because if it isn't, that's pretty shocking how fast this is evolving. Too earthy and autumnal for a 2013, with the red fruit in a very advanced state. Judgment reserved; I'm gonna crack a bottle from a different source to check.
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2022 Kobayashi Winery Syrah Sans Soufre WeatherEye Vineyard 93 Points
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Very dark in stature, the way Washington syrah can get, but there was a slightly natural bent to this the way Franck's Sans Soufre can get as well. That said, it's not like this wine is dirty or funky at all -- in fact, it's very clean and though the fruit quality here is incredibly dark and purplish, there is also this silky texture that young-vintage Allemand might have. An excellent bottle of New World syrah, and with a big bunch of Cayuse in my recent memory, this far surpasses that style for my palate.
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1989 Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance 98 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
This ranks up there with 2001 Yquem as one of the best dessert wines (still readily available on the market, I might add -- as there are plenty of small German bottlings that aren't) made in the last 40 years. This is basically what high-botrytis chenin should be. Textbook in every way, and just ridiculously stunning in its quality. Despite the maturity, this feels like it has decades still to go -- a result, obviously, of its being chock full of preserving acidity and residual sugar. A kaleidoscopic palate that never feels heavy for a second, though the concentration and complexity makes a little go a long way.
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2018 Martin Woods Riesling Noble Rot Hyland Vineyard 90 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville
Served double blind. For the most part, this is very riesling-like, with crisp acidity and some green apple. But there's a fuzziness here that had me thinking sweet chenin for a few moments as well. At the end of the day, this felt more like some sort of new-style riesling than anything to me. It has a fair bit of sweetness, probably at Auslese level or so, but is missing the laser focus of the German style.
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