Howard Ripley portfolio tasting

Tasted Wednesday, April 24, 2024 by Joshvoulters with 27 views

Introduction

A.K.A. 'let's clear the decks of old stock' tasting

Flight 1 - Red Burg (4 Notes)

  • 2018 Camille Giroud Corton-Renardes 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    Incredible assertiveness to the nose, both range and lift: sharply defined Pinot fruit, angular but wrapped in a blanket of luxurious depth. Accomplishes the high wire of serious density on the palate with a sense of levity: beautifully textured with brightening acidity woven throughout. I note early professional reviews of this found a stemmy, pinched character - all I can say is that it must have evolved enormously in bottle because this screams Grand Cru. Would happily pay the asking price for this.

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  • 2019 Domaine Castagnier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    Ripe and spicy, resolved red and blue fruit on the nose with a satisfying oak signature. Excellent purity here. Velvety on the palate, some chew at the end. It's straightforwardly delicious even if it currently lacks a sense of real delicacy and complexity

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  • 2017 Domaine Castagnier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Chaffots 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

    Exhibits what I'm gathering is a Castagnier signature of pure, deep, almost artificially dense fruit. Here it's complemented by darker coffee and animal tones. Spherical, rich on the palate, smooth with acidity lifting the finish. It's not a style that truly excites me but there's no question it's really good stuff

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  • 2021 René Bouvier Gevrey-Chambertin 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

    Offputtingly reductive on opening, but once the sulphurous notes dissipate it's extremely appealing, with strawberry fruit leading the charge. The palate is knockout: detailed and delicious, resolutely middleweight with delicate, concentrated red fruit and a refreshing character.

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Flight 2 - Italy (5 Notes)

  • 2016 Gigi Bianco Barbaresco Pora 91 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    Incredible nose of violet, mint, pure concentrated strawberry, earth and a sweet decaying note. Quite sweet and full on the palate, moderate juicy acidity. Tannins are spiky but approachable, shrouded by that plump body. Tasty but a bit of a blunt instrument, lacks finesse

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  • 2017 Diego Conterno Barolo del Comune di Monforte d'Alba 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Red apple, ripe cherry, eucalyptus nose with floral overtones. Precise and correct. Approachable on the palate with lots of powdery tannin and a little bitter kick. Really quite pure and delicious - some of these '17s are showing really well. Not one for the long term but great value at around £30

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  • 2017 Fratelli Serio and Battista Borgogno Barolo Cannubi 89 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Rose and violet, smoky strawberry on the nose, an appealing perfumed purity. Tannins are overwhelming and dominate proceedings, both in terms of structure and bitterness on the palate - I wonder if they'll recede and allow the fruit to express in time?

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  • 2019 La Sala Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Torriano 86 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    Dark-toned, spicy, earthy and compact. Blackberry, raspberry, cherry palate - shows good fruit but little else and it's slightly pinched, blocky. Comes across tight and simple.

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  • 2020 Caccia al Piano Bolgheri Ruit Hora Flawed

    Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri

    Nope did not like this at all. Opens with some promise: a leafy cabernet character, green pepper, sweet herbal tones, blackcurrant, strawberry vanilla. A sense of restraint and detail. The palate isn't good - insipid and tangy. There's no hint of it on the nose but it tastes of wet cardboard, not sure I've experienced this before. It has to be flawed, right?

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Flight 3 - German Pinot (4 Notes)

  • 2019 Weingut Jülg Spätburgunder Opus-Oskar 93 Points

    Germany, Pfalz

    This has kicked up a gear since I last tried it and, while I'm still not a buyer at the asking price, I can see why somebody else might be. High-toned, explosively aromatic nose - sweet spice and dried flowers, strawberry fruit. Sweet and sour on the palate: extremely concentrated, dense but fresh. It's compact and youthful with enormous potential.

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  • 2019 Dr. Heger Vorderer Winklerberg Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs 91 Points

    Germany, Baden

    Very pretty: sweet strawberry, pot pourri. Deep, tangy and concentrated on the palate. Smooth tannins with lots of presence. Fresh, drinkable and substantial.

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  • 2020 Weingut Jülg Sonnenberg Spätburgunder WB 92 Points

    Germany, Pfalz

    This is really good. Earthy, sweet strawberry, violet, menthol, eucalyptus - it's detailed and complex on the nose. Ripe, dry and tangy on the palate - a grown-up sourness that's very gourmand with lovely acidity. Dense without weight. Not Burgundian in character - really its own thing.

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  • 2019 Ziereisen Rhini 89 Points

    Germany, Baden

    The oak is still a bit fresh and competes for space with spiced raspberry and violet. Very appealing and direct. Boisterous on the palate - assertive primary red fruit, lots of acidity and big, blocky tannins that coat the mouth. Needs to chill out.

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Flight 4 - Not Chablis (2 Notes)

Flight 5 - German Chard (3 Notes)

  • 2021 Dr. Heger Ihringer Winklerberg Chardonnay Erste Lage 90 Points

    Germany, Baden

    Talcum powder, sweet vanilla, lemon, ripe Golden Delicious apples. Concentrated apple and lemon fruit on the palate - direct and delicious if not all that refined. Medium body and really powerful acidity keep this refreshing. A really good example of its style - completely distinct from Burgundy

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  • 2021 Weingut Knewitz Chardonnay Trocken 92 Points

    Germany, Rheinhessen

    Fresh and angular underneath the initial reduction- reminds me of a precise, mineral Chablis with greater mid-palate density. Sharp malic green apple, a beautiful oak signature and perfume which perfectly complements the fruit profile. Apple and lemon palate, bright acidity woven into the chalky structure. Very moreish and excellent at less than £25

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  • 2017 Pincészet Lenkey Furmint Holdvolgy 90 Points

    Hungary, Tokaji

    A really compelling nose - smoke, lime marmalade, hazelnut, candied orange, toffee and coffee. Tastes at first like those orange creme Quality Street that get left at the end but otherwise it's very sharp and tight on the palate, with searing acidity leaving it quite a challenging wine to drink.

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Flight 6 - Oregon (2 Notes)

  • 2019 J.C. Somers Pinot Noir Nouvelle Lune 92 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    Really liked this producer, which offers great value in the context of quality Pinot Noir. Very Burgundian nose - cool, angular and fresh. A great sense of restraint here - the oak is subtly framing tart red fruit. A sense of saturation on the palate, smooth but cool and well-defined. Not that I know anything about Burgundy but I'd have confidently called this Premier Cru quality

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  • 2019 J.C. Somers Pinot Noir Bella Vida Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    Restrained but screams 'quality' - a coolness and depth that would proudly situate it at the top end of the PC/ GC Burgundies a couple of tables down. Density, freshness - notes of decaying rose and dark roast coffee. Overall there's a sweet aromatic delicacy here, smooth and silky with well-judged acidity and tannin framing the fruit. Only demerit is a finish which is a touch insubstantial and abrupt.

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