What are we drinking in the Omicron ominous?

[jckba]

What was the vintage on the Chapoutier? I had the 98 Le Meal over the summer and it was delightful. Much better for my palate than the 98 Le Pavillon next to it.

Not the best picture in that regard but it was the ‘98 as well and it paired wonderfully with the cassoulet.

[Claudius2]

Guys
It was Chinese NY this week and I’ve eaten and drunk enough to last a month or two.
No great wines but plenty of variety.

2015 Remoissenet Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru Sous lacFretille.
Pretty good, lots of fruit and a touch of oak. Fruit offers honey, quince, tropical and citrus plus some vanilla and spice. Medium to full body. Acid is moderate and maybe a bit short.

Mumm Corton Rouge NV
I have never really liked this wine. Tends to be innocuous and boring. This bottle at least offered some citrus fruit and freshness. Not bad.

2015 Vickery Eden Valley Riesling
Well aged with lots of toasty, floral fruit and a touch of petrol notes.
Quite rich with some viscosity and plenty of flavour. Very good.

2012 Beloki Rioja Riserva
Did not show well, a bit tired and lacks acidity and balance.
Not undrinkable, just blowsy and uninteresting.

2017 Frescobaldi Faunae Chianti Classico
Pleasant medium bodied CC with good cherry and dark fruit, medium body and good acid.
A little simple and with firm acid, it was much better than the Beloki.

2017 Wynns Coonawarra Cab Shiraz Merlot
Mot bad, dark and brooding fruit showing more Shiraz flavour than Cab or Merlot.
Good acid and some tannins. Not great but pretty good.
Lacks the softness and richness of the Nlack Label Cab.

Nicolas Feuillatte NV
A good Champagne not in the top league but offers good flavour and some length.
Lots of citrus, some. Brioche and honey, medium length and minerality.
Better than Mumm but that would not be hard.

2019 Ashbook Margaret River Chardonnay.
Not bad, a bit simple but with plenty of flavour - citrus, stone fruit, some oak and moderate acidity.
Not the best vintage of this wine. But still pretty good.

2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Mysteriale.
This is a negociant wine that typically shows some sweetness and little character.
Rich dark fruit, some spice and pepper in a commercial style with medium body and Low acid.
A bit too much sweetness and no perceivable oak. Not bad. Easy to drink hardly compelling.

Lanson NV. BLack Label.
This wine had been in storage for 4-5 years.
Label says keep up to 4 years.
Anyway, have glugged down three of these in a few weeks and it was pretty good, good citrus and pear fruit, a touch of yeasty, toasty characters and some length with good minerality and acid.
This label has improved over the years showing more complexity and interest than I recalled over the years. Happy to drink any day.

Regards
Mark

[Racer Chris]

Last night, 2018 Reserve de Comtesse.
I splash decanted it after slow ox all day at 61F, then started preparing dinner.
The first glass didn't offer much but, 2 1/2 hours later at the end of dinner, I was more than happy to finish off the bottle.

[Nicklasss]

2019 Domaine Courbis Saint Joseph.

Excellent Northern Rhône syrah. A bit young and light burning alcohol, but completely controlled by blackberries, purple berries, infused spicy cinnamon, meat, minerals, tannins, good length, light blackpepper.

Typical Rhône syrah. Well very good.

[Racer Chris]

Something rather obscure today

[Nicklasss]

How was it Chris? An obscure 1975 Moulis is surely interesting. Tonight, i should opened a 2018 Chateau Villegeorge Haut-Médoc, inspired by Bill P positive review of three 2018 Bordeaux lately.

[AKR]

Something rather obscure today

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Moulis is a pretty strong AOC overall, among the satellites. K&L was direct importing the 2010 of that, and I think I squirreled one away. Unfortunately there a number of properties that all have the same sounding name, and they might have had relationships at one point, plus some have disappeared/bought by neighbors, so its gotten confusing.

[PghMike]

2014 Haut Bailly

In short a really nice wine. 93 pts I'd say.

Decanted about 2 hours and consumed for another 4. At first nose was muted but even the first glass with swirling opened up. Deep purple in color and quite opaque. Blackberry, and cedar on the nose. Medium+ in body. Got plenty of #2 pencil, just a hint of oak, some bell pepper and still chewy tannins. Blackberry really dominates the fruit component that is quite well balanced and elegant. Medium finish length.

13 percent abv.

[stefan]

With a ground venison soup we drank

2017 Ferraton Les Grands Muriers Cornas. Surprisingly forward nose and fairly soft in the mouth. OK to drink now.

With Eggplant Parmigiana we drank

2006 Parusso Le Coste-Mosconi Barolo. Pretty nose that contains hints of clove and all spice. Tasty and slightly sweet red fruit. Also fine for drinking now, but probably better in five years.

[Ianjaig]

Took a punt on an inexpensive Italian this weekend. 2017 Cavallotto Langhe Freisa Bricco Boschis:
PNP and this was a lovely surprise. Red cherries, noticeable cranberries with vanilla overtones. Decent tannic grip yet overlaid with a lovely softness. Fantastic value. Must try and buy more.

[Racer Chris]

How was it Chris? An obscure 1975 Moulis is surely interesting. Tonight, i should opened a 2018 Chateau Villegeorge Haut-Médoc, inspired by Bill P positive review of three 2018 Bordeaux lately.

It was pretty good Nic. Here's the note I just posted on CT:

• 1975 Château Gressier Grand Poujeaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc (2/5/2022)
  Top of shoulder fill. Cork came out in one piece with an ah-so, was soaked to half an inch below the top. The bottle was decanted and a small glass poured right away.
  Beautiful translucent deep ruby color with no bricking.
  Nearly no nose at first, and the first sip was watery.
  Over a couple hours it developed nicely though, showing a bit of old wood on the nose and sour cherry on the palate with tea-like tannins that lingered.
  With dinner the wood note diminished and the wine was quite soft and pleasing.
  There was no sign of the wine falling off after more than 4 hours.

Posted from CellarTracker

Arv, From their website I see that Gressier Grand Poujeaux is under the same ownership as Chasse Spleen. I could buy the 2016 from Saratoga Wine Exchange right now for just over $40. On Wine-searcher Westgarth has the 2010 listed as pre-arrival.

[DavidG]

1996 Leoville Barton - really drinking well, probably early plateau with some more complexity and mellower tannins than a few years ago.

[jckba]

A friend whose cellar was flooded last year pulled this bottle last night and despite the cork basically falling into the bottle as we went to open it along with what was a mid shoulder fill (at best), it delivered a pristine old wine experience. Delicate, yet expressive and nuanced, this was a treat and my wine of the year thus far.

1970 Mouton Rothschild (Marc Chagall watercolor)

[PghMike]

Bright ruby in color. Walnuts, blueberry and spring rain/flowers on the nose which feels a bit reticent at times but then hits you unexpectedly. Cherry cola, stone, cranberry, and pomegranate on the palate. The acidity in this wine is wonderful and tingles the tongue from beginning to end keeping this one light on its feet. Very fine tannins with just a touch of dryness on the finish. Not sure how to gauge this for drinking window but my guess is best in the next five years.

Really enjoyed this wine. I'll be looking for more Pedro Parra Cinsault's in the future.

13.5 abv
Total production quite low at 840 total. 715 bottles imported by Skurnik wines.

[Racer Chris]

Today I had the last of a 2018 Ch. Senejac and a 2016 Dame de Montrose, and tonight I started a bottle of 2019 Ch. Marsac Seguineau.
All pretty much performing as expected. However, the Marsac Seguineau was more balanced and pleasurable than I thought it would be within a year of bottling.

[Comte Flaneur]

Over the last week since the end of dry January

[jal]

A good wine night
2019 Vincent Dancer Meursault Les Grands Charrons: Pale yellow, wonderful nose of white flowers, very fine texture, vibrant and focused, a fantastic Meursault. I am liking every 2019 White Burgundy I have tried. 93
2015 Faury St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes: Purple color, fully resolved tannins, delicious juice, elegant, open and seductive with great charm and ready to drink. For the life of me, I can't recall having a bad Northern Rhone red in years. Also 93

[Comte Flaneur]

Interesting on the 2019 white burgundies Jacques. I own none. Perhaps something to rectify. We are having a St-Joseph tasting dinner tonight. Really looking forward to it.

[jal]

Enjoy Ian, looking forward to your notes.

[Nicklasss]

Interesting on the 2019 white burgundies Jacques. I own none. Perhaps something to rectify. We are having a St-Joseph tasting dinner tonight. Really looking forward to it.

Hi Comte. Will you have some of the more expensive Saint Joseph from Chapoutier, Jaboulet, Delas? Or Vernay, Chave? I liked the 30$ 2019 Domaine Courbis Saint-Joseph last Friday, but sometime i wonder if i should spend near 100$ on a Chapoutier Les Clos?

Also what did you thought of the 2006 Haut Bailly?

Finally, lately i've also been buying some Etna Rosso.

[AKR]

Weirdly enough Nicklass I had an Etna Rosato yesterday, from Sammaca del Murgo I think. It was ok; there's only so much one can get out of pink wines.

[Comte Flaneur]

Interesting on the 2019 white burgundies Jacques. I own none. Perhaps something to rectify. We are having a St-Joseph tasting dinner tonight. Really looking forward to it.

Hi Comte. Will you have some of the more expensive Saint Joseph from Chapoutier, Jaboulet, Delas? Or Vernay, Chave? I liked the 30$ 2019 Domaine Courbis Saint-Joseph last Friday, but sometime i wonder if i should spend near 100$ on a Chapoutier Les Clos?

Also what did you thought of the 2006 Haut Bailly?

Finally, lately i've also been buying some Etna Rosso.

Hi Nic

I really digged the 2006 Haut-Bailly. It is not an exuberant vintage but is now well resolved and in its drinking window. You won’t get the thrills of drinking the 2009 but it is classic Graves moving into secondary evolution. I am not sure how long it will last but I suspect it will drink well for 15+ years. I remember way back when I bought this vintage of Haut-Bailly was it was one of my favourite EP wines at the Lords Cricket Ground in St-Johns Wood, London, in 2007.

Sadly that was the only occasion when I met the now late Anthony Barton.

The Giovanni Rosso Etna Rosso 2018 is delicious. I am partaking in a glass as I write this with some Comte cheese. I went back and bought more at £24 a bottle and the case arrived today…from Costco.

I didn’t have time to post any St-Jo notes but will do so with Jim’s permission ‘just now’ to coin a South African vernaculum.

[Comte Flaneur]

St-Jo - with apologies to Jim, but I did not have time to write my own notes:

https://wine-pages.com/community/index. ... oor.12436/

[jal]

St-Jo - with apologies to Jim, but I did not have time to write my own notes:

https://wine-pages.com/community/index. ... oor.12436/

You British guys are tough graders!

[JimHow]

Let’s do a Zoom with you guys and Stefan/Lucie when I get back, Jal, I have many tales to tell.

[jal]

For sure.

[stefan]

Absolutely!

[Claudius2]

Last night drunk 2014 Daniel Rion NSG 1er Cru Les Hauts Pruliers.
Colour was dark red, showing no evident browning at the rim.
Nose a little muted at first, slightly stalky and oaky, taking a while for the fruit to show.
Eventually opened with red and black fruits, good sweetness and acidity, moderate length.
The fruit however is a little overpowered by the oak. It is thankfully not that horrible burnt, charry, whisky barrel type oak I keep seeing in Spanish wines, but with vanilla, light spices and sawn wood characters.
Yet the astringency and wood tannins are to my palate too firm for the fruit.
The fruit when you can look beyond the wood is pretty good, and I kept thinking half the amount of oak would help.
cheers
Mark

[JoelD]

Last night drunk 2014 Daniel Rion NSG 1er Cru Les Hauts Pruliers.
Colour was dark red, showing no evident browning at the rim.
Nose a little muted at first, slightly stalky and oaky, taking a while for the fruit to show.
Eventually opened with red and black fruits, good sweetness and acidity, moderate length.
The fruit however is a little overpowered by the oak. It is thankfully not that horrible burnt, charry, whisky barrel type oak I keep seeing in Spanish wines, but with vanilla, light spices and sawn wood characters.
Yet the astringency and wood tannins are to my palate too firm for the fruit.
The fruit when you can look beyond the wood is pretty good, and I kept thinking half the amount of oak would help.
cheers
Mark

Sounds like a wine that I would enjoy, although probably with another 5-7 years in bottle. I wonder in general, what are your thoughts about age in terms of the oak softening? This often seems to be a big gripe with young DRC, not that I've had much to compare.

[stefan]

Yeah, Rion is rather heavy handed in his use of oak.

Last night with lamb chops that taste like lamb we drank

2000 Calon-Segur. Last night this wine was quite good, but after sitting for a day, the second half of the bottle, drunk with leftover lamb, was wonderful. The nose had developed and the cassis enveloped coated the gamey meat.

Jeff Leve rated this wine 86 in 2010. I wonder if he has retasted it? It now deserves a 93.
Caveat: I have had this wine stored at around 63F for 18 years, so mine might be more accessible than most. 3-4 years ago this wine was less impressive.

[AKR]

very nice. Lamb chops have gotten scarce at our market, sadly.

[Racer Chris]

Tonight I opened the second of three bottles of 2015 Chapelle de Potensac that Rye Brook Wine & Spirits sold me as 2015 Chateau Potensac. At a better than expected price for Potensac and a crappy price for La Chapelle. I guess I won't be looking at their deals ever again.

At least the wine is ok, just not what I had in mind when I bought it.

[stefan]

With take out sushi we drank NV Philippe Prie Brut Tradition. This is a good value sparkler that goes well with sushi. The slight sweetness helps. The sushi cuts the Champagne short, but after finishing the sushi one can enjoy the lingering finish and appreciate the citrus and apples more.

[Tom In DC]

Tonight I opened the second of three bottles of 2015 Chapelle de Potensac that Rye Brook Wine & Spirits sold me as 2015 Chateau Potensac. At a better than expected price for Potensac and a crappy price for La Chapelle. I guess I won't be looking at their deals ever again.

At least the wine is ok, just not what I had in mind when I bought it.

Glad the wine was okay. Astounded that there are second wines at the Potensac level.

[Claudius2]

Joel/Stefan
I have a few more of these plus a few other 2014 Rions and I’ll leave them for a few more years.
Rion seems to be popular here partly because it’s distributed quite widely.

I am not sure that the wine will ever entirely come into balance. I finished a few 2008s and the last few 2001 Clos Vougeot and they were still overly oaky. The CV was quite good but even at twenty years there was a touch of astringency on the finish. Not sure I’ll buy more as I’m finding the fruit isn’t intense enough. Not sure that is a problem with DRC.

The fruit in the NSG was actually pretty good with some sweetness but the end palate is too dominated by French oak. Not sure why they do this as gentler oak treatment would allow the fruit to shine.

Cheers
Mark

[Racer Chris]

Fun afternoon

1975 BV Georges de Latour

1981 Ch L’Arrosee

[Gerry M.]

Tonight with lamb shanks, a 1986 Ch Beychevelle. Paired very well. Very soft without much gas left in the tank. This may hold on for a few more years but no reason to sit on.

[Nicklasss]

Dinner with my parents.

2020 Scolca Gavi white: fresh, acid , fennel bulb, lemon,limited but still nice appetizer.

2019 Terre Nere Etna Rossa: strawberries, fresh red cherries, spices, minerals. Light in mouth, but still long. Licoriçe, flowers. Excellent, pure, traditonnal.

[AKR]

Tonight I opened the second of three bottles of 2015 Chapelle de Potensac that Rye Brook Wine & Spirits sold me as 2015 Chateau Potensac. At a better than expected price for Potensac and a crappy price for La Chapelle. I guess I won't be looking at their deals ever again.

At least the wine is ok, just not what I had in mind when I bought it.

IMO, those are not accidents/mistakes. You should have been given a price adjustment.

[Racer Chris]

I agree that it was a deliberate deception. The product is still listed on their website at the same sale price. They don't list the second wine at all.
The name script on the label is rather similar to that on the first wine, so easy to mistake at a quick glance, but anyone actually reading the label would know instantly. I made the mistake of leaving the store without opening the box and racking the bottles without looking at them more closely.
Rather than call them on it over the phone, I will take my wine dollars elsewhere forever. Their loss will be the larger one.