What are we drinking in the Omicron ominous?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 3:28 pm

I loved it, Jon.
I have a full case as well.
It is great stuff, like the Siran, I love both the 15 and 16, maybe the 16 even a little better.

Gerry M. · Post by **Gerry M.** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 6:34 pm

Curious to try after seeing mixed reviews of 2006 Ch Smith Haut-Lafitte. Day 1 opened and let sit for 2 hours before trying. Nose of bell pepper, a little creosote and black cherry. Tannins are there but not too harsh. Still rather tight but but will let sit. Day 2 nose of eucalyptus, a little pine, gaining some floral notes. Palate of cocoa, licorice, a little muddled. Moderate finish. A very nice wine but no distinguishing qualities.

Nice to read the positive vibe on the 2016 Labegorce. I too have full case bought on futures. I bought early since I used to like the Labegorce-Zede before it was bought out and incorporated into Labegorce. Bought a bottle in NH just to try and was very impressed but took no notes.

Ianjaig · Post by **Ianjaig** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 11:40 pm

Thanks for the tasting note. I opened a SHL 06 recently and although I did enjoy it, I was somewhat underwhelmed. I have one more bottle left.

I tried the 2016 Labegorce at a tasting a while ago and was really impressed. Unfortunately I have missed the boat on this one as it’s no longer available over here now. Gutted.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 11:44 pm

That's unfortunate, Ian, 2016 Labegorce is as good a QPR as I've ever seen.
Great richness and ripe fruit, I have 14 bottles in my cellar, come on over from NZ and we'll uncork some.
Looks like they have only about 17 bottles left in New Hampshire, $33 when they are on sale, a great deal.

Ianjaig · Post by **Ianjaig** » Fri May 01, 2020 12:14 am

Yes, agree Jim, its a fantastic QPR - I think it was going for circa $60 (NZ) which seemed to be an absolute steal.

Thanks for the invite

I have a sister in law that lives in the Sonoma (her husband is in the wine trade, Kendall Jackson I believe) so who knows, maybe one day

Cheers.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri May 01, 2020 12:16 am

We'd love to host you if you ever get over on this side of the woods, Ian, just let us know when you're coming!

I loved the '15 Labegorce, I think I like the '16 even more. It's big and fruity but balanced and mouthfilling.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Fri May 01, 2020 1:09 am

A very good 2017 Ca'Rugate Soave Ste Michele. Flowery, lemongrass, lightly sweet, simple, light bitterness and 12% alcohol.

Nic

Claudius2 · Post by **Claudius2** » Fri May 01, 2020 3:23 pm

Guys
I’ve been quaffing lesser Bdx by the case load. Wine sales in the little red dot have increased remarkably since the shutdown and since we feel like we are in a gulag at least we can quaff some wine.
Thankfully we don’t live in a worker’s dormitory as the virus has spread like wildfire. Over 90% of cases here are work pass holders who are contracted and leave when their work is done. Luckily there have been very few deaths (15 out of 17,000).

So far this week:
2015 Haut Medoc de Lagrange.
Very modern style - the vineyard is not in St Julien and seriously, I would have guessed it is from Coonawarra. Nice nose of black fruits and plums, very cab merlot, but very fruity. A medium bodied palate with low acid, moderate tannin and only a touch of mocha and smoky oak. The fruit jumps out of the glass and is sweeter and more open than expected. Actually pretty nice but not for traditionalists. Rated very good.

2014 Haut Medoc de Beychevelle.
Yes another HM made in St Julien and a more traditional style. Firm tannins and acid frame this wine with good dark fruit, toasty oak and dark fruits. The wine had more structure than the HM de Lagrange and is arguably a more complete wine partly as it says Bdx. Very good + and a good value from the airport close out.

2013 Dassault St Emilion.
An okay sort of wine showing the vintage. Medium bodied but tastes chaptalised and the structure is loose knit and rather simple. The two wine above were cheaper and better. There is some plummy fruit but the structure just isn’t there and it finishes short. Okay with mushroom risotto and tenderloin. I’ve drunk two of these in the last week or so, this one seemed fruitier than the first. Rated good-.

2016 Frescobaldi Nippazano Chianti Rufina Riserva
A decent wine with typical Tuscan flavors of bright fruit, savory, gamey and earthy characters and firm dry tannins. There is a touch of oak and dry spice. Not bad for the price but is a bit rustic and astringent. Rated good (cost about USD13) and a value as you normally get plonk at that price point here.

2917 Cape Mentelle Chardonnay Margaret River.
For my palate, Margaret River makes the best Chardonnay after Burgundy and this wine is excellent. heaps of fruit - citrus, stone fruit and quince- meshed with nutty, spicy French oak, good acidity and dry finish. The wine had minerality and acid to balance the pithy fruit. A very well balanced richly flavored wine that may not appeal to everyone but does to me. Rated excellent.

2009 Domaine Caillot PM Folatieres 1er Cru
What a disaster. Never again am I thinking of buying anything from this domaine.
Overtly sulfurous and smells more like a chemistry lab than a White Burgundy.
I wasted my cash on a case of this and every bottle has been equally dismal.
Rated DNPIM particularly if you react badly (like me) to sulphur.

2009 Maltroie CM Clos St Jean Rouge.
Shows the minerality and acidity of a white Burgundy with red and dark fruits, moderate tannins and lovely balance. There is some musky dark fruit and stony minerality. Not a great Burgundy but a very nice light to medium bodied wine. Linear profile with nice finish. Rated Very good+ almost excellent but maybe needs a bit more mid palate for higher ratings.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Fri May 01, 2020 8:24 pm

My wine mentor brought these to my shop today.
He says we'll open the Tokay tomorrow after some work on his engine.

I guess this is extremely rare, with less than a case being imported to the US, and a story about his acquisition.

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This one should be fantastic, based on his recollection and the single detailed note on Cellartracker with a 96 point score. I bet its hard to find Australian cab like this these days.

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DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Fri May 01, 2020 10:08 pm

The SGN should be a treat. Boxler is an excellent producer and SGN indicates a wine made from botrytized fruit. Similar to the noble rot (grains nobles = noble berries) in Barsac/Sauternes.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Fri May 01, 2020 10:39 pm

Claudius2 wrote:Guys
I’ve been quaffing lesser Bdx by the case load. Wine sales in the little red dot have increased remarkably since the shutdown and since we feel like we are in a gulag at least we can quaff some wine.
Thankfully we don’t live in a worker’s dormitory as the virus has spread like wildfire. Over 90% of cases here are work pass holders who are contracted and leave when their work is done. Luckily there have been very few deaths (15 out of 17,000).

So far this week:

2016 Frescobaldi Nippazano Chianti Rufina Riserva
A decent wine with typical Tuscan flavors of bright fruit, savory, gamey and earthy characters and firm dry tannins. There is a touch of oak and dry spice. Not bad for the price but is a bit rustic and astringent. Rated good (cost about USD13) and a value as you normally get plonk at that price point here.

I've had a couple 16 normale Chianti's this week - Felsina and Castello di Bossi - and find this to be a lovely vintage. They are much more fresh to drink when it gets hot, as we've already had some 93F days so far.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Fri May 01, 2020 10:53 pm

1998 Pape Clement Rouge - this bottle is a little clipped and not as good as the last one; full frontal scorched earth and piped tobacco on the front, clipped and lacking on the back.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri May 01, 2020 11:53 pm

I drank through a case of 1998 Pape Clement, found most of them very disappointing.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Fri May 01, 2020 11:59 pm

2012 Guidalberto

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat May 02, 2020 1:02 am

Comte Flaneur wrote:1998 Pape Clement Rouge - this bottle is a little clipped and not as good as the last one; full frontal scorched earth and piped tobacco on the front, clipped and lacking on the back.

Sounds a lot like the 96 too.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Sat May 02, 2020 1:31 am

Recently, a couple 375s of Lalande de Pomerol: 2016 Chateau Garraud and 2016 Treytins. Both were inexpensive, solid merlot driven wines.

Tonight, 2010 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich 1* Riesling Spatlese. This was a real WOW wine. Great fruit and great acidity. Bottle lists 7.5% alcohol - hardly noticeable.

Couple nights ago in an internet virtual (not Zoom but something similar) wine tasting, 1995 Trotanoy was in a good place but still suffered a bit from the 1995 sternness.

Chris Bublitz

Gerry M. · Post by **Gerry M.** » Sat May 02, 2020 3:53 am

Tonight during our weekly Friday night poker game I cracked a 2014 Ch Sociando Mallet. Man I'm so glad I bought a case of this, This is so good now and for the $29 paid it was a steal. My note is brief: Opened up 3 hours before trying. This has really improved since I last tried it 3 years ago. No greenness on the nose at all, eucalyptus and a little cedar on the nose. Tannins are there but not astringent, just enough to provide structure. Dark fruited and well balanced.

Ianjaig · Post by **Ianjaig** » Sun May 03, 2020 3:04 am

Popped open a Grand Puy Lacoste 2006. Classically styled and absolutely humming...

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Sun May 03, 2020 5:53 pm

Since there was a recent recommendation for 2010 to be the next Zoom theme I decided to open a 2010 today.
Nothing special, but the 2017 (IGT) mini-super Tuscan I opened last night didn't seem like the best choice for my grilled cheese lunch today.
I don't favor right bank wines for the most part but this one floated my boat nicely when I first bought a few so I stocked up, and its coming around nicely, although I've had one or two off bottles.
Ch. du Moulin Noir - Montagne-St. Emilion. This is a good bottle and it went well with lunch.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun May 03, 2020 7:58 pm

I popped and poured a 2014 Longplay "Jory Beach Reserve" Lia's Vineyard Pinot Noir to drink for lunch with leftover broccoli quiche. I bought a few Longplay wines on Berserkers' Day because of the favorable comments I read on the Berserker board. The vineyard is in the Chehalem Mountain AVA. This 2014 is much like the other Longplay 2014 Lia's Vineyard (not Jory Beach Reserve) I drank a while back--sweet fruit forward, pure pinot, good acid. The flavor is all upfront but holds. The grapes used for Jory Beach Reserve come from the oldest vines in Lia's Vineyard. The alcohol is listed as 14.1%. No doubt this wine will age well, not that I have enough bottles of Longplay to find out.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Mon May 04, 2020 11:53 pm

2000 La Tour Carnet
Steal of a deal at $25 recently. Very pretty, light bodied, but still with some dark fruit at the end. And only 12.5% alcohol! After being a high alc hound early in my wine days.. I believe that I can finally say that I am in the lower alcohol camp. Maybe not only under 14%. But I think under 15 for sure, and most likely 14.5 and under.

Maybe this is why I have started to enjoy burgundy more than I used to.

Another theory that hasn't been mentioned, and I may post this in the Alcohol thread(debate/argument).. when I really went down the wine rabbit hole a few years ago, I stopped drinking hard alcohol almost completely and also cut out spicy foods and other things that can affect the palate. The result seems to be that I have developed the appreciation for lower alcohol wines and not as much for the higher ones. I would be curious to see what other's thoughts on this are.

Claudius2 · Post by **Claudius2** » Tue May 05, 2020 1:01 pm

Joel
We all agree with you.
I can’t cope with hi alcohol wines and prefer the freshness and balance of moderate alcohol wines.
I’m Australian and have seen alcohol levels soar over recent decades and to an extent seen the same thing happen in Bordeaux. Hi alc wines can be fun to taste but not to drink particularly with food.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Tue May 05, 2020 1:16 pm

Opened my lone bottle of 2002 Bouchard Nuits St. George Les Cailles last night. It was singing! Very floral nose and rich dark berry fruit on the palate. Still very fresh and vibrant. I may have caught it at its peak - hard to believe it could get much better. I have no idea why I bought only one bottle!

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Tue May 05, 2020 3:24 pm

Domaine de Chevalier 1975
Gorgeous. Mature. Very Graves 94

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Thu May 07, 2020 6:10 am

Lopez de Heredia 6 ano likely from 1973
Gorgeous. Mature. Unmistakable Rioja 92 points

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Thu May 07, 2020 11:48 am

La Tour de By 1982.
Pretty good. Very mature. Unmistakably wine. 91

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Thu May 07, 2020 12:03 pm

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Thu May 07, 2020 11:30 pm

Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 2004
Good with food but without, there is simply too much of the 15% alcohol poking through. Classically styled yet disappointing. 87

jal · Post by **jal** » Fri May 08, 2020 2:14 am

With a roasted red snapper, we drank a 2017 jean Philippe Fichet Meursault Village; delicious, clean and vibrant yet round with pears and stone fruits. Not a lot of tension but still tastes way better than its $57 price would suggest. 91

Ianjaig · Post by **Ianjaig** » Fri May 08, 2020 4:28 am

jckba wrote:Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 2004
Good with food but without, there is simply too much of the 15% alcohol poking through. Classically styled yet disappointing. 87

Had a couple of 2011's last year and came to a similar conclusion. It was a bit of a 'head scratcher' for me, as I wanted to like them (and a 3 hour decant did help) but I still found them to be somewhat 'Port' like.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Sat May 09, 2020 2:21 am

1995 Canon
Not that impressed. Perfect bottle, cork, fill. Really just did not have much going on. Very light bodied, borderline watered down. Came around after an hour or so in glass, along with some lamb and vegetables. Good price at $59 from cellaraiders but wouldn't buy again. Except for the 2nd bottle I bought. I give it an 89 tonight. Will try again.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Sat May 09, 2020 2:45 am

Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee 2004
Aromatic. Classically styled and balanced. Very good. 94

Ianjaig · Post by **Ianjaig** » Sat May 09, 2020 9:29 am

Domaine De Chevalier 2006.

Surprisingly concentrated, meaty with decent tannic bite. Evolved and improved further on day 2. Needs more time IMO.

Claudius2 · Post by **Claudius2** » Sat May 09, 2020 12:40 pm

Currently drinking a 2015 Margaux - Remparts du Ferriere. Second wine of the estate.
This is a pretty good wine. Lots of blueberry cassis and mulberry fruit with firm acid, moderate tannins and some French oak characters of vanilla and tobacco.
I would not complain if it was the first wine.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Sat May 09, 2020 5:14 pm

Just a few minutes ago I safely extracted the cork from the bottle of 1983 Arnoux Vosne Romanee and poured an ounce into my glass.
It seems like a good choice to accompany my grocery store premade meal of "Balsamic Glazed Grilled Chicken with Oven Roasted Vegetables".
The cork was very delicate, even started pushing in after the corkscrew was only in a quarter inch or so, but my Monopole does amazing things if you know how to use it.
The wine color is also very delicate, as is the nose. However, on the palate I sense great complexity within, only waiting to coaxed into life again.
There is definitely nothing wrong with this bottle even though there was a hefty layer of mold on top, that even smelled like mold as I scraped it off before inserting the corkscrew. The wine is unmistakably Pinot Noir, yet is nothing like any pinot I've had until now.
Karl had better get here soon or I'll be well into the bottle. My first ounce is already gone.

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Sat May 09, 2020 5:47 pm

On the chopping block for tonight was a bottle of Canon 1982.
It as the first bottle from a pristine case and sold to me by my English supplier. I gave it three months of rest before deciding to open it.

However, it got a last minute stay, when a close friend offered to get scallops and a little shad roe, so tonight, we will pair them with a bottle of my dwindling supply of Louis Roederer, by far my favorite NV Champagne.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sat May 09, 2020 5:52 pm

Ooh, 1982 Canon is one of my favorite St Emilions.

I like NV Roederer, but I am surprised that you like it more than NV Krug, for example.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Sat May 09, 2020 6:22 pm

stefan wrote:Ooh, 1982 Canon is one of my favorite St Emilions.

I like NV Roederer, but I am surprised that you like it more than NV Krug, for example.

Or the number of grower champagnes which tread in a similar price range as the Roederer.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sat May 09, 2020 10:09 pm

Tonight Neilson Vergers 14. I have been rushing through these drinking one a month. The last four have literally smashed it out of the park. I have two bottles of this case and another one in storage. I can see why Niellon is Jacques’s favourite producer 94-95.

Also La Lagune 1985. The bottle was pristine, with a good level at the bottom of the neck. Out of the gate lean tobacco notes and a somewhat greenish tinge, not in a bad way, but somewhat reticent. With time the wine puts on size and the green streak is over taken by a rich red fruited presence, and there are other tertiary nuances to compete with the tobacco notes. This is showing best three hours after opening without decanting. At this point a delightful wine relaxed in its own skin. Of course it is not a showstopper but it is the sort of wine that sneaks up on you and seduces you with its wares. I think I have two left. I am inclined to drink them in the next few years because I don’t think it will improve: 91-92

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Sat May 09, 2020 10:23 pm

stefan wrote:Ooh, 1982 Canon is one of my favorite St Emilions.

I like NV Roederer, but I am surprised that you like it more than NV Krug, for example.

I don’t; I think of Krug as something outside of normal NVs; I meant all those NVs under $50.