Wine from the holidays

[Nicklasss]

Up to now :

2018 Château Moncet, Lalande de Pomerol: first 2018 i find good, it was about Time! Not too ripe, concentrated red fruits and earth.

2016 Cantemerle : very 2016 and very Cantemerle. Good mixture of dark fruits, leather, spices, blackcurrants. Concentrated, fresh, decent structure and lenght.

2009 Calon Segur : not very 2009 to me, but very Calon. Fresh red fruits, blackcurrants, spicy oak, leather, and a nice pine tree needle. Concentrated, sense of élégance, complex fruit, light touch of meat to the same flavors than the nose. Long!

[JimHow]

I have three bottles of the 2009 Calon Segur. Another blanquito or two?

[Blanquito]

Any heat on the 09 Calon, Nic? That’s my concern with some 09s. Does heat settle down with age? It sure didn’t with the 07 Chateauneuf.

[Nicklasss]

I guess one blanquito, as the wine is already complex and impressive.

Drank few Champagne too:

Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Quality Brut: very dry, nice bubbles, very mineral. Not long, but classic with some flowers, light green lemon and chalk.

Nicolas Feuillatte NV cuvée spéciale : richer, more bread crust, confit lemon, and some yellow apple. Fine bubbles.

Gruet NV blanc de blancs : pears, white flowers, some richness and acidity, but weal bubble on that bottle.

Proy-Boulard Tentation Brut rosé : light bubbles, but nice red fruit flavors, tasty, chalky, dry. Also some violet flowers, and spicy ginger yeast. A nice surprise.

[Nicklasss]

Any heat on the 09 Calon, Nic? That’s my concern with some 09s. Does heat settled down with age? It sure didn’t with 07 Chateauneuf.

Hi Patrick. I must admit that the alcohol was undetectable in the first 90 minutes, but in my last glass, a little bit more in evidence. But the 2009 Calon Segur is "only" 13.5 % alcohol.

[Nicklasss]

Tonight, kind of a revelation : the 2021 Domaine Delaporte Sancerre Chavignol is exactly what you expect from that AOP. Very light color, strong perfumes of cassis bush, white berries, lemon, acidic green lemon, shell minerals. Mouth of freh sauvignon blanc, with of character. A very young wine, but superbly balanced between green lemon, minerals, light leafy character. Enough fat to cover and stay in mouth for several seconds. Convincing final, with melon, starfruit, light bitterness and back to the earthy minerals. Tn: 93.

[marcs]

Any heat on the 09 Calon, Nic? That’s my concern with some 09s. Does heat settle down with age? It sure didn’t with the 07 Chateauneuf.

I’ve never found heat with any 2009 left bank. What I do find is a thick rich fruit expression that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But I don’t think of it is a vintage where they lost control of alcohol. At least on the left bank on the right bank they sort of always do sometimes

[William P]

I am a fan of the 2016 Cantemerle.

[Nicklasss]

Yesterday, 2 whites and 1 red.

2020 Bourgogne Aligoté Vignerons de Buxy : nice, perfumed, tasty, lot of white flesh fruits, light minerals, good presence in mouth. Superbly done.

2020 Kientzler Risling Grand Cru Geisberg: mineral, petroleum, lemon, lemongrass, great freshness and length. Impressive, with great style.

2016 Les Hauts de Smith : modern style, maybe slightly glossy, but no faults. Dark red, blue fruits, light chocolate, blackcurrants, vanilla, oak, concentrated, caressing, superfine tannic structure. Drink nicely. I like the wines of Smith Haut Lafitte, at any level.

[Nicklasss]

Caillez-Leclair NV Champagne : quite good and balance for the reasonable price. Apple, chalk, flowers, with élégance.

Tattinger Brut NV : white and yellow fresh fruits, medium richesse, kind of powdery feeling, tasty, very nice.

2021 Minerality of Chardonnay from T. Bachelder : canadian chardonnay that could easily compete with Bourgogne of the same price. Fresh fruit, nice oak, long.

2020 Clos de la Roilette : a genie in a bottle! Complex fruits, game, floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Extremely nice Fleurie.

2020 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir : very ok, with ripe little red berry fruit, something "milky", sweet rasberries. Light style, decent lomg, but not that much structure.

[Nicklasss]

Tonight, with gnocchis passata pomodoro, a simple 2019 San Fabiano Calcinaia Chianti Classico that was classical. Cherries, violet flowers, light spices. In mouth, very sappy, nice texture, tannic, fresh, same type of flavors as on the nose, but add some grainy oak, and bay leave. Excellent for the fair price.

[finner]

On Christmas night with lamb, 1999 Hagelen-Jayer Nuit-Saint-Georges "La Damodes" was singing and in a burgundy sweet spot. 99 has finally come around indeed.