TNs: Prum, Ecard, Monsanto, Montevetrano

[Michael Malinoski]

The following are notes on some wines drunk over two different dinners with my extended family.

Dinner #1:

N.V. La Tour Grise Ze Bulle Zero Pointé. This is an unusual vin petillant sparkler from the Saumur region that’s a blend of 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Chardonnay. The nose has elements of sour citrus, stony minerals and quinine but also some competing off-dry tones of vanilla powder and sweeter fruit. It doesn’t really work for me, to be honest. In the mouth, it’s a bit top-heavy, showing a rich streak of vanilla wafer cookie flavors that are gently sweet, but also some top notes of fizzy bitter smoke and pineapple. It’s just an odd combination going off in two different directions that never seems to come together in my mind.

2011 Casa Alle Vacche Vernaccia di San Gimignano. This wine presents a fresh and pretty set of aromatic notes ranging from white flowers, chalk and mountain herbs to peach, lime, melon and orange peel scents that have nice easy appeal. In the mouth, it’s clean and crisp and flinty—with lighter weight, tangy acidity and snappy flow. The flavors of apple, peach, melon and mineral are nice and holistic, if not necessarily all that serious. It’s nice and enjoyable right now.

2002 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese Mosel Saar Ruwer. This wine delivers a moderately open but still rather expressive bouquet of apple, blue slate, lime and graphite aromas, along with little notes here and there of cherry and petrol. In the mouth, it’s still a bit wound tight, with a gripping feel and solid framing, but it still manages to deliver a solid swath of apple, peach and slate flavors that show fine levels of sweetness and precise balance. This is excellent stuff with plenty left in the tank.

2002 Maurice Écard Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets. This was a tremendous showing, I thought. It opens with a bouquet redolent of cherry, cassis, red flowers, dark soil, tree bark, toasted orange peel and mulling spices that are delightfully dark-red toned and harmonious in feel. In the mouth, it shows fine freshness, a cool earthy acidity and a nice savory underbelly to the flavors of black cherry, smoke and soil. It’s plenty smooth and fleshy, but also toned and fairly refined. My notes cite a country gentleman, but one with a little bit of mud on his boots. Regardless, this is drinking wonderfully right now and delivers a great deal of pleasure for my tastes.

Dinner #2:

2009 Domaine la Réméjeanne Côtes du Rhône Blanc Les Églantiers. In my opinion, this wine is tight and fairly unyielding on the nose—with taut and rigid aromas of stainless steel, struck match, light herbs and apple trying to come forth. On the palate, it’s quite dry and firm, with granite, steel and pear flavors that seem almost green to me. Also, the acidity is a bit sour-edged and kind of jangly or austere. I think others seemed to enjoy this more than I did, though.

2005 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva. This wine shows a fine, classy character on the nose right from the get-go—with layered aromas of cherry fruit, charred leather, tobacco leaf, smoke and bright spices showing lots of life and interesting nuances already. In the mouth, it has a nice traditional feel to it—with leather, earth and black cherry flavors supported by a lithe acidity and a cool streak of charcoal-tinged earthiness. It’s a wonderful pairing with our veal stew.

1996 Azienda Agricola Montevetrano Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT. The nose here comes across as broad, bold and serious all at the same time. It’s loaded with outstanding and complex aromas of black currants, charred leather, aged cigar wrapper, volcanic ash, roasted nuts, chicory and tar that keep drawing you back for more. In the mouth, it’s showing a surprisingly strong streak of menthol, tobacco and leather notes to go along with core fruit flavors of blackberries and currants. I really like the volcanic undertones that run along the spine of this wine, and the smoky, savory bits that add even more character. It’s a delicious and impressive wine, but it’s still showing a good deal of structure and a serious demeanor that I’d like to see soften a bit more over the next few years in the cellar. I’m quite pleased to have two bottles left, but won’t try another one for another 2 or 3 years, I would say.

2007 Tolaini Valdisanti Tenuta S. Giovanni Toscana IGT. This was outclassed by the previous two wines. On the nose, it’s more obvious and a bit jammy in style, pumping out rich and warm aromas of plums, cherry paste and earthier olive notes. It shows a lot of warm fruit and glycerin on the palate, but it’s a bit overly boisterous and raw just now, I’d have to say. The alcohol isn’t fully integrated and the tannins seem fairly aggressive. I wouldn’t pull another cork on it for several more years.


-Michael