TNs: Friday night is all right

[Michael Malinoski]

Andy invited 5 of us over to his place on a Friday night a while back to hang out, eat dinner and play some cards while the family was away somewhere. Everyone brought some wine to share, Andy cooked, and a good time was had by all. As a side note, none of the wines were served blind and none were decanted that I can recall.

N.V. Deutz Champagne Brut Classic. This is a relatively recent disgorgement, and it smells rather pleasant and airy--with pretty aromas of apple blossom, chalk, lemon peel, biscuit, juniper and green apple frothing up out of the glass. In the mouth, it’s bright-fruited and tangy, with flavors of green apple and lemon doing a vibrant dance atop mouthwatering acidity. It does turn a bit too tart at times toward the finish, but it’s a fun, fresh Champagne with good cut and exuberance.

2008 Joseph Drouhin Pommard. The nose of this wine features crunchy-crisp aromas of black cherry, leather, spices and minerals that feel fresh, if a bit simple at this stage of the game. It’s pretty similar in the mouth, with a crunchy, bright tangy personality to the clean and lighter-bodied fruit flavors of sour cherries and red berries. The taut acidity can be a bit cinched up, but it’s otherwise pretty easy to drink and ought to offer some near-term enjoyment without a lot of fuss.

1999 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Champans. This wine is simply lovely on the nose, delivering a beautiful bouquet redolent of creamed cherry, sandalwood, cocoa, fireplace ash and funky sous bois aromas that work beautifully together in a fine-woven, pliantly-textured fashion. It’s considerably tighter and more linear on the palate just now, however, with crisp acidity, a much cooler-fruited flavor profile, and taut minerality throughout. There are some nice autumnal and earthen bits, too, which play out in subtle ways beneath the sharper-toned red fruit core. I hope that in a few years it will round out and find more a more graceful personality that’s more in line with the absolutely tremendous aromatics.

2000 Travaglini Gattinara. This is immediately inviting on the nose, with warm-toned aromas of cherry, raspberry, old pressed flowers and dusty earth popping out of the glass right from the very beginning. In the mouth, I get a slight sensation of cherry cough syrup early on, but that settles down fairly quickly and is replaced with mellower flavors of faded strawberry and raspberry fruit riding gently atop fine-grained tannins. It settles down into a welcoming and pleasantly-aged drink with maybe just a tickle of elevated alcohol now and again later on in the evening. Overall, I certainly enjoy it, and it garnered plenty of nice commentary throughout the evening from the group.

1996 Vietti Barolo Castiglione. This is more serious, earthy and brooding on the nose, delivering dense aromas of baked cherries, blackberries, tar, caramel, browned tobacco leaf and peat that slowly unwind in layers. In the mouth, it’s showing just a bit of balsamic character to go along with rather interesting flavors of sweet cherry fruit, dry-cured capicola, pan drippings and savory earth. For all that, it’s relatively easy-sipping and warmly fine-flowing, despite some sticky tannins and slightly caramelized notes that come on late. I think it was well-liked by the group, but I’d be inclined to drink this particular cuvee sooner rather than later.

1990 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Centennial Edition Sonoma County. I don’t know much about this particular bottling, but this specific bottle was not in the best shape. To begin, the nose is kind of dirty and unpleasantly funky, with muddled aromas of horsehide, mud and salami about the best it can offer. It’s not a whole lot better on the palate, exhibiting treacled plum and blackberry fruit, toasted spices and charred campfire wood flavors shot through with an unpleasantly caramelized streak. All in all, I’m afraid this one is over the hill.

1974 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. In contrast, this wine is a delight all around. I really loved the 1974 Reserve bottling from Mondavi about a year or so back, but this normal bottling is really wonderful, as well. On the nose it’s totally alive, pushing out lovely aromas of balsa wood, eucalyptus and cedar wrapped around gentle red fruit and cinnamon spices. It’s just really pretty, drawing the taster back for more with each sniff. It’s great on the palate, too. It’s a bit lighter-weighted at this point, but the fruit flavors of red currant, sour cherry, baked raspberry, eucalyptus and sun-baked clay are still singing a very pretty tune. There are no hard edges anywhere, and it feels refined and elegant, with a nice little tang on the finish. I don’t think I’d push my luck with this beauty a whole lot longer, but it sure is a treat to drink right now for my tastes.

2010 Château de Saint-Cosme Gigondas. This is dark and rather peppery on the nose, with bold aromas of grilled meats, black olives, cracked peppercorns, dark chocolate, wood smoke and sweet blackberry fruit that are smooth and polished despite the savory overtones. It’s very, very young on the palate, with a pasty feel throughout the mouth, but good power and fine structure otherwise. There’s a nice core of dark sweet fruit but it needs to integrate the tannins. Give it a few more years, to be sure. There’s fine stuffing here.


-Michael

[Carlos Delpin]

Mondavi killed it in the 1970's. Have had recently the Napa bottlings of the 1974, 1975, 1977, and 1978 and they have all been along the lines of your tasting notes. Superb longevity and complexity for a small tariff. Cheers.