What are we drinking in the Omicron ominous?

Ianjaig · Post by **Ianjaig** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 6:09 am

Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses 2018.

I know very little about Loire reds, but summer has arrived early and I felt like something different and a little less heavy. Leather and cherries. Green pepper, some earthy tones - benefited from a bit of time in the fridge. Enjoyed this.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 11:54 am

Been trying to open as many bottles as possible as Dry January starts to loom ominously.

The Jadot Santenay (blanc) 2017 was better than the recent Jadot Chablis Fourchaume 2016 both picked up at Louis Jadot in Beaune, which Patrick and I visited in October, for about 30 euros. Both pleasant and generic but the Santenay is more interesting …. while the Bormann Saint-Romain monopole (blanc) is a far better bet than either, and much more exciting, because it has terroir expression and at around the same price - £25 - it is good value. My first encounter with this was at a hotel-restaurant in the centre of Meursault in August, where Patrick and I ate when we arrived there. When I got back home I ordered a mixed case of eight 2016s and four 2014s. The 2016 is slightly better than the 2014, which has less vitality than the ’16.

The Laurent Vosne-Romanee Suchots was standing up for a long time and I did not need to decant it, nor knock seven shades of sh1t out of it as you sometimes need to do with his wines to oxygenate them. Another brilliant bottle, my last note from the previous encounter in April summed it up well: “Rich exotic spices, fruit cake, carnal/animale/feral with sauvage, sweet-piped tobacco and cigar box; unfolding into a thrilling wine”

The Chave St-Jo had also been standing up in a cold room. Like the Laurent a recent auction purchase this is an ebullient wine which is getting into its stride. It has plenty to say for itself with exuberant black and red fruits, plenty of floral and meaty notes, minerals and coal dust.

Petit Bourdieu is a Pessac-Leognan estate I had never heard of until we were given a taste of it in a restaurant in Pessac in October with Alex and Patrick in between visits to Haut-Bailly and Haut-Brion. I think it was only 18 euros but you still got classic graves scorched earth notes, with the perfect pitch of the 2016 vintage and only 13% abv. It started quite tight but really unfurled beautifully. It would be a contender for budget red wine of the year. At that lunch the bottle we drank was a 2011 Couhins-Lurton Pessac-Leognan rouge which was about 30 euros and also excellent.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 4:06 pm

The best laid plans… stuck in nyc with the fam… with nowhere to go, no one to visit, no wine to console… stuck in an omicron hellscape.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 6:57 pm

The city is shut down? Even if you have vax cards?

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 6:58 pm

How long are you there? I'm just a little more than 2 hours from NYC. I can pick you up at the train station in Hartford & go to dinner.
Not sure when/how you get back to NYC though.

jal · Post by **jal** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:25 pm

Blanquito wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 4:06 pm The best laid plans… stuck in nyc with the fam… with nowhere to go, no one to visit, no wine to console… stuck in an omicron hellscape.

Yes, my daughter was about to fly to NYC and changed to come to Florida instead. A lot of people we know have "colds". Broadway shows and the Rockettes cancelled.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:31 pm

Great. Can’t wait to hop on a short trip to Fairbanks Alaska for seven weeks at the height of a deadly pandemic. Yay.

Gerry M. · Post by **Gerry M.** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:22 pm

I just cracked my last of 4 bottles of 2006 Ch Duhart Milon. I've never been excited about this bottle. While the tannins have softened it's still pretty thin without much mouthfeel to it. I can't see this getting much better and is topping out at 89-90 wine, my best rating yet.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 1:44 am

Very good (like 92-93 points) showing tonight from 1995 Fortes de Latour. Very old school Paulliac character to this one and pretty much full maturity.

Earlier this week Charles Heidsieck nv Brut Reserve was fairly closed the first night but opened nicely and was much improved over the next two days.

Enjoyed another spectacular Black Salt dinner on Saturday night - oysters on the half shell, crispy fried calamari, and the lobster and bronzino dishes we had at the BWE dinner. We didn’t bring any of our own wine, just went with wines by the glass. I had several glasses of a very dark Italian rose wine from Alto-Adige. Tasted very Rhône like to me and I thought it went well with our dinner.

Chris Bublitz

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 10:12 am

We polished off a second bottle of 2004 Ch. Belair last night after Pnp the previous night to drink a couple glasses.
Mary definitely likes it. I think she might even forgive me for buying the case after I open the third bottle.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Fri Dec 24, 2021 1:32 am

Not the holidays yet ... so a midweek wine. Beautiful organic wine, without flaws, and without anything grandiose. 12% for unoaked tempranillo wine, almost rosé, drunk in large sips, with a light body, without wood, but with a good dose of red berries, cranberries, red liquorice and strawberries. It's short, but it scores high in the "pleasant" category, despite the inexistent quality / price ratio.

Very, very far from the Rioja that we know, but I like it when a wine producer from Spain tries something else.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Dec 24, 2021 1:37 am

Hey Nicola, where you going with that bottle of Soplar Rioja in your hand....

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Fri Dec 24, 2021 1:45 am

Hey Jim, you mean like those fake people on the label? No way.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Dec 24, 2021 1:47 am

Hey Nicola, I said, where you goin' with that bottle of Soplar Rioja in your hand? Oh....

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Fri Dec 24, 2021 2:24 am

Clearly, i did not read enough Shakespeare to fully understand your question Jim.

"What care I how time advances? I am drinking Wine* today!" Edy Allan Poe

*original version is Ale instead of Wine, but we know what it clearly means.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Dec 24, 2021 2:35 am

I'm goin' down to drink my Soplar Rioja
You know I caught her messin' 'round with another Rioja, yeah.
Hey Nicola....

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Fri Dec 24, 2021 3:53 am

Clearly despite time consuming is BWE and the wine hobbyt (without a t), i gentlely wish you Jim, and al, other BWEers i love and respect, a Merry organic Christmas and Happy New Rioja.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 4:43 pm

An excellent, mature bottle of the 2002 Laurent Perrier Brut champagne. Always punches above its weight.

*fixed*

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 6:04 pm

Blanquito wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 4:43 pm An excellent, mature bottle of the 3002 Laurent Perrier Brut champagne. Always punches above its weight.

This is a confirmation : blanquito is now the owner of de De Lorian from Back to the Future.

So this is why he is always changing his wine buying freeze date : just has to use the De Lorian and correct it, without any of us noticing...

It is also why he focus so much on older vintages, because he has tasted the 2010-2020 red Bordeaux 30 years after the vintage, and he knows how they age badly.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 6:24 pm

I just decanted a bottle of 1982 Les Ormes de Pez. Shoulder fill, moldy cork under the capsule, damp cork to the top.
First glass with a chicken sandwich is good.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Dec 25, 2021 9:04 pm

With Christmas dinner of roast chicken, a sensuous, layered, minerally, long, bright, mature yet vigorous bottle of the 2014 Niellon Chassagne Clos de La Maltroie.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 1:55 am

1990 Meyney- Better on the second night somehow. Little to no tannic structure left on the first. Although very enjoyable with short rib risotto.

2001 Lafaurie-Peyraguey- Perfect color, great bottle. Perhaps a bit young but shows very well when drunk around 50 deg F. Clean, lean and tasty with my new favorite pairing of German creamy blue cheese and honeycomb.

2002 Dom Perignon- With manchego, scallops and chicken/yellow rice casserole. Christmas present for my mom. She has wanted to try a Dom since her 20's and never has. Hit the spot. Wonderfully rich but balanced with good precision and some minerality. Beautiful golden color. Personally I'll take the 96 and 08 over the 02 but they are all great wines in their own right.

2000 Malartic Lagraviere- Pretty and Classic nose. Well balanced. Shows the vintage well. A touch thin on the palate but has improved and integrated with air. My last bottle had a bit more depth and length than this one but this is a beauty. Happy to have recently acquired 9 more.

PghMike · Post by **PghMike** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 2:35 am

Couple Christmas dinner Bordeaux. Had with some Napa favorites with the family, while entertaining and preparing dinner.
Troplong won the eve.

2014 Malescot - Decanted four hours. Chocolate and red to dark fruit with a medium plus body. Great lift and pull through from the acidity. Tannins were still pretty stout and almost chalky. Certainly was drinking fine but I'd think it will improve for a number of years.

2015 Troplong - Popped and consumed over about 3 hours.
Was improving over the consumption period. Unabashedly modern in style but everybody loved this one. Not sure it warrants 99 points like some of the CT folks are pushing but it is probably 94-95 for me. 15.5 percent is quite high but I didn't detect it on the nose or palate. Fruit is definitely bold as would be expected. Round mouthfeel, nice acid, fine integrated tannins. Didn't stop to take a detailed note but was impressed by this one. I knew it would be a pre Christmas dinner crowd pleaser but was pleasantly surprised myself.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 11:39 am

That was the last vintage before they toned in down at Troplong Mondot.

jal · Post by **jal** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:50 pm

2008 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame: tight, long, and focused, very different from previous bottles. Loved it. 93
2014 Christian Moreau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos: yellow color, nice perfume, fine texture, round and structured, vibrant fruit. Delicious 94
1986 Heitz Martha Cabernet Sauvignon: inky dark, no bricking, very balanced, mint and eucalyptus as is the norm with this. Excellent showing 93
1978 William HIll Mt Vedeer Cab: ruby color, bricking at the rim, nose of earth and mature fruit, tertiary flavors, fully resolved and very seductive 91
1997 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese #9: From a half bottle, bright yellow, metallic nose quickly dissipates, stunning acidity and fruit in perfect harmony. I don't often drink these wines, this one was incredibly complex and a revelation. 93

jal · Post by **jal** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:53 pm

PghMike wrote: ↑Sun Dec 26, 2021 2:35 am 2015 Troplong - Popped and consumed over about 3 hours.
Was improving over the consumption period. Unabashedly modern in style but everybody loved this one. Not sure it warrants 99 points like some of the CT folks are pushing but it is probably 94-95 for me. 15.5 percent is quite high but I didn't detect it on the nose or palate. Fruit is definitely bold as would be expected. Round mouthfeel, nice acid, fine integrated tannins. Didn't stop to take a detailed note but was impressed by this one. I knew it would be a pre Christmas dinner crowd pleaser but was pleasantly surprised myself.

Very similar to the 2010, it sounds. Hate to love it. Love to hate it.

SF Ed · Post by **SF Ed** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 2:40 pm

MichaelP and Nalan came over on Xmas Eve for some roast goose and we drank some decent stuff.

We started with a NV Hugues Godmé Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs - somewhat disappointing without the fruit or length I'd like but everyone else liked it more.

Michael blinded us on a couple of Bordeaux. He told us that they were from the same year, one Right Bank, one Left Bank.

One of the wines was well-evolved, relatively lean and tannic but with good complexity and moderate length. Felt Left Bank to me, probably from 1966 or 1975.

The other was very young and fresh, lush ripe fruit and explosive. Very long, loads of tannins but well-balanced, complex, and just spectacular. I thought Right Bank, and then if 1975, would fit as Pomerol.

I of course was wrong - they were from 1988. The first wine was a 1988 Margaux, and the second was a 1988 Lafleur.

I usually don't rate Margaux as highly as most, and I continue not to. While very nice and complete, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as one should enjoy a first growth from a good vintage.

This was my first Lafleur, and it was spectacular. I can see why it is so expensive. Just fantastic, certainly one of the best wines I've tasted this year.

I also opened a 1964 as I tend to do - a Gattinara (northern Piedmont) Antoniolo Piemonte Nebbiolo Spanna del Piemonte Santa Chiara. Never a great wine but in perfect condition, still tannic and lively with round fruit. Not quite a Margaux or Lafleur but it held its own.

A great evening with great company!

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Sun Dec 26, 2021 5:36 pm

The '82 Ormes de Pez exceeded expectations yesterday. It was the best of the 4 I've had from Karl's cellar in the past year and a half.

A little while ago I decanted a 2009 Senorio de P. Pecina Rioja Reserva to go with the baked ham I'm preparing this afternoon.
This is really good. I may need to open another bottle by dinnertime.

Claudius2 · Post by **Claudius2** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 6:43 am

Guys
A few wines for Christmas with some friends and relatives:

De Villandry NV Champagne - negociant label that is a touch sweet but has reasonable length and structure. Easy to drink with antipasti.
2018 Pewsey Vale Clare Valley Riesling. Very nice with lime/lemon, some bath salts (lavender, herbs) and just a touch of petrol.
2015 Remoissenet Givry Blanc. It is developing quite fast with a floral nose and palate of honey, apple, vanilla and stone fruit. Will drink the rest soon. The 2014 however is still doing well with more minerality and freshness.

From magnum, 2002 Colonial Estate "Emigre" Barossa Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre blend. 15.5% ABV
Well, I actually liked this wine when young as it showed lots of ripe red fruits, spice and musky characters, typical of Australian Rhone blends.
Unfortunately, like most high alcohol wines, it was overtly alcoholic on the nose, almost like sniffing a spirit.
The red fruits have softened and the firmer Syrah flavours were apparent, dark and brooding, and despite a considerable crust, the wine was still quite tannic and a touch bitter at the end. It was not overtly spicy/peppery and the oak was in the background. Colour however was still dark without any browning at the rim.

The previous wines were 12-13% ABV and I wonder if the higher alcohol of the Emigre threw my palate out?
I had decanted half and then when the decanter was nearly empty, I did it again.
It was happily gulped down but when I saw 15.5% my heart did drop.
I maintain my view that irrespective of the variety/ies, 15.5% is way too high in any wine except Port or maybe Tokay.

The 02 Emigre received 92 points on average on Cellartracker but most reviews were some years ago, and despite being stored carefully, it was a disappointment.

Part of my thesis here is that these high alcohol wines DO NOT MATURE WELL.
Sure, they develop, but the fruit richness when young gives way to alcohol, tannins and porty characters rather than any sense of balance, complexity or freshness. And without those characters, I have a lot of trouble enjoying it.

If I think back to the wines I have had in 2021, sure, I have had some really nice wines, but anything with high alcohol, from any region, has been a complete disappointment. That includes a few Chateauneuf Du Papes, Australian Syrah and blends, St Emilions, Chardonnays, a few Italians (since when did italian reds have 16% ABV)? and one NZ Pinot.

Cheers
Mark

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 12:12 pm

My sweet wine of the year:

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 2:51 pm

Last night, Ruinart Brut Champagne was good, but a bit easy with lot of white and yellow fruits, medium bubbles and a little bit sweet to me.

The 2020 Chablis from Pommier was even less good. No way i would have say Chablis blind, the wine was very easy, sweet, with powder candy fruit, some rich yellow fruit and some light flowers with honey. Far away from the delicate mineral razershrp freshness that i like in normal Chablis. An ok wine only.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 3:03 pm

Racer Chris wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 12:12 pm My sweet wine of the year:

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I've been looking for the right time to open my one bottle of this, thanks for reminding me. Hopefully it lives up to your experience!

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 4:18 pm

Is yours a Lange Goldkapsel?

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 4:33 pm

Had a great dinner on Boxing Day

The Comtes ‘07 was in good form, one to drink whilst waiting on your ‘08s
The second champagne was 90% Pinot Meunier
The Jobard was bright and youthful
Amongst the clarets a stupendous bottle of LLC 1985 (scraggy label) carried the day, though the Latour was in a lovely spot and the Haut-Brion, rocky and muscular, really started to come on strong at the end
The Krug was a 163 and my champagne of the night… then they just kept coming…I had a glass of the Gimonnet before catching the last subway home.

Then last night these:

The Failla was excellent, sadly my last one. It would definitely have got in to my top 150. The Canonica was awesome (very rarely do I used that abused word but it was appropriate in this respect) and just pure decadence.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 4:41 pm

While our Xmas is on hold because of being snowbound, Lucie & sampled Cristom 2012 & 2014 Louise Vineyard Pinot Noir. The '12 is soft and has pure pinot flavor, while the '14 hits hard in front, middle and sides. While the '12 might benefit from more aging, the '14 definitely will.

I have yet to learn what are the distinguishing characteristics of the various Cristom vineyards. In the case of these two Louise wines, I would not have guessed that they came from the same vineyard.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 4:47 pm

Most people are content to list their top 10 for the year, plus maybe a few others. Ian drinks so many good wines that he compiles a list of his top 100. That does not do justice to other great wines he drank, so he augments that list with at least 50 more! Very impressive.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 4:57 pm

stefan wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 4:47 pm Most people are content to list their top 10 for the year, plus maybe a few others. Ian drinks so many good wines that he compiles a list of his top 100. That does not do justice to other great wines he drank, so he augments that list with at least 50 more! Very impressive.

I agree, Ian is drinking stuff too good to be true! His 100 bestof 2021 is better than my bestof entire life.

While that list is intimidating, if you have met Comte Flaneur de Boulevardier, it is the opposite of a snobish person. Bizarrely, he reminds me a lot Winedinner, on the other side of the pound: very charismatic, enjoying frankly every type of good wines when with good people, with no snobbery. Happy New Year Comte!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 5:48 pm

Drinking life to the lees...

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 5:49 pm

Racer Chris wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 4:18 pm Is yours a Lange Goldkapsel?

I'll double check later but as far as I can tell, it is the exact same bottle. Purchased at auction sometime within the last year or two. Great fill as well. Was that from Karl?

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:24 pm

JoelD wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 5:49 pm
Racer Chris wrote: ↑Tue Dec 28, 2021 4:18 pm Is yours a Lange Goldkapsel?
I'll double check later but as far as I can tell, it is the exact same bottle. Purchased at auction sometime within the last year or two. Great fill as well. Was that from Karl?

I wouldn't know the difference myself, but according to Karl this is the long gold capsule or LGKa. I don't know that there is any label differentiation but there can be quite a difference between the gold cap and long gold cap wines I guess.
I see on Cellartracker there are LGKa Auction bottles listed separately as well, no idea what that means though.
The A.P. number on the label is important to the identification but isn't part of the CT database as far as I can see.