What are we drinking in the Omicron ominous?

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 2:56 am

2015 Poggiassai Toscana IGT fron Poggio Bonelli. 75% sangiovese and 25% cabernet sauvignon.

A nice wine, made in a slightly austere traditionnal way. Dark color, nice nose of blackfruit, anise, black leather (a bit like mourvèdre in Bandol can be), blun fruit and flowers. The mouth is strict, woody tannins, again with that nice blackcurrant and blackfruit flavors. Masculine blackcherries, light animal touch. Medium length and went very well with the moose light curry. Tn: 90. Will age too. Very good recommendation from the winestore staff.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 2:42 pm

Last night I finished up two bottles that provided a good contrast between CA Cabernet and Bordeaux.
The CA wine was 2013 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley and the Bordeaux was 2016 Ch. Pierre de Montignac.
The Napa Valley wine cost around $50 while the Medoc was only $18.
The Cab is well made, but a little one dimensional, and at 14.9% abv, not a quaffer by any means. I recall the 2010 of this wine being far better.
The Pierre de Montignac showed a little un-integrated wood on opening due to its youth, but that settled down quickly and the wine provided good enjoyment to the end. At 13% abv I can drink half a bottle of this any night of the week.
The interesting part came when I poured the Bordeaux to follow the Calif. wine and immediately thought "This is very similar, and just as good as what I was drinking a moment ago."
When I went to post my consumption on CT I noticed the first note I had posted for the '13 Merryvale Cabernet. In Nov. 2018 I wrote "More like an inexpensive Bordeaux blend than a good Cabernet."
My local TW still has the '16 PdM on the shelf at $17.98/ mix 6 price. I really ought to get another case since I haven't bought much 2016 at all.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 5:51 pm

Last night with a sausage, tomato and pecorino cheese risotto, I opened a 2004 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia. I'm really glad that I resisted drinking all of these when they were younger because this wine is really in the zone now - and will be very good for at least several more years. With an hour in the decanter, this started off with a concentrated nose of dark berries. The palate was fresh dark fruits that created a really "full" sensation in the mouth. It has a long finish that made you just want to contemplate the experience. I don't know how the critics reviewed this wine, but I would rate it 94-95 points for this bottle.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 9:56 pm

Racer Chris wrote:Last night I finished up two bottles that provided a good contrast between CA Cabernet and Bordeaux.
The CA wine was 2013 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley and the Bordeaux was 2016 Ch. Pierre de Montignac.
The Napa Valley wine cost around $50 while the Medoc was only $18.
The Cab is well made, but a little one dimensional, and at 14.9% abv, not a quaffer by any means. I recall the 2010 of this wine being far better.
The Pierre de Montignac showed a little un-integrated wood on opening due to its youth, but that settled down quickly and the wine provided good enjoyment to the end. At 13% abv I can drink half a bottle of this any night of the week.
The interesting part came when I poured the Bordeaux to follow the Calif. wine and immediately thought "This is very similar, and just as good as what I was drinking a moment ago."
When I went to post my consumption on CT I noticed the first note I had posted for the '13 Merryvale Cabernet. In Nov. 2018 I wrote "More like an inexpensive Bordeaux blend than a good Cabernet."
My local TW still has the '16 PdM on the shelf at $17.98/ mix 6 price. I really ought to get another case since I haven't bought much 2016 at all.

2010 was a great year for Napa, although 2013 is right up there too. It feels like Merryvale kind of lost its way some time ago; I almost never saw it among wine geek friends/discussion. A friend poured us a 97 Profile some time ago, and I thought it was pretty solid though, and as good as lots of the glamour names.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Dec 16, 2020 2:14 am

Chris, great example of the awesome value available in Bordeaux that just isn’t there in Napa.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:32 pm

I can never understand Napa vintages. I mean, over 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 it basically never rained and was hot all the time. So why should 2013 be better than any of the surrounding vintages? Why wouldn't they all be about equal?

A while ago, I think last year, I had a chance to buy 2014 and 2015 Ridge MB at a huge discount over 2013, and I ignored 2013 and bought them because I just can't believe vintages make much of a difference in California. Of course is Ridge is Santa Cruz, but whatever. Might have thought differently in Bordeaux.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:46 pm

marcs wrote:I can never understand Napa vintages. I mean, over 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 it basically never rained and was hot all the time. So why should 2013 be better than any of the surrounding vintages? Why wouldn't they all be about equal?

You're probably right marcs. But you forgot one subtile detail: 2013 is a weak vintage in Bordeaux. In that case, it is "normal" that Napa has a "greater" vintage (than 2012-2014-2015-2016) because they can rise their price "safely" as some persons looking for great Cabernet or Merlot wines from 2013 will not consider Bordeaux their first choice.

Nic

Dandersson · Post by **Dandersson** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:54 pm

Tonight, Jaboulet Dom de Thalabert 2017. I did review this wine before somewhere and I will try to find that thread later to update. Because!
This is a very good wine, I must have gotten a corked bottle before.
The smell of great dark fruit, dense, nice hints of smoke. Taste of layered dark fruit typical of Rhone Syrah (Blackberries and blackcurrant), great structure, nicely balanced, smoke, asphalt, rubber, pepper. A very typical high quality Crozes. Rather complex. Very good effort. Happy Dan

Best, Dan

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:12 am

2001 Sociando Mallet
Purchased and cellared since release, hard to believe this is already 19 years old... This had a beautiful bouquet that I really love of roasted poblano pepper, wood smoke and ash, fresh herbs, walnuts, and black currant. The palate is a little lean with a touch of dilution, showing more brightness than depth of fruit, but it is tangy and savory and flavorful. Sports a pyrazine-infused finish. This is a dead ringer for a Chinon. If reduced to a number, I am compelled to score the bouquet (~93 pts) separately from the palate (~88 pts).

This seems ready to drink to me. It is wide open and the tannins are resolved, but it doesn’t have that tertiary character of a fully mature wine. I am not sure it has the depth to hold much past 25 years, so I will drink my remaining bottles over the next 5-10 years.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:41 am

marcs wrote:I can never understand Napa vintages. I mean, over 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 it basically never rained and was hot all the time. So why should 2013 be better than any of the surrounding vintages? Why wouldn't they all be about equal?

A while ago, I think last year, I had a chance to buy 2014 and 2015 Ridge MB at a huge discount over 2013, and I ignored 2013 and bought them because I just can't believe vintages make much of a difference in California. Of course is Ridge is Santa Cruz, but whatever. Might have thought differently in Bordeaux.

Most of the time, IMO, the vintages are all all pretty solid and maybe only 1 out of 10 years is truly lost and not worth buying/drinking. But there can be differences in how the degree days are accumulated - in a balanced measured fashion - or cold snaps, hot flashes, cycles etc. And for someone like yourself who grasps the market implications...that is generally not fully impounded into release prices. It takes some time - again IMO - to get baked into the prices, and again for speculators vs. consumers, it can be a different weighting.

So personally I prefer to buy on release, cellar myself, and enjoy when mature. I bought Napa (and assorted Sonoma) in 01, 07, 10, 13 with some scattershot in between trying to avoid 2011. There are probably 14/15/16 in the racks, oddballs, nothing consciously picked up on a vintage basis.

I think your approach (to avoid paying up years later) makes sense, as the incremental quality difference - for what is already a great region - feels small. What is more frustrating is the general world of the good known branded wines all becoming $50 a pop and more, with oenophiles now trying all these non disclosed Napa offerings from de Negoce, Cameron Hughes, WineAccess etc. They live in their own mostly non professionally reviewed world, and I'm gunshy of this market turn.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:57 am

Dandersson wrote:Tonight, Jaboulet Dom de Thalabert 2017. I did review this wine before somewhere and I will try to find that thread later to update. Because!
This is a very good wine, I must have gotten a corked bottle before.
The smell of great dark fruit, dense, nice hints of smoke. Taste of layered dark fruit typical of Rhone Syrah (Blackberries and blackcurrant), great structure, nicely balanced, smoke, asphalt, rubber, pepper. A very typical high quality Crozes. Rather complex. Very good effort. Happy Dan

Best, Dan

I'm having a 2016 Jaboulet 'les Jalets' [Crozes Hermitage] tonight, which is the junior varsity version of the above. I've been down on this dogs breakfast bottling for a while, but the 2016 is decent/solid, and has some zesty Crozes syrah character. Les Jalets is a mish mosh of some estate grapes, purchased must, negociant grapes etc. basically whatever they have laying around, so its mostly been mediocre for years, and not worth purchasing beyond BTG or something. But after the Frey's took over, and perhaps with a little more attention paid to their branded (non domaine) offerings, and with a couple of fat/fine vintage like 2015 and 2016, it has gotten better, and 2016 is worth drinking. It's zippy, light (12.5% abv) and has smoky and peppery note, with a lively acidic palate. Violet floral notes on the nose. Not a wine to impress critics, or a panel tasting, but this example does have NoRho typicity, and if you need some of that on a blizzardy weekend, pull a cork. Rather surprisingly, after an afternoon sample while decorating the tree and putting away ornaments, Mrs AKR asked me to put aside a glass to go with steaks tonight, as normally she doesn't care for this AOC.

Overall, for me the 2016 is a solid B. I'm going to give the 2015 more time to perhaps develop, but generally these are not keepers unlike PJA's Thalabert or Rourre. I pulled this one kind of early since it got more heat than ideal during shipment, so I'm guessing it has no upside. (I didn't get any stewed notes, but it was a seeper upon opening the shipping box)

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 1:31 am

With a chicken & mushroom pasta casserole we drank 1999 Moine-Hudelot Bonnes-Bares. I bought this on a distributor distress sale. Previous bottles were so full of brett that I could hardly drink them. This bottle has some brett, but not beyond my tolerance. It has nice Chambolle flowers in the taste but lacks the depth one expects from Bonnes-Mares. This wine is still available in the USA for around $250 retail. I do not intend to buy more.

jal · Post by **jal** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 9:07 am

Quarantined in Tel Aviv for another few days, We opened a 2015 Gigondas Clos des Tourelles. This is a Perrin wine and the style is apparent. Ripe and well made but a bit heavy handed for the strip steak in mushroom sauce. I like it well enough but will not buy anymore.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 5:49 pm

2018 Louis Moreau Chablis 1er Vau Ligneau.

Very young and ripe, the Chablis character almost impossible to detect. White flesh and yellow fruits, mainly. Reminds me more a wine from Mâcon than Chablis. I guess time might help, but this will never have much acidity or will it ever show the seashell minerals? Tn: 88.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:12 pm

2000 Haut Bailly- I was excited for this wine, coming in at 12.5% alcohol. Came out super tannic and structured, so I put it in the decanter. Tracked over an hour and it peaked quickly then lost something by the end of that hour. The wine is good, but a little thin and a shorter finish than I would like. Dare I say it? 12.5% is too low! This definitely had all the pieces and complexity. Great combination of floral notes. Just lacked weight. TN 92-93

NV Perseval Farge Cuvee Jean Baptiste- 2017 Disgorgement, blend of 60% 2005, 30% 2006, the rest 2004 an 2001. This is one of the best champagnes that I have drank all year. Perfect amount of age. Came out a little tight but slowly started to uncoil and peaked around 1 hour open. Precise but rich and creamy. Just the right amount of dosage. Fantastic. TN 95

2014 Xavier Monnot Meursault Les Chevalieres- What a pleasant surprise. Fantastic nose. Perfect age and color on the wine. Clearly Meursault. Great approximation of some great Meursault Perrieres that I have had recently. Rich, but balanced. Touch of lemon lime on the back end. TN 93-94

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:24 pm

it's not that 12.5 is too low, it's that Haut-Bailly was kind of a meh wine before it got all jacked up and Parkerized and increased its prices, which happened around 2005 I think.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:28 pm

AKR wrote:
marcs wrote:I can never understand Napa vintages. I mean, over 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 it basically never rained and was hot all the time. So why should 2013 be better than any of the surrounding vintages? Why wouldn't they all be about equal?

A while ago, I think last year, I had a chance to buy 2014 and 2015 Ridge MB at a huge discount over 2013, and I ignored 2013 and bought them because I just can't believe vintages make much of a difference in California. Of course is Ridge is Santa Cruz, but whatever. Might have thought differently in Bordeaux.
Most of the time, IMO, the vintages are all all pretty solid and maybe only 1 out of 10 years is truly lost and not worth buying/drinking. But there can be differences in how the degree days are accumulated - in a balanced measured fashion - or cold snaps, hot flashes, cycles etc. And for someone like yourself who grasps the market implications...that is generally not fully impounded into release prices. It takes some time - again IMO - to get baked into the prices, and again for speculators vs. consumers, it can be a different weighting.

So personally I prefer to buy on release, cellar myself, and enjoy when mature. I bought Napa (and assorted Sonoma) in 01, 07, 10, 13 with some scattershot in between trying to avoid 2011. There are probably 14/15/16 in the racks, oddballs, nothing consciously picked up on a vintage basis.

I think your approach (to avoid paying up years later) makes sense, as the incremental quality difference - for what is already a great region - feels small. What is more frustrating is the general world of the good known branded wines all becoming $50 a pop and more, with oenophiles now trying all these non disclosed Napa offerings from de Negoce, Cameron Hughes, WineAccess etc. They live in their own mostly non professionally reviewed world, and I'm gunshy of this market turn.

It does seem that 2010 and 2013 now trade at a pretty noticeable premium. 2007 did for a while but less so now. For some producers I like (Ridge and Togni) it appears that 2011 is not that bad of a vintage and so you can get deals. Just on weather conditions I am skeptical that 2010 and 2013 will turn out way better than e.g. 2012 or 2014-15, but I haven't tasted much and I don't really know Napa like I know Bordeaux.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:47 pm

marcs wrote:it's not that 12.5 is too low, it's that Haut-Bailly was kind of a meh wine before it got all jacked up and Parkerized and increased its prices, which happened around 2005 I think.

I think Willmers (the owner) resisted fads more than most of his peers for a long time. It could be some of the changes are simply the weather. There are more degree days now than there used to be.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 12:36 am

marcs wrote:it's not that 12.5 is too low, it's that Haut-Bailly was kind of a meh wine before it got all jacked up and Parkerized and increased its prices, which happened around 2005 I think.

I don't completely follow, are you saying it was meh, then got even worse by becoming parkerized?

I really enjoyed the 2004 and loved the 2006. So I'm not sure I agree about being parkerized. although I have not yet tried some of the big vintages.

Gerry M. · Post by **Gerry M.** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 1:10 am

I just finished the last of a 5 bottle auction lot of 2001 Savannah Chenelle Gary's vineyard pinot. I paid just over $17/btl and it was a steal. I really like the producer for their rather understated flavor profile compared to most Cali pilot's and only bought for the crazy low price anticipating something over the hill. 4 out of 5 bottles were just sublime with just 1 less than stellar.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Dec 23, 2020 4:14 pm

2007 & 1998 Beausejour with grilled lamb chops. As expected, the 1998 was more concentrated and had a broader range of flavors. The fresher 2007 danced on the tongue. Like too many 1998 St Emilion wines, the Merlot funk in the older wine was more than I like, while in the 2007 it was barely noticeable.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 12:34 am

2002 Pol Roger Brut, mature, balanced, full, bright, medium length. Ready for business as David said it would be, with some mature nuances (ever so slightly oxidized). Won’t get better probably, but delicious as is. 90-91 pts.

SF Ed · Post by **SF Ed** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 3:10 am

1999 Jasmin Cote Rotie. Finally ready to go. Tannic spine with really nice bright fruit on top. I love me some mature Cote Rotie.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 5:12 am

2018 il poggione rosso di montalcino. Fabulous. Needs a separated post.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:32 am

With Christmas Eve dinner, 1996 Pontet Canet. Wow, this is really great wine into its early prime drinking window - also the first BWE wine of the year (Oops, it was the 1996 Sociando Mallet, not Pontet Canet that was the first BWE wine of the year) A solid 94 points tonight.

Chris Bublitz

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Fri Dec 25, 2020 1:32 am

Very nice Chris. Merry Christmas to Marjorie and you. Hope we will see each other soon.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Fri Dec 25, 2020 1:49 am

Same here, Merry Christmas, Nicklass. Been way too long.

Chris Bublitz

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Fri Dec 25, 2020 4:56 pm

Happy Holidays to BWEers everywhere.

For our Xmas Eve grazing dinner we drank 2008 Bollinger and 2008 La Grande Dame. This morning with ham and Aebleskiver we toasted Christian Pol Roger with a 2009 Pol Roger. May he rest in peace with Winston in That Great Tasting Room in the Sky.

jal · Post by **jal** » Mon Dec 28, 2020 4:42 am

With some good take out food we opened a bottle of 2016 Billaud Simon Chablis Montée de Tonnerre. I really like 2016 White Burgundies, much more than 2015 and 2018 - two vintages that are supposed to be similar but imo are much more awkward (with obvious exceptions). This was fantastic with an excellent flavor profile of stone fruit and minerals, the wine, like most 2016 I've had, has seamless balance between acidity, fruit, and texture. Elegant and with a great finish, this was easily the best White Burgundy we had in Israel since we arrived. 94

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon Dec 28, 2020 4:14 pm

On Friday with prime rib we drank 1986 La Lagune and 2002 Pichon Baron. The Baron is classically styled and still a bit hard but OK for starting to drink if you have a good supply. I rate 1986 La Lagune behind 1989, 1985, 1983, and 1982 because it lacks that fine L-L bouquet the others have, but it has held up well. On Saturday with leftover prime rib we drank 2000 Calon Segur. This one I also will prefer in five years, but the tannins have softened and the structure is good. On Sunday we drank 2006 Trimbach Frederic Emile with ham and cabbage soup. It is full of petrol in the nose and is steely in the mouth. No further aging is needed, not that I expect it to decline anytime soon.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 12:22 am

I'm just finishing the bottle of '78 Ch. Palmer that Karl left at my shop a couple months ago. He came up to wish me a happy holiday and give me a give of a 1986 Ch. Rausan Segla and a 375 of 1982 Ch. Potensac so I opened the Palmer to share with him while we talked, I used my my ultra cheap corkscrew that I bought in Eureka CA around 1996/7, which I keep in a side pocket of my lunch bag "just in case". The cork broke halfway out, right where the screw ended, but then the bottom came out with the corkscrew successfully too.
It took a half hour or so for the wine to reach its full expression, which I thought was every bit as good as the one I drank a year ago on Christmas. This is easily in the top 10 wines I drank in 2020.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 1:08 am

Yeah, a good bottle of '78 Palmer has a fantastic bouquet.

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:10 am

stefan wrote:This morning with ham and Aebleskiver

I googled that and it looks delicious but I think I chipped a tooth trying to pronounce the word.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:44 am

jal wrote:With some good take out food we opened a bottle of 2016 Billaud Simon Chablis Montée de Tonnerre. I really like 2016 White Burgundies, much more than 2015 and 2018 - two vintages that are supposed to be similar but imo are much more awkward (with obvious exceptions). This was fantastic with an excellent flavor profile of stone fruit and minerals, the wine, like most 2016 I've had, has seamless balance between acidity, fruit, and texture. Elegant and with a great finish, this was easily the best White Burgundy we had in Israel since we arrived. 94

Sounds great. I haven’t tried many 2016 white burgs, but the ones I have are wonderful. Your note made me look for some Billaud and I was surprised to see that it is running $55-$60 these days for the single vineyard bottlings. I used to get this for like $30-$35 as recently as the 2010 and 2012 vintages.

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:53 am

Yes, I paid $60 for this in the wine store next my apartment in T.A. A bargain by Israeli standards. I just bought 3 more bottles

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 2:34 pm

Last night, at an away fixture, I took along a labelless mystery bottle, which I was 99% certain was Noel Verset Cornas, and thought was the 1990. However, upon searching around the floor of my cellar I found a 1999 slip label, which I am certain belonged to this bottle. But first we enjoyed a quite superb bottle of Clotilde Davenne Chablis GC Bougros 2014, which opened beautifully and was fine textured, lively and rich with lemon curd and mineral complexity.

When I opened the mystery bottle there was no doubt that it was a Verset, with its trademark assorted tobacco notes from the 1970s - stale cigarettes/ashtray, piped tobacco - black olives and rocky minerally aromas, which soared from the bottle. The fireworks continued through the evening with this mesmerising wine, with coal dust, cinders, minerals, schist, bacon fat and white pepper, it is a racy wine with bags of juicy acidity.

It has a palpable intensity, tension and nervosity and over time a svelte feminine elegance emerges, more Cote Rotie than Hermitage. No rusticity here at all. The nose continues on its mesmerising journey and evolves into burnt raspberries, with a touch of vanilla and reminiscent of Pichon Lalande 1982, it really is in that league. We judged this wine to be still on the young side, the best example of Noel Verset Cornas we have yet tried, and most thrilling wine drunk this year.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 4:19 pm

Nice!

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 4:29 pm

Great story and a fantastic note Ian, I only had Noel Verset's Cornas once and the earth moved, the angels sang and I saw a rainbow in the night sky. Thank you for sharing the experience with us

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:23 pm

jal wrote:Great story and a fantastic note Ian, I only had Noel Verset's Cornas once and the earth moved, the angels sang and I saw a rainbow in the night sky. Thank you for sharing the experience with us

Jacques, instead of asking the traditionnal "what did you ate with the Versas?", "what did you smoke with the Versas?" Seems more appropriate.

Nice report Ian. A Northern Rhône red wine as interesting and great than a 1982 Pichon Lalande? I can buy that. Unfortunately, i think i never saw a Verset wine here.

Nic

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue Dec 29, 2020 6:54 pm

LOL Nic.

Tonight with homemade Thai curry. we opened a Elio Grasso 2017 Langhe Nebbiolo Gavarini. The year was really hot and Elio Grasso declassified the grapes of the Barolo Runcot Riserva to put in the Langhe. The wine is stunning for a Langhe and delicious for any young Barolo. It has a nose of violets and lilacs, bright shiny dark ruby color, seamless with great balance and a laser like focus, the fruit tastes of sour cherries, it is crunchy and clean, the finish is long. 91 and delicious now, no need to age.