What are we drinking in the Omicron ominous?

jal · Post by **jal** » Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:21 pm

With stone crabs we had a 2018 Jacques Carillon Puligny Les Perrieres; really good and expansive but a notch below Les Referts that we tried a month or two ago. Nose of white stone fruit, very clean and minerally on the palate, but I hoped for a bit more depth. I'm opening my 2018 White Burgundies before the 2017s as these are more accessible at the moment. 92
With duck breasts and roasted vegetables, a 2010 La Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées had a nice nose of violets, good red fruit but I would never have guessed Volnay. It is well structured and powerful, a bit short on charm with a decent finish but tasted more Pommard than Volnay. 90

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:33 pm

2013 Sky Zinfandel Mt. Veeder
I got this for a song on close out after some buzz on this producer on the “other board”. I liked it when first tried, but didn’t love, but on day 3 this has really improved. Still a rustic wine with ample coarse tannins, but on day 3 there’s now enough charm to balance the package. Extremely vinous. if it wasn’t sold out now at K&L, I’d buy a few more and let them sit for 5 years

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:55 pm

Blanquito wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:33 pm 2013 Sky Zinfandel Mt. Veeder
I got this for a song on close out after some buzz on this producer on the “other board”. I liked it when first tried, but didn’t love, but on day 3 this has really improved. Still a rustic wine with ample coarse tannins, but on day 3 there’s now enough charm to balance the package. Extremely vinous. if it wasn’t sold out now at K&L, I’d buy a few more and let them sit for 5 years

I’ve heard of this wine.

I dig it in a major way. The 2014 smokes as well.

Dandersson · Post by **Dandersson** » Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:53 pm

Tonight I am drinking Ch Feret-lambert 2018 vs Rupert & Rothschild Classic 2017, of course not great wine we normally see posts about here. It is my quest to find wine I can drink while my wines in my small but growing cellar matures.
Ch. Feret Lambert, 90% merlot, 14 month oak aged, started out poor, with air 30min later it is showing the great fruit of 18. I am not a fan of merlot but I still enjoy a good Pomerol. This of course is not anywhere near the Pomerol quality. But good dark fruit, some oak character, kind of impressed with the density of the fruit. This is not bad, but also not what I want. I do have to say I am impressed by the effort.
Rupert & Rothschild, this is a very South African wine, has the clear flavor of the soil there, not a fan, but the wine is very well made has a good balance. Two good decent wines but not what I want. Not excited just accepting.

Best, Dan

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:15 am

Feret-Lambert is quite good for what it is, and the affordable price.

Had it twice, and when some bottles appear here, they disappear as quickly.

Dandersson · Post by **Dandersson** » Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:25 am

Nic, yes while not really bad, still didn't give me enough of what I want. A bit more gets me Ch LT, and a couple of $ over that and I am up at my beloved Ch Lilian Ladouys. I just feel I am trying to cheap out, in order to put the money into the future cellar....always a struggle but a good one.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:08 am

I think Pierre de Montignac is a good Haut Medoc in the $15-16 range.

Dandersson · Post by **Dandersson** » Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:18 am

Chris, yes it is better than the FL I had tonight, still I am paying a bit more than that but yes I am sticking to the Haut Medoc from now. I have a bottle of the Pierre de Montignac and might order more.
Thank you!
btw Love your cars!

Best, Dan

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:02 am

A corked 2000 Grand Puy Lacoste! What a disappointment to cellar a wine for 20 years and find it corked. I know it happens; it's happened to me with other older wines. But it's always such a disappointment. I popped the first bottle of this from a case a few weeks back, and thought it was very good. So I was looking forward to a repeat performance tonight. Another time, I guess. Settled for a 2016 Virginie Thunevin Bordeaux; not the same caliber as the GPL for sure, but at $16, I can't complain. Actually I'm about to crack my third case of this wine for daily drinking with grilled burgers and other assorted simple meats.

Dandersson · Post by **Dandersson** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:01 am

Finished of the Bordeaux Superior and the SA Bordeaux imitation, Nowhere near great. Not bad but not my stuff. probably around 81-82ish. Did open a cheapish Graves. And it is doing great. Will write more later, to tired now. Keep drinking my friends!

Best, Dan

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:05 am

Oui oui!

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:55 am

Tonight Lucie and I drank 2000 Calon-Segur with flat iron steak. It is a really pleasant wine that is perfectly balanced. Nothing sticks out; it is just a most enjoyable wine to have with beef. I have drunk many more bottles of Calon-Segur in my life than Cos and Montrose combined. Sure, price was a consideration, but I have always loved the structure and purity of Calon-Segur.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:58 am

Calon Segur has blown Lynch Bages away in consistency for at least the last 25 years.

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:07 am

Musigny 151 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 7:07 pm I like the 2008 Issan, but the 2006 is absolutely amazing, and I think I prefer by a hair over the great 2005. Well worth looking for.

I have 2 '06 left....really nice wine...'01 is better...d'issan is one of my favorite Margaux

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:20 pm

Over the last few days I have drunk three reds two of which were Bordeaux. The first wine I drunk was the best and not Bordeaux. It was Sesti 2010 Brunello, a real sex bomb. While it is hardly shy or demure it is not ott, just full on with rich red fruits, spices, porcinI mushrooms, tobacco, and a fine palate presence and length.

The second red was 1978 Beychevelle and when I opened it was clear that, to put it politely it was in the autumn of its life. It would either sink rapidly like a Sahara sunset or pull itself up by its bootstraps which it did: it displayed faint red fruits, library, church pew and other tertiary aromas, never energetic but ever so dignified and deft; but still over the hill.

Last night I drank a bottle of 2004 Canon. I was pretty underwhelmed by it, and it felt like the winemaker was going through the motions. Had some ripe prune notes, but was not modern, just lacking in verve. It mellowed out after a couple of hours but remained lacklustre.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 7:41 pm

I think that the 2010 Brunello vintage is pretty strong across the board. I had the 2010 Uccelliera recently, and it was drop dead gorgeous.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:06 pm

Looks like a nice Brunello Ian. I had a soft crush for Brunello lately, finding them interesting and quite good. I bought some Il Poggione that I'm looking forward to open in 10 years.

Drank a bit too much last night, lost control as weekend days look the same, as doing no too much. A 2020 Pive Gris rosé from Camargue is quite good as appetizer for the low price, and i probably drank 3/4 of the bottle...

The 2018 Yves Cuilleron Saint Joseph Pierres Sèches is slightly modern, missing élégance, but what a nice concentrated lush syrah. Dark, nose of purple fruit, black pepper, smoke and blackberries. In mouth, concentrated fruit, purple flowers, with blackpepper, and a bit of meat when warming up. Good tanins, low acidity, decent length, all that for less than 35 $cad... who said modernity produce only bad wine? I thought that was really good and will age well for 7 years. Rating : 434M.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 1:29 am

2019 Langhe Pinin from Borgogno

70 dolcetto and 30 freisa. Cherry, cranberry, flowers, soap. In mouth, cherry, flowers, vine wood, light rustic vegetal. Light tannin, short. Good only. Rating : 223C

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 1:34 am

Nicola I think you have to post a chart as to what the numbers mean each time you rate, I don’t recall what the numbers mean from the one time you posted it previously.

Claudius2 · Post by **Claudius2** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 1:33 pm

Guys
I have been able to go to a few tastings lately which has brightened up my jaded lockdown palate.
Luckily COVID-19 is well controlled here and new cases are virtually nil with two deaths in six months.

It has been too hot lately to drink Bordeaux - it is 9.20pm as I write and still 32C or 90F and despite air conditioning the heat still exhausts me. Wendy seems to think that anything less is too cold. I just shake my head.

I will open some nice Bordeaux soon as I miss the style.

I have drunk a pile of NV champagne in recent weeks and maybe I like the stuff more every year. Billecart, Roederer, Piper Heidseick and Nicolas Fuillatte never tasted better. Cattier, Moët and Veuve Forny Blanc de Blanc also very good and only Mumm Corton Rouge a disappointment.

Also drained quite a few Australian Chardonnays which have been consistently good. Currently sipping Credaro 1000 Crowns 2016 which is quite luscious with minerality to match the peach and citrus fruit and French oak. Luckily the Aussie makers have eschewed the overtly fat, oaky and butter/caramel styles that were the rage in the 90’s. Also a few 2014 Remoissenet Burgundies which simply has to be the best white Burg vintage in a very long time.

Cheers
Mark

jal · Post by **jal** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 1:56 pm

With roast duck we opened a bottle of 2018 Famille Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve. Cost $9.99 at Trader Joe's and quite drinkable. Obviously nothing too deep or complex but sometimes you just want a good quaffing wine. Screwcap and 14.5% alcohol but quite balanced, the fruit is vibrant, the wine is fresh and bright. No sense of where this is coming from or even if it is Grenache based, but I will call it an excellent QPR wine. 89 in my book.

Ianjaig · Post by **Ianjaig** » Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:54 pm

2010 Clos Puy Arnaud. Very modern in style, glossy. Of note is the 30% Cab Franc.

Not for me I'm afraid.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:56 am

2007 La Lagune with chicken soufflé. Not bad for a putrid wine. Well balanced, elegant, but more concentrated than I remember with a lingering aftertaste of decaying possum carcass.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:51 am

“decaying possum carcass”

A familiar aroma around these parts

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:18 pm

2008 Parus from Le Potazzine.

Modern sangio. Nice red color with pirple touch. Fluffy nose of black and purple fruit, with light spices. Mouth is having seductive sweet purple fruit, some vegetals, anise, very ripe tannins, light oak and a decent light bitter vine wood and more fruit. I had 3 small glasses, and the last one was already starting to fade... the result of modernity. Rating: 323M.

Nic

*
As wine appreciation is highly subjeçtive, unprecise, how to keep things simple? I think it is Orlando Bobby or Robert Goulet that lately made a comment about wine and soul. That made me think a bit, and I came with that idea: rating with 3 numbers and a letter. The devil is in the details.

First number between 1 to 5:
1 being a wine I did not appreciate.
2 a ok drinkable wine, with small pleasure.
3 now we're talking, worth a try.
4 clearly a wine I liked a lot, a superior excellent wine.
5 the best.

Second number, between 1 to 5, is the soul of the wine, mixing complexity, balance, how it touches me.
1 not memorable.
2 kind of simple, not much complexity, and maybe something proeminent (tanins, acids,...) but still ok to have interest to drink.
3 the basic fun of wine, little bit of complexity, balanced, maybe not that concentrated but enjoyable.
4 we get into something here, good complexity, superb balance, you would like to drink it back for sure.
5 touch your soul, superb definition, complexity, a superb hard to describe balance.

Third number, between 1 to 5, longevity.
1 past it's best.
2 going down after the "best time" plateau.
3 right on
4 will be even better in the next 10 years.
5 will be better in the next 8-20 years.

Last is a letter.
M the wine correspond to my perception of a wine made/taste > 65-70 % Modern way.
C I can say if it is Modern or Traditionnal
T the wine correspond to my perception of a wine made/taste > 65-70 % Traditionnal way.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 1:24 pm

Make sure to include your complete rating system each time you post a tasting note.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:47 pm

Claret wrote: ↑Fri Apr 03, 2020 10:19 pm 2000 Rauzan Segla was stunning, my WOTY. It lit up all my tastebuds like 89 Beaucastel fireworks.

A year later and another bottle. This one was not on the same level. Even with extended air it just never blossomed. No TCA, just merely good.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:51 am

Terrific bottle of the 1982 Talbot tonight. Sensational aromatics, silky resolved palate, bright and a touch lean on the finish. This does deepen with air but this is clearly is on the back slope of life. Nevertheless, still like a 94 or even a 95 pointer, as far as that goes.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:10 pm

Woohoo! Love reading notes on that wine. It was my first whole-case purchase. Long gone from my cellar.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 5:34 pm

2017 Besson Vaillons, drunk with pan roasted halibut. This lacks the minerality I want from a 1er Cru Chablis, but otherwise it is pretty good and worth the $23 I paid. Light but pleasant floral bouquet. Soapy. Consistent throughout the mouth. Probably will improve for 2-4 years.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:39 am

1982 Lynch Bages - a little tart right after opening but opened up nicely over the next hour. This bottle was from the old Central Liquor in DC on 9th Street just up the street from the FBI building. I think this bottle was somewhat mistreated as there was white and gray mold on toy of the cork and an inch and a half down the neck of the bottle. Still the wine was quite good and an enjoyable accompaniment to our spaghetti with tomato with peppers and onions sauce.

Chris Bublitz

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:54 am

Hmmm sounds like yet another Lynch Bages minor let down.

How does a true second growth Medoc disappoint in 1982. Unfortunately, this is common from this overrated estate.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:55 am

JimHow wrote: ↑Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:54 am Hmmm sounds like yet another Lynch Bages minor let down.

How does a true second growth Medoc disappoint in 1982. Unfortunately, this is common from this overrated estate.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:54 am

Jim,
I thought that for an obviously abused 38 and a half years old bottle that 1982 Lynch Bages was pretty good - I’d give it about 92 points. Some recent ratings on Cellar Tracker have been 95-97.

Chris Bublitz

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:03 am

Yes but I trust YOU over cellartracker, Winona.
Sounds like Cellartracker and its acolytes here would say Lynch = 2nd.
What do YOU think?

SF Ed · Post by **SF Ed** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 3:30 am

2005 Sociando Mallet from 375. Lots of fruit and classic but needs a Blanquito at least. Enjoyable but not expressive yet.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:16 am

2016 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino with a white pizza (Mediterranean Pie) last night.
My last bottle. Wish I had more.

s*d*r · Post by **s*d*r** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:08 pm

JimHow wrote: ↑Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:03 am Yes but I trust YOU over cellartracker, Winona.
Sounds like Cellartracker and its acolytes here would say Lynch = 2nd.
What do YOU think?

I’m not Winona but I am CT sdr and I (usually) prefer Lynch Bages ‘82 to the ‘89. Lots of bottle variation on both though.

I’d probably peg Lynch Bages for third growth. Too many mediocre experiences for second but when it’s good it’s very good.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:22 pm

Racer Chris wrote: ↑Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:16 am 2016 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino with a white pizza (Mediterranean Pie) last night.
My last bottle. Wish I had more.

I drank two bottles of the 2018, and i would say it is an excellent Rosso di Montalcino too. On the top tier.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:24 pm

Tonight a 1989 Beychevelle - a smoker’s wine...wonderful as always but very evolved and dominated by - wonderful - tobacco nuances - you get ash tray- never has ash tray smelt so good - cigar box and sweet piped tobacco - when you drink this wine it helps you appreciate why cigarette/cigar/pipe smokers have not completely taken leave of their senses - this bottle was starting to dry up a bit at the back of the palate - most noticeable on this bottle but evident more faintly in others. I don’t think this wine will reward further keeping, but we are in the realms of >30 year old wines here. A real treat with my lamb rack. P.S. cycling through my new Hertfordshire route last weekend I saw so many beautiful new born lambs, so much that it made me come away with pangs of guilt and regret to perhaps accede to my daughter’s admonishments to become a vegetarian - let me be virtuous, but not just yet...