La Tunella Biancosesto 2012

 

 

From the Fruili in NE Italy, a blend of tocai and ribolla gialla, this rich, creamy wine flaunts extraordinary depth and minerality.  Exotic but inviting.  [**½]  $24.

Pignan Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2006

Frequently, as here, Pignan is a "second" wine to Rayas only in price. Great depth without being at all heavy handed, it flirts with gran cru Burgundy earthiness and agility. White pepper, violets and fresh leather form an unlikely triad of lively exuberance. [***] $107.

Château Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2006

A blend of grenache blanc and clairette, this exceptional white Rhone displays seashell minerality with intense, nervy purity. Restrained notes of fig and lemon don't interfere with the unfettered sensory conduit direct from vineyard to human brain. [***] $155.

Saint-Chamant Blanc de Blancs Brut 2000

Located in Epernay since the 1930s, this small Champagne house is a chardonnay specialist. They emphasize substantial aging before release for all of their wines; I understand from Stéphane Coquillette, the current family member running the show, that even their latest non-vintage release dates from 2001.

The 2000 is a powerful, dry wine showing notes of toasty, almond-y complexity. If I were to compare it some other great Blanc de Blancs, I would say that it has more in common with the slightly austere Le Mesnil from Krug rather than the ethereal Le Mesnil from Salon. [**½] $86.

LIOCO Carneros Pinot Noir 2007

LIOCO is a new-ish California mission-themed winery: to produce "wines of origin." So far, so good. This Sonoma pinot noir is their "regular" bottling and it is an exemplary wine in a difficult category. No sweet raspberry candy here, it is vinified dry and shows only judicious use of oak. Not exactly earthy, but the pristine cassis fruit is so distinctive that I'm inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt and say that this wine shows terroir! A joy. [**½] $39.

Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 1986

A honeymoon purchase at the winery, many, many, years ago. I'm really old. But the wine wasn't! A near-perfect cork allows access to supreme Tuscan wine situated at its aging apex. A wine of terrific flavor-depth considering its average level of density, showing roses and violets, almost à la Piemonte, but with a more supple tannin structure. The understated licorice notes and the flamboyant black plum notes both become progressively more obvious with continued aeration. Lovely. [***] Estimated: $90.

Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 1985

Christmas dinner wine. An interesting aeration experience with a 24-year-old wine; I'm used to great wines being closed or mute and opening up with time in decanter. In this case, after struggling with a more-than-difficult cork, the wine seemed to be substantially faded, judging by a quick taste immediately post-decanting along with a slightly oxidized nose. Granted, surprising given the aging potential of Monprivato. Then, after some two hours in decanter, as the last glasses were poured, the Barolo is reanimated, fleshes out, in fact becomes of the flesh, showing classic aged beefiness, the fruit becomes fully intact and the bouquet becomes redolent of eye watering sottobosco-based complexity. Quite the sleight of hand.
Incidentally, as evidenced when decanted through cheesecloth, this wine threw the jammiest, most substantial deposit that I've ever seen, save a 40-year-old bottle of Vintage Port.
A view of the vineyard is below. For an image of a similar label, see much further below. [***½] Estimated: $200.

Le Ragose Amarone 2003

Chocolate. Fudge. Brownie. As great as Le Ragose's Valpolicellas have been over the years, their Amarone has often lacked a bit of intensity and classicism. Finally, the 2003 shows vintage-typical explosive fruit along with firm, masculine structure. Asian spices and fresh morning earth. A delight. [***] $71.

Duval-Leroy 'Femme de Champagne' 1995

A very fine Champagne from a family-owned outfit, the Femme is about ¾ chardonnay, the remainder being pinot noir. Not as meaty as D-L's underpriced basic Brut, but genuinely complex with notes of brioche and toasted almonds. Delicate but satisfying. [**½] $134.

Pertinace Barbaresco Marcarini 2004

Produttori di Barbaresco is not the only extraordinary cooperative in Barbaresco; Pertinace, formed in the early 1970s, is producing a few lovely cru level wines. Ethereal and properly delicate, the Marcarini is showing finely sifted earth and pretty nebbiolo notes of white truffles and assorted undergrowth. Classical length along with (malolactic) softness. [**½] $60.

Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 2004

An exercise in sheer elegance and nebbiolo purity. Lovely sottobosco notes of fall leaves just prior to decay and fresh truffles lead to a midpalate that is, well, impenetrable, although dried roses hover just above the surface. Present is that rare level of complexity that comes only with extraordinary balance and depth, rather than overstated corpulence, found almost exclusively in Barolo, Barbaresco and great red Burgundy. Perhaps a deathbed wine, if one lives long enough to see it through to maturity. [***½] $107.

Jean-Phillippe Fichet Meursault Chevalières 2007

Unlike its namesake in Puligny, in Meursault 'Chevalières' is a lieux-dits, or recognized but unclassified single vineyard site. In any case, textbook Meursault, sumptuous, textured and almost heavy. Lending coherence is nicely developed acidity hiding somewhere in a pool of cream. [**½] $75.

Coffele Recioto di Soave 'Le Sponde' 2006

A wee bit of an in-your-face bruiser compared to the wine of similar provenance in the previous blog entry, and yet... lovely and ultimately well-mannered. Intense, intensely sweet, showing fairly obvious notes of botrytis. A wine to let linger on the palate. As if there is a choice. [**½] 500ml: $48.

Ca' Rugate Recioto di Soave 'La Perlara' 2007

The slightly elevated alcohol in this passito-method dessert wine is in no way obtrusive, allowing the (100%) garganega fruit to express lovely miele di castagna (chestnut honey) in all its glorious delicacy. Complex and subtle. [**] 500ml: $43.

Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru En Caillerets 2006

As is unique to Pousse d'Or, an almost supernatural level of richness and depth among Volnays. At the same time, a sense of authenticity and pristine pinot noir fruit, presenting that elusive magic combination of translucent earth and fruit on the vine combined with endless plush silk on the palate. Almost too sensual to be consumed in mixed company. A supreme balancing act and likely a twenty-year wine. [***] $112.

St. Innocent Pinot Noir 'Temperance Hill' 2007

From the Willamette Valley, only about ten miles outside of Salem, Oregon, St. I's Temperance Hill site is at a relatively high elevation (723 feet), leading to unusually late harvest and truly impressive concentration. A complex, age-worthy wine, presently showing a bit of flint and tar, as found in some "traditional" South African Pinotage, only less so. Thankfully. [**] $39.

Colterenzio 'Pfefferer' (Moscato Giallo) Alto Adige 2008

Tropical, off-dry and gorgeous. Abandoning Colterenzio's usual finely made but carefully controlled style, this is far and away the most over-the-top wine that I've tasted from this excellent producer. Silly-generous and a blast. Lychees and Asian spices coat the palate. [**+] $16.

Principiano Barolo 'Boscareto' 2004

Principiano's top cru, from a desirable south-southwest facing vigneto. Intensely perfumed, especially for a wine from the often restrained if classical 2004 vintage. Pleasantly light on the tar but rich with sottobosco notes, this is, in my experience, Principiano's best effort to date. Power and silk, it's a textbook example of a steel hand in a silk glove. High long range potential. [***] $98.

J.L. Chave Saint-Joseph 'Offerus' Rouge 2006

Earthy-dry, finely tuned, correct, with evident complex smokiness. A relief in its lack of ostentation. I find that Saint-Joseph is the most overlooked of the high-potential syrahs of the northern Rhone, although they can be hit or miss. This is a hit. [**] $38.

Deor (Cielo e Terra) Prosecco Rosé

Seems appropriate for the initial post to concern a bubbly. Perhaps my first true rosé Prosecco, deep salmon in color. 49% raboso (a red grape indigenous to NE Italy), it exudes fresh red pit-fruits, particularly a black friar plum, kernel and all. Quite exciting as Proseccos go, but, then, an entirely different grape. [**] $12.