1999 Hamacher, Pinot Noir:
A little closed at first but opens nicely to a sappy, graceful red fruit profile on the nose and palate, good balance, intensity, some complexity and excellent length. Not at peak but, with air, a lovely wine that was worth waiting for.
2000 J.P. Droin, Chablis Les Clos:
Dead on the nose when first opened – maybe a little smoke and cooked lemon – so I decanted it for about half an hour; that’s what it needed - candied lemons, flowers, stones and light smoke notes on the nose; good flesh and real depth in the mouth with flavors that follow the nose in a nicely complex delivery, excellent spine of acidity that never lets the ample concentration get flabby, great intensity and lovely balance; as long a finish as I have enjoyed on any Chablis. Lives up to its grand cru turf and is in no danger of going south. And absolutely sensational with grilled mahi-mahi with lemon/caper sauce.
Superb wine.
1995 Palazzola, Rubino:
From Umbria, 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot; perfectly ripe and very focused blackberry, black currant and clean stone elements wrapped around each other – intense, direct and utterly pure; more complex in the mouth but with no less intensity, smooth and velvety; still some grip, good balance and length. This has taken every day of 13 years to get where it is and could probably use another 3-5 years to completely resolve. But what was once an angry, difficult bottle with hard edges and too much tannin is now an etched, intense and powerful wine that is of a piece – a remarkable evolution. Damn good with pizza and equally so, on its own. Having followed this since release, I am both surprised and pleased.
1999 Prager, Chardonnay Smaragd Weissenkirchen:
A soft, sweet chardonnay aroma (Diane says it smells like summer) with a bit of a resin note (obviously unwooded); full in the mouth but bright with a musky, simple syrup/cooked tone that I don’t much care for; finishes sweet but long. Definitely better than my last bottle (4/07) which was angular and acidic. Maybe this needs more time or maybe this isn’t the grape for me in this region. Not my style.
2005 Terres Dorées (Brun), Fleurie:
Tasted on day one and something seemed off – maybe TCA we thought – left in the decanter 20 hours; second day, no discernable TCA and the wine was more open but there’s a swimming pool aroma and it seems just a little off. I’m guessing a damaged bottle but I’d also say, based on the acidity and intensity, we are too early to this.
2005 Dom. Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie:
Slightly closed on the nose and palate but still a beautiful, balanced, deep gamay with mostly dark fruit, some spice and earth and excellent concentration; good length. Maybe it’s not showing its best, but what it is showing is so much better than almost anything else, I am going to have a tough time staying away from my remaining bottles.
1999 Gilles-Robin, Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Albéric Bouvet:
Starts closed and with some brett but over an hour or so, the brett lessens to almost nothing and the aromas of fruit and leather come on; good in the mouth from the get-go with leather, meat, olive, iron accents to solid but elegant syrah fruit, a little smoky stuff in the background, nicely integrated, good balance; medium length finish that eases-up at the very end. I have liked this wine from release and it has gone through several incarnations; it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this has a few surprises left for those who can continue to cellar it. I still have a couple and I look forward to sharing them.
1999 Trimbach, Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile:
This has developed nicely since release with a layered nose of white fruit, spice, mineral and light petrol; smooth and substantial in the mouth, flavors that echo the nose, laser-like acidity and excellent length. The fatness of youth is gone and the power that was latent is starting to show. I can see this rising to the level of the St. Hune in time.
1999 Texier, Côte-Rôtie VV:
It’s been two years since my last bottle of this and it has resolved some of its structure and shows more fruit and complexity but it is still a young wine. For me, this is the gold standard for the AOC; very typical on the nose and palate, immense density and focus without weight, significant structure yet an elegant delivery and an endless finish. Not entirely integrated but impressive in ways that only the “roasted slope” can convey. One for the life list.
Best, Jim