The following are my final notes from bottles drunk in the month of June--its a good feeling to once again be caught up!
2006 Cascina Degli Ulivi Gavi. My wife likes Gavi and brought this one home to try. The nose is subtle, with fresh herb, pear and mineral accents. Where it makes its mark is in its fine balance on the palate, where it shows excellent juiciness and a fresh, uplifted feel. Flavors of white peach, faint citrus, pears and minerals are softly textured in a package that feels like it has good inner cohesion and consistency. The finish is fresh and balanced, with decent length.
2004 Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont. Probably not too surprisingly, this wine is showing rather tight right now. The nose is tautly coiled with citrus and chalky mineral notes. In the mouth, it has soft edges, but vervy acidity running down the middle. Clean, dry flavors of quince, lime pith and soft smoke lead to a finish tinged with sweet pear flavors. I have some more of this and won’t touch again for maybe 4-5 years.
2004 La Soufrandiere Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Quarts. Somewhat rigid aromas of lime peel, river stones, and slate signal another white that could use some more time in the cellar. In the mouth, this is a bit more forthcoming, with a lovely dry mouthfeel beginning to show some layering of yellow apple and citrus flavors that turn toward richer braeburn apple and poached pear toward the back of the palate. The overall feel is clean and devoid of any notable oak influence. All in all, though, this is holding a fair amount back and ought to be held a while before trying again.
1998 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino Ugolaia. Right upon opening, this lovely Brunello is ready to sing. It offers up a gorgeous bouquet of rose petals and dried flowers, talcum powder, sweet black cherry, leather and campfire embers. It has a very nice sappy yet silky feeling in the mouth, where there is also gentle acidity and very refined tannins held largely in check. The red cherry and strawberry fruit and high-grade cocoa powder flavors are clean and elegant and the whole package is really great to drink now.
2004 Lamborghini Campoleone Umbria IGT. Aromas of red fruit, cool leafy tobacco notes and milk chocolate can be found on the nose of this Sangiovese/Merlot blend. In the mouth, it is medium-weighted, fresh and light on its feet, featuring lots of red fruit like currants and cherries. There is a hint of charred wood on the dry, medium-length finish. It feels like a wine that is just playing things close to the vest for a while before it blossoms in 3-5 years—right now, it is enjoyable enough to drink but you’re only getting a surface snapshot. Better to wait.
2003 Delille Cellars Chaleur Estate Red Mountain. This Washington blend has a big, plush nose of blueberries, plums, violets and spice cake. It portends exactly what it is in the mouth—a wine featuring velvety--even showy--blue fruits and Belgian chocolate flavors that gush right from the entry all the way to the finish. It has big billowy tannins that don’t really get in the way of the dominant fruity profile. While not blowsy, it could use a bit more structure, especially if one intends to drink with food.
2001 Jean-Paul & Jean-Luc Jamet Cote-Rotie. Wow, the nose on this wine is just so animalistic! It features wild, untamed aromas of bacon fat, horse hair, horseshit, raw meat, iron and black olives galore, with blackcurrant and some blue fruits framed in the background. I was really taken aback by its raw and unique nature. I really wish I could have followed this longer throughout the evening to see how it changed and whether it ever came back in from the aromatic ledge. In the mouth, I was really surprised to find it fairly open and inviting. The structure is not too imposing and the flavors of bacon, redder fruits and dark earth are tasty and engaging. Tannins that at first seem reasonable grow and grow until they begin to dominate and turn the finish a bit too dry. I loved this and will give my remaining bottle several more years, but I am awfully tempted to drink this one too early.
Here's to new wine adventures in July!
-Michael