Here is a survey of recently consumed wines other than those noted in the Chardonnay Wine Focus. I notice that there is quite a predominance of Mediterranean wines and wonder if this choice has something to do with the chilly but latterly bright September weather which have had.
Southern France
Bandol Cuvée Spéciale 1997 – Domaine Tempier – is certainly my second ranking wine of the month so far after Terre Brune 1994 on which I wrote a separate enthusiastic WTN. Easy drinking like a lot of 1997s and quite succulent, it showed rich dark fruit and attractive aromas of leather and tar together with enough structure and grip for balance; this is only Tempier’s basic cuvée and I am expecting greater things from my bottles of Migoua, Tourtine and Cabassou; 16.5/20++.
Collioure Puig Oriol 2000 - Domaine La Tour Vieillle – was suffered from a leaky cork and was more tired and evolved than a delicious bottle about 18 months ago; it did still show attractively full red fruit with sweet cherry notes at the beginning and mid-palate but the finish showed typically dusty signs of decline; 15/20 for this bottle.
Côtes de Roussillon Villages 2006 – Domaine Depayre – was succulently fruity and robust with some nice pepper and spice; 15.5/20++.
Spain, Potugal, Corsica and Italy
I have been unlucky with my three bottles of Ribera del Duero 1996 – Condado de Haza (A. Fernández). The first, drunk young, was then too oaky for me and the second suffered from an unacceptable level of VA ; this was the best in spite of another leaky cork; it was full and robust if not especially refined (Germaine called it rustic) with still noticeable acidity, dark fruit dominated by cherry and good structure in which wood patina and tannins were evident but integrated; less smoothly sweet in character than a lot of Tempranillo based Spanish reds; 15.5/20.
Vin de Corse 2003 (55% Niellucio, a Corsican variant of Sangiovese) - Clos Poggiale - was tasty and robust with nice tar notes but less acidity and tang than most Italian Sangiovese; 15/20.
There seemed to be something wrong with the nose of Morellino di Scansano Riserva 1999 – Moris Farms – (90% Sangiovese) which showed notes of slightly jammy red fruit liqueur, including cherry brandy, varnish, cabbage and cheese which together I associate with wine which is oxidising and breaking up; happily on the palate these notes fell into the background and integrated well with the lively acidity, full body and firm but ripe tannic structure; more generosity but less tang than Chianti; 15/20 average between odd nose and enjoyable palate - doubtful future.
Dão 2005 – Quinta dos Roques – is a basic Dão presumably made from made from the full authorized cocktail of grapes unlike Roques’ more ambitious and expensive single varietal cuvées; I liked it better than these for its robust savoury tastiness with attractive notes of anis, herbs and spice; 15.5/20++.
A tasting of Pierre Gaillard’s Northern Rhônes and two from Alsace
I went to a Saturday afternoon tasting at Le Vin Passion where four Northern Rhône wines from Pierre Gaillard were on show. This producer believes in raising his wines in wood with a variable proportion being new. Although its presence was obvious it was never obtrusive or out of balance for me. Saint-Joseph (W) 2007 (100% Roussanne) was exuberant and fresh with burgeoning floral aromas; 16/20+. Condrieu 2006 was rich, burnished by its wood patina, showed typically spicy apricot aromas and was kept lively by attractive minerality; 16/20. Saint-Joseph (R) 2005 and Côte-Rôtie 2006 both showed very polished fruit and good depth, the former with more obvious structure and the latter richer and more complex; a touch international in style perhaps but fine; 15.5/20+ and 16/20+ respectively. This was a good range from a grower little represented in my cellar because of my faithfulness to Jamet, Graillot and Gonon.
Somehow the conversation got round to Riesling with one of the customers complaining about its hydrocarbon flavours. Our host produced two from Meyer-Fonné in Alsace, neither of which showed hydrocarbon at this stage. (With my apologies for not being sure about the lieux-dits) the Riesling ?Pfoeller? 2005, although nearly dry (Indice 2 I would say), was round and quite structured but slightly lacking in brightness for my taste – 15.5/20 - whereas Riesling ?GC Wineck Schlossberg? 2004, although showing noticeable RS, was deeper, more complex and mineral and balanced by appealing acidity; 16/20+.
Some revisits
I wrote enthusiastically about the burgeoning fruit with depth of Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau 2006 – Domaine Élodie Balme – after a tasting in the Spring. It is still delicious but perhaps slightly less exuberant but also with less rough edges; 16/20.
Roussette de Savoie Frangy 2006 (white made from the Savoy grape Altesse) – Domaine Lupin is another wine tasted in the Spring; its bright crisp acidity seems to have toned down a tad and its body seem to show slightly more “gras”; a excellent seafood wine; 15.5/20+
Saumur-Champigny La Chaintrée 2002 – René-Noël Legrand –showed less colour, robustness and structure than is usual with his wines but had the good fruit, minerals and elegance of classical Anjou Cabernet franc; 15.5/20. I think that I over-rated it in the Spring after tasting a series of Legrand’s younger more angular and tannic wines.
At a tasting in June 2006, I was enthusiastic about the focussed, mineral yet complex Mâcon-Lugny Terroir de Bissy VV “Les Crays vers Veux” 2004 – Jean Rijckaert – , two subsequent bottles confirmed this enthusiasm but this last one was spoiled by being served too cold and by the accompanying plaice having been inadvertently over-salted in the cooking; the wine seemed dumber and the cold and/or the salt brought out an ugly streak of dry caramel on the finish which I had not noticed before; this is another object lesson on excessive cooling of the wine and on excessive salt in the food; 13.5/20 in these adverse circumstances.
Thanks for the notes!