Chateau St. Anne, Bandol, 'cuvee vin de collection', 1999
This is St. Anne's, ahem, 'luxury cuvee' - a 98% mourvedre wine. This tastes like Badol that Eric T might make: mourvedre without the funk component and one of the most elegant ones I've had the pleasure of opening. There's a little woodsy mushroom on the nose, and dark chocolate covered plum, mulberry, bing cherry, slight campfire ash along with a floral lift. Very smooth, especially at this stage in life. I prefer this to the regular Bandol. B+/A- 12.5%
Baumard, Coteaux du Layon, cuvee Paon, 1990
Amber, almost fire-orange colored. Leesy pineapple and guava paste nose. Guava paste, butterscotch drops, cheese danish, finishing with apple pomice (like what's left from pressing cider apples). Heady, at 14.5%. Surprisingly balanced, but would be better with a touch more acid and a little less alcohol.
Still, at 19 years old, I'm not complaining too loudly. B+
Basilisco, Aglianico del Vulture, 2003
Sundrenched deep dark black red with heavy glycerin streaks. Brooding nose of dark fruits, eucalyptus, menthol. Dark mass of dark fruits in the mouth, with tar, tobacco, and oak spice. A little better than I feared, (oaky...monster...vintage), but still a monstrous wine. Despite it's strength, I would suggest drinking up if only because my mind says this won't develop added complexity. B+/B 14% Sure hoping the 2004 is better.
Serafin, Gevrey-Chambertin, 2001
Bretty iron rust nose. Iron, liquid children's vitamins, blood pudding, and a bretty note that wasn't in an earlier bottle. Very much like licking rusty iron splayed with beef blood. Tough as nails. A manly wine. This actually improves the second day, for those 'wait-and-see' folks, and a previous bottle was much better so it could be either bottle variation or evolution. B
Monastero Suore Cistercensi S.O. Trappiste, 'Coenobium', 2005
Light, occluded pear gold colored. Pear aromas, both eau-de-vie and pearskin, not as freshly aromatic as earlier bottle. In the mouth, mashed cooked peas, pear, and an alcoholic astringency, with cut lemon slices on the finish. Simple, but honest. Just better earlier. B/B+ 12.5%
Marcarini, Barolo 'la Serra', 1998
I'm a little unclear why netizens keep hyping Marcairini's wines. Oh sure, I have a stableful of them too, but have never found one to be truly outstanding or something that I would be awestruck by. Mind you, I'm not talking Giacosa or Cascina Francia good, but something in the direction of "...hmmm, this is damn good nebbiolo". And so far, that moment hasn't come. Which is a shame, because for the price of these ($40-50), this is damned to be middle-market Barolo: pleasing, but not exquisite. I'd rather have something cheaper (to save the pocket something), or more expensive (to please the palate). This just doesn't cut it. Anyway, on to the note: mentholated cherry Vick's Vapor rub nose. Thin and austere palate prescence with a short finish. Light tannins that still grip, unflattering at the momment, no great transformation expected either. Merely okay. 14% B/slight B+
