2005 Jean-Claude Boisset Gevrey-Chambertin Pinot Noir
Enjoyed this quite a bit. Fruit/etc is in the medium range and the tannins are just starting to integrate; another bottle should be a lot better in a year or two.
2012 Terres des Chardons Costières-de-Nîmes Chardon-Marie Syrah
Powerfully built, supple on the palate, a big and obviously Rhone wine of quality. I've never had a Provencal red wine with quite this kind of heft from this far south. (Maybe I live a sheltered life.) Great QPR at $32. I ordered a few bottles.
Sparkling NV Piper Sonoma Cuvée Platinum Sonoma County
A bit too taut in a way that will fill out given a year or two in the cellar. I'll wait.
2012 Pichler-Krutzler Grüner Veltliner Loibner Klostersatz Wachau
Riper than I expected but not at all disappointing with white peach, green peas, and a core of minerality. Well above average concentration and viscosity create a velveteen mouthfeel. Lovely wine that deserves contemplation. (Retails about $30, I picked it up for $19. Will grab a few more while I can.)
2005 Château Carbonnieux Blanc Pessac-Léognan Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc
Blind. Bright yellow. Ripe nose almost suggests chard but obvious semillon on the palate nails it as white Bordeaux. Flavors of quince with pineapple and herbs. Great showing.
1998 Frédéric Magnien Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots Reserve (yes, the label really says 'Reserve')
Blind tasted. Obviously pinot, but brown sugar and iodine nose suggests California while less fleshier body suggests Burgundy. Nice midpalate, but short finish.
2009 Seven Stones Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Speaking Rock Similkameen Valley
The Smilkaneen Valley is the southwest neighbor of BC's Okanagan Valley for those of you who understandably have never heard of it. It's a beautiful, Garden of Eden kind of place that's enjoyable to drive through, and you would, if you took the southernmost option for getting back to the coast without dropping into Washington state. Sweet okay nose with fleshy plum fruit and soft tannins, palate fruit exudes that raw green bell pepper note typical of many Pacific Northwest cabs (and that most WA winemakers are trying to breed out of their wines)--IMO the most interesting aspect of this pour.
1996 Bodega Catena Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon Catena Alta Tikal Vineyard Mendoza
Blind tasted. Great nose of sweet raspberry fruit makes us think Italian, but on the palate there's new world fruit. Hard to place so lots of surprise on the reveal. Best surprise of the day..
1986 Château Meyney St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
Soft in ways that, tasted blind, disguised both vintage and St. Estephe character, but flavorful.
1995 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese Blend
It's still wine, and drinkable, but relatively bland and featureless. No interesting trace whatsoever of character or origins, at any rate, with the acid acting like artificial life support for a patient that's brain dead.
2011 Ravenswood Zinfandel Belloni Russian River
Has added weight since our last bottle. Magnificent flavor and structure, best glass was the last. Hurray for cool vintages! Will cellar well thru 2020.
1986 Smith Woodhouse Porto Late Bottled Vintage Port Blend
Light body, hot nose that needs time to calm down, palate of root beer and canned pears, interesting spices. Quite delightful. And I learned something new about port--didn't realize that unlike other houses that release their port when it's ready and not expected in general to age any further (therefore bottling with a short T cork) Smith-Woodhouse makes a deliberately ageable style and bottles with a long cork.
2001 Château Léoville Barton St. Julien
Decanted one hour. Shows off its potential as a fine, classic Bordeaux of merit, but not yet ready for prime time.
2012 Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot Gevrey-Chambertin Morceaux Vieilles Vignes
A lighter style, seductively aromatic and balanced. Drinks well on opening with very soft tannins. Enjoyed it, but it underperforms its price.
