12 of us met on Sunday night to taste "Wines With Altitude and Attitude". All served blind. An impressive array showed up, as usual.
Bob and I showed up half an hour late due to an Uber snafu (we selected a ride, then sat there for 30 minutes holding a phone that said "Trying to find your driver". In the meantime it went from wanting $17, to one at $19 and finally one at $26). Eventually, the $17 car showed up. We had to quickly catch up on these three sparklers so my observations are fairly shallow:
NV Domaine de Montbourgeau Crémant du Jura Brut Zéro Chardonnay Blend
Tim's. Big bubbles, friendly, a good opener.
NV Grosjean Montmary Rosé Valle d'Aosta Rosé Blend
This is lovely. Taupe-y dusty pink color. Truly brut with exciting mouthfeel of tiny pin-prick bubbles, creamy finish.
2016 Famille Peillot Vin du Bugey-Montagnieu White Sparkling White Blend
Lively, great mouthfeel.
I plonked the first still white on the table: 2019 Alpine Roots Petite Arvine Valais Deep yellow. Flinty gunpowder nose, petrol, and pine needle (like retsina). On the palate, more retsina with extracted notes of white grapefruit and white pepper. Seems much older than four years. This is the last of three bottles I bought, drunk the first and best bottle in late 2020 and each bottle since has, now that we know where this one went, shown significant downward evolution. Disappointing; I thought it had more structure.
Hannah immediately jumped in with 2020 Caves du Paradis Coteaux de Sierre Les Coteaux de Sierre Petite Arvine, Arvine
Hannah's. Pale yellow, very dry and fresh, very very different from the previous petite arvine.
Then Tim trotted out a 2021 Mayu Pedro Ximénez Central Valley, Chile
From 6300 ft. elevation, this shows cucumber, green bean and chamomile notes. Though initially a hand-sell, Tim now keeps this in the shop all the time because customers have been coming back for more. Good wine, great QPR at around $13.
Anne-Marie got in the game then with this: 2018 Château Pajzos Furmint T Tokaji
Bold, concentrated, big bodied white that drinks like a red with flavors of quince, starchy peppin apple and pineapple underscored by strong minerality from loess volcanic soils.
Then Doran passed a 2021 Franck Peillot Roussette du Bugey Altesse de Montagnieu
This wine showed up at our tasting twice--purchased last week from the same local retailer. We did not recognize them as the same wine, though both were excellent. In the ninth position, it showed white currant and nectarine fruit with some dust on the finish. Here, in the 4th position, it had elderberry florals on the nose and the fruit leaned toward green melons. I patted myself on the back as I've already bought three for my cellar. We had an earlier vintage at Atelier Crenn in San Francisco a few years back and loved it.
Tim again: 2021 Ermes Pavese Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle Prié Blanc Highly aromatic and therefore surprisingly dry on the palate, Sauvignon Blanc-ish but more salinity. Turns out to be Petite Arvine, third of the night and all so different. Excellent. And worth owning just to admire the complex artwork on the label.
At this point Erik jumped in with a 2019 Benedicte and Stephane Tissot red from the Jura that we all loved. I somehow failed to note exactly which one and I couldn't tell which of the entries on CT it was, but it was a blend of Trousseau, Poulsard and pinot noir. Light red color with a golden rim, and a funky no-sulfur nose. Warm and open (probably decanted in advance).
My turn again: 2019 Grosjean Cornalin Valle d'Aosta Vigne Rovettaz Hibiscus, pomegranate, strawberry, morello cherry, sweet edge, attractive. Not decanted in advance, but would have been advisable.
Doran then passed this 2020 Grosjean Gamay Valle d'Aosta
Fresh sweet light red fruits, and fruit-forward in a good way. Very attractive, and easily the most lovable of the Grosjeans that showed up.
The irrepressible Tim then threw out a 2019 Domaine Dupasquier Mondeuse Vin de Savoie . Was surprised to find only three bottles of this in the whole CT universe. Such, I guess, is the life of a little known grape from a little known place. This one was very very good: sweet nose, drier on the palate, some slate and raisin--very Dolcetto-ish.
Me again: 2018 Halcon Vineyards Mourvèdre, Yorkville Highlands, Sonoma, California This was fun. The gang searched all over the planet before, out of other options, guessing it might be from California, and even then they went to that weird winery up by Mount Shasta that Tom Hill has posted some notes on (and so have I, not a fan). Anyway, despite my pledge 11 months ago to wait two years before opening another one of these, at the last second I grabbed it thinking it would be kind of a gas to throw in a wine from the highest spot in a low place. Glad I did actually, though it still has a long road ahead the things I and others who own it believed would eventually emerge are obviously about to be rewarded: among the sweet dark fruits are blood, wet horse, and a capricious herbal quality in the style of good Bandols. Everyone loved it--it was one of the few bottles that got drained on the spot. Great future ahead: will definitely reward further patience.
That got Tim started on the black wines: 2018 Bodega Colomé Malbec Auténtico Calchaquies I tend not to be a malbec fan based on the North American versions I occasionally get to try, so I forget how good some of the Argentines can be. Funky nose, black fruits, minerally, from magnum. Very good.
Erik then popped this ten year older version into the rotation: 2008 Bodega Colomé Malbec Estate Calchaquies
Dark purple with suave dark fruits, graphite, minerals, and some charcoal notes. A very sophisticated, restrained malbec.
Then this one from Bart: 2017 Zorzal Eggo Tinto de Tiza Tupungato Malbec Blend, Malbec
Dark fruits with black olive, bright with unusually high acidity. Good.
I had one more: 2020 Grosjean Pinot Noir Valle d'Aosta Taut and unyielding, surprisingly tannic and seeming underripe--not very pleasant.
And yet one more Grosjean from Doran: 2019 Grosjean Torrette Petit Rouge Sulfur nose, berries, peppery. More sulfur than the bottle Bob and I opened last month. Good, though.
Fun night. First time I've ever had more than one wine from the Alps in one setting, very informative.