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WTN: Year-end wrap-up, Part 1

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Andrew Bair

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WTN: Year-end wrap-up, Part 1

by Andrew Bair » Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:19 pm

These are various wines that I never had a chance to post notes on over the past couple of months, seeing as November and December were very busy. (Nothing like a snow day to get caught up with everything back home.)

2009 Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall Vineyard Alexander Valley
Full-bodied, smooth, moderately tannic, curranty, stony, lightly spicy, with dark berry and licorice notes. Very good.

2010 Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall Vineyard Alexander Valley
Full, more open than the 2009 from a week ago, probably due to the double decanting; smoky, with notes of dark berries, currants, plums, stones, cocoa, and spices. Excellent.

2000 Bruno Rocca (Azienda Agricola Rabajà) Barbaresco Rabajà
Opened an hour before drinking. Nose of cherries, roses, plums, vanilla, and cloves. Full-bodied, round, rich, nicely balanced, with silky tannins. Tastes of cherries, blackberries, coffee, tobacco, tar, vanilla, and cinnamon. A bit of licorice as well on the highly floral finish. Excellent; this is what you want a more modern Barbaresco to be in a riper vintage – complex aromas, finesse; richness and intensity without showing excess alcohol (even if this is up there at 14.5%).

2010 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico
Mostly Sangioveto, with some Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, and Colorino. Medium-bodied, riper than usual, moderately structured, with cherry, dark berry, and licorice flavors, plus some mineral and spice notes. Very good.

2010 Fattoria Selvapiana Chianti Rufina
Mostly Sangioveto, with a bit of Canaiolo. Medium-bodied, earthy, with cherry, meat, rose, and leather notes; moderate tannin/acidity. Very good/excellent.

2009 Fattoria Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Riserva Vigneto Bucerchiale
100% Sangioveto. Full, tightly wound, with dusty tannins; very traditional, with notes of red and dark fruits, leather, spices, and minerals. Excellent.

2006 Iron Horse Vineyards Russian Cuvée Green Valley of Russian River Valley
75% Pinot Noir/25% Chardonnay; disgorged 12/11. Not labeled as Brut, Extra Dry, etc.; but has a higher dosage than their standard vintage Brut; 16 ml puts it in Extra Dry territory.
Medium-bodied, lightly sweet, with good acidity; and with moderate mousse/small bubbles. Very floral, lightly spicy/mineral, with pear, apple, and vanilla notes. Very good.

2010 Domaine Bruno Clair Morey-St.-Denis Blanc En la Rue de Vergy
No soil here – the vines are planted directly on the bedrock. 100% Chardonnay. Moderately full-bodied, smooth, focused, with good acidity; shows pear, floral, stone, citrus, and anise notes. Very good/excellent.

2011 Tenute del Barone (Ladoucette) Duca di Montemaggiore Blanc de Blancs IGT Toscana
This property is owned by the same Baron Patrick de Ladoucette of Pouilly-Fumé fame. Despite the Ruinart-like bottle, and the Blanc de Blancs title, this Chardonnay from Maremma is not at all bubbly.
Medium-bodied, focused, elegant, with moderate acidity; unoaked; floral, flinty, with tropical, lemon curd, and tangerine notes. Very good.

2010 Azienda Agricola Suavia Massifitti IGT Veronese
100% Trebbiano di Soave, which some sources say is the same as Verdicchio, and others say is a completely different variety. Full-bodied, round, moderately rich, moderately acidic, with pear, mineral, and citrus notes. Very good.

2012 Maison Verget Saint-Véran Terroirs de Davayé
Good, clean, lightly mineral, but not one of the best that I have had from Verget.

2011 Domaine Lafage Côtes du Roussillon “Tessellae Old Vines”
40% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 5% Grenache Gris. Full-bodied, forward, rather low in acidity; balanced, with dark berry/currant flavors, plus licorice, beef broth, and herbal notes. Not too structured, but showing well right now. Good/very good.

NV Domaine Robert Sérol Pétillant Naturel Turbullent Vin de France
100% Gamay Saint Romain, from the Côte Roannaise, made in the methode ancestrale. Light pink in color, with good mousse/acid; fresh, floral, with red berry flavors; lightly mineral; pretty. Very good.

2012 Domaine Les Cantates Cru Chignin Bergeron
100% Roussanne - first that I've had from Savoie. Medium-bodied, moderately acidic, mineral, with tropical and white fruit notes; manages to reflect its alpine origins in the floral/mineral aromas. Good/very good.

More to come soon.
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Michael Malinoski

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Re: WTN: Year-end wrap-up, Part 1

by Michael Malinoski » Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:26 pm

2009 Fattoria Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Riserva Vigneto Bucerchiale
100% Sangioveto. Full, tightly wound, with dusty tannins; very traditional, with notes of red and dark fruits, leather, spices, and minerals. Excellent.

Thanks for the great notes, as always, Andrew. Always varied and interesting stuff in your posts. I am definitely going to have to revisit the wine above, as several people now have lauded it, and I just hated it the one time I drank it. Traditional is not at all a word I would have used to decribe it. Not sure what was going on (with it or me) that day. I'll let you know if I come across it again! :)

-Michael
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Charles Weiss

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Selvapiana Chianti Rùfina Riserva Bucerchiale

by Charles Weiss » Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:30 pm

Andrew,
Always been a fan of the Bucerchiale but haven't tasted this vintage yet. I assume that it is young?
Charles
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Re: WTN: Year-end wrap-up, Part 1

by Michael Malinoski » Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:33 pm

Well, shit, if Charles likes it, I must be the one with the defective palate! 8)
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David M. Bueker

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Re: WTN: Year-end wrap-up, Part 1

by David M. Bueker » Fri Jan 03, 2014 9:20 pm

Just another reminder that I am almost completely out of Tuscan wine. Need to fix that.
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Charles Weiss

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Re: WTN: Year-end wrap-up, Part 1

by Charles Weiss » Sun Jan 05, 2014 3:45 pm

Michael Malinoski wrote:Well, shit, if Charles likes it, I must be the one with the defective palate! 8)


Well, there is that 2005 Hureau Lisagathe.
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Andrew Bair

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Re: Selvapiana Chianti Rùfina Riserva Bucerchiale

by Andrew Bair » Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:09 pm

Charles Weiss wrote:Andrew,
Always been a fan of the Bucerchiale but haven't tasted this vintage yet. I assume that it is young?
Charles


Charles - Definitely young - I'd probably give this one a few more years.
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Bill Buitenhuys

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Re: WTN: Year-end wrap-up, Part 1

by Bill Buitenhuys » Fri Oct 24, 2014 6:42 pm

Just found the 09 Bucerchiale at a new wine shop near us and bought a couple on a whim.
Looks like my whim is in good company.

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