Wine Focus: Open that Bottle MONTH ... EXTENDED!

[Jenise]

For years, we've been a fan of Chalone Estates (not to be confused with their cheaper stuff, Chalone Monterey, etc. which I always thought diluted the brand).

Early in my fangirl life I was a fan of their chardonnay and pinots, when Graff (who revived the abandoned vineyards) owned it. The pinot was especially distinctive--I remember picking it out in a blind tasting of ten California pinots. Somewhere after that things got sketchy and I haven't had any experience with the wines since. I love grenache, sounds like yours was delightful.

Btw, your post caused me to look up what Foley owns now. I found this statement in a WS article: "building an impressive portfolio on the West Coast and in New Zealand, including Chalk Hill, Firestone, Kuleto, Lincourt, Merus and Sebastiani in California, Vavasour, Clifford Bay and Martinborough Vineyard Estates in New Zealand, and Three Rivers Winery in Washington. Most recently, Foley acquired Oregon Pinot Noir specialist The Four Graces in 2014." I know he also picked up Ferrari Carano since, and I'm sure there are others.

[Jenise]

Last night with roast duck:

1986 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
Cork was saturated and crumbly. Considering its poor condition, the wine was better than expected. Meaning, it lacked the grip and power that mature PC can have, but the color was decent and after a one-hour decant, dried cherries and tangy apricot fruit leather showed up to provide balance. Tannins still evident.

Jenise, cherries and apricot sound like the vino would be a good match for duck....

Hope it was a great dinner!

[Jenise]

It was indeed, thanks. But alas, our last anniversary year wine. Next year we'll have to go to '96.

[David M. Bueker]

• 2005 Domaine Fourrier Chambolle-Musigny Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny (6/17/2020)
  Sometimes you open the right wine at the right moment. Tonight I opened my last bottle of this Chambolle, and was blown away. Gentle red fruit, clean, loamy earth, subtle herbs, worn leather - all the things I look for in a bottle of Burgundy with some age. It still shows a notable structure, but that just keeps it together, framing a beautiful picture of a well tended garden in the fading summer light. Sigh.

Beautiful! Nothing like special Burgundy...

2001 Rioja Gran Reserva Imperial, Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana
CVNE is one of my favorite producers of old-school Rioja. It has an impressive deep brick-red color and was very closed in when first poured. It needed a good half hour or so in the glass to open up and strut itself. The aroma is classic aged Rioja, with some smoke on the nose from well integrated oak. The flavor fills the mouth and is complex, fully integrated, and hard to pick apart into components. There is enough acidity to keep things lively, and perhaps the tiniest hint of tannins. The finish is long. This is a classic Rioja Gran Reserva and should last for years to come. Double Curly.

2001 Sauternes, Chateau Rieussec
I bought a case each of La Tour Blanche, Suduiraut, and Rieussec when they were first released. I posted my notes on La Tour Blanche and Suduiraut, and last night I got around to opening the Rieussec. What Dave Bueker said. The Rieussec is a step above the other two. It's a bit darker in color and just has a bit more of everything. It's the best Rieussec I've ever tasted. Triple Curly with an extra Woo! Woo! I'm going to have to see if I can hunt down a bottle or two of the 2001 d'Yquem.

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

Love all your Sauternes notes Paul.

Currently open: Patricia Green Pinot Noir, Marine Sedimentary, Chehalem Mountains, 2015.

A bit of background. A CT buddy recommended the 2014 P Green Berserkers Cuvee. I got mine for <$30 w/tax & shipping. We've had 3 bottles and thought all were quite good.Then I was offered the 2015 Marine Sedimentary at almost the same price. Bought another half-case. Late last year, opened a bottle. Meh. Didn't taste like an "upgrade" to me. So there we sat with 5 more bottles.

So I allowed quite a few months to pass before opening another Marine Sed with some trepidation. But chose to evaluate the wine as an < $30 bottle of PN, which, for us, it is. Bottom line: red fruit, structure, definitely. Minerality, no, but still a decent, varietally correct PN. Not too shabby.

Bottle variation? Better year to open a 2015 vintage? Who knows? But at least I'm encouraged. I realize that if they were able to sell enough Marine Sed at the usual $42 price, I wouldn't have received the offer.

Of course, having purchased various PN since then, no future plans for purchasing more P Green. And it seems OR is going more glam with pricing now. That's OK. For frugal soul here, there are still good QPR wines available.

Pinot Noir Cheers!

[David M. Bueker]

And it seems OR is going more glam with pricing now. That's OK. For frugal soul here, there are still good QPR wines available.

What dollar limit starts "glam"?

Vincent makes wonderful Pinot Noir that are often in the $25 range. Goodfellow has some bottlings in the $32ish range that are outstanding. There's more.

Regarding the glam pricing, I remember a quote from one of the marketers at Roederer. "It's not enough that Cristal be the best. It also has to be the most expensive."

-Paul W.

And it seems OR is going more glam with pricing now. That's OK. For frugal soul here, there are still good QPR wines available.

What dollar limit starts "glam"?

Vincent makes wonderful Pinot Noir that are often in the $25 range. Goodfellow has some bottlings in the $32ish range that are outstanding. There's more.

I'm sure each of us have their own definition, David. Personally, just anecdotal/trends/observations as one who focuses on this stuff. Which is why I noted "seems". As an example, scanning the WS reviews of OR PN over multiple issues I've seen ratings for PN ranging from about $30 to $125. For CA PN, ranging from about $35 to $165 (Editorial comment: Yikes). I had a backlog of WS to read through and have caught up in part due to CV19.

Your examples are good ones. I might add Cardwell Hill (PN and Rose' of PN). Those I've served to non-PN people and they comment on how good the wines are. And I'm interested in other ideas in the range you cited.

Other areas where I've found wines that IMHO are good QPR are Chile', Mendocino, New Zealand.

No doubt, it's subjective.

Cheers!

[David M. Bueker]

The Speculator is a bad place to look for value.

I will start a thread outside of this one.

This is not a trophy wine from an internationally famous vineyard/grower/vintage. Indeed it comes from Languedoc, IMO an undervalued region, and retails in current vintages at the accessible price of between €30 & 40. Arguably Mas Jullien has been in the tip top tier of the estates of Languedoc since the 80s and I have had exceptionally fine bottles like this 04 from the 89, 95, 98 and 00 vintages. The reason why I count this as "that bottle" is that it is my last of that series. I can buy the 2017 and 2018 quite easily but how long would I have to wait before it would acquire equivalent maturity?

I have no information on the precise varietal composition of this bottle but currently the red varieties planted at the estate are Carignan 40%, Mourvèdre 40% and Syrah 20%.

2004 Mas Jullien Coteaux du Languedoc - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc (21/06/2020)
This was my last bottle of three. Like the two previous bottles two and four years ago, it showed medium/full body and harmony with some lovely red fruit, cherry and strawberry, slight Balsamic notes, minerals, Mediterranean herbs and gentle backbone, all beautifully integrated and singing eloquently. Indeed from memory it was perhaps the most seamless and elegant of the three. Excellent.

Posted from CellarTracker

[Jenise]

Tim, as David said in response to one of my early contributions to this thread, a last bottle of a batch of great bottles is *always* a last bottle!

[Jenise]

2001 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
Classic mature Bordeaux nose, tasty on the palate but obviously further along than a bottle in 2016. Ready immediately upon uncorking, but advise decanting for sediment removal. Great choice for a patio dinner of cold steak and tomato salad. I thought it was my last bottle but the inventory shows three more, if they're there we'll drink them soon. Only paid $22 each back in the day. Insane!

[David M. Bueker]

Nice! Not sure why I don’t drink more Bordeaux. I own a lot of it.

Bumping this thread as I began re-reading Dottie & John's Wall St. Journal Guide to Wine, 2002. Dear Husband goes to a used bookstore occasionally, and brings back oldies but goodies. Usually <=$5. Coffee table books, novels, anything he thinks is wine-related that I might enjoy.

Several vintners that were old reliables are mentioned thus far. And, apparently, the wines are still made and can be found. Not sure I'll seek them out, but interesting to see who has survived.

Fetzer: Sundial Chard, Eagle Peak Merlot, Valley Oaks Cab

St. Francis: Merlot

Kenwood, Niebaum-Coppola: visited both of these wineries pre-2000. Have no idea what we purchased, but we wouldn't visit without purchasing.

Callaway Vineyards, Temecula: pre-2000 as well. We made the mistake of visiting on a Saturday afternoon. Tasting for 2 = $8, tasting area very crowded, 4 tasters deep. So we bought a bottle of Sauv Blanc for $8 and left. Enjoyed the wine at home. Worked for us. Website says open for purchases and wine club pick-ups only.

A trip down memory lane. Some fond memories associated with wine for sure.

[Jenise]

Pat, we have old associations with all those wines as well. That Fetzer Eagle Peak Merlot was all the rage when we lived in Anchorage AK in the early 90's. The town next up the highway was Eagle River, and I swear everyone in that town bought it by the case just for the name. We had friends there, so drank a lot of it. And a Callaway Sauv Blanc was the first bottle of wine Bob and I shared back in 1986.

[David M. Bueker]

Color me Bogle-d.

Jenise, way cool!

David, they did mention Bogle. Chardonnay & Merlot. I've may have bought a bottle or two in the past, not much.

It's enough to Bogle the mind....

[David M. Bueker]

Sometimes, occasionally, those sorts of bottles are “that” bottle, as they open someone’s eyes to wine.

As for me, I had two of those, a 1992 Arrowood Merlot, and a 1995 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese.

Sometimes, occasionally, those sorts of bottles are “that” bottle, as they open someone’s eyes to wine.

As for me, I had two of those, a 1992 Arrowood Merlot, and a 1995 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese.

Not surprised that one of the bottles for you was Riesling, David.

I remember my "that" bottle. Bottles, actually. Early in our marriage, we lived in the Chicago burbs. Small apartment, poorly-insulated. One redeeming quality of the apartment was a wood-burning fireplace. Our first winter there, Dear Husband began picking up cheap Chilean wine from a nearby liquor store. Very few dedicated wine shops back then.

Santa Rita 120. $5 or so. Labels said Merlot, but it was so long ago it could have been Carmenere. On lazy Saturday nights, we began to have simple cheese and cracker dinners by the fireplace. With our Santa Rita. After the first such dinner, I remember noting that we should do this more often. Something about the whole combo turned into a beginning interest in red wine. Prior to that, I'd drunk an occasional glass of blush something, mostly White Zin. But never cared for reds.

To this day, I remain interested in Chilean reds. They remain a key part of my cellar strategy, as one of the areas I know best and believe has plenty of good values. As I define value. Hey, it's my strategy. Why not?

BTW, happiness was Chicagoland in the rear view mirror. If we remain blessed, we will continue to live in areas without winter.

2012 Domaine Michel Noellat Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru "Les Beaux Monts," Cote de Nuits, Cote d'Or, Burgundy, France. Labeled as 13.5% abv. CellarTracker notes say this would be better in 2 to 5 years but is enjoyable now. I am opening the first bottle and will save my second bottle until 2022 or later. This IS enjoyable now. It has dark fruit notes (black cherries) and steeped tea with a long finish. There are some chewy tannins and hints of underlying minerals/iron notes. It is balanced and elegant. I am sorry to finish the final glass on day three but glad I have another bottle waiting in the wings.

Next up: a Chablis Grand Cru from Christian Moreau.