On New Years Eve I put out a selection of syrahs for my guests to help themselves to. One of them was the 2001 Crios Syrah/Bonarda blend. Crios is Susanna Balbo's budget line, if you will, the wines cost around $10 each. Now I found the heavy--and I do mean HEAVY--toasted oak character seriously offputting, but otherwise it's notable because this wine has gained a lot of other complexity and is still very young, where the premium Susanna Balbo wines I spent three times plus what this wine cost at the same time I bought this all tanked into pruney little messes in the last two years. This does not compute.
Went to an open house on New Years Day and took along for my first taste of the new year a 1998 Grand Puy Lacoste, and this was not a casual choice. The 98 vintage is now officially age ten, and it's time to start looking at how my 98 Bdx's are coming along. For the most part, I have held these for drinking later than the 99's. So a progress report more than a tasting note, since I very unseriously drug my bottle all over our friend's home and poured tastes only for the very few there I thought would get it, but this wine is still a baby, very primary BDX nose with only hints of secondary development, and tight. A year ago, it was much fleshier. Hold.
Bought untried a case of the 2006 Terlan Terlaner (Pinot blanc plus) when I had a chance to grab it for a hundy and small change. This producer makes the finest Italian whites I've ever tasted, could I go wrong? Apparently not: subtle, nuanced fruit, a little orange blossom, fine acidity. Excellent now, but will improve and drink well for years. What a lovely bargain.
Last night I opened a 2000 Karolus, a garagiste Bordeaux from the Haut-Medoc. Rather too modern and extracted for my tastes with solid but not gobby solid black fruit and grippy tannins, but it went well with our Steak Diane and appears to be coming along nicely. It certainly improved in the glass, and the last sip was the best.
Then one night last week I wanted something light and lively to go with some poached white fish, steamed vegetables and sauce menieur, and I decided to see if this 2000 Gevrey-Chambertin from Rossignol-Trapet had ever come around. Well, it has, and it made me happy happy happy. This pale, mauve-y red wine would be a bit unbalanced for some with all its acidity, but it has all the right Burgundian cherry flavors with the aged character of rusted minerals and old books. It's not great Burgundy, but I bought them for a song and they're great value at this point.