2005 Louis Jadot Marsannay - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay (2/5/2008)
Very pleasurable sub $20 Pinot. Went back for a few more. The weakest point right now is the aromatics. Almost nothing. They woke up at the end of the evening but if your looking to lost in a bold bouquet either wait on this or pass. But when it hits your palate the is good things happening. Lots of cherry fruit, earth and mushrooms. Medium high acid. Needs a few years to integrate. Tannins are nicely present which keeps the wine restrained despite the generous amounts of fruits, particularly black cherries. As the night went on I liked it more and more. I think 3 or 4 years would be a good time to re-visit. If the aromatics come alive, this will certainly be an "A" wine for me. (89 pts.)
2004 WesMar Chardonnay - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (2/3/2008)
My one and only bottle of this. They didn't produce an 05 and I am not sure about 06. Fairly rich aromatics with a touch of caramel. Tart fruit hits the front palate followed by a little rocks and brush of steel. A nice chardonnay. Not a ton of complexity but balanced flavors and solid acid. (88 pts.)
Peace,
Jason