This weekend

2006 Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Highland Estates Seco Highlands (Arroyo Seco) Not alot of Chardonnay served in this house unless it's Kalin or Brun (or disguised as Champagne) but a friend brought it over to go with dinner. Extremely floral in a muscat or viognier sort of way. It's bright and fruity at first giving way to a hint of buttery roundness in the mid-palate. Decent amount of minerality and orange citrus acidity on the finish.

2005 George Descombes Brouilly Vieilles Vignes (Beaujolais) Really elegant and surprisingly open. The nose is a mix of cranberry, earth, some greeness, cinnamon, and a bit of oak. The flavors are bright tart cherry and strawberry with zingy acidity, lots of minerality, and just wonderful with food.

1995 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato (Piedmont) #8045/13568 You enter a room only to find that Kate Winslet has just left. What remains is this faint, coyly seductive aroma of the most subtle, intoxicating perfume. Dried orange peel, dried violets, fennel, wild flowers notes that present themselves so wistfully. The presence is light, almost fleeting, with subtle flavors of dried and fresh cherries. The tannic grip is still fairly clenched which is seemingly at odds with the gentle nature the wine has presented so far. But that grip quickly gives way to a floral, cherry, acid-tinged finish. Gonna let the remaining bottles rest for 5 more years.

2007 Azienda Agricola Cos Nero di Lupo Nero d’Avola (Sicily) Luscious black fruit, mushroom, dried violets, orange peel, flinty minerality, and extremely fine grained tannins. It’s not as electric as Occhipinti nero d’avola but it’s pretty damned good.

1995 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato (Piedmont) #8045/13568 You enter a room only to find that Kate Winslet has just left. What remains is this faint, coyly seductive aroma of the most subtle, intoxicating perfume. Dried orange peel, dried violets, fennel, wild flowers notes that present themselves so wistfully. The presence is light, almost fleeting, with subtle flavors of dried and fresh cherries. The tannic grip is still fairly clenched which is seemingly at odds with the gentle nature the wine has presented so far. But that grip quickly gives way to a floral, cherry, acid-tinged finish. Gonna let the remaining bottles rest for 5 more years.

Bill,
Seriously great note!
Trouble is, it makes me want to open one at the same time it tells me not to do so.
I guess my concern is that the nose sounds pretty mature and maybe there will be no better time. It's the finish that indicated addditional potential to you?
Charles

[David M. Bueker]

Good notes Bill. I wonder if there actually is some Viognier or Muscat in the K-J. It would not be against the rules to use a little. Heck, I would rather have somebody drop in 5% of an aromatic variety to give the wine more character than drop it in 100% new oak, heavy toast barrels.

Charles, the nose was indeed beautiful but oh so subtle. You know how Monprivato can just explode out of the glass? Well this was just a whisper. So I'm thinking (hoping) that maybe it's just waking up or starting a new evolutionary phase and has enough structure to hold on while the aromatics develop. I know I know, no evidence that this will happen but one can hope!

David, I did some digging on the KJ website. Looks like its 100% chard of various ilk that would explain the aromatics!

Rued, 4 and Dijon 96. The Rued imparts a Muscat/Gewürztraminer nose. Clone 4 adds viscosity and structure. The Dijon 96 brings a floral Viognier hue.

Bill, maybe some chardonnay musque in there? I am seeing more of these chards from the Okanagan.