by Keith M » Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:19 pm
A rep from Neal Rosenthal Imports recently ran through a selection of their wines at Solano Cellars. Good stuff. First up, the 2007 Ferrando Erbaluce di Caluso was big, bright, easygoing and flavorfully delicious. Great grip on it served as a great intro. The next flight compared the 2007 Monastero Suore Cistercensi Coenobium Lazio Bianco with the same producer's Rusticum from the same year—the difference being the Bianco's 1 day on the skins versus the Rusticum's two weeks. The Blanco was the easier sell with good richness, herbal and a touch of air, but the Rusticum fits my tastes better—so rewarding, such a great grip. I've enjoyed it charms before, but my neighbors found it perhaps the most difficult—all though it seemed like most came around to like it in some way. The 1997 J. A. Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé Les Ménétrières was a lovely wine—didn't get a lot of accolades from the crowd, but I hugely enjoyed its chrome features, its looseness that somehow retains precision, and a wonderful aged grip. I've very little experience in even moderately-aged white burgundies, but this was a nice experience. The 2006 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Poulsard—what can I say—heavenly nose, delicate tannic grip, laidback and delicious. Totally my type of wine. The 2006 Monpertuis (Paul Jeune) Cuvée Counoise from the Rhône was likely the first straight counoise I've had and offered plump easygoing fruit with light raisin. Clean and good enough (and cheap) but not exactly to my tastes. Good gingerbread, though. The 2006 Domaine de Fenouillet Beaumes-de-Venise Terres Blanches, a blend of syrah and grenache from the southern Rhône, was much more my style. Subtle, great structure, good fruit, refreshing, yum. The 2005 Fratelli Brovia Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggione smelled like a forest—which was pretty cool—and tasted rich, spicy, and plush. Also felt like it was starting to close down, but hard to tell. The 2005 Ferrando Nebbiolo di Carema was the one wine that demanded without apology a meal. Bright tempered cherry, bold tannins, alpine at moments, with just a bit of food it exploded into delicousness. The 2003 Azienda Agricola Montevertine Toscana was a blend of 90 percent sangiovese, 5 percent corolino and 5 percent corionolo. Very different—plump but cool. Roasted brick. It was different. And interesting. Other wines of interest started to emerge as the event winded down. The 2007 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Trousseau Les Berangères was my wine of the tasting, not of the tasting—an oh-my-goodness nose of pine and nature, delicate delicate perfumed flowers, a light delicious grip. The 2007 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Calcaire was very even and quite rich but seemed to hold itself pretty well. Dried honey is nice—not sure for how long, but it wore its weight pretty well. The 2004 Mas Jullien Coteaux du Languedoc was much harder for me to get a handle on—full-on plump raisin juice, solid and narrow—but not quite sure how I feel about it.
