N/V Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde:
10% alcohol and about $6; light spritz, fresh grapefruit and pear aromas; excellent cut across the palate with light flavors that follow the nose, a distinct mineral tang and a clean, fresh finish. I adore this wine. We had it with a fresh pasta dish that included sautéed zucchini, parmesan cheese and a very light cream sauce and it was absolutely perfect. Six bucks and a complete delight!
2002 Chidaine, Montlouis Les Choisilles:
13%; the difference in this wine since release is remarkable – unripe pineapple, wool, mineral nose; brisk, tart fruit with substantial concentration and intensity, flavors that follow the nose and have the beginnings of nuance, a texture that coats the entire mouth; and one hell of a finish. From a sweet, somewhat insipid wine to a powerhouse with finesse – nice.
2005 Pépière, Muscadet Granite de Clisson:
Utterly closed; do not open this bottle.
2005 Tete, Juliénas Clos du Fief:
Open, wonderfully aromatic, perfectly balanced, deep, and with a long and full finish. This may be a wine that will last a long time in the cellar – the stuffing is there and so is the balance – but it is heavenly right this minute. 13% and the top shelf for the AOC.
1998 Vieux Télégraphe, Châteauneuf-du-Pape:
Open on the nose with good fruit and meaty aromas; a saltiness in the mouth with round fruit and a worsted texture that seems thick but not heavy, integrated structure and considerable length. Finally, this is showing well, after years of being quite angry. I don’t expect vin de garde from this house but this vintage certainly is.
2007 Edmunds St. John, Porphyry Barsotti Ranch:
Gamay from El Dorado County, CA; 13% abv; in a league with the very best Moulin-a-Vent in good years – this is serious wine with tremendous depth and character; very pure, focused, detailed, balanced and long. ‘Nothing else even comes close on this side of the pond.
1999 Verset, Cornas:
12.5%, price tag on bottle says $37.99 (I don’t remember when I bought it); I lament here that I have so few bottles of Verset in my cellar - this starts out funky and animale but within half an hour, turns into a wine so distinctly representative of Cornas as to be moving; not a big wine or a plush one yet its full flavored and a
magnificent rendition of its terroir. With meat loaf and mashed potatoes, something to write home about.
Best, Jim