WTN: Pinots, Bordeaux, Old Cal-Cab, Italians....

Monthly lunch notes

2007 Cantina Frentana Cococciola – this wine was good and added one varietal to several people’s lifetime lists! Floral and citrus nose, soft entry followed by good acidity and length. Tasty wine.

2004 Chapoutier Hermitage Chante Alouette – an excellent white Hermitage, this wine showed wax, fruit and a hint of oxidation in the nose, a tad more of the latter than some liked, but I was fine with it and thought it added complexity. Warm on palate and interesting.

1999 St. Innocent Seven Springs Pinot Noir – I thought that this wine had a very European presentation with bright cherry fruit and some spice in the nose and soft tannin. Very nice.

2000 Gerard Mugneret Echezeaux – medium colour with pale edges, this wine seemed older than the previous one. Funky nose, with lots of pepper, showing very mature but quite pleasant.

2005 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark and Telephone Vd. – very nice sweet spicy peppery nose, good fruit on palate and nice length. We had gone from a Burgundy ringer to a Burg to a Pinot that would never pass as French, and enjoyed them all.

1985 Torres Mas La Plana – oddly, I wrote down that this had a mature Bordeaux nose, as the American oak just wasn’t showing. Still lots of tannin, but given the fruit levels, this wine needs drinking and shouldn’t be held any longer.

1989 Ch. Branaire Ducru – odd almost Rhone nose with sulphur and sweet fruit, soft in terms of acidity but with a fairly firm framework of tannin. Drink.

1986 Grand Cru Cabernet Collectors Reserve – An errant bottle I found in my cellar, from a producer that no longer exists – they were over near Glen Ellen and Jack London Park, with fruit sourced in the Alexander Valley, and they went under in the early 90s IIRC. Good colour, fairly dark, and still fairly sweet fruit in the nose, enough acid to have the assembled multitude asking about Italy and South Africa, and still a hint of very soft tannin. Not bad at all and I didn’t have to unlimber my back up bottle.

2000 Michel Chiarlo Airone A-1 – big ripe nose, 50% Barbera, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Shiraz, and 100% non-Italian in result. Good acidity, pleasant wine.

2003 Beckmen Vd. Block No. 6 Purisima Mountain Syrah –Big sweet minty wine, a bit hot, good stuffing here, and good length. Nice California Syrah. Santa Ynez.

2007 Tokaji Moskately – orange mango nose. I picked out Muscat, but it wasn’t too obvious. Not too sweet. Reminded me of canned pears in the nose and on palate.

• 2007 Cantina Frentana Cococciola Costa del Mulino Terre di Chieti IGT - Italy, Abruzzi, Terre di Chieti IGT
  Tasted blind - light lemon in colour. Citrusy notes of lemon and lime with some subtle oak. Nice minerality on the palate with a medium body and a good amount of acid. Nice tart finish. Drinking well now. Very good. (89 pts.)
  
  
• 2004 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Blanc Chante-Alouette - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  Tasted blind - medium gold colour. Notes of oxidized apples and charred citrus fruits. Medium to full body with low to medium acid. Nice oxidized flavours with a hint of toasty oak with honey notes coming through on the finish. Drink now. Very good. (89 pts.)
  
  
• 1999 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Tasted blind - medium ruby red. A nice dose of poopy notes on the nose with spice, bell pepper and red currants. This nose had many of us guessing Burgundy. Lots of cranberries and raspberries on the palate. Light to medium body and good acidity with an enjoyably tart finish. Drinking well now. Started to fade after around 30min in the glass, so probably best to drink up. Excellent. (90 pts.)
  
  
• 2000 Gérard Mugneret Echezeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
  Tasted blind - medium ruby red core with a strong brownish/orange hue throughout. Sweet and funky nose giving lots of earthy notes with some pepper coming through on the palate. The nose has some similarities to a well aged Nebbiolo. Good acidity and soft feel with resolved tannins. Was shocked to this was only a 2000, seems much older. Drink now. Excellent. (90 pts.)
  
  
• 2005 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark & Telephone Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
  Opened then served 2 hours later. Medium ruby, slight brownish hue. On the nose bright red fruits and spice. Ripe berry fruit and lots of raspberry notes on the palate with a little bit of heat. Lighter in body with a medium length finish and medium acidity. For me, this is about as ripe as I can enjoy a pinot before it becomes too ripe and unenjoyable. Very good. (89 pts.)
  
  
• 1985 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Label) Mas La Plana - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
  Tasted blind - oldest looking wine yet. Lots of bricking going on with sediment in the glass. Sweet and funky nose. Has a slight greenish note (celery maybe) on the nose with dark fruits on the palate and hints of tobacco. Medium body and tannins and a good amount of acid. Drinking beautifully. The fruit started to fade in the glass after 30min. I'm thinking Bordeaux. Turns out I'm wrong. Drink now. Excellent. (90 pts.)
  
  
• 1989 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Tasted blind - medium to deep ruby in colour with an ever so slight tinge of bricking. As Coop said, there was a good blast of rubber tires on the nose with some spice and Bordeaux funk. Black liquorice on the palate with dark red fruits. There's some structure left but I don't see this getting any better. Drink now. Excellent. (90 pts.)
  
  
• 1986 Grand Cru Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Collector's Reserve - USA, California
  Tasted blind - medium to deep ruby in colour with a tinge of bricking. Sweeter fruit on the nose with a blast of acid coming through on the palate. The sweet cabernet fruit and loads of acid had many of us guessing super Tuscan. Resolved tannins. Drinking well now. Excellent. (90 pts.)
  
  
• 2000 Michele Chiarlo Monferrato Airone 'A1' - Italy, Piedmont, Monferrato
  Tasted blind - medium ruby, browning at the rim. A ripe and 'internationally styled' nose of plums, blackberries and hints of oak. Soft in the mouth. Has enough structure to age further but I dont see this getting any better. A blend of 50% Barbera, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Syrah. Good. (86 pts.)
  
  
• 2003 Beckmen Vineyards Syrah Block Six Purisima Mountain Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
  Tasted blind - deep purple in colour. A new-world nose giving loads of mint with a ton of black fruits. Lots of structure and acid but soft in the mouth. On the palate more black fruits with black liquorice and smoke. Nice to try now but this will be even better in 5 years. Excellent. 90+ (90 pts.)
  
  
• 2007 Tokaj Kereskedöház Tokaji Késöi Szüretelésü-Late Harvest - Hungary, Hegyalja, Tokaji
  Tasted blind - medium yellow in colour. All mango and mandarin orange on the nose with canned pear juice on the palate. Could use more acid. A delicious wine. Good. (87 pts.)

[David M. Bueker]

The 2000 Burgundies have in many cases peaked IMO. I've had a few of the more structured wines (e.g. Chevillon, Gouges) that seem like more time is called for, but overall it's a vintage to drink up now. Of course there's nothing at all wrong with that!