A bunch of wines that I had over the past month or so.
NV Domaine de Causse Marines Vin de Table Effervescent Préambulles 9002
100% Mauzac from the 2009 vintage. Cloudy yellow to light gold color. Moderate initial mousse that disappears rather quickly; fully sparkling, with small, persistent bubbles. Although the shelf talker from the store where I bought this bottle (the Wine Bottega) led me to expect a barnyardy/stinky nose, this biodynamic, unsulfured sparkler actually had pretty clean aromatics throughout, with honey, apple, melon, and custard notes. Medium-bodied, lightly crisp, nicely balanced, and lightly sweet. Very good.
2009 Jean Reverdy et Fils Sancerre La Reine Blanche
Light to medium-bodied, very mineral, elegant, nicely balanced; citrusy and spicy. Maybe a bit less structured that some of the top cuvées of Sancerre, but a very nice wine nonetheless.
2009 Azienda Agroforestale Fontezoppa Bianco IGT Marche
85% Maceratino, with the rest Incrocio Bruni 54 (Verdicchio x Sauvignon Blanc) and Pecorino. Medium-bodied, bone dry, well balanced, with moderate underlying acidity. Medium-bodied, lightly crisp, and moderately structured. Very mineral throughout, with a lightly spicy nose, white peach flavors, and herbal/grassy notes on the midpalate. Develops an anise note over the course of three nights, while evolving gracefully. Very good, especially for $12.
2008 Terredora di Paolo Coda di Volpe IGT Campania
Mineral, gamy, lightly floral nose. Medium-bodied, slightly oily, bone dry, slightly bitter, with moderate acidity; shows notes of citrus and tropical fruits, almonds, and grilled pork, with a definite volcanic character. Very good.
2009 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe DOC Nebbiolo
This particular vintage of this wine has received a lot of attention in the Boston area recently after it was recommended in a Boston Globe article last month on wines from cooperatives. I thought that this sample was just a bit fuller than other recent vintages have been, though still light to moderate in weight, elegant, and nicely balanced, as usual. Shows notes of roses, mixed berries, and minerals. Very good, as usual.
2009 Maison Louis Jadot – Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent Clos de Rochegrès
Medium-bodied, quite structured, nicely balanced, with good finesse. Quite mineral, with cherry, berry, and spice notes. Should be excellent, but needs more time than most 2009s.
2002 Easton Barbera Shenandoah Valley
Medium-bodied, smooth, ripe, rather oaky, with good acidity; just a bit high in alcohol. Shows notes of currants, plums, red fruits, and vanilla. Given that I have actually liked this producer's Zins, I wanted to like this wine as well.
2002 Paternoster Aglianico del Vulture DOC “Synthesi”
Earthy, spicy, somewhat animal nose. Full-bodied, nicely balanced, seamless, with strong volcanic character, and cherry, dark berry, and grilling spice flavors. A small amount of new oak gives it a polished texture, and a vanilla note, but the sense of the unique terroir around Mount Vulture is still very evident. Excellent.