- 2009 Domaine de Blanes Côtes du Roussillon Impressions Blanc - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc (6/30/2011)
A blend of Grenache blanc and Macabeu; 13% abv. A really love wine: very pure and mineral aroma, citric and like a slightly bruised green apple. Focused and with wonderful acidity, ripe but not rich. Refreshing finish. Lovely. - 2006 Roblet-Monnot Volnay 1er Cru Santenots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (6/30/2011)
Young, very smooth and fruit forward, slick. Good structure and not obviously oaky but very concentrated. Good stuff and with enough typicity, but still not my favourite style of Burgundy. - 2007 Le Cinciole Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico (6/30/2011)
A strange wine in that this is supposedly a "natural" wine with natural yeasts and no new oak. Yet it smells like a stereotype of Chilean Cabernet with its cranberry jam aromas. Full bodied, but at least it has strong acidity and good tannins. Unfortunately the acidity seems to stick out like a sore thumb: apparently "natural" isn't always good. This wasn't so bad that I wouldn't drink it, but neither was it really to my taste. Despite its "natural" credentials, it tasted spoofy to me. - 2007 Podere le Boncie (Giovanna Morganti) Chianti Classico Le Trame - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico (6/30/2011)
This was a fun blind taste. When I last tasted this, not many months ago, I thought it was the epitome of Chianti. Now, blind, it smelled more like a great aged Burgundy: sous bois, bright cherry fruit, earth and outstanding complexity. The palate was tight and structured and not aged at all, but very pleasant in its tannic, acidic and primary fruit. Impeccable balance. Lovely wine. - 1998 Domaine Denis Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Corbeaux Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (6/30/2011)
As all tonight, this was served blind. It smelled of a great Musar: very ripe cherry fruit, slight funk. Full body, sweet and sunny. Lovely stuff - if it were Musar. But even when revealed, I saw no signs at all of Pinot Noir. Good wine, but certainly not because of typicity. Run away if Burgundy is what you're after! - 2007 Fattoria di Bacchereto Carmignano Terre a Mano - Italy, Tuscany, Carmignano (6/30/2011)
Deep, dark, dense. But pure cherry aromas, too (Carmignano has a long tradition of blending Cab to Sangiovese - far longer than Super Tuscans...). Rich, pure, but huge. I think this will be great fun to drink in a year or two (judging by the 2006 which is already a delight) but for now, despite all its admirable qualities, this was just too much. - 2005 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Clos Sénéchal - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil (6/30/2011)
Served blind I can't sense much Cab Franc character. But it is a nice drink: a lovely savoury character married to great ripeness - it is almost raisiny, but gladly doesn't cross that boundary. Lovely structure: grip and palate cleansing tannins, joyful acidity. Sadly that is slightly marred by such a concentration of fruit that I don't especially care for. But I will happily drink this for all the qualities I do enjoy.