2005 de Villaine, Mercury Les Montots:
Earth and mushroom nose with some fruit; similar in the mouth with some complexity but slightly watery; medium length finish. Goodness, where’s the concentration and fruit? A recent 2005 Digoine showed much the same and I can only assume that these ‘05’s from de Villaine are completely shut down.
2010 Grey Stack, Chardonnay (unoaked):
13.8% alcohol; the nose starts with a lemon, mineral profile but slides toward sulfurous after 15 minutes or so (after decanting an hour or so, it dissipates; [reminds of J.J. Prum]); the palate is as close to fine Chablis as I have tasted in domestic chardonnay; beautiful, balanced, deep and lively with lemon oil, stone, flowers and a touch of white pepper; good length and no reprise of sulphur on the mid-palate or the finish. Raised in stainless and old oak; ML stopped just short of complete; bottled unfiltered (which, coupled an incomplete ML, likely explains the discernable sulphur).
I have little doubt that the sulphur will diminish in time.
Really delicious wine. I am beyond impressed.
We had this with assorted cheese and then with lentil spread and crackers. But this puts me in the mood for oysters or fish; maybe, chicken in sauce or roasted pork. Yum!
1995 Caprai, Sagrantino 25 Anni:
13.5% alcohol; brutally tannic most of its life, this has reached a state where it is more than drinkable; expansive aromatics of dark fruit, rosemary, earth and spice; juicy in the mouth with good complexity, considerable concentration and intensity, and, good balance; a medium length finish where the tannins clamp down and dry the mouth. Up until the finish, this was fabulous; at the finish, it was mandatory that one have cheese or some other fat on hand. We had it with cheese and it more than satisfied.
2009 Dorado, Alvarinho:
Lacking the spiciness I have come to expect from this bottling but has excellent depth, balance and concentration. A delicious, if atypical, expression of the grape. But beautiful with pasta primavera.
2009 Vissoux, Moulin à Vent Les Trois Roches:
Ahhhhh . . . equal parts Vissoux and MaV with wild strawberry/boysenberry fruit, clear and present structure and an underlying stony component that centers the wine. The texture of worsted wool, wonderful concentration and a strong finish. With cream cheese and crackers, a delight.
Lunch with Steve Edmunds at Café Rouge in Berkeley:
2010 Edmunds St. John, Heart of Gold::
72% vermentino and 28% grenache blanc, 12.9% alcohol; very fresh and more of a vermentino profile then in past years; the aromatics are floral and fruity; the palate is fresh, lively, full of spice and flavor, and, it has plenty of cut; perfect balance and a mouth-cleansing finish. As this opens and warms the licorice element comes to the fore and the wine takes on a more serious and complex mode. This is much different than previous vintages and is not to be dismissed as simple.
With tomato and watermelon soup, the bomb.
2010 Edmunds St. John, Rocks and Gravel:
40% syrah, 39% grenache and 21% mourvèdre, 13.1% alcohol; a wine that is just beginning. At first a little funky but as it opens and gets air, the texture turns to satin and the flavors come alive; already some complexity and a very long finish. With steak and frites, nothing could be better. IMO, a wine that needs a year in the cellar, perhaps more, but needs to be served with a bit of a chill on it.
Best, Jim