2009 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Les Gras Moutons
12% abv. Usually a wine I love but I'm not entirely convinced by the 2009. Immediately after opening it was absurdly aromatic for a Muscadet: with its crystallized lime aromas and pungency it seemed more like Riesling than Muscadet. It did calm down quickly and become more typical of the grape with its positively neutral aromas. But in addition to this positive neutrality, it never gained that lovely leesy, mineral aroma that I especially love. Instead it became rather bland and smelled of pears. Rather generic, unoaked wine in other words, with no special, defining character. The palate, also, was a bit bland, lacking nervousness and character. Soft and easy is what this wine is. It's perfectly fine to drink, it doesn't offend but it doesn't make me feel elated and it does lack the character I usually find with Pépière. I'll blame it all on the hot year.
2010 Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côte du Py
13% abv. About half a year has passed since my last taste of this. Then I said that this will need time (as Burgaud always does), and I was right. But this has opened and softened enough that I am still glad I wasn't able to stop myself from opening one. This is a young, primary wine with still rather tight tannins for a Beaujolais; but it is just so incredibly beautiful! It already has a strong Pinot Noir -like cherry aroma - very primary. Lovely ripeness and lovely freshness combined; and then comes a palate-cleansing hit of tannin. It is still hard despite all the fruit. And the fruit sensations are still primary and show no signs of age. But this is still a wine of breathtaking purity. Not to be opened now unless you like plenty of structure; I am confident this will turn into a beauty.
2006 Riberach Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Antithèse
13,5% abv; 100% Syrah. About two years ago I tried this in a tasting and felt it needed a couple more years. It still needs that couple years! It is quite a rugged style of Syrah at present: nice game aromas but tight despite sweet fruit. No sign of the strong reduction it had in 2010. What is more obvious than in early 2010 is the quality. I must revise my drinking estimate further into the future, but I do think this will end up being a very nice southern Syrah.
2005 Weingut Familie Prieler Leithaberg - Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland
13% abv; 80% Blaufränkisch, the rest Pinot Noir and St. Laurent. With these high-end Austrian reds I always worry - usually perfectly correctly - that fine material is wasted by massive oaking. But with this Leithaberg I shouldn't have worried. It does see oak, but it is a combination of used barriques and bigger barrels. The only noticeable remnant of oak aging is a slight initial smokiness. But this gives way to delicious dark, cherry aromas and loam. Juicy, grippy fruit; clean, crisp and clear fruit; long and vivacious. Quite delicious. Drinking well but I wouldn't mind more aged character, so let it rest if you have some!