Yes, I am still alive, for those of you who may have doubted. And doing pretty well all said. There have been extra things added to our already busy life the past 6 months that have left me with no spare time to speak of, but those have passed now, and I am going to try to get back into the habit of keeping up with posting notes. I've posted batches, mostly from tastings, here and there this past year, but a lot of awesome wines fell through the cracks. I'll be posting these in order of rating (and then by date), so that most noteworthy ones are the most prominent.
Round 1: France.
E. Guigal, Gigondas 2004
Fantastic nose, with lots of Dutch cocoa, dark cherry, blackberry, currant, aromatic orange rind and a hint of roses, tar, earth, mineral, with overtones of sweet raspberry, and gamey mature notes. Identical notes on the palate, full bodied and penetrating with wonderful texture; such wonderful earthiness and depth, with lots of dark cocoa. Drink now or in the next 5 years. 4 Stars [4/18/14]
Nicolas Joly, Clos de la Coulee de Serrant, Coulee de Serrant 2004
Light amber with hints of green. Exceptional nose, rich and very deep, almost heady, with citrus oil and beeswax, hints of pineapple, pear, and apricot, honey, ginger root, and lots of mineral; perhaps an impression of raspberries as well. Lots of citrus oil upfront on the palate, with hints of ripe tropical fruits and pear, overtones of raspberry and apricot (perhaps even plum), honey, a fat tone of beeswax, a hint of ginger, citrus flesh, and mineral. Full bodied and penetrating, with excellent texture. A unique and fascinating wine of impressive quality. 10 years or more ahead, and should be interesting to follow. 4 Stars. [4/27/14]
Pommery, Brut Royal, Champagne NV
Exceptional, rich nose with wonderful, yeasty and mineral depth, with lots of citrus, and ripe pear. On the palate, nice ripe pear followed by lots of tangerine and blood orange, a touch of apricot, then mature note of yeasty bread dough, and lots of mineral. Full bodied, with nice, rich texture and wonderful depth, supported by the prominent citrus notes. Exceptionally nice; from a bottle known to have some extra bottle age (but not how much). 4 Stars. [5/4/14]
Vocoret, Blanchot, Chablis Grand Cru 2002
Sparkly golden yellow. Outstanding nose: white flowers and citrus oil, with fresh ripe pear, plum, and stone fruits, and loads of stoney mineral. Such depth, richness, and aromatics! Same notes on the palate, with wonderful, deep, rich texture, the ripe fruit supported by loads of stoney mineral and citrus. Full bodied and just wonderful – I love it!!! 5 more years, perhaps longer. 4 Stars. [8/23/14]
Louis Jadot, Pouilly-Fuisse 2008
Excellent nose: deep and rich pineapple, guava, sweet citrus, ripe stone fruit, white flowers, cashew, mineral, very nice. Similar notes on the palate, with prominent tropical fruits, a vein of driving citrus, and Puligny-like stone fruits flowers, and mineral. Ripe but with good depth. Full bodied and somewhat deep, yet pleasantly tart. Has good structure. 5 to maybe 10 years ahead. 3.5 Stars [6/20/14]
Domaine Testut, Rive Droite, Chablis 2011
Sweet, rich nose of pear and chalky mineral, with nice depth; possibly some oak influence? Dense yet lean and tart on the palate, with citrus, sweet pear, white peach, a hint of tropical fruits, and a full, long finish, with notes of limestone. 5 to 10 years ahead. 3.5 Stars. [10/18/14]
Cercius, Vieilles Vignes, Cotes-du-Rhone 2011
Wonderful juicy blackberry, meaty currant, and wonderful chocolaty depth, with grippy, chalky, slightly leathery tannins. Full bodied with vibrant acidity, but with depth. 3.5 Stars [6/23/14]
Chateau Sainte Colombe, Cotes-du-Castillon 2004
Wonderful, succulent nose of blackberry, currant, a bit of strawberry, mind, and citrus rind, a touch of roses, chocolate, and chalky/dusty tannins, with a little bit of cedar and tobacco leaf. Same notes on the palate. Full bodied with a wonderful, succulent, penetrating texture, and excellent tone. Will easily last another 5 – 10 years. Excellent stuff. 3 Stars [6/27/14]
Thierry et Pascale Matrot, Bourgogne 2011
From just outside the legal boundary of Meursault. Low key but reasonably deep and minerally nose, with pear, apricot, slightly smoky oak, and butter; quite nice. On the palate, lemon curd, papaya, pineapple, pear/apple, apricot, butterscotch, and a minerally finish. Full bodied and richly textured, although a bit marred by a sawdust note. 5 more years. 3 Stars [10/18/14]
Domaine de Vieux Chene, Cuvee de la Dame Vieille, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse 2012
Very nice, aromatic nose of dark berries, cocoa powder, green olive, a bit of tobacco, and earthy mineral. On the palate, blackberry and currant upfront, followed by juicy plum and apricot, with overtones of fresh raspberry, cocoa, and earthy mineral. Supported by both citrusy and appley acidities. Full bodied and penetrating with a dense, satisfying, meaty texture. Wonderful stuff. An impressive value too. Can last another 3 – 5 years. 3 Stars [10/26/14]
Domaine Lafond, Roc-Epine, Blanc, Lirac 2012
Excellent nose: rich and slightly fat yet fresh, slightly floral, with spice, and great mineral depth; very nice aromatics. On the nose and palate, white peach, orange, apricot/plum, perhaps raspberry notes, honey, allspice, and a lot of mineral depth. Full bodied with a rich yet fresh texture. Wonderful stuff with great character. Drink over the next 3 years, perhaps longer. 3 Stars [11/27/14]
Chateau Hanteillan, Haut-Medoc 2010
Wonderful Bordeaux nose: sweet black cherry, raspberry, cassis, a suggestion of blueberry, cedar, graphite, a touch of chocolate, cured leather/tobacco, and earth; some dried currant tones too. Same notes on the palate, full bodied, juicy and succulent, with fantastic texture and presence; very dense and rich, but with a lot of tannin hiding in the background. Both vibrant and classically structured at the same time, this is an exceptionally satisfying claret. 5 to 10 years ahead. 3 Stars. [11/27/14]
The Furst, Riesling, Alsace 2009
Good but lovely nose. On the palate, pineapple, orange, peach, apricot, and mineral. Moderate ripeness gives this a nice texture, balanced by a vein of tartness. Very nice. Drink over the next 3 years. 2.5 Stars [8/12/14]