Pierre Usseglio, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2009
The base cuvee. Nothing here but pure southern gulumphness from a ripe year. Don't look for complexity or serious structure or get too up in arms about the sweet kirsch and bubblegum, heady aromas. This is drinking well now, no need to wait. A-
Les Crêtes, Valle d'Aosta, Torrette, 2010
Thought this might be shot after taking the capsule off: visible signs of leakage, but it turns out it was fine. Sour plum and iodine-saline solution, hawthorn fruit. Medium-bodied and refreshing for what is an early drinker. Decent. B+ 13% [side note: I've had a fair number of bad/mistreated bottles from DSWE Imports and wondered if this is just me, or could it be a pattern with them? They seemed very unrepsponsive when contacted with the problem]
Hubert Lamy, Saint Aubin, 'En Remilly', 2007
Butterscotch on the nose. Buttered lemon-oil with butterscotch on the lengthy finish. Fine acidity, with a youthful color (pale white yellow) so I doubt premox. Good for what it is, but the oak treatment is a little too prominent for my tastes. 13% B+/A-
Ottaviano Lambruschi, Colli di Luni, 'Sarticola', 2006
One of the single-vineyard vermentino's that Ottaviano makes, or used to make. Burnished gold color. Takes awhile to coax some flavor out, which is mostly caramel sea-salt aromas. On the palate are salty lemon, unripe peach/apricot, burnt butter/butterscotch on the still lively and still acidic finish. One of its stablemates (another vineyard site) was better several years back when fresher. This is interesting at this stage of life, but I can see why people prefer not to age their vermentino. 14% B+/A-
Giuseppe Mascarello, Barolo, 'Monprivato', 2003
Balsamico and greenhouse peat on the nose. This has dark cherry, licorice root, drying tannins that clamp down on the finish...definitely not a cocktail nebbiolo! Clean and correct, but certainly no 'wow' factor. An earlier bottle from a few years back should livelier, so maybe this is not in a place where it should be yet. Color is reaching toward maturity, showing hints of walnut. B+
Chateau La Vieille Cure, Fronsac, 2009
Very purple colored. Rich ripe black plum and blackcurrant on the nose. Sweet ripe cassis on the palate, modern-ish but very good balance. Tannin sneaks in at the end, but only mildly. Drinks beautifully now and suggest an early drinkability but an ability to keep 8-9 years out at least. A- 14.5%(!)
Enderle & Moll, Landwein Oberrhein, Pinot Noir, 'Liason', 2012
What the hell happened? This is so different from a bottle drank last year. The cranberry and unripe strawberry wash is not as sweet or full as I remember it from 6 months ago. Calcium and talc on the sour finish. Lacking body, and much charm at the moment. B
Antoniolo, Coste della Sesia, 'Juvenia', 2012
Light smoky aromas. This is red-fruited but seems holding back and feels a little dillute. Some wood dust on the finish. Nearly texturally similar to a lower level Burg. There's quite the quality gap between this young vine nebbiolo and the Gattinara normale. B/B+
